“Look like th’innocent flower, but be the serpent under’t” - In Shakespeare’s play Macbeth, things

are not as they seem. Discuss- Krish Gaba

Shakespeare’s Macbeth, written in 1606, comprehensively delves into the concepts of deception and
misleading appearances. Things in the play are not as they seem, which is vividly demonstrated
through how the characters beguile and deceive each other. The way in which Macbeth takes on a
pleasant appearance to obscure his vicious intentions to murder King Duncan and Banquo shows
how he deceives them through his friendly and loyal demeanour. The manner in which the witch’s
prophecies are only pertinent in a literal sense dupes Macbeth, illustrating how their crafty use of
words lulls him into a very trust of their promises. Finally, although Lady Macbeth believes she is
impervious to her deeds, their consequences inevitably return to diminish her mental stability.
Hence, it can be seen that things are not as they seem within the play, and that the theme of
deception is illustrated through the different characters and their immoral actions.

The manner in which Macbeth dons a respectable and amicable character with King Duncan and
Banquo before murdering them shows how he cleverly deceives them into trusting him. Both Lady
Macbeth and Macbeth immediately gauge the opportunity that Duncan’s staying at his castle
presents for them. Macbeth is shown to be a valiant and worthy gentleman, known for his
ruthlessness and bravery in the battlefield, and is constantly lauded by King Duncan as his “worthiest
cousin.” Seeing that Duncan trusts him, Macbeth realises that the king’s murder at his hands would
be the best chance he would have at seizing the throne. He is encouraged by Lady Macbeth, who
tells him to obscure his dark intentions and essentially appear innocent, but “be the serpent
under’t.” In this way, Macbeth conceals his thoughts and expression to be able to maintain his
victim’s trust, although he carries a much darker desire underneath. Through this, Shakespeare
illustrates how the individual would often carry a penchant to tell lies and be deceptive, especially
when doing so presents the prospect of gain or an advantage over others. Moreover, the notion of
deception is also visible in how Macbeth betrays his friend Banquo by determining whether he
would ride on a particular afternoon by exploiting the trust between them, showing how he is
eventually consumed by lies and the concept of deceit for personal gain. Therefore, it can be
concluded that the manner in which Macbeth slyly plays on the trust of characters such as King
Duncan and Banquo only to backstab them for his own benefit, showing how things are not as they
seem within the play.

Moreover, the shallow prophecies of the witches lull Macbeth through their crafty usage of
language, although they are only applicable in a literal sense. The witches are able to play on
Macbeth’s innate desire to attain authority, which allows them to dupe the latter and indirectly
orchestrate the events of the play. When the first of the prophecies of the witches start to manifest
in reality, Macbeth quickly places his trust into their all-knowing hands, essentially spurring him on
and encouraging him to envisage his potential future. In this way, the witches gain Macbeth’s trust
as the prophecies play out the way that he would have wanted. Their devious use of words ensures
that a sense of paranoia and anxiety is instilled within Macbeth, which is something that often
complements the character of those in great power. In this way, they make sure that Macbeth
returns to find out what lies ahead of him. Shakespeare illustrates a nuance of common human
nature through this, that of how people often tend to believe what they want to hear. The individual
is more inclined to falling for lies that appeal to them, rather than the contrary. Moreover, when
Macbeth returns to the witches once again, they provide him with beguiling prophecies, knowing
that the king has instilled his full trust in them. The apparitions concocted by the witches appeal to
Macbeth’s “vaulting ambition,” and inflate his sense of superiority and implement a false sense of
security within him. From this, along with his previous experience with the witches, Macbeth blindly
believes their prophecies. However, when Macbeth is notified that one of the prophecies of Birnam
Wood approaching him is beginning to manifest in reality, he begins to “doubt th’equivocation of
the fiend,” which demonstrates how the prophecies were not as they seemed. Moreover, the final
confrontation between Macbeth and Macduff reveals that the latter was “untimely ripped,” from his
mother’s womb, contradicting the prophecy of the witches which stated that no naturally born
human could harm Macbeth. This shows how the “juggling” use of language of the witches in their
prophecies win Macbeth’s trust, only to betray him “in deepest consequence.” Therefore, it can be
concluded that the shallow prophecies of the witches are presented to Macbeth in a way that only
makes sense from a literal perspective, although they hold hidden meanings, showing that things are
not as they seem in the play.

Finally, although Lady Macbeth assumes that she is impervious to her actions, the truth is revealed
when she is haunted and taunted with the subdued sense of guilt and remorse within her. At the
beginning of the play, Lady Macbeth is portrayed as an opportunistic individual and the domineering
one in her relationship with her spouse. Upon receiving the news of prospective power, her
underlying sense of ambition is ignited into an inextinguishable flame. As to maintain this flame of
determination, she asks for the spirits of the witches to make her full of “direst cruelty,” and her
channels of emotions to be blocked to transform her into a force of pure evil. She is shown to often
emasculate Macbeth’s gentle human nature and manipulate him when he expresses his moral
hesitancy. When the murder is eventually committed, Lady Macbeth trivializes the significance of
their actions, believing that “a little water [would] clear [them] of the deed,” and remarking on “how
easy it [was].” She also tells Macbeth to not overthink the deed, as it would “drive them mad.” Here,
Shakespeare utilises dramatic irony, as Lady Macbeth fails to recognise that the blood she believed
was easily disposable will come back to destroy her composition. Through this, Shakespeare
communicates the rule of cause and effect, and how any action will eventually yield consequences of
equivalent magnitude. Moreover, as the play progresses, Lady Macbeth is consistently tormented
with the looming guilt and regret at having contributed to the murder of King Duncan, imagining
blood to be on her hands. Her diminished mental state is shown through how she states that “all the
perfumes of Arabia,” will not be enough to rid her hands from the smell of blood. This shows how
her deeds have come back to haunt her, as she restlessly sleepwalks every night with the urge to
consistently wash her hands to purge her of indelible regret and guilt, thereby illustrating the extent
to which she has deteriorated due to her actions, eventually amounting to her suicide. Therefore, it
can be concluded that Lady Macbeth was not unaffected by her deeds, contrary to her previous
belief, and this is seen through how she is driven mad throughout the play.

Ultimately, it can be concluded that things in Macbeth are not as they seem, as clearly depicted by
the different characters involved in orchestrating the happenings of the play. Macbeth’s deceptive
demeanour with King Duncan and Banquo and their consequent murders illustrates how lies play a
significant role in the play. The deeper and surreptitious meanings of the deceptive prophecies of
the witches lull Macbeth and are only applicable in a literal sense, which he fails to see. Finally,
although Lady Macbeth believes she is unaffected by her deeds and undermines their significance,
the truth is uncovered when her mental state is destroyed by her looming guilt and sense of
conscience. Therefore, it can be seen that things are not as they seem within Macbeth, and
Shakespeare uses this to portray underlying messages related to deception in the real world and the
common flaws of human nature.