“For there to be betrayal, there would have to have trust first” (Collins 114). Trust is difficult to gain, but easy to break. So when betrayal occurs, most likely, that trust is shattered. People have to be very careful of who they trust or who they get attached to or they can end up in a world of hurt, physically or emotionally. If you trust in a person because they do something amazing or is currently popular, chances are that is not the way to gain confidence in another person and it could result in a less than favorable situation where your trust is shown to be flawed. Trust should be gained by your personal experiences and your own instincts. The worst part about betrayal is that it plants the seeds of doubt in someone’s mind, resulting …show more content…
In the very beginning of the play, the Thane of Cawdor betrayed King Duncan in the first battle. The “thane betrays king, breaking a bond that cements both society and the universe.” When the Thane of Cawdor betrayed the king in the battle, he broke a bond of trust that planted doubt in the king’s mind, whether if the king knew it or not. Macbeth, however, gained Duncan’s trust by fighting like a true warrior. But when Macbeth saw the opportunity to become king after the witches’ prophecy, he went right around and betrayed Duncan by killing him. “As Macbeth’s reputation of nobility and valor is established before his deed…” (127) so when he did fight in battle bravely, he was trusted completely, and no one would have suspected treason from him, even when Macbeth’s friend saw his loyalty waver when with the witches. Due to the betrayal from the Thane of Cawdor and the noble fighting from Macbeth, the king once again put his trust in the wrong person, which ultimately cost him his …show more content…
The war itself, in England’s eyes, was the very definition of treason. But within American borders, there were several major cases of betrayal. During the war, there were tensions between New York and Vermont. “…Vermont, which declared its own independence from New York in 1777 and petitioned Congress for recognition.” New York, Virginia, and other southern states were not in support of Vermont and it was considered potential treason. One of the most infamous betrayal acts in history came from the American Revolution. Benedict Arnold was a general from the American army but defected to the British Army. “…Arnold’s treason rattled the leadership of the American Revolution…” and therefore people were unsure of who was really on the American side. People were angry too because, “In Philadelphia, the citizens burned Arnold in an effigy a few days after Arnold’s plot was discovered…he was given two faces, he also had a mask, symbols of his duplicitous treachery” (1). His betrayal shocked and angered the people fighting for the American cause. However, “…Arnold would not be so easily banished from memory…” (1). Because of his treason, Americans would have a hard time trusting American generals and his treachery would live through the years and history, and be remembered to this
Macbeth was honored and looked highly upon by the soldiers he commanded. He was a brave fighter and trusted by everyone around him. When a soldier is telling the events of the battle he says to King Duncan “For brave Macbeth- well he deserves that name” (4). This showed how much his subordinates trust him on and off the battle field. After the battle Macbeth was promoted to Thane of Cawdor, on top of his current position, Thane of Glamis. King Duncan honored Macbeth for his courage on the battlefield. At this point in the play, Macbeth had no intentions on hurting or turning on his king.
Therefore, at the beginning of the play, Macbeth is dishonoring Duncan by having treasonous thoughts. Macbeth claims to have a great deal of respect, and a close bond with the King. The problem is Macbeth’s mindset and actions do not show much
The classic Shakespeare tragedy Macbeth is a tale of a man who chases his wildest dreams and only once he acquires them realizes he lost everything he previously had. This play is full of heartbreak and drama on many levels throughout the entire cast. A common theme throughout the play is friendship and friendship goes hand in hand with trust. On the topic of friendship, Albert Camus once said, “Don't walk behind me; I may not lead. Don't walk in front of me; I may not follow. Just walk beside me and be my friend.” In the beginning of Macbeth, Macbeth and Banquo walk together, side by side, as equals, but they will never become equivalent again, not even in death. The main areas
Thane of Cawdor to me promise no less to them' (act 1, scene 3, page
One major shortcoming of King Duncan is that he trusts people very quickly. This is evident in 1.4 of Macbeth because Duncan says, "He was a gentleman on whom I build an absolute trust." This shows that Duncan fully trusted Cawdor and Cawdor used his trust, which is why he is getting executed.
The tragedy Macbeth, written by William Shakespeare, follows the rise and fall of a loyal Scottish warrior. Macbeth is portrayed as a man of multiple sides, presenting three main traits – bravery, ambition, and self-doubt – throughout the play. The character is an example of how ambition and guilt can have terrible effects on an individual lacking in strength of character. Although some people may perceive Macbeth as malicious, his weak character shows that he is incapable of conquering guilt and self-doubt. The prime themes of the play are: ambition, loyalty and betrayal, good and evil, appearance versus reality, supernatural and fate. Shakespeare presents these themes through the actions of Macbeth and their results: the corrupting effects
Initially, Macbeth is viewed as a brave and loyal soldier, with Duncan praising him by expressing that “More is thy due than more than all can pay” (1.4.21). At this point, he has not been influenced by the three witches. Yet, by Duncan implying his importance, Macbeth gains a sense of self-worth and this arouses power within. His clear desire to be titled Thane of Cawdor while then having a growing temptation to commit regicide clearly demonstrate the early stages of his corruption and forms a basis for utilizing illegitimate power.
King Duncan was an honest king favored by many. His generosity is shown when he titles Macbeth Thane of Cawdor. King Duncan proclaims, “No more that thane of Cawdor shall deceive our bosom interest: go pronounce his present death, and with his former title greet Macbeth” (Shakespeare 8). King Duncan is munificent, but gave Macbeth this title because he cares for the people of Cawdor. He is a fair KingKing since he did this for the better of the people. Morality is proven in the play after King Duncan is rewarded for his great actions. After King Duncan’s death Macbeth states, “So clear in his great office, that his virtues will plead like angels, trumpet-tongued, against the deep damnation of his taKing-off” (Shakespeare 20). King Duncan was virtuous and was rewarded by being honored and well respected by everyone including his murderer. He was very
seen nor heard speak and she tells them to fill her to the brim with
Trust can build or destroy relationships between people. Similar to glass, once a relationship is broken by distrust it can never be put perfectly back together. In both Shakespeare's Macbeth and "The Social Network" directed by David Fincher, trust is seen as a negative trait. Many characters put their trust in the protagonists, Macbeth and Mark Zuckerburg, only to be betrayed in return. Both Macbeth and Mark betray their significant other, those of a higher authority and their best friend.
Once Macbeth possessed the power of being Thane of Cawdor he began to exhibit more greed. He has just been given such a huge responsibility and once he was given new power, he craved more; especially when he stumbled upon the witches. He liked the power that he had and wanted to gain more, no matter what he has to do to get it. Macbeth had an encounter with the three witches and they had told him that he will become the next king. Although the witches did say this it did not mean that it was certain, it was just a possibility. But when Macbeth realized the opportunity for power he knew he wanted to become the king. This passage was in part of the letter that Macbeth wrote to Lady Macbeth: “Whiles I stood rapt in the wonder of it came missives from the King, who all-hailed me ‘Thane of Cawdor,’ by which title, before, these Weird Sisters saluted me and referred me to the coming on of time with ‘Hail, king that shalt be’” (1.5.6-10). . It seems as if the power and greed now had full control over him, he is doing things that he wouldn’t do when he did not have all this power. This is the first time that we see this side of Macbeth, the side of him that is greedy for power and is willing to kill the king to do so. In the beginning of the play the thought of being Thane of Cawdor never even crossed his mind, and by no means being
In Shakespeare’s play Macbeth, the main character’s goal is to become the king. Macbeth seeks to gain as much power as he possibly can and this ultimately leads to his demise. He hears the prophecy of the witches and becomes so obsessed with fulfilling the prophecy because it states that he will eventually become king. Having this information, Macbeth goes out of his way to force the prophecy to come true. He becomes so power hungry that he tries to force fate leaving him with an undeniable guilt for his actions, the loss of love from the people who once loved him, and a harsh death in the end.
“O worthiest cousin, the sin of my gratitude even now was heavy on me!”(I. i. 347) the king cannot repay him for what he has done for their kingdom. Macbeth is a highly respected warrior because he is loyal, trusted, and honest man. Macbeth is a vulnerable man; he is weak. Letting other people make decisions for him, he becomes more incapable of resisting how people will view him as a “loyal” soldier since he cannot follow through. In the film Macbeth the setting is right in the middle of war. Macbeth has held the enemy facing him, but he hesitates and looks at his soldiers for the okay to kill the enemy. With that being said, he is seriously self conscious and lets others makes the decisions for him. Before he is going to kill King
His infidelity breaks the trust between him and Duncan because of his immense betrayal to not only the King, but to the country of Scotland. He quickly becomes a man whom Duncan could no longer rely upon, for this reason, Duncan awards the title to a noble and courageous soldier, Macbeth. Dramatic irony is presented in this line because as Duncan is addressing the unfaithfulness of the old thane, it is followed by the entry of Macbeth to the scene, a man who later misuses his power to betray the King. To Duncan, Macbeth, the Thane of Glamis, is appeared to be virtuous and courageous because of his heroic performance in the battle for defeating the opponent, Macdonwald. The King demonstrates his satisfaction towards Macbeth through a conversation with Banquo. He describes Macbeth as “full so valiant, And in his commendations [King Duncan is] fed; It is a banquet to [him]… It is a peerless kinsman.” (1.4.56-60). In this speech, King Duncan truly admires Macbeth’s valiancy and describes him as a man without equal. He congratulates Macbeth for his courage on the battlefield and as followed by the witches’ prophecies of Macbeth, “...All hail, Macbeth, hail to thee, Thane of Cawdor…” (1.3.50), he replaces and becomes the new Thane of Cawdor. This speech reveals the gullible nature of Duncan who once trusted the old thane and anew, believes the new thane will be loyal to the country. By all means, Duncan is clueless of
Macbeth develops into a pernicious king as the play advances, as he commits horrendous actions that result in his own wrecking. Nevertheless, he has differentiated himself during the battle against the treacherous Thane of Cawdor, and the King of Norway. He is the brave soldier who leads King 's Duncan force to victory through his strength and skill level. King Duncan addresses Macbeth as his "…valiant cousins (and) / (A) worthy gentleman" (I.ii.25). This shows, how the King recognizes Macbeth 's skill on the battlefield, and therefore rewards Macbeth with a higher title, the Thane of Cawdor. Macbeth displays these characteristics once again in Act IV, as he ignores the witches ' prophecies, don 's his armour and fights against a heavily armed army, which is a greater size than his own Scottish infantry. This performance displays that Macbeth still holds the attributes of bravery as he did initially. For the first time, he makes a decision by setting aside the prophecies. In the play, the townsfolk see their malicious