Act one ends with Macbeth declaring that ‘False face must hide what the doth know’. How has Shakespeare explored the theme of deceptive appearances in Act one of Macbeth.

In today’s society appearances are a big part of our lives. We don’t know what everybody is thinking all the time, this is because outward appearances cover up what we are truly thinking. The same thing happened in Shakespeare’s’ time as well especially in the play Macbeth. The basic plot of Act one is that three witches have visited Macbeth and they have influenced him to murder Duncan so he can become king. During Macbeth's actions we see many deceptive appearances occurring.

Act one begins with the supernatural in other words the witches. They end scene one with the phrase,
‘Fair is foul, and foul is fair’.
This line means that appearances aren’t what they seem. This quotation creates the atmosphere of uncertainty, and made the Jacobean audience aware of the theme of deceptive appearances from the very start of the play. All the witches speak this line and in Shakespeare’s time people would be wary of the supernatural.

Duncan is one of the...