ipl-logo

Fair Is Foul Theme In Macbeth

684 Words3 Pages

Peter Liu
Period 5
11/5/15
Fair is Foul The play Macbeth, written by William Shakespeare, takes place in Medieval Scotland and involves the rise to power of a noble, Macbeth, and his wife, Lady Macbeth. After hearing the predictions of three witches, Macbeth and his wife act according to his fate, resulting in a number of consequences. Throughout the play, the characters are influenced by their inability to see the true characteristic of events and people, resulting in a “fair is foul” world where nothing is as it seems. In the play Macbeth, Lady Macbeth exemplifies the “fair is foul” theme.
Initially, her personality is one of the most apparent examples of the “fair is foul” theme. For example, she advises her husband to “Look like th’ innocent …show more content…

After Lady Macbeth has become queen, she would rather “be that which we destroy, Than by destruction dwell in doubtful joy” (3.2.8-9). She would rather be Duncan, who she helped murder, than be queen in constant fear. Lady Macbeth murdered Duncan to become queen; however, being queen is a new source of problems. In this way, the “fair is foul” world renders her unable to correctly judge the nature of things, such as the consequences of her actions. In the same way that expectations of Lady Macbeth failed to hold up to reality, Lady Macbeth’s expectations were unreliable, because of the veil of “fair is …show more content…

Her personality shows “fair is foul” because her outer appearance contrasts from her inner personality. Her own inability to perceive the world demonstrates the extent of “fair is foul” is beyond her grasp. Her own change at the end of the play proves that even Lady Macbeth, as well as people in general, cannot know herself correctly. Most significantly, since the true nature of things is indeterminable through“fair is foul,” people’s assumptions based on observation are unreliable to an extent. Actions based on these assumptions are not fully justifiable; and, as seen in Lady Macbeth, the consequences or results of making any decisions may or may not be

Show More
Related

Examples Of Direct Juxtaposition In Macbeth

389 Words | 2 Pages

Thesis: In Macbeth, Shakespeare’s juxtaposition of his characters’ “deepest desires” with their “false face[s]” furthers the motif of deception and treachery, setting the stage for Macbeth’s ultimate regicide. When the audience sees Lady Macbeth act like a traditional hostess despite her murderous desires, her treachery becomes amplified. Before Duncan arrives, Lady Macbeth is seen on stage planning to influence her husband, who is “too full [of the] milk of human kindness,” to change his nature and murder his cousin and king, Duncan (1.5.17).

Read More

Macbeth Fair Quotes

810 Words | 4 Pages

By this point, fair and foul are nearly identical, no one knows what is going on. After Macbeth’s bloody deed against Duncan, those close to him are suspicious, especially when he is chosen to be king when Malcolm flees Scotland out of fear. “Thou hast it now- king, Cawdor, Glamis, all As the Weird Women promised, and I fear Thou played’st most foully for’t” (III.i.1-3). Confusion and chaos are finally getting cozy among the Scottish citizens.

Read More

Macbeth And Lord Of The Flies Analysis

935 Words | 4 Pages

Whereas in the text of Macbeth, the setting is first presented as evil, stated by Macbeth “no foul and fair a day I have not seen“. On the contrary Macbeth is presented as ‘brave’ and ‘courageous’, ‘the savior of the day’, this implies that the writers chose the great difference in setting and character for the reader to

Read More

Macbeth Air Is Foul Analysis

297 Words | 2 Pages

Within Shakespeare’s Macbeth, the witches chant the phrase “[f]air is foul, and foul is fair” with one another. This phrase can be interpreted as holding many miscellaneous interpretations. First of all, the word “fair” can be defined as meaning plausible, seductive, or flattering depending upon the usage of the word. Conversely, the definition of the word “foul” can differ from plain-looking, detestable, and ugly to false, hypocritical, and shameful. Therefore, these phrases could be divided to discover each individual phrases’ meaning.

Read More

Lady Macbeth Disturbed Character Analysis

1503 Words | 7 Pages

At first, rather than putting all the blame on Macbeth she is proud of her involvement in the murder stating: “My hands are of your colour but I shame to wear a heart so white.” Initially this villainizes her as she is in control rather than being an obedient wife going against Jacobean stereotypes

Read More

Honor And Loyalty In Macbeth

672 Words | 3 Pages

The Tragedy of Macbeth is a play by William Shakespeare set in Scotland about a murderous and vehement king who spirals on a path of destruction as he suffers from the consequences of determining his own fate. The predominant theme portrayed throughout the play is honor vs. loyalty. This is represented through the identification, actions, and quotes of numerous characters. To introduce the theme of honor vs. disloyalty, the characters Banquo and Macbeth exemplify traits that are equivalent with the moral of the story.

Read More

Gender And Gender Stereotypes In Shakespeare's Macbeth

1514 Words | 7 Pages

Shakespeare’s tragedy, Macbeth, focuses on the tumultuous events that surround a regicide. Despite being the shortest of Shakespeare’s plays, in his critical study of the play A. C. Bradley concludes that due to its vehement nature the audience is left with an impression “not of brevity but of speed” . The principal female character of Lady Macbeth is arguably one of his most contentious. Consumed with intense passion, ambition and greed she challenges the subservient role of the traditional Elizabethan woman. She has disturbed, horrified and intrigued both contemporary and modern audiences alike through her powerful diction.

Read More

Examples Of Guilty In Macbeth

746 Words | 3 Pages

Guilty, Macbeth admits, “If it were done when tis done, then’t were well if were done quickly. If the assassination could trammel up the consequence and catch with his surcease success” (1.7.1-4). Macbeth feels as if he should admit to the mistake he made and suffer the consequences. Gladly, he would put his soul at risk to end the whole affair from the murder. On the other hand, at the initial moment after the death of King Duncan, Lady felt accomplished as if she were on top of the world.

Read More

Lady Macbeth Masculinity Quotes

107 Words | 1 Pages

William Shakespeare portrayed the character Lady Macbeth to be extremely ruthless, malicious and manipulative. Thus, being the reason she could easily convince Macbeth to do her will, yet still put on such a convincing performance in front of those who knew nothing of her and her husband’s actions. Lady Macbeth shows her complexity constantly throughout the story when she shares her view-point on masculinity by demasculinizing her own husband, when she strategically plans the murder of the King Duncan, and finally when she finally goes crazy because of the guilt she possesses for not only her own actions but also turning her own husband into a

Read More

Role Of Motivation In Macbeth

1087 Words | 5 Pages

Lady Macbeth plays a key part in driving Macbeth’s motivations and encourages Macbeth to overcome his strong sense of guilt and take action on the prophecies. Lady Macbeth tells Macbeth that he is “green” (I.VII.40) and “a coward” (I.VII.46) and that he resembles the proverbial “poor cat”. (I.VII.48) The willingness of Lady Macbeth to reach the epitome of betrayal is displaced that heightens the understanding of the overpowering and strong nature of Lady Macbeth as well as the deep and murderous motivations she wishes to impose on her husband. Shakespeare exposes to the audience to the persuasive and emotive techniques Lady Macbeth uses to manipulate and drive Macbeth's motivations. This

Read More

Examples Of Lady Macbeth's Guilt

1054 Words | 5 Pages

Although introduced as a thoroughly hardened, ambitious woman, Lady Macbeth’s seemingly unbreakable character shatters when she is consumed by the demon of guilt. The guilt of Lady Macbeth seems nonexistent when she persuades Macbeth to kill King Duncan, but the heinous acts she and her husband commit throughout the play strain her slowly. Eventually, the guilt Lady Macbeth harbors emerges from her subconscious and crumbles her. The downfall of Lady Macbeth reveals that even the toughest, strongest, and most powerful people can succumb to guilt. At the commencement of William Shakespeare’s

Read More

Similarities Between Macbeth And The Great Gatsby

1959 Words | 8 Pages

Like men, she has the trait to be gruesome and diabolical in nature. She has determined for herself the course to be pursued and nothing can hinder her. She does not need the prophecy of the witches to urge her. She is aware of her strength and she is resolute in her aim. Knowing Macbeth’s weakness,

Read More

Lady Macbeth's Strong Character In Act I Scene V

780 Words | 4 Pages

Lady Macbeth is power hungry for the throne and she will do anything to achieve her goal. Her pleasure of having the thought of killing Duncan is revealed. These murderous thoughts that run through her mind shows how desperate she is to acquire power. Although it is the beginning of the play, her dark ambitions sets a dark tone for her character in the play. This coincidentally adds to the assurance of Macbeth’s prophecy which is that Macbeth will become king, but King Duncan is still alive.

Read More

Gender Stereotypes In Shakespeare's Macbeth

1183 Words | 5 Pages

As Lady Macbeth continues to hide her “weak” attributes by displaying a stronger shell, she also reveals her sense of ambition. Although Macbeth and Lady Macbeth both seek power, it is obvious that power is what drives Lady Macbeth. From the second she knew about the witches’ prophecies, she made it her goal to become King and Queen. When she creates a plan to murder King Duncan, Macbeth shows he is nervous, Lady Macbeth finds this problematic and asks him to “project a peaceful mood, because if you look troubled, you will arouse suspicion.” (1.5.63-65).

Read More

Macbeth As A Tragic Hero Analysis

1592 Words | 7 Pages

Macbeth is Foul, Macbeth is Fair: An Analysis of Macbeth as a Tragic Shakespearean Hero In modern-day life, a tragic hero is an ordinary person who makes a grave mistake in judgement which causes his or her downfall, but does not necessarily result in death. However, in Shakespearean tragedies, a tragic hero is defined as a great literary character of high nobility whose tragic flaw and poor decisions lead to his or her unanticipated downfall and destruction. Ajsdhfjdhalsdhf Macbeth, the main character of William Shakespeare’s Macbeth, fulfills the role of a tragic hero because of his rising status, the catharsis he provides for the audience, and his tragic flaw which leads to his unforeseen downfall. In every Shakespearean tragedy, the tragic hero is known to be either a war hero or a character of high status before the story turns for the worst; Macbeth covers both of these

Read More

More about Fair Is Foul Theme In Macbeth

Related Topics

Open Document