Eng 2d - Reversal of Moral Order in Macbeth

Bubbly Sweet

Mrs. Long

ENG2D

15 December 2009

Reversal of moral order in Macbeth

Macbeth is one of the plays Shakespeare has written with the most irony. Many would say that the way he uses it, is what made him very well known by philosophers and teachers today. Shakespeare uses irony to show the theme of "reversal of moral order". There are many examples of irony that prove this theme throughout the play.

In the beginning of the play when the setting was dark and mysterious Shakespeare has three witches come out and say "fair is foul and foul is fair" (Shakespeare Act one Scene one pg.9). The dramatic irony in this saying is later on in scene three Macbeth repeats these vary same words "So fair a day I had not seen." (Act one Scene three pg 23) to describe the weather in the same prospect of meaning as the witches had. He made his character Macbeth repeat the overall moral of the play at the start and then made him prove the significance towards the end.

Shakespeare uses many characters and scenes to support this theme one major character in Macbeth that shows the theme of "reversal of moral order" is Lady Macbeth. She takes more courage and passion for killing Duncan than Macbeth did. She asked the darkness to "unsex" her. When Macbeth had doubt and second thoughts about the murder of Duncan she said to him "I would...Have pluck'd my nipple from his boneless gums, And dash'd the brains out..." (Act one Scene seven) was referring to how she would have dealt with her child if she had to. That quote from the play shows us how even though she's a female she has more strength and determination to commit this crime than Macbeth does. The irony is when the time for the murder arrives she was not able to commit it, because her feminine qualities did not allow her to; it made her see the sleeping Duncan who resembled her father. Right after the murder she became reckless and started sleep walking; her feminine qualities had only been gone temporarily and were returning.

The witches at the beginning had told Macbeth that he was to be the thane of Glamis, thane of Cawdor and king of here after. Then towards Act four Scene one Shakespeare uses Macbeth to show us the irony and theme when he gets caught up with his ambition to make those prophesies true and starts to become insane and paranoid. He marches back to the witches and demands them to tell him his future. The irony in this is that when one is to ask a question/ a favor from someone with power he would be polite and nice, instead Macbeth demands and asks to see their master. The reversal of moral order and the dramatic irony is that at the beginning Macbeth did not believe in all this prophesy stuff and tells Banquo it's