...The Witches’ Motivation Supernatural spirits roaming this Earth in the form of human bodies overturn morals and wreak havoc throughout Scotland. In Shakespeare’s Macbeth, the 3 Witches knowingly transform the once noble Macbeth into a corrupt King due to their twisted joy in witnessing the misfortune of others. In the 1600s, people of the Elizabethan era see witches to represent pure evil through their spells, potions, and wicked deeds. The three witches are referred to as “the Weird Sisters” (1.3.33) which translates to the Fates. Throughout Greek mythology, the Fates or the Moirai are goddesses who hold the power to manipulate one’s future and seek pleasure through the destruction of one’s wellbeing. Furthermore, the Witches’ love for chaos...
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...Lady Macbeth is one of William Shakespeare’s most famous and frightening female characters. As she is Macbeth’s wife, her role is significant in his rise and fall from royalty. She is Macbeth’s other half. During Shakespearean times, women were regarded as weak insignificant beings that were there to give birth and look beautiful. They were not thought to be as intelligent or equal to men. Though in Shakespeare's play, Macbeth, Lady Macbeth is the highest influence in Macbeth’s life. Her role was so large; in fact, that she uses her position to gain power, stay strong enough to support her unstable Lord, and fails miserably while their relationship falls apart. Everything about Lady Macbeth is enough to create the perfect villain because of her ability to manipulate everyone around her. It appears that even she can’t resist the perfect crime. Lady Macbeth is a dominant character as soon as she is introduced into the play. A.C. Bradley wrote about her as “…the most commanding and perhaps the most awe-inspiring figure that Shakespeare drew” from his article titled Lecture X. She became a image known for her ambitious nature. Her thirst for power and disregard for life was shocking to the audience, as to her own husband. The moment she learns of the prophecies, she decides to stand behind Macbeth and see him to the throne. She is immediately set on her quest for more power. As it reads “Glamis thou art, and Cowador, and shalt be/ What thou art promised (1.5.13-14) This moment is...
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...Deceit and Betrayal in Shakespeare's Macbeth Shakespeare's play "Macbeth" is considered one of his great tragedies. The play fully uses plot, character, setting, atmosphere, diction and imagery to create a compelling drama. The general setting of Macbeth is tenth and eleventh century Scotland. The play is about a once loyal and trusted noble of Scotland who, after a meeting with three witches, becomes ambitious and plans the murder of the king. After doing so and claiming the throne, he faces the other nobles of Scotland who try to stop him. In the play, Macbeth faces an internal conflict with his opposing decisions. On one hand, he has to decide of he is to assassinate the king in order to claim his throne. This would result in his death for treason if he is caught, and he would also have to kill his friend. On the other hand, if he is to not kill him, he may never realize his ambitious dreams of ruling Scotland. Another of his internal struggles is his decision of killing his friend Banquo. After hiring murderers to kill him, Macbeth begins to see Banquo's ghost which drives him crazy, possibly a result of his guilty conscience. Macbeth's external conflict is with Macduff and his forces trying to avenge the king and end Macbeth's reign over Scotland. One specific motif is considered the major theme, which represents the overall atmosphere throughout the play. This motif is "fair is foul and foul is fair." In the first scene of the first act, three witches plan their...
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...The Role of Magic in Shakespeare’s The Tempest, Hamlet, and Macbeth Like many other themes, magic and supernatural elements play a large role in many of Shakespeare’s works. The use of magic interests the audience, plays to the imagination, and adds dramatic intrigue to the story, even when the rest of the plot is comprised of believable events. These themes are most prominent in The Tempest, Hamlet, and Macbeth. In each of these plays, magic and supernatural occurrences not only play a large role in the plot, but also help to communicate various messages and literary value. Shakespeare utilizes magic and supernatural happenings in both positive and negative lights, depending on the purpose it serves in each of the mentioned plays. It is seen as a decision maker, nature, a prophet, a symbol of fate, and an equalizer. Regardless of its specific role in each play and its positive or negative depiction, it serves to move the plot forward through a force which acts beyond the capabilities and power of man, even man himself did conjure it. In The Tempest, we see an example of supernatural power conjured or exercised by man. Prospero, the wielder of this magic, uses magic as a means to set right that which was, in his opinion, wrong in his life and in the universe. In this play, we see magic used as an equalizer. Prospero uses his learned sorcery to reverse all of the supposedly false or unlawful happenings in his life, apparently feeling that these things were...
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...Macbeth Final Project Living in a world where even nature is at war with itself is challenging, and only the bravest, good-hearted people will emerge triumphant. The play Macbeth is a tragedy written by William Shakespeare and takes place in eleventh-century Scotland. Featuring a plot full of twists and turns, readers are hooked throughout the play. Even when the main character, Macbeth, is enticed to commit a treacherous deed which causes a chain of murders and deceptions that eventually lead to Macbeth’s unsightly demise people cannot put down this play. It is a masterpiece giving insight into human nature, and temptation. Proving that only the characters who remain true to themselves will escape unscathed from this backward place; because, in a world where people mask their true intentions, they sacrifice their beliefs, and lose sight of who they are. People mask their true intentions when the prospect of future gain is offered. This is evident because Macbeth openly expresses his distaste in Duncan’s murder when he tells...
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...for the play “Macbeth”, in which Shakespeare spins a web of lies, deceit and treachery as the tragic hero, Macbeth, spurred on by vaulting ambition, overleaps, ultimately leading to his death. Throughout the play, recurrent imageries of clothing, blood and butchery as well as light and darkness are employed, propelling the play to its tragic end. The imagery of blood and butchery is employed when Macbeth is first introduced in the play, gives off the impression of a brave, courageous warrior, who was loyal to his King, and blood carried positive connotations of “valiancy” and other similar virtues, where “his blade smok’d with bloody execution”. However, it becomes clear that Macbeth has darker, more sinister intentions/wants beneath his warrior exterior: his desire to be King, which can be seen through his subscription to the Witches’ prophecy, foretelling that he will be King, and his frequent discussions with Lady Macbeth as they plot to usurp the throne from King Duncan. Blood then becomes a symbol of treachery, such as when Lady Macbeth calls upon the spirits to “make thick my blood” and to carry out the murder with no regrets, and in her plan to frame Duncan’s guards with his murder by “smear[ing] the sleepy grooms with blood”. The meaning of blood further descends into guilt, as we observe Lady Macbeth’s slow descend into madness and her suicide that follows. During one of her sleepwalking incidents prior to her death, Lady Macbeth is seen to be...
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...Raw: in its true state; not made to seem better or more palatable than it actually is. In this theatrical piece performed by the Theatre Arts Department of California State University, Long Beach, actors and actresses perform Macbeth in the raw using minimal production equipment to direct audiences focus on the playwrights dialogue, and acting to better understand the story line of Macbeth. It can be difficult to comprehend the context of literature during the Elizabethan era, especially for the new-age 21st century persons. Therefore, it is vital the director has a clear understanding of Macbeth, to properly place actors in a position where they can evoke enough feeling to articulate the setting in which they are in. For example, there is...
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...Maqbool (2003) by Vishal Bharadwaj, a modern day reinterpretation of William Shakespeare’s Macbeth, is based in the backdrop of Mumbai’s mafia kings and is a dark and very close retelling of the original text. The principal characters are played by Irfan Khan, Tabu, Pankaj Kapur, Om Puri and Naseeruddin Shah. While Bharadwaj has more or less retained the narrative of the original play, he does move around the settings of Macbeth and Lady Macbeth. Pankaj Kapur (Abbaji - Duncan) is the reigning don of Mumbai’s underworld and Tabu (Nimmi - Lady Macbeth) is his mistress who loves Kapur’s right hand man Irfan Khan (Maqbool - Macbeth). Bharadwaj has intelligently adapted the characters of the play to suit his characters and the time in which it is set by replacing the three witches or soothsayer’s of the original by two corrupt policemen with a knack for astrology, played by Om Puri (Inspector Pandit) and Naseeruddin Shah (Inspector Purohit). Macbeth, a story about personal ambition, has strong themes of violence, political turmoil and guilt. These ideas are maintained by Bharadwaj to a great extent; however the change in the characterisation of Macbeth and his Lady ensures that the overwhelming theme in the movie is also love/passion. Shakespeare’s Macbeth kills Duncan purely out of ambition; Maqbool’s motivations go beyond those of being the don. Maqbool out of love for Nimmi as well as the hearsay that Abbaji may not be as good as Maqbool originally thinks he is, leads to a scared...
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...In like manner, Shakespeare uses Macbeth to illustrate the disastrous consequences when a man allows success and titles get to his head. As soon as Macbeth received his prophecy of becoming Thane of Cawdor and king of Scotland respectively, he was weary as to believe the witches or not. However, when the first half came true, nothing stopped him from achieving the title of the latter. In act one, scene four, Macbeth says to himself, “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, hide your fires; Let not light see my black and deep desires. The eye wink at the hand, yet let that be Which the eye fears, when it is done, to see,” (Macbeth I. iii. 50-55). Despite his serious...
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...we speak to you in private, sir?" Macbeth had clearly remembered what sinful deed he sent them to do. He knew what the conversation was going to be regarded to, so he directed the men into the far room of the castle where no one could overhear. The facial expressions turned expectant when they were at last behind closed doors. "The deed has been done. Banquo, your former ally is dead" one says. "Very well. What about Fleance, his son?" Macbeth asks. The three of the men look to each other with concern. "He escaped." Macbeth's eyebrows narrow as he grows with great worry. He recalls what the three weird sisters had prophesized and it becomes unsettling to him knowing that Fleance could have the possibility of becoming king after Duncan. "You may now go, but each of you must remain vigilant. Hope for the best that this does not fall into the knowledge of even the slightest soul" Macbeth dismisses. As they take their leave, Macbeth searches for Lady Macbeth to inform her of this message. With much careful consideration, they decide to prepare for the changing circumstances when it becomes found that Banquo is dead. In...
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...Morgan Ryan A3 Macbeth Writing Assignment Macbeth's message about the price of ambition is accurate to real life in the sense that Macbeth stopped at nothing to get what he wanted. Being the thane of Cawdor was not enough for Macbeth, his desire was to become king and he decided that he needed and wanted this, his ambition leads him to kill Duncan. Ross announces that Macbeth will take over and become the king. “thriftless ambition, that wilt ravin up…The sovereignty will fall upon Macbeth” (2.4.37-39). Macbeth’s ambition to become king leads him to commit treason and murder Duncan. Then Macbeth kills his best friend, Banquo because Banquo knew that he had killed Duncan to become king. When the murderer returns, Macbeth discusses “There’s...
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...Lastly, people are prisoners of their minds by believing fate will bring them to a path that they want. In “Macbeth”, Macbeth goes to the witches to ask them about his fate. He believes that the witches’ prophecies are true, so he went to them and asked them about it. Another scenario would be Macbeth asking for fate to aid him in his battle. He believes that fate will put him where he is supposed to be in his life. So, he asks for fate to guide him in his battles. For the first example for this topic, Macbeth goes to the three witches and gets his prophecies from them. The witches tell him his prophecies and Macbeth felt that they are safe. Macbeth says, “Sweet bedoments! Good!” (4.1.100).Macbeth believes what the witches are saying and believes...
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...Many of Shakespeare’s plays gave themes that can still be seen today in modern films. Themes often seen throughout the play Macbeth are power leads to guilt leads to downfall, betrayal, and Marriage is a test of loyalty. Although, the most prevalent on throughout the play is power corrupts. A modern story that reflects this theme is Mean Girls. As seen in both, the main characters rise to power leading to corruption, followed by their downfall. In both stories, the characters each have distinctive personalities. At the beginning of each story, both Regina George and Duncan are the current leaders of their respective societies. Although at some point, they both face their downfall of power caused by the main characters, Cady and Macbeth. At...
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...Macbeth loves his wife very much, even at the beginning of the story he only talks to his wife about the prophecies delivered by three strange sisters. When Lady Macbeth dies he never quotes a disrespectful statement to her, however, he says “she should have died hereafter” meaning that she should have died sometime in the future when he has time to properly mourn her death. In Act 5 Macbeth was so caught up in the prophecies, everything unrelated to them meant very little to him. This does not mean he is careless about his wife's death or he doesn’t care anymore, this just illustrates the amount of work Macbeth has to deal with at the time. Firstly, people of Scotland were turning on him one by one, Malcolm and Macduff along with the army...
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...Celton Brito-Lobato Analyse and compare how 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...
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