The Surrealist Movement and Macbeth

Macbeth tells the story of a man who is driven to murder because of jealousy and greed.  Macbeth’s sole motive for killing Duncan is his burning desire to be king, after jealousy struck when Malcolm was named heir.  After killing Duncan, Macbeth began to lose sight of who he was.  He began to hallucinate, and changed very significantly as a person after killing Duncan.  He acted differently, saw ghosts, and behaved oddly in some cases.  The painting “Not to be Reproduced,” by René Magritte, portrays a man looking into a mirror, but the back of his head reflected instead of the front.  There is a book on the mantel that is reflected properly, so it is evident that mirror is working.  The man in the picture can only see the back of his head, even though the mirror is normal, which could never happen without using your imagination.  Macbeth has lost himself, as he is blinded in the pursuit of power, and is reminiscent of “Not to be Reproduced.”  There is something wrong with his new personality, his new image, the backwards reflection, even though everything around him remains the same, much like the book in the mirror.  Macbeth’s relentless attempts to gain more power have changed him to the point where he is almost not recognizable.  Furthermore, the surrealism of the painting adds to the effect that the hallucinations have on him.  René Magritte’s career took place entirely during the surrealist movement, and the emphasis that the movement put on the imagination captures how Macbeth’s imagination was creating hallucinations, causing him to feel remorse.