Free Essay

A Comparison of Macbeth with Other Texts

In: English and Literature

Submitted By charlsmith1111
Words 1871
Pages 8
Shakespeare won’t have included this scene just as a way to present the disturbed characters; he will have included it to impress the people watching the play. Religious believers in that time believed in the idea of the religious order, which was the belief that God has created an ordered system for both nature and human kind, every creature/person has a place and the order should not be disrupted. Including the porter scene in the play would of reinforced this belief, as the King was seen to be at the top of this ordered system, meaning once he was murdered this order had been disrupted. This scene showed some the effects of the link between man and God being severed through Pathetic Fallacy. Another way in which Shakespeare would have tried to impress his audience, mainly the monarch at the time (King James 1st) was through the character Banquo. King James believed himself to be a descendent of Banquo, therefore he was written to be a noble, wise and regal man whose good qualities tended to make some of the other characters, particularly Macbeth, envy him. King James 1 considered himself to be an expert on witchcraft, he wrote a book which stated that witches made a pact with the devil, so including the evil ways of the witches and showing them to be dark creatures that turn good loyal men into murderers would have pleased the King as that is how he viewed them himself.
If you continue to look into Macbeth’s character, he starts to spiral out of control very quickly. He starts to fear betrayal, which is extremely ironic considering the amount he has already betrayed his king and his country. “But to be safely thus. Our fears in Banquo, stick deep; and in his royalty of nature.” Macbeth is worrying whether he can trust Banquo because of him witnessing Macbeth’s conversation with the witches; this is the point where Macbeth decides that it would be easier to kill Banquo than to risk being caught. He is talking in very short sentences, which may have been done to show Macbeth’s fear and nerves towards the situation. He knows what he has done and he knows that the consequences will result in his death, which ultimately means him losing the power he has gained for himself. This shows just how disturbed Macbeth character has become, reaching the stage where he thinks of murder as a very insignificant thing, he is willing to kill anybody who threatens his position of power and control. This side of his character links him to the character Salome, in one of the other texts that I have studied (a poem by Carol Ann Duffy named after that character). She is presented as a serial killer right from the start of the poem by saying “I’d done it before” and then goes on to say very casually “I woke up to a head on the pillow beside me – whose?” referring to the head of a man which she had killed previously only to behead him and place his head on the pillow next to her to sleep next to it. This shows that she, like Macbeth, views murder as insignificant. This poem was not written in the same era as Macbeth was written, but the audience would have still responded in a similar way. It makes you feel how disturbed the character has become / how disturbed the character is.
Salome however, does not have the extreme fear of betrayal and the trust issues which Macbeth has, but he does share this trait with The Duke, from another poem which I have studied, named “My last duchess” by Robert Browning. He says “She thanked men – good! But thanked – somehow – I know not how.” In this quote, he is discussing his last duchess and hinting that he believed that she was unfaithful towards him. The way he speaks in this quote is very broken up, which could either show his anger towards the situation or it could show that he was unsure whether to share the information, as not to make himself look as if he couldn’t control his wife. This would have been more important during that time as women were still seen in a stereotypical way, they were meant to be mild and feminine whereas the man would have all the power. Throughout the poem he continues to make comments about how she looked at other men, which shows that he was so scared of being betrayed by her and having his pride wounded, that he noticed everything she did and said to other men. “She liked whatever she looked on, and her looks went everywhere.” He is also a very arrogant character, in one case referring to himself as on the level of a God, “Notice Neptune, though, taming a seahorse.” He is comparing himself to Neptune, the God of the sea who carried the trident and was extremely powerful, and then comparing his last duchess to the seahorse that needed to be controlled or “tamed”. It could be said that his excessive pride was his Hubris that lead to him committing Hamartia, him killing his wives whenever they go against the way he views in his head that they should act, will eventually lead to his downfall as a character.
The Duke is very similar to Macbeth and Lady Macbeth in many ways, but mainly in the way he wishes to have complete control. Macbeth loves to have control and power over people, hence his overwhelming ambition to become a man in a high position who is able to have power over anybody he wishes. Lady Macbeth likes to control Macbeth, and is able to do so by taking advantage of the fact he is easily manipulated and has weaknesses within his character, so that she can feel herself that she is a strong powerful woman. The Duke keeps a curtain over the painting of his last duchess so that he can have control over her even after she is dead. “Since none puts by the curtain I have drawn for you, but I.” The Duke speaks very confidently here because he knows that he is in control, he controls who looks at the painting but also who the painting is able to look at. Robert Browning has made it so that the painting has been personified by The Duke, showing that he is unable to let go of what happened and has become obsessed with ensuring that she is incapable of looking at other men, even after he has made it impossible for her to do so by killing her.
Obsession is something which is common among disturbed characters, Lady Macbeth becomes obsessed with a spot of blood on her hand which she sees in her sleep and attempts several times to wash off but is never successful. At this stage Lady Macbeth is at the main part of her downfall which is clear to the audience through the way she becomes manic in her speech. “Out, damned spot! Out, I say!” She is trying to remain in control by commanding the spot just like she has previously in the play when talking to Macbeth, but she is failing. This scene links back to what Macbeth said after killing Duncan, “Macbeth does murder sleep.” It is not only Macbeth who has killed the peace inside of him, Lady Macbeth has also become so deeply disturbed by the events that she is unable to sleep because of what she has done. Still, before this point in the play Lady Macbeth has shown to be a lot more focussed and determined than Macbeth, “Are you a man?” This type of behaviour breaks a lot of the stereotypes around women in that era. A Jacobean audience would have been shocked by this because it was not seen as a normal thing for the woman of the relationship to appear more able than the man. A modern audience may react differently considering the developments within society’s view of women. However, there are points in the play where she doubts herself as a woman and sees it as a disadvantage to her. In her soliloquy Lady Macbeth says “unsex me” and “thicken my blood.” She wishes to be “unsexed” because she doesn’t think that she can do anything as well as she could if she didn’t have her gender holding her back and she wants her blood to be thickened so that she doesn’t have to feel pity or guilt, meaning that she can be as evil as she wishes and have no mental related consequences. Shakespeare includes the several soliloquies during the play so that the audience get a view of the true thoughts and feelings of the disturbed characters; this is part of the way the disturbed characters are presented to us as the audience.
Lady Macbeth’s extreme guilt towards what she has done is something which is the complete opposite to the character Salome, the poem has a very casual tone throughout as if she doesn’t really care about what she has done, whereas Macbeth has a very tense atmosphere throughout most of the play. For example, Salome begins talking about breakfast while she has the head of a dead man next to her in her bed. “I knew I’d feel better, for tea, dry toast, no butter.” Salome feels no guilt for what she does; this is shown when she says “In Salome’s bed.” She is referring to herself in the third person which shows that she may feel as if she is not responsible for her actions meaning that she doesn’t have to feel guilty about what she does. She feels as if it is another person doing the things she does. Alternatively, talking about herself in the third person could also show that she is big headed and just enjoys mentioning her own name. This is also shown when she says “In the mirror, I saw my eyes glitter.” She is clearly very narcissistic, which is a common trait of a disturbed character. This will have been included so that the extent of Salome’s disturbed mind can be clearly shown to the reader. Salome and The Duke share similar traits, such as their excessive arrogance / self-assurance. Salome has a high level of intelligence, which is presented to us by the author when Salome shows that she plays clear attention to detail, again, this is a trait that is shared by many people with disturbed minds. “Her innocent clatter, of cups and plates, her clearing of clutter.” The repetition of the “C” sound may sound like “cut” which relates to what Salome did to her victims (beheaded them). When choosing her victims it seems that Salome goes for men with biblical names, “What was his name? Peter? Simon? Andrew? John?” this could show that she has something against religion or that each of the men did something which was a sin, meaning in her mind they deserved to die for disgracing their religious name. This is a strong link back to Macbeth, the theme of the religious order being destroyed and the link between God and man being severed.

Similar Documents

Premium Essay

Is Banquo A Sympathetic Character Essay

...The tragedy Macbeth is a tragedy written by the playwright William Shakespeare and first performed in 1606. There are many major characters that have a serious impact on the text, but the most likeable of these characters has been Banquo. Banquo is the Thane of Lochaber and a sympathetic character despite his initial ambition, and plays a major role in Macbeth’s descent to a tragic end. He has several traits that make him a likeable character, each played upon by Shakespeare to reach the reader further. Banquo is a sympathetic character in the play because he follows that path that Macbeth strayed from; he refused to aid in the plot to murder the king, and immediately distrusted the witches when he met them. His first good trait is his loyalty. From the very beginning, Banquo likes King Duncan and remains obedient to him; the witch’s prediction in Act 1 sets Banquo...

Words: 495 - Pages: 2

Premium Essay

Be Not Proud: Macduff's Contemptuous Condem

...Death, Be Not Proud”: Macduff’s Contemptuous Condemnation of Macbeth In life, the most disarming fear experienced by mankind is of the absence of life. Death is the most frightening fate of mankind and the inevitable fate of all living things. The fact that death cannot be evaded, and that it is impossible for the living to have an accurate concept of death is the root cause of fear derived from it; all life will inevitably be consumed by the mysterious and destructive power of death. William Shakespeare’s Macbeth is punctuated by moments of murder and death caused by the hands of the power-delirious title character. John Donne’s Holy Sonnet X “Death, Be Not Proud” exhibits arguments that challenge the integrity of death’s power. The...

Words: 1212 - Pages: 5

Premium Essay

Cultural Differences In Macbeth

...indoctrinated to completely understand the cultural setting of every other known existing civilization. Granted, a few are taught in depth about past groups, and, likewise, have a better understanding of their arts and social relationships. Nonetheless, not all modern humans are trained to this capacity. Therefore, in creating a movie from an aged story designed to reach the masses, one must consider differences in cultural understanding and the strongest ways to communicate ideas from the past. Of course, those core ideas themselves must be timeless for this concept to work, even if surrounding methods of presentation must be altered....

Words: 1671 - Pages: 7

Free Essay

Analyse and Compare How Lady Macbeth and Curley's Wife Are Presented Shakespeare’s ' Macbeth' and Steinbeck’s ‘of Mice and Men’

...Lady Macbeth and Curley's wife are presented Shakespeare’s ' Macbeth' and Steinbeck’s ‘Of Mice and Men’ In the Shakespearean play of ‘Macbeth’ we are introduced to the character of Lady Macbeth. Similarly in John Steinbeck's novella Of Mice of Men we also presented with an equally diverse character of Curley's wife. ‘Macbeth’ was written during the early 17th century, and was a play 'fit for a king'. It outlines a couple's ambition to become rulers of Scotland and sees them fulfil this ambition and in doing so, killing the king in the process. Despite being written during patriarchal Jacobean society, Lady Macbeth is a female protagonist. Throughout the play, through Lady Macbeth's actions we are forced to believe that she is evil. In contrast, in the novel John Steinbeck tells a story of dreams, hopes and loneliness. We are introduced to a majorly significant and complex character, named Curley’s wife. Steinbeck shows us that Curley’s wife is flirtatious, mischievous (despite the patriarchal society of the 1930’s) but most of all she is an isolated character. Her hasty marriage to Curley proves to be failed attempt to escape her own spiral of disappointment of not fulfilling her ambition of becoming an actress. This ironically is a main theme in both texts. This essay will analyse and compare the presentation of Lady Macbeth and Curley's wife through structure, themes, what is said about them, their actions and what they themselves say. Established within both texts is a...

Words: 2335 - Pages: 10

Free Essay

Middleton's the Witch

...Thomas Middleton was an English dramatist during the reign of King James I. He was born in London on April 18th, 1580, and started his writing career at the age of 17. Most of his early plays were written in collaboration with other playwrights. Between 1613 and 1618 he mostly wrote “tragi-comedies.” And after 1621 he wrote tragedies - including one of his most famous works, The Changling. Middleton died, only 47, in 1627. Middleton's plays are marked by their cynicism about the human race. True heroes are rare almost every character is selfish, greedy, and self-absorbed. When Middleton does portray good people, the characters have small roles and are presented as flawless. Middleton's primary source for material on witches was the Discovery of Witchcraft , written by Reginald Scot (1584),from which the playwright drew invocations, demons' names, and potion ingredients. The other source he used is the situation of a historical Duke and Duchess of Ravenna, related in the Florentine Histories, by Niccolò Machiavelli. The first few lines of Hecate, the Lead Witch, alone entering the scene ,in Act 1, scene 2, derive from Scot’s accounts of the St. Osyth Witches: Heccat: Titty and Tiffin! Suckin and Pidgen! Liard and Robin! White Spirits, Black Spirits, Gray Spirits, Red Spirits! Devil-toad, Devil-ram! Devil-cat, and Devil-Dam! With a great Invocation of Witch-Spirits- Heccat the Witch-Queen (leader of her Witch-Coven) sweeps onto the stage. The St. Osyth Witches of Essex represent...

Words: 1932 - Pages: 8

Premium Essay

Love

...White Victim or Manipulator? How do Shakespeare in ‘Macbeth’ and Steinbeck in ‘Of Mice of Men’ present female characters? Both Shakespeare and Steinbeck have presented their characters in ‘Macbeth’ and ‘Of Mice and Men’ as women who possess the features of a manipulator and a victim. Both elements are a question of power; manipulation being able to overpower someone else, whereas a victim is a subject to someone else’s power. Lady Macbeth and Curley’s wife both manipulate men using their femininity: Curley’s wife shows this as she manipulates the men on the ranch using her appearance and Lady Macbeth uses her sexuality to persuade her husband to kill the king and by welcoming Duncan into her home, even though she was plotting to kill him. Alternatively, there are differences between the two women, as Curley’s wife is lonely and isolated on the ranch, her husband disrespects her and is disliked by all the men on the ranch and as a result, manipulates the men innocently to get some attention. Lady Macbeth desires power and fame, and acts manipulatively and selfishly to get what she wants. Lady Macbeth is upperclass, giving her more freedom to do what she wanted. She had status, wealth, glamour and equal partnership with her husband. This was very unusual for the time- Shakespeare has presented her as a very modern anti-heroine. The writers have also presented the women as victims of their gender. During the time each text was written women had restrictions placed on their gender...

Words: 2728 - Pages: 11

Premium Essay

Macbeth

...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...

Words: 8499 - Pages: 34

Premium Essay

Analysis

...argument. You will find that an ‘argument’ essay is easier to plan, more fulfilling to write and for your teacher (or the examiner)... a pleasure to mark (and that’s no bad thing!!). It’s important to get one thing out of the way at the outset: an essay question has no ‘right’ answer. You can breathe easy on that one. It’s just not like that. This is English and we leave those kinds of ‘right answers’ to the mathematicians and scientists. An English essay is not an ‘answer’ in that way at all, rather, it’s an informed opinion; but, like all opinions, it’ll require explanation, argument and support. It requires you to argue your case. What’s the first thing you do when you set about starting an essay? Many people start by searching through the text on which their essay is based in the hope of finding suitable quotations to help ‘answer’ the essay question. Well, there’s no getting away from this basic process, but there are ways to make it altogether more efficient, useful and most importantly, more likely to earn a higher grade. More on this later. The Argument Essay The secret of a good essay? Write it as an argument for what you believe! What is there to argue about? Plenty! You’ll be arguing to support your point of view on the essay question - one that you’ve boldly stated in the opening lines of the essay! “This is what I believe and I’m going to show you why I believe it..!” This is a view you’ll have developed after careful reflection and consideration on what the essay question...

Words: 5570 - Pages: 23

Free Essay

Stylistic Devices

...Stylistic devices Repetition and Variation |stylistic device |definition |translation |example |effect | |alliteration |recurrence of initial sound |Alliteration |“The fair breeze blew, |to convey auditory images | | | | |the white foam flew.” | | |accumulation |series of expressions (adjectives, cliches, |Anhäufung |“He came, saw, fought and won” |to make the language livelier | | |examples, images) that contribute increasingly to | | | | | |meaning | | | | |anaphora |repetition of first word(s) of line/clause |Anapher |In every town, in every house...

Words: 1262 - Pages: 6

Free Essay

Books

...|stylistic device |definition |translation |example |effect | |alliteration |recurrence of initial sound |Alliteration |“The fair breeze blew, |to convey auditory images | | | | |the white foam flew.” | | |accumulation |series of expressions (adjectives, cliches, |Anhäufung |“He came, saw, fought and won” |to make the language livelier | | |examples, images) that contribute increasingly to | | | | | |meaning | | | | |anaphora |repetition of first word(s) of line/clause |Anapher |In every town, in every house in every man, in every|to stress the main point ...

Words: 1251 - Pages: 6

Free Essay

Compatible Essay

...compare • positions on an issue (e.g., responses to healthcare in Canada and the United States) • theories (e.g., capitalism and communism) • figures (e.g., Auto production in the United States and Britain) • texts (e.g., Shakespeare’s Hamlet and Macbeth) • events (e.g., the Great Depression and the global financial crisis of 2008–9) Although the assignment may say “compare,” the assumption is that you will consider both the similarities and differences; in other words, you will compare and contrast. Make sure you know the basis for comparison The assignment sheet may say exactly what you need to compare, or it may ask you to come up with a basis for comparison yourself. • Provided by the question: The question may ask that you consider the gradual loss of morals by major characters in Yann Martel’s Life of Pi and George Orwell’s Animal Farm. The basis for comparison will be the loss of morals by central figures in each text. • Developed by you: The question may simply ask that you compare the two novels. If so, you will need to develop a basis for comparison, that is, a theme, concern, or device common to both works from which you can draw similarities and differences. Develop a list of similarities and differences Once you know your basis for comparison, think critically about the similarities and differences between the items you are comparing, and compile a list of them. For example, you might decide that in Life of Pi, Pi simultaneously experiences a gradual...

Words: 1578 - Pages: 7

Free Essay

Climate Change Reaction Paper

...academic English. However, even if there arguably are core aspects and skills, it is important to acknowledge the fact that many differences exist when it comes to how certain disciplines grapple the challenges of writing academic discourse. The question, then, is whether we should rather talk about Academic Writings, to highlight this heterogeneity. A General Approach Indeed, in the debate on teaching approaches to Academic Writing (AW), there are proponents of a more generalised stance. The advocates of such an approach argue that there are commonalities across academic writing and that a number of core skills can and should be taught (see e.g. Bloor & Bloor, 1986). These core skills could have to do with features of academic prose and text-type patterns that recur in academic writing across disciplines. One of the more frequently proposed arguments in favour of a generalised approach is the lack of subject knowledge and expertise among writing instructors. Such lack of knowledge places restrictions on what can be taught and consequently focus should be placed on more broad principles. Examples of more general features of academic writing and characteristics that are frequently argued to exist across disciplines are specialist vocabulary, impersonal voice, and the way in which ideas are packed into relatively few words (Hyland 2006). It is not uncommon, for example, to see authors of books on academic writing postulate generalised, clear-cut differences between academic writing...

Words: 1415 - Pages: 6

Premium Essay

Letter from the Understudy

...“Letter from the Understudy” The price for fame, attention and recognition can be high – and yet so many people around the world, want to achieve it. At times, the aim for these achievements can result in horrible situations that might end up hurting more people than you thought. In the short story “Letter from the Understudy”, by the famous British writer Katryn Simmonds, the protagonist draws to psychotic measures to keep up with his fellow actor on his journey to fame. This essay will analyze and interpret the narrative technique, the many references to Shakespeare and his works and a characterization of the protagonist, Gavin. The short story’s protagonist is Gavin Pollard who lives in London and works as an actor. The text is formed as a letter from Gavin to Malcolm – the director of a play, in which Gavin plays the understudy. In the personal letter Gavin tries to explain a crime he has committed towards his fellow actor, Alex, who plays the leading role of the play. In the letter Gavin writes about his passion for the theatre and that he really wants to be in the spotlight – just for once. His jealous feelings towards Alex results in a purchase from a Chinese herbalist, which is used to poison Alex. Because of the poisoning Alex gets sick, with a short-term stomachache, and therefore Gavin gets the chance to perform in front of the audience. After the performance, Gavin gets the attention that he so badly wants, which makes him greedy. He gets his friend to round...

Words: 1151 - Pages: 5

Premium Essay

Independent

...http://mrbraiman.home.att.net/lit.htm   Literary devices refers to any specific aspect of literature, or a particular work, which we can recognize, identify, interpret and/or analyze. Both literary elements and literary techniques can rightly be called literary devices.   Literary elements refers to aspects or characteristics of a whole text. They are not “used,” per se, by authors; we derive what they are from reading the text. Most literary elements can be derived from any and all texts; for example, every story has a theme, every story has a setting, every story has a conflict, every story is written from a particular point-of-view, etc. In order to be discussed legitimately, literary elements must be specifically identified for that text.   Literary techniques refers to any specific, deliberate constructions of language which an author uses to convey meaning. An author’s use of a literary technique usually occurs with a single word or phrase, or a particular group of words or phrases, at one single point in a text. Unlike literary elements, literary techniques are not necessarily present in every text.   Literary terms refers to the words themselves with which we identify and describe literary elements and techniques. They are not found in literature and they are not “used” by authors.     Allegory: Where every aspect of a story is representative, usually symbolic, of something else, usually a larger abstract concept or important...

Words: 4700 - Pages: 19

Premium Essay

Hello

...represent qualities or concepts. The interaction of these characters, things, events is meant to reveal an abstraction or a truth. These characters, etc. may be symbolic of the ideas referred to. Alliteration—The repetition at close intervals of initial identical consonant sounds. Allusion—An indirect reference to something (usually a literary text) with which the reader is expected to be familiar. Allusions are usually literary, historical, Biblical, or mythological. Ambiguity—An event or situation that may be interpreted in more than one way. Also, the manner of expression of such an event or situation may be ambiguous. Artful language may be ambiguous. Unintentional ambiguity is usually vagueness. Anachronism—Assignment of something to a time when it was not in existence, e.g., the watch Merlyn wore in The Once and Future King. Analogy—An analogy is a comparison to a directly parallel case. When a writer uses an analogy, he or she argues that a claim reasonable for one case is reasonable for the analogous case. Anecdote—A brief recounting of a relevant episode. Anecdotes are often inserted into fictional or nonfictional texts as a way of developing a point or injecting humor. Angst—A term used in existential criticism to describe both the individual and the collective anxietyneurosis of the period following the Second World War. This feeling of anxiety, dread, or anguish is notably present in the works of writers like Jean Paul Sartre and Albert Camus....

Words: 2974 - Pages: 12