Macbeth: "Fair is foul and foul is fair"

"Appearance vs reality"

Optical Illusions

Importance in Macbeth:

• Gives the story depth
• Audience becomes aware that nothing is what it may seem
• Characters are misled for what they think is real, but in reality they make an error in judgement.
• All of the conflicts in Macbeth are created and brought forth using this theme.

Retake

Characters

The three witches

King Duncan

Macbeth

Lady Macbeth

Macduff

Acts

Act 1:

Main Points

• The theme is first introduced by the three witches
• Kind Duncan is aware that others fool him by appearance ( Thane of Cawdor), but is still foolish to believe Macbeth.
• Lady Macbeth proves to be mischievous, as she portrays this theme perfectly.
• Macbeth uses the theme in order to gain the respect of others.

King Duncan:
"And [Macbeth's] great love (sharp as his spur) hath helped him to his home before us." (I, VI, 28-30)

Act 2

Key Criteria

• Banquo suspects Macbeth of wanting to kill the king, but keeps it to himself
• Macbeth has a dagger hallucination
• Lady Macbeth reveals her weakness
• King Duncan is murdered, and Lady Macbeth and Macbeth try to hide their deeds

Old Man:
"God's bension go with you, and with those/ That would ,ale good of bad, and friends of foes.
(2.4.40-41)

Act 3

Main Points

• Banquo suspects Macbeth of Duncan's murder
• Banquo is killed
• Macbeth sees a hallucination of Banquo
• Hecate and the witches plan to deceive Macbeth

"Thou canst not say I did it: never shake"/"Thy Glory locks at me." (III, IV, 61-62)

Act 4

Key Criteria

• Hacate and the witches deceive Macbeth
• Macbeth believes he cannot be killed; he is fooled by the witches.
• Macduff is seemed as a traitor.
• Malcolm and Macduff test each others loyalties.

Lady Macduff:
"I AM IN THIS EARTHLY WORLD, WHERE TO DO HARM / IS OFTEN LAUDABLE, TO DO GOOD SOMETIME /ACCOUNTED DANGEROUS FOLLY." (IV, II, 83-85)

Act 5

Main Points

• The doctor becomes suspicious of Lady Macbeth, whose conscience has gotten to her.
• Malcolm's army misleads Macbeth.
• Lady Macbeth kills herself.
• Macbeth learns that the witches fooled him.

Macbeth:
"And be these juggling fiends no more believed that palter with us in a double sense, that keep the word of promise in our ear and brake it to our hope." (V, VII, 23-25)

Symbols

bloody crown

bloody dagger

witches hat

Serpent under a Flower