Sunday, June 21, 2015

Which quotes about deception can one find in the first and second scenes of Macbeth?

In scene 1, we encounter the witches who are planning to meet Macbeth on the heath later, before sunset, when all the fighting is over. In the last lines of the scene, they say the following:



Fair is foul, and foul is fair:
Hover through the fog and filthy air.



This seeming contradiction is an obvious indication of their purpose later. Their reference to 'foul' suggests something disgusting or evil, whilst 'fair' suggests goodness and something wholesome. They equate the two—the one is the other. They intend using deception to lead Macbeth into committing vile deeds whilst he believes they are good in the sense that he will benefit from them. Their deliberate use of such equivocal statements is what will eventually lead him to his doom.


In scene 2, King Duncan refers to the traitorous thane of Cawdor after his defeat and eventual arrest:



No more that thane of Cawdor shall deceive
Our bosom interest: go pronounce his present death,
And with his former title greet Macbeth.



The thane has deceived his king by probably feigning loyalty but actually plotting against him by assisting the traitor, Macdonwald, and Sweno, the Norwegian king. Duncan declares that Cawdor will nevermore have an opportunity to mislead him and thus thwart what is good for him, his countrymen, and the country itself. Now that he and the other two have been vanquished, to a great extent because of Macbeth's relentless pursuit and his courage, the king commands that he be executed and his title bestowed on Macbeth.


It is ironic that Duncan awards the traitor's title to Macbeth because it is this honour which actually provides Macbeth with an incentive to undertake his road to ruin. Furthermore, Cawdor's deception and betrayal foreshadow Macbeth's similar acts later, only with much more devastating outcomes.

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