Macbeth
Appearance vs.
Reality
By: Aspen, Benjamin, Lea,
Madi
Act 1 Scene 4 Pg. 29
• “ Stars, hide your fires; let not light see my
black and deep desires. The eye wink at the
hand, yet let that be which the eye fears,
when it is done, to see.”
• Appearance: Macbeth wants to conceal his
dark thoughts and actions by seeming good.
• Reality: Macbeth has descended into dark,
selfish ways to obtain power.
Act 1 Scene 7 Pg. 45
• “False face must hide what the false heart
doth know.”
• Appearance: Macbeth is carefree and doesn’t
have anything to hide.
• Reality: Macbeth knows that he is planning to
kill Duncan later but can’t let anyone suspect
this.
Act 2 Scene 1 Pg. 51
• “Is this a dagger which I see before me, the
handle toward my hand? Come, let me clutch
thee.”
• Appearance: A bloody dagger is floating in
front of Macbeth.
• Reality: The dagger is not controlling his
actions and isn’t floating.
• Foreshadow of the murder to come
Act 2 Scene 3 Pg. 67
• “Oh, gentle lady, ‘Tis not for you to hear what
I can speak. The repetition in a women’s ear,
Would murder as it fell.”
• Appearance: Lady Macbeth is a women which
means she should remain pure and abstain
from hearing evil things.
• Reality: Lady Macbeth craves masculinity and
is the mastermind behind the first murder.
Act 3 Scene 2 Pg. 93
• “Sleek o’er your rugged looks. Be bright and jovial
among your guests tonight.”
• Appearance: Macbeth is a warm and welcoming host.
• Reality: He is planning with Lady Macbeth to kill
Duncan.
Act 3 Scene 2 Pg. 93
• “And make our faces vizards to our hearts,
disguising what they are.”
• Appearance: Macbeth and Lady Macbeth will
appear happy to others.
• Reality: They are actually putting up a front to
disguise the guilt inside from their murders.
Act 4 Scene 2 Pg. 135
• “ Sirrah, your father’s dead. And what will you
do now? How will you live?”
• Appearance: Lady Macduff tells her son her
father is dead and that they must protect
themselves.
• Reality: Macduff has fled to England but is not
dead.
Act 4 Scene 3 Pg. 143
• “ Black Macbeth will seem pure as snow, and
the poor state esteem him as a lamb, being
compared with my confine less harms.”
• Appearance: Evil Macbeth will appear holy
compared to how Malcolm describes himself.
• Reality: Malcolm isn’t actually evil and was
just saying so to test Macduff’s loyalty to
Scotland.
Act 5 Scene 5 Pg.179
• “ As I did stand my watch upon the hill, I
looked toward Birnam, and anon methought
the wood began to move.”
• Appearance: The trees seem to be walking on
their own.
• Reality: The English army is approaching the
castle using tree branches as camouflage.
Act 5 Scene 8 Pg. 185
• “ And let the angel whom thou still hast
served tell the Macduff was from his mother’s
womb untimely ripped.”
• Appearance: Macbeth believes he cannot be
harmed by Macduff since he thinks he is born
from a women which matches the prophesy.
• Reality: Macduff was born of a caesarian
section so he CAN kill Macbeth!