Appearance Vs Reality In Macbeth

Fair is Foul and Foul is Fair is a phrase that has become a synonym with the play Macbeth. It is the introduction to the play and the introduction to most important theme of the play, Appearance versus Reality. In Macbeth, Shakespeare uses various characters along with scenes and situations to portray and develop the theme of Appearance versus Reality. He also uses these vivid characters and scenes to emphasize the confusion between the real and surreal, the authentic and the fake, the act and the sincere. Characters in this play are very deceptive and their intentions are dark and ominous. However, their appearance does not show their sinister intentions. The theme of appearance versus reality is a vital part to this play and the characters that portray it are the Witches, Macbeth and Lady Macbeth.

The introduction of the theme is said within the first lines of this play by the witches “Fair is Foul and Foul is Fair” (1, 11, 1). According to the plot, it makes sense for the witches to say this at the beginning of the play as they are the start of the entire conundrum. Banquo also points out in the play that the witches have beards buy they look like women. The Witches become the thrust of confusion when they awaken Macbeth’s ambition and alter his perspective of good and evil, making good things look bad and bad things look good. Banquo also warns Macbeth of the witches “Win us with honest trifles, to betray’s in deepest consequence” (1, 3, 125). However, the witches speak in a contrasting language “Lesser than Macbeth, and Greater” (1, 3, 65) and “Not so happy, yet much happier” (1, 3, 66) which adds to the confusion that exists and tells the reader that nothing is what it seems to be. Near the end of the book, we figure out ...

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...he is just as weak as her husband is.

In conclusion, this theme of appearance versus reality is developed and presented through different characters in the play which include The Witches, Lady Macbeth and Macbeth. All these three characters paint a vivid picture of their personalities on the outside; but as proven, they are different on the inside. Interestingly, Macbeth’s first line in the play is “So foul and fair a day I have not seen” (1, 3, 36), showing that Macbeth is the core of the play’s moral confusion from the start of this play. It is made clear that Shakespeare identifies what he sees in life as the world’s fatal flaw, the inability to distinguish between appearance and reality. However, no matter what, reality will conquer appearance whether it is slow in the case of Macbeth or abrupt like Lady Macbeth’s, the truth will always emerge at the end.