... make a statue, presumably of Macbeth. It is malleable and presumably symbolizes the way in which the witches mold and shape Macbeth's destiny. This goes with the interpretation of the witches playing the part of the fates. The witches in Wells" version are traditional hags, with hagish hair and voices, though their faces are never seen. They vanish into thin air, exhibiting ... the four pieces also deserve consideration. Wells" Macbeth was young, but he and Banquo almost seemed Mongolian to me. The furs and dark skin added an interesting Mongoloid quality, perhaps playing on the brutal ...

• Word Count: 946
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• Grade Level: High School

... to the throne. When Lady Macbeth heard Macbeth pondering the many reasons he shouldn't kill the current king of Scotland, she realized that she was now more committed to the crime than Macbeth was. She scolds him for even having such thoughts, accusing him of being cowardly. Lady Macbeth decides to ... desperation for Macbeth's commitment. She knows that Macbeth is a strong person, and she must seem stronger to convince him to go along with her. She now has to wear a "mask" of this determined and cold character, creating more distance between her true self and Macbeth. At one point, Lad...

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• Grade Level: High School

... can easily be applied to Shakespeare's Macbeth as every central character met with power is eventually exacerbated by it. In Act 3 scene 1, Banquo reflects to himself, "Thou hast it now-King, Cawdor, Glamis, all/ As the Weird Sisters promised, and I fear/ Thou played'st most foully for't. Yet it was said/ It should not stand in thy posterity,/ But that ... King would just waken after he plunges the dagger into his sleeping body. However, after being made King and tasting the power that comes with it his conscience subsides him. Now King Macbeth will stop at nothing to keep Banquo's fami...

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... promised, but thinks he is " too full o" the milk of human kindness," to do anything to bring it about. She knows she is more capable of playing foul to get what she thinks she deserves. She considers herself to be stronger than Macbeth: "Hie thee hither, That I may pour my spirits in thine ... She thinks there are no moral consequences to their actions, that "what's done is done." "A little water clears us of this deed." (2:2:67) She is now back in charge and is showing no remorse. The water is symbolic of purity, and brings to mind religious images, such as Baptism. The idea of this .....

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• Grade Level: High School

... , pointing towards Duncan's room. Macbeth describes it "And on thy blade and dudgeon gouts of blood, which was not so before...It is the bloody business which now informs thus to mine eyes." (Act 2, Scene ii, 55-58). In this scene, the blood foreshadows, that Macbeth is about to kill Duncan. It also ... reflects on his state of mind, where he fears of killing Duncan, because his mind is playing tricks on him. Shakespeare most likely put this in as premonition of murder and death to come later in the play. Another example of bloods use as ... a symbol was Act 2, Scene ii. The symbol of b...

• Word Count: 1026
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• Grade Level: High School

... will proceed no further in this business: He hath honored me of late, and I have bought Golden opinions from all sorts of people, Which would be worn now in their newest gloss, Not cast aside so soon" (lines 31 - 35). Lady Macbeth is able to convince him to not give up the plan and his ... barren scepter in my gripe, Thence to be wrenched with an unlineal hand, No son of mine succeeding? (lines 64 -68). His believes that his only choice now is to kill Banquo and Fleance. He is trying to stop the prophecy. In scene 2 we see Lady Macbeth and Macbeth go through a reversal in roles between ...

• Word Count: 1891
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• Grade Level: High School

... his castle. As Macbeth describes it, "And on thy blade and dudgeon gouts of blood, which was not so before...It is the bloody business which now informs thus to mine eyes."(II, ii, 55-58) The blood in this scene foreshadows that Macbeth is about to kill Duncan. It also shows his ... fear about killing Duncan, because his mind is playing tricks on him. He is developing a guilty conscience although he has not yet committed the murder. "Will all great Neptune's ocean wash this blood clean from ... iv, 93-97). Banquo's ghost haunts Macbeth, and Macbeth is unable to face it. Macbeth's evil ...

• Word Count: 1850
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• Has Bibliography
• Grade Level: High School

... wanted to know more. The real question is why is Macbeth such a popular play now? The answer is that we are fascinated the people then and their fears of witchcraft, demonology and the supernatural events. When you are playing a part in Macbeth you have to call it the Scottish play because Shakespeare had ... Macduff's opinion made suspicion hang over their heads. Banquo states his suspicions of Macbeth to him at the start of act 3, scene 1, "Thou hast it now: king, Cawdor and Glamis, all, As the weird women promis"d Thou play"dst most foully for't" Banquo makes it quite clear that he thi...

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• Grade Level: High School

... Macbeth invites the king to dine with them and spend the night with them. Macbeth, after having been persuaded greatly, starts to perhaps think of the idea now as a good one, and doesn't appose it as much. Macbeth knows that this would be his greatest sin, and it could not be forgiven. Macbeth ... showing us that even before the kill, Macbeth has a guilty conscience. Shortly after this "vision", Lady Macbeth rings the bell, signalling that the killing should now take place. It is very, very important to note how significant Lady Macbeth is in the whole killing - she signalled the bell, s...

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... never make the rules. Men on the other hand, were expected to be the head of their households, strong, and wise. Shakespeare broke new ground in the late 1500s by playing with the unheard idea of the reversal of gender roles. The relationship between the Macbeth's is interesting because they both do not represent the stereotypical men and women of their ... than to be Cawdor (I, III, 74-76)." Macbeth is skeptical at first of the witches' prophecy because he does not believe that he can be anything more than he is now. Once certain parts of the witches' prophecy come true, Macbeth has a ...

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... Scene Seven lines 1-28). He knows what he is about to do is unnatural but he says he would do it without hesitation if there were no consequences for him, now and in the afterlife, ("If th"assassination consequences"). Another example is during this soliloquy when Macbeth says, "is this a dagger I see before me?" it isn't a real dagger but one in ... his wife who is convincing him to do these things and feeling no guilt about them but then as she starts to feel guilty their powers switch in that he now has the power and feels no remorse for his dastardly deeds. I would therefore say tha...

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... I did it: never shake thy gory locks at me!? This scene is a turning point, the ghost being the personification of Macbeth's subconscious. Originally illusions and magic worked for him, but now they are working against him. Macbeth brings chaos to Scotland as he brings chaos to the banquet. Act Four shows Macbeth confronting the witches again, angry and demanding to know ... apparition reassures him completely as he believes it impossible for the wood to move: ?Who can impress the forest, bid the tree unfix his earth bound root? Sweet bodements! Good!? Now convinced that he will survive...

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... art, for thy good caution; thanks Thou has harped my fear aright." In Act three scene four Macbeth states earlier on that he wishes Banquo was there. "Here had we now our country's honour roofed were the graced person of our Banquo present." But as the feast commenced the two murderers came and told Macbeth that he is dead and Fleance ... . This could symbolize that Macbeth is the one that shouldn't be there and not Banquo, as his friends already seated in his place. I think in this scene the witches are playing macbeth against his mind and conscience. The realization of this battle caus...

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• Grade Level: High School

... parallel to the action so that readers effectively understand what is happening in the play. This is obtained through pathetic fallacy, plants, and animals. To start, pathetic fallacy is constantly playing a role and works beside the action in the play to convey a certain emotion. For example, at the start of the play the witches convene near a battlefield. At this time we ... trees and carry them into battle. The messenger presents this news to Macbeth and he retells the prophecy, " 'Fear not, till Birnam Wood/ Do come to Dunsinane', and now a wood/ Comes toward Dunsinane." (V.v.4...

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... not a 'man' if he does not go through with killing King Duncan. Lady Macbeth manipulates Macbeth into exterminating Duncan. This shapes Macbeth's identity because, he later says this, "Now I'm decided, and I will exert every muscle in my body to commit this crime" (Macbeth, Act 1, Scene 7, line 80). Lady Macbeth has an evil heart, she can be considered a charlatan ... ? The fact that they were similar, something about what they do shapes your identity. M.S Kimmel states, "I can walk onto any playground in America where 6-year-old boys are happily playing and by asking one question, ...

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• Has Bibliography
• Grade Level: High School

... caused her husband to be driven mad by her actions, almost to the point where he reveals their plans. Act 4, Scene 2 "The Thane of Fife had a wife; where is she now? " In this scene, Lady Macduff and her son bantered about the possible death of Macduff and what they would do if he were dead. But the most important part of ... to become a man because she refuses to accept the fact that women are just as powerful as men. Also, one could assume that up until Act 5, Scene 1, she has been playing the role of a man, which is why she was so powerful. In all of the excerpts, she was the one in ...

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• Grade Level: High School

... of paranoia, as his mental condition is not accepting any sounds. Macbeth, once a fearsome warrior capable of taking in the sounds of thousands of men fighting in a massive battle, is now a coward who is scared of the sound of a butterfly. Macbeth fears prosecution, which turns him into his crippled form. He feels that his hands will make green oceans turn red ... , as it would make any, to go paranoid. He truly believes that his hands will turn oceans into blood. This is being paranoid at its base. It is his mind playing with him due to his paranoia. Macbeth discussing with Lady Macbeth...

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... behaves in frightening and strange ways in the play. In the first act, Lady Macbeth reads a letter that Macbeth wrote her. He tells her in the letter that he is now the thane of Cawdor. Then, the messenger tells Lady Macbeth that king Duncan is coming to her castle. At that point, Lady Macbeth invites "darkness" and evil to come live ... change cloths and clean up the evidence of their deed. Then Macduff enters to find the king murdered. The play gains power by drawing images from a natural world and from playing on childhood emotions, such as fear of the dark. The readers are first int...

• Word Count: 562
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... occurs at the beginning of the play, with three witches predicting the fate of Macbeth. The witches in the story are like prophets, foretelling Macbeth's future. They seem to enjoy playing with Macbeth's mind. The witches chant together, "The weird sisters, hand in hand, Posers of the sea and land, Thus do go about ,about, Thrice to thine, and thrice to ... . This Short 3 caused Macbeth to act in a wild manner, making people suspicious of his actions. (Act III, Scene VI, ll.31-120). The use of the supernatural increases the suspense now that Macbeth is constantly relying on the prophecie...

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Imagination has always played an important role in shaping one's characteristics. We see imagination playing similar role in Macbeth's life before and after he murders King Duncan. Before murdering Duncan, Macbeth imagines a dagger leading him to the king's chamber. After murdering King Duncan, Macbeth hears ... King Duncan's chamber. While he is imagining the dagger, he also imagines the nature which seems dead and how the nightmares must be torturing King Duncan as he is asleep, "Now o"er the one half world, nature seems dead, and wicked dreams abuse the curtain"d sleep". Although Macbeth ...

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... is placed in front of him, "All hail, Macbeth! That shalt be King hereafter" (1.3.50), he only sees the good positive side and impenitently comprehends that he will be king now and not later. When Macbeth sees the witches for the second time, he receives four apparitions, which once again he interprets literally. Macbeth does not see that the witches are ... prepared for what the future held for him. As a result of Macbeth's conscience and imagination, he starts to lose control of his mind. Throughout the whole play, Macbeth's mind is playing tricks on him with visions, insomnia, or dre...

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• Has Bibliography
• Grade Level: High School

... , why, chance may crown me/Without my stir" (Act I, scene iii, li 143-144). He decides to let fate run its course, but outside forces, like the witches' prophecy playing like a broken record in his head, continue to pressure him to speed up the fulfillment. Eventually, Macbeth's moral code falls to his inner desires, and he completes the witches' true ... ...

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... himself and his will power that it costs him his life towards the end. He started off as a noble man but ends his life as bloody tyrant due to evil playing with his mind. Macbeth was an honorable man and loyal to those surrounding him. Duncan looked at Macbeth as someone he can trust. Macbeth was loyal to Duncan, but the ... ...

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... demonstrates that he understands regicide to be the most heinous of acts that a man can commit. After leaving Duncan dead in his chambers, Macbeth reappears in the scene of the playing uttering "I've done the deed"" (II, ii, 14). Indeed, he has of his own free will, committed the physical act of murder. Macbeth's fall is great. He understands that "...stepped ... ...

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... still wondered whether Duncan would go to heaven or hell. In the second passage, he once again wondered whether his innocent friend would go to heaven or hell, once again playing god. In the third passage listed above, Macbeth acted very selfish. He explained why he didn't want to give up a throne that he worked so hard for, up to children ... ...

• Word Count: 668
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• Grade Level: High School