Everywhere you go; no matter what time age you are in people have various appearances which would lead you onto a good or a bad path. In the play Macbeth Shakespeare uses the theme appearance often throughout the play in mostly all the characters. There are many occurrences where one thing appears to be another in Macbeth and in the Renaissance; it has an affect which drains the inner meaning of something and you are exposed to the external side of it or vice versa.
             Appearance is what something or someone is viewed and portrayed as by their actions as well as characteristics.
             Macbeth appears to be a kind and remorseful man but in fact he is a selfish and ruthless man. For example, when Macbeth is thinking of his plan to kill King Duncan after the deed is done his plan is "Will plead like angels...against/ the deep damnation of his taking off;" (1.7.19-20). Macbeth would literally kill to get what he wants, and doesn't think of the repercussions of what killing King Duncan would be. Also, Duncan trusts Macbeth very much because of Macbeth's heroic efforts when actually Macbeth is not as faithful to the King as he appears to be "To beguile the time... This nights great business into my dispatch," (1.6. 74 & 80). He is actually not as faithful as he seems to be. When we are first introduced to Macbeth in the play he is coming out of the war "smoked with bloody execution... carved out his passage...fixed his head upon our battlement." (1.2.20-21 & 25). From that, you can see Macbeth as a hero for his country showing bravery and courage. When before the murder of King Duncan he had second thoughts. He appeared to be courageous at one point and then not at another.
             In Machiavelli's The Prince he says a prince "must appear to be virtuous and honorable, but he does not actually have to be virtuous or honorable." (pg. ). Being truthful in how you are isn't as important a...