...Masterpiece Power can corrupt even the most descent man. This is shown in Shakespeare’s tragedy “Macbeth” where the respected Scottish Thane Macbeth is corrupted by power and guilt and turned into a tyrant and a mass murderer. This theme was as relevant the day it was written, as today when we watch it as a movie in the 21th century. While the movie “Macbeth” by Michael Fassbender is a breath of fresh air for the Shakespeare admirers and the traditional movie and theater lovers, those who are not familiar with Shakespeare’s style, might find the movie slightly dull and protracted. Though the long monologues and the Shakespeare talk provide satisfaction among those who understand and appreciate the genre, it can be a long and boring affair for those who are not familiar with it. So getting some basic knowledge of the Shakespeare genre is therefore highly recommended before you watch the movie. Although the trailer shows us montages that could have been taken straight out of “Braveheart”, the movie itself is nothing like that. Judging by the trailer, one might be fooled to believe that “Macbeth” is your typical Hollywood action genre. This was what I feared, but fortunately, the director Justin Kurzel manages to deliver a beautiful and well written movie with all the aspects that are characterized from a Shakespeare play. With its long and dramatic monologues, a beautiful figurative usage of language and its dramatic acting, “Macbeth” was like watching a theater while standing...
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...echo the sentiments behind William Shakespeare's play, Macbeth. Shakespeare was a poet as well as a playwright, famous for his powerful poetic language, universal themes, and keen insight into human behavior. His works dealt with the consequences and the psychological effects of certain actions, rather than the actions themselves. His effective use of figurative language, and unique writing style in Macbeth, as well as his other works, instantly captivates and mesmerizes the reader. Macbeth is a powerful drama about unchecked ambition, murder, intricate human relationships, and corruption of the human conscience. The play, set in 11th century Scotland and England, is composed of various acts and scenes, each greatly contributing to the overall plot and the play's varied themes. This is the inciting incident of the witches' prophecies in Act I Scene iii that puts the whole play into action. It is an extremely important and a very complex scene involving the Weird Sisters, Macbeth and Banquo, holding the key to future incidents and actions in the play, leading right upto the climax. This scene is pivotal in the overall development of the play- getting the characters geared up, and setting the stage for depraved thoughts and terrible actions to come. "The charm's wound up"(37) when the protagonist, Macbeth, first arrives on the scene with his friend Banquo. Upto this point, the reader does not know much about the character of Macbeth aside from the fact that he is said to be a brave...
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...Lady Macbeth found via Google - not my own work In typical Shakespearean tragedies, female main characters aren't always treated brilliantly. In Hamlet, Ophelia goes down the "I shall obey, my lord" route. In Othello, Desdemona goes down the "To you I am bound" route. Yet in Macbeth, this isn't quite the case. The most important female figure is Lady Macbeth, a cunning and manipulative woman who is associated with the supernatural. Instantly it can be argued that Lady Macbeth fits in with the later idea of certain Gothic women being 'sinister predators', or 'femme fatales'. | Dame Ellen Terry as Lady Macbeth | Lady Macbeth has been the subject of much debate for hundreds of years. Her role in the play is incredibly important and she is the subject of various interpretations. Her first appearance in the play is in act one, scene five. She opens by reading Macbeth's letter; instantly this seems to present her as a typical Shakespearean woman (when I say typical, I mean typical in terms of main female characters in tragedies being passive), since her first words are that of her husband's, as though she is bound to him. Then she stops reading the letter, and we start to realise that she isn't at all typical. She instantly states that Macbeth will be "what thou art promised", which shows a determination and strength of will that we may not have been expecting. She goes on to criticise her husband's nature, since he is "too full o'th'milk of human kindness". A wife...
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...Macbeth Analysis Brian Williams English 125 Melissa Edison April 22, 2013 Macbeth Analysis The poem that I have selected is Macbeth written by William Shakespeare. I will identify three elements in this poem that I found very engaging/interesting. I will give insight on how these elements affected my personal opinion on this poem. Analyzing how these elements affected my response in its entirety will be the vocal point of my paper. Macbeth is a tragedy and is considered one of Shakespeare’s most powerful poems. Shakespeare introduces Macbeth as a strong, power wanting, and noble fighter. Macbeth talks to the witches in the start of Act 1 scene 3 by commanding them to speak to him and for them to tell him what they are. “Speak if you can. What are you” (Clugston, 2010)? Indicating that Macbeth talks with authority, that he has power over the witches, as he does not politely ask the witches. The way that Macbeth is speaking here is using imperative verbs. Shakespeare here uses language to show us what Macbeth character is like. He also tells us by using language that Macbeth is respected by others at the start of the play. In Act 1 scene 2 it states “O valiant cousin, worthy gentlemen” (Portman, 1995). Duncan expresses this about Macbeth. This reveals that people do respect Macbeth and his bravery proves he has a quite high status. Symbolism plays a prominent role to emphasize the theme of corruption of power. Throughout the play there are several main symbols repeatedly...
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...Common Themes in Macbeth, Julius Caesar, and Hamlet Shakespeare utilizes the supernatural and fate to pave the destiny of some of his characters in his tragedies. Macbeth, Julius Caesar, and Hamlet appear to have a common novel theme of fate, betrayal to supremacy, and the struggle to restore providential power. Shakespeare uses rhetoric to effectively convey the idea of fate and the struggle against it. In all three of these Shakespearian tragedies characters encounter the emotion of disbelief and the struggle to seek refuge from fate and to ultimately live life as if it were their free will. In Macbeth and Hamlet, Shakespeare appears to use apparitions early in the play to effectively establish mysteriousness of the paths of these characters. By using apparitions Shakespeare clearly makes a distinction of the supernatural and reality. In these moments of these confrontations Shakespeare successfully establishes Hamlet and Macbeth’s mortality and their inevitability to succumbing to their fate. But were Hamlet and Macbeth actually doomed right away or were they in a situation where poor choices caused their downfall? H.B. Charlton thinks that Hamlet being that type of man he is, fails to kill Claudius right after King Hamlet has been murdered causing him to succumb to his fate (83). Also Julius Caesar and Duncan’s ghost appear in their plays. In each of these tragedies the main character has one emotion when he encounters fate, disbelief. Disbelief in the potential...
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...A TEACHER’S GUIDE TO THE SIGNET CLASSIC EDITION OF WILLIAM SHAKESPEARE’S MACBETH LINDA NEAL UNDERWOOD S E R I E S E D I T O R S : W. GEIGER ELLIS, ED.D., ARTHEA J. S. REED, PH.D., UNIVERSITY OF GEORGIA, EMERITUS and UNIVERSITY OF NORTH CAROLINA, RETIRED A Teacher’s Guide to the Signet Classic Edition of William Shakespeare’s Macbeth 2 INTRODUCTION William Shakespeare developed many stories into excellent dramatizations for the Elizabethan stage. Shakespeare knew how to entertain and involve an audience with fast-paced plots, creative imagery, and multi-faceted characters. Macbeth is an action-packed, psychological thriller that has not lost its impact in nearly four hundred years. The politically ambitious character of Macbeth is as timely today as he was to Shakespeare's audience. Mary McCarthy says in her essay about Macbeth, "It is a troubling thought that Macbeth, of all Shakespeare's characters, should seem the most 'modern,' the only one you could transpose into contemporary battle dress or a sport shirt and slacks." (Signet Classic Macbeth) Audiences today quickly become interested in the plot of a blindly ambitious general with a strong-willed wife who must try to cope with the guilt engendered by their murder of an innocent king in order to further their power. The elements of superstition, ghosts, and witchcraft, though more readily a part of everyday life for the Renaissance audience, remain intriguing to modern teenagers. The action-packed...
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...which was which. Shakespeare didn’t write “heroes” and “villains.” He wrote real people with real flaws, who were all equally capable of committing good and evil. One of the most important themes in Macbeth involves the witches' statement in Act 1, Scene1 that "fair is foul and foul is fair." (Act 1, Scene 1, Line 10) This phrase aptly describes the macabre status quo within the character Macbeth and without. When Macbeth and Banquo first see the weird sisters, Banquo is horrified by their hideous appearances. Conversely, Macbeth immediately began to converse with these universally known evil creatures. After hearing their prophecies, one can say that Macbeth considered the witches to be "fair" when in reality their intentions were quite "foul." Macbeth's possession of the titles of Thane of Glamis, Thane of Cawdor and King of Scotland came by foul means. Macbeth became the Thane of Glamis by his father Sinel's death; he became Thane of Cawdor when the former namesake was executed for treason; and he was ordained King of Scotland after murdering the venerable Duncan. Thus, Macbeth has a rather ghastly way of advancing in life. This theme is further verified by King Duncan's statement "There's no art/ To find the mind's construction in the face." (Act 1, Scene 4, Lines 11-12) Although Macbeth has the semblance of the amicable and dutiful host, ("fair") he is secretly plotting Duncan's death...
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...Title: Macbeth Analysis Instructor: Erin Schwartz English 125 Introduction to literature Amanda Manley 11/25/2013 Macbeth Analysis The poem that I have selected is Macbeth written by William Shakespeare. I will identify three elements in this poem that I found very engaging/interesting. I will give insight on how these elements affected my personal opinion on this poem. Analyzing how these elements affected my response in its entirety will be the vocal point of my paper. Macbeth is a tragedy and is considered one of Shakespeare’s most powerful poems. Shakespeare introduces Macbeth as a strong, power wanting, and noble fighter. Macbeth talks to the witches in the start of Act 1 scene 3 by commanding them to speak to him and for them to tell him what they are. “Speak if you can. What are you” (Clugston, 2010)? Indicating that Macbeth talks with authority, that he has power over the witches, as he does not politely ask the witches. The way that Macbeth is speaking here is using imperative verbs. Shakespeare here uses language to show us what Macbeth character is like. He also tells us by using language that Macbeth is respected by others at the start of the play. In Act 1 scene 2 it states “O valiant cousin, worthy gentlemen” (Portman, 1995). Duncan expresses this about Macbeth. This reveals that people do respect Macbeth and his bravery proves he has a quite high status. Symbolism plays a prominent role to emphasize the theme of corruption of power. Throughout the...
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...Shakespeare: An Observation of Life What is it about Shakespeare’s characters and stories that make us all able to relate in some way or another 400 years after they are written? Maybe it’s his take on inner conflict, or is it how he never portrays a hero as perfect, or a villain as all evil? There is a certain universal truth about the human condition in every story. Whether it is the tragic outcome of unchecked greed and ambition, an unrelenting desire for revenge, or the pursuit of love, his representation of human nature is just as real and as relevant today, as it has been through the centuries. Most of Shakespeare’s characters are complex personalities led into tragedy by their shortcomings (Johnson). Even Shakespeare’s heroes are never just heroes; Shakespeare tends to build his stories through “false heroes” such as Othello, Anthony and Brutus, and “good villains” or “villains with a conscious” like Macbeth (Johnson). It is this type of inner conflict that makes Shakespeare’s stories so insightful and relatable. People love to identify with the hero. They like to think of themselves as heroes in their own lives and the success of a hero in a story makes them feel better about their chances of success in their own lives. While a hero may be the object of any story, a hero is only as great as the obstacle he can overcome (Pattison). The obstacle can be almost anything, it could be a tornado ripping through a city or a killer great white shark, but it is the human villain...
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...One of the most important themes in Macbeth involves the witches' statement in Act 1, Scene1 that "fair is foul and foul is fair." (Act 1, Scene 1, Line 10) This phrase aptly describes the macabre status quo within the character Macbeth and without. When Macbeth and Banquo first see the weird sisters, Banquo is horrified by their hideous appearances. Conversely, Macbeth immediately began to converse with these universally known evil creatures. After hearing their prophecies, one can say that Macbeth considered the witches to be "fair" when in reality their intentions were quite "foul." Macbeth's possession of the titles of Thane of Glamis, Thane of Cawdor and King of Scotland came by foul means. Macbeth became the Thane of Glamis by his father Sinel's death; he became Thane of Cawdor when the former namesake was executed for treason; and he was ordained King of Scotland after murdering the venerable Duncan. Thus, Macbeth has a rather ghastly way of advancing in life. This theme is further verified by King Duncan's statement "There's no art/ To find the mind's construction in the face." (Act 1, Scene 4, Lines 11-12) Although Macbeth has the semblance of the amicable and dutiful host, ("fair") he is secretly plotting Duncan's death ("foul"). Furthermore, Lady Macbeth's orchestration of the murder exemplifies the twisted atmosphere in Inverness. Both a woman and a host, she should be the model of grace and femininity. She is described, however, as a "fiendlike queen" (Act...
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...Shakespeare in Film Individual Assignment Macbeth is well known to be one of Shakespeare’s shortest yet darkest tragedies. The rich, psychological turmoil experienced by the main characters and the incorporation of elements such as the supernatural culminates in a tragedy that is one of Shakespeare’s most intense and grim. I will be examining the 1971 Roman Polanski film due to the unique life story of the director and the gruesome murders that occurred prior to the film. The film employs the use of gratuitous violence, nudity and graphic imagery that far exceeds that of the text, which Roman Polanski masterfully uses to highlight the inherent madness and evil that drives Macbeth and in doing so, successfully creates an psychologically disturbing film with an atmosphere of perpetual dread. Firstly, one distinct feature about the film that differs from the text is the inclusion of nudity seen in several scenes. Macbeth itself draws largely upon the theme of the occult and madness as the main driving forces, with the inclusion of the prophetic apparitions, visions of ghosts and mental breakdowns. The scene showing Macbeth seeks out the witches for the 2nd time exemplifies the occult brilliantly as it opens to a huge coven of naked witches huddled around the cauldron whilst chanting “Double, double, toil and trouble; Fire burn, cauldron bubble”. In the book, there was no mention of other witches apart from the three and by including the scene, the huge gathering...
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...Existing in Macbeth Act 1 & Act 2) Shakespeare wrote many plays in his lifetime and his style varied in many of them. There are at least thirty seven plays that have proved to be written by Shakespeare. In Macbeth, there are many different interesting aspects that secretly hid between the lines. To be able to detect these lines, one has to analyze what Shakespeare was wanting to occur on stage and read the tension between characters as well as assume other moods and thoughts. The play of Macbeth has many occurrences of deception within the flowing lines of many characters. To begin, Shakespeare’s Macbeth demonstrates its first taste of deception when the King speaks of Macbeth after naming him Thane of Cowdor. The King was very proud of Macbeth for the victory he had in the battle for his country and he was excited to name him the new Thane of Cowdor. However, he was unware of the information that Macbeth just received notifying him that he will end up killing Duncan to take over the thrown. Of course...
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...2015 Macbeth is written during the reigning of king James I. A time when a man was expected to be strong, brave, gallant and the head of his home. A lady was to be found weak, waiting for her husbands next command. Both Macbeth and Lady Macbeth do not fit into their stereotype or gender roles, they display characters of role reversal. Macbeth is the opposing stereotype of what a man should be. In this time period men where known for their strengths, bravery, greediness and sometimes murder. To the public and his friends Macbeth seemed to be a man in control of his wife and household but behind closed doors he was all the characteristics a man should not be. Macbeth displayed characteristics more suitable for a woman such as; self doubt, worried, fear and guilt. “I am afraid to think what I have done; Look on’t again I dare not” (Macbeth Act II, Scene II page 35). Macbeth is persuaded by his wife to kill Duncan even when he objects and has doubts. In the beginning of the play Macbeth allows his wife to make the majority of their decisions. Who he should kill and what guest they invite to the party in order for him to become king. This shows his character to be weak and void of leadership. Stereotypical when you hear the name Lady Macbeth you think etiquette, elegance, meekness, soft spoken and gentle. Lady Macbeth is quite the opposite. Her characteristics in the play are empowering, greedy, fearless, evil and murderous. Not only does Lady Macbeth display characters more...
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...No Faith Lady Macbeth is one of Shakespeare's greatest and most interesting female characters. She is evil, and witch-like all at the same time. However, during the play we see her in two different ways. At the time when we first meet her, she is a brutally violent, power wanting witch, and later on she turns to a shameful suicidal grieving woman. At the beginning of the play, Lady Macbeth is very brutal and cruel. She thinks nothing of killing King Duncan. She has no sense of what is wrong and right, and believes that it is perfectly trust worthy to do the act of murder. In Act 1 Scene 7 She states that to not go through with the deed would be horrible to yourself, and that you would be a coward in your own eyes. Also, She states that if she was MacBeth and did jump at this perfect opportunity, that if a child, being fed at her breast, where as Duncan is, king, she would tear it from her and "dash'd the brains out" to have the opportunity MacBeth does. This shows how mad and brutal she was. She had absolutely no feelings, and felt nothing was wrong what they were about to commit. Later on, after the murders, she, unlike MacBeth, still shows no signs of a conscience. She is very cool and collected, while MacBeth freaks out and goes temporarily mad. Lady MacBeth on the other hand, takes everything calmly. She takes the daggers back to the King's room, smears blood on the drunken guards, and attempts to destroy all evidence of MacBeth ever being there...
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...The play ‘Macbeth’ written by Shakespeare, has many moving themes that still relate to today's society. One theme that may relate the most to today is that appearances can be deceiving. There are witches in the beginning of the play , the Weïrd Sisters. They introduce the saying “Fair is foul, and foul is fair,” meaning good is bad, and bad is good. Many things in the play are resembled backwards. It was okay for Macbeth to brutally murder a man, cause it was for his country. Today it is still okay to do that, as long as you can justify you were defending yourself, or if you are in the armed forces fighting. Macbeth was a very loyal soldier to King Duncan, but when the Weïrd Sisters told him he would take royal positions, his loyalty...
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