What is the meaning of foul is fair fair is foul?

Answer 1

This type of phrase is a juxtapose - an idea that contradicts itself.

Answer 2

It has been argued by Fintan O'Toole in his excellent book Shakespeare is Hard, But so is Life, that this is the key phrase in the play. The play is, as he shows, full of things which seem to be their opposite. People look the flower but are the serpent under it, and there is no art to find the mind's construction in the face. Malcolm's first reaction to the arrival of Macduff is to lie to him. According to O'Toole, this confusion of foul and fair is finally overcome by Macbeth only for a short time, when he makes his brutal but terrifyingly true and unambiguous "Tomorrow and tomorrow and tomorrow" speech.

Answer 3

This phrase comes from Shakespeare's Macbeth, suggesting that things that appear good may actually be bad, and vice versa. It reflects the idea that appearances can be deceiving and that complexity exists in distinguishing between right and wrong.

Answer 4

The three witches recite this line at the beginning of the play (Macbeth reiterates it later in the play). They also recite "toil and trouble, Cauldron boil and cauldron bubble."

Answer 5

What is good appears bad and what is bad appears good.

Answer 6

It stands for evil.

Answer 7

Chiasmus

Answer 8

paradox

Answer 9

verb