Betrayal in Macbeth

Betrayal in Macbeth

  • Submitted By: amy7684
  • Date Submitted: 11/15/2010 2:32 PM
  • Category: English
  • Words: 516
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Robert Jackson
English IV
March 22
Betrayal in Macbeth
We all know the story of Macbeth, A noble Scotsman whose ambition and nagging wife drive him to commit a murder that sets off a chain of events that eventually lead to his downfall. But there is a method to the madness... Betrayal. The whole play revolves around characters betraying one another to gain power or, in the case of some nasty witches, to get a few laughs. After all, “Fair is foul, and foul is fair”(1.1.11-12). Macbeth himself even says so in Act one scene 3, line 38 when he describes the battle that just took place. "So foul and fair a day I have not seen" (1.3.38). This sets the scene for the first of many betrayals.
We find ourselves in a heath near Forres. The witches are already there, discussing evil things they have done to people when Macbeth and Banquo walk in. This sets the scene for our first betrayal. The witches give Macbeth 2 prophesies, “All hail, Macbeth, hail to thee, thane of Cawdor!” (1.3.49) and, “All hail, Macbeth, thou shalt be king hereafter!” (1.3.50) In the first, they tell Macbeth that he is to become the thane of Cawdor, which is a very highly regarded place among nobles, and second that he is to become the King of Scotland.
Hearing these words, Macbeth starts to plot his methods of obtaining these positions of power, including the murder of the king Duncan. Blinded by ambition, he will do anything to get the throne. On the night of his murder, Duncan is invited to dinner at Macbeths, unaware as to what is about to happen. In the middle of the night, Macbeth lets his nagging, psychotic wife talk him into it. She gets the soldiers guarding Duncan’s room wasted, allowing Macbeth to sneak in and murder him. Overcome with guilt, Macbeth begins hearing things as soon as the murder is completed. He cannot even pray because he is so guilt-ridden over his crime.
Our next betrayal takes place at Macbeth’s house once again. This time the victim is poor, innocent...

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