Macbeth is a well-known play that explores themes of appearance, reality, ambition, and guilt. The play is a great theatrical triumph, offering audiences everything they could ask for in a drama. 

It has a strong supernatural element, sex, revenge, lots of violence, and – the cream on top – it’s a thriller, a gripping murder story. It grips us in the same way as it did our ancestors four centuries ago.

Appearance and Reality:

Macbeth explores several key themes throughout the play. One of the main themes is the theme of Appearance and Reality. Shakespeare brings into every one of his plays the way that so many things in life are not what they seem. 

This theme is evident in the first moments of the play, where the witches chant “Fair is foul, and foul is fair.” Things that seem good will be bad and things that seem bad will be good. When Duncan arrives at Glamys, he comments on how lovely it is, but it is far from heaven. 

Lady Macbeth has just finished describing it as hell, and indeed, that is what it turns out to be, with conspiracy and murder. And those things from people who are regarded as good, faithful, loyal, and trustworthy. As Lady Macbeth puts it, one should “look like the innocent flower but be the serpent under it.” This theme pervades the play and is evident in every scene.

Ambition:

The theme of ambition in Macbeth is introduced at the beginning as part of the political setting. As the play opens, we learn about some Scottish rebels who have been trying to wrest power away from the rightful king, Duncan. 

Their ambition backfires and they are defeated. In the end, the hero, now regarded as a villain, is brought down by his fatal flaw – ambition. There is far more to it though. What about Lady Macbeth? At the beginning of the play, Macbeth is still a good man, and his naturally good qualities, which his wife sees as faults, stall him. 

This is where Lady Macbeth’s ambition becomes evident. She uses all the tactics at her disposal – her sexuality, emotional blackmail, flattery – to ensure that he carries out the murder. Then she begins to resemble a classical tragic hero.

Revenge & Guilt:

Macbeth is a play that explores the themes of guilt and revenge, with Macbeth and Lady Macbeth suffering the most torturous guilt as a result of their regicide. Shakespeare uses the term "blood" to describe the state of someone guilty of great violence, equating blood with guilt. 

The word "blood" appears 109 times in the text, and it is used to carve out the theme of guilt, with Macbeth and Lady Macbeth being covered in blood. The couple's lives are intolerable from the moment of the murder until their deaths, made so by the anguish of guilt.

Sin & Retribution:

The theme of sin and retribution is an Old Testament way of describing crime and punishment. Sin has religious associations, while crime does not. 

Retribution goes beyond punishment, suggesting something nasty that may happen to one after their death. Shakespeare's audience would have believed that if one behaved themselves and went to church, they would have an eternity of bliss to look forward to. 

This tension in the play is evident in Macbeth's fear of retribution, but his yearning to be king is so powerful that he is willing to make the exchange.

Macbeth decides to kill the king, which is more than a crime. It is a grave sin, as he kills the king who has been chosen by God. Duncan is his cousin, and there are two crimes against the family and the state. 

He is murdered by his host, Duncan, and considers the consequences of his actions. He decides to kill Duncan, but Lady Macbeth intervenes and changes his mind.

The play is reminded of the presence of Hell throughout, with the evil sisters, witches, and the castle of Macbeth. Lady Macbeth's language creates a hellish atmosphere, with its "thick night," "murdering ministers," and "dunnest smoke of hell" blanketing the darkness. 

At the end of the play, Macbeth receives his punishment for the crime, which is decapitated by Macduff. The divine retribution expresses itself in guilt, insomnia, paranoia, and fear of what is to come.

Conclusion:

In conclusion, Macbeth is a powerful and captivating work that explores themes of appearance, reality, ambition, and guilt. The play offers a unique perspective on the nature of life and the consequences of giving way to ambition. 

Through its exploration of appearance, reality, ambition, and guilt, Macbeth serves as a testament to the power of imagination and the power of love and sacrifice in shaping our understanding of the world. around us.