According to Shakespeare, as presented in Act 1 of Macbeth, within us all, lies good and evil.
Chunk 1 = Evidence + Commentary
In Scene 1, the playwright begins the play with a message to the readers that "fair is foul and foul in fair," resulting in paradox, creating a pair of contradictory terms.
- Spoken by the witches, who were considered an evil omen to this captivated audience, this line would have been a signal to the audience, who would not be surprised to note such wording from these creatures. Thus, Shakespeare, also sets the tone for the play, as he reminds his audience that the witches message was for everyone there, also.
Chunk 2:
Then, in scene three, Macbeth, the main character within this drama, echoes this contrast with his own first lines: "So fair and foul a day I have not seen."
- These words sum up his mixed feelings about the battle he had just won and the lives that had been forfeited for this win. Again, Shakespeare reminds his audience that in all good situations and persons, evil, too, there resides. Thus, the audience immediately notes that within the character Macbeth must lie these opposite qualities.
Concluding Sentence:
Using this repeated phraseology, Shakespeare literally sits the scene for one of the lessons he wanted his audiences of that time and his readers of this time to learn.
