Monday, March 28, 2011

What are examples from Act 1 of "Macbeth" that illustrate the theme of confusion and inversion?(of normally accepted truths)


The theme of confusion starts in scene 1, when the witches are chanting. For example, saying they'd meet when the battle is both lost and won is an inversion of the normal state of things. Usually it is either won or lost, but in this case, it will be both.

 

This continues in the second scene, when the soldier is reporting from the battle.  He reports that when Macbeth won a victory, it seemed to lead to evil, rather than to good (an inversion), but that Macbeth and the others stayed strong, rather than being dismayed (another inversion of the normal state of affairs). Finally, look at the last line in scene 2; one man's loss is Macbeth's gain—but in gaining from a traitor, Macbeth starts down the road to treason himself.  

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