Fair Is Foul And Foul Is Fair Analysis

Through the use of many literary techniques and themes, Shakespeare uses symbolism to create an unsettling environment, which then further links to the context of the time the play was written in.

The play is introduced to the audience with three witches and an ominous environment. This use of pathetic fallacy set the context to create imagery that builds up in the unsettling environment and engages the audience as this is an unexpected and frightening opening and therefore, it engrosses them as it anticipates the evil that’s coming.

Macbeth was written in 1606, a time period during which people believed in witchcraft. As a consequence, Shakespeare emphasizes on this belief. The use of parallelism “Fair is foul, and foul is fair” suggests an idea that the witches want to alter the good and bad. Furthermore, it implies that anything that is fair is always foul and vice versa. The witches correspond to the symbol of darkness, which additionally creates an unsettling environment as they were assumed to initiate thunder and lightning, control the winds and foretell three prophecies. Firstly, that Macbeth will be named the Thane of Cawdor and will then become king. Also, that Banquo's heirs shall become kings and finally that no man born of woman shall be able to kill Macbeth.
This implies the link between Macbeth and darkness. And the fact that he had spoken these words without encountering the witches suggests that the witches have cast supernatural powers over him. The audience deduces this as an adversity and Macbeth’s words deliberately make them think that the day is going to be eventful as something bad will take place and that the witches will cause