# Scene I explained — Macbeth

> Chapter companion for Macbeth by William Shakespeare.

## What happens

Three witches meet in a desolate place amidst thunder and lightning, planning to reconvene after the battle to encounter Macbeth. They chant 'Fair is foul, and foul is fair,' establishing an atmosphere of moral confusion and supernatural influence.

## Themes in this chapter

### Supernatural and Evil

The witches' appearance and chant introduce the supernatural as a force of moral inversion and chaos.

### Appearance vs. Reality

The line 'Fair is foul, and foul is fair' establishes the theme of deceptive appearances and moral ambiguity.

## Character check-ins

### Three Witches

The witches convene in a stormy heath, setting their meeting with Macbeth after the battle.

### Macbeth

Mentioned as the one the witches plan to meet on the heath.

## Key lines

> Fair is foul, and foul is fair: Hover through the fog and filthy air.

What seems good is actually evil, and what seems evil is actually good; let us move through this murky, polluted atmosphere.

_The witches' paradoxical chant encapsulates the play's central theme of moral inversion._

## Links

- HTML: https://www.betterreads.online/discover/macbeth_se/chapters/act-i-scene-i
- Book: https://www.betterreads.online/discover/macbeth_se
- All chapters: https://www.betterreads.online/discover/macbeth_se/chapters