Paradox |
In this extract we see the line 'Fair is foul, and foul is fair'. Here it's not so obvious what Shakespeare is getting at. This is very complex and interesting - opposing ideas are put together and the actual meaning seems to be a paradox - how can something fair be foul, and something foul be fair?
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Explanation |
We know the witches are in the middle of a storm and perhaps they are saying that they like this; they are witches so they enjoy bad things and are on the side of evil. However, they could also be saying that what we think looks attractive (or 'fair') is actually bad (or 'foul'). In other words, our ambitions can be our downfall. Or they could be warning us of things to come in the play - Macbeth is tempted by their predictions and enters a confused, unnatural world, where he cannot trust what he sees and cannot bear what he is.
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