In Shakespeare's play Macbeth, trust becomes a difficult thing to obtain. Shortly after the witches tell Macbeth and Banquo about their prophecies, the element of trust begins to degenerate until it is completely abolished. Characters who demonstrate good faith are no longer trustworthy without the knowledge of the person trusting them. These different extremes of confidence clash, leading to undesirable consequences for a multitude of characters. The relationship between King Duncan and Macbeth is a notable circumstance in which the disintegration of trust is apparent. Shortly after Macbeth hears his prophecy that he would become Thane of Cawdor and king, Macbeth rises to nobility when King Duncan promotes him to Thane of Cawdor. “What, can the devil tell the truth?” (Act 1, scene 2) Exclaims Banquo, he is surprised that the witches, evil creatures, tell them the truth. At the beginning of the play, the element of trust is consistent and as it should be, but as time goes on, things begin to change. Although Macbeth's promotion establishes Duncan's growing trust in Macbeth and further strengthens his relationship with him, it does not have the same effect for Macbeth. For Macbeth, this becomes an opportunity to get rid of the king so that he can sit on the throne, as the prophecy says. To secure his future, Macbeth finds an opportune moment to assassinate the king during his stay at his home. Almost immediately, a disruption in trust appears. Not only are people panicking, but they are also appalled at who could have committed such a heinous crime. When people begin to distrust Duncan's sons, because they are next in line to the throne, they flee. Even if they haven't done anything before to justify these assumptions, they are no longer trustworthy. ......middle of paper ......he is evolving and gaining more self-confidence. Similar to the situation with Banquo, Macbeth makes the decision to massacre the Macduff family alone. The more Macbeth kills, the more confident he becomes. By the end of the play, Macbeth has completely changed. The confidence he has in himself radically parallels the self-esteem he had in the beginning. Relying less on others, particularly his wife, and more on himself, Macbeth becomes independent. Giving prophecies to Macbeth and Banquo is the catalyst for the breakdown of trust. Regarding trust: King Duncan's trust in Macbeth is not reciprocated, resulting in his death, Banquo's distrust of Macbeth results in his own death, and Macbeth's increased confidence in himself results in many deaths, including his own. The witches' prophecies have a detrimental ripple effect on all relationships within Macbeth..