MACBETH
William Shakespeare
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Themes
Fair is Foul:
“Fair is foul, and foul is fair” (1:1:12)
Paradox that recurs throughout the play
Everything is not always what it seems - sometimes the things that we think are beautiful and
good, are evil in reality.
This immediately with King Duncan finding out that the Thane of Cawdor, has betrayed him. He
loved and trusted him, but he turned out to be a traitor (1:2). Duncan unknowingly put his faith
in a foul traitor.
Macbeth’s fairness is made clear early in the play:
● Great warrior
● Duncan calls him a “worthy gentleman”
This is the last time that he could’ve been seen as this, because in exchange for Duncan’s
gratitude and his new title, Thane of Cawdor, Macbeth’s “fair” turns “foul” when he kills
Duncan.
,Macbeth’s “foulness”:
● Far too interested in witches’ prophecies
● Allows Lady Macbeth to persuade him easily, to kill Duncan
● When he starts to doubt his actions, he once again easily falls victim to LAdy Macbeth’s
persuasion
● After the murder, he does not feel guilt or remorse
● Becomes cold-blooded killer
Macbeth becomes completely consumed by the “foulness”. He loses his grip on reality and
becomes mad. He believes their prophecy is “fair” and that he cannot be harmed, because there
can be no man who is not born of a woman, and Birnam Wood cannot move.
Lady Macbeth is “fair” on the outside”, but “foul” from within.
Her greatness / “fairness”:
● Beautiful
● Strong in character
● Socially graceful
● Charming (Duncan give her a diamond)
Yet we see her “foulness” from the start:
● Immediate evil reaction when reading Macbeth’s letter about predictions
● Corrupt “milk of human kindness” in Macbeth
● Manipulates Macbeth by using his hove for her
● When Macbeth does not want to kill the king, because of the sense of morality that he
then still had, she accuses him of being a coward
, Evil:
Witches establish first image of evil:
● Storm
● Chant
● Evil plan to punish woman who would not give her chestnuts to one of the witchs
Foreshadowing of evil that is about to come
Macbeth’s descent into evil:
At first he seems to be a great, brave warrior but this soon changes.
“Black and desires” comes forward when Duncan names Malcolm as heir to the throne.
Ambition is his fatal flaw!
● Unleashed by prophecies
● Makes him open to persuasion form his wife
● Goes from loyal subject and “worthy gentleman” of the king to murdering him
After murder of Duncan. Macbeth’s evil just continues to grow
● Goes from being tortured by the guilt of this murder to being a cold-blooded killer with
no moral compass left
● Murders innocent woman and her children out of spite
● Shows no emotion with the receiving of the news of his wife’s death
The evil within Lady Macbeth:
“Fiendlike Queen”
● Fiend - hellish spirit filled with demonic energy
● She has a complete lack of moral conscience
● Fierce energy in her determination to destroy any goodness in Macbeth
William Shakespeare
___
Themes
Fair is Foul:
“Fair is foul, and foul is fair” (1:1:12)
Paradox that recurs throughout the play
Everything is not always what it seems - sometimes the things that we think are beautiful and
good, are evil in reality.
This immediately with King Duncan finding out that the Thane of Cawdor, has betrayed him. He
loved and trusted him, but he turned out to be a traitor (1:2). Duncan unknowingly put his faith
in a foul traitor.
Macbeth’s fairness is made clear early in the play:
● Great warrior
● Duncan calls him a “worthy gentleman”
This is the last time that he could’ve been seen as this, because in exchange for Duncan’s
gratitude and his new title, Thane of Cawdor, Macbeth’s “fair” turns “foul” when he kills
Duncan.
,Macbeth’s “foulness”:
● Far too interested in witches’ prophecies
● Allows Lady Macbeth to persuade him easily, to kill Duncan
● When he starts to doubt his actions, he once again easily falls victim to LAdy Macbeth’s
persuasion
● After the murder, he does not feel guilt or remorse
● Becomes cold-blooded killer
Macbeth becomes completely consumed by the “foulness”. He loses his grip on reality and
becomes mad. He believes their prophecy is “fair” and that he cannot be harmed, because there
can be no man who is not born of a woman, and Birnam Wood cannot move.
Lady Macbeth is “fair” on the outside”, but “foul” from within.
Her greatness / “fairness”:
● Beautiful
● Strong in character
● Socially graceful
● Charming (Duncan give her a diamond)
Yet we see her “foulness” from the start:
● Immediate evil reaction when reading Macbeth’s letter about predictions
● Corrupt “milk of human kindness” in Macbeth
● Manipulates Macbeth by using his hove for her
● When Macbeth does not want to kill the king, because of the sense of morality that he
then still had, she accuses him of being a coward
, Evil:
Witches establish first image of evil:
● Storm
● Chant
● Evil plan to punish woman who would not give her chestnuts to one of the witchs
Foreshadowing of evil that is about to come
Macbeth’s descent into evil:
At first he seems to be a great, brave warrior but this soon changes.
“Black and desires” comes forward when Duncan names Malcolm as heir to the throne.
Ambition is his fatal flaw!
● Unleashed by prophecies
● Makes him open to persuasion form his wife
● Goes from loyal subject and “worthy gentleman” of the king to murdering him
After murder of Duncan. Macbeth’s evil just continues to grow
● Goes from being tortured by the guilt of this murder to being a cold-blooded killer with
no moral compass left
● Murders innocent woman and her children out of spite
● Shows no emotion with the receiving of the news of his wife’s death
The evil within Lady Macbeth:
“Fiendlike Queen”
● Fiend - hellish spirit filled with demonic energy
● She has a complete lack of moral conscience
● Fierce energy in her determination to destroy any goodness in Macbeth
