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Betrayal In Macbeth And Lord Of The Flies, By William Golding

614 Words3 Pages

Betrayal is an act of intentional disloyalty and unfaithfulness. In the play Macbeth, Macbeth commits extreme felony and betrayal by murdering his king, who wholeheartedly trusted him, in order to take the crown. Similarly, Lord of the Flies demonstrates the act of betrayal through Jack, the novel’s antagonist. Jack angrily abandons Ralph and forms his own violent tribe, whose ultimate goal becomes killing Ralph. As shown through Macbeth, by William Shakespeare, and Lord of the Flies, by William Golding, betrayal leads to the consequential destruction of an individual rather than his/her desired success. Macbeth and Jack both face ruination after executing their own unfaithful acts. Both texts display how humane destruction is an effect of …show more content…

In Macbeth, Macbeth follows King Duncan’s murder and betrayal with multiple dishonorable behaviours leading to his tragic ending. To illustrate, Macbeth kills his close companion, Banquo, soon after deceiving the king: “My lord, [Banquo’s] throat is cut. That I did for him” (3.4.18). The single act of betrayal causes Macbeth to believe that he can and must commit more immoral conducts in order to succeed. Macbeth becomes certain that he will face no coincidence for his actions after getting away with betraying his king. Thus, he murders his friend for his own selfish desires and his crimes verge upon him through his ultimate ruination. Additionally, Macbeth treats his people with cruelty by murdering the innocent to display his authority. Macbeth orders, “The castle of Macduff I will surprise, /seize upon Fife, give to th’edge o’th’sword/ His wife, his babies and all unfortunate souls/ That trace him in his line” (4.1.164-167). Macbeth demands the slaughter of Macduff’s family after learning that Macduff has fled to England. Macbeth’s actions demonstrate that after committing betrayal, he repeatedly executes evil doings without hesitation. He becomes dependent on betrayal and murder which leads to Macbeth’s destruction at the end of the

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