"Character Profile" (Post 3)

Pick one character from the first act and write a "Character Profile" of that character.  Tell us what you know about them, what you think will be their role in the play, and what you think about them as a character.  Do you like them?  Identify with them?  Do they teach us anything?

I have chosen King Duncan for my character profile. 

E.H. Sothern as Macbeth for the 1911 Broadway production

Image source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Macbeth_(1911_film)

King Duncan is first seen in Act I, Scene II:

“What bloody man is that? He can report,

As seemeth by his plight, of the revolt
The newest state.” (Act I, Scene II, lines 1-3)

King Duncan is eager to hear news of the war that Scotland is fighting against Norway and rebels from their own country. As he has not been involved in this particular battle, we assume that he is older and now unable to fight. That is why he is asking the sergeant at the beginning for news of the battle.

Duncan is impressed when he hears that Macbeth has led them to victory in the battle; he proclaims Macbeth as the Thane of Cawdor after finding out that the current Thane is a traitor and orders him to be executed. From this, we know that King Duncan may not always have a good idea of who is loyal to him and who isn’t. He may be too trusting and overlook certain things in people.

In Act I, Scene IV, Duncan names his son Malcolm as the Thane of Cumberland, which means he will take the throne when King Duncan dies. In Scene VI, Duncan and a few thanes enter Macbeth’s castle, and King Duncan is unaware that his hosts are planning to kill him that same evening. Duncan is a very trusting man and even speaks of how pleasant the castle is:

“This castle hath a pleasant seat; the air
Nimbly and sweetly recommends itself
Unto our gentle senses.” (Act I, Scene VI, lines 1-3).

He doesn't realize that what awaits him is coldblooded murder. Macbeth mentions in the last scene of the act “… this Duncan / Hath borne his faculties so meek, hath been / So clear in his great office, that his virtues / Will plead like angels…” (Act I, Scene VII, lines 16-19). He is talking about how King Duncan is as a person and is a bit scared to carry through with the murder, but nonetheless has decided to kill the King.

I like King Duncan and I think he represents the 'good' in the play from the first time we see him. He seems to be a genuine, caring man who rewards a job well done, in the case of giving Macbeth the title of Thane of Cawdor, for example. He respects those who show bravery and is a brave man himself. What he has taught me in the first Act is that you can't always trust everyone around you because you never know what they're really thinking or what their true intentions are. I would hope that Duncan would be a little less trusting of everyone, seeing that the Thane of Cawdor was a traitor and now he is walking into a death trap at Macbeth's castle. Although I believe he will die in the next scene, he has set the stage for Macbeth's beginning of 'evil' in the play.

Destiny, Fate and Influence (Post 2)

With all this talk about Destiny, Fate and Influence, what role do you think the witches will have in this play?  Are we all subject to our pre-determined destiny?  Or can we influence our own future?

The three witches enter the play long before Macbeth, and seem to foreshadow things to come. Later on in Act I, they speak with Macbeth and Banquo, calling Macbeth “thane of Glamis,” “thane of Cawdor,” and how he “shalt be king hereafter!” (Act I, Scene III). They seem to know that certain things are going to happen before they occur, and have an ability to sense the future and also to do bad things to people they don't seem to like. It makes me wonder about the powers that they have and what role they will have later on in the play. I believe that they are creatures that have powers beyond being able to tell what will happen in the near future, so this raises my level of curiosity about the witches and the play in general.

In my opinion, I think that we all make our own choices and that we are not subject to a pre-determined destiny. It's true that we can't choose our parents or families, or where we're born, but we can make other important decisions throughout our lives. All of these decisions determine where we will end up, whether we're 'good' or 'evil', what type of person we will become, and what we plan to do with our lives. Will we decide to make a difference for others, or will we only consider ourselves?

I still believe in the saying that “everything happens for a reason,” but people can choose one decision over another rather than waiting for ‘fate’ or ‘destiny’ to make the decision for them. For example, we meet people who play key roles in our lives but can choose whether or not they will be a part of our lives in the future. This can include friendships, relationships with significant others, and mentors or coworkers. Your future is what you make of it.

Play source: http://shakespeare.mit.edu/macbeth/full.html 

YouTube Video: "The Weird Sisters" in Act I, Scene I:

Source: http://youtu.be/tpzbgZTa660

Act I - My Thoughts (Post 1)

My Thoughts on Act I

What do I know/think about the play so far?  What are my thoughts on Shakespeare, Macbeth and this play so far?

Shakespeare is well-known for having written a great number of plays in the late 1500s to 1600s. Compared to today’s English, Shakespeare’s use of the language can be quite difficult to understand. Something he is famous for is using iambic pentameter in his plays, which gives it a nice rhythm.

So far, the play Macbeth has started off with the three witches, which makes me wonder what type of a role they will have going forward and why they're important. They are strange women who later on make comments to Macbeth and Banquo that foreshadow what will happen.

In the beginning of the act, we see that Macbeth is a captain who has won a battle in the war that the Scottish soldiers are fighting in. When King Duncan finds out that the Thane of Cawdor is a traitor, he decides that the Thane of Cawdor will be executed and then makes Macbeth the new Thane. However, in Scene III, it is the witches who tell Macbeth about this before he finds out from King Duncan’s group.

I have no idea about the power of these witches but they seem to know things that will happen in the near future, like when they state that Macbeth is “thane of Cawdor” and how he “shalt be king hereafter!” (Act I, Scene III). But because King Duncan is currently King of Scotland, Macbeth knows that King Duncan will have to die before Macbeth himself can be crowned the new King of Scotland.

At the end of the first act, Macbeth is speaking with Lady Macbeth and they devise a plan to kill the current King of Scotland, Duncan. He is a house-guest for the evening and they plan to murder him and let the drunken servants take the blame.

Macbeth and Lady Macbeth by Dee Trimm

Image source: http://fineartamerica.com/featured/macbeth-and-lady-macbeth-dee-timm.html

Welcome to My Macbeth Blog!

Welcome to my Macbeth Blog!

Here you will find references to the play Macbeth by William Shakespeare (seen below). This for my Grade 11 English class and I'm excited to get started!

Image source: http://flighty02.hubpages.com/hub/macbeth-themes-ambition