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What Is The Theme Of Appearance Vs Reality In Macbeth

1153 Words5 Pages

William Shakespeare is an English poet, playwright and actor. He is considered as the greatest writer in the English language. The World views him as the pre-eminent dramatist for his works. During his lifetime, Shakespeare has written a total of 38 plays between 1590 and 1612 with his best works being tragedies. Shakespeare’s tragedies have not only been used for entertainment, but the use of teaching to others. In Shakespeare’s work, the theme of appearance versus reality is shown throughout two plays. Macbeth and Hamlet are just two of Shakespeare’s plays that demonstrate the use of appearance versus reality. Shakespeare’s use of appearance versus reality in Macbeth and Hamlet along with the incorporation of Truth in his plays is outstanding. First, to elaborate on the fact of appearance versus that Shakespeare uses is reality in Macbeth. In the opening scene of the play the three witches are on stage and are conversing between one another when they all say “Fair is foul, and foul is fair” (I, i, 10). This line that the witches proclaim warns the audience to keep a keen eye out on how …show more content…

The answer to the question is quite simple. The answer: Truth is anything that transcends time. Truth is can be anything that beats time and remains long after the human is gone from this Earth. The Truth in Macbeth is that he is truly guilty for murdering Duncan and Banquo which leads him to unhappiness. Macbeth’s sleepless nights and Lady Macbeth somnambulism shows the guilt they feel inside. In Shakespeare’s other work, Hamlet, in the very first Act Hamlet is one who hates deception and values inner truth. Hamlet states that the appearance of the “inky cloak” (I, ii, 77) can not denote what his true feelings are. One is able to learn from Shakespeare's concept of Truth in his literature that most can apply to life. Without Truth life would be meaningless, there would be nothing for the future generations to

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Appearance vs. reality happens every day to everyone with just a look. Just a glimpse of someone's facial expression in the hall and you can tell you how things appear, but the reality could be monumentally different from the appearance. What I'm trying to convey is how no one knows someone's true feelings and thoughts by looking at the surface, their deepest desires, secrets, and struggles are locked away from the naked eye. Someone could easily be smiling but be dying on the inside, or someone can seem sane but truly be psychotic. An example of appearance vs. reality in Macbeth is how Macbeth appears to be a loyal friend to Banquo, but in reality he's plotting to eliminate him for his own benefit.

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