Appearances & Deception

Macbeth's Deception

Macbeth gets better and better at deceiving people as they play goes on. He persistently struggles to hide his inner emotions though.

‘Bear welcome in your eye...'

‘Bear welcome in your eye, / Your hand, your tongue; look like th’ innocent flower, / But be the serpent under’ t.’ (1,5)
Lady Macbeth uses this simile to tell Macbeth that he must put on a welcoming face for Duncan. She's worried that he can't trick people. She tells him, ‘Your face, my thane, is as a book where men / May read strange matters.’
This suggests that it's easy to read his emotions. She says he needs to control his emotions if they're to gain Duncan's trust.

‘Nothing serious in mortality'

‘Had I but died an hour before this chance, / I had liv’d a blessed time, for from this instant, / There’s nothing serious in mortality’ (2,3).
Macbeth seems to be much better at tricking people by the time Macduff finds Duncan’s body.
This suggests that life has nothing left to offer now the king is dead. Macbeth seems like a loyal subject (someone under the King’s rule) who is very upset by King Duncan’s death, rather than a murderer who is responsible for it.

‘He in the times past...'

‘Know, that it was he in the times past which held you so under fortune, which you thought was our innocent self’ (3,1).
This is how Macbeth tricks the men he employs to murder Banquo. He makes them think that Banquo was responsible for their misfortune, not him,

‘Your rugged looks...'

‘Sleek o’er your rugged looks, be bright and jovial / Among your guests tonight’ (3,2)
Lady Macbeth says this when Macbeth still struggles to hide how torn he feels within.
Macbeth agrees. He says they must, ‘make our faces vizards to our hearts, / Disguising what they are.’
A vizard is part of a helmet that covers the face. This metaphor means they must make their faces like masks to hide their true selves from everyone else.

Appearances and Deception

Appearances are shown to be deceiving throughout the play.

‘No art...'

‘There’s no art / To find the mind’s construction in the face.’ (1,4)
This is what King Duncan says before meeting with Macbeth.
This suggests that it is difficult to read true intentions by looking at someone. King Duncan regrets that he trusted those around him, like the Thane of Cawdor, who betrayed him.
He does not learn from this though. He is murdered because he trusts the Macbeths just a few scenes later.

‘Daggers in men’s smiles’

‘There’s daggers in men’s smiles’ (2,3)
This is what Donalbain tells Malcolm after the murder of their father.
This suggests that they are surrounded by people who pretend to be friends by smiling, but in fact have murderous plans. He knows that appearances can trick people.

‘Artificial sprites...

'And that distill’d by magic sleights, / Shall raise such artificial sprites / As by the strength of their illusion / Shall draw him on to his confusion’. (3,5)
This chant shows how Hecate will mislead Macbeth with fake spirits.
She wants to continue pushing him towards his downfall.

1Literary & Cultural Context

1.1Context

1.1.1Tragedy

1.1.2The Supernatural & Gender

1.1.3Politics & Monarchy

1.1.4End of Topic Test - Context

2Plot Summary

2.1Act 1

2.1.1Scenes 1 & 2

2.1.2Scene 3

2.1.3Scenes 4-5

2.1.4Scenes 6-7

2.1.5End of Topic Test - Act 1

2.2Acts 2-4

2.2.1Act 2

2.2.2Act 3

2.2.3Act 4

2.3Act 5

2.3.1Scenes 1-3

2.3.2Scenes 4-9

2.3.3End of Topic Test - Acts 2-5

2.3.4Diagnostic Misconceptions - Ambiguous Ending

2.3.5Diagnostic Misconceptions - Jacobean

3Characters

4Themes

4.1Themes

4.1.1Power & Ambition

4.1.2Power & Ambition HyperLearning

4.1.3Violence

4.1.4The Supernatural

4.1.5Masculinity

4.1.6Armour, Kingship & The Natural Order

4.1.7Appearances & Deception

4.1.8Madness & Blood

4.1.9Women, Children & Sleep

4.1.10End of Topic Test - Themes

4.1.11End of Topic Test - Themes 2

4.2Grade 9 - Themes

4.2.1Grade 9 - Themes

4.2.2Extract Analysis

5Writer's Techniques

5.1Structure, Meter & Other Literary Techniques

5.1.1Structure, Meter & Dramatic Irony

5.1.2Pathetic Fallacy & Symbolism

5.1.3End of Topic Test - Writer's Techniques

6Recap: Main Quotes

6.1Characters Quotes

6.1.1Macbeth

6.1.2Macbeth 2

6.1.3Macbeth 3

6.1.4Macbeth 4

6.1.5Lady Macbeth

6.1.6Lady Macbeth 2

6.1.7Banquo

6.1.8Banquo 2

6.1.9The Witches

6.1.10King Duncan

6.1.11Macduff

6.2Text Structure - Quotes

6.2.1Violence

6.2.2The Supernatural

6.2.3Ambition

6.2.4Armour, Kingship & the Natural Order

6.2.5Appearances & Deception

6.2.6Lady Macbeth's Masculinity

6.2.7Madness & Blood

6.2.8Men, Children & Sleep

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