Thursday, January 31, 2019
Due Monday, February 4th - Witches
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Due Thursday, June 13th - All I Really Needed to Know I Learned in Mr. Pellerin's Survey of British Literature Class.
Overview : Go back to our first blog, and walk through the 2018-2019 school year. Revisit the books we read and our class responses. Look...
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Overview : We have read Chapters I – X, Book I of Jane Austen’s Pride and Prejudice . Before we proceed, read the following piece by Sa...
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Directions : 1) Read Beowulf , pages 3-top of 57 (27 pages) – Fighting Grendel 2) Read Beowulf , pages 89-113 (12 pages) – Fighting G...
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Overview : Go back to our first blog, and walk through the 2018-2019 school year. Revisit the books we read and our class responses. Look...
During the reign of King James VI of Scotland, there were thousands of witch trials, and "In 1604, under his rule as King of England and Wales, witchcraft was a capital offense, meaning that anyone who was found guilty of being a witch could be executed"(Atherton). Shakespeare wrote the play roughly two years after this law was passed, and I think he was onto something; Why is witchcraft illegal? A time may come when we really need it! The "Weird Sisters" are very smart. For instance, they can recognize the inevitable...
ReplyDelete▶Second Witch: All hail, Macbeth! Hail to thee, Thane of Cawdor!
Third Witch: All hail, Macbeth, that shalt be King hereafter!⏩▶
First Witch: Hail!
Second Witch: Hail!
Third Witch: Hail!
First Witch: Lesser than Macbeth, and greater.
Second Witch: Not so happy, yet much happier.
Third Witch: Thou shalt get kings, though thou be none. So all hail, Macbeth and Banquo!
First Witch: Banquo and Macbeth, all hail!⏩▶
Macbeth: Your children shall be kings.
Banquo: You shall be King.⏸
Macbeth is shortly appointed Thane of Cawdor. When he tells his wife that he will become king, she gets excited and pushed him to Murder King Duncan after she gets the royal guards drunk. After he does so, she wipes the bloodstained daggers on the drunken guards so it looks like they did it. Macbeth is crowned King. The witches aren't that specific, but reliable, nonetheless. Macbeth has Banquo killed, so he definitely won't be king, but his son, Fleance, escapes.⏩
The witches also have a knack for eliminating war criminals. Hecate orders them to destabilize Macbeth by boosting his overconfidence, and the do.
Delete▶All: Come, high or low: Thyself and office deftly show!
[Thunder. First apparition, an armed head.]
Macbeth: Tell me, thou unknown power-
First Witch: He knows thy thought. Hear his speech, but say thou naught.
First Apparition: Macbeth! Macbeth! Macbeth! Beware Macduff; Beware the Thane of Fife. Dismiss me. Enough. [He descends.]
Macbeth: Whate'er thou art, for thy good caution thanks! Thou hast harped my fear aright. But one word more-
First Witch: He will not be commanded. Here's another, More potent than the first.
[Thunder. Second Apparition, a Bloody Child.]
Second Apparition: Macbeth! Macbeth! Macbeth!
Macbeth: Had I three ears, I'ld hear thee.
Second Apparition: Be bloody, bold, and resolute; laugh to scorn the pow'r of man, for none of woman born shall harm Macbeth. [Descends.]
Macbeth: Then live, Macduff. What need I fear of thee? But yet I'll make assurance double sure and take a bond of fate. Thou shalt not live! That I may tell pale-hearted fear it lies and sleep in spite of thunder. [Thunder. Third Apparition, a Child Crowned, with a tree in his hand.] What is this that rises like the issue of a king and wears upon his baby-brow the round and top of sovereignty?
All: Listen, but speak not to't.
Third Apparition: Be lion-mettled, prout, and take no care who chafes, who frets, or where conspirers are. Macbeth shall never vanquished be until Great Birnam Wood to high Dunsinane Hill shall come against him [Descends]⏹
All this has made it easier to catch Macbeth off guard, and now he can be stopped. You see, this is why witchcraft should be legal.
Macbeth has been caught off guard, and we got him at last! Until Fleance comes of age, King Malcom will work just fine.
DeleteBy the way, forget all previous proposals. What would M**beth look like if Tim Burton directed it?
DeleteThe witches roles in Macbeth certainly seems to derive from their role back in Shakespeare’s time. During this time, witches were viewed with great distrust. “[They] were blamed for causing illness, death and disaster, and were thought to punish their enemies by giving them nightmares, making their crops fail and their animals sicken”. Perhaps it was this factor that influenced William Shakespeare to implement the witches in Macbeth to portray a future for disaster. Introduced in the first scene of the first act of the book, the witches were clearly able to see into the future. Then in the third scene of this act, they showed Macbeth his future:
ReplyDelete“First Witch: All hail, Macbeth! Hail to thee, Thane of Glamis!
Second Witch: All hail, Macbeth! Hail to thee, Thane of Cawdor!
Third Witch: All hail, Macbeth, that shalt be King hereafter!” (I, III, 52-57)
Here, the witches fired Macbeth’s ambitions. Despite the fact that Macbeth was originally suspicious of what they told him, as parts were coming true, Macbeth’s ambition to fulfill the other parts flared. After being named Thane of Cawdor, Macbeth began his murder streak to try to attain the crown. Then later in Act IV, Macbeth seems to be reliant on the information given by the witches, despite the fact that they fueled his actions of murdering King Duncan, which then led to murdering the two guards and Banquo. He seeks the witches’ advice and even threatens them: “I will be satisfied. Deny me this, / And an eternal curse fall on you! Let me know. “ (IV, I, 120-121). Throughout this book, the witches seem to act in the same fashion as they were believed to be in the real world at the time. They foresaw a dark future and passed on the information which resulted in several disasters and many deaths.
At the time that Macbeth was written witches and such would have been the most dangerous and horrifying things people would have to deal with. To the people living at the time it was written witches would have been real as anything. They would have been thought to cause things like illness, disasters , and death. People suspected of being witched would be killed most of the time unfairly. King James VI was deeply concerned about witches. He believed they tried to kill him at sea similar to how the sailor in Macbeth's situation was. Shakespeare used this great horror to create a fascination and fear of the witches in Macbeth. When Macbeth first meets the witches they are unworldly and strange but Macbeth is still an honorable man who is being promised the power of king which would have been exciting. THIRD WITCH
ReplyDeleteAll hail, Macbeth, thou shalt be king hereafter!
Thou shalt get kings, though thou be none.
So all hail, Macbeth and Banquo!
It is these very promises of power that caused Macbeth to spiral into his own destruction due to greed and murder.When Macbeth meets the witches in Act VI although he is thought to be completely insane and merciless far from the honest man he once was. Banquo on the other side is promised that not him but his kids will be made king and so will theirs after. Banquo is not as affected by the witches and seems somewhat doubtful of their intentions. The prophecy causes Macbeth to kill Banquo in cold blood yet his child escapes seeming to go with the prophecy coincidentally.
Either way, these witches are always right.
DeleteWhen Macbeth first meets the witches Macbeth is a little flustered. I think he is confused at to what these ‘people’ are and at the same time he is taking in the fact that they just told him such big news. He seems to be a nicer person before the witches came into his life. He says “I know I am Thane of Glamis, / But how of Cawdor? The Thane of Cawdor lives, / A prosperous gentleman”. This shows us that Macbeth might be a nice person on the inside, that he is respecting of others and compliments others. But now the witches are in his head. The witches tell him this ‘prophecy’ and Macbeth thinks that the only way to become King to commit murder, inside he doesn’t really want to do it because we see him have doubts, but with convincing of his wife and the prophecy of the witches he starts to go crazy and decides to murder Duncan. Later he even, without doubts, kills Banquo which I think is a huge turning point in the story because it shows how much this idea of fate has consumed Macbeth. He is willing to kill his friend and a little boy to make sure the witches prophecy of Banquo’s sons being kings doesn’t happen. This makes his second meeting with the witches different than the first, because now Macbeth is insane and can only think about his fate and getting power. He is much more upfront with the witches and is not scared of them, he only wants to know more. However the more he knows the closer he is to downfall, because as I said before, the witches are giving him these bits of information that make him go crazy and jump to conclusions.
ReplyDeleteI learned from the website that during King James VI of Scotland’s “reign thousands of people in Scotland were put on trial for witchcraft. In 1604, under his rule as king of England and Wales, witchcraft was made a capital offence”. And “Shakespeare wrote Macbeth in 1606”, so I do think that the Witches in this tragedy were meant to actually control fate and that Macbeth had no control over it because Shakespeare was living in an era where witches were thought to be real. However it is fun to play around with it and consider the, ‘what if Macbeth had full control of his fate?’ idea.
Maybe he did have full control, and the witches knew exactly what was going to happen, and they let it slip. But they later constructed a plot to catch him off guard, which is why witchcraft should be legal.🧙♀️🧙♂️🧙🏻♀️🧙🏻♂️🧙🏼♀️🧙🏼♂️🧙🏽♀️🧙🏽♂️
Delete#WitchLivesMatter
DeleteThere are many cases where interfacing with the paranormal saves the day. In Star Wars, you have the Jedi Knights. Harry Potter is part of a heroic assortment of wizards and witches. Many of the Avengers have some sort of superpower. As you may have guessed, I believe that all of the above joined the Allies.
DeleteAnd you should already know what I mean when I say that.
DeleteWhen the witches present themselves to Macbeth and Banquo in Act 1, Banquo seems to be almost entertained by the predictions, it sounds like good news to him and asks Macbeth why he isn't as pleased with the prophecies "Good sir, why do you start and seem to fear Things that do sound so fair?" (pg. 19), Macbeth on the other hand has many questions "By Sinel's death I know I am Thane of Glamis, But how of Cawdor?" (pg. 19). From this moment on the lives of these two men are changed forever, their coming in contact with the witches tied them to fate. The readers first impression of Macbeth is that he is a brave and honorable man who is truthful and loyal to his friends, however his run-in with the witches altered his ways. Later in the story he is driven to kill Duncan, his wife plays a large role in this act. After the murder you can see his mind slowly deteriorate, he is never completely satisfied once he becomes the king. When he tries to have Banquo and Fleance murdered, his plan backfires. His plan failing is all connected to the witches message and the theme of fate. Banquo was told he would be greater than Macbeth by not becoming King himself, but by having a legacy: a long line of sons who are kings. The death of Banquo was a waste, for he was never actually a threat himself. Fleance' escape has everything to do with the inescapable fate.
ReplyDeleteMacbeth had Banquo killed anyway, because he's just bloodthirsty. And he spills the blood everywhere, which is a total disgrace.
DeleteAnd Lady Macbeth smears blood on innocent folk.🤮
DeleteWe all find the witches to be creepy yet fascinating, just as the website says the "audience would have felt a mixture of fear and fascination for the three ‘weird sisters.’" But the fact of the matter is we don't truly understand their grotesqueness in its entirety. As members of this time period, we don't have the fear instilled that there are terrifying women out there who work for the devil and can change our natural course. Like we read the lines:
ReplyDelete"FIRST WITCH Thrice the brinded cat hath mew'd.
SECOND WITCH Thrice, and once the hedge-pig whin'd" and it's like kinda weird, kinda don't understand, kinda spooky. But imagine reading that as innocent daughter Ann Porter in 1612. Wild. So the relationship we have with the witches and readers from Shakespeare's time are different. If anything, more people would fear Macbeth. A man that has fallen to the Devil's soothsayers. With a penchant for blood, they would be screaming in their night terrors that Macbeth was waiting for them. And fearing the witches is undoubtedly fair for the current century. These women were master manipulators. By showing Macbeth's fate through prophecy, they show their hand on how they want his fate to go. Had Macbeth not heard their words, he would have never killed his King. Banquo's sons wouldn't inherit the lineage, it would go to Duncan's children and their children and their children. As they say, ignorance is bliss. By the witches making any sort of claim, they are the lynchpins to the catastrophe of Macbeth's life. It is scary to see how one singular line, “First Witch: All hail, Macbeth! Hail to thee, Thane of Glamis!
Second Witch: All hail, Macbeth! Hail to thee, Thane of Cawdor!
Third Witch: All hail, Macbeth, that shalt be King hereafter!” can change a person's course forever. So fear the witches, for they are spooky indeed.
不！Nein! No! Don't, under any circumstances, fear the witches! They are very reliable. 1. They know what's guaranteed to happen. (They didn't mean to tell Macbeth he would somehow be king, they let it slip by mistake) 2. They are now constructing a plot to take down Macbeth. We should trust them!
DeleteWitchcraft isn't a crime by definition.
DeleteThey're working for Hecate, they don't say anything about Lucifer.
DeleteAfter reading the article on witches their usage in the play makes more sense. People during this time were afraid of witches and even “King James VI of Scotland was deeply concerned about the threat posed by witches”. Macbeth first reaction of how he “seem to fear things that do sound so fair” mirrors the societal uneasiness towards witches during this time period. Banquo’s view on the witches is much more analytical as shown when he notes that evil sometimes tells the truth “to win us to our harm”. The witches have a clear connection to the Fates from Greek/Roman mythology. They make prophecies that toy with humans and they always end up true. While the predictions are accurate, Macbeth is taking action throughout the play to make them happen. The concept of fate may just be in his head.
ReplyDeleteThe Greek/Roman fates themselves are similar to the Norns, from Norse mythology.
DeleteIn the beginning of Act 4, Macbeth is viewed as very impatient when trying to seek out for answers and wanting to know more of what the witches have to say about his fate. Of course as readers, we all know that Macbeth will end with bad luck in his future by foreshadowing the events Macbeth and other characters will have to face. One way how the witches foreshadow or determine Macbeth’s fate is by using the number three. On the website, they mentioned how during Shakespeare’s time, witches were often portrayed as these old women who ugly and put misfortune on people by casting spells with their big cauldrons. It was believed that “bad luck is frequently thought to come in threes.” As the three witches enter into Act 4, the first witch said “Thrice the brinded cat hath mew'd,” and the second witch said “Thrice and once the hedge-pig whined.” Not only are there three witches, they tell Macbeth to be aware of 3 apparitions. But going back to how Macbeth reacts to the witches, he tries to put up this front with them and tries not to be intimidated by them, but he fears the most when narrowing it down between him and Banquo. When Banquo encountered the witches for the first time, he is less frightened by them compared to Macbeth. I think Banquo wasn’t as afraid as Macbeth because he doesn’t fear death and he knows that eventually his fate will have to come for him to pass away, whether it would be a peaceful or painful, having Banquo play this sort of omni character that enables for the storyline to keep going.
ReplyDeleteIn the time of Shakespeare, there was a great fear of witches which drove the execution of many people believed, but not proved, to be witches. Much of society had a morbid fascination with witches since they were different, vindictive, and seemed to go against humanity. Even today, many people still love to hear about the possibility of witches, although we are not actively trying to kill those suspected to be witches. Like us, Macbeth “‘seems rapt’(1.3.57), so mystified by their greeting that he is rendered speechless.” Macbeth is similarly enthralled with the witches just as the readers are. Furthermore, Shakespeare portrayed the witches as ugly in Banquo’s description due to the influence of society and the hysteria about witches. This idea of the witches being grotesque also leads to the paradox that the witches present about how appearances have the ability to be decieving. For example, Lady Macbeth says to “look like th' innocent flower, / But be the serpent under't” (35). She wants Macbeth to deceive those around him and still appear to be good, but be conniving beneath the surface. However, he then begins to turn into the ‘serpent’ and that becomes clear to others.
ReplyDeleteIn reading the way in which Shakespeare describes the interactions between the witches and Macbeth, it appears that free will and decisions are what actually determine one’s fate. Before the witches had told Macbeth that he would be king one day, he did not even think of that and did not want to replace Duncan. But after hearing of his fate, Macbeth made choices to ensure that it actually occurred by killing Duncan. If he had not killed Duncan, his fate would have changed based on his decisions.
The witches in Macbeth can be either scary or hilarious. When watching the BBC version where they are covered in grey paint I couldn’t stop laughing, but the version that with the thesis about children I was so frightened. I think this is a really important part of the witches, how they are portrayed. They might not have the most lines in the show, but they have the most important ones! They create the mood of the show, the delivery of the iconic lines “Double, double, toil and trouble; /// fire burn, and cauldron bubble.” can either reaffirm the terrifyingness that could be the witches or make them a joke. But Shakespeare always wrote the witches to be terrifying, looking at the history and how people truly believed witches were out to get them makes me believe this. Witches were thought to be vengeful women, that literally milked the Devil, what wouldn’t they do to achieve what they wanted? I think the witches were the ones that wanted the chaos that came with telling Macbeth, what THEY wanted his fate to be. If you tell someone what will happen and who they are it makes them think that way too, which causes those attributes to be bred into them.
ReplyDeleteI didn’t think Macbeth and Banquo take the witches totally seriously when I watched the version of nurse witches or when reading it, but the portrayal of this moment in the movie with the thesis about children really made me think Macbeth took it automatically as truth. I think Macbeth is the type to completely trust the witches and the concept of fate automatically, but Banquo is the skeptic - he cannot take things only on face value. I think the differences is that Macbeth believes what the witches say, Banquo hopes, but because Macbeth believes he causes his own fate.
To Macbeth and Banquo the witches are this evil dark power that can see things that know one else can. But Also they don't respect the witches Banquo calls them "By each at once her chappy finger laying Upon her skinny lips: you should be women, And yet your beards forbid me to interpret That you are so." showing that he does really fear them because if he did then he would not say that. As they are easily anger show when we first see the witch. The website shows this scene "The First Witch says that she will take revenge by punishing the woman’s husband, describing in detail what ‘I'll do, I'll do, and I'll do’ (1.1.10) to him: she will deprive him of sleep (‘Sleep shall neither night nor day / Hang upon his penthouse lid’ (1.3.19–20)) and ensure that his ship is tossed by the waves (‘tempest-toss’d’ (1.3.25)) and unable to find safe harbour." the website also calls this anger "‘mischief following anger’, a punishment inflicted as a result of some kind of grievance." Even with that Macbeth and Banquo do'nt really fear them or pretend they do not. I think the witches and fate repesents wanting to blame your choices and random events on something rather than you or nothing because it is easier to deal with it that way. and I think thats what happened during that time and was shown by shakespeare.
ReplyDeleteIf that sailor is going to have a rough voyage and never sleep, then his wife obviously messed with the wrong witch. Take that!
Delete🌊🌊🌊🌊🌫🌫⛵🚋🚋🚋🚋(H. M. S. Tiger)🌫🌫🌩🌩🌊🌊🌊 🛸(witch's sieve)
DeleteBoth are bound for Aleppo.
Delete
ReplyDeleteWhen Macbeth first meets the witches, he seems to be this brave warrior who’s curious about his future after hearing what the witches approach him with. Macbeth, however, is impulsive with the information the witches give him, jumping to the conclusion of murder, when the witches could have even not have been telling the truth. I think this proves the power that the witches hold over him, even if they have no literal power at all. By Act IV, Macbeth is dark and insane. He can’t stop the intrusive thoughts he introduced to himself, and it’s quite obvious he has gone completely mad. The second time Macbeth met the witches, he is in more anticipation. He has already become what was prophesied, and therefore has questions about what next, considering Fleance is on the loose and he was also prophesied as the next king. In the first encounter with the witches, Banquo seems almost emotionless. He is less anxious than Macbeth, who obviously believed everything the witches were saying. The fact that Macbeth became Thane of Cawdor directly after hearing this prophecy, especially without murder, only establishes the idea in his mind that he will become King. Even Banquo questions, “What, can the devil speak true?” However, unlike Banquo, Macbeth is anxious for more of the prophecy to come true and takes drastic actions, altering the way fate could be looked at. Either way, could Macbeth had become King? Or was it necessary for him to turn to murder?
How could they not have any literal power? They do all sorts of stuff.
DeleteIt is hard to dispute the fact that the witches play a vital role in the story of Macbeth and that without them there wouldn't be a story at all. The witches more or less play the role of the instigators who inspire Macbeth to do these evil deeds. In the times of King James VI of Scotland witches were seen as these supernatural beings who caused death, disease, famine, and a lot more unpleasant things. This view of the witches is reflected in Shakespeare's writing in the way we see them curse the sailor in act 1, scene 3, as they are seen not specifically killing the sailor but instead making him unable to sleep and so he would encounter tough waters for about 81 weeks. Now, that brings us to Macbeth and my theory on why the witches told him what was prophesied for his future. So when Macbeth and Banquo first encounter the witches they act differently. Macbeth freezes for a second then recollects himself, while Banquo on the other hand is brave and doesn't feel anything foreboding about their predictions. This moment is when Macbeth is pushed into this fate that will lead him into a spiral of madness. The predictions the witches provide give Macbeth a taste of power and belief in them when he becomes Thane of Cawdor so that it leads to him "cementing his willingness to give himself over to the ‘instruments of darkness’ (1.3.124)."
ReplyDeleteThe main relationship between, most notably, the witches and Macbeth is that the witches know what Macbeth would do, and would use cryptic messages to pass it on. In the beginning, Macbeth was referred to by the witches as the future king, but after killing Duncan an several others, he is then referred to by the witches as "something evil this way comes". At the same time, the relationship between the witches and Banquo was not immediately noticeable, but when Banquo realizes Macbeth becomes king, true to the witches prophecy earlier in the play, Banquo immediately becomes suspicious that Macbeth has obtained kings-man-ship through illegitimate means. The witches also understand the fate of, for example, Macbeth, and give him cryptic messages that'll make him fulfill the prophecies.
ReplyDeleteSo, something evil this way comes, does it? Well, the witches are right. Macbeth is nothing but trouble.
DeleteThank Carrie we're rid of him at last!
DeleteThe witches from Macbeth are characterized within the first few pages of "Macbeth" as being ugly both inside and out. Remarks of their appearance from characters such as Banquo help Shakespeare to accomplish this understanding with his readers. For example, Banquo hatefully describes the witches as being, "not like the inhabitants o' the earth" and shows his disgust through the acknowledgement of their, "choppy fingers," "skinny lips," and "beards" that betray all attempts of the witches to be seen as women. Both physical imagery and the eerie dialogue of the witches at the beginning of the play work together to create fear in Shakespeare's readers. However, upon reading the source, I learned that the context of the time period this play was written in, aided Shakespeare tremendously in the characterization of his witches before the readers even saw/read the play. According to the source, "Shakespeare wrote Macbeth at a time when interest in witchcraft bordered on hysteria. Witches were blamed for causing illness, death and disaster, and were thought to punish their enemies by giving them nightmares, making their crops fail and their animals sicken." This evidence falls shows that the a fear of witches from the play "Macbeth" was not created, but amplified through the confirmation of their evil intentions. For example, when the readers first meet the witches, one of them decides to torture a man at sea and force him to never have a days rest again. However, Despite, the underlying belief of all readers that: witches caused all evil occurrences, Shakespeare decided to challenge this preexisting idea by making the witches not the direct causes of Macbeth's downfall, but merely the predictors of it. Though all that the witches spoke to Macbeth ended up occurring, there is no direct evidence to prove whether the results were in the witches hands or Macbeth's. In Shakespeare's time period, the atmosphere was harsh and people had a tendency to blame and point fingers rather than to accept responsibility. I believe, that through Shakespeare's play, "Macbeth", he was attempting to challenge the public's idea on consequence by taking the readers through the path of Macbeth's downfall that was filled with instances of poor decisions and evil intentions that had not direct connection to the witches.
ReplyDeleteWhen Macbeth first met the witches, he was viewed as a heroic soldier with great aspirations. Without the witches, the entire story of Macbeth basically would have never happened. They were the people that told Macbeth what was going to happen to him, and what they told him came true. I think that the witches were really a metaphor for the more evil side of Macbeth, because he didn't have to kill anyone or do any of the things that happened to bring him to the throne, but after the witches told him what was going to happen and the glory that was to come, he began doing all these terrible things that made the prophecies come true. If Macbeth had listened to the witches and just treated them like a bunch of crazy old ladies, he would have ended up living a much more peaceful life. Also, I believe that although he has the throne, Macbeth is not happy with what has happened and would have much more joy had he just never made the effort that he did to get to the crown. I believe that a huge thing that Shakespeare was trying to get across was how you decide your own fate, and its in your own hands. Macbeth and Banquo started off in the same position, but Macbeth got the prophecy that he would become king, while Banquo got the prophecy that he would live the rest of his life without royalty, but in peace and solitude. In my personal opinion, and in what I would believe most to say, Banquo definitely decided the better faith for himself and ended up in a position that I would much rather be in, as opposed to Macbeth's tainted throne.
ReplyDeleteThe context of how witches were perceived in Shakespeare's time gives a lot of clarity to these characters. The witches were mysterious beings who served Satan and tried to wreak havoc on people. The witches would do things like kill crops and give people nightmares and dark thoughts. This is heavily related to how the witches behave in the play. After the 3 weird sisters meet Macbeth and Banquo for the first time, they curse them with a prediction of the future. This prediction is the direct causation of Macbeth's downfall. Similarly, the witches cast curses on everyone. The website brings up important parts from the text, like when the witches cursed a sailor to have nightmares for 82 weeks. If the witches have the power to curse a sailor's mind like this, then they surely have enough power to corrupt Macbeth's mind. The witches also speak in a verse that emphasizes syllables in a combination that comes off more menacing. The unsettling syntax has 4 stressed vowels and vowel diphthongs per line, with 3 unstressed consonant noises in between. This creates a feeling of incompleteness and mystery in every line.
ReplyDelete“Sacrifice” has many meanings. Some might think of the human sacrifice, a common practice the ancient Aztec and Mayan societies, which were to appease their gods and keep the nation safe. Others think of the selfless sacrifice, giving up something for someone else, like sacrificing your time or efforts for another’s benefit. Macbeth’s sacrifices however, were for his own benefit only and shows his true character as a selfish person, leaving readers of Shakespeare’s Macbeth with the message to act not for one’s own benefit, or else be beheaded.
ReplyDeleteMacbeth’s various sacrifices come tied with the same act: him murdering his king, Duncan. When he heard the Third Witch declare, “All hail, Macbeth, thou shalt be king hereafter!” (I.iii) he began his questioning. He questioned himself and the witches. But his wife, Lady Macbeth, came down and said to herself,
“Glamis thou art, and Cawdor; and shalt be
What thou art promised. Yet I do fear thy nature;
It is too full o' the milk of human kindness
To catch the nearest way; thou wouldst be great,
Art not without ambition; but without
The illness should attend it; what thou wouldst highly,
That thou wouldst holily; wouldst not play false,
And yet wouldst wrongly win.”
This effort made by Lady Macbeth is her sacrifice to Macbeth. She sacrifices any that is good inside her so that she may rise Macbeth up. However, it is ultimately Macbeth’s move. He decides to enter Duncan’s chambers and kill him despite various deliberations and even backing down completely. This is where he sacrifices his loyalty to Duncan. Duncan viewed Macbeth highly, gifting him Thane of Cawdor after the war and saying:
“[Macbeth] is full so valiant,
And in his commendations I am fed;
It is a banquet to me. Let's after him,
Whose care is gone before to bid us welcome:
It is a peerless kinsman.”
And Macbeth also feels this connection to Duncan, when he chooses to not do it, exclaiming, “We will proceed no further in this business: / He hath honour'd me of late.” Yet he is pressured until he decides to do it, and he actually kills Duncan. He sacrifices his loyalty because the prize was too tempting. Royal standing was too tempting, that he betrayed just as Brutus did Caesar.
The other part of Macbeth that he sacrifices with this decision is soul’s purity. During this time period, Christianity and such were the faith. And Thou shalt not kill is pretty major. Macbeth went against this when he decided to kill Duncan. This chokes him up, as afterwards he “could not say 'Amen,' / When they did say 'God bless us!'” He is obviously torn up in spirit as well, for breaking something morally wrought into his being for his entire life. He sacrificed the purity of his soul for the position of king. He tarnished something they believed stuck with you forever. He damned himself practically, leaving him in one of the lower circles of hell where murderers lie on Dante’s trip. He put himself on the path of suffering for eternity for a couple years max on a throne with a worthless golden crown. Macbeth values this little piece of power that comes with the kingship too much. He does not see how much bigger his actions are in the process that his life would go through. He gives up happiness forevermore when he dies so he can live some time as king. Macbeth overestimates the power of this position, otherwise he would not have committed this act.
Macbeth in Shakespeare’s Macbeth is a man of selfish means through his sacrifices, and his death sends the message that to sacrifice so selfishly is to bring about your own doom. Macbeth’s actions in the play as they get worse and worse prove that selfish choices truly are wrong. Trust in virtues, they are virtues for a reason. Think twice before making a move. And do not let someone pressure you into making a stupid decision, because it will bite you back later on.
Betrayal, the act of being unfaithful in guarding, maintaining, or fulfilling a task. It is a common idea among many famous works of literature. This idea is especially prominent in the Shakespearean play, Macbeth. Beginning as a loyal, prestigious officer in the kingdom of Scotland, the play describes the downfall of Macbeth. This downfall started from the plotted murder of King Duncan. Although this treasonous act may seem to have been out of the blue, there were several factors that pushed Macbeth to complete it. They include the pressure from Lady Macbeth, his own ambitions, and the influence of the witches.
ReplyDeleteThe first of the several reasons for this disloyal act was the constant pressure from Lady Macbeth. After she was told of Macbeth’s meeting with the witches and how they were able to foresee the future, she was goading Macbeth into killing King Duncan. In fact, she practically planned the entire murder scheme herself, and simply ordered Macbeth to carry out the plan. So when he was hesitating and contemplating his options, Lady Macbeth was extremely frustrated and began questioning his courage:
“Lady Macbeth: 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.” (I, VII, 54)
Here, she was goading him into carrying out the plan by questioning his manliness. Lady Macbeth questions why he told her about all of this and yet he is hesitant to achieve his destiny. This scene shows the influence Lady Macbeth has and how she urges him to commit the treasonous act that he knows is wrong. This pushes Macbeth into committing himself to this future, without time to process the possible consequences. The pressure from Lady Macbeth causes Macbeth to act without thinking thoroughly and thus, forcing him to commit this act of betrayal.
Another reason for this action was Macbeth’s own ambition and thirst for power. Despite his already honorable position as a loyal officer and the King’s right-hand man, he still thrived to be more than just that. He wanted to have the greatest position in Scotland: king. This motive was also spurred on by some internal factors such as his greed for power. As described by himself when he was alone in the room next to the party with Duncan:
“Macbeth: … I have no spur
To prick the sides of my intent, but only
Vaulting ambition, which o’erleaps itself
And falls on the other --” (I, VII, 26)
Macbeth describes how he is simply ambitious for more power and wants to be king. This pushes him to commit the treasonous act without a second thought. Additionally, any possible doubts were washed away by Lady Macbeth as mentioned earlier. So the combination of these motives resulted in Macbeth’s hasty action without much thought of the dangers of them. The excitement of being the most powerful man in Scotland overwhelmed any other possible thought, which in turn, led to his unfortunate downfall.
DeleteFinally, the last motive for Macbeth to execute such an act would be the influence of the witches. They gave Macbeth a glimpse into the future and awakened his ambitions. This meeting triggered every other part of the nature of this action: Lady Macbeth’s pressuring and his greed for power. In Macbeth’s first meeting with the witches, they described his future to him:
“ First witch: All hail, Macbeth! Hail to thee, Thane of Glamis!
Second witch: All hail, Macbeth! Hail to thee, Thane of Cawdor!
Third Witch: All hail, Macbeth, that shalt be King hereafter!” (I, III, 52)
By telling Macbeth his future, they pushed him to listen to both his wife as well as his ambitions, neither of which considered the possible consequences of such an action. Due to these factors, Macbeth chose a rash decision to commit the murder which then led to confusion and more disasters.
All in all, there were several factors that understandably pushed Macbeth into committing himself down the terrible path. This downward spiral originated from the decision to murder King Duncan, a fair and just king, so that he could take the throne for himself. The nature of this murder was pushed by the pressure from Lady Macbeth, his own ambitions and the influence of the witches forseeing the future. Overall, the calculated murder was ruthless and poorly planned as it began the downfall of Macbeth from his former prestigious position.
Witches are the physical embodiment of evil. during the time of King James VI of Scotland, witches were portrayed as sinful creatures that caused disease, deaths, and many unholy acts. in the beginning of the play the witches establish their relationship with Macbeth by giving him his prophecies of becoming the king. Macbeth really trusted the witches and the words that they spoke and that is mainly why Macbeth went into this downwards spiral.
ReplyDeleteFIRST WITCH
All hail, Macbeth! Hail to thee, Thane of Glamis!
SECOND WITCH
All hail, Macbeth! Hail to thee, Thane of Cawdor!
THIRD WITCH
All hail, Macbeth, that shalt be king hereafter! (1.3.51-53)
These prophecies propelled Macbeth to go insane. The witches were corrupting Macbeth's mind while he thinks that they are helping him out by telling him his future. By act IV their relationship has grown even more leading Macbeth to murder any innocent person in his way of claiming the title for king.