In Macbeth by William Shakespeare, appearance and reality is of vast importance. It is shown from the starting point and goes throughout the play.

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                Mohamed El Sherif

                Y11A

Appearance and reality in Macbeth

In Macbeth by William Shakespeare, appearance and reality is of vast importance. It is shown from the starting point and goes throughout the play.

Even in the very opening scene of the play we are introduced to the theme of appearance and reality. First, the witches say their spell “Fair is foul and foul is fair (1.1.12)”. This seems to mean that what appears good can be evil, and what appears evil can be good. Banquo is confused he says, “you should be women/ And yet your beards forbid me to interpret/ That you are so (1.3.43-44).” Later in that scene, Macbeth says that “what seemed corporal,/ Melted, as breath into the wind.” The witches seemed tangible, but later the vanished into the air. As well not only might the witches not be what they appear to be, their words might not mean what they appear to mean. Banquo warn Macbeth “The instruments of darkness tell us truth;/ Win us with honest trifles, to betray’s/ In deepest consequences (1.3.126).”

In the same way that Banquo warns Macbeth that he might have failed to see the reality of the witches, Duncan has failed to see the reality of Cawdor whom he has “built/ An absolute trust (1.4.13-14).”, when Cawdor rebels against Duncan. When everyone is congratulating loyal Macbeth after winning the battle for Duncan, Macbeth has already had “horrible imaginations”, but does not want “light” to see his “black and deep desires”. Duncan is making the same mistake he has made with Cawdor, He Tells Macbeth “More is thy due than more than all can pay (1.4.21).”. This is ironic because in the same time Duncan thinks that Macbeth is a person who can be trusted, Macbeth has had his “horrible imaginings”.

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Lady Macbeth also plays an important role in the theme of appearance and reality. From the very first point we are introduced to her, she reads her husband’s letter, and wants these imaginings to be come true, but she says, “I do fear thy nature,/ It is too full o’th’milk of humane kindness (1.5.14-15)”. She warns Macbeth that he is open “as a book where men/ May read strange matters (1.5.60-61)”. She encourages Macbeth to “beguile the time”. If their plan was to succeed he must “look like th’innocent flower,/ But be the serpent under’t (1.5.63-64)”. This means ...

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