Friday, September 23, 2011

Please interpret: "Away, and mock the time with fairest show: False face must hide what the false heart doth know" (1.7.94-95).How can I...

This quote pertains to the theme that appearances do not necessarily carry the truth, that they can in fact cover, or hide, the truth, or the reality of a situation. Macbeth says this to his wife after she finally convinces him to murder Duncan (1.7.94-95).  In paraphrasing these lines, we understand that Macbeth tells his wife to pretend that all is well, and in this way deceive (or mock) the real situation (the time).  She must look as if she is happy and a good hostess (false face) even though they both know in their hearts that they are liars and murderers (false heart must know). The theme of appearance vs reality presents itself through the way in which the witches equivocate information, giving Macbeth enough to tempt him to commit murder but not enough to warn him of the results, and we see it, too, when Macbeth imagines he sees a dagger in front of him before he kills Duncan.  He calls it “a dagger of the mind, a false creation / Proceeding from the heat-oppressed brain (2.1.50-51), meaning he is imagining it out of his anxiety over the deed he is about to commit. As for showing this symbolically, you could create a mask that shows a happy expression, putting it over your own face, which you would show to look mean. Similarly, you could create a puppet with a monstrous face, then make a mask for it to make it look like an angel.

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