Macbeth

A detailed Summary of Macbeth

In "Macbeth", William Shakespeare employs the contrast of night and day to illustrate the theme of feigned loyalty particular to Macbeth and Lady. The characters demonstrate their loyalty to others in the day, but reveal their true sentiment at night. Macbeth and Lady Macbeth discuss their actual desires and conspiracies at night and accomplish their plans under the cover of darkness. The characters feign and must show loyalty in the daytime to conceal their real intentions so their corruption would not be revealed and they would not be executed, as the Thane of Cawdor was executed for being a traitor.

Although Macbeth demonstrates loyalty to Duncan, Macbeth's deceit shows at night when he murders Duncan, the King of Scotland. During the day, King Duncan congratulates Macbeth in the day on his successful battles and Macbeth describes his loyalty and subservience to the king. "The service and the loyalty I owe in doing it pays itself... our duties are to your throne"(p.27) Macbeth's subservience is reflected through his words, but Duncan cannot suspect his betrayal because the other characters possess the predictable, loyal behavior as

Macbeth and Lady Macbeth conspire together, but when they wish to converse their real emotions with each other, they speak at night when others do not hear them. In the daytime, the married couple acts as other people do, which is evident through Lady Macbeth's welcoming and honoring the king into their house and following the behavior of the king's subjects. "All our service... were poor and single business to contend against those honors deep and broad wherewith Your Majesty loads our house" (p.37). She acts as though she is a loyal subject, which Duncan gullibly believes and we would also had we not read Lady Macbeth's and Macbeth's conversations, but her deceit shows in these conversations. When the couple speaks about the murder of Duncan in the daytime in Act 1, Scene 5, Macbeth does not speak his thoughts about the murdering Duncan and only says three short lines such as "Duncan comes here tonight" and "We will speak further", which are emotionally empty phrases (p.35). In Act 1, Scene 7 when torches are needed since night has arrived, Macbeth speaks freely to Lady Macbeth about his fears of an unsuccessful plan and his cowardice to

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Approximate Word count = 774
Approximate Pages = 3 (250 words per page double spaced)

Category: English

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Macbeth

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