Truth In Macbeth Analysis

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THE NATURE OF TRUTH: ALIAS GRACE AND MACBETH
In its purest form, truth is considered bitter and troubling, yet can also be liberating and virtuous. While truth is normally associated with justice, it is also closely related to pain, and causes greater damage when wrongfully manipulated. The exploitation of truth and its adverse consequences are explored in the novel Alias Grace by Margaret Atwood and the play Macbeth by William Shakespeare. Both works reveal the equivocal nature of truth and how its manipulation results in strained relationships, mental deterioration, and adoption of nihilistic ideologies.
Firstly, strained relationships often result from the lack of an open channel of veracious communication. When truth is harmful, honesty …show more content…

In Macbeth, the title character had to constantly hide his actions and guilt as a result of the atrocities he committed. Consequently, Macbeth displayed several symptoms of trauma, including shock, denial, and insomnia. After Banquo is killed on Macbeth’s orders, Macbeth sees his ghost and says, “Take any shape but that, and my firm nerves/ Shall never tremble...Why so, being gone,/ I am a man again…” (Shakespeare, III.iv. 103-110), splitting his character between the fearless warrior he wants to be and his decayed, scared self. Macbeth’s mental state continues to deteriorate until he becomes desperation for solace, as shown when he commands “I conjure you by that which you profess—/Howe'er you come to know it—answer me/...Even till destruction sicken, answer me/ To what I ask you.” (Shakespeare, V.i.50-63). This desire for consolation allows for Macbeth to be fed warped truths and is easily mentally defeated. Likewise, in Alias Grace, Grace must come to terms with having potentially committed a murder while constantly portraying innocence so that she may be released from prison and go on to integrate back into society. Grace has a history of hysteria and panic, and avoids such topics in an effort towards self-preservation; however, over time she loses her emotional capacity and ambition instead. She conditions herself to think “When you are sad it is best to change the subject.” (Atwood, 82) and …show more content…

In Macbeth, after Macbeth realizes his struggle to cover his tracks and maintain power was futile, he adopts a sense of defeat and

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