Illusion Vs Reality – The Causticity of Illusion

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Reality is the state of the world of how it really is, whereas an illusion is erroneous interpretation of reality. Illusions often derail people from their sanity, as they cause them to inadvertently live lives in accordance to false beliefs. As a result, the outcomes for these people, and the people around them, are often atrocious. The theme of illusion versus reality is excessively demonstrated in Macbeth, a play written by William Shakespeare, and also in The Crucible, a play written by Arthur Miller. In both plays, the characters that lived illusive lives ultimately ended up leaving behind a trail of ignominy, grief, and death. In Macbeth, it is Macbeth and Lady Macbeth who consistently misinterpret reality as a world that accommodates their malevolent desires. In The Crucible, the entirety of the town of Salem misinterprets reality as a world of supernatural danger. In addition to this theme being indubitably evident in these two plays, it is also evident in our modern day society, and also in the lives of the individuals who compose it. Although the consequences of misinterpreting an illusion for reality may not always be pernicious, it is for certain that they will always be adverse.

In Macbeth, Lady Macbeth severely corrupts the morality and ambition of her husband, Macbeth. She causes him to believe that he can execute the murders of innocent people, such as King Duncan, and will evade retribution in the end. Initially, Macbeth was reluctant to abide by Lady Macbeth’s barbaric plans; and was subconsciously able to realize that actualizing his wife’s murderous contemplation would only lead towards a dire outcome. Albeit Macbeth possessed proper morals, his ambition to obtain power allowed his wife’...

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... faculties, ultimately resulting in the eradication of yourself and those around you. They can also rupture societies to a point where its members are at enmity with one another; ultimately resulting in the systematic breakdown of civility and tranquility. Finally, they can lead one into living an unwarranted life of optimism, eventually resulting in the inevitable exposure to an abhorrent reality. It is best to abstain from living a life of illusion; by doing so, you will evade the pain and devastation that it will entail. In addition, it is imperative that you be vigilant of those who live illusive lives; for if you are not, you may just end up being embroiled in their deleterious nature.

Works Cited
1. Shakespeare, William. Macbeth. Signet Classic, New York, New York, 1963.

2. Miller, Arthur. The Crucible. Penguin Classics, London, England, 1953.

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