Macbeth: Apearance Vs, Reality
The way people act on the outside and who they really are on the inside may be two absolutely different people. Some individuals may alter who they are because they feel they don't fit in. Other people simply pretend to be something they aren't. No matter which way you look at it, if you try to be someone or something you're not, the truth will always appear in the end. In the book The Tragedy of Macbeth by William Shakespeare, the image of appearance versus reality contributes to characterization, theme, and structure. Appearance can be defined as, "an outward aspect of somebody or something that creates a particular impression." Almost contradictory is the definition of reality: "actual being or existence as opposed to an imaginary, idealized, or false nature." A prominent image in Shakespeare's play, Macbeth, is the contrast between appearance and reality and can be seen interlaced throughout each act of the play. The image appearance versus reality plays a hefty role in developing characters' specific roles throughout the play of Macbeth. Characters throughout the play can be seen as 'two faced'; they are not what they seem. The character of Macbeth is not an easy one to understand. A
" Lady Macbeth appears strong and heartless in her actions toward others. Even when her husband stands before her having a nervous breakdown in the banquet scene, instead of trying to help, she orders her poor delirious husband to bed so that he won't create a scene. This is because Macbeth only has on thing left: his dignity. He does this to deceive the other people that he is supposedly mourning as any loyal lord would. Also, Macbeth pretends to be many different things to achieve his goals. However, by the end of the Act, he has murdered Duncan and is to be crowned king, a title that he reached through the ambition that was spurred by the prophecies of the three witches. During one of her sleepwalking fits, Lady Macbeth cries out, "Out damn spot out! Out I say! . Actually Macbeth is not that faithful to the king, he has the ambition to be the king when he hears the prophecies from the three witches and ends up killing Duncan. Appearance versus reality is a key element in the theme of the play, excess ambition leads to destruction because this "vaulting ambition" also leads him to appear to be things he isn't and eventually causes his tragic end. Shakespeare's use of unity and variation to create the structure of the play Macbeth is evident through the image of appearance versus reality. The play, as a whole, is considered a tragedy; and therefore the hero has a tragic flaw. People are afraid they won't fit-in, that they will be rejected for who they are or killed for what they think.
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