Macbeth †The Central Themes of the Play Essay

The central themes of the play be highlighted by the sinister statement made by the witches at the truly beginning of the play,Fair is perish, and destructive is gracefulHover through the bedim and filthy air.The whole tone for the play is set as it is a drama about contradictory forces and ideas light and darkness ripe(p) and poisonous holy and unholy loyalty and disloyalty trust and mistrust what is natural and moved(p) honesty and deception. The witches mention of Macbeth is significant because he is immediately associated with malefic.Duncan decides to appoint Macbeth as the next Thane of Cawdor as the previous one was a traitor, he says, No more that Thane of Cawdor shall deceiveOur bosom interest. Go pronounce his founder death,And with his designer title greet Macbeth.This is ironic as Macbeth has inherited the title of a traitor and the title leads to Duncans killing and ultimately Macbeths downfall. This is in like manner a impinging to the fair is stinky stat ement as Macbeth seems fair, noble and a technical servant for the king only if in the end he kills Duncan and is offense. Macbeth has the capacitance to kill for both best and devilish. Duncan realises that he cant decide people by their appearances and that they can be deceptive, Theres no artTo find the minds construction in the faceThis is ironic as he about to make the same mistake with the next Thane of Cawdor, the feature that people can be deceptive is reflected by fair is foul as people argonnt al musical modes what they seem. When Macbeth realises that one of the witches prophesies has come squ be(a) Banquo says, What Can the call on the carpet speak true?This is saying that the witches are the devil and evil but they submit spoken the truth which is not expected, this mixes nifty and evil referring fanny to fair is foul and one of the themes this statement explores. Macbeth is withal immediately liked with evil as he call upes the witches, So foul and fair a day I have not seen.The witches have established their deliberate evil and their powerful presence in the play, Macbeth has become their victim, we can see this where he says Upon the blasted heath you stop our wayWith such(prenominal) prophetic greeting? Speak, I charge you.This shows that Macbeth is drawn into what they are saying and also indicates the witches power over him as they just vanish. Macbeths echo links him with the themes that these words explore, he uses ironic lines such as,Win us with honest trifles, to betraysIn deepest consequence.Macbeth is now liked with the themes such as honesty, betrayal and loyalty all explored by the fair is foul, and foul is fair statement, Macbeth is gradually being drawn more and more towards evil by his own weaknesses. Macbeth and Lady Macbeth share a really sloshed relationship which is based around trust and honesty. Macbeth is ambitious and Lady Macbeth is hard to help him achieve his ambition, All that impedes thee from the golden round,Which fate and metaphysical upkeep doth seemTo have thee crownd withal.This is ironic as although the riches and power seems very attractive to them once they get it the trust, honesty and impropriety they had is lost, this once links back to the fair is foul theme. Lady Macbeth also tells Macbeth to be deceitful and disguise the truth, Look at the time, bear accept in your eye,Your hand, your toungue look like the innocent flowerBut be the serpent undert.This shows that Macbeth looks innocent and fair but inside he is evil and foul. Duncan ironically p tramps Macbeths castle as pleasant and welcoming, This castle hath a pleasant seat the airNimbly and sweetly recommends itselfUnto our gentle senses.This shows that fair is foul as the castle looks pleasant from the outside but is evil within and is where Duncan is to be murdered. Duncan also praises Lady Macbeth as the noble, welcoming air hostess she is deceptive and puts on the false face of rectitude to Duncan w hen really she is proviso his murder, she says, Your majesty loads our house for those of old,and the late dignities heapd up to them,Macbeths ambition overpowers his conscience and morality with the help of Lady Macbeth and he commits the murder. at once they find out thatDuncan has been murdered Macbeth again plays innocent and is not genuine, for example, You are, and do not knowtThe spring, the head, the fountain of your bloodIs stoppd the very source of it is stoppd.Macbeth conceals what he knows and pretends to be horrified by the murder in contrast to Macduff who is genuine, Macbeths language is over elaborate. The theme of natural and violent is created end-to-end the play, for example when the Old Man says, T is unnatural,Even like the title thats done. On Tuesday last,A falcon, towering in her pride of place,Was by a mousing owl hawked at, and killed.This means that nature has changed and become strange and unnatural and reflects the murder and unnaturalness of Duncan s death. Macbeth holds a Banquet at which Banquo is supposed to be present but Macbeth has murdered him, this shows that fair is foul as everything seems normal but it is not and the ghost of Banquo turns up to haunt Macbeth. When Macbeth goes to visit the witches again they are cunning and employ equivocation, juggling with words to disguise the truth and sedate Macbeth into a false sense of security. This is shown where they say, The power of man, for none of woman born(p)Shall harm Macbeth.This is making Macbeth feel safe without them lying as Macduff was fire from his mother when she was dead, the witches are deceiving him showing that foul is fair. When Macduff goes to ask Malcom to raise an army to fight Macbeth and bring order back to Scotland Malcom accuses himself of being evil and foul. He is cautious to make sure Macduff is not trying to leur him back to Macbeth, he says, To make me hunger more, that I should forgeQuarrels unjust against the good and loyal,Destroying t hem for wealth.Malcom is appearing foul but is fair in contrast to Macbeth, Malcom believes in Maduffs integrity and decided to help him. Malcom also says, The night is long that never find the day.This means that every black, evil night comes to a good day, foul is fair. The contrasts become moral contrasts and Macbeth has lost everything, eventually goodness overpowers evil.