The motif of appearance versus reality is used in multiple places throughout The Tragedy of Macbeth. It appears in many forms; deception, irony, murder, etc. However, perhaps its most startling development occurs in the personality swap between Macbeth and his wife, Lady Macbeth. Macbeth begins as an honest man who feels tremendous horror when asked to commit murder, and Lady Macbeth begins as a power hungry wife who will not let anyone get in the way of her husband’s pursuit of the crown. By the end of the play, Macbeth has become a murderously paranoid dictator and Lady Macbeth goes mad with guilt.
From the beginning, Lady Macbeth is presented as very controlling and strong willed; she says that Macbeth