...Is Macbeth an evil villain or simply a tragic hero? What makes a character a true tragic hero? All tragic heroes have the same qualities; an honorable person who is doomed for a tragic downfall; the situation usually makes them suffer and feel guilty. Would Macbeth be considered an evil villain or noble man? Throughout the play Macbeth by William Shakespeare, it is clear to see that Macbeth is a man who was influenced by the wrong people, and completely driven to have success. Could the drive to success make a person so morally wrong? How could the favorable Macbeth take such an awful turn for defeat? Macbeth is the perfect example of a true tragic hero; possessing great nobility that came crashing down at the hands of his peers, and the single tragic flaw of ambition. The first time the reader was introduced to the character Macbeth, it would be impossible to think he could turn out to be so morally imperfect. For brave Macbeth—well he deserves that name—Disdaining fortune, with his brandished steel, Which smoked with bloody execution, Like valor’s minion carved out his passage Till he faced the slave; Which ne'er shook hands, nor bade farewell to him, Till he unseamed him from the nave to th' chops, And fixed his head upon our battlement (Shakespeare 1.2.16-23). When the caption is talking about Macbeth, it was obvious to understand that Macbeth was a brave and a courageous fighter; he was explained to be a hero very quickly in the beginning. This...
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...Lady Macbeth struck the true ambition that Macbeth had deep inside him. After the couple kills Duncan, the rest of the play is utterly a bloodbath. After the murder of Duncan, Macbeth knows he can’t turn back from the sins he committed. Macbeth now wants to kill Banquo, yet by this time Lady Macbeth is the quiet one. She really doesn’t want Macbeth to kill Banquo, but she sparked something in Macbeth that drove him insane. “My lord, his throat is cut; that I did for him” (3.3 561-562). Macbeth starts to become too ambitious, and wants any possibility of him to succeed as king. By this time Lady Macbeth is starting to lose her mind as well. She starts to become the more feminine wife she should of been at the beginning of the play. By this time in the play it’s too late for both them, because Lady Macbeth caused Macbeth to lose his mind but now she’s losing hers. She knows what she’s done...
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...In The Black Swan, Nina's biggest dilemma that she comes across is her ballet instructors constant strain for her to perfect her role of the swan queen, and to do so, he claims that she must let go of her apparent frigid, innocent, and weak personality. The instructor encourages this, saying things such as “ the only person standing in your way is you. Let go, lose yourself.”(The Black Swan, 2010). This is similar to Hamlet’s way of trying to convince Ophelia to let go of that same aspect of innocence, and be more of a sexual being towards him. Both of the women display extreme obedience, they will do anything for the men in their lives because they strive for the approval of these men. Ophelia is under the command of her father until she is married to another man, so she finds herself with no choice. Nina praises her ballet director so much to the point that...
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...Tragedy and The Human Conditions Essay: Abusive Power “Nearly all men can stand adversity, but if you want to test a man's character, give him power. ” In a statement by Abraham Lincoln it is identified that the greatness of man is tested by how he utilizes his power. As demonstrated in William Shakespeare's Macbeth, Arthur Miller’s The Crucible, and The Time Magazine article Adolf Hitler, one can see how the abuse of power creates chaos in society. By analyzing the actions of the characters Macbeth, Abigail Williams, and the character Adolf Hitler, it is evident how the misuse of power will lead to the loss of structure in society. “Power tends to corrupt, and absolute power corrupts absolutely.” A statement by Lord Acton which illustrates that those who gain power ultimately become corrupted by it - thus leading one to abuse their power. This statement is well demonstrated in the actions of the character Macbeth, from William Shakespeare’s play Macbeth, in his rise to power from Thane of Glamis to the King of Scotland. Within the first scene of the play, Macbeth is given the gift of knowledge of the future, by the three witches, which he ultimately uses to gain more power. “All hail, Macbeth! hail to thee, Thane of Glamis ... All hail, Macbeth, thou shalt be king hereafter!” (I.iii. 48-50). When given this prophecy from the three witches, Macbeth utilizes this information, once he becomes Thane of Cawdor, to plan the death of King Duncan. The power of knowledge is...
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...Rear Window Film Review Dawn B ARTS/100 Introduction to the Visual and Performing Arts June 24, 2013 Alfred Hitchcock was considered the master of suspense, and with very good reason. Hitchcock had a very productive film making career in which he made 53 major films. His production of Rear Window, a movie based on the short story by Cornell Woolrich titled, “It Had to be Murder” ("A Work In Progress,” 2013) is one of his most famous. I have seen Rear Window several times over the years, the first time in an art house theater in Lake Tahoe, California. It is my favorite Hitchcock film, and I looked forward to watching again. I relaxed in my recliner with a glass of wine to enjoy this Hitchcock masterpiece after everyone had gone to bed on Thursday evening, June the 20th. Rear Window opens on an apartment complex courtyard- peering into the windows of the people who live there. The camera tracks up and shows the audience a woman getting ready for the day. The camera tracks down and to the left to see the milkman walking away and into the street behind the building before tracking back around to the protagonist, L.B. Jeff Jefferies (James Stewart) in his apartment. A close up on Jefferies reveals the sweat on his forehead before cutting over to a wall thermometer showing how hot it is. Panning over, viewers get a closer look at the various people from the apartment across the street. The viewer sees a neighbor with shaving cream on...
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...fuss about what's happening to him. (This is highly ironic, given that he writes for an occult magazine of all things, but this head-scratching contradiction will be explained a bit later.) This disbelief somewhat helps him when talking to others - he's not the type of person to just wholeheartedly believe what people are saying. When the Faery Lord tries to lie to another character and tell her that his plans are all done for the good of his kingdom, Keats calls him out on it, telling that character that she should really think twice before going along with the Faery Lord's plans. Keats' perception and approach to uncovering the truth is even noted by many of the other characters, who seem to trust that Keats will get to the bottom of the murder mystery that plagues them despite the fact that he is an outsider they do not know very well. However, Keats isn't the easiest man to get along with; honestly, without mincing words, he comes off as a heartless jerk. He doesn't hesitate to snark like nothing else if he feels a person is being unhelpful or generally annoying, and he can be horribly insensitive at times. For example, at one part when he discovers a dead body, he doesn't even show any feeling other than annoyance due to the fact that he lost a good source for his investigation. He doesn't seem to want or need any emotional connections to people, and merely just presses others with his questions, trying to find as many clues as he can. At one point, he even clearly states that...
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...given enough information to realize that the same God who created man was able to destroy that which He created. I know understand how the world was created, how man and woman were formed, how civilization begin. It is my prayer that my worldview be consistent with the worldview of the one who created the world. In Genesis, it is very clear God had a plan and a purpose for His creation, for the world. (Gen 1:1) tells me that God is the maker of the heavens and the earth. He sets Himself apart from the natural world as creator over the creation. God establishes His rule and role as one with authority, He alone is God, there is none like and there is none besides. The beauty, majesty, and splendor of how God spoke creation into existence is utterly amazing. His...
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...person the next morning after they told them everything that was going to happen. It was historically the most humane and supportive arrest in the history of that police department. Sadly, this kind of case was common and the killer was now behind bars. I had another female murderer on my hands. However, unlike before, she wouldn’t spend very long in jail. The man she had no other choice, but to defend herself was a crazed stalker that she had several complaints and restraining orders against. The guy had shown up at her job, at the supermarket, she frequents, and had even appeared at her child’s school events on several occasions and when the children were let out of school. Being a single parent was the reason why she didn’t report the murder to the...
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...Introduction Shakespeare’s Hamlet is one of the most famously problematic plays ever written. It has inspired critics to argue over it, since it first appeared on the stage in 1601. • John Dennis implies that there is no clear moral lesson in the play, since both good and bad characters die, but he refers to Hamlet as the best of Shakespeare’s tragedies. • Samuel Johnson generally praises Hamlet for its entertaining variety and balance but he dislikes its resolution. • Johann von Goethe sees the character of Hamlet as lacking in heroism. • T.S. Eliot felt that Hamlet was an artistic failure. • A.C Bradley says “It was not that Hamlet is Shakespeare's greatest tragedy or most perfect work of art; it was that Hamlet most brings home to us at once the sense of the soul's infinity, and the sense of the doom which not only circumscribes that infinity but appears to be its offspring”. The layers of Hamlet seem endless. Even after more than four hundred years of critical debates, there is no consensus about the play. Interestingly, Hamlet begins with a question and it remains infinitely open to interpretation. It is therefore a play of mystery. One of the central concerns of the play is the nature and the role of the Ghost who takes the form of Hamlet’s dead father. In order to understand it, we firstly ought to consider the theatrical impact of ghosts and spirits on Shakespeare’s audience. Ghosts in Shakespeare’s Time Shakespeare’s contemporaries...
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...American Standard Bible '95 unless otherwise noted. Capital punishment is an issue that affects the United States in many ways, and even to a larger extent the world. Many industrialized nations have forgone capital punishment as a tool in their criminal justice system. In the United States, 38 states still have provisions in their penal code that allow capital punishment in various forms, in various circumstances and with various populations. Capital punishment--death penalty--is argued by both sides of the issue for diverse reasons. The death penalty may be opposed by some by stating it is considered cruel and unusual punishment (which is in violation to our Constitution). Others would argue that because our legal system is not perfect we should not risk putting to death someone who may be innocent. On the reverse side, the two most common reasons to support the death penalty would be first, it is a just punishment and acts as a deterrent for further crimes that meet that nature. Still others argue the "eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth" argument; which is biblically based but certainly out of context in this argument. An important question is "where might a Christian come down on this issue?" The answer is not as easy as one might expect. This pastor will attempt to answer that very question using The Sermon on the Mount, and additionally the texts, Ethics, Choosing The Good and evangelical ethics. The expectation is that a conclusion will be raised however...
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...of right or wrong. This topic generates one of the most controversial debates around the world because there are people pro as well as against it. In the United States, opinions are just as strong between the followers and the protesters of the capital punishment (White). As a topic of general interest the factors that should be taking into consideration when talking about death penalty are: religion, morality, justice and revenge. Conservatives believe that in some cases the maximum punishment is required in order to deter crime (Nice). Going back in history, centuries ago when the English colonies arrived to America death penalty was the only way to punish criminals for their offense. They had the same sentence either for theft or for murder (Banner 5). United States inherited the English way to condemn criminals following their regulations but rules have change since then. In the present, death penalty is only given to who commit the gravest crime. However, crime rates have not altered. Conservatives strongly believe that death penalty is the best way to fight against crime rates showing everyone the consequences a person have to overcome if is responsible for a felony. But this is not a valid point because even many centuries ago when all crimes were paid with death the numbers of crimes did not decrease or stop. Since capital death was established according to statistics crime has only augmented in frequency and evilness. Supporters of the capital punishment believe...
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...Victor Frankenstein sought to create the perfect human being, and his quest put Victor in the position of a God-like figure. What Victor wanted was control. In doing so, Victor proved himself to be a true narcissist. “Victor exhibits, in fact, all the characteristics of the narcissistic personality disorder… [a] sense of self-importance; preoccupation with fantasies of unlimited success...interpersonal disturbances, including exploitativeness, alternation between over idealization and devaluation, and lack of empathy” (Berman). While creating his idealized masterpiece, Victor never thought to analyze the consequences of his actions or even the feelings of the creature he hoped to breathe life into. The schism between Victor and the monster actually formed when his God-complex was fractured...
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...assassination, he continued his command as an unelected military dictator (“History of the Dominican Republic”). Trujillo, in true dictator form, preformed horrible acts of violence. In the 1930’s, he developed a term of racial discrimination against dark-skinned Haitians called “Antihaitianismo,” and in 1937, he was responsible for the slaughter of thousands of Haitian cane-workers. He also abused his position by taking unfair advantage over Dominican citizens. “El Jefe” had the right to any woman of his choice, regardless of their age or marital status. These women were taken without consent, abused, and raped. In order to keep his people under control, Trujillo had a way of taking care of anyone who opposed these horrible acts. Torture and murder of all who opposed was very common, and always kept quiet. One of the only truly publicized cases was that of the Mirabal Sisters. Patria, Maria, and Antonia Mirabal were all avidly involved in the anti-Trujillo movement, and as a result, Maria and Antonia were incarcerated and tortured on numerous occasions, and Trujillo had all three viciously murdered in a sugarcane field in 1960 (“History of the Dominican Republic”). The people of the Dominican Republic lived under such inhumanity for...
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...Frankenstein Notes ------------------------------------------------- Some Interesting Points * There is a chilling logic in the creature's arguments. Why should he not respond in kind to the way that he has been treated by both his maker, who should have cared for him and looked after him, and by mankind as a whole? If the creature is inhuman, it is only because he is imitating the inhumanity of the human species. Therefore, I think that the novel presents Victor as being more inhuman. * Victor is alien in his society in the way that he removes himself from others, for example when he goes about creating the daemon/creation. Victor is very secretive and seems to like it that way... he doesn't really try to understand people like the creation does. The creation tries again and again to belong in the community, its his greatest desire. With Victor, on the other hand, there seems to be a gulf between him and the rest of society. * Justine’s trial testifies to the inhumanity of man. What is important to note is the way this links in to a vital theme of the novel, which is the presentation of the creature himself. He starts off innocent and wanting a relationship with his maker. It is the way that he is shunned by his maker and by humanity and treated cruelly that forces him into cruelty, but this cruelty is only paralleled by the monstrous nature of humanity as displayed in incidents such as the trial of Justine. We cannot expect the creature to be good when...
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...LIBERTY UNIVERSITY ISAIAH 37:1-38 A BIBLE STUDY SUBMITTED TO DR. ROBERT DIXON IN PARTIAL FULFILLMENT OF THE REQUIREMENTS FOR THE COURSE OBST 661 LIBERTY BAPTIST THEOLOGICAL SEMINARY BY LYNDA L. DURRETT SEPTEMBER 22, 2013 TABLE OF CONTENTS I. INTRODUCTION…………………………………………………………………..2 II. DAY OF TROUBLE………………………………………………….……………..2 A. PLEA FROM HEZEKIAH…………………………………….……………….3 B. SENNACHERIB WILL RETURN AND PERISH.............................................4 III. SENNACHERIB THREATENS AGAIN……………………………………….….4 A. RABSHAKEH RETURNS WITH A MESSAGE……….………………….….4 B. HEZEKIAH’S PRAYER……………………….………………………..……..5 IV. THE WORD FROM THE LORD…………………………………………………...5 A. BECAUSSE OF HEZEKIAHS PRAYER THE LORD WILL CAUSE SENNACHERIB TO TURN BACK………………………………………………………..…..…6 B. HEZEKIAH IS GIVEN A SIGN……………………………………………….6 a. VINEYARDS………………………………………………………………..7 b. GOD TO DEFEND JERUSALEM………………………………………….7 V. DEFEAT OF SENNACHERIB AND ASSYRIANS ………………………………7 A. ASSYRIAN KILLED BY THE ANGEL OF THE LORD…………………….8 B. SENNACHERIB’S DEATH………………………………………………8 VI. CONCLUSION……………………………………………………………………..8 I. INTRODUCTION Isaiah 37 is a wonderful example of the faithfulness of God for those during the time of Hezekiah, but also for believers in the end times. In this chapter we find Hezekiah under the threat of being annihilated by the Assyrian’s for withholding Judah’s tribute...
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