William Shakespeare wrote many fantastic plays and Macbeth is no exception. Part of the reason why his plays were loved in Elizabethan times as well as today is because they are true to life. The audience can relate with the characters or situations in the play because they are emotionally involved. A literary device that Shakespeare uses is the theme of moral reversal. Morals are essentially the backbone of an individual’s being. A person’s morals will shape the type of person they are and how they will act in various situations. Simply stated morals decide how someone will live their life. The audience identifies with the characters of Macbeth because they can see the battle that is fought between a character’s desire and conscience. This battle if fought numerous times throughout the play. The outcome of these battles shapes the decisions made, which are vital to the play. Each character within Macbeth has their own set of morals but only some of them become morally reversed. In these instances desire wins the battle over conscience. A clear line is drawn that indicates the beginning of this reversal and can be traced back to the same origin. Prime examples of characters that are morally reversed are the witches. Directly at the beginning of the play we are introduced to their corrupt thoughts when we hear them say “fair is foul, and foul is fair” (I.ii.2) This one line establishes the theme and atmosphere for the rest of the play. The reversal of moral order is specifically introduced here. However the impact of these words impact many characters and Macbeth directly as a result. The witches say many things that reveal how corrupt they are. They speak of “hurly burly” which shows their desire for commotion and disorder. The witches are so immoral that they destroy the lives of others for their own satisfaction. “I’ the shipman’s card…wreck’d as homeward...
