... The Nature of Man To quote Buddha, “It’s a man’s own mind, not his enemy or foe that lures him to evil ways.” In essence, this quotation denotes that because every human being has a brain, they also possess the ability to think and act in a malicious and inhumane manner. Considering this, William Golding, the author of Lord of the Flies, illustrates that uncivil behaviour will prevail on the adult-free island. In a like manner, Macbeth by Shakespeare gives insight to the lengths people will go to so that one can achieve personal profits at a rapid pace. Through similar fashions, both novels depict the true nature of human beings. Similarities between the characters of Jack from the Lord of the Flies and Macbeth from Macbeth reveal that power and greed is the root of all evil. In addition, the use of knives and representation of blood in both novels plays large roles in the quests for power. Also, similarities in plot structure help to further establish the sinful nature of humans. One can conclude that both Macbeth and Lord of the Flies give insight to the fact that human nature is predominantly evil through the characterization of Jack and Macbeth, symbolism of knives and blood and similarities within plot structure. Initially, the predominantly evil aspects of human nature show through the characterization of Jack and Macbeth. In the Lord of the Flies, the society the boys live in begins to crumble as Jack becomes...
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...brought upon by selfishness and greed. Once one is corrupted with power they will do anything and everything they can to obtain more of what they want. How you use your power defines your character. In the play “Macbeth”, power is a corrupting force that can change a man’s character and cause him to act in evil ways. Corruption can be motivated by power and the advantages people see in it. In “Macbeth”, Macbeth gets a little power and soon begins to want it all. Macbeth and Lady Macbeth make a plan to kill Duncan, the king, “But I worry about weather or not you have what it takes to seize the crown.”...
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...In William Shakespeare's Macbeth the witches play an important role throughout the play. Although it may seem that their part is small, without them there would simply be no theme and storyline in this play. The witches provide readers with a theme, foreshadowing, overall mood and also the evolution of Macbeth’s character which are all crucial in the play. The witches believe that, “Fair is foul, and foul is fair” (I.I.XII), stating that what may seem normal or ordinary on the outside may not be the same on the inside. This quote is repeated throughout Macbeth and presents itself as a major theme in the play. It shows that what seems normal or ordinary on the outside may not be the same on the inside. The prophecies that the witches tell Macbeth...
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...Clayton Prescott Macbeth Final Essay Macbeth’s life was great in the beginning, but turned into a disaster in the end. Macbeth was in a situation of power and success and ended up throwing it away due to greed, envy and power hunger. One could call his story a success because he got the power he wanted and was respected and feared by many of his people. Macbeth also had controlled and manipulated people he thought could be of service to him, and he ruined their lives also. Lady Macbeth was changed completely and was the sole reason that they would not be able to keep their murders hidden. Lady Macbeth was sleepwalking and a worker had heard her talking of the tragedies that she and Macbeth had committed. Macbeth was very regretful of the...
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...It is not uncommon for a war veteran plagued with PTSD to desire a solitary life in the mountains. Throughout Shakespeare’s tragic play of Macbeth, Macbeth makes several bad decisions. By the end of Act V, the consequences of these decisions catch up to Macbeth, and result in his mental deterioration and downfall. Macbeth’s character traits are the driving forces in this mental deterioration. These character traits include his blind ambition, his guilt, and also his false hopes. Macbeth’s tragic flaw, his blind ambition, is a large contributing factor to his mental deterioration. In the course of the play, Macbeth has a tendency to make decisions out of his desire for power. One example of this greed is when the three witches prophesize that Macbeth will become Thane of Cawdor, and later, king of Scotland. When the first prophecy comes true, Macbeth becomes over powered by greed and murders Duncan so that he may become king. In a letter sent to Lady Macbeth, Macbeth states that, “‘Hail, king that shalt be!’/ This have I thought good to deliver thee, my dearest/ partner of greatness; that thou mightest not lose the/ dues of rejoicing” (I, v,...
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...Ismail Abouesh Period 4 Mr.Girt Bite off more then you can chew In the play Macbeth, we have a hero who struggles within himself on what's right and whats wrong. He begins to want things that are out of his hands and he's willing to do whatever it takes to achieve what he set out for. Everything that happened because of this greed is what led to his demise. In this quote it shows to what lengths Macbeth was willing to go to to be king. “To be thus is nothing, but to be safely thusour fears in Banquo stick deep” This quote shows a lot about Macbeth’s true character. He’s already king but he wants no chance of anyone taking this away from him. He’s also willing to kill his best friend just so he can have the throne to himself. What Macbeth failed to grasp though, is that it's not going to be anyone else that takes this away from him, but himself through his misactions. He had already had so much but that wasn’t enough for him, he wanted more. So this is why the play is truly the tragedy of Macbeth.. I was in 7th grade when we went to egypt for the summer. I am always glad to celebrate my birthday there because my family always usually spoil me and get me many gifts. I have had the luxury thankfully of being a part of a well off family, so when it came time to when my parents asked me what i wanted, I must’ve told them a million things. I had no appreciation for the value of money because I Grew up getting what i wanted...
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...is a classic example of an individual who once was a hero but because of his greed and thirst for power, he turned into a savage murder full of regret and guilt. During the beginning of the play macbeth seemed normal without any signs of a mental unstability. But throughout play, Macbeth started to hallucinate and things turned for the worst with ultimately influenced the outcomes of events in the play. Many actions by Macbeth lead him to his ultimate declining mental state. The play starts out with Macbeth and Banquo meeting three witches. The three witches plays a huge role in this play because without the witches prophecies,...
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...In the play, The Tragedy of Macbeth, William Shakespeare develops the theme of hunger for power through the use of irony, foreshadowing, and symbolism. Shakespeare ultimately proves that hunger for power can mislead a person from situations and turn good intentions, to bad intentions all because of there blind lust. Power, as grand as it may be, can always be misleading. William Shakespeare, often called the English national poet, is widely considered the greatest dramatist of all time. Known throughout the world, the works of William Shakespeare have been performed, taught, and studied for more than 400 years. William Shakespeare was born in 1564 to a successful middle-class glove maker in Stratford Upon-Avon, and created the play “Macbeth” in 1606. In 1582 William at the age of 18, married an older woman named Anne Hathaway. They had three children, Susanna, Hamnet and Juliet. Their only son Hamnet died aged just 11. By the early Seventeenth Century, Shakespeare had begun to write plays in the genre of tragedy. These plays, such as Hamlet, Othello, Macbeth and King Lear, often hinge on some fatal flaw in the lead character, and provide intriguing insights into the darker aspects of human nature. You can now see where this comes into play in other situations Macbeth is a play of contradiction and ambition. Macbeth, a well-known war general driven to become King, killed not only King Duncan to receive his kingship, but also all the heirs to the thrown which happened...
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...In Macbeth written by William Shakespeare, the characterization of Macbeth is developed in his soliloquy through the use of diction, metaphors, and the motif of vaulting ambition. In the scene, Macbeth’s soliloquy takes the reader through his internal conflict and he weighs his options, reflecting on the choice he has to make. Shakespeare uses diction in Macbeth’s soliloquy to show the reader his indecisiveness. Macbeth has contradictory feelings on whether or not he should follow through with the “assassination” (1.7.3) of Duncan. Shakespeare chooses words like if, were, could, might, and but to show how difficult the decision is for Macbeth. “If it were done when 'tis done, then 'twere well / It were done quickly. If the assassination / Could trammel up the consequence” (1.7.1-3). This quote explains that he would kill Duncan if it were done quickly and without the...
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...example in the story Macbeth by William Shakespeare, the main character Macbeth, is highly influenced by three Witches and his wife to do terrible and unforgettable deeds. Therefore the three Witches, Lady Macbeth, and Macbeth all share blame for the mysterious tragedies that are afflicted on various characters. “Double, double toil and and trouble,” the three Witches cackled as they persuaded and foreshadowed Macbeth’s future empire and mistakes. As of this quote this is the first time that the Witches have appeared and told Macbeth about various actions and foreshadowed prophecies. The three Witches state, “All hail, Macbeth! Hail to thee, Thane of Glamis!/ All hail, Macbeth! Hail to thee, Thane of Cawdor!/ All hail, Macbeth, that shalt be King hereafter!” (Act I, sc 3...
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... A famous quote in Macbeth this is, and one of many that proves guilt a significant theme in the story. As it was guilt that softened Macbeth’s ambition and callousness, and guilt that urged Macbeth to commit continuous murders. It was also guilt who drove Lady Macbeth to insanity. As mentioned above, guilt plays a significant role, and can also be referred to as the “master mind” behind the tragedy of Macbeth. It softened Macbeth’s ambition in the beginning as he was reluctant to kill Duncan for the crown. However, with much persuading done by Lady Macbeth the murder was committed by the hands of Macbeth. After his first murder, Macbeth’s mind was obviously engulfed by guilt. He claims his hands which are covered in blood can dye all the oceans red instead of the oceans washing away the red pigment dying his hands. He also says, “Still it cried, “sleep no more!” to all the house: “Glamis hath murder’d sleep: and therefore Cawdor shall sleep no more: Macbeth shall sleep no more.” This shows that Macbeth is guilty about killing Duncan since he is hearing voices accuse him of Duncan’s death and that he and his home will suffer. While Macbeth is in an unstable state of mind, Lady Macbeth on the other hand is calm and comforts Macbeth telling him he must not think too much or he will go mad. Guilt haunts Macbeth throughout the play and can be shown in Act 3 where Macbeth claims to see the ghost of Banquo after he has ordered murderers to kill him. Guilt caused Macbeth to be unable...
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...this essay, I will be looking at ways in which William Shakespeare shows sympathy and dislike for Macbeth. I will refer to historical context as well as the play on a whole. The play Macbeth which was set in Scotland, was written by William Shakespeare in the early 1600’s. This play was a tragedy and was written for King James I a year after the gunpowder plot. The play was to some extent a tale to caution any potential killers of the king (regicides) as to what would happen to them if they attempted to blow up King James and his parliament as Guy Fawkes did. Macbeth starts out as a very brave warrior. On his way back from fighting the Norwegians he encountered the three witches who told him that he would become king and Thane of Cawdor. Upon his return the first part of the prophecy came true. Macbeth informs his wife of the predictions and she tries to persuade him to kill Duncan. Macbeth yields to temptation and becomes very heartless killing everyone in his path so that he could become king. He became king and eventually died when he was defeated in war against Macduff. We first feel sympathy for Macbeth in Act 1 Scene 7. In this scene, his wife, Lady Macbeth, persuades him to kill King Duncan in order to fulfil the second part of the witches’ prophecy. Macbeth considers reasons why he should not kill King Duncan. Evidence of this is in Macbeth’s soliloquy, and i quote” First, as I am his kinsman and his subject, Strong both against the deed; then, as his host, Who...
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...The Castle is meant to symbolize Macbeth’s reputation to others; the home represents the homeowner to those who view the house. It is his original castle, Inverness. Inverness, the word, means ‘a sleeveless cloak with a removable cape.’ For Macbeth, a cloak that masks his true intentions. Also, a castle is traditionally a symbol of grandeur and nobility. One placed on the top of a mountain or hill (the castle used is placed on a hill) characterizes strength. These impressive traits are meant to showcase the original reputation of Macbeth as a noble and successful General of the King’s Army. Castles are also symbols of power, which Macbeth has and his greed for is evident throughout the play (same for Lady Macbeth). However, the picture...
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...which. Shakespeare didn’t write “heroes” and “villains.” He wrote real people with real flaws, who were all equally capable of committing good and evil. One of the most important themes in Macbeth involves the witches' statement in Act 1, Scene1 that "fair is foul and foul is fair." (Act 1, Scene 1, Line 10) This phrase aptly describes the macabre status quo within the character Macbeth and without. When Macbeth and Banquo first see the weird sisters, Banquo is horrified by their hideous appearances. Conversely, Macbeth immediately began to converse with these universally known evil creatures. After hearing their prophecies, one can say that Macbeth considered the witches to be "fair" when in reality their intentions were quite "foul." Macbeth's possession of the titles of Thane of Glamis, Thane of Cawdor and King of Scotland came by foul means. Macbeth became the Thane of Glamis by his father Sinel's death; he became Thane of Cawdor when the former namesake was executed for treason; and he was ordained King of Scotland after murdering the venerable Duncan. Thus, Macbeth has a rather ghastly way of advancing in life. This theme is further verified by King Duncan's statement "There's no art/ To find the mind's construction in the face." (Act 1, Scene 4, Lines 11-12) Although Macbeth has the semblance of the amicable and dutiful host, ("fair") he is secretly plotting Duncan's death...
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...Tragedy of Macbeth "Be bloody, bold, and resolute! Laugh to scorn The pow'r of man, for none of woman born Shall harm Macbeth" (Act 4, Scene 1, Lines 79 - 81). This is a quote of three evil witches from the play The Tragedy of Macbeth. The plot of the play is about a loyal and honest man named Macbeth who takes the foretelling of the three sisters into his own hands. Macbeth murders many people whom he believes are in his way. The witches in The Tragedy of Macbeth are three of the most important characters of the entire play. It is because of them that there is a tragedy to begin with. Though the sisters do not appear in the play very often, their appearances are important due to their unexpected foretelling. Their characteristics lead Macbeth from a life of victory, to a terrible death. Shakespeare characterizes the witches as prophets, old, and manipulative. Also, the three evil sisters have significant themes. They are the face of greed, egocentrism, and destruction. One of the characteristics of the witches is their ability to foretell the future. In act one, scene three of the play, the witches make their first forecast. “All hail, Macbeth! Hail to thee, Thane of Glamis! All hail, Macbeth! Hail to thee, Thane of Cawdor! All hail, Macbeth, that shalt be king hereafter!” (Act 1, Scene3, lines 49-50). The sisters tell Macbeth he will be Thane of Cawdor and that he would also be king. Later in the play, the predictions are proven to be true. When Lady Macbeth learns the...
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