“Fair is foul, and foul is fair”: Themes of Loss and Death in William Shakespeare's Macbeth

Abstract

William Shakespeare is arguably world's best "poet of nature", who in his plays laid bare various facets of human nature, which is why his works appeal audiences of every age and culture. The miserable end of the protagonists of his tragedies, unlike those of Greek tragedies, is not caused by destiny, but the makings of their own follies. In Macbeth, the main character falls from grace because of his indomitable ambition for power, propelled by evil prophesies of the three witches coupled by his ruthless wife Lady Macbeth's persuasions. The article focuses on the themes of loss and death in Macbeth, one of Shakespeare's magna opera. The article explains why neither the three witches nor Lady Macbeth can be blamed for Macbeth's downfall; rather they are the manifestations of his own evil instincts.

Key Words: death, tragedy, human nature, Macbeth, William Shakespeare