Saturday 1 June 2013
Macbeth Act 4: Riddles and Images
1. Prophecy on MacDuff
http://Pixton.com/ic:pml1nrx5
"Macbeth! Macbeth! Macbeth! beware MacDuff; Beware the thane of Fife. Dismiss me. Enough."(IV.i.71-72)
The purpose of the thane of Fife riddle is to warn Macbeth to watch out for MacDuff. In the first box of the comic, I tried to show Macbeth's great trust in MacDuff. But in the next box, I showed MacDuff backstabbing Macbeth by telling the lords that Macbeth could be the possible murderer or King Duncan. As a result, in the last box, it proves that Macbeth should be aware of MacDuff because the thane of Fife (meaning MacDuff) can be a potential threat to Macbeth's plans of maintaining the title of the King of Scotland. I think that after the Macbeth hears this prophecy about MacDuff, Macbeth will be more cautious of the thane of Fife and will no longer trust MacDuff anymore. My feelings towards this riddle is that MacDuff could be potentially harmed or even killed by Macbeth because it is evident now, after a few murders directed by Macbeth, that he will do absolutely anything to stay the King of Scotland.
2. Prophecy on Macbeth's Enemy
http://Pixton.com/ic:vnidw7q0
"Be bloody, bold, and resolute; laugh to scorn The power of man, for none of woman born Shall harm Macbeth. " (IV.i.79-81)
This riddle means that Macbeth can only be harmed by a man who is not born from a woman. In my opinion, every man is born from a woman; therefore this quote is very ironic. Macbeth, like me at first interprets that Macbeth will be invincible to anything, so no one can harm him. However, in the end when MacDuff duels with Macbeth, MacDuff says that he is actually born from a woman; in fact, he was taken out from his mother's womb (which is referred as C-section nowadays). In my comic, I tried to illustrate Macbeth thinking to himself that he cannot be harmed by anyone. Then, I proved Macbeth's thinking wrong by illustrating Macbeth's death after a duel with MacDuff, who is apparently not born "the traditional" way from his mother. I think the riddle made Macbeth more arrogant because it made him feel that he can be bold and confident because no one in the world can hurt or harm him. Since the quote states that no man born from a woman can harm him, Macbeth takes this to be every man. I feel that if Macbeth did not hear this prophecy, then he would be more careful and not fight MacDuff. When Macbeth dueled with MacDuff, Macbeth was expecting to be the winner because the prophecy had said that no one who is born from a woman can harm him.
3. Prophecy on Great Birnam
http://Pixton.com/ic:949urojm
"Be lion-mettled, proud; and take no care Who chafes, who frets, or where conspirers are: Macbeth shall never vanquish'd be until Great Birnam wood to high Dunsinane hill Shall come against him." (IV.i.90-94)
This riddle is trying to say that Macbeth will never be defeated unless the forest (Great Birnam wood) moves up to the hill to where Macbeth's castle is; therefore Macbeth also assumes that nothing harmful will come to him, leading him to think that he is an invincible leader. As a result, I feel that this riddle leads Macbeth to become more of a tyrant than he already is and makes him take risks that he would not have taken if he did not think he was invincible. Macbeth believes that the forest will not and cannot possibly move up to the top of the hill, where he lives. In my illustration, I constructed the before and after scenes of the Great Birnam wood around the hill. In the first picture, the Great Birnam wood is at the bottom of the hill and the time Macbeth still believes that he is invincible because the forest cannot realistically move up. However in the second picture, the forest and trees have moved up (which are the lords dressed up as trees to disguise themselves) and an image of Macbeth is freaking out because he finally realizes that he is not invincible and the lords have come together to fight Macbeth. I think the purpose of the riddle is to teach the readers that no one should assume that they are superior to others or that they are invincible because anything can happen. I think that if Macbeth was to understand this concept earlier, instead of being arrogant and hot-headed, he would have had his kingdom more protected, and he would not have been defeated so soon.
http://Pixton.com/ic:pml1nrx5
"Macbeth! Macbeth! Macbeth! beware MacDuff; Beware the thane of Fife. Dismiss me. Enough."(IV.i.71-72)
The purpose of the thane of Fife riddle is to warn Macbeth to watch out for MacDuff. In the first box of the comic, I tried to show Macbeth's great trust in MacDuff. But in the next box, I showed MacDuff backstabbing Macbeth by telling the lords that Macbeth could be the possible murderer or King Duncan. As a result, in the last box, it proves that Macbeth should be aware of MacDuff because the thane of Fife (meaning MacDuff) can be a potential threat to Macbeth's plans of maintaining the title of the King of Scotland. I think that after the Macbeth hears this prophecy about MacDuff, Macbeth will be more cautious of the thane of Fife and will no longer trust MacDuff anymore. My feelings towards this riddle is that MacDuff could be potentially harmed or even killed by Macbeth because it is evident now, after a few murders directed by Macbeth, that he will do absolutely anything to stay the King of Scotland.
2. Prophecy on Macbeth's Enemy
http://Pixton.com/ic:vnidw7q0
"Be bloody, bold, and resolute; laugh to scorn The power of man, for none of woman born Shall harm Macbeth. " (IV.i.79-81)
This riddle means that Macbeth can only be harmed by a man who is not born from a woman. In my opinion, every man is born from a woman; therefore this quote is very ironic. Macbeth, like me at first interprets that Macbeth will be invincible to anything, so no one can harm him. However, in the end when MacDuff duels with Macbeth, MacDuff says that he is actually born from a woman; in fact, he was taken out from his mother's womb (which is referred as C-section nowadays). In my comic, I tried to illustrate Macbeth thinking to himself that he cannot be harmed by anyone. Then, I proved Macbeth's thinking wrong by illustrating Macbeth's death after a duel with MacDuff, who is apparently not born "the traditional" way from his mother. I think the riddle made Macbeth more arrogant because it made him feel that he can be bold and confident because no one in the world can hurt or harm him. Since the quote states that no man born from a woman can harm him, Macbeth takes this to be every man. I feel that if Macbeth did not hear this prophecy, then he would be more careful and not fight MacDuff. When Macbeth dueled with MacDuff, Macbeth was expecting to be the winner because the prophecy had said that no one who is born from a woman can harm him.
3. Prophecy on Great Birnam
http://Pixton.com/ic:949urojm
"Be lion-mettled, proud; and take no care Who chafes, who frets, or where conspirers are: Macbeth shall never vanquish'd be until Great Birnam wood to high Dunsinane hill Shall come against him." (IV.i.90-94)
This riddle is trying to say that Macbeth will never be defeated unless the forest (Great Birnam wood) moves up to the hill to where Macbeth's castle is; therefore Macbeth also assumes that nothing harmful will come to him, leading him to think that he is an invincible leader. As a result, I feel that this riddle leads Macbeth to become more of a tyrant than he already is and makes him take risks that he would not have taken if he did not think he was invincible. Macbeth believes that the forest will not and cannot possibly move up to the top of the hill, where he lives. In my illustration, I constructed the before and after scenes of the Great Birnam wood around the hill. In the first picture, the Great Birnam wood is at the bottom of the hill and the time Macbeth still believes that he is invincible because the forest cannot realistically move up. However in the second picture, the forest and trees have moved up (which are the lords dressed up as trees to disguise themselves) and an image of Macbeth is freaking out because he finally realizes that he is not invincible and the lords have come together to fight Macbeth. I think the purpose of the riddle is to teach the readers that no one should assume that they are superior to others or that they are invincible because anything can happen. I think that if Macbeth was to understand this concept earlier, instead of being arrogant and hot-headed, he would have had his kingdom more protected, and he would not have been defeated so soon.
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