How Does R. Dahl Illustrate Conflict Between Appearance and Reality in 3 of the 5 Short Stories?

How does R. Dahl illustrate conflict between appearance and reality in 3 of the 5 short stories? The Landlady appears to be very nice, friendly and kind, which we can read in the text: “She was about forty-five or fifty years old… she gave him a warm welcoming smile” and “she seemed terribly nice! ”. As we follow the plot, the reality of her is that she is probably a serial killer and maybe has a psychic illness. The character of Mary Maloney is similar to the character of the Landlady.

They’re both killers, but there is a little difference between them, because we think the Landlady is a serial killer and she prepares to kill him, as Mrs. Maloney didn’t really prepare to kill her husband, however she prepared to set up a convincing alibi. She gave a nip of whisky to every policeman: “Why don’t you have one yourself. You must be awfully tired. Please do. You’ve been very good to me. ” And just after that, she offered the lamb, which she killed her husband with: “Why don’t you eat up that lamb that’s in the oven? . But there is another difference; the Landlady actually wants to kill the boy as Mrs. Maloney killed her husband by impulse. The appearance and reality of the Man from the South. He seems to be a rich, good looking person. That’s the first impression of him, he is wearing a suit: “Just then I noticed a small, oldish man walking briskly around the edge of the pool. He was immaculately dressed in a white suit and he walked very quickly with little bouncing strides, pushing himself high up on to his toes with each step.

He had on a large creamy Panama hat, and he came bouncing along the side of the pool, looking at the people and the chairs”, and just after that the reality comes: “He stopped beside me and smiled, showing two rows of very small, uneven teeth, slightly tarnished”. The culmination point of the appearance and the reality in the Lamb to the Slaughter is when Patrick Maloney did an unusual thing: “He lifted the glass and drained it in one swallow although there was still half of it, at least half of it, left”.

Their household appears to represent a domestic ideal- comfortable, middle-class, with a traditional division of responsibility, ordered and strong on routine: “Now and again she would glance up at the clock, but without anxiety, merely to please herself with the thought that each minute gone by made it bearer the time when he would come” and “When the clock said ten minutes to five, she began to listen, and few moments later, punctually as always she heard the tyres on the gravel outside, and the car door lamming, the foot-steps passing the window, the key turning in the lock” which tells us, that she is waiting for him every day. She killed him by impulse, but then she set up a convincing alibi, and that’s the reality of her.

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The Relationship of Macbeth and His Wife in Act 1 Scene 5 and 7

The Relationship of Macbeth and his wife in Act 1 Scene 5 and 7 From the beginning of the play, the relationship between Macbeth and his wife seem to be the expected partnership in romance, however, as the play progresses, our expectations seems to change for the worst. We are informed that Macbeth desires to be King of Scotland and initially, his wife appears to be supportive of him as a wife should be but her response to this changes quite drastically as we read further on. We are first introduced to Lady Macbeth when she reads the letter which Macbeth sent to her recapping his encounter with the three witches.

She now becomes aware of Macbeth’s wish to become king but she knows that his conscience inhibits him from partaking in any risky business. She uses the phrase “yet do I fear thy nature, is too full o’th’milk of human kindness… ” in her opening soliloquy which suggests that he is a very kind and worthy gentleman. “Thou wouldst be great, art not without ambition but without the illness should attend it. ” She explains how he has the ambition to become king but lacks the boldness to become violent if needed to get the crown.

This helps to show how sensible and timid Macbeth can be and why Lady Macbeth has to intervene to make the situation progress further. To our surprise, Lady Macbeth appears to be the complete opposite of her husband’s supposed character. She is determined to make sure that Macbeth becomes king under any circumstances that need to be undertaken. At the end of her soliloquy, she says “Hie thee hither, that I may pour out my spirits to thine ear, and chastise with the valour of my tongue all that impedes thee from the golden round… which means that she wishes to persuade and talk him out of whatever may be keeping him from seizing the crown. This furthermore emphasizes her persistence to crown him as king and shower her with glory. Throughout this act, Lady Macbeth appears to be the stronger partner and this is reflected when she calls upon supernatural powers, much greater than her own, to make her less of a woman and more like a man. “Come, you spirits that tend on moral thoughts, unsex me here and fill from the crown to the toe topfull of direst cruelty… She has made herself aware that she has to uphold the greater position in the relationship so that their aim of getting the crown is accomplished. The audience finds this act quite shocking as females are meant to be the fairer sex. During the rest of her call to the spirits, she develops the sense of maliciousness and ruthlessness which accentuates the depth of her serious attitude. At this point in the play, the audience has reached a full understanding of Macbeth and his wife’s ambition.

When Macbeth is introduced in Scene 5, he begins with “my dearest love” focusing on Lady Macbeth which shows the position he holds his wife at proving quite admirable to the audience. However, Lady Macbeth shows no mercy to the situation. King Duncan planned to go to the castle that night and wished to leave tomorrow but Lady Macbeth’s response to this was “O never shall sun that morrow see” which implies he will not be leaving tomorrow leading to the cruel suggestion of death. This line reflects her decisive character showing that she is taking the lead role here.

She also teaches Macbeth the way in which he must deceive Duncan and instructs him on the arts of hypocrisy as she says “… look like th’innocent flower, but be the serpent under’t. ” By using this metaphor, it shows that she is manipulating Macbeth and challenges his feelings of guilt and pity for Duncan and replaces them with demeaning and spiteful emotions. Lady Macbeth encourages him to be deceitful to his loyal and trusting leader that is Duncan and the audience can begin to make the judgement that the evil spirits are now manifesting in Lady Macbeth’s heart from her evil suggestions.

She knows that Macbeth hasn’t got what it takes to make this plan work so she takes the leading role by saying ‘Leave all the rest to me” at the end of Scene 5. At the beginning of Scene 7 opening with Macbeth’s soliloquy, we as the audience, really get a sense of guilt that seeps through Macbeth. This is beyond his usual attitude so this is hard for him to cope with. He knows how much he wants to be king but what frightens him the most are the consequences. He uses the metaphor “If th’assassination could trammel up the consequence and catch with his surcease, success… e’d jump the life to come… ” which translated means “If this assassination could work like a net and prevent any consequences, he would be more than happy to risk the afterlife to do so. ” Macbeth knows that Duncan is a highly respected man because of his good intentions and purely hearted nature so he is afraid if he is made known to the people that he is responsible, the chances of him becoming king will be shattered. He contemplates the idea of killing Duncan and weighs up the advantages and disadvantages. The only know advantage is that he will become King.

However, the disadvantages are what he already is considered to Duncan. “First, as I am his kinsman and his subject, strong both against the deed; then as his host who should against his murderer shut the door, not bear the knife myself. ” This quote from Scene 7 shows that Macbeth is in conflict with what Lady Macbeth is instructing and his loyal personality is urging him not to fulfil the “horrid deed”. After considering what a “meek” leader Duncan was, we as the audience can really depict a picture as to what Macbeth was emoting.

When Lady Macbeth enters, Macbeth’s final decision has now been displayed. “We will proceed no further in this business. He hath honoured me of late… ” He has decided to cancel the plan because of how nicely Duncan had treated him that evening. The amount of guilt was too much for him to bear so the easiest escape for him was to abort the business. To his misfortune, Lady Macbeth did not take the current news very lightly. She begins to bombard him with insults and various accusations. “Art thou afeard to be the same in thine own act and valour, as thou art in desire? Lady Macbeth begins to question him and whether he is afraid to do what he must to achieve what he desires. As she has handed herself to the powers of darkness, she speaks to him brutally by saying “Was the hope drunk wherein you dressed yourself? Hath it slept since? ” suggesting that he was drunk when he made the decision to kill Duncan. He raging fury increases furthermore when she says “Which thou esteem’st the ornament of life, and live a coward in thine own esteem, letting I dare not wait upon I would, like the poor cat i’th’adage? calling him a coward if he doesn’t take the crown that he has always wanted to own. At this point in the play, the relationship between Lady Macbeth and his wife reaches its peak as they have a great dispute. Macbeth’s counter argument is not as furious as Lady Macbeth as he simply responds with “Prithee, peace. I dare do all that may become a man; Who dares do more is none. ”He believes that he has done all that a man can do in this situation however Lady Macbeth disagrees. She believes that his definition is wrong and that he only becomes and man if he does the deed.

Now Lady Macbeth is raging, she decides to use the excuse that Macbeth doesn’t love her which is the typical response for a woman to use in an argument with her partner. In addition to this, to emphasize the depth of evil in her she creates a vivid inhuman image in the audience’s mind “I have given such and know how tender ‘tis to love the babe that milks me: I would, while it was smiling in my face have plucked the nipple from my boneless gums and dashed the brains out, had I so sworn as you have done to this. As she is the mother of the child, this makes the image even more disturbing as she has sworn to herself that she would have done it just as Macbeth swore he would do the rotten deed. The audience can really see the evil thoughts capturing her mind at this point as thoughts like this would not be evoked from a normal female figure. Macbeth is emotionally moved by the lengths Lady Macbeth would go to keep her word so he sees this as an opportunity to voice his fear of failure. “If we should fail? ” Lady Macbeth’s response is “We fail? But screw your courage to the sticking-place and we’ll not fail. which suggests that it is impossible for them for them to fail if he just becomes more courageous. Lady Macbeth has planned the whole murder and reveals it to Macbeth which he can find no faults for himself. At this point in the scene, there is finally some common ground between Macbeth and his wife. “When Duncan is asleep, whereto the rather shall his day’s hard journey soundly invite him, his two chamberlains will I with wine and wassail so convince that memory the warder of the brain shall be fume, and the receipt of reason a limbeck only. She plans on making the guards so drunk so that they won’t be able to remember any affairs that take place during the night. Macbeth begins to understand his wife’s plans and knows that once the blood is put onto the guard’s daggers, people will assume they are the culprits. By the end of the scene, Macbeth has decided to go ahead with the murder, using every muscle in his body to help him carry out this task.

He appears to have changed his tone also as he ends with “False face must hide what the false heart doth know” which in some aspects is similar to what Lady Macbeth had originally told him to do. By the end of both scenes, the audience can really determine the flow of Macbeth and his wife’s relationship. Originally, Lady Macbeth supported Macbeth’s desire to become King of Scotland but as the play went on, the support had turned into force and she did not have a friendly approach to the situation as she called upon the dark spirits to disable any feelings of remorse as a human being should have.

Macbeth knew that the deed he was influenced to pursue was cruel and would have rotten consequences but his the persuasive tone of his wife led him to change his mind and use the same words she used on him to her. It is not an ordinary relationship as the audience can see the manifestation of the dark powers between one side of the partnership which leads to other side to perform murderous tasks.

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Characters in Hamlet

What is the difference between a comedy, tragedy, and history? Define catharsis, hubris, and nemesis. What is the relationship between these words? What are the characteristics of a tragedy? Define dramatic irony and soliloquy. Discuss the importance of dialogue in the play.  What mood, or atmosphere, does Shakespeare establish in scene 1? Which details hell p create this mood? In scene 2 and Aphelion’s interaction with P loons In scene 3- How are these Interactions related and how are they dollars? Act II In the opening scene of Act II how does Polonium want Reynolds to check on Learner’s conduct? What does this instruction suggest about Polonium’s character. Aphelia tells Polonium what took place when Hamlet visited her. Explain why this pass age is an example of dramatic irony.

In line 246 of scene 2, Hamlet says to Guilelessness, “Denmark a prison. ” Explain that remark in the context of Hamlet’s present situation, considering also the role of Restaurants and Gu Identities. The play discussed by Hamlet and the players tells the story of Papyrus seeking reeve GE on Pram. What are the parallels between this tale and Hamlet’s own quest for revenge? At the end of Act II, Hamlet reveals his plan for testing Classis’s guilt. Why might SSH Shakespeare have chosen to have him use a theatrical performance for this purpose?

 What conclusions can you draw from their interaction? Analyze the importance of Hamlet’s soliloquy in Act Ill Scene 1 . What is Hamlet consist erring during this soliloquy? Consider the eloquence of his speech, the specific wording that he uses, hi s sufferings during his life, Hamlet’s mental state, etc. How do the events In this act drive the plot forward? You will need to be able to put the major events of this Act In order. Act IV Hamlet sends two letters announcing his return to England. E to Horopito and one to Shakespeare have chosen to have him send the letter to Horopito even though it is not needed to advance the plot? Hamlet as already confided to his mother at the end of Act Ill that Restaurants and G elderliness have been assigned to lead him into a trap. What does it suggest about his character that he now appears eager to go with him? Claudia describes an elaborate scheme to kill Hamlet. What advantages does this SC hem have for both him and Alerter? Based on what has happened so far in the play, what disadvantage of the scheme?

Why does Hamlet quarrel with Alerter at Aphelion’s grave? What does this conflict Clara FYI about his feelings? As he is dying, Hamlet urges Horopito to stay alive and tells his story, why is this so imp rotator Hamlet? You will need to be able to put the major events of this Act in order. How are these themes shown in Hamlet? (Themes include: Revenge, Fate, and The Human Condition) You will need to look at specific quotations that we discussed in class – be able to discuss who said the quote and what the significance of the quote is.

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How Is Evil Portrayed In Macbeth

In this essay I shall be looking at the way evil is portrayed in Shakespeares play, Macbeth. I will be concentrating on the characters in the play that contribute to the evil themes of the play. It is clear from the start of the play that the witches are the main source of evil. The witches have an enormous effect on the play, not only are they evil, but this is emphasised by the strong feelings against witches and witchcraft in Elizabethan times. Convicted witches were regularly tortured and even executed. Most people believed in witches and there was little opposition against this persecution.

This was not helped by the fact hat the king, James 1 was also interested in this superstition, often, he interrogated the accused himself. It is clear from the start of the play that the witches play a key role. The first scene is the witches planning to meet Macbeth. The setting of this scene is very important; they meet on a moor in thunder and lightning. These surroundings portray an evil image; the moor is a very lonely, barren and bleak place, while thunder and lightning associate with evil. So even at the beginning of the play one of the themes is known.

The witches language includes rhyming couplets that contradict each other and are very powerful. Fair is foul, and foul is fair: Hover through the fog and filthy air This quote tells us about the witches hatred for all things good, and their love for things that are evil. Shakespeare adds rhyme and rhythm to the witches language to emphasise their evilness. The second part of this quote adds to their image of being witches and would have created tension among Elizabethan audiences. The image of old women with cats and the ability to fly would have shocked an audience.

The first meeting between Macbeth and the witches is significant as they make two predictions to Macbeth, Hail to thee hane of Cawdor and perhaps more significantly, That shalt be king hereafter. These proclamations astound Macbeth due to their sudden nature. The witches lure Macbeth into a false sense of security. The witches manipulate Macbeth and when he tells Lady Macbeth of the predictions, an evil plan is conceived. Ive done the deed. This deed is the worst possible crime, kingship; Macbeth has murdered king Duncan in cold blood.

Macbeth, the brave warrior at the beginning of the play has been driven by his ambition to be king. However, the source of this evil deed may not have come from Macbeth himself. Look like the innocent flower, But be the serpent undert. Lady Macbeth plants the seed of murdering king Duncan in Macbeths mind. The language Shakespeare uses here is significant, the flower is associated with beauty and goodness while the snake is associated with evil. The association with a snake would have been especially strong because in the bible the serpent is seen as an evil being.

These comparisons to bible characters would also have shocked Elizabethan audiences, as they believed in heaven and hell. Perhaps the most famous scene in Macbeth concerns the witches and especially their language. Liver of blaspheming Jew, Finger of birth-strangled babe. These disgusting images are the ingredients of the witches spell. The language used shows the exploitation of innocence and vulnerability by the witches and this links in with the theme of the desire to bring all good things to evil. The imagery conjured up in the casts is one of pure evil.

In the same scene the witches manipulate Macbeth by using three apparitions. The second of these apparitions lulls Macbeth into a false sense of security. Then live, Macduff: what need I fear of thee. The apparition, which is a bloody child, tells Macbeth of his fortune, For none of woman born shall harm Macbeth. Shakespeare uses Dramatic Irony as these words confuse Macbeth. It is apparent from these words that Macbeth would feel invincible and that no man could harm him. However, Macbeth fails to see the contradiction between this and the first apparition.

This is because Macbeth is unaware of Macduffs birth; he was born after his mother had died. It is only at the end of the play that Macbeth finally discovers his fate. After being told that Macduff had been, Untimely ripped from his mothers womb, describes the witches as Juggling Fiends. Macbeth is accusing the witches of deliberately juggling their words so that he could not understand them. This is a brilliant quote as Macbeth has just realised his life is in ruins, but the audience knew this earlier.

The witches have changed Macbeth from a brave warrior to an evil, murderous, traitor. By the pricking of my thumbs, something wicked this way comes. This quote is significant as it illustrates the change in Macbeth throughout the play, now even the witches consider Macbeth to be evil. However, when looking at the path of destruction that Macbeth has left ehind him it isnt very surprising. Just one man driven by his ambition to be king has led to a chain reaction of murders Stars, hide your fires! Let not light see my black and desires!

From this quote we can see Macbeths true feelings towards king Duncan. It tells us that no one will see the murder due to the darkness and lack of light. His dark intentions have imagery due the blackness of the night and evil desires and intentions of Macbeth. The murder of his once best friend, Banquo leads to Lady Macbeth going mad. The brains behind the relationship who conceived the plan of murdering ing Duncan which started the chaos of the whole play eventually commits suicide as she couldnt handle the guilt.

Heres the smell of the blood still: all the perfumes of Arabia will not sweeten this little hand. This is a significant quote as although Lady Macbeth did not kill king Duncan it was her idea, and it could be argued that Macbeth wouldnt have murdered king Duncan without the influence of Lady Macbeth. The fear of the Scottish people is shown in a conversation between Donalbain and Malcolm. Theres daggers in mens smiles. This metaphor describes how Donalbain feels he can rust nobody and that everyone is putting on disguises; underneath the smiling faces is hatred and evil.

The imagery conjures up pictures of the innocent and pleasant man on the outside but on the inside he is a traitor and a murderer. The quote portrays the scenes of anarchy and chaos in Scotland. In conclusion I think it is clear the witches mostly portray evil in Macbeth. Not only are the witches evil themselves but their evilness spreads to other characters throughout the play. I think there is little doubt that without the influence of the witches, Macbeth wouldnt have murdered king Duncan.

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Is Lady Macbeth the Real Driving Force Behind Duncan’s Murder?

Macbeth “Lady Macbeth is the real driving force behind the murder of King Duncan” Discuss this statement and decide whether or not you agree. Known as one of the most influential writers in history, Shakespeare was born in 1564 in Stratford upon Avon. During the 17th century Shakespeare rose to more fame and became one of the popular playwright writers across the globe. Altogether his collection of master pieces is 154 heart-wrenching sonnets and 37 compelling plays. ‘Macbeth’ delivers a powerful message about a tale of greed and a hunger for power which leads to tragic consequences.

Macbeth is a naive character who is the protagonist of the play. He is one of the noble men for the king and this highlight to the reader of the loyal and trusted position he carries. Subsequently, we find that Macbeth is from an honourable family. ‘By Sinel’s death I know I am thane of Glamis’ This also shows that he is of a high class, strengthening his character as being trustworthy and of an honourable status. Macbeth as a sincere character which does not last for long once the three witches ‘plant the seed’ in Macbeth’s mind.

During the play, Macbeth has issues with his desires and loyalty towards the king. The three witches appear in front of Macbeth and Banquo. They portray their prophecies which have an impulsive influence on Macbeth making him ‘thunderstruck’ at the thought of ever being admired enough to become king. This consumes Macbeth with disturbing thoughts when they refer to him as the ‘thane of Cawdor’ and the ‘future king’. These make Macbeth compelled in the witches predictions.

He may react in this spontaneous manner becoming ‘speechless’ because he has a desire to gain a higher status and may have had thoughts of murdering Duncan previously. Macbeth becomes eager and impatient, ‘stay’, ‘I charge you’ shows that he is commanding the witches because he is desperate to hear his future. This introduces a completely different side to Macbeth as being, he has been given the title of ‘thane of Cawdor’ yet he still wants more. His curiosity and frustrated behaviour shows that he already had a hidden desire of ambition.

The witches have an obvious impact on Macbeth, as he starts to talk to himself and a horrid image of ‘murdering king Duncan’ is placed in his mind. This is a huge contrast to the Macbeth we were shown earlier who was a ‘noble’ and ‘loyal’ person we are shown this so that we can observe how he changes from being ‘faithful’ to disloyal. We see that Macbeth finds murdering Duncan unnecessary and decides to leave it up to fate; “If chance will have me king, why chance may even crown me without stir… This shows that Macbeth doubts that murder is required in order to fulfil the prophecy and become king. It also shows that Macbeth is an indecisive character as he has still not made his mind on what approach to take, the reader is unsure of what Macbeth will decide. Macbeth instantly writes a letter to his wife Lady Macbeth, displaying his eagerness to spread his new found news, this shows that he felt that there was some truth in the witches’ prophecy. Lady Macbeth is a striking character, who is introduced as Macbeth’s wife and long term companion.

Shakespeare contrasts the role of Macbeth to women of the 17th century who would have been at home and submissive towards their husbands. Lady Macbeth seems like the more dominating person in the relationship “You shall put this night’s great business into my dispatch, which shall to all our nights and days to come” This shows that even though she is not actually going to perform the murderous act, she has decided to take control of the situation by handling the preparations as she believes that he husband is not competent enough to do it himself.

The fact that Lady Macbeth only takes part in the planning and not the crime illustrates that she does not need to worry about the consequences of their vengeful scheme, there might not be any consequences for her as she did not commit the vicious act of murder. Lady Macbeth is a sly woman who desires for more control, this is reflected upon the advice she gives to Macbeth. Look like th’ innocent flower, but be the serpent under’t” Lady Macbeth encourages her husband to be like a snake which symbolises wickedness, portraying that she is not a good influence on Macbeth, this could confirm Lady Macbeth’s real character that even if she may appear to be innocent she really is an immoral and cunning character. She decides to take the matter into her own hands by planning Duncan’s murder her plan involves getting the servants drunk. “…. is two chamberlains will I with wine and wassail so convince that memory, the warder of the brain, shall be convince a fume, and the receipt of reason” She is very intelligent and has thought ahead so that the plot does not fail. She has decided to make the plan herself because maybe she does not trust Macbeth enough. Macbeth himself is not too keen on committing the murder without Lady Macbeth aggravating him, this also shows that she is the one with the desire and the plans; she wants to be the Queen of Scotland.

This makes the reader aware of Lady Macbeth’s negative characteristics, which she possesses, also making the reader feel angry towards her for consuming Macbeth with evil thoughts. Lady Macbeth tries to force Macbeth into making a decision through manipulation, but Macbeth does his best to try and put off this decision about whether or not to murder Duncan; “we will speak further”, this shows that Macbeth is reluctant to end the conversation about murdering Duncan, at this point Macbeth has still not made up his mind.

This makes the reader aware of Macbeth’s state of mind , it also portrays his human qualities that although he is plotting a murder he is feeling guilty at his wicked thoughts this makes the reader sympathetic towards him that he is in this situation and is confused on which path to follow and whether or not he should listen to Lady Macbeth.

Lady Macbeth somehow manages to be manipulative towards Macbeth this is portrayed through her approach to Macbeth’s refusal to continue in the plot with the use of phrases like “live like a coward” this shows Lady Macbeths manipulative qualities and the way she has manipulated the situation to get an outcome which benefits her and Macbeth. As she knows what to say to infuriate him she decides to challenge his manhood; “When you durst do it, then you were a man; And to be more the man… ” She decides to challenge this because she knows he feels very strongly towards it.

This shows the reader that Lady Macbeth will take all sorts of steps as well as having a corrupting approach of bullying Macbeth into murdering Duncan. Throughout the play Macbeth is uncertain on what he should; “If we should fail? ” this shows Macbeth’s fickle behaviour, his questioning his wife as if she has all the answers and knows the future, it makes the reader aware of his low confidence and more sympathetic towards his state of mind he is not the one making the decisions he is leaving them for Lady Macbeth to make.

Macbeth is eventually persuaded by his wife into murdering Duncan, “I am settled, and bend up each corporal agent to this terrible feat. Away, and mock the time with fairest show. ” He is reluctant and has now come to the conclusion that he wants to do all in his power to achieve his aim, and make his ambition come true. He is fearful “I’ll go no more I am afraid to think what I have done; Look o’t again I dare not. ”

This shows that Macbeth is frightened: he does not want to take a chance in going back to the scene where Duncan’s murder took place, because he may get discovered even though it is in order to perfect the crime scene. He is even afraid of his own thoughts, which shows that Duncan’s death has had an impacted on his vulnerable mental state. The individual to blame for the murder of Duncan is debatable as there are several characters that have a hand in his death.

Could it be the witches who planted the seed of becoming King into Macbeth’s head? Macbeth himself who committed the murderous act, or is it Lady Macbeth who cunningly drove Macbeth into committing the murder? Although this is true, Lady Macbeth is the real driving force behind the murder of King Duncan. She is a stronger and more ruthless, who is determined to get what she desires; she is more influential in her decisions than Macbeth.

She is fully aware of Macbeth’s boundaries and to what extent she has to push him in order to make him kill Duncan. At one point so furious at Macbeth for being a ‘coward’ that she wanted to become a man herself. The three witches, Macbeth and Lady Macbeth are all responsible for Duncan’s death. From this we can draw a conclusion that although all these characters played a role in Duncan’s murder Lady Macbeth has a stronger pressure as she kept giving Macbeth sly comments she drove Macbeth into Murdering King Duncan.

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How Far Is Macbeth a Gothic Protagonist

How far is Macbeth a gothic protagonist? The gothic protagonist who is seen as the main character tries to overcome human limitations by making acting as god. Within the novel is seen which is seen highly in the characters as well as other aspects. Shakespeare’s Macbeth consists of the central protagonist who is Macbeth himself. Thus, Macbeth is seemed as a gothic protagonist because he urges for a gothic goal which is often for more power. A gothic protagonist is known to have sharply contrasting qualities within the character.

This is seen in Macbeth as we see the contrast between Good and evil which is a strong source of conflict within Macbeth. Macbeth’s character is deeply divided and this conflict works itself out in depth. The first act of the play offers an increasing insight into the complex interaction of ’s mind. The “noble”, “valiant” and “loyal soldier” of the early scenes is tempted by the visions of future personal glory conjured by the witches and comes increasingly under their influence.

The battle between these conflicting elements of Macbeth’s character becomes evident immediately after the first of the witches’ prophecies has come true, when he observes “this supernatural soliciting Cannot be ill, cannot be good”. The proposition that “Macbeth is a villain in whom there is little to admire” is an inadequate judgement of Macbeth’s character. Macbeth is not consciously and naturally malevolent, and there are many aspects of his character and his downfall which serve to support this.

Macbeth was not only a victim of his own actions, but also of the human condition and the extremely powerful forces of both his wife and fate. Throughout the play the audience undoubtedly experiences feelings of horror at Macbeth, but we are also driven, through an understanding of his character, to admiration and sympathy. This would not be the case if Macbeth was a totally vile and reprehensible villain, and thus the tragedy of Shakespeare’s Macbeth is clear. Macbeth was certainly no villain to begin with.

He is introduced to us as a man of great honour, nobility and strength of morals. He is held in high regard by King Duncan, who addresses him as “valiant cousin, worthy gentleman”- so highly, in fact, that Macbeth is granted a promotion over Banquo (who seems to be of an extremely worthy and loyal character). But there is a fatal difference between Macbeth and Banquo- Macbeth’s ambition and lust for power. He is a man with an unsurpassable desire to advance himself.

He himself identifies this quality while he contemplates an action that he is wholly repulsed by; “I have no spur To prick the sides of my intent, but only Vaulting Ambition which o’erleaps itself, And falls on th’ other. ” This “Vaulting Ambition” is what makes Macbeth vulnerable and leads him to commit possibly the most vile deed he can imagine, setting him on a path of destruction. There is a temptation to use the fact that he could comprehend the vileness of his deed as a reason as to why we should condemn Macbeth as even worse a villain.

Gothic fiction is a form of literature that includes elements of both horror and romance. Most gothic fiction has things that are supernatural, includes feelings like guilt, sin, madness, settings usually in a castle or in dark caves, mystery, suspense, violence, a damsel in distress, and omens or dark curses. The play “Macbeth” by William Shakespeare is written in gothic literature, this is evident through an examination of the feelings of guilt, sin, madness, the battle between good and evil and omens and curses that take place throughout the play.

Omens, curses, prophecies, supernatural beings, these are all things that are very common in gothic literature. Shakespeare uses these things to make the play seem darker and have more mystery to it. There are three witches in “Macbeth” and they make prophecies that will alter Macbeth’s future. They predict that three things will happen, one of them being “The power of man for none of woman born/ Shall harm Macbeth,” 4. 1, 91 & 92. Traditionally, characters in gothic fiction have their future predicted by some supernatural being; they use this knowledge to alter their life. Macbeth is no different.

One would think that it is impossible to not be born from a woman, so Macbeth uses this to gain confidence that no one will ever be able to kill him. Later on in “Macbeth”, after the witches make the prophecy of Macbeth not being killed by man born of woman, he goes to battle with Macduff. Since it is said to be that Macbeth cannot be killed by man born of woman, Macbeth is told “Macduff was from his mother’s womb/ Untimely ripped,” 5. 8, 19 & 20. After being told this Macbeth decided to go to battle with Macduff and got killed, this shows that the prophecy did alter his life in a way he never saw coming.

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Macbeth- the Destruction of Power

Within William Shakespeare’s play, ‘Macbeth’, the destructive nature of power is immensely explored. The nature of power is obliquely and inevitably expressed through Macbeth’s ambitious drive for supremacy, the unknown and distraught notion of fate and free will, as well as a personal reaction towards the concept of power. Although, the majority of the play is based on the destructive nature of power, the moral nature of power is also portrayed, in spite of the evil. Macbeth was naturally an ambitious man, who constantly desired more.

However, he was greatly influenced by his wife Lady Macbeth, for in the beginning Macbeth’s nature was “too full o[f] the milk of human kindness”. Lady Macbeth’s provocation encouraged the evil residing in Macbeth and his ambition only increased “I have no spur to prick the sides of my intent, but only vaulting ambition, which o’erleaps itself and falls on the other. ” The weird sisters were aware of his overpowering determination and were able to manipulate him into believing he had the potential to gain “absolute power”.

Via these strong influences and his unfathomable ambition, Macbeth went to great extents to retrieve ultimate power, essentially transforming into a tyrant within the process. Macbeth’s level of free will is questionable, for it seems that despite the triggers of his ferocious actions, he was an exceptionally hubris man. The witches can be depicted as advocators for fate, rather than fate itself and with the support of manipulation, they were able to convert Macbeth into an ignorant autocrat. “Fair is foul and foul is Fair. Weird sister’s prophecies were not what they seemed. Although, Macbeth received various triggers that led to his destiny, it is likely that he would have received the same fate, had the witches not interfered. “I’ll make assurance double sure, And take a bond of fate. ” Macbeth attempts to control fate by murdering his possible threats to power. Macbeth was ambitious at heart and clearly a power driven man, whom takes pride in his masculinity and in essence already on the pathway to destruction.

Macbeth was too focused on gaining his own power and control, to comprehend the issues arising against him. As Macbeth aspired to optimum power, he gradually began to dehumanise. “What need we fear who knows it, when none can call our power to account? ” Lady Macbeth questions whether the guilt and anxiety of murdering these loyal people was worth the power or lack of it. The weird sisters manipulated Macbeth into believing he was invincible, resulting in irrational acts of terrorism against the people of Scotland.

Murder, betrayal, torture and cruelty were inflicted upon all of Macbeth’s followers on a regular basis, whom were forced to obey him. “I am in blood, stepped in so far, that, should I wade no more” Macbeth went too far, to withdraw and developed into a tyrannical leader for the simple reason he had the power to do so. What he chose to do with his power lead to his corruption, although, not all choose the wrong path. There are some individuals born to lead and gain power, with the intention of goodness and then there are others who do not retain the ability to effectively control their power.

Duncan and Malcolm both emanate morality, with the aspiration to improve and support their country, Scotland. “But I must also feel it as a man,” Malcolm exclaims as he understands he must feel compassion In order to become a respectable leader. The destructive nature of power is explored in many aspects throughout the play, for each individual reacts differently. Macbeth was ambitious at heart and easily influenced to commit such brutality against his own people.

However, Malcolm and Duncan were able to harness and control their power with intention of supporting their country to the best of their abilities. Macbeth’s fate seemed inevitable despite the weird sister’s interference, for he already retained the qualities of an ambitious tyrant. Macbeth ultimately desired power with fierce determination and eventually received it. Once he had acquired all power, he became ignorant and apparently ‘invincible’ ultimately resulting in his destruction.

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