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How is appearance vs reality presented in Macbeth essay?
In Shakespeare's Macbeth, the theme appearance vs reality is presented throughout the play highlighting the deceptive nature of power, ambition and morality.
At the start of the play, we are introduced to the three witches, who play a crucial part in the theme Appearance vs reality. In act 1, scene 1 they end their meeting with the unusual statement '"Fair is foul and foul is fair Hover through the fog and filthy air." The paradoxical statement foreshadows the events that will unfold in the play. The imagery of 'Hover' and 'air' is an example of the unsettling nature of the Witches' world that is brought wherever they go.
In Act 1 Scene 3 Banquo and Macbeth have an encounter with the witches and Banquo questions, "Are ye fantastical, or that indeed which outwardly ye show?" This shows that Banquo is unsure whether the witches or their prophecies are true which suggests the difficulty of distinguishing between what is real and what is not.
After the witches vanish, Macbeth is baffled and says, "Into the air, and what seemed corporal melted, as breath into the wind." The witches, who initially appear to have physical bodies vanish into the air suggesting that what seems real or tangible can be illusory or fleeting. The simile "as breath into the wind" is a powerful image that reflects the ephemeral nature of the Witches existence.
Appearance vs reality is commented throughout the play when Duncan claims, "There's no art to find the minds construction in the face" when he was betrayed by the Thane of Cawdor. Duncan says that people may seem good and trustworthy but they might not be. The irony here is striking; Duncan misjudges Macbeth who outwardly appears loyal but internally harbors ambition and treachery.
As the play progresses, Lady Macbeth advises Macbeth to "look like the innocent flower but be the serpent under't." This stark juxtaposition reveals Lady Macbeth's understanding of the necessity to mask true intentions beneath a facade of innocence. Her manipulative counsel demonstrates the lengths to which individuals will go to hide their ambition.
When Duncan is killed, Donalbain realises that "there's daggers in men's smiles". The noun dagger suggests that there is hidden danger and malicious intent behind the friendly faces. This idea resonates with Lady Macbeth's earlier exhortation, reinforcing the notion that appearances can be dangerously misleading.
Towards the end of the play Malcolm says, "Angels are bright still, though the brightest fell." This biblical allusion to Lucifer encapsulates the complexity of the theme, suggesting that even within the darkest of circumstances, goodness can still exist. This reflects Malcolms' cautious yet hopeful view of humanity.
To conclude Shakespeare effectively presents the idea of appearance vs reality and to not easily trust everyone just because they outwardly seem noble.