But then the crimes he commited get to his head, he goes crazy which leads to many more painful events. (foul). This is just one example of how this quote is portrayed in the play. In William Shakespeare 's, Tragedy of Macbeth, Shakespeare states the phrase “Fair is Foul and Foul is fair” which has many underlying meanings. In Act 1 scene III of The Tragedy of Macbeth, Macbeth enters speaking to Banquo.
In William Shakespeare’s play Macbeth, as edited by Sandra Clark and Pamela Mason, we are presented with a convoluted universe revolving around the main character Macbeth, a man who seemed to be at first a man of honor, but slowly slipped into a chasm of cruelty. While he was pushed by outer forces, such as Lady Macbeth and the Weird Sisters, to attain power and sink further into darkness, it can be argued that everything actually stemmed from him. While he may have appeared to others in one way as an honorable noble who was worthy of leading the country, his inner thoughts hidden away from the rest of the world drove him down a dark path in a quest for power. With such dual and conflicting natures, this ultimately breaks Macbeth until the facade that he put on begins to crack and fall away, showing the face of the “true villain”.
The first act of cruelty that contributes to Macbeth’s downfall is the murder of Duncan. After contemplating the consequences associated with planning the murder, Macbeth kills Duncan, convinced that it is the only way he can become king. Following the murder, Macbeth becomes overwhelmed with shock and begins to experience auditory hallucinations. Upon experiencing shock, Macbeth is unaware that he brings back the daggers from the crime. Commanded by Lady Macbeth to return the daggers to the scene, he claims, “I am afraid to think what I have done.” Riddled with guilt, Macbeth feels remorse.
In every Tragedy there must be a tragic hero and in this story it shows that Macbeth is the tragic hero, is a round character, and also a very dynamic character. A tragic hero is the protagonist of a tragedy. The tragedy of Macbeth tells a story about a man named Macbeth that wants to be king. Macbeth was a very twisted man and was power crazy he did everything to become king he even murdered innocents and whomever stood in his way. Macbeth was considered a tragic hero because Macbeth had many people follow him he also had a down flaw that led to his death but went down heroically.
Also, since it is soliloquy, no one can stop him to think excessively, so it makes him to lose his mind. As he starts to manipulate himself that the prophecies from witches ‘cannot be ill’, the dramatic irony makes the audiences feel anxiety because they know the deception leads him to destruct his life. Another great example of this is ‘a dagger of mind, a false creation…’ in soliloquy of Macbeth. The adjective ‘false’ obviously links the theme deception as
With such dual and conflicting natures this ultimately breaks Macbeth until the facade that he put on begins to crack and fall away, showing the face of the “true villain”. Although we are not introduced to Macbeth until Act I Scene 3, there is some information revealed about him beforehand. The otherworldly witches that kick off the production set a surreal tone to the entire play opening the universe to the supernatural, speaking in their double language, and saying that famous line “Fair is foul and foul is fair”[1] sets the course for a major theme that appears throughout the play. But in relation to all of this they mention Macbeth and how
In disturbing Ophelia, Hamlet’s madness reaches the ears of her highly influential father, who says to her, “Come, we go to the King” (2.1. 130) . Their subsequent report provokes the interest of the royal couple, who send Rosencrantz and Guildenstern to learn more. Hamlet then ups the ante, persisting in his act around Polonius himself. This only serves to heighten the concerns of the king, so much so that he devises a plot to discern the cause of the prince’s madness for himself.
According to Zhang Longxi, “In the context of Shakespeare’s great tragedy, the repetition of ‘fair’ and ‘foul’ cannot be a mere coincidence.” This line is a paradox because it describes something seeming good as bad and something seeming bad as good. Later upon meeting Macbeth, the third witch cried out, “All hail, Macbeth, that shalt be king hereafter” (Shakespeare 1.3.49). The cry of the witch leads to the prophecy of how Macbeth will soon gain power and become king. At this time Macbeth is a brave heroic soldier; however, due to the prophecy, Macbeth soon becomes a despot hungry for power. Through the use of Macbeth’s character, Shakespeare shows how fate can change under the temptation of power.
Hamlet’s “antic disposition” is merely an act, and serves to mask his intentions of revenge from his peers; Hamlet does become somewhat unstable, though, and lapses into brief moments of true insanity. Following the first encounter with his father, Hamlet vows to put on an act of madness to hide his actions and thoughts from the King. Hamlet’s feigned madness begins with a half-naked appearance in Ophelia’s chambers, and escalates from that point onward. The effect of the “antic disposition” seems to wear off by Act IV though, as Hamlet’s actions cause Claudius to become suspicious of Hamlet. Hamlet seems to experience moments of true insanity at times, though, as seen when he rashly kills Polonius.
His initial feeling of joy is eliminated and replaced with insecurity. This psychological game that Lady Macbeth plays with her husband sways Macbeth in the path of evil. Another psychological influence brought on Macbeth is the witches’ prophecy. In the prophecy, the witches tell Macbeth of his power and near invincibility. In effect, Macbeth feels much more powerful, and is reassured when doing dangerous deeds.