Essay Database

Fair is Foul and Foul is Fair in Macbeth The quote from the three witches, "Fair is foul and foul is fair," echoes throughout the story, and is the backbone of the many 'switches' that occur between and amongst the characters and their positions. Macbeth's opening line reinforces this theme with, "So foul and fair a day I have not yet seen." He describes the day as foul after having to brutally slay so many …

…murdered in cold blood. Macbeth gains from this foul act the fair position of kingship, which, of course, is met with tragedy at the play's end. Shakespeare has taken the structure of Tragedy and imbedded it's shadow into almost every part of the play. Along with the central rise and fall, there are many switches and unexpected turns of good and bad convincing the reader by the play's end that the witches are right indeed.