Shakespeare concludes scene i of Macbeth with a couplet: "Fair is Foul and Foul is Fair:/Hover through the fog and filthy air." A couplet usually marks the end of a sonnet, so it is interesting that Shakespeare chooses to end the opening scene of Macbeth with a couplet; it seems he is not only ending the scene, but also concluding that the play will begin and end in moral confusion. In additon, "Fair is Foul and Foul is Fair" distorts the typical moral order of good and bad, right and wrong, and good and evil. Moreover, it is funny that by using a couplet to begin the play, instead of end it, Shakespeare distorts the "order" of the play.
Another intruiging line in the opening scene is the second witch's response to the first witch's question "When shall we three meet again?" The second witch replies, "When the battle's lost and won." It is important to take note of the word "and," as it shows the "battle" will be both lost AND won, not lost OR won. This introduces even more confusion. What might this mean?
Another intruiging line in the opening scene is the second witch's response to the first witch's question "When shall we three meet again?" The second witch replies, "When the battle's lost and won." It is important to take note of the word "and," as it shows the "battle" will be both lost AND won, not lost OR won. This introduces even more confusion. What might this mean?
what it might mean is that you lost alot of your army but you won the battle. Or you lost the battle but you won in your heart
ReplyDeleteI think that it introduces confusion, like the first witch...
ReplyDeleteBUT it could also mean that the battle is lost in some ways, (such as evil being defeated) but it is won by someone else, (someone trying to bring "good" back into power).... maybe hinting at something that will happen BECAUSE macbeth and his wife kill so many people....
-Von
It could mean that you physically lost but in your mind you felt like you won. Or you just lost and dont know what your talking about.
ReplyDeleteThis may show that macbeth will be king but he will eventually lose all the people he loves.He gains in one sense but loses in another.
ReplyDeleteIt might mean that through the process of winning he also lost, or that he both won and lost something. He did become king, but he lost his wife, Banquo a good friend, and his sanity.
ReplyDeleteIt makes you think and try to figure things out instead of waiting an act or two to get drawn into it, it twists things up. The witches say when the battle is lost and won, that may confuse someone but you got to really think and break it down Macbeth may have won king after killing the king but it wasn't anything like he expected. He was living with guilt of murdering the king
ReplyDeleteYeah I know what u mean man but what it could also mean is that no matter if you win your also going to lose something like his wife and his friend banquo.
ReplyDeleteThis could mean that they will meet again when he accomplishes what he sets out to do. But the "and" means in the end even though he won the battle and got what he wanted he is not happy, ultimately losing overall.
ReplyDeleteit means that even tho the witches prophecy might come true something bad will also come of the prophecy will not all be good for Macbeth. there will also be a down side to whatever happens in the future
ReplyDeleteit means that even though macbeth may have become king like he wanted, he still has to deal with his self concious which will constantly eat away at him for what he had to do to get there
ReplyDeleteits a paradox, kind of like the "fair is foul" quote in the story. it means you can physically win the battle but lose everything else.
ReplyDeleteit could possibly be saying what you think your are winning others may think you have lost.
ReplyDeleteIt could mean even though u getting power the wrong way that power can turn against u and backfire back and end up with no power
ReplyDeleteIn my opinion, this means that at the end of the story, Macbeth's battle for King will be won, but in the end the virtual battle will be lost when he is killed. In the overall story, the battles are won and lost.
ReplyDeleteIt could mean many different things in macbeth. With the word and it signifies that if Macbeth does what he was going to do then they would feel accomplished but the and states that even thought the battle may be won may not have been the best choice overall so the losing part is still in affect.
ReplyDelete"Lost and won" probably means that the objective was completed but there were negative consequences.
ReplyDeletei hear what you saying; there also could be another side of this meaning, for instence you could have won a battle but later on have lost something important 2 you just as important to you as winning that battle.
ReplyDeleteWhat it could mean is that the battle is won but the battle or inner conflict within himself to kill Duncan he could lose. Or he could lose the battle but decide whether or not to kill Duncan.
ReplyDeleteit might mean. to become a winner you have to be a loser at some time. you might lose at some aspect but be a winner overall.
ReplyDeleteThis could mean that you may have won the battle but lost the war, u may have succeeded at first but overall you have failed
ReplyDeleteHey buddy. So how bout them cowboys haha
ReplyDeleteShakespeare may have ended the first scene with a couplet, to introduce confusion and also show that the witches foreshadow events to come. "Fair is Foul, and foul is fair," may mean that in one sense you have actually won the battle, but overall to you, that war was lost.
ReplyDelete"when the battles lost and won" might mean even to you , you might think you have won the battle but in reality you didnt really. OR it could mean youve acommplisahed what you wanted to do but still lost the battle.
ReplyDeleteThere will always be a losing side and a winning side. Good wins but evil loses. No matter who wins there is still a side that loses.
ReplyDeletethe witches will get what they want even though the conclusion is foul
ReplyDelete