In "The Structural Study of Myth" Claude Levi-Strauss explains that we can discover a myth's meaning by identifying and isolating what he calls mythemes. Like phonemes in language studies, mythemes are the constituent units of myths and they find meaning in and through their relationships within the mythic structure. The meaning of any individual myth, then, depends on the interaction and order of the mythemes within the story. Many critics believe that the primary signifying system is best found as a series of binary oppositions that the reader organizes, values, and then uses to interpret the text.
Applying this structuralist approach to Shakespeare's tragedy "Macbeth", we find that the play revolves around two major binary oppositions with each binary opposition being connected to and interwoven with the others. The more obvious of the two centers on the binary nature of human beings --- in this case, the evil self driven by passions, as opposed to the noble self motivated by reason. The interior chaos, and the triumph of passions over reason can be reflected in society at large, thus leading to the second binary opposition, violence vs. peace.
The binary nature of humankind can be easily found in the case of Macbeth, the protagonist of the play. On the one hand, he is noble. As one of Duncan's most glorious generals, he is brave and courageous, trusted and respected. He is a man loved as well as admired by all. In Act I, Scene 2, for example, both the sergeant and Duncan praise Macbeth for his physical and mental bravery, stressing that he "carv'd out his passage" until he is face to face with the enemy general. To Duncan, he is his "valiant cousin" and "worthy gentleman." As a brave general, he does not lack kindness...
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...A structural approach does not necessarily aim at identifying an author's conscious intention, but rather at showing how patterns of relations and structure help reveal meaning. In "Macbeth" we can find meaning in and through the story's structure, which reveals some ideas about the nature of humankind, society and life, and also reveals some ideas about the universe.
Reference
Bressler, Charles E. Literary Criticism: An Introduction to Theory and Practice. New Jersey: Prentice Hall Inc., 1994.
Calandra, Denis. Cliffs Notes on Shakespeare's Macbeth. Lincoln, Nebraska: Cliffs Notes, Inc., 1979.
McAlindon, T. English Renaissance Tragedy. London: Macmillan Press, 1986.
McAlindon, T. Shakespeare's Tragic Cosmos. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 1996.
Shakespeare, William. The Tragedy of Macbeth. New York: Airmont Publishing Company, Inc., 1965.
Regarding Structure, sign, and play, three elements in various settings; Structure: thinking about structure, structurality of structure, constitution of structure; Play: the play of repetition, and the repetition of play; Sign: Concepts of signs. Take a myth, or a mythology, or a mythopoetic, first, anything can be ad infinitum, and either too long or too brief; regarding the myth itself, its structure can be itself infinite, or too long or too brief, as well as the sign of myth can be infinite or finite, as well as play can be the same. The structure of a myth can be it falling into a template, a draft, a code, a mannerism, a way to work within language, or the fact of their reciprocity. In fact, sign and play can be in that position as well, the codes of language, signs, can be translated from myth to myth, thus being of symbolic value, representing perhaps a face value, or perhaps concrete point from which to proceed hither and thither. The sign supplements, and the sign concurs movement, as play does as well. Play moves as well, play can be transmuted, and play can be amplified, play creates presence and the disruption of presence. These three elements perhaps can befall a great occurrence: they become similar, and the way they become similar is by a remarkably small number of sentences?
in Contemporary Literary Criticism. Ed. Jeffrey W. Hunter, Ph.D. Vol. 235. The.
Heberle, Mark. "Contemporary Literary Criticism." O'Brien, Tim. The Things They Carried. Vol. 74. New York, 2001. 312.
Macbeth rejects conformation to traditional gender roles in its portrayal of Lady Macbeth’s relationship with her husband, her morals and their effect on her actions, and her hunger for power. Her regard for Macbeth is one of low respect and beratement, an uncommon and most likely socially unacceptable attitude for a wife to have towards her spouse at the time. She often ignores morality and acts for the benefit of her husband, and subsequently herself. She is also very power-hungry and lets nothing stand in the way of her success. Lady Macbeth was a character which challenged expectations of women and feminism when it was written in the seventeenth century.
“If chance will have me king, why, chance may crown me Without my stir?” Macbeth ponders after three witches foresee that he will become king in the tragic play Macbeth written by William Shakespeare (349). Macbeth is wondering how he could become king of Scotland without him intervening as he is not in line for the throne. He believes that he will have to take action to gain this position. Macbeth was right to doubt fate, because his choices led to his ascension to the throne and, later in the play, to his downfall.
Shakespeare incorporates precise details which overlay one another to form the magnificent tragedy, Macbeth. Shakespeare’s details hardly escape the keen eyes of Harold Bloom, who dedicated The Invention of The Human to analyze all of Shakespeare’s work. Bloom understandably claims, “Macbeth is a uncanny unity of setting, plot, and characters…” (518). Through Bloom’s initial claim and analyzing his speculations on Macbeth’s setting, King Duncan’s death, and Macbeth’s murderous personality, readers delve into meta-analysis and expand their understanding of the tragedy, Macbeth. Thesis is needed
Of all of Shakespeare’s plays, Macbeth is perhaps the most effective in its use of rhetoric, most notably within Act One, Scene Seven. This scene portrays an interesting clash between both the logical and pathos driven concerns of Macbeth, and the overwhelmingly pathetic argument of his spouse. The two argue over whether or not Macbeth should commit regicide in order to obtain the throne from the current king, Duncan, with Macbeth initially against doing so and his wife emphatically in favor of the assassination. The passage is exemplary in its usage of rhetorical devices, which, for example, are particularly seen in Shakespeare’s avid employment of parallel sentences and metaphors, and of course the scene's artful use of pathos. Arguably, only through thoughtful and analytical reflection, can one garner a true appreciation for the rhetoric involved in Macbeth's acquiescence to the ad hominem argument of his wife and his inner ambitions.
Forum 19.4 (Winter 1985): 160-162. Rpt. inTwentieth-Century Literary Criticism. Ed. Thomas J. Schoenberg and Lawrence J. Trudeau. Vol. 192. Detroit: Gale, 2008. Literature Resource Center. Web. 30 Nov. 2013.
When looking back on the recent decades or even last week, it is not difficult to find a Macbeth-like figure in mainstream American culture. In this it is meant that these individuals experience a downfall in an attempt to gain power. One such figure was former President Richard Nixon.
Prior to deciding whether or not conflict is central to the dramatic development of MACBETH, one must consider all the dramatic factors that contribute to the Shakespearean play. The gradual decline of the protagonist , the role portrayed by characters and the order in which the events occur, greatly influence the direction in which the development of the play takes place. After reading the text MACBETH, by Shakespeare and viewing the film version, directed by Roman Polanski, it is logical to see that ambition and the deceptive appearances of what really is, is central to the dramatic development of MACBETH.
Bressler, Charles E. Literary Criticism: An Introduction to Theory and Practice. 5th ed. New York: Longman, 2011. Print.
In William Shakespeare's “Macbeth”, the protagonist is portrayed as both good and evil.Evil is a “destructive force that causes damage to those who embrace it and their victims” .Throughout scenes in the play macbeth can be considered as moral but further into the play Macbeth's good is unweighted by evil.
One of the most important themes in Macbeth involves the witches' statement in Act 1, Scene1 that "fair is foul and foul is fair." (Act 1, Scene 1, Line 10) This phrase aptly describes the macabre status quo within the character Macbeth and without. When Macbeth and Banquo first see the weird sisters, Banquo is horrified by their hideous appearances. Conversely, Macbeth immediately began to converse with these universally known evil creatures. After hearing their prophecies, one can say that Macbeth considered the witches to be "fair" when in reality their intentions were quite "foul." Macbeth's possession of the titles of Thane of Glamis, Thane of Cawdor and King of Scotland came by foul means. Macbeth became the Thane of Glamis by his father Sinel's death; he became Thane of Cawdor when the former namesake was executed for treason; and he was ordained King of Scotland after murdering the venerable Duncan. Thus, Macbeth has a rather ghastly way of advancing in life.
text of the play seems to imply that Macbeth is indeed responsible for his own
Macbeth’s role towards the story line can be justly spoken at an angle in which puts Macbeth’s key character traits into light. Through the abundant amount of scenes within the composition, Macbeth is portrayed as the backbone supporting the entire play itself.