How Does Shakespeare Present Betrayal In Macbeth

The famous Shakespearean tragedy of Macbeth follows the life of a lord by the name of Macbeth and his quest for power. The play details his unlawful rise to kingship, his consequential problems, and ends with his execution by another lord of Scotland named Macduff. Betrayal and treachery are some of the key ideas forming the foundation of the play, and these characteristics appear in many forms throughout the story. The characters of Lady Macbeth and Macbeth perfectly exemplify these fundamental ideas. Lady Macbeth manipulates others to commit vile acts of murder and betrayal. She convinces her husband Macbeth to follow through with his plans of killing the king, and in doing so, betrays both her king, the natural chain of being, and her femininity.

Macbeth however is far more physical in his acts of betrayal and treachery, choosing instead to turn on his superiors and kill King Duncan himself, order the death of Banquo, attempt the murder of Fleance, and slaughter Macduff’s family. The crimes of both characters do not go unpunished however. These acts of betrayal and treachery committed by both husband and wife lead to their paranoia and ensuing deaths, and supports the theme that committing evil deeds lead to similar misfortunes or evils to befall the perpetrator.

Lady Macbeth plays a prominent role in Shakespeare's play.

Her character embodies many of the dark and evil sides of the play. One of the traits she possesses is her strong tendency to betray those around her for her own personal gain. One of these moments can be seen in her decision to betray King Duncan and convince her husband to murder him. Upon first receiving the letter from Macbeth detailing the witches' prophecy and his newly appointed title as Thane of Cawdor, Lady Macbeth swiftly devises a plan to eliminate the King and give her husband the throne. This lack of any hesitation when committing treason against the throne proves her proneness to betray others. Lady Macbeth further cements this betrayal in the short period of time after learning of Macbeth's reluctance to commit the crime of murdering the king. She manipulates her husband to follow through by questioning his masculinity and uses his fierce pride against him. This treachery also upsets the natural order of power in the play. Lady Macbeth decides to change this order by force (the murder of the King). Upsetting the natural chain of being was not her final crime however. Lady Macbeth further betrays her femininity in her soliloquy, calling

out:
“Come, you spirits / That tend on mortal thoughts, unsex me here, / And fill me from the crown to the toe top-full / Of direst cruelty! Make thick my blood; / Stop up the access and passage to remorse, / That no compunctious visitings of nature / Shake my fell purpose, nor keep peace between / The effect and it! Come to my woman's breasts, / And take my milk for gall,[...]” (Act 1, Scene 5, Line 32).
This clearly shows Lady Macbeth's decision to rid herself of her feminine nature (one of gentility and compassion), and betray everything it means to be a woman, simply to rise in power. The accumulation of all these evil deeds do not, however, end in her satisfaction and uncontested power. Her terrors of being discovered and her guilt drive her near madness as her paranoia overtakes her natural sense of calm decisiveness. She chooses to sleep only with a lit candle by her side, seeing the darkness as a punishment, which she is completely afraid of. Originally, she calls on the darkness to shield herself from being viewed. Later on however, darkness no longer gives her a sense of security; rather, the darkness terrifies her. In a sleepwalking trance, the Gentlewoman and the Doctor witness her madness, and the Doctor admits that “this disease is beyond [his] practice” (Act 5, Scene 1, Line 40) when viewing Lady Macbeth's insanity, proving once again the severity of her mental state. This insanity and eventual suicide accurately represent the theme that evil deeds, such as repeated instances of betrayal, lead to similar misfortunes or evils to befall the perpetrator. Lady Macbeth betrays King Duncan, the natural chain of being, and her femininity. In return, she is driven to madness and commits suicide.

This state of paranoia is reflected as well in Lady Macbeth's husband.

Macbeth's state of delusional paranoia is the repercussion of his crimes too. Unlike Lady Macbeth however, he is physically responsible for Duncan's murder. This act alone is enough to exemplify his tendency to commit vile acts of betrayal and treachery. However, he further goes on to send murderers after his once-good friend and fellow Lord Banquo, and Banquo's son Fleance, betraying their trust. Banquo did not pose a direct threat to Macbeth's life; Macbeth simply wanted to guarantee his uncontested rule over all of Scotland. As prophesied by the witches, Banquo's family would gain the throne after Macbeth. In an effort to prevent losing his family's claim to the throne and defend his own life, Macbeth chooses to kill Banquo and Banquo's son Fleance to cease their line of family, ensuring the continuation of royalty in Macbeth's family. Although this second murder was unsuccessful, the principles behind ordering it remain treacherous and evil. These crimes represent once again another disruption to the natural chain of being, with emphasis on the murder of King Duncan. By choosing to elevate his own position in this chain by murdering other people, he once again contributes to his destruction farther along in the play. This natural order is extremely important in Macbeth, and changing it causes negative repercussions to directly affect the person or persons responsible. This inexcusable betrayal is

shortly followed up by a final act of treachery. For no other reason than blood-lust and vengeance, Macbeth chooses to slaughter Macduff's family. While this does not directly affect Macbeth's status as a king, it still stands as another crime committed against another character. This choice further aggravates Macbeth's wrongdoings and leads to his destruction. At first, the consequences of his betrayal and treachery manifest themselves as a disease of the mind, until they end with the mental destruction of Macbeth. The reader can see Macbeth's insanity immediately following the King's death. Macbeth grows fearful that someone will discover his crime of murdering King Duncan and punish him accordingly. To alleviate the fear, Macbeth decides to forcefully end anything he considers to be a potential threat, namely Banquo and Fleance. At first, after hearing of Banquo's successful assassination, he is relieved. This relief is short-lived however, and news of Fleance's escape returns Macbeth even deeper into his growing state of paranoia. The moment when Macbeth's paranoia and insanity become drastically clearer falls in Act 3 Scene 4 during the feast with the fellow nobles of Scotland. Lines 48 through 77, during which Macbeth converses with Banquo’s ghost, clearly detail Macbeth's hallucinations and insanity. Macbeth's guilt and terror pushes him to madness, which becomes pronounced enough for the other Lords to notice and comment. Without realising, Macbeth confessed to his previous murder in front of the nobles. Ross questions Macbeth's mental integrity, and specifically says “Gentlemen, rise: his highness is not well.” (Act 3, Scene 4, Line 55) while addressing the fellow Lords around him. Instead of the security Macbeth expects to feel after having disposed of any potential threats, he gains only more fear and paranoia, as well as guilt for having committed many violent crimes. This mistaken expectation perfectly exemplifies the theme that committing acts of betrayal and treachery lead to similar misfortunes or evils to befall the perpetrator. Macbeth's elimination of King Duncan, Banquo, and Macduff's family leads directly to his mental destruction. His physical destruction arrives when Macduff enters into battle with Macbeth, ultimately destroying the him. This execution is a fitting punishment for his crimes, and reinforces once again the previous theme.

Macbeth's wife and Macbeth himself commit vile crimes of betrayal and treachery against other characters. Lady Macbeth betrays King Duncan, the great chain of being, and her femininity. Macbeth also betrays Duncan and upsets the great chain of being, but commits acts of betrayal and treachery against Banquo, Fleance, and Macduff’s family as well. In return, Lady Macbeth’s and Macbeth’s presumed outcome of uncontested power is shattered by their mistakes, and epitomizes the theme that committing acts of betrayal and treachery lead to similar misfortunes or evils to befall the perpetrator. Lady Macbeth is driven mad by fear and guilt and commits suicide. Macbeth goes insane due to paranoia and guilt until his death at the hands of Macduff. Their terrible deeds committed throughout the entirety of the play are punished with equally terrible, yet fitting consequences.