A human’s future is never decided by one event, human, or dream. For “[one] often meets his destiny on the road he took to avoid it” (Jean de La Fontaine). The circumstances and moments that life puts one through can never be controlled, but more than often decides who one becomes. Every moment encountered builds illusions and disillusions that guide the direction of our future. Just as a physically abused 5 year-old tends to act out in hate a different child raised with loving parents will act with compassion and love. Everyone develops tinted sunglasses that dictate how one sees the world and responds to their surroundings. The “tinted sunglasses” that all humans wear drastically effect the course of their destiny and the men and women one becomes. The role of illusions, disillusions, and “tinted sunglasses” intensely impacted Macbeth’s decisions and he king he came to be. In the case of Macbeth, illusions did not solely focus on the physical, but his falsified view of the world mentally. The belief that power could be eternally secured eventually lead him to his death. In accordance, the disillusion of his “tinted sunglasses” developed an irreversible reputation as a tyrant and a dictator. For “fair is foul and foul is fair” and things are never as they seem (i.i.12).

Power has an unique ability unlike anything else in our human world. It has the capability to start wars, pit brothers against brothers, and drive men to their graves in pursuit of more of it. To start, Macbeth was a noble soldier of Scotland. He fought off enemies of Duncan and was highly praised for it. However, Macbeth was disillusioned through the prophecies that he could change his future and secure kinship eternally. After the first monumental encounter with the weird sisters, Macbeth was driven to quicken the process of kinship “against the use of nature” and become king as rapidly as he could(i.iii.136). Despite a few moments of early guilt Macbeth was “settled” and ready to do whatever it took to accomplish “terrible feat” (i.vii.79-80). Finally, after murdering Duncan, Macbeth became king. But kinship wasn’t enough. He had to secure it and make sure his lineage would continue, and not Banquo’s. Then to continue his murderous rant, he killed Banquo and attempted to kill his son Fleance. Thus again demonstrating the power of his disillusionment. Macbeth was willing to kill anyone in his path no matter the cost. The tip of the cap however was Macbeth’s concluding visit with the weird sisters. If promising him kingship wasn’t enough, they promised that “none of a woman born shall harm Macbeth” (iv.i.79-80). Although this was quite deceptive, the prophecy furthered Macbeth’s falsified belief that he would be king forever. Macbeth, equipped with a behemoth ego, then went onto kill a man’s entire family and wage war against England. What he didn’t realize though that was no man ever can be king forever. Neither can his family. Humanity is not eternal and Macbeth’s life is no exception. For the bigger they are, the harder they fall. Macbeth was immensely driven by his “tinted sunglasses” and his invalid view of the world led him to his grave. His illusions became his reality, and his disillusionment became fatal.

The disillusionment of the mind not only effects the human itself, but dissociates into the external and changes the way others view the disillusioned. Every action committed by someone helps develop a reputation that is generally irreversible. The fact that Macbeth viewed reality in an fallacious manner meant he turned Scotland into a disaster and developed a permanent reputation as a tyrant. His “tinted sunglasses” took on a role that not only effected his life, but the life of others and his country. Before Macbeth, Scotland was a very successful country led by a valiant leader. It was said that if Duncan died “his virtues will plead like angels” for “[Duncan had] been so [honest] in his great office” (i.vii.16-20). When Macbeth came into power however Scotland took a drastic turn for the worse. “New widows howl, new orphans cry,” and “horses” “turn’d wild in nature” “contending [against] obedience.” (iv.iii.5-8) (iii.vi.34-37). His pursuit of permanent kinships turned a country into a complete mess and turned his subjects against him. In Shakespeare’s immensely profound play “Macbeth,” Macbeth was called a tyrant a total of 3 times among other dishonoring names and not even “devil himself could not pronounce a title more hateful” (v.vii.9-10). All of this pointing to the clear fact that Macbeth turned out to be a infamous and cruel leader. His blindness lead him down a path of destruction and hate that ended his life along with many others. This path however was the sole cause of disillusionment. Macbeth’s heedless view of life and the mortal beings that humans are drove him off the cliff of insanity as well as his country. “His destiny” was met “on [the] road he took to avoid it” (Jean de La Fontaine).

One’s future is never decided solely by one’s actions. The words of others, the power of greed, and the illusions one encounters has the ability guide our every decision and change the men and women every human develops to be. Scotland, a land lead by a dauntless leader was headed for success and glory until one man decided that future could be shaped by his actions. Macbeth manipulated to the best of his abilities his kingdom but that was not enough. His “tinted sunglasses” blinded him into thinking that he could control power eternally. The illusions of his mind played the most colossal part in Macbeth’s actions and the course of his destiny. He went from a fighting warrior of Scotland to a self-absorbed, ruthless, murdering king. He build his castle on a bed of sand, rather than a solid rock. He built his castle on disillusionment rather than the factual reality of humanity. He died a blind coward reaping the seeds that he sowed. Illusions and disillusions not only was an important factor in “Macbeth,” but it was the driving sole of who Macbeth became and the future he created for himself.
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Benjamin Gee