Fair Is Foul and Foul Is Fair Essay Sample

Fair Is Foul and Foul Is Fair Essay Sample Fair Is Foul and Foul Is Fair Essay Theme The theme of ‘Fair is foul and foul is fair’ in Macbeth is one of the most important themes that is prevalent throughout the play. This expression reminds the audience that they have to look for inner details to interpret the motives of actions and the thoughts of the characters. For the first time these words are uttered by witches in the twelfth line of Act I, Scene I. The witches chant this phrase as: ‘Fair is foul and fouls is fair: Hover through the fog and filthy air’ (Macbeth Act I- Scene I, 12-13) before they disappear and it becomes a prophecy. This phrase continues to appear throughout the play together with themes of deception and evil doing. The Shakespeare conveys the theme to make the audience understand that what used to be good may become bad, and what seems to be bad may become good. Meaning ‘Fair is foul and foul is fair‘ meaning is completely clear from the very beginning of the play. It actually means that you cannot judge someone by appearance and that events, things, and people differ from what they seem to be. Besides, these words also suggest the idea that there is always difference between the way something looks and the reality so the real world is a place where you cannot feel safe and trust anyone. The best example of this theme is Macbeth himself. At first, King Duncan believes that Macbeth is a loyal servant but eventually Macbeth betrays and murders him to steal his throne. Literary analysis We hear this expression in the opening scene when witches want to trap Macbeth by predicting his future in a wrong way in order to cause a confusion, uncertainty or disorder. Later, Macbeth uses this phrase. He says: ‘So fair and foul a day I have not seen.’ He wins the war so he thinks that the day is really fair but at the same time the day is foul because he lost many friends and the weather is bad and stormy. As the play goes on, the phrase is repeated in different situations in various meanings. For witches who are ugly creatures, this expression means that what is commonly beautiful for a man is ugly for them, and what is commonly ugly to a man is beautiful to them. Throughout the play, beautiful, fair appearances hide ugly foul realities. These words characterize Macbeth too because he starts to do everything that he previously considered to be bad and foul. This theme refers to different characters in the play, but mainly it refers to Macbeth when he asks whether the prophecies of witches for his future are foul or fair (line 130 of Act I, Scene III). When Lady Macbeth first appears, she is presented as a foul and evil character who will do everything to get what she wants no matter whatever it takes. But after murdering Duncan and becoming a queen, she is driven mad by it. Lady Macbeth cannot live with the guilt. Speaking about her, we have to admit that what was once foul, eventually becomes fair. Literary devices The phrase ‘Fair is foul and foul is fair’ contains such literary devices: Symbolism: The ugly witches are symbols of foul but their advice is fair and Macbeth looks like a hero but in reality, he is a villain and murderer. Paradox: The phrase means that prophecies of witches would make him great but eventually, they would destroy him instead. Consonance: The playwright uses consonance ‘f’: fair, foul, foul, fair. Shakespeare develops the motif ‘fair is foul and foul is fair’, using the collective effects of the plot, characters, and imagery.