Macbeth Key Theme: Appearance versus Reality

• Appearance versus reality timeline 

  The theme of appearance versus reality in each act of Macbeth:

  
• What are the elements of appearance versus reality in Macbeth?

  • The deceptive nature of the witches: Shakespeare portrays the witches as purposefully ambiguous, leading Macbeth to misinterpret them:
  • “Fair is foul, and foul is fair” introduces the theme of deception from the very beginning of the play
  • The bloody dagger: Macbeth’s guilt takes visual form when he hallucinates that a blood-covered dagger is leading him to murder his King and kinsman, Duncan: “Is this a dagger which I see before me?”:
  • His initial appearance of loyalty to King Duncan hides his true intentions and Macbeth’s betrayal creates an atmosphere of deception 
• • Lady Macbeth’s strength: Lady Macbeth is initially presented as dominant and strong but as the play progresses, she becomes fragile and haunted by guilt:
  • “Here’s the smell of the blood still!”
  • Banquo’s ghost: Macbeth behaves treacherously towards Banquo and after arranging his murder, he is consumed by guilt, symbolised by the appearance of Banquo’s ghost at the banquet:
  • “Thou canst not say I did it: never shake thy gory locks at me”
• The impact of appearance versus reality on characters

  Characters in Macbeth present themselves in ways which do not reflect their realities and there is a sharp contrast between superficial appearances and underlying truths.

  
• Macbeth

  The witches’ deceptive prophecies results in Macbeth having a false sense of security:

  • As the play progresses, he can no longer trust what is real or imagined
• Lady Macbeth

  Despite Lady Macbeth and Macbeth's attempts to hide their guilt, Lady Macbeth is haunted by the reality of Duncan’s murder in the sleepwalking scene:

  • “Yet who would have thought the old man to have had so much blood in him” 
• Banquo

  Although Banquo is not entirely deceived by Macbeth, he does not act upon his suspicions in time to prevent his own death:

  • However, unlike Macbeth, he is aware of the witches’ deceptive nature: “The instruments of darkness tell us truths, / Win us with honest trifles, so betray’s / In deepest consequence”
• Duncan

  Duncan is deceived into trusting both Thanes of Cawdor (who betray him), demonstrating how appearance can be misleading:

  • His commendation of the Macbeths’ “pleasant” castle and of his “fair and noble” hostess illustrate his inability to see the reality behind their facade 
• The witches

  Structurally, the appearances of the witches are few, but the audience is constantly reminded of their prophecies, which shape the action of the play:

  • The artificial nature of their scenes contrasts with the realism of the relationship between Macbeth and Lady Macbeth
• Why does Shakespeare use the theme of appearance versus reality in his play? 

  1.  Setting and atmosphere 

  • Establishes the theme of appearance versus reality as central to Macbeth and Lady Macbeth’s rise and fall:
  • From the very beginning, the audience is introduced to a world where nothing is as it seems

  2. Plot driver 

  • Drives Macbeth’s moral downfall as he is deceived by the witches’ prophecies and believes he is invincible
  • Creates the basis for key betrayals in the play, such as the deaths of Duncan and Banquo
• 3. Audience appeal 

  • Shakespeare’s Jacobean audience would have been interested in regicide and treason at the time of the Gunpowder Plot (1605)
  • James I, Shakespeare’s patron, also feared betrayal and rebellion

  4. Dramatic device  

  • Heightens the importance of the appearance of the dagger and of Banquo’s ghost, blurring the line between what is real and what is not