Deception In Macbeth

Choices made in a person’s life are theirs to choose and to own up to. The play, Macbeth by William Shakespeare exemplifies the dangers of allowing others to strongly influence one’s decisions. Many characters within the play use techniques like deceit to get what they want. Characters such as the witches give Macbeth false hope and Lady Macbeth, who uses her ambition to convince Macbeth to submit to their will. Decisions in life are often manipulated by malevolent outside forces.

A major theme in Macbeth is deception, many characters exemplify this trait as a means to achieve their desires. Hecate is one of them, she is the goddess of magic and queen if the witches. She all but condones their actions towards Macbeth. “And I the

mistress of your charms/the close contriver of all harms/was never call’d to bear my part/or show the glory of our art?” (3.5.6-9). When it concerns Macbeth, Hecate was only angered that she was not involved earlier, in the tricks. The witches never cease tormenting Macbeth with delusions of power. In act four, scene one, the witches makes three apparitions appear. The second spirit, a bloody child, tells Macbeth “laugh to scorn / the power of man, for none of woman born/ shall harm Macbeth.” (4.1.78-80). The apparition, which is not real in the beginning, tells Macbeth that none born of woman can harm him. However this is said without giving Macbeth a full explanation. Neither of the apparitions show Macbeth the full truth, only half accuracies, white lies. “Macbeth shall never vanquish’d be until/ Great Birnam Wood to Dunsinane Hall.” (4.1.91-92), is what the third apparition tells Macbeth. His words do not tell the full story. There is a legitimacy in what Macbeth has been told, that he is indestructible until Birnam Wood comes to Dunsinane, but by saying this Macbeth becomes reckless and paranoid in his decisions. The witches deception brings about the self-destruction of Macbeth. The disinformation introduced into Macbeth's life, leads only to a overly ambitious downward spiral.

What else could change a person's decision make ability aside from false hope.

The idea of manipulating one’s spirit into having a sense of uncharacteristic desire. At the start of the play Macbeth was a morally upstanding character, nable and just, one who felt undeserving of the titles brought to him. By giving Macbeth the prophecies, the witches deceive him in bringing about his own downfall. “You greet with present grace and great prediction/
Of noble having and of royal hope, That he seems rapt withal.” (1.3.52-55). Banquo comments on how fixated Macbeth becomes with the prophecies. How Macbeth immediately becomes enthralled with the prospect of power and royalty. Banquo’s child, Fleance arises similar feelings of false hope within Macbeth as well. “Thou shalt get kings, though thou be none.” (1.3.65). Murders are sent after Banquo and Fleance when Macbeth begins to grow paranoid that Fleance will take his throne. By ordering the deaths of innocents, Macbeth gives him the false hope that his power and reign will go unquestioned. Macbeth’s reign is not one of indisputable power, but one of paranoia and the belief that he is indestructible. Allowing illusion and ambition to cloud his judgement, all of Macbeth’s choices lead to his

downfall.

The immorally driven in Macbeth constantly allow their ambition to rule them and compromise their choices. Lady Macbeth perfectly exemplifies this through her lust for power. By way of letter, she learns of the prophecies and it triggers agreed inside her. “We fail?/ But screw your courage to the sticking place, and we’ll not fail.’ (1.7.59-61). Here she tells Macbeth that in their evil deeds they shall not fail. Fortunately for her pride, they succeed. Unfortunately for the other characters, Lady Macbeth’s ambition will prove to be the downfall of her and those around her. Duncan, for example, is killed at the hands of Macbeth, but at the influential words of Lady Macbeth. “Great Glamis, worthy Cawdor, Greater than both, by the all-hail hereafter.”(1.5.53-54). This is Lady Macbeth’s way of hailing and praising Macbeth into doing her will. However Lady Macbeth’s evil influence on Macbeth proves how dangerous the opinions and goals of others are in one’s decision making. Allowing such manipulation creates not the peace desired, but chaos. In Macbeth's reign he becomes tyrannical, believing that he is invincible. “Was he not born of woman/ the spirits that know all natural consequences have pronounc’d me this, fear not Macbeth.” (5.3.4-6). Once more Macbeth allow supernatural forces to twist his thoughts and decisions. His ambitious manner becoming incredibly worrisome. Fabricating him into someone that is reckless and dangerous, the influences that persuaded him to do such drive Macbeth mad, finally consuming all he is.

William Shakespeare's play Macbeth exemplifies how decisions in life are often manipulated by malicious outside forces. Through the lies of deceit, one may be tricked into carrying out another’s will. Similarly with false hope, which breaks a person to the point of paranoia, way past their original character. The self-destructive nature of ambition only furthers in proving how dangerous these characteristics have on a human. Limiting one’s ability to coherently make their own choices.