Commentary on Macbeth soliloquy Act V scene V"To-morrow, and to-morrow, and to-morrow,Creeps in this petty pace from day to day,
Commentary on Macbeth soliloquy Act V scene V "To-morrow, and to-morrow, and to-morrow, Creeps in this petty pace from day to day, To the last syllable of recorded time; And all our yesterdays have lighted fools The way to dusty death. Out, out, brief candle! Life's but a walking shadow; a poor player, That struts and frets his hour upon the stage, And then is heard no more: it is a tale Told by an idiot, full of sound and fury, Signifying nothing. " Soliloquy is a speech made by a character alone on the stage or thinks she/he is alone. Through soliloquy, the audience gains an honest and direct experience of that character's mind. In this particular soliloquy, Macbeth expresses overwhelming despair. This soliloquy encompasses the entire experience of Macbeth's kingship, short to the entire play. Imagery, time, dictions and repetition each have its constituency in shaping this important soliloquy. The passage reveals to the reader the despair and desolation of Macbeth just before the deciding battle with Macduff and Malcolm. Just before the soliloquy, Macbeth has been informed that Lady Macbeth is dead. The sudden departure of Lady Macbeth marks the lost of Macbeth's only love and trusty as well as the ties to the world. By now, Macbeth is all alone, as most of the previously mentioned Thanes have taken side with Malcolm. After this soliloquy, Macbeth is
In this essay I am going to discuss Macbeth's character and behaviour at the beginning of the play and compare it to his behaviour at the end of the play.
Holiday Homework In this essay I am going to discuss Macbeth's character and behaviour at the beginning of the play and compare it to his behaviour at the end of the play. I intend to do this by examining his character as the play progresses and then forming a conclusion at the end. Macbeth is a classic tragic figure brought to ruin by his own greed, guilt, and fear. Shakespeare intensifies Macbeth's tragic nature by showing him to be a valiant hero in the beginning of the play. He is a courageous warrior and one of King Duncan's best generals. In the second scene of the play, Macbeth has just won his most important battle and saved Scotland from the Norwegian King. To honour his bravery, King Duncan gives Macbeth the title of Thane of Cawdor. This is one of the first steps to Macbeth's undoing, for he longs to be more than just a thane. His innate greed is first inflamed by three wicked witches who prophesy to Macbeth that he will become Thane of Cawdor and then King of Scotland. When the first prophecy comes to pass, Macbeth immediately begins to long for greater power. He realizes that in order to seize the throne from the king, he will have to murder him. Being a basically kind man, he is horrified at his own thoughts and decides murder is beyond his capability. He decides to let fate take its course, and if he is meant to be king, it will happen. But the seed of greed
'Antony's use of rhetoric in Act3, Scene2 is more effective than Brutus'.
'Antony's use of rhetoric in Act3, Scene2 is more effective than Brutus'.' To what extent do you agree with this statement? 26 If one considers merely the apparent 'winner' of the argument in Act 3, Scene 2, then Antony is the obvious choice as the better orator. However, Brutus probably had a more difficult job as he had to convince the crowd to forgive him for the murder of the (effective)1 head of the Roman Empire. In fact, the use of rhetorical devices in both speeches is extensive and generally well balanced. This has been affected by the order in which the men spoke to the crowd, which could, to some extent, alter the opinion of the rhetorical devices used. Rhetorical devices in the passage are well used, especially in the case of Antony and his use of pathos, although one may argue that in this instance pathos is particularly easy to use. An example of pathos2 is,'...I should do Brutus wrong and Cassius wrong (who you all know) are honourable men. I will not do them wrong; I rather choose, to wrong the dead, to wrong myself and you, then to wrong such honourable men.' This quote in some ways appears at first glance to be pro-Brutus but the undertones are more malicious and if said in grief3, could evoke powerful emotional reactions from the audience which is one of Antony's main objectives, so to make the plebeians4 turn against the conspirators in their, and at the
How do we know that Othello and Desdemonas relationship Is ruined at the beginning of the play?
How do we know that Othello and Desdemona's relationship Is ruined at the beginning of the play? Shakespeare sets the opening of "Othello" at night and when Iago and Roderigo was talking about Othello's marriage with Desdemona, Iago plans to bring Othello's downfall, and since Roderigo, who is in love with Desdemona, manipulates Roderigo to thinking he will have Desdemona if he works with him. Shakespeare also makes good use of dramatic irony in the play since the audience knows about Iago's plan to destroy Othello. Along with this, the audience also knows that Iago is really crooked and the dishonest one. The audience knows all of Iago's schemes and lies. This is also dramatic irony because Iago is in no way honest, he has been and continues to lie to Othello throughout the play; however, Othello has not yet figured that out. Shakespeare presents Iago as a villainous person and has him as the main role in destroying Othello and Desdemona's relationship. The reason for Iagos hatred for Othello is because (in his soliloquy), Iago tells us of his suspicion that Othello has slept with his wife, Emilia: "And it is thought abroad that `twixt my sheets He has done my office." At this point we start to become more aware of his jealous nature and suspect that it may be based mostly on his paranoid mind. Not only does he believe that Othello has slept with his wife he also
Shakespeare(TM)s Much Ado about Nothing Directors Essay: What advice would you give to Beatrice when responding to Benedick?
Shakespeare's "Much Ado about Nothing" Directors Essay "What advice would you give to Beatrice when responding to Benedick?" Arguably, Beatrice can be considered to be the main character in Shakespeare's "Much Ado about Nothing". Through her melodrama, Shakespeare provides us with a rare and lovable character. Hence, great care should be taken to direct her, especially in response to her lover, Benedick. Unlike most women during that era, Beatrice shows no fear towards men, let alone considers herself as inferior. The privet conversation between Beatrice and Benedick displays this: "It's a man's office, but not yours". The sentence is purposed to challenge Benedick of his manhood, hence, the break in this line can be exaggerated, by speaking the latter phrase in a slow tempo with a harsh tone. Also, Beatrice should look upon Benedick eyes whilst speaking this line and point at him, as this will bring their love relationship into Benedick's mind. If these actions are followed, even the audience should be shocked, as this was a very daring phrase for a woman to say. Just as she persuades Benedick to do her bidding, she hands him a grave task: "Kill Claudio" The line is very short and therefore breaks any flow in their conversation, y pausing the play and allowing time for the audience to absorb the surprise behind these words. Also the alliteration of the two "K-" sounds
Discuss Shakespeare's treatment of courtship and marriage in "Much Ado About Nothing". In your essay you should refer to modern interpretations of the play and consider the context in which they were produced as well as the context of the original play.
Discuss Shakespeare's treatment of courtship and marriage in "Much Ado About Nothing". In your essay you should refer to modern interpretations of the play and consider the context in which they were produced as well as the context of the original play. In 'Much Ado About Nothing' there are two love interests on which the play is mainly focused. The courtship between the two couples Beatrice and Benedick and Hero and Claudio gives the audience a glance at two completely different forms of love. The relationship between the characters Claudio and Hero is one which is very traditional and a very safe way of communicating their feelings to one another. Shakespeare borrowed the story of Hero and Claudio from a man called Matteo Bandello, this shows that this may not be his own view of how love should be expressed. He did however invent the story of Benedick and Beatrice; this may mean that he believes that the way in which love is expressed should be much more spontaneous and heart-felt. The way that Beatrice and Benedick treat each other offers humour as this is one of Shakespeare's comedies whilst also providing a relationship which seems much more modern and extraordinary for the time. The courting between Beatrice and Benedick is slightly vicious as they seem never to compliment each other but instead comment on each others faults 'he is no less than a stuffed man' and the
The Gender Transformation of Caesar
The Gender Transformation of Caesar Shakespeare's Julius Caesar opens with the concurrent celebrations of Caesar's defeat of Pompey and the annual fertility festival of Lupercal. The coupling of the two historically separate events each celebrating distinct gender roles dramatically highlights the importance of gender characterization. Rome's patriarchal society demands a leader who embodies the virile spirit of the state with leadership marked by strength, courage, and constancy. Caesar quite fittingly assumes this role as he returns valiant and victorious from the battlefields; thus, in order to remove him the strong ruler of Rome, Caesar's enemies must retrench his masculinity. Roman society considers women as the embodiment of weaknesses, thinking that their physical, mental, and political inferiority make them of little use beyond reproductive purposes, explaining why aspirants to the throne feminize the identity of the masculine warrior figure to position him as unfit for the crown. The portrayal of the two female characters of the novel, Portia and Calphurnia, captures the prevailing stereotypical perceptions of women. Caesar's wife, Calphurnia, demonstrates women's predisposition towards fearfulness and superstition when she pleads with Caesar to remain at home after dreaming that a statue made in the likeness was Cesar pouring forth blood. Calphurnia establishes
How does Lady Macbeth change throughout the play, "Macbeth"?
How does Lady Macbeth change throughout the Play? "Glamis thou art, and Cawdor, and shalt be What thou art promised;" These are the powerful opening lines of Lady Macbeth - the most infamous and indomitable female character in all of Shakespeare's many works, who defies the position of order and gender of her time and used power and ambition to achieve her dreams. Her opening scene in I.v where she is reading the letter from her husband, which proclaims the witches' prophecy, and the following soliloquy are the first exposure to her character, as it allows us an insight into her most intimate thoughts and feelings. At the idea of her husband being possibly made King she jumps straight to the conclusion that he will be, "and shalt be what thou art promised". This is shocking to the audience as her superstition shows her underlying hunger for power by the fact she takes three deranged, women on a moor as the literal truth - any excuse for her to rise in authority. Shakespeare's use of the witches adds drama because at the time the play was written, during the reign of James I, witchcraft and heresy were deemed punishable by death and to "consult with any evil sprit" was illegal under the 1604 Witchcraft Act, so they would have seen it as a scandal that Lady Macbeth believed the witches. She seems even more ruthless by the fact that automatically she presumes that they will
Why is Antony a more effective speaker than Brutus?
Why is Antony a more effective speaker than Brutus? Both Antony and Brutus uses the same persuasive devices in their speech. They both use repetition and rhetorical questions; however they also use other persuasive devices to make their speech effective. Though both are good speakers, what makes Antony more effective is that he appeals more to the Roman people's emotions rather then their rationality. Antony comes effectively halfway through Brutus's speech and carries Caesar's body with him. Already he has the crowd's attention. Though it seems that Brutus has won the public's opinion, Antony is able to persuade them to see it from his point of view. Brutus has tried to win the public by speaking in prose in order to make him seem equal to the plebeians; in contrast Antony speaks in verse which is more effective as it would sound much more interesting. He is also very careful and manipulative with his speech as he makes sure that he is able to go on with it long enough to sway the public's opinion towards him. Antony effectively uses repetition in his speech. Constantly he mentions Brutus to be an 'honourable man.' By repeating Brutus to be honourable, as the plebeians are convinced he is, Antony is able to make it sound worthless as it begins to sound tiresome and so causes the plebeians to question Brutus nobility. Antony also repeats the word 'ambition'. He reminds the
Explore the importance of the first of Macbeths soliloquies showing how Shakespeare creates its dramatic and poetic power
Explore the importance of the first of Macbeth's soliloquies showing how Shakespeare creates its dramatic and poetic power The soliloquies in Macbeth play a very important role in giving the audience an insight into what particular characters are thinking and the difference in views over the same subject. Allowing the audience to hear the inner thoughts of the character creates a bond between them and the character and also reveals hints of upcoming events and emotions. The first soliloquy in Shakespeare's Macbeth is of particular importance, firstly because it is the audience's first insight into Macbeth's mind. Macbeth finds himself fighting with his conscience over whether or not he should attempt to murder Duncan in order to become King. He creates an argument in which he debates the advantages and disadvantages of the assassination. During this speech, the audience is shown a side to Macbeth that contradicts our first impression of him, as a brave and fearless warrior. This soliloquy gives us a glimpse of the vulnerability of Macbeth and how neurotic he can be. Already, ideas of how the plot of Macbeth will follow are forming i.e. this soliloquy foreshadows the rest of the play. Macbeth's argument is structured into four parts. Each section has Macbeth thinking through the different kinds of reasons for and against the King's murder and Shakespeare uses different
