0
Akiyo Posted 22 years ago
Vocabulary

"Foul is fair, Fair is foul"?

Hi. I was just wondering what is the deeper meaning of this? Does it mean, by doing something that is wrong or heinous that it's right in the end, and vise-versa?
Many thanks.
  

Top answer

My Shakespeare is not handy at the moment, but the general meaning as I recall is 'you can't judge a book by its cover'-- things that seem foul may be fair, and vice versa. Perhaps another commentator could elucidate.

— Mister Micawber

  • My Shakespeare is not handy at the moment, but the general meaning as I recall is 'you can't judge a book by its cover'-- things that seem foul may be fair, and vice versa.
  • Perhaps another commentator could elucidate.
Free · every Monday

Get the Weekly English Kit 📬

New words, one handy idiom, and a 2-minute quiz — delivered to your inbox to keep your streak alive.

66 Answers
0
My Shakespeare is not handy at the moment, but the general meaning as I recall is 'you can't judge a book by its cover'-- things that seem foul may be fair, and vice versa.

Perhaps another commentator could elucidate.
0
0
That seems fair enough.

The jingle appears in Act I sc.i, during ‘thunder and lightning’, so presumably refers firstly to the weather: which, though foul, the 3 Weird Sisters naturally find ‘fair’.

Then too it sums up the 3WS’ generally lamentable ethical stance: that ‘foul’ things are desirable, and ‘fair’ things not.

It also looks forward to the action of the pla
0
0
It also sets the general tone for the rest of the play - the confused, unnatural world that is created by the Macbeths.
0
0
I like 'the Macbeths', RJM: sounds like one of those 'neighbours from ****' documentaries.
0
0
Things are not what they first seem, is one interpretation. Extended throughout the play, like the forrest moving towards the castle.
0
0
I am studying Macbeth thouroghly L8ely, and I'm actually writing an exam on it tomorrow.
Im gonna ACEEmotion: wink

Neway, to me, "F
0
0
This quote is interesting to me because it is an oxymoron. Its impossible how fair can be foul when fair is equal or mild and foul is gross and rotten. Its significance is that the witches delight in the confusion of good and bad, beauty and ugliness. However, it could also be interpreted as that they are creatures of the night and the devil, they like whatever is "foul" and hate the "fair." So
0
0
see, you have the definition wrong. "fair" in this context means beautiful and lovely.
0
0
Umm - there are a few other possible interpretations. I agree that "fair" means "good", but I wouldn't necessarily limit it to the upper end of the beauty scale, nor to just physical beauty or in any single context. Here are two previously unmentioned (I think) interpretations of the many:

- Macbeth meets these three (foul looking and acting) crones who give him good (fair) news. Ar
0
0
0"fair is foul and foul is fair" may just be a way for shakespear to write how the witchs become more happy in the confusion of good and bad...... lol this is what im putting in ma essay.... lol! 05000 hope that helps!010id4
0

Related Questions