Patrick Restivo Pantalone

Mrs. Raposo
ENG 3U2
Monday January 13, 2020

The Inescapable Consequences

Of Wearing a Mask

“We all understand how dangerous a mask can be. We all become what we pretend to

be.” This quote said by Patrick Rothfuss, is string of text whose significance grows stronger as

each day passes. This quote is not just relatable to the 21st century, it can be seen as a premise in

which literature dating back to almost half a millennial was written in. George Orwell’s 1984 is

about a totalitarian dystopia that forces its citizens to like their cause, even if they

disapprove. The Tragedy of Macbeth, by William Shakespeare follows the fictional story of a

thane, who turns into a mad tyrant due to the influence of immoral witches. 1984 and The

Tragedy

of Macbeth are two different forms of literature whose protagonists show relatable features to

society today, as they are forced into wearing a mask, whether it be for safety or ambition, only

to later suffer severe consequences.

1984 is a very controversial piece of literature, which is part of the reason why its

popularity is incredibly high today. Well, that and also how it shows everyone how dangerous a

totalitarianism government can be. The Party is a force not to be reckoned with as they control

every aspect of its citizens’ lives. Freedom is nonexistent as even emotion filled thoughts can

get one’s self tortured and soon to be vaporized. Winston, the protagonist, is a wild spirit who

opposes everything the totalitarian government stands for. He is fearful for his life, although, so

he has to wear a mask. Wearing this mask automatically puts him at risk to the Party. He
pretends to be like everyone, participating in various events such as the Two Minutes Hate, The

Hate Week, etc. as he is more fear of his mask getting exposed overpowers his emotions for the

Party. Winston eventually gets tortured as he makes a severe mistake trusting others. If one

wears a mask, one must not expose it to others, as the predicaments that follow will be severe.

Putting on the mask initially results in Winston losing everything that made him human, making

him become the person he was pretending to be. “If you want to keep a secret you must also

hide it from yourself.” (Orwell). Winston is a magnificent example of if one wears a mask, it

will eventually come back to harm one in the end. Not only did the mask put him at risk, but

eventually made him a lifeless soul that is now subservient to everything he is told.

The concept of “wearing a mask” has certainly had an increase in popularity due to the

acceptance of mental illnesses. Its prevalence in society, although, goes much further back in

time. The Tragedy of Macbeth was written in 1606, quite a bit of time has passed since then, but

yet somehow represents the dangers of wearing a mask perfectly. Macbeth is a worthy, loyal

fighter to his country, respected by all who was put down an evil path by scheming witches.

“Look like the’ innocent flower, But be the serpent under.”(Shakespeare 1.5.76-78). In order for

Macbeth to follow through with his aspirations of becoming king, he must act friendly and

deceive everyone, hiding his sinful intentions underneath his mask. This leads to Macbeth

committing a countless number of sins and him having to cover every single one up with his

mask. This eventually led to serious mental problems, including symptoms of PTSD and

schizophrenia, mental illnesses which he did not possess before putting on the mask. "Angels are

bright still, though the brightest fell. Though all things foul would wear the brows of grace, yet

grace must still look so." (4.3.26-30). Macbeth looks graceful, but is actually a foul thing that let
malevolent thoughts get the best of him. Macbeth would end up dying, showing the severity of

the ramifications if one wears a mask.

1984 and The Tragedy of Macbeth both use incredible ways of showing consequences of

a mask. Winston pretends to like Big Brother, only to be brainwashed and tortured into liking

him. Macbeth’s multiple masks help develop his character of a dictator who must be eliminated.

Even though the books were written before the uproar of the popularity of mental illness, both

Winston and Macbeth represent the majority of society. Winston depicts those in society who

are forced to wear a mask, whether it be because of oppression or social anxiety. Oppression

cripples Winston in the book, feelings that people who live in communist countries such as North

Korea or Russia could relate to. Winston is scared to open up to anyone and trust anyone else,

something that everyone feels at one point in their life. Whether or not one is able to trust

someone with personal information is a question whose answer is sought out for, but is rarely

found. Macbeth also wears a mask, but for a different reason. Macbeth’s mask is to achieve a

personal goal, but ends up harming him, as he develops many mental illnesses. Macbeth has to

wear a mask to cover up disorders such as PTSD and schizophrenia. In a world where mental

illnesses are very prevalent, many can say they wear a mask to cover up their illnesses. These

people are embarrassed to show their true selves, just like Macbeth. This results in these

disorders taking the best of them and controlling every aspect of their life. “Sleep no more!

Macbeth does murder sleep”—the innocent sleep.” (2.2.35-36). Countless number of people

wear masks, just like Winston and Macbeth.

As one can see, wearing a mask is never the correct option. Not only does it deceive

everyone one comes in contact with, it can have some pretty serious complications. Both
Winston and Macbeth suffered their death as a result of wearing a mask. Winston suffered a

mental death whereas Macbeth’s death was physical. Winston and Macbeth seem to grow more

relatable to society as time goes on. As one can see, the reverberations of wearing a mask

outweigh the reasons for putting it on in the first place.