The paradox, ‘’fair is foul and foul is fair’’ appears as a rhyming couplet at the end of Act 1, it also acts as a double entendre, as it can be perceived as that the witches are describing themselves, their appearances our foul, though their prophecies are appealing and hence, fair for Macbeth. However, the quote can also be depicted as the ongoing motif of the whole text, that nothing is what it seems, this is shown through Macbeth and Lady Macbeth’s actions. Lady Macbeth is portrayed by her peers as a ‘’gentle lady’’, however, when she is with Macbeth, her true personality arises, clearly detailing that she is the mastermind behind Macbeth’s relentless killings. As to Macbeth, he is portrayed as a highly regarded, honourable, noble soldier, but due to many variables he ends his life as a coward, corrupt by power and misleading conspiracies. The paradox of ‘’fair is foul and foul is fair’’ is evident within the theme of good and evil in relation to the witches.
Like a foul for one can be fair for the other. It is a paradox that signifies that there is no significant of good and bad things as their role can be reversed. This quote is predicting the evil that will cloud Macbeth’s judgements. 2. What is the significance of Shakespeare beginning the play with the witches?
2) Explain the meaning of the witches line “fair is foul, and foul is fair” (Act 1, scene 1, line 11) * The line ‘fair is foul and foul is fair’ is an exploitment of opposites. It’s difficult to understand and could mean a few different things. The witches are referring to their appearance in this quote as they’re foul looking and believe they’ll become fair (good-looking) after the battle. 3) What conclusions can we make about Macbeth from the descriptions we have of him in Act 1, scene ii? Find examples from the text.
In Shakespeare’s Macbeth, light and dark play a big role in the dualities of the characters, the setting and the imagery throughout the play. Macbeth begins with three witches talking about when to meet again. These witches are evil by nature and represent evil throughout the book. The head of these witches states in her first line, “When shall we three meet again? In thunder, lighting or in rain?” (I. i.
It is a depiction of a noble, along with his wife, who brutally slaughters a King and his kinsman so that he may be the King (Shakespeare xiii). Even after killing the king though, Macbeth realizes that his dynasty will be short. So he tells people to murder his successors. My belief that Macbeth is an example of self-fulfilling prophecy stems from the early foreshadowing in the play. “By Sinel’s death I know I am Thane of Glamis./ But how of Cawdor?
When this is juxtaposed with Ophelia’s legitimate insanity, it becomes clear that Hamlet is still performing. Ophelia speaks cryptically in Act 4, using metaphors and imagery of nature. Her use of rhyme and poetry also adds to the audiences understanding of true madness. Hamlet’s performance turns to reality directly after he murders Polonius in cold-blood. If Hamlet were sane he would have shown an emotional reaction.
The remark made by Banquo and the title of Hecate states that Shakespeare intends to use repulsive-looking women, mistakenly having beards, to render that women are predominately evil. Instead of using evil wizards with even longer beards, Shakespeare omits the fact that men are generally the cause of hostility because of their aggression. The witches’ supernatural powers give them a higher, more dangerous rank than men because they control the fate of the characters and their prophecies come true. They meet up with Macbeth hailing him, “Thane of Glamis” then “Thane of Cawdor” and “… shalt be king hereafter” (I. iii. 46-48).
In The Tragedy of Macbeth, guilt plays an immense role in the lives of Macbeth and his Queen; guilt is the single attribute that pushes them to the edge and tests their sanity. William Shakespeare uses vivid imagery to accentuate the guilt that Macbeth and his Queen
The Tragic Demise of Hamlet A tragedy is an austere drama with an unpleasant outcome. Every Shakespearean tragedy results in the demise of the protagonist. In the tragedy Hamlet, by William Shakespeare, Hamlet’s personality traits and decisions ultimately cause his own, tragic decease. Shakespeare illustrates that Hamlet’s actions of procrastination are the main cause of his death. The personality traits of insanity and intellectuality also contribute greatly to the death of Hamlet.
A powerful ambition for power caused him to make sinister decisions that created for him only despair, guilt, and madness. At the end of the play he was no longer honourable and, instead, a tyrant. Meanwhile Faustus loses his entire academic prowess and ultimately is pulled into hell by the choices he made to go against God, his conscience and Nature. Macbeth has an immediate consequence of his actions and that is his death in the plays final scene. Throughout the course of the play we see how he changes from ‘Valour’s minion’ to his death and a ‘Butcher’.