Christopher Pike once said, “Nothing is as it seems. Black can appear white when the light is blinding but white loses all luster at the faintest sign of darkness.” Pike tackled the idea of appearance versus reality just as Shakespeare does in Macbeth. Through the use of both figurative language and irony, William Shakespeare successfully conveys the theme—nothing is as it seems—in his play, Macbeth.
Among the plethora of figurative devices in Macbeth are alliteration and antithesis. (How ironic that that sentence contained alliteration.) Alliteration is “the occurrence of the same letter or sound at the beginning of adjacent or closely connected words” (“Alliteration”). Shakespeare uses alliteration throughout the play; however, he maintains
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Macbeth appears to be a kind, average cousin, when in reality he is the spawn of Satan and Lady Macbeth. How ironic. It’s ironic how the word non-hyphenated has a hyphen in it, how people say obesity “runs in the family”, how the College Board makes students pay to apply for financial aid. These are all examples of situational irony—”irony involving a situation in which actions have an effect that is opposite from what was intended, so that the outcome is contrary to what was expected” (“Situational Irony”). Shakespeare uses this type of irony on several occasions throughout Macbeth to further communicate the theme of the play. After hearing the witches’ initial prophecies, Macbeth writes a letter to Lady Macbeth, stating: “These weird sisters saluted me, and referred me to the coming on of time with 'Hail, king that shalt be!' This have I thought good to deliver thee, my dearest partner of greatness, that thou might’st not lose the dues of rejoicing, by being ignorant of what greatness is promised thee” (1.5.1). Macbeth is ecstatic when he “finds out” he will become King and believes that there is great joy in store for