...Blind Leading the Blind In MacBeth, Shakespeare writes about a greedy, power-hungry man who murders the king to fulfill his selfish desires. MacBeth was one of King’s Duncan’s noblemen and honorable general. However, after he is claimed as the Thane of Cawdor and Glamis, he believes a prophecy by three witches that he will become King and, along with his wife, decides to murder King Duncan in an attempt to gain more power. Although MacBeth grew uncertain about going through with the assassination, his wife, Lady MacBeth, manipulates and deceives him to follow through. As a king, he becomes a tyrant and starts to kill anyone who he felt threatened his position on the throne, including one of his good friends, Banquo and the family of MacDuff. Throughout his reign, the MacBeth’s guilty consciences take a toll on them and eventually lead to both of their downfall. Furthermore, MacBeth’s reign does not last long when MacDuff gets revenge against the tormentor by killing him in the end. As a result, King Duncan’s son, Malcolm, becomes king. Through the use of symbolism and characterization, William Shakespeare, in MacBeth, depicts how one’s desire to gain power causes others to change gender roles to create deception within an environment. In MacBeth, MacBeth’s horrific murders proved how strongly he desired to gain power. Desire means to have a strong feeling of wanting to have something or wishing for something to happen. When a person desires something, he or she becomes...
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...At the end of the play, Macbeth and Lady Macbeth are described as ‘the dead butcher and his fiend like queen’, and this is all they are. Do you agree? The play “Macbeth” is based on the exploration of the two main protagonists, Macbeth and Lady Macbeth, as they deceive and manipulate others to fulfill the witches’ prophecies. As a result of their heinous acts to achieve their desire for power and position, Macbeth and Lady Macbeth are labeled by the people of Scotland, at the end of the play, as ‘the dead butcher and his fiend like queen’. The description of the Macbeths as the ‘butcher’ and ‘fiend’ coincide with their attitude, actions and character throughout the play. The prophecies the witches’ made highlights that Macbeth is responsible for his own demise as well as reveal his true corrupted character. Secondly, Lady Macbeth’s ‘fiend like’ profile is evident when she pressured Macbeth to commit murder instead of preventing him from doing so. Lastly, the Macbeths’ denial of fault, even though their actions manifests in their guilty conscience, shows that they are nothing more than ‘the dead butcher and [the] fiend like queen’. The prophecies the three witches’ made highlights that Macbeth is responsible for his own demise as well as it reveals his true corrupt character. The transformation of the Macbeths’ initial portrayal as valiant, strong, good natured and loyal characters into villainous and evil characters is a revelation of their true identities, it also...
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...well as the life of others around the world. They emphasize emotions and reveal what is accepted as important in a society. These literary techniques are not reserved for books but also include plays, movies, and other mediums. William Shakespeare uses his play, “Macbeth,” to demonstrate the importance of universal human concepts,...
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...William Shakespeare and Graham Greene both present characters as being both heroes and villains in the tale of the tragedy of Macbeth and the short novel of The Destructors. Greene portrays ordinary people who have both the capacity of good and evil. Macbeth is different as we have the character of Macbeth who isn’t clear cut as good or evil, throughout the novel his character slowly decays into a villain. In Macbeth, the first time being switched from the shadowy world of witches to the physical world of battle we are presented with the characters of Ross and the Captain. Shakespeare uses these characters as devices to provide us with an insight into the character of Macbeth heroism. The Captain, covered in blood describes Macbeth as being...
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...Macbeth Essay Every person has flaws, and every person has the potential for evil in their hearts. It’s human nature! Most of us are tamed by society and our own morals, but for some, it spirals out of control and William Shakespeare’s play, Macbeth, is no exception. We’ve all heard the name, we all know what happened our tragic hero, but what caused his downfall from the King’s greatest warrior and favourite, to a cold-hearted murderer? He had a great personality, but a major flaw in his character. Many have debated what exactly his flaw was but one thing’s for sure; his vaulting ambition obstructed him from what was reality. Furthermore, when the witches revealed the prophecies to him, his power-crazed mind took over; this ultimately led to his blind charge at death. Most people do not believe in witches, fairies or any of the sorts, but almost everyone acknowledges the presence of evil in our world. From the beginning of the play, there have been a lot of a lot of thunder, lightning, and drama surrounding these figures of evil that represent all the dark and chaotic forces in the universe. I think that Shakespeare began the play with the witches because they are the ones who catalyze all that happens in the play (and we all know that a good story always begins with something evil and exciting!). Their words plant the idea to kill Duncan in his mind. When he heard that he was going to become King, he mentally begins to plan his actions in order to fulfill what he thinks is...
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...Macbeth is presented as a suffering victim, who then plummets into a downward spiral where he becomes a symbol of evil. When we first encounter Macbeth, the witches have just foretold the three prophecies. Macbeth is enamored with the idea of becoming king one day. Looking for advice Macbeth confided in his wife, Lady Macbeth. Lady Macbeth’s immediate reaction is that she has always pinned for the throne and was going to find a way to obtain it. Ultimately Lady Macbeth conjured up the idea to kill King Duncan. She later presents her matoltocal plan to Macbeth. At first Macbeth is not willing to go through with her plan. He thinks it is unjust and that there are other ways to obtain the throne. However Lady Macbeth uses her power of persuasion and lores her husband into a trap. She does this by stating, “When you durst do it, then you were a man.”(Shakespeare 1.7.49) Lady Macbeth tries to take away Macbeth sexuality by saying in the quote that if he does not complete this deed he will be less of a man in her eyes. She continues to go into more depth and say that she will no longer love him either. Lady Macbeth picks apart Macbeth until there is nothing left. She took away Macbeth...
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...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...
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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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...Discuss the extent to which Macbeth and Shylock are victims and villains The protagonists of each play, Macbeth and Shylock, both fall victim and succumb to villainous natures, however a difference is apparent between the two in representing these traits. Macbeth more so displays villainous behaviours, whereas Shylock is subjected to ordeals which victimise him. That is not to say that Macbeth does not become victimised, and that Shylock does not contain the capability to carry out acts of a villainous essence, such as going against his faith for power, and losing sense of morality and rationality. Different factors such as race and prejudice are integral to the contextual themes of The Merchant of Venice as anti-Semitic views towards Jews are upheld by the Christians in Venice, placing Shylock in a position of submission and awakening his inner villain, which is the ultimate point of differentiation between the two in terms of being either a villain or a victim. Early in Macbeth it becomes apparent that the witches have corrupted Macbeth, thus falling victim to the supernatural. This causes him to conjure questions, "Why do I yield to that suggestion?", which catalyses a rising action. The word 'suggestion' connotes the idea is being fed to him via a supernatural force, and that it is uncontrollable as he 'yields' to it. "My thought, whose murder is fantastical, shakes my state", emphasises how much Macbeth is against the idea of murder, shining light on how these thoughts...
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...Vishal Bhardwaj, a filmmaker and composer of Bollywood scores, has achieved considerable popular and critical success worldwide with his two adaptations of Shakespeare,Maqbool(Macbeth) andOmkara(Othello). Both films are very different from those postcolonial adaptations that tend to "talk back" to Shakespeare; instead, Bhardwaj represents the strain of a transcultural adaptation of Shakespeare whose beginnings lay in the nineteenth-century Parsi theater's first forays into indigenizing Shakespearean plays for local audiences. WithMaqbool, Bhardwaj creates a film that is unique among those few global cinematic adaptations of Shakespeare that have successfully indigenizedMacbethat the level of setting, plot, language, and generic conventionswithout diluting the complex issues raised by Shakespeare's play.Asian Shakespeares on Screen: Two Films in Perspective, special issue, edited by Alexa Huang,Borrowers and Lenders4.2 (Spring/Summer 2009).Vishal Bhardwaj, who began his career as a composer of Bollywood film scores, is now regarded as one of India's most innovative young directors.1Based onMacbeth,Maqboolis Bhardwaj's second film and his first adaptationof a Shakespearean play. Although it is set in themurky underworld of Bombay (Mumbai), featuresBollywood actors, and draws freely upon the conventions of the Bollywood film, the film remains close to Shakespeare. In its extremely complex and successful reworking ofMacbethin a different medium (film), language (Hindi/Urdu), time...
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...Topic: Criminal Minds Limited Topic: Motives of Crime Thesis Statement: The various motives of crime include; drug addiction, anger and frustration, power and control, thrill and excitement, basic needs and revenge. Combined outline. I. Introduction II. Drug addiction. III. Anger and frustration. IV. Power and control. V. Thrill and excitement VI. Basic needs VII. Revenge. VIII. Conclusion Kocsis (2002) “Over the last 30 years the Australian population has grown by 50 per cent, while recorded arsons have increased by almost 2,000 per cent.”(p. 236). If the current arson rate continues to grow as it has, the numbers of cases reported to police nationwide will approximately double every 10 years. Motive is the why, the reason in the darkest chapter in the darkest book in the darkest library. Motive plays an important role in criminal law. It is necessary to prove liability for some offenses; it is a key component of several defenses; and it has been a traditional consideration at sentencing. Motive is usually used in connection with Criminal Law to explain why a person acted or refused to act in a certain way for example, to support the prosecution's assertion that the accused committed the crime. Most criminals are influence to the way of crime by some kind of ambition or purpose. Pressure, motives or weakness are examples of ambitions that might turn an ethical person into a criminal. According to Shakespeare (1871), Macbeth formerly a good man falls to...
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...1 - Character must be of noble/high stature 2 - Hubris (tragic flaw) - pride blinds them 3 - Downfall 4 - Enlightenment (near the end of the play) 5 - Their death Someone of high position; in this time period, that meant royalty. He is 'universal,' meaning that everyone everywhere can relate to the kinds of problems or sufferings or emotions that the hero experiences. He has a 'tragic flaw' - this could be a personality trait (like greed, lust, ambition, jealousy, etc.), OR an error in judgement (a bad decision). This 'tragic flaw' leads to his downfall - usually ruins his career, reputation, power, etc. He is enlightened at the end of the story, meaning he realizes where he went wrong, he is humble, and he accepts the consequences . A tragic hero is a character in a work of fiction (often the protagonist) who commits an action or makes a mistake which eventually leads to his or her defeat. The idea of the tragic hero was created in ancient Greek tragedy and defined by Aristotle (and others). Usually, this includes the realization of the error (anagnorisis), which results in catharsis or epiphany. Aristotelian tragic hero Characteristics Aristotle once said that "A man doesn't become a hero until he can see the root of his own downfall." An Aristotelian tragic hero must have four characteristics: Nobility (of a noble birth) or wisdom (by virtue of birth). Hamartia (translated as flaw, mistake, or error, not an Elizabethan tragic flaw). A reversal of fortune(peripetia)...
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...The Reading Habit 9 by Frankie Y. Bailey We humans are creatures of habit. Change, real change, does not come easily for most of us. We prefer to get into our comfortable groove and stay there. Change often requires an epiphany, a life-altering insight, that most of us rarely, if ever, experience. Perhaps this is why the more cynical among us would doubt that simply picking up a book could change a life. Like many avid readers, I have had the experience of falling in love with a book. But, I confess here, I have not been faithful to my loves. After the first delight of discovery, I have strayed in search of other books that would engage, challenge, tantalize, take my breath away and leave me wanting more. My affairs with books have been passionate and many. And I am the better for my unfaithfulness to a singe book or any one author. This is why when I am asked to name my favorite book I find myself embarrassed by my inability to name the one book that I would take with me to a desert island or even the five books or ten. I know that my favorite writer (now deceased) was a man named Richard Martin Stern. Mr. Stern was my favorite author because when I wrote to him as a teenager to tell him how much I loved his mystery series (featuring an African American, or actually biracial, female anthropologist), he wrote back to thank me for my letter. By doing so, he helped to set me on my own path toward becoming a writer. But this does not mean Mr. Stern’s Johnny Ortiz mysteries...
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...The role of women in Shakespearean plays In order to proceed in exploring the women’s role in Shakespearean plays, one should consider first the social context to which they belong, i.e. the Elizabethan society, as well as the theme and the plot in which they appear. Despite the power of Elisabeth I, women during this time had very little authority, autonomy, or recognition. Women gained their status based on the position of either their father or their husband. Even more restricting than economic rights were the social and political rights of women. They were expected to be silent observers, submissive to their husbands. Women who attempted to assert their views were seen as a threat to social order. This is significant in that the maintenance of social order was an extremely important aspect of Elizabethan society. Shakespeare is highly sensitive to his target audience in every step of the writing process. He actively plays upon the beliefs and fears of the Elizabethans. With characters such as Goneril and Cleopatra, Shakespeare demonstrates the devastating effects of female rebellion against social order. Shakespeare invokes sympathy in the audience by creating characters of extreme feminine virtue such as Cordelia, Miranda. However, Shakespeare often creates ambiguous emotions in the audience by introducing an element of intelligence and boldness in the case of Isabella and Desdemona. Despite the relative insignificance of women in Elisabethan social order, Shakespeare...
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...Bartlett's Familiar Quotations. His works rival the King James Bible (also produced in the 1600s) as a source of oft-quoted English phrases. Shakespeare is known as "the Bard of Avon," in a nod to his birthplace, and many of his plays were originally performed in the famous Globe Theater in London. Among his best-known plays are Romeo and Juliet, Hamlet, and MacBeth. He is also known for his poetry, especially his sonnets. (Who2biographies) * William Shakespeare married Anne Hathaway in 1582. Their daughter Susannah was born in 1583, and the twins Judith and Hamnet were born in 1585. Hamnet died in 1596... William Shakespeare's precise birthdate is not known; he was baptized on 26 April 1564, and over time 23 April has become the accepted date of birth, in part because he also died on 23 April in 1616.( Who2biographies) * Shakespeare produced most of his known work between 1589 and 1613. His early plays were primarily comedies and histories, and these are regarded as some of the best work ever produced in these genres. He then wrote mainly tragedies until about 1608, including Hamlet, Othello, King Lear, and Macbeth, considered some of the finest works in the English language. In his last phase, he wrote tragicomedies, also known as romances, and collaborated with other playwrights. ( Wikipedia) Summary: * He's a moody kid with suicidal tendencies, a penchant for wearing black mourning clothes,...
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