Theme Of Paradoxes In Macbeth

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

“Keep your friends close and your enemies closer,” is a universal truism throughout our society, that has been said an infinity amount of times. Every single person in your life is there for a certain reason. If they aren’t getting want they want from you then they have no reason for sticking around. They’re always around when they need something from you, but when you need them, “BAM!” they are gone!

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

Recall the story of Snow White. The girl took a bite out of an apple because it looked delectable. Little did she know that it would knock her out and put her into a deep sleep. Think about the tale of Aladdin. He found this magic lamp which was to bring him an immense fortune, but his greed got the best of him and it ended up consuming him in the end. The Lion King, a young cub was exiled after his father’s death, only to return years later and take back his rightful throne. In Hercules, an evil god was given a prophecy by three fates and forced them to come true which resulted in his own undoing. Macbeth shares a template with a plethora of tales and stories, many of which have gained popularity in the Walt Disney Franchise. Whilst these narratives and the play may have different overall storylines and characters, the vital themes and character framework remain very similar to the core ideas of the 16th-century play.

The three apparitions which appear to Macbeth are, "Macbeth! Macbeth! Macbeth! Beware Macduff, Beware the Thane of Fife. / Be bloody, bold, and resolute; laugh to scorn the power of man; for none of woman born shall harm Macbeth. / Be lion-mettled, proud, and take no care who chafes, who frets, or where conspirers are. Macbeth shall never vanquished be until Great Birnam wood to high Dunsinane hill shall come against him." Macbeth translates these prophecies as a meaning that he will reign as king until the day he dies of natural causes and will no longer have to fear Macduff for he can do no harm to him. Although he is assured by the equivocate predictions, his uncertainty gets the better of him. This can be seen in his actions; he kills Macduff 's family but leaves the man himself alive, he enters into battles screaming that no man of woman born shall ever harm him, not knowing that Macduff was born of Caesarian section, and eventually his foolish actions lead to his death at the hands of Macduff.

I remember the feeling in explicit detail, as if it were only yesterday. It was a feeling of complete awe, triggered by beauty that was unexplainable to me at that time. The source of that beauty was a play, and that play was Macbeth.

Macbeth goes back to the witches to be able to see what will happen to him and what will get worse for him. When Macbeth goes to the witches they give him three apparitions. The third apparition tells Macbeth that he will never be defeated until Birnam wood marches to fight Macbeth at Dusinane hill. Macbeth is happy to hear this because he took this statement as that the woods would have to get up and march to him to fight him. This is why things are not what they always seem to be.

The third and final apparition, a child crowned with a tree in his hand, said, “Be lion-mettled proud, and take no care who chafes, who frets, or where conspirers are. Macbeth shall never vanquished be until Great Birnam Wood to high Dunsinane Hill shall come against him.” (4.1.103-107) Thinking that nothing and nobody will be able to hurt him, Macbeth stopped thinking logically and did whatever it took for him to gain power. He would not have heard or seen any of the apparitions if the witches were not in the

The witches greet Macbeth with “ All hail Macbeth, that shalt be king hereafter!”(I.iii.53). This quote shows that from here Macbeth will become king and after hearing this Macbeth is driven with curiosity if he will really become king. The other prophecy is “ Macbeth shall never vanquished be until Great Birnam Wood To high Dunsinane Hill Shall come against him.”(Iv.i.105-107). After hearing that he can not be beaten until Great Birnam Wood reaches high up the castle Dunsinane Macbeth wis driven with confidence, which Macbeth knows that it is impossible for trees to grow up mountains. With these prophecies Macbeth was fully confident that he can not be beaten, which he fully relies on and also driven him to do terrible

People often wonder on what the future holds for them and some do take extreme measures in order to secure a future which suits best for them. Macbeth’s will to keep the throne for himself leads him to a consultation with the witches for the second time wherein he “[demands to] be satisfied [and denying him] this [would make him wish] an eternal curse [to] fall on the [witches]” (4.1.116-117). The apparitions summoned by the witches warn Macbeth about Macduff, someone none of woman born, and the Great Birnamwood coming to Dunsinane Hill. Nevertheless, Macbeth sees this as merely impossible and believes that the “mind [he sways] by and the heart [he bears will] never sag with doubt nor shake with fear” (5.3.9-10). Macbeth’s ruling passion reached

The things they say will happen get Macbeth very excited about his future. It is like his morals flew out the window. The third witch says, “All hail, Macbeth, thou shalt be king hereafter!” When Macbeth was randomly approached by these witches he had no idea what they were going to say. When such mysterious and supernatural figures surprised him, he lost his ability to reason. Since Macbeth essentially did not have to do any of the actual hard work it takes to become king, his ego was inflated even more.

The work of Shakespeare seems to be timeless by the themes he creates because they relate to all time periods. Shakespeare's play, The Tragedy of Macbeth, has multiple themes that can represent human nature: such as appearances can be deceiving. Particularly, it is seen throughout the play with the characters Macbeth and Lady Macbeth; although it does show people who are truthful to their appearance such as Macduff.

     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.

“Fair is foul, and foul is fair" (1.1.12) In the play Macbeth written by William Shakespeare what appears one way may not be that way. Three mysterious witches use spells, charms and prophecies to harm Macbeth. In fact, Macbeth’s appearance differs from his true self. Appearances can be deceiving as shown in Lady Macbeth as she appears to be a gentle, caring woman, but in reality the audience knows she is a serpent underneath. With the witches’ prophecies, both Lady Macbeth and Macbeth impact each other in becoming wicked and deceitful people.

The third apparition tells him that “Macbeth shall never vanquished be until/Great Birnam Wood to high Dunsinane Hill (4.1.105-106)”. To Macbeth, this means that he will always remain king because there is no way that a forest can just get up and move to another area. However, Malcolm and Siward order their soldiers to cut up the forest's branches and to carry the branches with themselves to prevent Macbeth from finding out exactly how many soldiers there are. This fulfills the prophecy that the third apparition tells Macbeth, even though it certainly didn’t seem that way when the apparition mentioned it. In addition to this, the second apparition tells Macbeth that “ Laugh to scorn/ the power of man, for none of woman born/shall harm Macbeth (4.1.90 – 92).”