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Macbeth Appearance Vs Reality

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A theme that arises in Shakespeare’s play, “Macbeth,” is the idea of appearance and reality and provides a concise difference between the two. This theme is supported by Shakespeare’s use of motifs within the story. He is able to showcase the opposition between appearance and reality by his multiple examples in which the internal and external portrayal of thoughts and feelings differ such as in Banquo, Lady Macbeth, and Macbeth. The use of asides and soliloquies allow the audience to veer into the personal thoughts of individual characters. For example, Banquo states, ”Thou hast it now: king, Cawdor, Glamis, all, as the weird women promised, and I fear thou play’dst most foully for it” (Act lll, Scene 1). Therefore, the audience knows …show more content…
She was the biggest contributor as well as the most obvious character to support the theme of appearance versus reality. Throughout the entire play, her opposing thoughts are expelled based on the audience she is around. A firm example of this is her portrayed feeling subsequent to reading Macbeth’s letter. She states, “You wait on nature's mischief! Come, thick night, and pall thee in the dunnest smoke of hell, that my keen knife see not the wound it makes, nor heaven peep through the blanket of the dark, to cry “hold, hold!”” (Act I, Scene 5). Though she lets out all of her true personal feelings to herself and her husband, she innately covers up her thoughts by acting like an ally to Duncan and the rest of the men. Additionally, she covers up any suspicions towards herself or Macbeth by rapidly changing the focus towards herself or using a series of excuses. For example, she claims, “Think of this, good peers, but as a thing of custom; ‘tis no other. Only it spoils the pleasure of the time” (Act III, Scene 4). Lady Macbeth gives reasoning to Macbeth’s obscene behavior during the dinner with the other high ranking officials. She proclaims this to reduce suspicion of Macbeth for the murder of Banquo. Lady Macbeth acted as a catalyst to provoke the evil deeds and encourages Macbeth to “put on a familiar face.” Nevertheless, guilt resides in her for the remainder of the play as it builds up and pushes her to the point where she cannot sleep over it and eventually drives her to perform a self-inflicted

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