...play Macbeth. Written by Shakespeare, Macbeth is the protagonist in Macbeth who strives to become king after hearing of the witches prophecy. Having free will, Macbeth’s life is not predetermined, as he has active control over his actions, choices, and his fate. Macbeth often questions in his own free will due to many of the witches prophecies, which always seem to be true. Macbeth, taking the prophecies as fate, is influenced into killing many of the people close to him and eventually leads to his death. The world seemly lacking free will, the witches appear to see fate. The first lines of the play they state”When shall we three meet again?/ In thunder,...
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...The downfall of Macbeth is most often attributed to either his own ambitions run amok or the influence of his wife's Machiavellian manipulations. The husband and wife work in tandem to bring about the prophecies of the Weird Sisters, and it is Macbeth's hand that does the greater evil deed against Duncan and the only evil against Banqo and MacDuff's family members; in essence the rise of the Macbeths to power is one of shared responsibility. Their downfall is played out on the same road as they travel in opposite directions to and from being responsible for their own fate. The belief in the occult is an element of the play that drives its tragedy; an element that may be lost on modern audiences looking to find motivation for Macbeth's murderous deeds. The belief in prophecy is particularly important in gaining a foothold on understanding the downfall of Macbeth and his Lady. When Macbeth first comes upon the Weird Sister and they roll out the prophecies for both Macbeth and Banquo, and by extension Duncan and his family, more is going on than just a foretelling of the future. The prophecies instill in Macbeth the realization of his dreams, of course, but they also portend that the darkest fears of Macbeth will be realized alongside his dreams. Without Macbeth's unquestioned belief in the occult and acceptance that the Weird Sisters have the power of prophecy, there would be neither a rise nor a fall. If the rise of Macbeth to king can be said to be a combination of belief in...
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...prophesized to be the next heir to the throne of Scotland by three witches. Whether Macbeth chooses to believe the prophecy is entirely not up to him since it already seems that fate had been decided, which is the central theme for the play. In this play, one may believe that he or she have authority over his or her life. However when examining the behavior of Macbeth, supernatural forces become the template for his fate that he is destined to follow. His wife, Lady Macbeth, is an important character because of her influences towards Macbeth. In fact, if it were not for her, Macbeth would probably still be alive by the...
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...fortunes by three witches. However, he and his wife become obsessed with fulfilling the prophecies out of greed, and begin committing murderous crimes to achieve it. His wife, torn with guilt, commits suicide and Macbeth, filled with false confidence, is beheaded. Feminism creates the persuasion for Macbeth to go through with his deceptive plans where he inevitably meets his fate. How did the role of patriarchal society play in female oppression in Macbeth's time period? Because of the patriarchal society assumption of female insignificance, it sets up undermining capabilities to create a unknown dominance in women. As a result of the time, patriarchal culture presumes weakness unto women, creating an unforeseen influence Lady Macbeth. “Patriarchy defines Lady Macbeth’s intelligence as a flaw and as an indicator that she is unnatural and “unfulfilled” as a woman”(Davis, www.studentpulse.com). For that reason, society creates Lady Macbeth to fall into a negligible classification which ultimately questions Macbeth’s capability. This forces him to later undergo the atrocities. For instance, as a result of Macbeth’s masculinity being inferior to Lady Macbeth, in all it creates Macbeth to believe he is a coward which pushes him further into committing the murderous acts where ironically gives ironically gives Lady Macbeth influential power. “‘We fail? But screw your courage to the sticking-place, And we’ll not fail.”’ (Shakespeare, 1, 7, 59-61). Similarly, this expresses the lack...
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...The first chapter is focalized through Achilles and Achilles informs the reader that he knows that he will die prematurely: “That is fixed, inevitable” (Malouf loc 77). Malouf uses Achilles to introduce to the reader the idea of fate and inevitability. Achilles fate is fixed but there is still choice when Achilles acknowledges alternate scenarios for his own death: "it will end here on the beach . . . or out there on the plain” (Malouf loc 77). The second chapter is focalized through Priam. After Hector's death Priam has a dream vision of the messenger god Iris. Rather than being mocked by the gods, Iris tells Priam about how things are and not the way the gods want them: “but the way they have turned out. In a world that is also subject to chance” (Malouf loc 360). There is a warning of danger and the danger lies in individuals taking responsibility for their own actions, becoming self-conscious. Hecuba warns Priam: “Imagine what it would lead to, what would be...
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...In society, humans are never satisfied. They always want more from themselves, from others, and from the world around them. People use ambition to make this happen by challenging fate and striving for what they desire, which could result in good or bad outcomes. Ambition is a desire for change, which can either cause success or destruction in a person. People who are influenced by ambition can achieve great things, whereas others, who are tempted by these desires, and will do anything to achieve them, may be destroyed. The latter is the case in William Shakespeare’s dramatic tragedy, “Macbeth”. In Shakespeare’s play, “Macbeth”, the theme vaulting ambition is portrayed because it leads to Macbeth’s eventual downfall and destruction, and...
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...In the play of 'Macbeth' the witches have an important effect on Macbeth, the characters, the plot, the theme and the audience. They help construct the play and without them it would have been a totally different story line. The three witches effect characters’ lives, orientate the plot, they are related to most of the themes or motifs and appeal the audience's attention. The witches, or three sisters, have a strong effect on the characters of the play- especially Macbeth. When Macbeth meets the witches for the first time, they greet him as the Thane of Cawdor. Macbeth is Thane of Glamis and does not know about Cawdor, he hasn’t heard that the Thane of Cawdor has died. “I know I am Thane of Glamis, But how of Cawdor? The Thane of Cawdor lives” (Act 1 Scene 3). When Macbeth learns that the thane of Cawdor has in fact died, it is almost as if a bit of evil has been put into Macbeth’s head that will soon grow to dominate his mind. In the play the witches, with their spells, plan the downfall of Macbeth. They cannot directly harm him themselves, so they tell Macbeth predictions for his possible future, in order to make him act on them. The witches tell Macbeth that he will become the thane of Cawdor and then king...
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...it’s the Women’s Fault Although there are only about four female characters in the entirety of Macbeth, without them there would be little plot and the play would seem dry and repetitive. The women, especially Lady Macbeth and the witches, are definitely catalysts for some of the major issues in the play such as the murder of Duncan and starting Macbeth on the path of blood. Even though it was the witches who first told Macbeth the prophecy about him being the future king, they cannot control other people’s actions and fates, since every decision that someone makes ultimately changes their destiny. The witches merely planted the idea in Macbeth’s head and boosted his ego by praising him and saying, “all hail Macbeth that shalt be king hereafter”, giving Macbeth the push he needed to become obsessed with the power that being king grants (I.II.). If deep down Macbeth hadn’t had the ambition and urge to be king, the witches wouldn’t have had as much of an influence on Macbeth as they did. Lady Macbeth, however, has a less hands-off approach when it comes to putting the slew of murders into effect. It is her who talks Macbeth into killing Duncan when Macbeth first begins to show signs of weakness and cowardliness. Having second thoughts before committing a murder would seem humane and natural, but Lady Macbeth will have none of it when she says to Macbeth “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). By questioning...
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...Macbeth’s character is a prime example of what happens when ambition leads to a choice that is morally wrong, followed by betrayal of other people in order to advance their own greed or power. Throughout the play of Macbeth three themes are present. Ambition, betrayal, and retribution are evident in the play in numerous different scenarios. Ambition is the source of most, if not all of the problems in this play. It all started with the witches prophecies “All hail Macbeth! Hail to thee Thane of Glamis/All hail Macbeth! Hail to thee thane of Cawdor/” (at this point Macbeth does not know he is the Thane of Cawdor, so when it happens he believes firmly in the witches prophecies). “All hail Macbeth! Shalt be king hereafter (Act 1:3:49-53)”. Macbeth is fascinated to a point where becoming king becomes an obsession for him. Furthermore, this ambition leads him to not only think about being king, but how to eliminate Duncan in order for him to become king. “If it were done, when ‘tis...
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...Macbeth is one of Shakespeare’s most famous tragedies. In the beginning of the play, Macbeth (the main character) is told his fate by three witches. The information that is told to him was misleading.The play presents a series of experiences in which the main character makes decisions that ultimately lead to his death. Continually, throughout the play one will see Macbeth make decisions he regrets, however he turns around and repeats the same actions. Even though Macbeth was told his fate , it does not mean he could not be the author of his own book. Fate is when an event is unavoidable. The three witches tell Macbeth his fate when he is with Banquo, a friend, near Forres. One witch greets Macbeth with the title “Thane of Glamis”. The second witch greets Macbeth with “Thane of Cawdor”. The third witch makes a statement which hints to Macbeth becoming king (1.3.48-50). Banquo and Macbeth knew the witches made precarious remarks but Macbeth was intrigued. For instance, the second witch announced “Lesser than Macbeth, and greater” (1.3.65). The witches vanish, leaving no clarity for Macbeth, who asked many questions. He called them “ imperfect speakers” (1.3.70). Macbeth could not avoid becoming Thane of Cawdor and eventually the...
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...Robert Shea once said, “Anyone who seeks power wants absolute power.” In the tragic play of Macbeth, by William Shakespeare, Macbeth journies through the consequences of a temptation for absolute power. As the Thane of Glamis, Macbeth displays his strength and loyalty toward the king. When the Three Witches come upon him and reveal what will become of him, temptation floods over him and impatience arises. However, Banquo, his war ally, warns Macbeth that even though what the witches said seems favorable, they may have hidden motives that ultimately may not benefit Macbeth. Although Macbeth desires to let fate determine his path, he takes matters into his own hands and seeks instant power. That urge is the very cause of his downfall. He eventually...
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... Macbeth: The Tragic Hero By: Daniel. C "Any art worthy of its name should address 'life', 'man', 'nature', 'death' and 'tragedy'.” (Barnett Newman, BrainQuote) In a tragedy the main character rises to greatness showing characteristics above normality while repeatedly showing proof to the audience about his or her tragic flaw which later on leads to the character’s downfall. Macbeth created tragedy in the lives of his loved ones and peers as well as a monumental tragic fate onto himself during his reversion from being a decent and moral man to someone similar to a devil who had paranoia and couldn’t differentiate between good and evil. Furthermore, Macbeth became detached from the feelings and thoughts of the people around him as he became so engaged in himself as well as the three witches and their prophecies. When Shakespeare wrote this play he slowed down the process of the tragedy so that the audience would acknowledge and experience Macbeth’s success and happiness; slowing signs appeared with foreshadowing techniques leading to the climax of the play as Macbeth headed to his tragic flaw. In the process of the tragedy Macbeth starts as a brave respected warrior, then later is fooled by the witches with prophecies, and sadly becomes lifeless. In the beginning of the play as we first hear of Macbeth from a wounded captain who came from the battlefield, the audience sees Macbeth as a heroic and brave...
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...trickery to a certain extent by them but his ambition and paranoia also played a big role and contributed as well to his downfall. The witches provoked evil images in Macbeth’s head as the prophecies were very tempting to Macbeth but, because his better judgment overcame his evil thoughts he decided not do anything about it and pushed the evil thoughts out of his head. Once the second prophecy came true he immediately started thinking about the third prophecy which excited him and made him fearful of the evil thoughts in his head. “I am thane of Cawdor: If good, why do I yield to that suggestion whose horrid image doth unfix my hair and make my seated heart knock at my ribs, against the use of nature? Present fears are less than horrible imaginings: my thought, whose murder yet is but fantastical, shakes so my single state of man that function is smother'd in surmise, and nothing is but what is not.” Once again his conscience overcame his evil thoughts and he made a wise decision on what he must do. “If chance will have me king, why, chance may crown me, without my stir”. Although, he was still very intrigued by the witches now that both predictions came true and him becoming King was straight after the second prediction. As soon as Malcom was announced the Prince of Cumberland he immediately forgets about his wise decision and his powerful ambition turns into greed. “The Prince of Cumberland! That is a step on which I must fall down, or else o'erleap, for in my way it lies. Stars,...
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...exactly when he went to London but he is said to have arrived in 1592. There is great conjecture about Shakespeare's childhood years, especially regarding his education. It is surmised by scholars that Shakespeare attended the free grammar school in Stratford, which at the time had a reputation to rival that of Eton. While there are no records extant to prove this claim, Shakespeare's knowledge of Latin and Classical Greek would tend to support this theory. In addition, Shakespeare's first biographer, Nicholas Rowe, wrote that John Shakespeare had placed William "for some time in a free school." John Shakespeare, as a Stratford official, would have been granted a waiver of tuition for his son. As the records do not exist, we do not know how long William attended the school, but certainly the literary quality of his works suggest a solid education. What is certain is...
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...A TEACHER’S GUIDE TO THE SIGNET CLASSIC EDITION OF WILLIAM SHAKESPEARE’S MACBETH LINDA NEAL UNDERWOOD S E R I E S E D I T O R S : W. GEIGER ELLIS, ED.D., ARTHEA J. S. REED, PH.D., UNIVERSITY OF GEORGIA, EMERITUS and UNIVERSITY OF NORTH CAROLINA, RETIRED A Teacher’s Guide to the Signet Classic Edition of William Shakespeare’s Macbeth 2 INTRODUCTION William Shakespeare developed many stories into excellent dramatizations for the Elizabethan stage. Shakespeare knew how to entertain and involve an audience with fast-paced plots, creative imagery, and multi-faceted characters. Macbeth is an action-packed, psychological thriller that has not lost its impact in nearly four hundred years. The politically ambitious character of Macbeth is as timely today as he was to Shakespeare's audience. Mary McCarthy says in her essay about Macbeth, "It is a troubling thought that Macbeth, of all Shakespeare's characters, should seem the most 'modern,' the only one you could transpose into contemporary battle dress or a sport shirt and slacks." (Signet Classic Macbeth) Audiences today quickly become interested in the plot of a blindly ambitious general with a strong-willed wife who must try to cope with the guilt engendered by their murder of an innocent king in order to further their power. The elements of superstition, ghosts, and witchcraft, though more readily a part of everyday life for the Renaissance audience, remain intriguing to modern teenagers. The action-packed...
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