The importance of the Witches in Macbeth
Literature Coursework-The importance of the Witches in Macbeth The witches in the play Macbeth have an important part in the story line of the play, and therefore are important to it as a whole. The witches are the people who first reveal to Macbeth his future, and they are argued to be the reason to why Macbeth is driven to kill King Duncan. Macbeth broke the chain of being, which was believed in, and this caused (in the view of contemporary Jacobean audiences) the strange events later in the play. A noble men and peasants alike feared witches in the era Macbeth was written is. At this time, people were starting to read and to talk about new ideas of witchcraft, and Witches were hunted. The play Macbeth was made in order to be seen by King James IV. King James had a keen interest in witchcraft since 1589, where his ship was said to be in a storm, concocted by witches to kill the King. The saga of witchcraft appears in the early 13th century. Before then, there are said to be no reports of anything similar, and there is even no report of a devil-like character being in existence! The earliest devils are seen to be horned, with a tail and hooves. This is a copy of the god Pan, which followers of Paganism worshiped. New ideas of Christian worship were being spread at the time, and the theory that God has licensed the Devil to do evil things, as a test to humanity, was one
The Porter's Speech
THE PORTER'S SPEECH At the beginning of act two, scene three, we are introduced to a drunken Porter, who gives a speech to the audience. Shakespeare used the convention of the Fool or Court Jester to great effect, especially in his Tragedies where the Fools are less identifiable and can have major parts. Like more modern versions, the continuity person on TV, the Fool offers relief from unbearable tension and keeps us busy and amused during scene changes. Unlike the modern circus clown, pantomime or stand-up comedian, as Shakespeare tells us clearly, he is not a buffoon and has a serious job to do. His is an essential and fast moving part in Macbeth. There are many reasons as to how the Porter's speech can contribute to a production of Macbeth. The first one we may think of is that by letting the audience laugh, having just seen Macbeth's blood spattered hands, they should be more able to accept further bloodshed and revulsion in the following scenes. The humour of having a drunken Porter in the middle of the play can be thought of as a 'laugh conductor' and would prevent the audience from doing this later on in the scene. "Here's a farmer that hung himself on the expectation of plenty". This links with the theme of nature in the play and how Lennox describes the strange happenings and the brutality of the night when nature seemed to have been in key with the
Macbeth - The Role of the Witches.
English Assignment Macbeth - The Role of the Witches William Shakespeare probably wrote his play, The Tragedy of Macbeth, for King James I around 1606. To fully appreciate why the witches had such and important presence and impact upon the characters in the play, one has to take into account the beliefs and fears that people living in the early part of the 17th century held. Today of course, with our scientific knowledge, and so called 'spiritual enlightenment', witches are perceived by the general population as objects of fun - daft women who practice silly spells(naked of course!) on hillsides- as we 'know' magic doesn't exist. But back in the 1600's however, witches were feared and hated. People really believed that they had supernatural powers that enabled them to see into the future, and indeed, change it. Beliefs were black and white in the middle ages. There was a heaven and a hell - God and Satan existed to people as real entities, and witches were perceived as evil, subhuman creatures, servants of the devil himself-as evidenced in Act 1 scene 111, when Macbeth and Banquo first met the witches. "What are these, so wither'd, and so wild in their attire, That look not like th' inhabitants o'th' earth, And yet are on't? Live you, or are you aught That man may question?" Further on in the scène, Shakespeare alludes to the witches supernatural powers, "Say
A Strong Will Deep Inside Your Heart
Jung Hwan Park English2 SL A Strong Will Deep Inside Your Heart What would you do to become a king of your country? There are many ways, such as earning the king's and the people's trust to be appointed, etc... In the play Macbeth, a king's loyal soldier chooses to kill the king. This is a story of Macbeth trying to overcome reality by using his immorality. William Shakespeare, the author of Macbeth, uses blood imagery, the witches, and sleep imagery to emphasize the guilty feelings of Macbeth, which helps the readers to realize that ambition can be a dangerous part of your life. The image of "blood" shows the guilty feelings of Macbeth and the fact that with guilty feelings inside you, there will never be a 'happily ever after'. "We still have judgement here; that we but teach bloody instruction, which, being taught, return to plague the inventor." (I, vii, 9), shows the awareness of Macbeth of the guilt he has made will haunt him afterwards through his life. This actually foreshadows a part later in the play, when the ghost of Banquo appears in front of Macbeth, making him feel guiltier about what he has done. He sees thee still, "and on thy blade and dudgeon gouts of blood, which was not so before. There's no such thing: it is the bloody business informs thus to mine eyes." (II, i, 45-49) Guilty feelings of Macbeth confuse him whether to kill the king or not.
There Are Many Supernatural Elements In "Macbeth". What Effect Do They Have On The Thoughts And Actions Of Macbeth Himself?
There Are Many Supernatural Elements In "Macbeth". What Effect Do They Have On The Thoughts And Actions Of Macbeth Himself? Introduction William Shakespeare Between 1603 and 1606 in Elizabethan times wrote Macbeth. At the time King James I was on the throne he was king England during this era, and was deeply interested in witchcraft he also wrote a book called Demonologie (1597), which became almost a "bible" for all witch-hunters. In Elizabethan times witches and witchcraft was a big issue. Prosecution at the time reached dreadful extents. Between 1506 and 1603 hundreds of people (nearly all women) were convicted as witches and as a result were executed. Modern audiences, watching a production of Macbeth, are often puzzled by the supernatural elements. In Shakespeare's time, the audience knew distinctively what to make of them; they were witches, ghosts, and spirits exactly what they appeared to be, these were all important supernatural elements in the play because they reflected many religious and cultural beliefs of Shakespeare's society at the time. Throughout the play many supernatural elements appear, for example the opening scene with the three witches who appear in thunder and lightening, predicted encounters that Macbeth interacts with. We also see Macbeth encounter hallucinations when he sees ghostly daggers before him also a ghostly figure of Banquo. Act 1
How does Shakespeare create a felling of fear and mystery in the witchcraft scenes in Macbeth? Why would they have been effective and convincing to a contemporary audience, and how have they been interpreted?
How does Shakespeare create a felling of fear and mystery in the witchcraft scenes in Macbeth? Why would they have been effective and convincing to a contemporary audience, and how have they been interpreted? Macbeth is a play written by William Shakespeare, it is set in medieval Scotland. Witchcraft is a major part of the play, I will be writing about it and how it would have affected the audience at the time. There are three witches in the play and they are featured in Act 1 Scene 1, Act 1 Scene 3 and Act 4 Scene 1. I will also be seeing how the play has been interpreted in modern films and plays. The importance of Act 1 Scene 1, to the play, is great as it would have put fear into the hearts of the audience straight away, with it being set in a "desolate" place with "thunder and lightning". The witches speech would have also frightened the audience as they speak in rhyme, "...meet again...in rain", this implies that the witches are canting or casting a spell. They also say "fair is foul and foul is fair" this shows how the contradict themselves and speak in riddles, this would have unnerved the audience because they would not have known what the witches meant and it would have confused them. Shakespeare knows that, at the time of the play, people had a real fear of witches, many women were being burned at the stake for witchcraft, it was a very real threat. In the Royal
Directors Advise to an Actor Playing Macbeth
Directors Advise to an Actor Playing Macbeth Act 1 Scene 3 Macbeths first line is a contradiction, this therefore making your first impression of him a little mysterious and unclear. I would tell the actor to say this line with little emotion because it will then make the audience wonder about the character and make them think about his personality. However as it is the first part straight after the three witches on the heath, the actor would need to make this line strong and bold to show that the witches really were supernatural and weird and then maybe this is the "reality" part of the play. For Macbeth's next few lines the actor should portray him to be a strong character and a person of great meaning to the play (which he is). When the witches reply to his question with "All hail, Macbeth...." Macbeth should act surprised and very startled. Macbeth has no idea what is going on or what the witches mean so the actor should show this in his expression. Macbeth is also very shocked when Banquo turns to him and asks why Macbeth is startled by such good things being said about him. The actor playing Macbeth has to show in his face and actions (e.g. He could stand frozen, or mouth open, not blink, etc.) that he is confused, shocked and startled. Macbeth is the first to speak after the mist thickens, so when the actor speaks he still has to sound confused and still not fully
How Effectively Does Shakespeare Introduce The Major Themes Of The First Three Scenes?
How Effectively Does Shakespeare Introduce The Major Themes Of The First Three Scenes? There are two main themes in the play Macbeth; these are the paradox "Fair is foul and foul is fair" and the tragic hero theme. These themes are introduced in the opening scenes and they are carried on throughout the rest of the play. I am going to analyse the ways in which Shakespeare introduces these themes in the opening three scenes of the play. The theme of "Fair is foul and foul is fair" means that the moral values in the play, along with everything else, have totally been turned around. Shakespeare uses this paradox to illustrate the fact that, in the play, people will do foul things to achieve, in their eyes, fair results. The tragic hero theme simply shows Macbeth as a hero with a fatal flaw, who could be great if it wasn't for the fatal flaw, in this case his ambition, egged on by the witches and Lady Macbeth. The first scene is a short but dramatic opening to the play. Firstly it informs the audience of two things: there is a battle somewhere and that the witches are planning to meet Macbeth. More importantly, however, this scene introduces some key ideas to the play. One of these is the idea of confusion and disorder. This is brought to attention with some key phrases: * "Fair is foul and foul is fair; hover through fog and filthy air" - The witches say this, the paradox of
Macbeth- Power and Corruption.
Anastasia Baranov 0-28-03 English Pd. 6 Banks Macbeth- Power and Corruption Things are not always the way they seem. In the tragedy Macbeth, by William Shakespeare, the character Macbeth appears to be good but underneath, he is evil and corrupt in the worst ways. Macbeth starts out courageous, and then as he desires more and more power, he becomes immoral and evil, and then he finally has a downfall. Similarly, between the years of 1919 and 1945, Adolf Hitler, a Nazi leader, also had a downfall after the attempt to gain great power over Germany. Hitler also seemed promising and determinable, but he was really just saying what people wanted to hear while planning to take over the world. Hitler and Macbeth both appeared to be good but gave in to the temptations of a royal command, and became spiteful, but also took very different actions to gain power. The key to Hitler and Macbeth's success is their intense communicational techniques. They are extremely skilled in persuading others to fulfill their demands. These men succeed in brainwashing their followers so that they honestly believe that terrible acts such as persecuting Jews and murdering the "enemy" are necessary. Macbeth talks the murderers into believing Banquo was their enemy. Macbeth says, "Know that it was he in the times past which held you so under fortune, which you thought had been our innocent self: this I
To what extent does Macbeth fulfil the role of a tragic hero
To what extent does Macbeth fulfil the role of a Shakespearean Tragic Hero? Macbeth is a typical Shakespearean tragedy; the theory of Shakespearean tragedy is very similar to Greek tragedy but has a few differences. Shakespearean is based on a central character, where the main character is of noble birth making their fall from grace (decasibus) greater. The character usually has a tragic flaw and will hurt innocents by their actions. The audience will feel a since of waste as the central character tries to redeem themselves and finally dies. Shakespearean tragedy is on Greek tragedy but was adjusted to fit the renaissance period and the Christian views of that time. Greek tragedy is based on fate whereas Shakespearean tragedy is based on free will; the writer tries to make the audience aware of their actions by making the main character and the play relevant to their own lives. In Greek tragedy it is different as they depend on Greek gods using disguise to kill each other such as Oedipus. It is very common for the tragic hero to be a central character in Shakespearean tragedy. Many of the plays take the name of the central character highlighting their importance: 'King Lear', 'Othello', 'Hamlet', 'Romeo and Juliet' and 'Macbeth' is no exception. Macbeth is pivotal to the play but his position as central character is shown in the opening scene when his is the only name to
