Paper Summary:

This paper discusses the main theme of William Shakespeare's play, "Macbeth" as the reversal of values and of nature itself, triggered by the evil actions and murders of Macbeth and his wife. The paper presents quotes from scenes in the play in order to illustrate this theme. It suggests that Shakespeare's play advocates that any kind of evil is a crime against nature itself, against human nature and against the divine order of the universe.

From the Paper:

"The Tragedy of Macbeth is definitely Shakespeare's most violent play. The main theme of the play is the reversal of values and of nature itself, triggered by the evil actions and murders of Macbeth and his wife. The reversal of the natural order is announced from the introductory lines of the play, in the discourse of the three witches: "Fair is foul, and foul is fair"(1.1.12) The main plot of the play, the killing of Duncan, the king of Scotland, is a common subject for tragedy during the Renaissance age, and a recurrent one in Shakespeare's plays. The belief that royalty was foreordained by divinity explains why the act of murdering a king was considered as a reversal of order and of values. When the murder is done, the old man significantly proclaims it as "unnatural", comparing it to the killing of a falconer by an owl. Thus, throughout the play, there are direct hints to the reversal of nature caused by the dreadful murders, as well as descriptions that reveal absolute natural disorder, like the sun's refusal to shine for example. The murderous acts are seen thus as a menace against the basic order of the universe itself."

Sample of Sources Used:

• Bloom, Harold ed. William Shakespeare's Macbeth. New York: Chelsea House, 1987.
• Paul A. "Macbeth and the Gospelling of Scotland." In Shakespeare as Political Thinker, edited by John E. Alvis and Thomas G. West, pp. 315-51. Wilmington: ISI Books, 2000.
• Coursen, H.R. Macbeth: A Guide to the Play. Westport: Greenwood Press, 1997.
• Lowenthal, David. "Macbeth: Shakespeare Mystery Play," in Interpretation: A Journal of Political Philology. 1989 (Spring), p. 311-57.
• Shakespeare, William. The Tragedy of Macbeth. London: Oxford University Press, 1998.

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