The Theme of Equivocation in Macbeth

The Theme of Equivocation in Macbeth

Introduction

In the hands of evil, equivocation is an extremely dangerous tool. This is because it contains a powerful force that can result in serious consequences. This is evident in William Shakespeare’s play, Macbeth. In the play, we have seen the tragic end of Macbeth and other people (Baqir Twaij, 2017). Equivocation is not a new concept. It has existed in society back to the beginning of mankind in the Garden of Eden. Equivocation was first used by the devil to be creating a deceitful evil. Eve fell for the equivocation, and she ate the forbidden fruit. The devil convinced Eve that God had forbidden them from eating the fruit because upon eating, they could be as intelligent as him.

Shakespeare uses equivocation to illustrate the evil traits of the three witches. Equivocation is the use of expressions and words with an aim to mislead other people. The witches make prophecies that mislead Macbeth (Shakespeare, 1915). Their form of deception is using words to deceive Macbeth. As the first prophecy, the witches tell Macbeth that he will be the king of Scotland. The witches prophesied that Banquo would be the father of the king of Scotland. The other prophecy states that Macbeth will not be killed until the Birnam woods move to Dunsinane castle. It is argued that the use of equivocation in the play is the leading factor in the downfall of King Macbeth (Shakespeare, 1915). Just like the devil used deception to make Eve eat the forbidden fruit, in a similar way, the witches used equivocation to mislead Macbeth. The act of the witches making ambiguous prophecies was equivocation.

Among other themes portrayed in the play, equivocation is the dominant theme because it is persistent. It is persistent among the three witches and Macbeth. In the play, equivocation is a vital theme. Banquo warned Macbeth about the predictions of the witches. Even though the predictions seem positive, Banquo warns that they could result in something else entirely. In Act I of scene 3, Banquo states that to win over them, the instruments of darkness must betray them (Zelezinskaya, 2019). Macbeth was given a sense of security by being told that a man born by a woman will not defeat him. He was told that only when the Birnam wood shifts to Dunsinane castle will he be defeated. Due to these predictions, Macbeth ultimately believes that he cannot be defeated. However, it was ambiguous for Macbeth to believe the prophecies of the witches as their prophecies were not justifiable.

Macduff was ‘ripped’ out of his mother’s womb. Technically, Macduff was not ‘born’ as the three witches had predicted. Also, Macduff, Malcolm, and Siward go to the Dunsinane castle by using branches of a tree from the Birnam wood. Therefore, in some way, the predictions of the witches came true. However, the predictions came to reality, but not as Macbeth would interpret them. At this point, Macbeth realized that through equivocation, the witches mislead him. Another definition of equivocation is the misapprehension that arises from the ambiguity of terms. Macbeth portrays this aspect, unlike any other character. Killing Duncan is a morally wrong act. However, Macbeth goes ahead and swears that he will do it. However, Macbeth does not wish to commit the evil he proclaims (Baqir Twaij, 2017). He is worried about killing a person that loves him, as Duncan does. Macbeth clearly understands the right and the wrong thing to do. His biggest weakness is not a lack of morals. His flaw is the lack of motivation to work through his claims. Macbeth lacks a reason to kill, and the person he intends to kill is a good man.

Conclusion

Equivocation contains a powerful force that can result in serious consequences. There are two definitions of equivocation. Equivocation refers to the process of using ambiguous expressions to mislead other people. Also, equivocation is the misapprehension that arises from the ambiguity of terms. Shakespeare uses the theme of equivocation to illustrate the evil nature of the witches clearly. The prophecies of the witches are an indication of equivocation. Macbeth portrays this aspect, unlike any other character. Killing Duncan is a morally wrong act. Macbeth clearly understands the right and the wrong thing to do. His biggest weakness is not a lack of morals. His flaw is the lack of motivation to work through his claims.