Grace Naqi
Mrs. Richter
Honors World Lit. 101A
18 November 2014
Lies, Deceit, and Bamboozling in Shakespeare’s Macbeth One could easily call Shakespeare clever, far beyond his time, and even a genius. He exemplifies all of these qualities in his writing of the famous dramatic tragedy Macbeth, about a man who yearns for glory and is willing to do unthinkable acts to achieve his goals. One reoccurring motif in Macbeth is the characters’ natural inclination to deceive others. In Macbeth, by William Shakespeare, many of the characters use deceit and trickery in an attempt to produce a desired outcome for their futures.
The power-hungry female protagonist, Lady Macbeth, uses her femininity and other methods of trickery to hoodwink the …show more content…
One instance is when Macbeth suspects that his trusted confidant, Banquo, is suspicious of Macbeth’s role in King Duncan’s murder. In addition, the grand feast is that night, and Macbeth wants to maintain a festive mood and be sure that none of the other thanes suspect him of murdering the king. Then, Macbeth formulates a plan to kill Banquo so that he cannot devastate Macbeth’s current kingship. In response, Macbeth tells Lady Macbeth to mask her true intentions by making their “faces vizards to our hearts, /Disguising what they are” (3.2.33-34). This signifies the concept that Macbeth feels that it is necessary to mask one’s wretched inner thoughts with a seemingly pleasant and placid façade. In doing so, Macbeth supposes illegitimacy and fabrications can aid him in maintaining the title of king. Another character Macbeth cuckolds is the naïve King Duncan. Due to the fact that King Duncan sees Macbeth as a valiant hero and a trustworthy companion, Macbeth easily fools the king into believing that he is safe and secure in Inverness, Macbeth’s castle. For example, Macbeth invites King Duncan to stay in his home. By offering gallant services such as this, Macbeth continues to gain the king’s trust. Little does Duncan know, however, Macbeth and his wife are plotting to kill him during his assumedly …show more content…
A prime example is Malcolm, who in Act 4 tests Macduff’s loyalty by pretending to be a poor leader. For instance, he claims, “were I king,/ I should cut off the nobles for their lands,/ Desire his jewels and his other’s house” (Shakespeare 4.3.78-80). “Malcolm feigns vices more odious than Macbeth’s” to be sure that Macduff would not use Malcolm as a pawn to win favor from Macbeth (Kolin 160). When Macduff proves his devotion to not only Malcolm as the true heir of the throne, but also to Scotland, Malcolm reveals to Macduff that he was simply imitating the behaviors of one who is evil. Another group who lies for the betterment of others is Macbeth’s soldiers. At the end of the play, they realize that Macbeth is a brutal tyrant who must be halted by the English forces. They are not loyal to Macbeth, and the soldiers purposefully miss their targets so that the English can defeat him. Even those who are fighting on the side of the English, such as Malcolm, are aware that Macbeth’s men are not devoted to him: “We have met with foes/ That strike beside us” (Shakespeare 5.7.28-29). This shows the audience that at this point, Macbeth’s demise is inevitable, due to the fact that his soldiers are deceiving him and are not attempting to win. In summation, there are some characters who use lying and deceit as a tactic to alter the
Mrs. Richter
Honors World Lit. 101A
18 November 2014
Lies, Deceit, and Bamboozling in Shakespeare’s Macbeth One could easily call Shakespeare clever, far beyond his time, and even a genius. He exemplifies all of these qualities in his writing of the famous dramatic tragedy Macbeth, about a man who yearns for glory and is willing to do unthinkable acts to achieve his goals. One reoccurring motif in Macbeth is the characters’ natural inclination to deceive others. In Macbeth, by William Shakespeare, many of the characters use deceit and trickery in an attempt to produce a desired outcome for their futures.
The power-hungry female protagonist, Lady Macbeth, uses her femininity and other methods of trickery to hoodwink the …show more content…
One instance is when Macbeth suspects that his trusted confidant, Banquo, is suspicious of Macbeth’s role in King Duncan’s murder. In addition, the grand feast is that night, and Macbeth wants to maintain a festive mood and be sure that none of the other thanes suspect him of murdering the king. Then, Macbeth formulates a plan to kill Banquo so that he cannot devastate Macbeth’s current kingship. In response, Macbeth tells Lady Macbeth to mask her true intentions by making their “faces vizards to our hearts, /Disguising what they are” (3.2.33-34). This signifies the concept that Macbeth feels that it is necessary to mask one’s wretched inner thoughts with a seemingly pleasant and placid façade. In doing so, Macbeth supposes illegitimacy and fabrications can aid him in maintaining the title of king. Another character Macbeth cuckolds is the naïve King Duncan. Due to the fact that King Duncan sees Macbeth as a valiant hero and a trustworthy companion, Macbeth easily fools the king into believing that he is safe and secure in Inverness, Macbeth’s castle. For example, Macbeth invites King Duncan to stay in his home. By offering gallant services such as this, Macbeth continues to gain the king’s trust. Little does Duncan know, however, Macbeth and his wife are plotting to kill him during his assumedly …show more content…
A prime example is Malcolm, who in Act 4 tests Macduff’s loyalty by pretending to be a poor leader. For instance, he claims, “were I king,/ I should cut off the nobles for their lands,/ Desire his jewels and his other’s house” (Shakespeare 4.3.78-80). “Malcolm feigns vices more odious than Macbeth’s” to be sure that Macduff would not use Malcolm as a pawn to win favor from Macbeth (Kolin 160). When Macduff proves his devotion to not only Malcolm as the true heir of the throne, but also to Scotland, Malcolm reveals to Macduff that he was simply imitating the behaviors of one who is evil. Another group who lies for the betterment of others is Macbeth’s soldiers. At the end of the play, they realize that Macbeth is a brutal tyrant who must be halted by the English forces. They are not loyal to Macbeth, and the soldiers purposefully miss their targets so that the English can defeat him. Even those who are fighting on the side of the English, such as Malcolm, are aware that Macbeth’s men are not devoted to him: “We have met with foes/ That strike beside us” (Shakespeare 5.7.28-29). This shows the audience that at this point, Macbeth’s demise is inevitable, due to the fact that his soldiers are deceiving him and are not attempting to win. In summation, there are some characters who use lying and deceit as a tactic to alter the