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.
Sunday, 26 May 2013
Macbeth Act 1-3 Presentation
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Saturday, 25 May 2013
Saturday, 18 May 2013
Macbeth Act 1-- "Lady Macdeath"
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| N.d. Web. 19 May 2013. http://fc09.deviantart.net/fs70/i/2010/094/5/3/Lady_Macbeth_by_HFFK.jpg. |
After reading the first act of the play, Lady Macbeth seems to be the force behind pushing Macbeth to the act of violence. An example of that would be when Lady Macbeth reads Macbeth's letter in Scene 5. Lady Macbeth thinks that Macbeth is too weak and kind to kill Duncun, the king of Scotland. Since Lady Macbeth is the wife of Macbeth, the former Thane of Glamis and current Thane of Cawdor, she needs to support and be the one pushing Macbeth to proceed in the murder of Duncan; therefore, Macbeth, himself, can be the new King of Scotland and Lady Macbeth can be the queen. When Macbeth tries to back out of the murder, Lady Macbeth says to him "What beast was't, then,/ That made you break this enterprisei to me? When you durst do it, then you were a man;" (I, xii, 53-55). In these lines, it is clear that Lady Macbeth accuses Macbeth as being a coward and not a man; therefore she is the one who pressured Macbeth into committing the crime. However, I predict that Lady Macbeth will also be the one who tells Macbeth to stop once he gets too out of control and she might be the one killed by Macbeth too. This is because Lady Macbeth is not entirely an evil woman. For example when Lady Macbeth tells herself "Under my battlements. Come, you spirits/ That tend on mortal thoughts, unsex me here/ And fill me from the crown to the toe top-full/ Of direst cruelty Make thick my blood" (I, v, 46-50). This shows that she is trying to tell herself to be really cruel and ruthless and try not to act "womanly" in a stereotypical way. It is clear that Lady Macbeth is not born naturally evil, but she thinks that not thinking "humanely" and not lettting her morals take over will make her husband's plan to become king come true.
By reading the first act, it is also evident that Lady Macbeth is really good at putting on a show for Duncan. For instance, when Duncan arrives, Lady Macbeth acts like the very charming and polite wife of the very brave soldier, Macbeth. However, Lady Macbeth has been hiding her dark side all along with all the evil thoughts and plans in her mind. As a result, this also teaches us that people are not always what they seem. Like Lady Macbeth, people can hide their dark side even with their pleasant demeanor.
So far in the play, Lady Macbeth has proved to be an unusual character because the wife is not normally shown to be more violent and ambitious than the husband. In this case, Macbeth is the more cautious and kind-hearted character compared to Lady Macbeth. As a result, I do not find Lady Macbeth as a likable character because she comes across as the evil and violent one in the play; therefore I cannot relate to lady Macbeth at all. I highly doubt anyone would have the mind of Lady Macbeth's unless they are a serial killer.
This is a video of when Lady Macbeth reads Macbeth's letter and think that Macbeth is too weak to kill Duncan, the King of Scotland.
Macbeth Act 1-- Destiny, Fate and Influence
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| N.d. Web. 19 May 2013. http://saltlakemagazine.com/site_media/uploads/2010/07/macbeth-witches.jpg. |
The witches have an important role in the novel. Before the witches met Macbeth, they talked about the tricks that they played on other humans. For instance at the beginning of Act 1 Scene 3, the witches talked about the mischief that they played on the humans, like crashing a sailors ship. This is evidence that the witches like to cause trouble to humans. As a result, the witches might use their magic to do the same by making Macbeth kill Duncan. Banquo, on the other hand, believe that the witches have the power to see into the future. To cite an example we only have to refer to when Banquo says "If you can look into the seeds of time/ And say which grain will grow and which will not/ Speak, then, to me, who neither beg nor fear" (I, iii, 61-63). In the lines it is apparent that Banquo thinks that the witches have the ability to predict what will happen in the future. However, he is not entirely certain whether the witches can correctly predict the future. Their abilities to look into the future seem believable because they predicted that Macbeth will become the new thane of Cawdor, which does eventually end up becoming true. As a result, this means that the witches in the play have a lot to do in planning out what will happen later on, but whether or not the characters' actions are already decided by the witches is not clear in the first two acts.
This is a scene when Macbeth and Banquo meet the witches and hears the prophecy of Macbeth and Banquo's kids becoming the future King of Scotland.
Thursday, 16 May 2013
Macbeth Act 1-- My First Thoughts
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My first impression of reading a work written by Shakespeare is that it will be difficult to understand because the storyline takes place in Scotland many years ago and the language will be different. However, after reading the first act, I know that Macbeth will be like Shakespeare's other tragedies about death, violence and romance.The last and most recent Shakespeare work that I have read is Romeo and Juliet, which is also a tragedy and is also very dramatic, especially the ending when both of the two main characters died. I have always found the characters in Shakespeare's works very interesting. This is because all the characters in his works have qualities that lead them to trouble and sometimes even death. For example, Macbeth's ambitious personality and his extreme hunger for power eventually lead him to kill Duncan, the King of Scotland. From Act One, I know that the witches made three predictions of Macbeth's future; predicting Macbeth is the Thane of Glamis (which he already is), will be the Thane of Cawdor (which Macbeth eventually learns came true) and will become the King of Scotland. In Act One, Macbeth learns that the second prediction came true when the King made Macbeth the Thane of Cawdor. Also, it is not clear from reading only the beginning of the first act whether or not Macbeth and Lady Macbeth are going to hurt the King of Scotland to win over the title. I am also curious about Macbeth's reactions when he hears the witches tell him that he will become the King of Scotland. I have always wondered if Macbeth has already planned to become the king as soon as he hears the witches' prophecy. To cite an example of how Macbeth reacted to this, we only have to refer to when Banquo says "Good sir, why do you start and seem to fear/ Things that do sound so fair- I' th' name of truth" (I, iii, 54-55). In this quote, Banquo is confused about why Macbeth seems to be worried about the great news of being promoted to be the Thane of Cawdor. As we learn about Macbeth's plans to kill Duncan, it is apparent that Macbeth has already been planning the murder when he heard the witches' predictions. After reading Act One, I have a few questions on my mind. Throughout reading the first act, I have always wondered about Macbeth's family. I want to know whether or not Macbeth and Lady Macbeth have a child.
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