Write a page in which you reflect on the use of the
“Fair is foul, foul is fair” motif so far in the play. Trace its overt use but
also use it to reflect on the characters. For example, how does it affect your
view of Macbeth who is introduced as brave and noble? Publish to your blog
by 4 pm Tuesday next week.
In the play so far, “fair is foul, foul is fair” is a
motif seen throughout. This motif is first made clear when the three witches
chant, “fair is foul and foul is fair” after a meeting with Macbeth in scene 1
act 1. This motif is reflected through the three witches who feel that anything
that would usually be considered as “fair” is in fact “foul” and that anything
that would usually be considered as “foul” is in fact “fair”. The witches speak
in paradoxes and this motif is a good example of this.
The
motif is also reflected through the character Macbeth who is introduced as
brave and noble. Being brave and noble is considered to be a positive thing and
in this case could be considered as “fair.” As the play progresses, it becomes
evident that Macbeth is not in anyway “fair.” Through his ploy to kill the king
in order to obtain the crown, it becomes clear that on the inside, Macbeth is
truly “foul.” Things that appear to be fair may really be foul and things that
appear to be foul may really be fair. The roles are reversed and things are not
as they may appear at first glance.
Another
example of this motif in the story is in the balance of nature. What may appear
to be a good and fair day for Macbeth, such as after he has been crowned king,
starts a chain of events that are foul due to the imbalance of the natural
order.
