How can a story of Macbeth be described as one where foul deeds are hidden behind a fair facade?

Answer 1

"Fair is foul, and foul is fair"

'The conflict between appearance and reality is at the core of the play.' Discuss.

Shakespeare explores the contrast between the material world and verifiable truth, placing it at the heart of his tragedy, Macbeth. To underline the distinction, he employs motifs, symbols and characters who continuously demonstrate that beneath the surface, prophecies and individuals are not all that they seem. In Macbeth, 'fair is foul and foul is fair' and this theme of disorder in the natural world constantly re-emerges throughout the play in the form of weather, hallucinations, inversion of normative gender roles and deceptive personalities. Shakespeare employs a variety of devices to illustrate the paradox of perception and facts.

Throughout Macbeth, themes of androgyny and the supernatural make reoccurring appearances. These are echoed by the contradictions between veridical perception and truth. In the sixteenth century, women were delicate creatures. Murder was an unsuitable topic of conversation, as stated by Macduff: 'Tis not for [women] to hear what I can speak. The repetition in a woman's ear would murder as it fell'. Contrary to Macduff's assertion that Lady Macbeth is a 'gentle lady', Lady Macbeth establishes herself as the dominant spouse when she plans to 'chastise' Macbeth with the 'valour of her tongue'. Construing 'kindness' with 'direst cruelty', Lady Macbeth claims her husband is 'too full o' the milk of human kindness'. In essence, she is saying Macbeth is too feminine. In stark comparison, Lady Macbeth would have readily 'dash'd the brains out' of her own baby', if she had so promised. Inverted gender roles are also visible in the 'weird sisters' who 'should be women, yet [their] beards forbid [Banquo] to interpret that [they] are so'. The ideal Elizabethan lady was obedient and submissive. Still the witches bear none of these traits. Though seemingly female, both Lady Macbeth and the 'weird women' possess characteristics that demonstrate the discord between what is visible and what is real.

Supernatural forces are another method by which Shakespeare examines the disparities between the visual and the factual. The employment of the 'dagger of the mind' allows Shakespeare to suggest that while on the outside Macbeth seems like a 'brave' and honourable man, internally he is racked with guilt over 'the deed' he is about to commit. Similarly, the apparitions were deceptive. Although the prophecies seemed 'fair' they were what misled Macbeth to believe he would 'never vanquish'. The witches' divination is another example of the conflict between appearance and reality. Whilst their prediction seemed accurate it was actually 'foul' in nature, as it is what spurred Macbeth to 'bear the knife'. Guilt-born hallucinations are one of the devices employed by Shakespeare to exemplify 'nothing is but what is not'.

Shakespeare utilises characters and setting to compare fantasy with reality. At the beginning of Macbeth the witches meet in 'thunder and lightning' and just prior to Duncan's 'surmise' Banquo comments that '[heaven's] candles are all out'. Though the characters cannot foresee murder and mayhem, the weather reveals the turmoil yet to come. Shakespeare's use of pathetic fallacy heightens certain events- the night of Duncan's 'assassination' 'the earth was feverous and did shake'- whilst also generating a sort of crystal globe for the reader. Just prior to Duncan's death both he and Lady Macbeth witness a bird nesting on the castle wall. Whilst Duncan sees martlets- birds of good fortune- Lady Macbeth observes a raven, a harbinger of death. This illustrates how for one character, 'fair is foul' whilst for another 'foul is fair' and yet, judging by the 'unruly' weather, the bird was indeed an omen. The bird is a prime example of the illusory nature of perception. Two characters view the same animal and yet are able to see completely separate creatures. Weather and conversation demonstrate the ambiguous nature of Macbeth, where the truth lies beneath a deceitful facade.

Motifs, such as the dagger and apparition, incorporated with reversed gender roles, discussion between characters and setting, form the basis of Macbeth. The disparities between artifice and veracity are widely exhibited through the use of deceptive dialogue and disorder in the natural realm. Shakespeare has applied style, theme and character to convey the dissension between pretence and fact which is at the centre of Macbeth.

Answer 2

In "Macbeth," the title character initially appears noble and righteous, but he ultimately succumbs to ambition and commits acts of betrayal and murder to achieve power. His deeds are hidden behind a façade of loyalty and honor, deceiving others and himself until his true nature is revealed. This juxtaposition of appearance and reality underscores the theme of appearance versus reality in the play.