We all have those voices in our heads that help to make decisions, like the devil and angel that sit on our shoulders, disputing desperately to persuade us to hear their case. They can both make valid points, but whom should we trust? Both traits of good and evil exist in us all, but our instincts must tell us which one to use. In William Shakespeare’s Tragedy of Macbeth, the protagonist is portrayed as a noble and loyal person, but once he is given the prophecies, he is driven by a strong desire for success, and is corrupted by his hunger for power, which ultimately leads to his downfall. Shakespeare demonstrates the battle between good vs. evil primarily through blood, appearance vs. reality, and darkness. The most frequent use of imagery
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reality. Shakespeare dwells deep into the darker side of humanity. Macbeth appears to be noble, trustworthy, respected, honorable. But in reality, he actually becomes a ruthless deceiver who betrays the king and all who trusted him. Lady Macbeth appears to be strong, when in reality, she actually becomes filled with remorse. Once Banquo and Macbeth encounter the witches, they are both told the prophecies. Macbeth leans towards believing them, yet Banquo is still a bit skeptical about it. Banquo speaks to Macbeth and warns him to be aware of the witches. They are not trustworthy – they win your trust and then they betray you. Even when Macbeth comes to Banquo, Banquo sets his foot down for his morals and says that he will not participate in anything that is disloyal to the king. Another point is that as a respectable man, Banquo keeps his suspicions to himself. He suspects that Macbeth has used dishonorable means to usurp the throne, but at the same time, he does not want to say anything about it as he is hoping for the witches’ prophecies to come true - that Fleance will become king. However, before, he was skeptical about the witches and didn’t trust them. As shown above, Banquo’s personality on the outside is completely different from the inside. Reality will always overthrow appearance and the truth will always come out in the end. Nevertheless, a strong battle between good and evil is
reality. Shakespeare dwells deep into the darker side of humanity. Macbeth appears to be noble, trustworthy, respected, honorable. But in reality, he actually becomes a ruthless deceiver who betrays the king and all who trusted him. Lady Macbeth appears to be strong, when in reality, she actually becomes filled with remorse. Once Banquo and Macbeth encounter the witches, they are both told the prophecies. Macbeth leans towards believing them, yet Banquo is still a bit skeptical about it. Banquo speaks to Macbeth and warns him to be aware of the witches. They are not trustworthy – they win your trust and then they betray you. Even when Macbeth comes to Banquo, Banquo sets his foot down for his morals and says that he will not participate in anything that is disloyal to the king. Another point is that as a respectable man, Banquo keeps his suspicions to himself. He suspects that Macbeth has used dishonorable means to usurp the throne, but at the same time, he does not want to say anything about it as he is hoping for the witches’ prophecies to come true - that Fleance will become king. However, before, he was skeptical about the witches and didn’t trust them. As shown above, Banquo’s personality on the outside is completely different from the inside. Reality will always overthrow appearance and the truth will always come out in the end. Nevertheless, a strong battle between good and evil is