Dramatic tragedies are by definition plays that depict the struggle and downfall of their main character(s). “The Tragedy of Macbeth,” by William Shakespeare, is a perfect example; the entire play depicts the fatalistic misadventure of Macbeths. This Shakespearean play is emblematic for the omnipresent feeling of uncertainty it conveys. Indeed, almost all situations contain paradoxical elements that distort moral judgments. What appears to be a good omen often ends up being terrible. The world is presented as irrational, which can be observed through many aspects of the play. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on “Why Violent Video Games Should Not Be Banned”? Get an original essay This feeling of uncertainty is presented to the audience at the very beginning of the play with the first of the strange and confusing scenes where the We¿ Les th Sisters participate. After a short dialogue where they declare that they must meet Macbeth after the battle, the witches leave the scene with their famous paradoxical phrase: "Fair is vil, and vil is fair [. . .]” (1.1.11). This contradictory statement has a heavy impact on the essence of the piece since it recurs very often in different forms. Essentially, this means that appearances are not what they seem; they are imperfect and no proper judgment can be made about them. It's interesting how this idea connects many other aspects of the piece. For example, literary irony, which is used several times as we will see later, is defined by the Oxford dictionary as "the expression of meaning through the use of language which normally means the opposite » ; This brings us back to the witches' declaration and the lies it conveys. The consequences of these ambiguities are significant for the outcome of the piece; they imply that no moral judgment will be helpful in clarifying the plot accurately and that at times events may seem to make no sense. As explained above, witches' prophecies have an important role in giving the pervasive impression of fog; not only do they mislead the audience with their contradictory statements, but they also mislead Macbeth by chanting his first prophecy: Macbeth will become Thane of Cawdor and ultimately king of Scotland (1.3.48-50). At first glance, this prediction must bode well for Macbeth's faith since it promises him kingship. However, when studying the impact of the prophecy on Macbeth, the confusion becomes clear. How could he react to a prediction that grants him so much and at the same time foresees his dismissal? Naturally, it becomes difficult for him to determine whether the omen should be considered right or wrong: "This supernatural solicitation / Cannot be sick, cannot be good" (1.3.131-132). More importantly, the prophecy misleads Macbeth into a diabolical hunger for the crown: "My thought, of which [Duncan's] murder is yet but fantastic, / So shakes my only state of man[. . .]” (1.3.140-141). What begins as beautiful foreshadowing suddenly becomes a foul, dark vision of Macbeth's faith. Another example of the witches' involvement is found in the second prophecy which they essentially "show" to Macbeth. In this scene, Macbeth goes to the We¿rd Sisters "to know / By the worst means the worst [his faith]" (3.4.135-136). Upon his arrival, Macbeth quickly receives his second prophecy: first, he must take custody of Macduff (4.1.85-86), second, no man born of woman shall do him harm.evil (4.1.94-95) and thirdly, he will. will never be defeated “until / The Great Wood of Birnam to the high hill of Dusinan / Come against him” (4.1.107-109). In the same way as the first prophecy, the second is quite simple and clearly delivers its content. Once again, the prophecy lacks details to understand it as a whole. This brings back the inherent confusion. Why should Macbeth fear Macduff if it is physically impossible for a forest to walk or for a man not to be born of a woman? As a result of these predictions and the resulting confusions, Macbeth believes himself almost invincible since he logically supposes that Macduff was born of a woman (4.1.96) and that it is impossible for the forest of Birnam to "undo its terrestrial roots” (4.1.109-111). However, what motivated Macbeth in a positive way will ultimately be the cause of his downfall. His behavior underlines the dramatic irony since he will ultimately be massacred by Macduff who was not born from his mother's womb (5.7.45-46) and the marching forest of Dusinan who will only hide Seyward's army (5.4.4-7). Therefore, the witches' prophecies, due to their ambiguous nature, misled Macbeth to his doom by convincing him that they were a good omen. According to the Oxford English Dictionary, equivocal means “to use words that cannot be understood more broadly.” more than one way to avoid the truth". It is interesting to see how evocation reflects the ambiguity of the play and how often it is used. The very first example is obviously that of prophecies. As we As we saw earlier, they continually deliver their predictions in such a way that Macbeth is unable to accurately understand their true meaning. A second example is that of Thane Macduff discussing with Ross after Duncan's death:ROSS How is the world. , sir, now? MACDUFF. Why, don't you see? ROSS. We don't know who committed this more than bloody act. ROSS. ? (2.4.21-24) This passage can be divided into three different parts which individually emphasize the verbal irony of their discussion The tone Macduff uses to answer Ross's first question is quite sarcastic and reveals his thoughts well. on the current situation; he seems struck by Ross's passivity and returns the question in a tone that suggests "isn't that obvious enough?" The second part is distinguished by its significant irony. Macduff's response to Ross apparently means that Duncan's murderers were his servants since Macbeth executed them; when observed correctly, we see that it could also imply that "Macbeth killed" (2.4.23) the king, which reveals an evocative accusation and irony. Finally, Ross's assertion that the servants had no advantage in slaughtering their master is another argument that supports Macbeth's guilt and completes the irony. Subsequently, another case of equivocation can be observed during the meeting of Macduff and Malcolm. At the beginning of their dialogue, Malcolm is guarded and intentionally misleads Macduff in order to test his allegiance. Malcom states that "the black Macbeth / Will will seem pure as snow" (4.3.52-53) when compared. His pleasure for women will have no end (4.3.60-61) and his avarice will be insatiable (4.3.78). Macduff's reaction to these proclaimed vices makes him lose hope "Since the real trouble of thy [Scotland's] throne / By his own ban [Malcolm] is accused, / And blasphemes his race? (4.3.106-108. After this statement from Macduff, Malcolm is satisfied and finally explains that he defiled himself to test the integrity of his fellow man and adds that he has none of thesevices (4.3.114-133). Although Macduff can now fully collaborate with Malcolm, there are indications that he is beginning to hesitate whether to do so: "Things so hard to welcome and so undesirable at the same time / It's hard to reconcile" (4.3.138 -139). due to the ambiguity of Malcolm's words; after so much rubbish, how can he be sure that his sudden change toward equity is true and eternal? Could this distrust be justified since at the end of Malcolm's redemption lies a hint of dishonest virtue? in him: I am still unknown to woman, I never gave up, I barely summoned what was mine, at no time did I break my faith, I did not betray the devil to his next, and I delight no less in truth than in life (4.3.125 -130).In this passage, Malcolm presents himself as perfectly free from any of the vices he listed earlier. This statement of his does not necessarily mean that he is as evil as Macbeth, but his lack of humility is an indication that he may be deceptive in the future. For these reasons, using words that can be understood in more than one way is an excellent method to deceive the audience as well as the characters in a play, since they must confront situations where they must rely on ambiguous facts. ambiguity can also be observed through the staging conventions and settings of his play. The "Gates of Hell", represented by the gatekeeper of Inverness (2.3.1-19), are quite evocative for Christian audiences of the time; this recalls Saint Peter who was the gatekeeper of the Gates of Heaven (Brooke 79-80). By reversing the roles of judge of Heaven and judge of Hell, Shakespeare probably parodies the need for a judge in Heaven because there would be more to do in Hell. In fact, if we consider all the characters in the play, it is striking how many characters exhibit "bad" traits that can be perceived at least once; the only character free from any form of malice is King Edward, who acts as a foil. Darkness is a staging convention that symbolizes the irrationality of the world of “Macbeth”. Ross, in the course of his dialogue with the Old Man, clearly reveals the extent of the darkness in the room: At clock time it is day, And yet the black night chokes the traveling lamp; Is it not the predominance of the night, or the shame of the day, that darkness covers the face of the earth when living light should embrace it? (2.4.6-10) The personification of light is used to emphasize Macbeth's illegitimate and evil reign and foreshadows the "dark" times that will follow. The principle of ambiguity can be observed when Ross questions whether it is "the [evil] predominance of the night, or the [good] shame of the day" (2.4.8) that is responsible for the supremacy of evil. Ross is at least able to identify the arrival of evil, but is unable to explain it. He is lost in the fog of uncertainty, as is the audience. The behaviors and relationships of Shakespeare’s characters in “Macbeth” follow the unwritten logic of uncertainty. The most striking contradiction is played out by Macbeth and his wife. Although at first we can sense the presence of corrupt evil in Macbeth, when he relentlessly kills his enemies (1.2.7-23), we can surmise by his fearful reaction to the idea of ​​killing Duncan ( 1.1.140) that his conscience keeps him on the “good” side. In contrast, his wife clearly reveals her "fires" and asks the evil spirit to "unsex me here" (1.5.40), thus revealing his malevolent intentions. She seems to know that her husband will not succeed in fulfilling his destiny and clearly declares that she will push him: “[. . .] So that I can pour my spirit into your,1962.