What makes us who we are? Well, this is a broad question, but a lot of different factors impact us on a way we might not understand until the time is right. The motivation and goals we set for ourselves, who we surround ourselves with whether we have a choice or not, learning from mistakes and making our own and how regrets and guilt play a role, and difficult situations that we are born into or get ourselves into and how our race and gender has an effect on our lives. All of these components are displayed in these four works and connect to one another.
• Motivation and Goals
• Who we surround ourselves with (whether we have a choice or not) makes an impact on us; What people tell you [determines our future?]
• Learning from others mistakes & making our own: how regrets/guilt play a role
• Difficult situations: -gender/race
Macbeth- wanted to be king so badly
• Did whatever it took to be king; Lady Macbeth critical to his being king
• Toward end Macbeth realized his mistakes; accepted death; knew he deserved it for murder of innocent people; others wanted to kill him
• Went insane, LMB committed suicide; he became better person, realized his jealousy
• LMB could get away with fainting bc she was a woman, distracted; askd God for courage of Man
• Macbeth: “The prince of Cumberland! That is a step, On which I must fall down, or else o'erleap, For in my, way it lies. Stars, hide your fires; Let not light see my black and deep desires. The eye wink at the hand, yet let that be
determines your fate because they have an impact on the decisions you make. We are all
Who or what are the forces or influences that shape who we are and how we think about ourselves.
Macbeth is mainly driven to kill Duncan because of his hubris, he had it in his mind that the throne was righteously his and that he alone deserved it. Macbeth also accepts that it was mainly his “vaulting ambition” that persuaded him to murder Duncan (I.7.27). In the end, Macbeth’s fate seems to be justified and fitting, but in a sense can still be viewed as greater than he deserved. The actions that Macbeth took weren’t decided by him alone, he was greatly persuaded by Lady Macbeth and tricked into it was the witches. Without the other external pressure, it possible that he wouldn’t have gone through it because of his honor and sense of loyalty. Macbeth also shows some remorse over killing Duncan in the quote "I’m afraid to think on what I’ve done; look on't again, I dare not….wake Duncan with thy knocking, I wish thou couldst," (II.2.52-53.75-76). Unfortunately at this point, remorse is much too late and Macbeth is stuck on the path he has been lead down. In the end a tragic hero must die a tragic death, but only once they have fallen from great heights and have made irreversible mistakes. A tragic hero also courageously accepts their death with honor as well as recognizes their own faults which have lead them to this
For centuries now, philosophers have studied people and why they have such a lust for power and authority. Conclusions have been made that power gives people an instant gratification and recognition. There are many different references in the play of how a king deals with power and if they use it for better or for their own personal gain. In the play Macbeth, by William Shakespeare, Macbeth’s obsession with his journey to power leads to his failure. This obsession is demonstrated through the prophecies, the murder of his best friend Banquo, and his own demise.
The oxford dictionary definition of guilt, 1, the fact of having committed a specified or implied offence or crime, 1.1, a feeling of having committed wrong or failed in obligation. In Macbeth written by William Shakespeare, Macbeth, the titular character and his wife Lady Macbeth kill the King in order to become King and Queen themselves, this came with consequences which are still relevant in society today. The guilt they felt and the relevance to sleeplessness are common topics almost four hundred years later. I want to know what relevance Macbeth’s sleeplessness has on people in modern society? And what are the effects of guilt on people? And finally, to what extent are sleep and guilt connected?
Molded by the choices we make, our lives can change drastically at any point in time. These decisions will either direct to the right or wrong path. Each path has a different destiny that could possibly take place. The natural surrounding influences one’s path. Curiosity, a common humane feeling, makes people wonder why something happens in a certain way. How people make their decisions and choices - a common question which passes through many people's minds. Every thought or action taken by an individual or a group, in one way or the other, influenced by the environment and the people around them.
Shakespeare’s Macbeth is an intense tragedy about a man named Macbeth whose hunger for power not only makes him commit murder, but also pushes him over the brink of insanity. In Act 2, Scene 1, Macbeth begins with the line, “Is this a dagger I see before me, The handle toward my hand” (2.1: 33-34). He is referring to his hallucination of a dagger floating in front of him. This happens after he agrees to go through with the deed, or the “terrible feat”, of killing King Duncan to secure his foretold fate of being King himself. During this soliloquy, readers get their first glimpse of Macbeth’s powerful imagination. Macbeth is redefining violence by making fantasy just as real as reality.
In other words, who I am determines, to a large extent, what I want to study.’
On the other end of the spectrum, Macbeth must deal with the moral uncertainty of the actions he does commit. When he goes to kill Duncan, the dagger appears, which he judges to be “A dagger of the mind, a false creation /Proceeding from the heat oppressèd brain” (II.i.38-39). It is something that has materialized because he has a humoral imbalance. This is the “psychic distress” Roychoudhury says, “threatens often to undo the protagonists” (218). Because his mind is not right, Macbeth goes down a path of self-destruction. Macbeth does not murder all of his possible enemies at once, it takes four separate murders until he is finished. This goes against Machiavelli’s prescription in The Prince: “Violence must be inflicts once and for all; people will then forget what it tastes like and so be less resentful” (32). Though the audience does not get a chance to see whether the people are resentful, Macbeth is resentful of himself. He has “terrible dreams / that shake us nightly” (III.ii.18-19), violent nightmares, because of his guilt from murdering Duncan. His own rumination contains the same idea: “If it were done when ’tis done, then ’twere well / It were done quickly” (I.vii.1-2). The repetition of the “w” sound evokes the madness behind Macbeth’s thoughts. This is not easy to get out when spoken. His words are more than his tongue can handle, he cannot manage to get everything done all at once. The state Macbeth usurped to obtain is in trouble by Machiavelli’s standards
The crafty serpent appears next to Eve. The evil creature encourages her to eat fruit from the Tree of Knowledge, which God had specifically warned her not to do. The woman, unaware of the serpent’s true intentions, eats from the tree and gives some to Adam. Eventually, the pair realizes that they have been deceived by the snake, and they are consequently exiled from paradise. Sometimes acts which appear honest and good are really meant to mask the hidden desires of wicked people. These desires often have irreversible repercussions, which only accelerate the degeneration of morals and character. Throughout William Shakespeare’s Macbeth, the idea of murderous actions and their dire consequences establishes the
Good leader is only as good as the people who follow them. In the play Macbeth by William Shakespeare, Scotland is thrown into turmoil when king Duncan dies. Throughout the play Malcolm, the king’s eldest son, exhibits the noble traits of a just leader, whereas Macbeth, the Thane of Glamis, is the epitome of poor leadership skills. Both men are motived to do good and bad things. As well as being intelligent, Macbeth uses his brains contrary to those of Malcolm. Lastly, Malcolm and Macbeth exhibit opposite mentalities when it comes to achieving their goals. Even with opposite mindsets, Macbeth and Malcolm are motivated to do what they believe is true.
This quote means that the one who has complete authority is extremely likely to abuse his position. 'Absolute power' refers to complete, unchallengeable power where the holder has no external compulsions and is answerable to none about his actions. It builds on the idea that every human being has the potential to become a 'benevolent dictator' given the right situation. Power, or simply the desire for power, can cause people to act in unintelligible ways. Many examples can be seen throughout history of leaders who have been perverted with power. For example, leaders like Hitler and Napoleon have all committed disgraceful actions during their rule in the hopes of attaining the 'Absolute power'. All through the play Macbeth, the desire for 'Absolute power' is the central compelling force for Macbeth and Lady Macbeth. They are dominated with a great yearning for gaining the ultimate power by becoming the King and Queen, and are willing to achieve it by whatever means necessary. Power corrupts their thoughts, behaviours and actions. They become greedy and selfish. As a result of this, they suffer the tragic fate of their own doings. Example of this corruption is first seen when Lady Macbeth decides that she will murder Duncan after reading her husband's letter about the witches prophecies. She refuses to see the difference between right and wrong as she is blinded by the desire
What would the world be like if no one felt guilt? If no one ever caught caught for their crimes? In Shakespeare's novel, Macbeth, the main characters commit crimes driven by their ambition. After committing the first crime Macbeth, the main antagonist is overwhelmed with guilt. His wife, Lady Macbeth plotted the first crime and was the main force pushing Macbeth to kill. In the end Macbeth is charged with the truth and Lady Macbeth kills herself both brought down equally from guilt. Guilt and fear of being found out causes anxiety and slow disintegration of the subconscious which leads to psychosis and therefore, because of insanity causes confession of crimes or suicidal thoughts.
Macbeth is a play written by Shakespeare where the main character Macbeth makes his way from battle and comes across three witches that call him upon his future before it actually takes place. Later in the play Macbeth notices certain changes that start to come true just like the witches told him and tries to take advantage of what he was told and chases his ambition to be the new king. He achieves his goal to be crowned the new king by tragic events that will take place in the play and with the help of Lady Macbeth. Macbeth seizes power and will do his best to fulfil his goals by doing what he can to maintain his position by the help of supernatural elements in the play. The three supernatural elements used in the play Macbeth that
Macbeth, his journey begins as a noble soldier. Whose sole purpose is to protect king and country. However we will see him go from this noble hero to a very power crazed, prideful murder.