How Does Shakespeare Present Betrayal In Macbeth

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The famous Shakespearean tragedy of Macbeth follows the life of a lord by the name of Macbeth and his quest for power. The play details his unlawful rise to kingship, his consequential problems, and ends with his execution by another lord of Scotland named Macduff. Betrayal and treachery are some of the key ideas forming the foundation of the play, and these characteristics appear in many forms throughout the story. The characters of Lady Macbeth and Macbeth perfectly exemplify these fundamental ideas. Lady Macbeth manipulates others to commit vile acts of murder and betrayal. She convinces her husband Macbeth to follow through with his plans of killing the king, and in doing so, betrays both her king, the natural chain of being, and her femininity. …show more content…

Her character embodies many of the dark and evil sides of the play. One of the traits she possesses is her strong tendency to betray those around her for her own personal gain. One of these moments can be seen in her decision to betray King Duncan and convince her husband to murder him. Upon first receiving the letter from Macbeth detailing the witches' prophecy and his newly appointed title as Thane of Cawdor, Lady Macbeth swiftly devises a plan to eliminate the King and give her husband the throne. This lack of any hesitation when committing treason against the throne proves her proneness to betray others. Lady Macbeth further cements this betrayal in the short period of time after learning of Macbeth's reluctance to commit the crime of murdering the king. She manipulates her husband to follow through by questioning his masculinity and uses his fierce pride against him. This treachery also upsets the natural order of power in the play. Lady Macbeth decides to change this order by force (the murder of the King). Upsetting the natural chain of being was not her final crime however. Lady Macbeth further betrays her femininity in her soliloquy, calling …show more content…

Macbeth's state of delusional paranoia is the repercussion of his crimes too. Unlike Lady Macbeth however, he is physically responsible for Duncan's murder. This act alone is enough to exemplify his tendency to commit vile acts of betrayal and treachery. However, he further goes on to send murderers after his once-good friend and fellow Lord Banquo, and Banquo's son Fleance, betraying their trust. Banquo did not pose a direct threat to Macbeth's life; Macbeth simply wanted to guarantee his uncontested rule over all of Scotland. As prophesied by the witches, Banquo's family would gain the throne after Macbeth. In an effort to prevent losing his family's claim to the throne and defend his own life, Macbeth chooses to kill Banquo and Banquo's son Fleance to cease their line of family, ensuring the continuation of royalty in Macbeth's family. Although this second murder was unsuccessful, the principles behind ordering it remain treacherous and evil. These crimes represent once again another disruption to the natural chain of being, with emphasis on the murder of King Duncan. By choosing to elevate his own position in this chain by murdering other people, he once again contributes to his destruction farther along in the play. This natural order is extremely important in Macbeth, and changing it causes negative repercussions to directly affect the person or persons responsible. This inexcusable betrayal is

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