Fair without, foul (false) within.
Someone may appear outwardly attractive or appealing, but their true nature or intentions may be unpleasant or deceitful. Appearing good or pleasing on the outside (fair), may actually bad or deceitful on the inside (foul/false). It highlights the contrast between appearance and reality, suggesting that things are not always as they seem.
Another phrase is famously used in Shakespeare's Macbeth, where it sets the tone for the play's themes of deception, ambition, and the blurring of moral lines. The witches' chant, "fair is foul, and foul is fair," introduces the idea that appearances can be deceiving and that what seems good might actually be evil, and vice versa.
"The witches introduce this paradoxical idea at the beginning, setting a tone of ambiguity and foreshadowing the play's events.
Macbeth, initially a celebrated war hero, becomes increasingly evil as he pursues the prophecies of the witches, demonstrating how "fair" (his valor) can lead to "foul" (murderous ambition).
The play is full of instances where characters hide their true intentions, like Lady Macbeth urging Macbeth to "look like the innocent flower, / But be the serpent under't".
In essence, the phrase means that things might be deceptive or harmful despite appearing innocent or desirable. It emphasizes the importance of looking beyond appearances to understand the true nature of things.
