Deceit and Betrayal in Shakespeare's Macbeth

837 Words2 Pages

Deceit and Betrayal in Shakespeare's Macbeth Shakespeare's play "Macbeth" is considered one of his great tragedies. The play fully uses plot, character, setting, atmosphere, diction and imagery to create a compelling drama. The general setting of Macbeth is tenth and eleventh century Scotland. The play is about a once loyal and trusted noble of Scotland who, after a meeting with three witches, becomes ambitious and plans the murder of the king. After doing so and claiming the throne, he faces the other nobles of Scotland who try to stop him. In the play, Macbeth faces an internal conflict with his opposing decisions. On one hand, he has to decide of he is to assassinate the king in order to claim his throne. This would result in his death for treason if he is caught, and he would also have to kill his friend. On the other hand, if he is to not kill him, he may never realize his ambitious dreams of ruling Scotland. Another of his internal struggles is his decision of killing his friend Banquo. After hiring murderers to kill him, Macbeth begins to see Banquo's ghost which drives him crazy, possibly a result of his guilty conscience. Macbeth's external conflict is with Macduff and his forces trying to avenge the king and end Macbeth's reign over Scotland. One specific motif is considered the major theme, which represents the overall atmosphere throughout the play. This motif is "fair is foul and foul is fair." In the first scene of the first act, three witches plan their next meeting in which they will encounter Macbeth. It is in this scene that the motif is first presented, as the tree witches chant, "Fair is foul, and foul is fair, hover through the fog and filthy air" (1.1.11-12). The witches meet again in scene three of act one. One of the witches discusses a curse she has placed on a woman's husband, because she refused to share her food. This display of evil powers and spitefulness, suggests that the witches may have some influence in the development of the motif. Macbeth enters during this scene along with Banquo, arriving from a victorious battle. He uses the motif to describe the day as "So foul and fair a day I have not seen" (1.3.38). When Macbeth encounters the witches, they give him two predictions. One is that he will become the thane of Cawdor, and then the king of Scotland.

Show More
Related

  • Examples Of Deception In Macbeth

    766 Words  | 2 Pages

    The play Macbeth, written by William Shakespeare, entails a tragic hero who cannot control his lustful nature. Malcolm used the theme “appearances can be deceiving” to challenge Macduff’s allegiance. Although Macbeth killed in a slyly manner, he was not the only one. This leads him to silently kill a plethora of people. Lady Macbeth applied deception to beguile others of the killings of King Duncan and Banquo. Therefore, the theme “appearances can be deceiving” is developed utilizing the characters of Malcolm, Macbeth, and Lady Macbeth.

    Read More

  • Who Is Responsible For Julius Caesar's Downfall

    1569 Words  | 4 Pages

    While Gaius Julius Caesar was not the only man responsible for the collapse of the Republic, he was instrumental in its eventual downfall. He achieved this through his controversial rise to power, using the First Triumvirate as a base for him to gain power, and through his reforms that affected the social, economic and political structure of Roman society. These events caused immediate and long-lasting effects on Rome as a

    Read More

  • The Rise and Fall of the Roman Republic

    521 Words  | 2 Pages

    The roman republic came into existence at the termination of the Roman kingship in 507 B.C.E. The last king of Rome, Tarquin the Proud, was expelled by Collatinus and Brutus, as a result of his arrogance involving the matter of one of his relations raping the wholesome Roman matron Lucretia and her subsequent suicide. The rape of Lucretia was really a representation of the frustration that the roman citizens felt regarding the kingship. The later kings had little regard for roman values and the roman populus, which they used as something of a slave labor force. Brutus and Collatinus became the first Roman Consuls, elected by popular vote.

    Read More

  • Lady Macbeth's Deception

    880 Words  | 2 Pages

    The play Macbeth by William Shakespeare starts off with a noble warrior Named Macbeth that is titled thane of Glamis by his own uncle, King Duncan. Macbeth is awarded thane of Cawdor due to the switching sides of the original title holder who is hanged for treason. Macbeth who is deceived by his wife kills the king in a plot for power and they put the blame on the guards by laying bloody daggers next to them. Macbeth begins to lose himself as the play goes on. He kills his best friend Banquo and Macduff’s wife and kids. Lady Macbeth kills herself as she goes crazy from all the killings and then that is when Macbeth completely loses himself. Macbeth is told by the witches that he cannot be killed by any one of women born. Macduff and Malcolm, heir to the throne who fled Scotland think of a plan to kill Macbeth. Macbeth faces Macduff and Malcolm’s army alone as he is labeled a tyrant and is abandoned by everyone. He faces the army fearlessly as he cannot killed by any one of woman born but fails to realize that Macduff was born of C-section leading to his downfall and Macbeth is Beheaded. Malcolm becomes the new king. Lady Macbeth's deception had a dramatic effect on the play leading to a dramatic change in many lives. The three main points that will be discussed are how Lady Macbeth becomes deceived; how Lady Macbeth deceives others and the results from Lady Macbeth deceiving others. Lady Macbeth, was simply minded and became easily deceived.

    Read More

  • Shakespeare's Macbeth - Appearance versus Reality - Quote Analysis

    575 Words  | 2 Pages

    The Witches introduce the theme with the infamous phrase “Fair is foul, and foul is fair” (scene 1, line 11) in the first scene. It’s functional for the Witches to say this in the beginning of the book, as they are the start of all the perplexity. They become the core of confusion when they awaken Macbeth’s ambition and transform his perspective of good and evil, making bad things look good and good things look bad. Ironically in connection with this, Banquo warns Macbeth, “Win us with honest trifles, to betray’s In deepest consequence” (1/3/125-126). The Witches continue to speak in contradicting language, such as “lesser than Macbeth, and greater” (1/3/65) and “Not so happy, yet much happier” (1/3/66) that adds to the sense of moral confusion, by implying that nothing is quite what it seems. Banquo’s warning is fulfilled at the end of the play when the Witches had won Macbeth’s trust with prophecies that became true –‘honest trifles’- and then betray him in the things that really mattered, his life and his country -‘deepest consequence’- to win his spirit for hell.

    Read More

  • Deception, Seduction and Ambition in Shakespeare’s Macbeth

    2165 Words  | 5 Pages

    Thesis: Deception, seduction, and ambition are a lethal combination. Shakespeare’s Macbeth establishes this concept early on. Ambition is the motivational thrust that most often gives momentum as one tries to achieve success. However, without the occasional tune-up, Macbeth demonstrates how unchecked ambition can quickly become a speeding, out-of-control, vehicle that ultimately leads to destruction.

    Read More

  • Adversity In Macbeth

    816 Words  | 2 Pages

    Macbeth’s provocative or violent actions on the challenges placed before him cause him to build an effect of downfall and dismay throughout the play. Originally, Macbeth handles his challenges in different ways and manners and is constantly changing his procedure. From handling situations carefully to not caring, Macbeth and his violence resulted in guilt and selfishness which he had to overcome. By the end of the play, Macbeth had become a selfish, greedy king and the challenges as well as experiences he encountered shaped him into who he is. He was shaped by the guilt of killing Banquo and Duncan, just to become powerful and a king. For example, in Act 3 Scene 4, Macbeth faces adversity when his mind creates a ghost of Banquo, who he just found out was killed. In Macbeth, the uprising of adversity was often handled in various manners. By dealing with his own challenges, Macbeth transforms his handling of adversity from being cautious to thoughtless, which reflected his character and the transformation he portrayed throughout the

    Read More

  • The Theme Of Betrayal In Macbeth

    308 Words  | 1 Pages

    William Shakespeare’s Macbeth is a tragedy which dramatises the effects of ambition of those who seek power. Macbeth is a play about how different people rise and fall due to one's ambition. Betrayal is a prominent theme throughout that play that affects the thane of Cawdor, Macbeth, and Macduff. For instance, the thane of Cawdor betrays the King by helping Norway fight the battle, “Norway himself, with terrible numbers, Assisted by that most disloyal traitor, The thane of cawdor” (Macbeth 1:2:52-53). The thane of Cawdor was a traitor to Duncan, the King, and was disloyal to him by fighting for the other side. He betrayed Duncan and got reprimanded for it. Another example of betrayal includes when Macbeth killed the king, “I go, and it is done,

    Read More

  • Deceitful And Ruthless In Macbeth

    237 Words  | 1 Pages

    Deceitful and ruthless, in Shakespeare’s Macbeth, Macbeth shows multiple times that he is a liar and will lie to further his own ambitions/prove his innocence. For instance, after Macbeth murdered king Duncan’s guards, he lies as to why he killed them. “Th’ expedition of my violent love Outrun the pauser, reason… That had a heart to love, an in that heart Courage to make’s love known?” (Act 2, Scene 3, Lines 104-105, 111-112) Macbeth did not kill the guards out of rage and for Duncan, Macbeth killed them to prove he was loyal and innocent to the king/kings’ men and cover up the fact that he was the murderer of Duncan. If Macbeth truly loved Duncan, he would have never killed him and would had never had to kill the guards. Another example that

    Read More

  • What Is External Conflict In Macbeth

    566 Words  | 2 Pages

    Macbeth, the protagonist of the play, seems to be the greatest of Scottish heroes, who is a savior of the kingdom and is loyal to the king. Although Macbeth seems like a hero, upon meeting with the witches a new surface of his character is revealed. The treachery within him is provoked by the witches and Macbeth thinks that their predictions justify his heinous acts. Throughout the play Macbeth struggles with an internal and external conflict. The external conflict is deflecting suspicion from fellow thanes who think Macbeth cheated his way to the throne. The internal conflict is Macbeth struggling with all of the guilt that is being built up inside of him.

    Read More

  • The Roman Republic And Roman Empire

    1206 Words  | 3 Pages

    Overall it’s clear to see that the Roman Republic was more about the Roman people and what they desired, but the power, in both the empire and the republic, still stayed within the few people of high power. As you can tell from history, one of the main factors of the downfall was that the power became too concentrated and caused the Roman Republic to fall. The Roman Empire came to be because of what the senate let happen. By giving so much power to Octavian, the monarchy turned into an imperium. All together the empire and the republic were very successful in bringing Rome prosperity and expansion.

    Read More

  • Subcontractors In The Construction Industry

    1261 Words  | 3 Pages

    Subcontractors play very important role in the process of construction and often their work is underestimated. It is very common observation that owners hire professionals such as architects, engineers, construction managers, and general contractors. But, the actual work is performed primarily by subcontractors. The subcontractor performs the work according to the plans and specifications that are provided from the design professionals employed by the owner. For example, an electrical trade subcontractor is usually given a set of electrical plans and technical specifications designed by an electrical engineer and reviewed by the project architect. (Subcontracts and Subcontractors 2014).

    Read More

  • Learning Curve Analysis: Learning Curve Analysis In Project Management

    1106 Words  | 3 Pages

    Krajewski, L. J., Malhotra, M. K., & Ritzman, L. P. (2016). Operations Management: Processes and Supply Chains: Global Edition . Pearson.

    Read More

  • The Complications Of Construction Procurement In The Construction Process

    3274 Words  | 7 Pages

    Construction projects are complex, having a long production cycle and involving many participants and they are therefore, associated with risks and uncertainties. It is important for a client to know how, and to what degree, risk has consciously been passed to another organizations, or how it has been shared in some proportion between him and another organization. For design and built method, all the risks can lie almost wholly with the contractor (Turner,

    Read More

  • Sail Away

    1294 Words  | 3 Pages

    First of all, the best proof of citizenship for traveling worldwide by ship, air, or even by foot is the passport. Practically every continent requires a traveler to have proof of identity. Such a document is a necessity in order to travel freely throughout the world. I must stress the importance of having the required paperwork when traveling in foreign countries that are not your home. Having a passport is essential if you wish to set sail across international waters. Generally, the government says it takes an average of 4 to 6 weeks to get your passport, but I would start applying a year in advance. It’s always easier to be prepared for future problems when you take the steps to avoid it. For instance, my family planned a cruise for December 2009; I didn’t apply for my passport until late November 2009. I was a year behind in applying for my passport and I was AFRAID that I would miss my cruise. I check online for the status of my passport and found out that in order for me to go on the cruise I would have to ...

    Read More

More about Deceit and Betrayal in Shakespeare's Macbeth

Open Document