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Good versus evil in literature
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In this essay I will look at the ways that Shakespeare has contrasted evil with good in his play Macbeth. The play revolves around the bad and wicked qualities in human nature, but Shakespeare also contrasts this evil with the power of good. This contrast between good and evil is a recurring theme throughout Macbeth.
These contradictions start in the very beginning of the play, with the witches. In Act one, Scene one, line 12, the witches say, “Fair is foul and foul is fair.” This is interesting as they are suggesting good and evil as being one. The witches’ line reflects on human nature as there are fair and foul aspects to everyone. Shakespeare wanted to get this message across as the main character, Macbeth, is a prime example of the struggle between good and bad within one person.
This opening scene is set in a battle field. The scary thunder and lightening is an example of pathetic fallacy; the weather reflects the aggressive atmosphere and vicious characters. An evil atmosphere is established and the witches, too, are instantly established as evil.
The witches speak in rhyming couplets which sound like they are casting a spell. This shows the audience that these characters are to be feared as they are not natural beings.
The second witch says in line 4, “When the battle’s lost, and won.” This is another contradiction from the witches. It shows that there are always two sides to every story, for example, in a battle, one side will win and one side will lose. I think this shows that the witches are untrustworthy because they never give a direct answer. This means that they will never tell a lie but what they say may be interpreted to mean something else.
In line 8, the witches mention that they will “meet with Macbeth”. ...
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...f humanity and compassion, unlike Macbeth.
When he hears of Lady Macbeth’s death from his servant, Seyton, Macbeth is less than indifferent. He feels no grief, just inconvenience, “she should have died hereafter.”
His reaction shows that he has lost all kindness. Macbeth is now so self-centred that he has no emotion to spare.
Shakespeare used many comparisons between good and bad in Macbeth. Good and evil are as direct a contrast as black and white; I think that by juxtaposing the bad with the opposing good, Shakespeare made the bad seem even worse and even more extreme. This is because the audience are able to see the evil and good emotions taking place and can see the direct contrast themselves.
Even though this play is focused on the evil in human nature and portrays human nature at its worst, the audience is left with some hope of good triumphing over evil.
The play starts out immediately with and example of this. Three witches are the first characters that appear on stage. They are conversing of when they will meet again to discuss some important information that will occur later in the story. At the end of this first scene, the three witches vanish into the wind.
In the early 1600’s, William Shakespeare penned an Aristotelian tragedy ‘Macbeth’ which provides his audiences both then and now with many valuable insights and perceptions into human nature. Shakespeare achieves this by cleverly employing many dramatic devices and themes within the character of ‘Macbeth’. Macbeth is depicted as an anti-hero; a noble protagonist with a tragic flaw that leads to his downfall. This tragic flaw of Macbeth’s, heavily laden with the themes of ‘fate or free will’, and ‘ambition’, is brought out by Shakespeare in his writing to present us with a character whose actions and final demise are, if not laudable, very recognisable as human failings.
Fair is foul, and foul is fair, a phrase that has become synonym with Macbeth. It is also the introduction to one of the most important themes of this tragedy: appearance and reality. Shakespeare uses various characters and situations to emphasize this confusion between the real and the surreal, the authentic and the fake, the act and the sincere. In order to discuss this theme, different characters will be looked at : in the first paragraph, the Witches, in the second, Duncan and in the third, Lady Macbeth.
In the story of Macbeth the first three characters to enter are the three witches. They are perceived to have beards and have the ability to shapeshift into animals, specifically rats without tails. They can be thought of as demonic figures from the underworld, or elements of the malicious supernatural. When the three witches are introduced into the story the first words said were “when shall we three meet again? In thunder, lightning, or in rain?” (47). They were also thought the have been able to control the winds and weather. Like demons from the underworld. Throughout the story the three witches seem to stalk around the characters and leech into their minds like nightmares or bad thoughts. Also, whenever they speak they seem to all speak together in horrific tones and rhyme all of their words; like they are conjoined together. Throughout the story the three witches deliver an abundance of quotes that not only help develop themselves, but do introduce and develop other characters.
Good vs. Evil in Macbeth The good characters in Macbeth are less interesting than the evil ones. Everybody has an evil seed planted in them. Only the really evil person acts on them and commits something morally wrong. Like a Macbeth. When Macbeth first received the prophecies, he actually considered them.
The three witches essentially lay out the foundation of the plot of the play in the prophecy that they present to Macbeth. Before their meeting with him, they already know how the Scottish civil war is progressing and how it will conclude. Becau...
Witches being portrayed deceitful and speak in paradox, they have deceived Macbeth with prophecies, “fair is foul and foul is
shows the witches are ones who believe in evil spirits, as most witches are portrayed as.
Raphael Holinshed’s Chronicles of England, Scotland, and Ireland inspires the well-known playwright of the 16th and 17th centuries, William Shakespeare to construct the masterpiece, The Tragedy of Macbeth. He presents ideas and subjects pleasing to King James I of England at Hampton Court. Shakespeare uses blank verse in this play to tell the story of a tragic hero who suffers a great downfall after the three witches prophesy him to become king. The witch’s deception with their lines “fair is foul and foul is fair” introduces confusion to play goers from the beginning (I.1.12). Throughout the acts the distinction between façade and truth becomes less clear. Shakespeare uses symbols in The Tragedy of Macbeth to portray the relationship between
Lines 25-26 indicate about the witches’ power that they are capable of creating many issues and can influence cruel acts.
They challenge Macbeth’s character over the course of the play by giving him three simple prophecies about his life. The witches cause the play’s theme to start as very dark and gloomy because of their prophecies to Macbeth. If
Shakespeare’s “Macbeth” explores a fundamental struggle of the human conscience. The reader is transported into the journey of a man who recognizes and acknowledges evil but still succumbs to its destructive powers. The character of Macbeth is shrouded in ambiguity that scholars have claimed as both being a tyrant and tragic hero. Macbeth’s inner turmoil and anxieties that burden him throughout the entire play evoke sympathy and pity in the reader. Though he has the characteristics of an irredeemable tyrant, Macbeth realizes his mistakes and knows there is no redemption for his sins. And that is indeed tragic.
The very first scene of the play introduces supernatural forces in the form of three witches, also known as The Weïrd Sisters. These three witches met Macbeth and Banquo near Forres, where they then proceeded to tell them, mainly Macbeth, a prophesied fate;
The first scene of the play is very short but gives us a good impression on the play. Instead of Shakespeare starting the play showing Macbeth we firstly see the three weird looking witches who introduce us to a dark and evil story line. The opening line, ‘when shall we meet again in thunder lightening or rain’ It trys to draw our attention to witchcraft. In Shakespeare time witchcraft was a great enemy and everyone became captivated by these suspicious witches. In Shakespeare time there was such thing as a ‘witch hunt’ when many people were accused of being witches, the witches were stereo typed as being dark, evil, powers, dress in black and can make things float. In Shakespeare time if you were assumed of being a witch you would be tied up tightly and thrown into the river. If you sunk then you were innocent and if you floated you were a witch. In witches soliloquy there use of language and thinking aloud shows us the witches are bad but powerful.
The witches are perhaps the most important supernatural characters in all of Macbeth. They represent Macbeth’s evil ambitions of evil, greed, and devilish scheming. They first appear in scene one, foreshadowing Macbeth’s future superiority of Scotland and his ultimate fate, “All hail, Macbeth! Hail to you, thane of Glamis! All hail, Macbeth! Hail to you, thane of Cawdor! All hail, Macbeth, the future king!” (Act 1, Sc. 2, 3). A...