True Reality In Macbeth By William Shakespeare

Daydreaming, cloud walking, and hallucinating are all words that can explain escaping the reality of earth, and with such an unpredictable world one could understand wanting an escape from harsh realities. When William Shakespeare writes Macbeth he shows how unbearable reality can be so he provides his characters with versions of reality for release, but as they deal with these realities they also depend on faces they put on to hide the truths in their actual realities. The themes of versions of reality and masks tie together to help conceal the truths of reality and emotion. With characters taking on their own versions of realities and empty actions made present as patterns in Shakespeare's work Macbeth it is clear to see that Shakespeare

The three witches speak of an actual reality but also a reality that does not exist. The first witch says “All hail, Macbeth! hail to thee, thane of Glamis!” which is the true reality, however, the Second says “All hail, Macbeth, hail to thee, thane of Cawdor!” and the Third “All hail, Macbeth, thou shalt be king hereafter!”which are both untrue statements at the time (1.3.149-151). The Second and Third witches making these statements when they did showed a different version of reality to Macbeth. The result of the witches telling Macbeth this future reality is the motif of faces and masks making its first appearance during the fourth scene. When Macbeth pretends to be happy upon hearing the news that Malcolm is the next heir to the throne. “I'll be myself the harbinger and make joyful / The hearing of my wife with your approach;” Macbeth tells Duncan to show that he is happy about the news and is joyed to host the celebration, however, that isn’t how he really feels (1.3.126-127). Macbeth’s true feelings are shown in his aside when he lets the reader know that Malcolm becoming king is seen as an obstacle in his way. He also continues in his aside to say “Stars, hide your fires; / Let not light see my black and deep desires:” this holds a deep meaning as it is Macbeth’s recognition that he is lying straight to their faces, and is

Apparitions tell Macbeth the future reality this time. The first apparition tells “Macbeth! Macbeth! Macbeth! beware Macduff; / Beware the thane of Fife. Dismiss me. Enough.” (4.1.1630). The second says that no man born from a woman shall harm him, and the third apparition that “Macbeth shall never vanquish'd be until / Great Birnam wood to high Dunsinane hill / Shall come against him.” (4.1.1660). These all sound for the most part empowering to Macbeth, but he does not know that the truth is being hidden from him this time. Cleverly the witches and apparitions are simply masking certain words in double