Macbeth Foil Characters

Words: 651
Pages: 3
Open Document
In the play “Macbeth”, there are four foil characters: Macbeth, Macduff, Lady Macbeth, and Lady Macduff. Foil characters are two characters that contrast with each other. In the play, there are many examples of how different Lady Macbeth and Lady Macduff are. Lady Macbeth and Lady Macduff differ in their speech and how they act towards their husbands. Lady Macbeth and Lady Macduff differ a lot in speech as they are foil characters. Because they are foil characters, everything they do contrasts with each other. Lady Macbeth is very abrasive when she speaks, such as in Act I, scene VII, Lady Macbeth says, “And to be more than what you were, you would Be so much more the man.” In that quote, Lady Macbeth is telling her husband he is not …show more content…
Lady Macbeth is very abrasive and rude. In Act I, scene VII, Lady Macbeth is very abrasive to her husband when she says “Was the hope drunk wherein you dressed yourself? Hath it slept since?” She is asking if he was drunk when he made the promise to kill the king. She is rude in Act I, scene VII, when Lady Macbeth says “What beast was’t then That made you break this enterprise to me? When you durst do it, then you were a man; And to be more than what you were, you would Be so much more the man.” Lady Macbeth was telling him if he broke the promise he was not a man and until he did it, he would not be a man. Lady Macduff acts stressed and worried in Act IV, scene II, Lady Macduff says to Ross “Wisdom? To Leave his wife, to leave his babes, His mansion, and his titles, in a place From whence himself does fly?” She is saying she is worried, but at the same time she is mad that he left her and her child. In Act IV, scene II, Lady Macduff explains to her son that her husband is a traitor because she is upset and confused by saying “Now God help thee, poor monkey But how wilt thou do for a father?” She tells the son that every traitor should and will be hung, which includes her husband. She says that in confusion and hurt. Lady Macbeth and Lady Macduff have a side where they are mad and rude but Lady Macduff also has a side where she is upset her husband
Show More

Related Documents: Macbeth Foil Characters

Foils In Macbeth

Foil isn't needed to write a story; however, good stories involve foil characters. Foil is a character who is the polar opposite of another character; it allows readers to compare characters, and displays the difference in the characters attitudes, good features, bad features, and lifestyles. One very obvious foil character in "Macbeth" was King Edward. Malcolm introduced King Edward after talking to a doctor about whether Edward will come to Scotland. Malcolm explains to a confused Macduff who King…

Words 211 - Pages 1

Comparing Tragedy Of Macbeth 'And Throne Of Blood'

Shakespeare’s play “The Tragedy of Macbeth” is portrayed similarly by the Japanese film Throne of Blood. Both stories are easily comparable as you can analyze many similarities and differences. The similarities and differences of the characters in the stories however, are what is most comparable. The main characters from The Tragedy of Macbeth are Macbeth and Lady Macbeth, while Washizu and Asaji are the main characters in The Throne of Blood. These characters are the protagonists of the stories…

Words 1320 - Pages 6

Light And Darkness In Macbeth Essay

light and darkness imagery to develop Macbeth and Lady Macbeth as foils to one another. In the beginning of Macbeth, Lady Macbeth is depicted as a cold hearted, power hungry woman seeking to use her husband to gain power. When plotting King Duncan’s murder, she says, “Come, thick night, and pall thee in the dunnest smoke of hell, that my keen knife see not the wound it makes nor heaven peep through the blanket of the dark” (1.5). In this scene, Lady Macbeth asks God to provide her with a dark cloudy…

Words 454 - Pages 2

What Are Some Examples Of Conflict Will Never Change

woman is battling depression, which is a form of conflict. In Macbeth, a play written by William Shakespeare, the conflict is between Macbeth and himself, Macbeth and Lady Macbeth, and Lady Macbeth and Macbeth against Scotland. These examples show that people change within conflict; the man with cancer will grow weaker and weaker as his cancer progresses, the woman will turn inwards and become a shell of her former self, and in Macbeth, well, he went mad. The idea, then, is that conflict changes people…

Words 770 - Pages 4

Why Is Macbeth More Important Than Dead

simple if you shift your viewpoint. Using literature as an example, some characters are either dead useless or crucial to the storyline or specific events of a story. With the play 'Macbeth' being a point of reference, there are several occasions in which characters don't contribute as much when alive than dead. I have come to understand that characters are usually worth more dead than alive in literature through Banquo from 'Macbeth'. Also, even though Banquo’s sacrifice was for the better, some may…

Words 725 - Pages 3

Good Vs Evil In Macbeth

drama entitled “Macbeth”, which took place in Scotland. In the drama, the main character, Macbeth, was told in a prophecy that he would become king of Scotland. Upon receiving this news, he instantly acquired a lust for power and became willing to do whatever it took to gain the throne, even if that meant eliminating the ones he cared about. The theme presented mostly in this drama is good vs. evil; this theme is consistently expressed through the actions of Macbeth, Lady Macbeth, and Macduff.…

Words 873 - Pages 4

Essay on Literary Terms

ex: talking about cupid in romeo and juliet. 2. foil­ a character that contrasts another character to highlight traits of that other character. ex: king duncan is a foil to macbeth 3. analogy­ the comparison of two pairs who have the same relationship. ex: hot is to cold as fire is to ice 4. Comic Relief­ comic episodes in a dramatic or literary work that offset serious sections and lighten the mood of the work. ex: the porter scene in Macbeth 5. scene­ a sequence of continuous action…

Words 795 - Pages 4

Macbeth Gender Roles

During Macbeth, characters are categorized based on their gender and are given expectations to fill the stereotypes of their gender. Gender stereotypes arise solely when a character is frustrated with another who doesn’t live up to their gender guidelines. Male characters in the play are portrayed as disappointments to their gender and are unable to satisfy their wives. However, the female characters surpass their visualized roles and decide to take on the role of a typical male. Due to nearby violence…

Words 1103 - Pages 5

Macbeth V.Iii Essay

Macbeth 5.iii (5.iii.19-29) These are the lines spoken by Macbeth in act 5 scene 3. Macbeth addresses Seyton to ventilate the burden of his heart as the English brigade led by Malcolm march towards the castle. These lines betray Macbeth's sense of bitterness and disillusion. He talks of the battle as a sort of ultimatum for himself. Either his crown would be secured for the rest of his life, or it would be the cause of his fall from the throne. A sense of tragic desolation seems to have overtaken…

Words 1426 - Pages 6

The Animal Within Essay

plays, but they are extremely prominent in Hamlet and Macbeth. These repetitive animal symbols trigger archetypal memories in all readers; improving the comprehension of the play and adding dimension to the plot. In both plays, this bestial symbolism – and what it means – clearly define a predator-prey relationship between the characters. In Macbeth, the first predators are both Macbeth and Lady Macbeth and their prey is King Duncan. When Lady Macbeth is given the news that King Duncan was to come to…

Words 2916 - Pages 12