Macbeth Deception - 2997 Words

Theme of Deception/Deceit in Macbeth Throughout Macbeth things are not always as they seem. Deception in the play is always present, with Macbeth, Lady Macbeth and the three witches being the chief instigators of deception. From the very first scene, the deception within Macbeth’s world is clearly defined. â€Å"Fair is foul and foul is fair†, say the witches at the beginning of Macbeth. This language of contradiction that Shakespeare uses adds to the play’s sense of moral confusion and quickly introduces the theme of deception to the audience, by implying that nothing is quite as it seems. Also, the play clearly shows how living a life of deceit will ultimately end in disaster. Macbeth, evidently led by his wife, but also by his own†¦show more content†¦Macbeth is forced into further and further lies, making life difficult and unbearable. Lady Macbeth is also caught in the depths of deception and eventually kills herself. Therefore, it is obvious that the main characters of Shakespeares Macbeth are all negatively affected by the recurring theme of deception. Throughout the play, Lady Macbeth uses her ability to mislead others in many ways. First of all, she decides to use deception to push her husbands ambition to be king. ...Hie thee hither, that I may pour my spirits in thine ear, and chastise with the valour of my tongue all that impedes thee from the golden round...(1.5.25-28) Lady Macbeth believes that, to be successful in his ambitions, Macbeth must rise above his goodness and accept her evil ways. She knows that the process of making her husband believe what she wants may not be easy. Lady Macbeth has to be cunning, and she is up for the challenge. The thought of being in power - the King and Queen of Scotland - drives her and she cannot be stopped. Lady Macbeth often has to reinforce her immoral beliefs to her husband, giving him a boost. Was the hope drunk, wherein you dressed yourself? hath it slept since, and wakes it now, to look so green and pale at what it did so freely? From this time such I account thy love. Art thou afeard to be the same in thine own act and valour, as thou art desire? Wouldst thous have that which thou esteemst the ornament of life, and live aShow MoreRelatedDeception in Macbeth762 Words   |  4 PagesThroughout Macbeth things are not always as they seem. Deception is always present with Macbeth, Lady Macbeth and the three witches. The three weird sisters set up the theme of deception with their opening lines â€Å"fair is foul, and foul is fair†. They told Macbeth that he d be safe from all men born of women. They said that he needed to fear only the man that wasn t born of a woman. They also told him that he needed to beware of Macduff. But they didn t link the two predictions. So Macbeth had a falseRead MoreSelf-Deception in Macbeth1011 Words   |  5 Pagesto be true.† Self deception is a human weakness. It means that even though something maybe wrong and untrue if an individual believes it enough it will come to pass. No matter what someone may say, it is hard to change ones opinion because that is what the person truly believes. This is portrayed in William Shakespeare’s play, Macbeth, through the actions of various characters. Shakespeare clearly shows the idea of self-deception through their actions and how this self-deception leads to moral disorderRead MoreDeception in Macbeth by Shakespeare Essay559 Words   |  3 Pages Deception is defined as â€Å"the act of tricking someone by telling them something that is not true†. In the play, Macbeth by William Shakespeare, deception is always present and things are not always what they appear to be. 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