Theme Of Appearance Vs Reality In Macbeth

This theme is very evident in the tragedy of Macbeth, being that it is shown throughout every act. Macbeth: “Present him eminence (honors), both with eye and tongue: unsafe the while, that we must lave (wash) our honors (reputation) in these flattering streams, And make our faces vizards (masks) to our hearts, disguising what they are.” (Act III Scene II Line 34-38) This demonstrates the theme of appearance versus reality incredibly well. Macbeth wishes to wash his deeds in a flattering stream, therefore making him appear as a good person to anyone in his presence. By masking his true heart feelings he can pretend that all is well on the outside to disguise what his real feelings and wrong-doings are. He wants to wash the blood off his hands and act as if nothing bad occurred. Macbeth as a character embodies this theme incredibly, as he constantly wants to fool everyone and make it seem as if he is a great King, that has done nothing wrong. In Act III …show more content…
Macbeth: "The table's full." (Line 55) "Which of you have done this?" (Line 60) This exhibits the theme because Macbeth is the only person able to see Banquo’s ghost. The others are confused about why he can't find his seat at the banquet and they are the only ones able to see the reality of the situation, while Macbeth is appearing to be delusional. Macbeth: "If I stand here, I saw him." (Line 89) Macbeth is seeing the ghost of Banquo disappear and reappear , while nobody else sees it. The ghost of Banquo is messing with Macbeth's mind, to drive him insane. Though the ghost isn't there, he still insists that it was. Making this yet another example of appearance versus reality, as Macbeth is seeing figments of his imagination while the guests are just seeing him losing his mind over an empty seat at the table. Macbeth is the main character that continues to embody this theme, only more dramatically as the play