Essay Macbeth Themes: Fair Is Foul and Foul Is Fair

From the first scene of the play, the reader immediately gets a glimpse of the deception meshed into Macbeth’s world. The quote “Fair is foul and foul is fair” is a commonly used by the three witches, spoken in their equivocal language. This same language of vagueness is used when the witches encounter Macbeth and Banquo on the

The Tragedy of Macbeth opens in a desert place with thunder and lightning and three Witches who are anticipating their meeting with Macbeth, "There to meet with Macbeth." They all say together the mysterious and contradictory "Fair is foul, and foul is fair." King Duncan learns that "brave Macbeth" and Banquo are bravely resisting the "Norweyan banners" and the rebellious Thane of Cawdor. When these forces are vanquished, Duncan bids Ross to greet Macbeth with his new

Shakespeare utilizes this notion, assumed by various characters, to express the duality under which they live. From the beginning of the play, Shakespeare uses the idea of what is real, juxtaposed with what is deceiving to create an air of uncertainty and bewilderment. The paradox spoken by the witches, 'Fair is foul and foul is fair,' highlights the confusion present and serves as an admonition (caution?) for Macbeth. Shakespeare delves into the idea that deceit and duplicity indicates that appearances ought not to be relied on. Macbeth's over-ambitious, tyrannical character is intentionally contrasted with his initial appearance, as the play

"Fair is foul, and foul is fair." (Act I, Scene I, line 10) With this opening paradoxical quote, Shakespeare opens the tragedy of Macbeth. Macbeth is the tragic hero of this tragedy, as his ambitious actions place him in a downwards spiral until he loses everything that was once precious to him. He sacrifices his innocence, his conscience, and his peace of mind for the endless power and control he pursues. The introduction of the play begins with the description of a king under the pressures of war. Duncan, the king of Scotland, hears of Macbeth's bravery in battle against a Scot who took sides with the enemy. Scotland is currently at war with the King of Norway, and the country is rather divided, as traitors begin to surface. One such

‘Macbeth’ is a play in which a Lord and his Lady come into supreme power through acts of injustice and despicable inhumanities. In the play Macbeth there is no main focal theme that overrules the others; the play however has several underlying themes, namely there are important themes i.e. good and evil (like ying and yang), greed and power, guilt and conscience, fear, ambition – this leads to the murder of other people illustrating to the reader that even the most sane of people can result to character diminishing methods to get what they want. These particular themes are the most prominent and when closely looked at, it can help to understand characters and meanings behind the play. The theme of ambition is very important in this play,

"Fair is foul and foul is fair" this quotation is stated in line 10 by the witches in the opening of the play.This quotation is very important because it introduces what the whole play is going to be about. How what is fair to them might not be fair to others. This quote is magnificent because it provides a wonderful example of paradox by letting the audience know that even tough something bad might occur it will benefit someone else.

Over the course of the play, Macbeth, the motif of paradoxes changes its format and its significance from fate of a person or nounthe story. At start, paradoxes were profoundly evident and used in varying literary devices such as foreshadowing. The witches foreshadow the atrocities that Macbeth would commit when singing “fair is foul, and foul is fair.” (Shakespeare, 1.1.12). If foul is fair, then killing someone, which is completely foul, is considered fair. This is not existent in any normal society and in order for it to be normal in this case is, it may only be normal if society goes backward. Literally foul is fair is the same thing as fair is foul, only backwards. Along with foreshadowing, literary devices such as juxtaposition.

In William Shakespeare’s play Macbeth evil is conveyed in many ways through characters, themes and settings. Many themes are explored in detail contributing hugely to the sense of evil with characters being used along with these themes to create evil within the characters. These themes and characters are shown in different settings at different times consequently affecting the mood and atmosphere of the play.

The Renaissance play The Tragedy of Macbeth, written by William Shakespeare, truly demonstrated a compelling tale of greed, power, and jealousy. The play revealed the turn of a good nobleman into a powerful and greedy king. It showed audiences how one crime led to another and eventually to a gruesome melee. Throughout the tragedy there appeared to be a reoccurring theme stated finest as appearances are deceiving. The audience is first introduced to the theme in the first scene of the play where the witches said the profound phrase, "Fair is foul, and foul is fair" (I, i, 10). The Tragedy of Macbeth continued to present the idea of images being deceivingly different from the actual appearance.

These contradictions start in the very beginning of the play, with the witches. In Act one, Scene one, line 12, the witches say, “Fair is foul and foul is fair.” This is interesting as they are suggesting good and evil as being one. The witches’ line reflects on human nature as there are fair and foul aspects to everyone. Shakespeare wanted to get this message across as the main character, Macbeth, is a prime example of the

     In the tragedy, Macbeth by William Shakespeare, the paradoxical theme of “Fair is foul, and foul is fair” functions throughout the play. The line is a prophecy which one thing seems like another. It implies especially to the characters that they are not as they seem to be.

Macbeth is one of Shakespeare’s most mystifying plays and is a study of human nature. The theme of appearance versus reality is apparent in Macbeth. It’s filled with numerous, notable, and significant scenes, including when King Duncan visits the Macbeth’s home, Lady Macbeth’s sleepwalking scene, and Macbeth’s dagger soliloquy. They provide raw, psychological insight into the character of Macbeth and Lady Macbeth, showcasing the differing characteristics between the two characters. A quote that has developed synonym with Macbeth is, “Fair is foul and foul is fair” (1.1.11) which introduces deceptiveness, debut, and one of the most important themes of this tragedy, appearance versus reality. Shakespeare uses numerous characters and situations to emphasize the confusion between appearance and reality, the real and the surreal, the legitimate and the imposturous. Emphasized in these scenes and throughout the play, Shakespeare successfully portrays the misalignment between appearance and reality.

“Fair is foul, and foul is fair. Hover through the fog and filthy air” (Shakespeare Act I Scene I 12-13). The Weïrd Sisters utter these lines in unison in the first scene of the play. Shakespeare thus establishes the backdrop for a story full of paradoxes and mysticism. Not all is how it appears to be. Deceit and betrayal take center stage in the play, paving the way for Macbeth’s ascendancy to kingship, and eventual downfall. Good versus evil is present in nearly every scene. As in most literary works, the author develops different themes expressed in various ways. Symbolism is often the most effective way to express central themes. In Macbeth, Shakespeare creates contrast to effectively strengthen the overriding message of good versus evil.

Macbeth's reaction is as if someone has read his mind, whereas Banquo is reluctant to believe the witches and is aware that they are not what they seem. If their predictions were already thoughts in the back of Macbeth's mind, then the witches don't have very much power over him at this

With ambition driving Macbeth’s motives through the play, the perception of fair and foul is warped as a result. Presenting itself as an enigma, the moral conflicts that arise from the idea of fair and foul is unjustifiable dependent on a person’s point of view. Macbeth, predisposed towards a destruction of typical ideals as a result of ambition roused by the influence of the witches’ and his wife, descends into a slow spiral of insanity. Shakespeare incorporates equivocation to further confuse Macbeth’s own ideas. He uses the technique of soliloquy to allow for the audience to identify with Lady Macbeth. In Macbeth, Shakespeare explores the attrition of the Chain of Being, an important historical aspect that governed and influenced the hierarchal order of the time period (VICTORIAN TIME PERIOD?) Shakespeare bases Macbeth in. To place emphasis on the broken chain, Shakespeare uses the repetition of a phrase when referring to “foul and fair”. First appearing in the witches’ line at the beginning of the play “All is fair and foul is fair” (1.somethingoranotheridekifthequoteisright), Shakespeare reiterates the phrase in Macbeth’s entrance in Act 2, demonstrated in the quote “Never have I seen a day as fair and foul as this”. Shakespeare manipulates/or henceforth influences the audience’s perception on the secondary use of the phrase to lead to their realisation/to emphasise that the Chain