Macbeth (#1 Literature Coursework) Jocelyn Toh Sze Lyn
In the play of Macbeth written by William Shakespeare, the theme of deception was continuously shown throughout the play by Shakespeare with the use of manipulative language, juxtaposition, imagery, metaphors, the staging of the play and the use of dramatic irony.
The theme of deception was shown by the use of manipulative language by the characters. The quote of "That I may pour my spirits in thine ear" suggests that Lady Macbeth is waiting for Macbeth so she can advise Macbeth on what to do about the current situation. The wording of "pour" shows that Lady Macbeth wants Macbeth to know all her true feelings so she plans to "pour" it all out. The wording of "spirits" in Shakespearean …show more content…
The use of juxtaposition itself, is a play on words, in other words, it is deceiving. For example, the quote of "Fair is foul, foul is fair" juxtaposition is used to make it sound confusing, as if there is a mask plastered on the real meaning. It means that good is bad, and bad is good, which can mean that whatever that appears wonderful at the start, may not be how they are at the end, since this is said at the start of the play. The wording of "Fair" and "Foul" are anonyms with a very contrasting meaning, and when both are used together, it gives the audience a weird vibe. This could also be seen in the quote of "That summons thee to heaven or to hell". The quote gives a serious feeling towards the audience and the tone of voice of this quote would be quite stern. The wording of "heaven" and "hell" similar to the previous quote are anonyms and their meanings differ entirely, which is why the tone of voice of this quote is serious. As well as that, deception in the use of juxtaposition could also be seen in the quote of "Confusion now hath made his masterpiece". The quote creates more confusion to the audience as it states that confusion has now made him worthy. The wording of "confusion" and "masterpiece" also has meanings that differ widely. This can also be interpreted as bad is turning to be his good, and that can be linked to the first quote of this paragraph "Fair is foul, foul is fair". This …show more content…
This can be seen in the quote of "To know my deed, 'twere best not know myself." In this quote, it moulds a sense that the character, Macbeth, has betrayed himself, his pride and his ego along with those around him. Moreover, Macbeth states that to acknowledge the awful crimes he has been committing, he would be unsure of his own actions and thoughts, therefore this shows that he has changed dramatically from the previous scenes when he tried to convince himself he has no reasons and motivations to kill Duncan. In the wording of "deed" suggests that Macbeth is still trying to deceive himself that this is something he must accomplish. In addition, this could also be seen in the quote of "Tis said they eat each other". This quote gives a brutal imagery of horses hurting each other, which can be symbolised as comrades betraying and back stabbing each other. It also creates a sense that everything is unorganised and is chaotic. The wording of "eat" sounds cruel when it is used in this sense because this projects an image of enemies biting on others weaknesses to succeed and to stay alive. As well as that, this can also be seen in the quote of "By th'clock this day, And yet dark night strangles the travelling lamp", as this suggest that nature is out or order like the previous quote. This quote creates a supernatural effect as pathetic fallacy is used, and this also shows that nature can be defied by the ruling of the
In the play of Macbeth written by William Shakespeare, the theme of deception was continuously shown throughout the play by Shakespeare with the use of manipulative language, juxtaposition, imagery, metaphors, the staging of the play and the use of dramatic irony.
The theme of deception was shown by the use of manipulative language by the characters. The quote of "That I may pour my spirits in thine ear" suggests that Lady Macbeth is waiting for Macbeth so she can advise Macbeth on what to do about the current situation. The wording of "pour" shows that Lady Macbeth wants Macbeth to know all her true feelings so she plans to "pour" it all out. The wording of "spirits" in Shakespearean …show more content…
The use of juxtaposition itself, is a play on words, in other words, it is deceiving. For example, the quote of "Fair is foul, foul is fair" juxtaposition is used to make it sound confusing, as if there is a mask plastered on the real meaning. It means that good is bad, and bad is good, which can mean that whatever that appears wonderful at the start, may not be how they are at the end, since this is said at the start of the play. The wording of "Fair" and "Foul" are anonyms with a very contrasting meaning, and when both are used together, it gives the audience a weird vibe. This could also be seen in the quote of "That summons thee to heaven or to hell". The quote gives a serious feeling towards the audience and the tone of voice of this quote would be quite stern. The wording of "heaven" and "hell" similar to the previous quote are anonyms and their meanings differ entirely, which is why the tone of voice of this quote is serious. As well as that, deception in the use of juxtaposition could also be seen in the quote of "Confusion now hath made his masterpiece". The quote creates more confusion to the audience as it states that confusion has now made him worthy. The wording of "confusion" and "masterpiece" also has meanings that differ widely. This can also be interpreted as bad is turning to be his good, and that can be linked to the first quote of this paragraph "Fair is foul, foul is fair". This …show more content…
This can be seen in the quote of "To know my deed, 'twere best not know myself." In this quote, it moulds a sense that the character, Macbeth, has betrayed himself, his pride and his ego along with those around him. Moreover, Macbeth states that to acknowledge the awful crimes he has been committing, he would be unsure of his own actions and thoughts, therefore this shows that he has changed dramatically from the previous scenes when he tried to convince himself he has no reasons and motivations to kill Duncan. In the wording of "deed" suggests that Macbeth is still trying to deceive himself that this is something he must accomplish. In addition, this could also be seen in the quote of "Tis said they eat each other". This quote gives a brutal imagery of horses hurting each other, which can be symbolised as comrades betraying and back stabbing each other. It also creates a sense that everything is unorganised and is chaotic. The wording of "eat" sounds cruel when it is used in this sense because this projects an image of enemies biting on others weaknesses to succeed and to stay alive. As well as that, this can also be seen in the quote of "By th'clock this day, And yet dark night strangles the travelling lamp", as this suggest that nature is out or order like the previous quote. This quote creates a supernatural effect as pathetic fallacy is used, and this also shows that nature can be defied by the ruling of the