'Macbeth' Themes

'Macbeth' Themes

1. Kingship

2. Appearance vs Reality

   • Equivocation
     • * Shakespeare aligns equivocation with evil in an attempt to please King James I.
     • * The witches use equivocal language to encourage Macbeth to kill Duncan.
     • * The equivocal apparitions bolster Macbeth's confidence and tempt him towards greater evil.
   • Hallucinations and Dreams
     • * Macbeth's hallucinations reveal his fraying mental state.
     • * Shakespeare uses the motif of hallucinations to reveal Macbeth's guilt.
     • * Lady Macbeth's guilt is revealed through sleepwalking.
   • Deception
     • * Ironically, Duncan sees how deceptive individuals can falsely win his trust.
     • * Lady Macbeth uses deception as a strategy within the play.
     • * Macbeth also uses deception as a key tactic.

3. Evil