Examples Of Treachery In Macbeth

Macbeth is undisputably one of Shakespeare’s best works. The play centers around the story of Macbeth and the atrocities he commits to secure his reign as king. In order to do this he betrays the trust of his friends and his family; while doing this his character changes from a proud war hero to that of a man with too excessive pride and ambition. In the beginning of the play Macbeth is described as “golden” by the majority of the people he fights for. He has good human traits such as kindness and bravery. His kindness exists in such abundance that his wife says, “Yet I do fear thy nature; it is too full o' the milk of human kindness, to catch the nearest way.(I, v, 16-18)" There are multiple instances in the play where characters refer to

Macbeth begins to employ treachery in order to achieve his goals and use tyranny to subdue anyone who opposes him including his wife. His treachery is most visible in the play when Macbeth betrays and kills both Duncan and Banquo as well as Macduff’s family. Macbeth says this before deciding to kill Duncan, “My thought, whose murder yet is but fantastical, shakes so my single state of man that function is smother'd in surmise.” (I. iii. 139-141) After steeling himself for the murder of Duncan, Macbeth says, “I am settled, and bend up each corporal agent to this terrible feat. away, and mock the time with fairest show: false face must hide what the false heart doth know.” (i. vii. 79-82) Once Macbeth becomes king he goes through the most drastic character change in the play. He is no longer the scheming plotter that he had been throughout most of the play be he now is someone who takes to bloodshed readily and is not afraid to kill for his own gain. He no longer needs Lady Macbeth to taunt him into action; he does things of his own accord now, including the murder of Banquo. Macbeth’s character changed drastically throughout the play. He went from a standard good guy with overwhelming ambition to a man willing to do anything in order to get what he wants. He had bravery and kindness which were replaced by treachery, tyranny, and