Examples Of Deception In Macbeth

Macbeth

Throughout the play Macbeth by William Shakespeare many characters reveal their fatal flaw which may lead to their downfall. Things are not always as they seem. Many characters use deception to achieve their goals. Only later to receive the consequences of their actions. Examples include how deception has resulted in the death of Duncan and Macbeth and the suffering of many other characters in the play.

Duncan makes the mistake of trusting the thane of Cawdor at the beginning of the play. This is an example of Duncan’s fatal flaw that he is too trusting of others. “He was a man on whom I built an absolute trust”. Duncan was deceived in this instance but this had no-where near the affect the deception of Macbeth had on him. After Duncan ordered the execution of the Thane of Cawdor and gives the title to Macbeth “What he hath lost, noble Macbeth hath won”. Duncan is eventually brought to Macbeths castle in Inverness and murdered by Macbeth even after Duncan claimed, “This castle hath a pleasant seat”. This is an example of
This is an example of Macbeths fatal flaw, which is of his ambition. “The prince of Cumberland! That is a step on which I must fall down, or else o’erleap, for in my way it lies” This shows how ambitious Macbeth is that he is already thinking about murdering Malcolm directly after the witch’s predictions. Macbeth is also deceitful when he calls himself “A friend” to Macduff even though he will kill him in order to achieve his greatest ambitions. This is also dramatic irony due to the fact in the end of the play it is actually Macduff who kills Macbeth in a swordfight. Macbeth is also deceived himself by the witches who deliberately planned to send Macbeth down a path of murder and treachery. By giving him the idea that he is invincible and guaranteed a “King hereafter” such as when Macbeth is told on how “none a woman born shall harm