How Does Shakespeare Present Religion In Macbeth

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Shakespeare consistently wove the motif of Christianity throughout Macbeth to accentuate the theme of betrayal. King Duncan stated that the Thane of Cawdor, “was a gentleman on whom I built an absolute trust” (27). Much to Duncan’s surprise, the Thane of Cawdor deceived him. Duncan next gave the title to Macbeth, assuming that he could trust Macbeth. But Macbeth too (quite literally) stabbed Duncan in the back! Similarly, Macbeth betrayed his religion. Macbeth was originally presented as a devout Christian; he respected the afterlife, and was devastated when he struggled to say “amen”. But as his power increased, his commitment to his religion deteriorated. Macbeth admitted that he gave his, “eternal jewel” to “the common enemy of man”-- the

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