“Fair is foul, and foul is fair.” (I. 1. 11). This is one of the most infamous quotes in history. It is from Shakespeare’s play Macbeth. It represents a common theme throughout the play that everything is not always as it seems. Good is bad, and bad is good. You cannot have or recognize one without the other. This is where foil characters come in to play. Malcolm serves as a foil character for Macbeth, and their contrasts help to represent the theme that everything is not always as it seems through their opposing character development throughout the play.
The first way in which Malcolm and Macbeth contrast each other is in intelligence. This is evident after Duncan’s body is found. Malcolm feels his life is in danger. He says to Donalbain
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After Malcolm’s father is murdered, most people assumed that Macolm and Donalbain were guilty because “They were suborn’d:/ Malcolm and Donalbain, the King’s two sons,/ Are stol’n away and fled, which puts upon them/ Suspicion of the deed.” (II. 4. 31-34). Most people did not suspect Macbeth of the murder initially and assumed he was innocent. However, the audience knows that Malcolm is innocent, despite his assumed guilt, and Macbeth is guilty, despite his assumed innocence. Other characters eventually realize this like when Lennox sarcastically said “What pious rage, the two delinquents tear,/ that were the slaves of drink and thralls of sleep?/ Was that not nobly done?” (III. 6. 12-14) about how convenient it was the Macbeth killed Duncan’s murders. This opposing character development is a direct reflection of the theme “fair is foul, and foul is …show more content…
Malcolm lies to Macduff about being a bad person and telling him “It is myself I mean, in whom I know/ All the particulars of vice so grafted/ That, when they shall be open’d, black Macbeth/ Will seem as pure as snow,” (IV. 3. 57-60) to seem more relatable and trustworthy to Macduff. He does this to get Macduff to help overthrow Macbeth, so Malcolm can become king. On the other hand, Macbeth does the opposite and lies about being a good person to earn trust and loyalty as king. After Duncan’s body is discovered, he kills the guards that were framed for the murder before they could be questioned. He does this to cover his tracks but when asked why he blames it on “Th’ expedition of my violent love/ Outrun the pauser, reason. ” (II. 3. 89-90) to make it sound like he was avenging Duncan. This shows the deception in the theme that everything is not as it
This leads him to raise an army,and go fight Macbeth. Malcolm may have committed treason and abandoned the throne in a time of need, many people may view this as treason, and yes it was, but, this does not make him a bad person. He chose life over death at the expense that he would have to leave the throne so that he could be safe. This is treason against the throne because he fled to England but, if you were Malcolm and knew whatever he knew at the time would you have stayed. Malcolm showed courage returning to Scotland even though he could be potentially killed at any time with the intentions to retake what was formerly supposed to be his.
They believe this because Malcolm was the rightful heir of the throne. However, after Malcolm and Donalbain leave, it is believed that they fled out of fear and that they killed the king. To Macbeth’s advantage, he continues this false idea and leads them on: ”We hear our bloody cousins are bestowed/ In England and in Ireland, not confessing/ Their cruel parricide” (3.1.29-31).
We can infer that Malcolm would be a good king because he is like his father in many ways. He is a loyal trustworthy person this is shown when he performs the loyalty test. Malcolm proves that he will be loyal to Scotland because he joins Macduff and they have an army to combat Macbeth and take back Scotland. "Macduff, this noble passion- proof of your integrity - has wiped all black suspicions from my soul and satisfied my mind as to your truth and honor"What Malcolm says above proved that he would be a good king because unlike Macbeth he is looking to work with people who have integrity and this shows that he truly cares. While in comparison Macbeth just wanted to be king to say he was king and get what he wants.
Macbeth Foils A foil character contrasts another important character in a story, highlighting their traits, behaviors and individual psyches. This concept is clearly in Macbeth by William Shakespeare. In this play Duncan, Banquo, and Malcome function as foils to Macbeth. In the beginning of the play, Duncan is a foil to Macbeth.
In the beginning of the play, Malcolm receives the news that his father, King Duncan, has been murdered. In response to this, Malcolm says,“What will you do? Let’s not consort with them:/ To show an unfelt sorrow is an office/ Which false man does easy. I’ll to/ England” (2.3.131-134). When talking to Donalbain, Malcolm reveals that he is skeptical of the honesty of Macbeth and Lady Macbeth, since it is very easy to fake sorrow.
However, since Macbeth is king of all the land opposing him would be treason. Yet Malcolm continues with his plan and forms an army that goes to attack Macbeth. Macduff ends up killing Macbeth himself. Moreover, Malcolm takes the throne for himself. Power and authority shifts once again.
Even if he was pressured into killing Duncan he did it anyway. After he has committed the murder of Duncan, Macbeth is plagued by guilt and remorse. This suggests that he recognizes the gravity of his actions and is
Macbeth’s thoroughly corrupt actions in the play force Malcolm and Donalbain, and Fleance to flee Scotland. Malcolm and Donalbain both flee Scotland after their father, King Duncan, is murdered. Malcolm flees to England and Donalbain flees to Ireland, because they do not feel like they are safe in Scotland anymore. Shakespeare writes, “there’s daggers in men’s smiles; the near in blood, the nearer bloody” (II.iv.135-136). Malcolm and Donalbain feel that they cannot trust anyone in the castle because someone in the castle is guilty.
(4.3.67-69) Expressing this to Malcolm shows a sense of his ethics, knowing his right from wrong, declaring Macbeth as more “evil” than “a devil.” Subsequently, after hearing of his family’s murders, Malcolm says “Be this whetstone of your sword. Let grief/Convert to anger. Blunt not the heart; enrage it. ”
While Macbeth is contemplating whether or not to kill Duncan, he thinks about the consequence that will come afterward by stating: “his [Duncan’s] virtues / Will plead like angels, trumpet-tongued, against / The deep damnation of his taking-off” (1.7.18-20). This simile compares the the begging of his goodness to the angels’ compelling speech against all the wrongs that have been done to him. Even though Macbeth eventually is going to kill Duncan, he admits that Duncan is a virtuous king. In his head, he is rationalizing Duncan’s death by stating that Duncan’s good deeds will compensate bloody way of dying. Because Macbeth is still sane, he realizes that killing is not justifiable.
After Macbeth, Malcolm is named the new king of Scotland. He is now in charge to help rebuild Scotland after Macbeth destroyed it. People are still going crazy thinking that they will be hurt and others are fleeing the country. Malcolm has to show that everything is safe and that he will change it all. Malcolm has to be like his Father Duncan and be the king that everyone trusted and loved.
Macbeth is a tyrant during his rule, manipulating the minds of the people and using murders to clear out anyone that stood in his way, so that he can stay in power. Malcolm worries about the state of Scotland as he exclaims, “I think our country sinks beneath the yoke./ It weeps, it bleeds, and each new day a gash/ Is added to her wounds. I think withal…” (Shakespeare 4.3.49-51). Malcolm notices the true state of Scotland under the rule of Macbeth, as he has forcefully gained his
If people are too careful with their trust, paranoia will make good people look bad. Malcolm, the Prince of Cumberland in Macbeth, runs away to England after hearing of his father’s death. This action sparks distrust towards them as Macduff says “Malcolm and Donalbain, the king’s two sons,/Are stol’n away and fled, which puts upon them/ Suspicion of the deed” (2.4.25-27). Later on, it is learned that Malcolm has found help in England to overthrow Macbeth. In fact, after testing Macduff’s loyalty to Scotland, the audience knows that Malcolm hasn’t even lied before as he states “No less in truth than life.
Even after listing all of the reasons why not to kill Duncan and coming to the conclusion that it is only ambition driving him, he still quickly succumbs to Lady Macbeth’s
Lennox, Ross, Mentieth, Simward and the nobles are foils because they are forces that worked and conspired against him. Even Lady Macbeth and Lady Macduff oppose and present foils because of Lady Macbeth’s actions, although the same as Macbeth, happen at different times in the play and Lady Macduff being a nurturing and kindhearted woman directly opposes Macbeth while also opposing Lady Macbeth acting as a foil to her as well. Virtually anyone or anything that opposed Macbeth in anyway served as a foil in this