Essay Example on Shakespeare’s Macbeth: The Royal Deception

Today’s society has continually made it easier to pretend to be someone you are not.  People can hide behind the mask of a screen and spew lies without anyone thinking twice.  This concept of deception, however, is certainly not a new phenomenon, it dates back as long as mankind has existed.  Shakespeare illustrates this theme of illusion disguising reality quite heavily in his play Macbeth.  Majority of the characters shown in Macbeth have displayed examples of illusion at one point in the play.  The witches were able to trick Macbeth into playing into his ambition with their half-truth prophecies.  Lady Macbeth, described best by her lies and fake facade, blurred the line between false ideas and reality for Macbeth.  Even the most minor characters exhibited these deceptive behaviours.  Shakespeare’s play Macbeth, shows through both major and minor characters, that one’s inability to decipher illusion from reality can lead to tragic consequences.  

The witches' prophecies throughout the play majorly contributed to Macbeth’s actions and ultimately, his downfall.  From the first time Macbeth saw the witches, he was immediately intrigued and was much more willing to accept what they said as fact.  In Act Ⅰ, Macbeth and Banquo approach the three witches, and the witches proceed to tell them three prophecies.  After doing so Macbeth says to the witches, “Stay, you imperfect speakers. Tell me more.” (Shakespeare Ⅰ. Ⅲ. 68).  Later on in the scene, after the witches vanish, Macbeth says to Banquo, “Into the air, and what seem’d corporal, / Melted, as breath into wind. Would they had stay’d.” (Shakespeare Ⅰ. Ⅲ. 79-80).  These two quotes show Macbeth’s clear desperation for more knowledge of the prophecies.  The mention of the accomplishments of being the Thane of Cawdor and more importantly, the King of Scotland, triggered his ambition and his obsession with being the best.  Upon the witches vanishing, Banquo expressed his distrust towards them.  Macbeth however, was not as quick to judge.  Following their vanishing, Banquo says to Macbeth, “Were such things here as we do speak about? / Or have we eaten on the insane root, / That takes the reason prisoner?” (Shakespeare Ⅰ. Ⅲ. 81-83).  Right after, Macbeth says to Banquo, “Your children shall be kings.” (Shakespeare Ⅰ. Ⅲ. 84).  Banquo is considered to be Macbeth’s closest friend, so it is assumed that he would agree with Banquo’s suspicion of the witches.  Yet, Macbeth doesn’t join in on Banquo’s mockery because he wants to believe that what the witches said is real and he will become the King of Scotland.  Macbeth and Banquo’s conversation is then interrupted by two Thanes, Ross and Angus, where Ross informs Macbeth that he is now the Thane of Cawdor.  After learning that the witches’ first prophecy became true, Macbeth begins to believe that the others are true as well.  Macbeth, now filled with this new ambition, said to himself, “Glamis, and Thane of Cawdor: / The greatest is behind.” (Shakespeare Ⅰ. Ⅲ. 115-116).  This quote illustrates how Macbeth is quick to assume things in his favour without fully thinking about how logical they are.  Macbeth is clearly very power-hungry and full of ambition that he is willing to believe the witches’ prophecies despite Banquo saying otherwise.

Macbeth views Lady Macbeth as his “... partner of greatness,” (Shakespeare Ⅰ. Ⅴ. 10), however, she is so deceptive that Macbeth too is fooled.  After hearing the witches' prophecies, Macbeth writes Lady Macbeth a letter about the event.  This letter alone was enough to convince Lady Macbeth that Macbeth was destined to become the King of Scotland.  Upon Macbeth’s arrival back at his castle, Lady Macbeth begins to plot Duncan’s death.  To convince Macbeth to go through with the plan she begins to teach him to deceive others in order to not raise suspicions.  This causes Macbeth to lose touch with who and what is real and illusion.  Whilst Lady Macbeth and Macbeth are formulating Duncan's death, Lady Macbeth says to Macbeth, “... look like th’innocent flower, / But be the serpent under’t.” (Shakespeare Ⅰ. Ⅴ. 64-65).  In this quote, Lady Macbeth is coercing Macbeth into killing Duncan by trying to manipulate him and telling him to be evil but look innocent.  Macbeth admires Lady Macbeth so much that he cooperates.  Lady Macbeth is portrayed as a very brutal and unremorseful character.  When trying to convince Macbeth to kill Duncan she continuously mocks his manhood and bravery.  However, she never mentions why she would not just commit the crime herself.  While Macbeth is out killing Duncan, Lady Macbeth says to herself, “... Had he not resembled / My father as he slept, I had done’t.” (Shakespeare Ⅱ. Ⅱ. 12-13).  This quote displays how Lady Macbeth is not as strong as she makes herself out to be and she spoke like that to Macbeth to manipulate him into killing Duncan himself so that she could be Queen.  Following the killing of Duncan, Lady Macbeth begins to feel the guilt of their terrible deed.  However, she hides her genuine emotions from Macbeth to not worry him, which gives him more motivation to do evil.  In Act 3 Lady Macbeth says to herself, “Nought’s had, all’s spent / Where our desire is got without content. / ‘Tis safer to be that which we destroy / Than by destruction dwell in doubtful joy.” (Shakespeare Ⅲ. Ⅱ. 4-7).  Yet when Macbeth enters the scene she says to him, “How now, my lord, why do you keep alone, / Of sorriest fancies your companions making, / Using those thoughts which should indeed have died / With them think on?” (Shakespeare Ⅲ. Ⅱ. 8-11).  Lady Macbeth says that she would rather be dead like Duncan than have to live with the guilt of what she did.  However, when Macbeth enters, she tells him otherwise.  This false confidence Lady Macbeth is giving him provides him with the unnecessary ambition to make sure no one stands in the way of him remaining King.  Undoubtedly Macbeth is too blinded by his admiration of Lady Macbeth to see how she has tricked and manipulated him so many times throughout the play.

Shakespeare was clearly very passionate about portraying the theme of illusion disguising reality in Macbeth.  This is why these behaviours can be seen in not only major but minor characters.  The Thane of Cawdor committed treason against King Duncan and was executed as punishment for his crime.  King Duncan then comes to the realization that you cannot ever fully know someone's intentions.  After Duncan receives the news that the Thane of Cawdor has been executed, Duncan says, “There’s no art / To find the mind’s construction in the face. / He was a gentleman on whom I built / An absolute trust.” (Shakespeare Ⅰ. Ⅳ. 11-14).  Duncan believed the Thane of Cawdor to be a noble and worthy man, however, he was not since he committed treason.  This indicates the theme of illusion disguising reality very early on in the play.  Upon Macbeth being crowned King of Scotland, Banquo questions the fairness at which he got the title.   He suspects that Macbeth is most likely responsible for Duncan’s death and he too is willing to cheat.  However, when he sees Macbeth he acts nothing but loyal toward him.  As Banquo is approaching Macbeth's castle, he says to himself, “Thou hast it now, King, Cawdor, Glamis, all, / As the weïrd women promis’d, and I fear / Thou play’d most foully for’t; yet it was said / It should not stand in thy prosperity, / But that myself should be the root and father / Of many kings.” (Shakespeare Ⅲ. Ⅰ. 1-6).  When Macbeth comes to Banquo and invites him to dinner, Banquo says to him, “Let your highness / Command upon me, to the which my duties / Are with a most indissoluble tie / Forever knit.” (Shakespeare Ⅲ. Ⅰ. 15-18).  Banquo continues to demonstrate the theme of illusion by acting loyally toward Macbeth when he certainly is not.  Later in the play, Macduff pleads to Malcolm, who ran to England, to come back to Scotland and take his place as the rightful heir to the throne.  Malcolm, however, wanting to test Macduff’s loyalty to Macbeth, begins to describe how he will be a worse King than Macbeth.  Malcolm is using deception to manipulate what Macduff thinks of him.  During their conversation, Malcolm says to Macduff, “... yet my poor country / Shall have more vices than it had before, / More suffer,” (Shakespeare Ⅳ. Ⅲ. 46-48).  Further in the scene, Malcolm says to Macduff, “Macduff, this noble passion, / Child of integrity, hath from my soul / Wip’d the black scruples, reconcil’d my thoughts / To thy good truth and honour.” (Shakespeare Ⅳ. Ⅲ. 114-117).  These two quotes depict how at first Malcolm was using a fake facade to test Macduff and once he trusted him enough, he acted in truth.  This is yet another example of illusion disguising reality in the play.  The overall theme of illusion is clearly prevalent throughout the play and it can be seen in almost every character no matter how big their role is.

The characters in Shakespeare’s Macbeth all establish that for them, the difference between reality and illusion is often blurred which leads to catastrophic events.  Macbeth’s ambition and desperation take over and cause him to fall right into the witches’ trap.  Macbeth lets Lady Macbeth use illusion and manipulation to fuel his ambition and pride which leads him into a downward spiral of tragedies. In addition, the minor characters in the play continue the theme of illusion which makes it that much more evident.  Illusion and deception have been present in society for as long as we know.  It keeps us from knowing others' true intentions making it almost impossible to trust anyone entirely and know the true meaning of their actions.