Macbeth Theme of Versions of Reality

"Fair is foul and foul is fair." That's what the witches chant in unison in the play's opening scene and the mantra echoes throughout the play. In Macbeth, appearances, like people, are frequently deceptive. What's more, many of the play's most resonant images are ones that may not actually exist. Macbeth's bloody "dagger of the mind," the questionable appearance of Banquo's ghost, and the blood that cannot be washed from Lady Macbeth's hands all blur the boundaries between what is real and what is imagined. This theme, of course, is closely related to the "Supernatural."

1. At the beginning of the play the witches say "Fair is foul, and foul is fair." What does this mean? Does this idea resonate throughout the play? If so, how?
2. How do Macbeth and Banquo respond to the witches' prophesy in act one, scene three? Does it seem real to them? Why or why not?
3. What kinds of hallucinations and visions occur in the play? What purpose do they serve?
4. Why is a doctor called in to tend to Lady Macbeth? What's wrong with her?

The witches' chant, "Fair is foul and foul is fair," echoes throughout the play – truth and reality are often murky in Macbeth and the distinction between what is "foul" and what is "fair" is frequently blurred.

Lady Macbeth's hallucination of blood stained hands suggests that no matter what she does, she can never wash away her guilt for the murder of Duncan.