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 that his appearance in front of Duncan, and the other thanes, must not show what is in his heart. Lady Macbeth appears to be vicious and cruel to her husband. She tells him that she would dash a baby’s head to the floor, rather than breaking a promise that, in reality, he has not made. But when Macbeth is performing the murder she says “Had he not resembled/ My father as he slept, I had done’t. My husband? (2.2.12-13)”. This shows that lady Macbeth’s reality somehow seems to have a gentle personality, but she tries to hide it, she says, “Have plucked my nipple from his boneless gum/ And dashed the brains out (1.7.57-58)”. Another example where lady Macbeth’s appearance contradicts reality is when she appears to be hospitable to Duncan, while in reality; she is planning to murder him.
Appearance and reality also play a part when Macbeth is on his way to murder Duncan. Macbeth sees what appeared to be a dagger, he tries to hold it, but he can’t, he says, “let me clutch thee:/ I have thee not, and yet I see thee still (2.1.34-35).” The dagger looks real, but in reality it is not. While on his way back he hears what appears to tell him “Glamis hath murdered sleep, and therefore Cawdor shall sleep no more (2.2.45-46)”.
After the murder, Macbeth and his wife show great grief, but in reality this was their own act based on injudicious ambition. Macbeth says, “Had I but died an hour before this chance (2.3.84)” This could have a double meaning. Macbeth might be regretting his “sacrilegious murder”, or just showing sorrow in front of everyone for Duncan’s death.
A further scene, where the theme of appearance and reality has an important role is when Macbeth tries to appear as a decent friend of Banquo’s; he invites him to the banquet. He is deceiving his friend, he says “I wish your horse swift and sure of foot,/ And so I do commend you to their backs. Farewell (3.1.39-41)” In reality Macbeth is planning to kill his best friend, he says, “For Banquo’s Issue have I filled my mind (3.1.66)”. Again before the banquet, Macbeth tells his wife that they should not show what is in their hearts, he says, “And make our faces vizards to our hearts (3.2.34)”.
Another example of appearance and reality is in the banquet, when Macbeth sees what seemed to be Banquo’s ghost, but in reality no one else could see it. This is just like the dagger, Macbeth can no longer tell reality from appearance.
The last and most important example of appearance and reality is when, Macbeth, the master of deceit and hypocrisy, is fooled by the apparitions’ predictions. They appear to be “fair”, but are they? First, the second apparition says, “The power of man, for none of woman born/ Shall harm Macbeth (4.1.79-80).” Having heard this Macbeth thinks that he will never be harmed by a man born of woman. This turns out to have a double meaning, when he fights Macduff in the end, Macduff tells him that he was “from his mother’s womb/ Untimely ripped (5,8,15-16).” Also when the third apparition says, “Macbeth shall never vanquished be until/ Great Birnam Wood to high Dunsinane hill/ Shall come against him (4.1.91-93).” This appears to be impossible, who would believe that a wood can go up a hill, but later it also turns out to have a double meaning, when Malcom orders each of his soldiers to carry a branch and go up the hill, it seems as if the wood was going up the hill. Finally Macbeth realizes that he has been fooled by the apparitions predictions he says, “That palter with us in a double sense,/ That keep the word of promise to our ear/ And break it to our hope (5.8.21-23)”.
In conclusion, the theme of appearance and reality is a major idea of the play, which is shown very clearly by the characters words, thoughts and actions.