Macbeth

"Your hand, your tongue: look like the innocent flower, but be the serpent under't." (Shakespeare 1.5. 64-66) Throughout Shakespeare's Macbeth,

things are not always as they seem. Deception in this play is always present, especially with the main characters - Macbeth and Lady Macbeth. Lady

Macbeth is the most skilled at persuading others, especially her husband, into believe things that are not true. The above quote, spoken by Lady

Macbeth to her husband, shows exactly how manipulative and deceiving she can be. She is telling Macbeth to look and act pure, but to be evil inside.

Macbeth, evidently led by his wife, but also by his own ambitions, is likewise guilty of deception. He deceives his best friend Banquo, King Duncan,

as well as his public. Lady Macbeth and Macbeth also try to use denial and rationalization to deceive themselves. This self-deception leads to grave

circumstances for them both. Macbeth is forced into further and further lies, making life difficult and unbearable. Lady Macbeth is also caught in the

depths of deception and eventually kills herself. Therefore, it is obvious that the main characters of Shakespeare's Macbeth are all negatively affected

by the recurring theme of deception.

Throughout the play, Lady Macbeth uses her ability to mislead others in many ways. First of all, she decides to use deception to push her husband's

ambition to be king.

...Hie thee hither, that I may pour my spirits in thine ear, and chastise with the valour of my tongue all that impedes thee from the golden

round...(1.5.25-28)

Lady Macbeth believes that, to be successful in his ambitions, Macbeth must rise above his goodness and accept her evil ways. She knows that the

process of making her husband believe what she wants may not be easy. Lady Macbeth has to be cunning, and she is up for the challenge. The

thought of being in power - the King and Queen of Scotland - drives her and she cannot be stopped. Lady Macbeth often has to reinforce her

immoral beliefs to her husband, giving him a boost.

Was the hope drunk, wherein you dressed yourself? hath it slept since, and wakes it now, to look so green and pale at what it did so freely? From

this time such I account thy love. Art thou afeard to be the same in thine own act and valour, as thou art desire? Wouldst thous have that which thou

esteem'st the ornament of life, and live a coward in thine own esteem, letting "I dare not" wait upon "I would," Like the poor cat I'the

adage?"(1.7.35-42)

Lady Macbeth implies that Macbeth is being cowardly by not going after what he wants. She preys upon her husband's pride to remind him of his

ambitions. Once she has schooled her husband in the art of deception, she must help him uphold this image and the lies. This deceit always results in

hazardous outcomes.

Although Lady Macbeth is the most talented deceiver, Macbeth is also lead into committing his own deceptions. He begins to learn from his wife,

and, in turn, proceeds to deceive many others. Deceiving his friends becomes a frequent habit, and Macbeth is forced to continue his lies and stories.

Do not muse at me, my most worthy friends; I have a strange

infirmity, which is nothing to those that know me. Come, love

and health to all; then I'll sit down. - Give me some wine: fill

full: - I drink to the general joy of the whole table, and to our

dear friend Banquo, whom we miss; would he were here. (3.4.84-91)

This falsehood is evident, as Macbeth is trying to fool his dinner guests about the reasons for his strange behaviour. Pretending that everything is

fine eventually does not work, and as the play continues, so does the deception on many different levels.

Deceiving others may seem difficult, but deceiving oneself leads to even bigger problems. Lady Macbeth is so occupied with trying to

mislead others, while rationalizing the deception to herself and her husband, that she does not notice how much the guilt