Tag Archives: Macbeth

Prophecies in tragedies

Posted on December 6, 2011 by Djenane Desrosiers

I was certain I was not the only one who had realized that the first prophecy was a set up for the entire plot. The storyline in Macbeth would not have moved pass act 1 scene 2 if Macbeth and Banquo had not eavesdropped on the three witches’ gathering. Unlike the other prophecies in act 4, the very first one is a self fulfilling prophecy. Macbeth did not sit back and wait to name King, he took charge of the matter. Similar to Oedipus the King, he meddled with his fate and that probably caused his downfall. I can’t help but wonder if the prophecy caused the actions or the actions were to be predicted. In both Macbeth and Oedipus the King the revelations seem to provoke the actions especially in Macbeth where the witches appear to be maleficent and may have orchestrated his despair. Prophecies in tragedies are ambiguous which would also explain why our tragic heroes have falling to their death so ironically. Macbeth was not told how he would be King? Nor was he to know that MacDuff “was from his mother’s womb/untimely ripped” (5.8.19-20). No wonder Macbeth thought he was invincible. One thing for sure, knowing what the future has in store for us can be very dangerous.

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“Tomorrow, and tomorrow, and tomorrow…”

Posted on November 28, 2011 by asmit

Taking my own look at this highly scrutinized and famous speech – Macbeth’s response to hearing that Lady Macbeth is dead – I think that Macbeth’s level of despair at this point is beyond words (figuratively speaking). Regardless of whether or not we can point to his villainous nature and or “monster-like” behavior, what we see Macbeth experiencing hear is raw human suffering. Yes, he has killed his way to the throne and killed to keep himself there, but at this point I think Macbeth truly realizes the level of failure of all his actions. His effort hasn’t gotten him anything but pain and misery. His wife dead, his enemies advancing, his brief rule about to end – the realization of it all is simply too much for Macbeth to bear. I would argue that it’s not PTSD, per se, that causes Macbeth’s descent into madness, but rather his own realization of his systematic failure.

These lines contain some very nihilistic musings on the part of Macbeth, and while they’re interesting to analyze (with regard to what they say about the nature of a play, among other things), I’m not entirely sure whether or not they’re meant to be taken seriously. After all, even now when we’re driven to despair about something or another, I wouldn’t be surprised to hear something along the lines of “life sucks” and “what’s the point” – not because it’s true, but because we feel that much despair at that one point. For us, it usually gets better; for Macbeth, obviously not. The words he says, then, bring up a quite worrisome philosophical debate.

 

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Malcolm: Fit to rule?

Posted on November 25, 2011 by Mary Iannone

We discussed the strange scene between Malcolm and Macduff in which Malcolm says he is full of vices that would make him an unfit king.  After Macduff laments for Scotland, saying that Malcolm will not be much better than Macbeth is, Malcolm reverses his words, saying that he was just testing Macduff to see if he is loyal and true.

But for me, there was a second way of reading this scene.  When Malcolm backtracks and says he was making this up, he says “here abjure the blames and taints I laid upon myself.”  This can definitely read as something I’m sure we’ve all seen before – someone laughing and scoffing at what was just said “Haha, I can’t believe you fell for that, I was totally joking” – just to save face. 

So is Malcolm really going to be all that much better than Macbeth?  Even if he was lying about his vices, what he says afterwards is still a bit of a concern – he says he’s never been with a woman, these words were his first ever lies, and I could never go behind someone’s back and do anything devilish.  But when one assumes power, they have to have the backbone to stand up to those who will be against them – there is no ruler that is universally loved.  So either this new King of Scotland is actually a vice-ridden, greedy sex addict who is now going to hide all of those vices until he inevitably can no longer, or he is a naive, easily manipulated child.

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Violence = Manhood?

Posted on November 25, 2011 by Andy Chu

Most of us have read enough of “Macbeth” by now to know that violence is a central part of the play. What I found really interesting is Shakespeare’s emphasis on the connection between violence and manhood.

Right from the beginning, before Macbeth even shows up on stage, he is described by King Duncan as “valiant” and a “worthy gentleman” (1.2.23) for killing enemy soldiers in a ruthless, grotesque fashion. This part sets the tone for the rest of the play but the scene where Lady Macbeth questions Macbeth’s manliness (1.7.35-44) is what really captures my attention. After Macbeth decides against murdering his king, Lady Macbeth reasons with him as to why he should do it by attacking his manhood. According to Lady Macbeth, not being able to commit the violent crime means there are problems with his innate, male self. She even attacks Macbeth’s ability to make love.

I understand Lady Macbeth’s argument and her motives for saying such things. Do you agree that Macbeth would have been less of a man if he had not gone through with his promise to murder King Duncan? Which takes more courage to do — standing by your words or admitting that you are wrong and taking a step back?

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Scene Study – Macbeth Act 3 Scene 1

Posted on November 21, 2011 by Chenda

 

http://youtu.be/F2GDUdcc5qw

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The witches in “Macbeth”

Posted on November 15, 2011 by urszula.glowacka

“Macbeth” is a very intriguing play that brings tension between predestination and free will, appearance and reality. The action starts with a storm what introduces dark, ominous atmosphere that will continue through the play. The first characters we meet are three witches – “the weird sisters.” Shakespeare uses these figures to open the play and lead us into this complicated, mysterious world.

The witches, as was observed in the class, replace the chorus, but instead of clarifying things for the audience, they add to the overall confusion and mystery in the play. The witches represent supernatural forces, they come and go and at times we are not sure if they are even real. They speak in riddles and rhymes. As they exit the scene the witches chant: “Fair is foul, and foul is fair” (1.1. 12). It is a paradox, one word contradicts another. These words reflect the perversion of values throughout the play. Things are not always
clear and easy, not always black and white, but sometimes complex and not immediately
visible. It is very interesting to note that the first words that Macbeth speaks in the play are: “So foul and fair a day I have not seen” (1.3. 37). We can interpret his words literally; he calls the day foul because of the bad weather and it is also fair for him because he won the battle. However, these simple words carry a lot of deeper meaning and reinforce the message that things are not always the way they seem. The fact that Macbeth and the witches use the same words suggests that they have some sort of spiritual connection. The witches awake Macbeth’s ambition and create the suspense in the play. Their prophecy leads to a series of tragic events and to Macbeth’s demise. Or maybe it isn’t what it seems and the witches are projections of Macbeth’s imagination; they are personification of
his inner thoughts and desires.

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