Macbeth: Appearance Vs Reality
Macbeth: Appearance vs Reality
Brooke Soper
The way people act on the outside and who they really are on the inside
may be two totally different things. Some may change because they feel they
don't fit in. Others pretend to be something they truly aren't. No matter which
way you look at it, if you try to act like someone your not, the truth will
always appear in the end. That is exactly what happened in William
Shakespeare's play, MacBeth. Banquo, MacBeth, and Lady MacBeth each project an
image, but as time passes. The realities of their true personalities begin to
emerge.
As an honorable man, Banqou tends to hold back his true feelings in
order not to offend others around him. At one point in the play, Banqou and
MacBeth find themselves in the presence of three weird sisters who make three
absurd predictions. MacBeth leans toward believing them while Banqou says, "And
oftentimes, to win us to do our harm, the instruments of darkness tells us
truths, win us with honest trifles, to betray's in deepest consequence". (Act I,
Scene 3) A thoughtful yet skeptical Banquo speaks his words here very carefully
to MacBeth in order to remain honorable. He doesn't want to come right out and
tell MacBeth to be cautious in his actions, so he tries to soften his words so
that MacBeth might contemplate his future movements. However, MacBeth does not
take heed of Banquo's warnings. Because of the witch's predictions and his
impatience, MacBeth kills in order to get what he expects is coming to him.
When Banquo takes time to contemplate what has been going on, he turns his
thoughts to MacBeth. He expresses his feelings about the situation in Act II,
Scene 1. Banqou feels that MacBeth might have something to do with the murders,
but he never stands up for his thoughts or listens to his conscience until...
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