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Hobbes's view of human nature
Hobbes's view of human nature
Hobbes's view of human nature
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As philosopher Thomas Hobbes said, “Moral philosophy is nothing else but the science of what is good, and evil, in the conversation, and society of humanity. Good, and evil, are names that signify our appetites, and aversions; which in different tempers, customs, and doctrines of men, are different.” Since Adam, the ongoing argument has reigned on the natural morality of humanity. Accompanying this argument is the question: Does humanity have free will to act upon the universe as we please or are we fate’s puppet to do as fate deems worthy? Fate refers to a development of events controlled by the supernatural and out of man’s control while free will is a free and independent choice, totally in man’s control. In Loung Ung’s nonfiction, First …show more content…
They Killed My Father and William Shakespeare’s tragedy Macbeth, the authors lay to rest both question and argument by opening the window to the human soul and showing the cruelty of humans and the differing opinions of good and evil. By analyzing basis of the actions of the villains and the themes, it is evident that both nature and nurture play a key part in the actions of humanity. The villains in both Macbeth and First they Killed My Father resemble each other in their interpretation of good and evil and use free will to assert their views.
“Fair is foul, and foul is fair” (Act 1, Scene 1, 12). In Macbeth, the main character and villain commits so many atrocious acts is evil and what is good and loses sight of what is good and evil such as wrongly establishing himself as king. The witches foreshadow Macbeth’s development in the first act with the above quote. Likewise, the villain in First They Killed My Father, Pol Pot, recruits the Khmer Rouge and drills into them that Communism and living a peasant life is for the best. “He says the Khmer Rouge government views science, technology, and anything mechanical as evil and therefore must be destroyed,” (Ung 57-58). Both villains emphasize the fact that man has free will to act upon the …show more content…
universe. In First they Killed My Father, the author through the villain, Pol Pot, introduces us to the idea that fate grants man the ability to exert free will on the universe.
The reader has a front-row seat to the trials and turmoils of the people and feels the pain of the characters of the nonfiction. Pol Pot and his Khmer Rouge militia invade Cambodia, imposing on the Cambodians, the system of Communism and making them refugees in their own land. “The base people will train us to be hard workers and teach us to have pride in our country. Only then will we be worthy to call ourselves Khmer,” (Ung 58). Pol Pot and his people hold the belief that the citizens of Phnom Penh did not have any pride in their roots because of the predominant Western values in the city. Fate in this case refers to the carefree Cambodian regime that Pol Pot felt was evil. Pol Pot uses free will to exert his authority over the universe by imposing Communist values on the people. Pol Pot’s actions proves that humanity is basically good until fate steps
in. Shakespeare uses the villain Macbeth to shine light on the inner workings of the human mind and emphasizes how both fate and free will influence the actions of humans. “All hail Macbeth!.... thou shalt be king hereafter!” (Act 1, Scene 3, 45-55). Once fate, the witches in this case, set the ball rolling by making Macbeth aware of his fate, he takes matters into his own hands to make sure the prophecies come true. Although fate played a part in Macbeth’s actions, Macbeth was solely responsible for his actions. After the witches predicted Macbeth’s future, many characters offered their opinions, however, the decision was in Macbeth’s hand, he acted on his own free will. Throughout the development of the tragedy, Macbeth proves that man is basically good and that fate gives man the free will to act. A particular theme runs through both Macbeth and First They Killed My Father; that fate gives man the ability to freely and willingly act upon the universe. The basis of the villains’ actions is a dominant feature of both books. Pol Pot and Macbeth clearly believed they were doing the right things by changing the course of fate. All in all, we come to see that although man seems to act on the universe with free will, man is basically good and is nothing but a pawn in fate’s chess game as proven by both Pol Pot and Macbeth.
Why is that money and power can changes an individual’s personality? Well, when some humans see something desirable and valuable that doesn’t belong to them, they will go to a great extent to have it. Whether, that is stealing, lying or even killing loved ones. This is simply described as greed. Greed and ambition is a common theme in both Shakespeare’s tragic play, Macbeth and the movie “A Simple Plan”. They both share the concept of wanting something and committing crime after crime to achieve it. Similarly, the main characters in both stories become greedy after finding something valuable and their spouse encourages them further. Once in control, the main characters are willing to do anything to keep possession, even if it means to kill love ones.
Our main character Macbeth is very driven by his need for what he believes to be the truth. The play starts out with the quote “Fair is foul, and foul is fair,” (1.1.6) meaning nothing is, as it seems. This quote was from all three witches, who decided they were going to seek out Macbeth who at the time was Thane of Glamis and a prized solider on the battlefield. Macbeth at this time was looking for more in his life. The witches then gave him and his friend Banquo three prophecies. They were that he would become Tha...
In understanding the art form of expression in various ways like music and play writes, it brings together this sense of self identity that the artist wants to fulfill. Having this understanding about the life behind the scene, screen, and/or stage. My paper will present two art forms music by 50 cent “Many Men” and William Shakespeare play “Macbeth” in which I will describe similarities among the characters. My four categories for 50 cent and Macbeth are as follow Greed, Savage, Survivor and Success.
History has been filled with evil people doing evil things for power whether that means killing or putting other people down. The truth is everyone wants power and once that power is gained they will do whatever to maintain it. In the play Macbeth written by Shakespeare the main character receives a prophecy from witches (wierd sisters) telling him he will become king. Acting in response Macbeth kills the king and soon becomes the new king. The play follows his story as he struggles to maintain his power and battles against those threaten his rule. In Act 3 scene 1, Macbeth's’ soliloquy about Banquo, his best friend, expresses the tones of fear, jealousy, and anger through the literary devices of metaphors, repetition, and foreshadowing, which
A quote which really defines Lady Macbeth and Macbeth’s ambition regarding power is “Power does not corrupt men; fools; however, if they get into a position of power, corrupt power” George Bernard Shaw. Lady Macbeth is more ambitious in terms of gaining power then Macbeth is and that Lady Macbeth will do almost anything to gain power, even evil things that she normally wouldn’t do. This is shown when Macbeth and Lady Macbeth learn about the witches’ predictions, then roles in the plans to murder king Duncan in order to gain power and then finally after the murder, Macbeth doesn’t want to finish the plan making Lady Macbeth angry and causing a chance they might get caught and gain no power at all.
In Act II, Scene II, Macbeth is patented as a hero, when he defeated Norway in a war for his country. O valiant cousin, worthy gentleman. Initially, the Elizabethan audience considered Macbeth as a respectable and well-liked character. We do however learn that appearances can be deceptive which corresponds with the main theme; 'Fair is foul, Foul is fair' which is referred to a lot throughout the play. This theme is first introduced in Act I, Scene I where the witches foretell the struggle between the forces of evil and good in which Macbeth is to be involved.
While Macbeth is losing his morals, Lady Macbeth is developing hers. After Macbeth reveals his plot to kill Banquo, she is reluctant to add another murder to those already committed: “You must leave this”(3.3.40). In act three, another prophecy foretold by the witches comes true. The paradox “fair is foul and foul is fair” characterizes the changes the protagonists undergo in acts one, two, and three. Throughout the play, Macbeth, the “fair” one, becomes overcome by guilt and becomes “foul”.
There are times in life where we choose between right or wrong. It can come into effect on how other people judge you based on their views of what's right or what's wrong. In the play Macbeth, William Shakespeare displayed a darker and a wrong side of humankind. Three main characters, in particular, showed similar traits of greediness. Banquo, who appears to be noble fails to resist his desires; Lady Macbeth overrules herself with greed to a fate of anguish. And finally, Macbeth becomes engulfed with greed that leads to horrible deeds. Shakespeare emphasizes that desire for power and wealth can overrule morality in human nature.
The play "Macbeth" by Shakespeare is jam-packed with malfeasance and darkness. All actions taken by Macbeth, his wife, Lady Macbeth, the witches and Hecate have immoral intentions and/or evil outcomes. An example of such is Lady Macbeth’s dark intentions to quicken Macbeth’s crowning, fuelled Macbeth’s "vaulting ambition[s]" (Act 1 scene 7 line 27) to murder anyone or anything that stood in his path of a long reign.
Jean-Jacques Rousseau a French philosopher believes that all men are born good but are corrupted by society. A comparative study of literacy pieces reveals that although universal values transcend time, they remain subject to contextual changes. Shakespeare’s play Macbeth explores how good men can be corrupted by outside influences, while Sam Raimi’s film A Simple Plan conveys that any individual, can be negatively influenced by the power of temptation. Both Shakespeare and Raimi purpose is to illustrate what values their societies should hold and also warn against the temptation of “vaulting ambition”, such as the want for gaining power. Ultimately, Macbeth and A Simple Plan thoroughly explore how any person can be corrupted by society and
William Shakespeare’s Macbeth and the 1941 film Citizen Kane by Orson Welles are good examples of the consequences of uncontrolled ambition and corrupt power. Although each of the works takes place during very different time periods, brave soldier, Macbeth, and wealthy newspaper tycoon, Charles Foster Kane both have a need for recognition and control. However, when combined with a lack of ethics or morality, they end up destroying their lives and the lives of their friends and family as well. The best friends of these two protagonists, Banquo and Jedediah Leland, are also ambitious men. Their personal integrity and moral character provide a strong contrast to the two protagonists. Sadly, despite their good intentions and strong moral characters,
Fair is Foul and Foul is Fair is a phrase that has become a synonym with the play Macbeth. It is the introduction to the play and the introduction to most important theme of the play, Appearance versus Reality. In Macbeth, Shakespeare uses various characters along with scenes and situations to portray and develop the theme of Appearance versus Reality. He also uses these vivid characters and scenes to emphasize the confusion between the real and surreal, the authentic and the fake, the act and the sincere. Characters in this play are very deceptive and their intentions are dark and ominous. However, their appearance does not show their sinister intentions. The theme of appearance versus reality is a vital part to this play and the characters that portray it are the Witches, Macbeth and Lady Macbeth.
who will become king, he will be the father to kings. This confuses them and they head back to the to meet with King Duncan. When they get there they find out that the Thane of Cawdor had sided with the enemy and was killed and that due to his great job in battle Macbeth would be named Thane of Cawdor. Macbeth then realized what the witches had said was true and he begins to think of ways to become king. In Throne of Blood, Washizu, and Miki, Washizu’s best friend that he later ends up killing, meet an evil spirit weaving silk like a spider. The spider-like spirit is singing a song before Washizu and Miki finally talk to him. The spirit tells Washizu that he will be given a section of the fortress for him to control and protect. The spirit also told him that he would soon become lord of the whole fortress. The spirit also told Miki that he would be assigned a section of the fortress to control and that his son will
Evil is a destructive force; it causes harm to those who embrace it and their victims. In Shakespeare's Macbeth, the protagonist Macbeth and Lady Macbeth fall into the hands of evil. Evil is what drives people to commit unnatural actions of destruction. Macbeth succumbs to evil through his fatal flaw, greed, and it causes him to disrupt the chain of being. When Macbeth willingly murders, massacres, lies and deceives, he loses his heath and sanity. Evil corrupts everything it touches, and Macbeth decides to be evil's servant. But, when Macbeth embraces evil, it corrupts him, and it ultimately destroys him as well. Lady Macbeth is a victim of Macbeth's fatal flaw, since she is drawn in, and becomes greedy for power herself. She pushes Macbeth into destruction when she adds the small touch that plunges Macbeth into a chain of murder, destruction, and lying followed by the loss of their sanity and health. After Macbeth and Lady Macbeth are well into the depths of corruption and greed, it is clearly seen that their guilt will haunt them for the rest of their lives. The harm they have caused others will be returned to them as revenge and they have lost their sanity in order to gain power. The fate of Macbeth and Lady Macbeth clearly illustrates that to embrace evil is to negate our own need for order and well being.
In the play Othello and the play Macbeth, Shakespeare uses the main characters in both plays as warriors. Both characters in each of their plays, had constant outside voices seeping into their minds which ultimately contributed to the fate of both Othello and Macbeth. The witches in the play Macbeth had more of an effect of Macbeth’s actions then Iago had on Othello’s actions in the play Othello. Each character had a lot of pressure on them throughout the play however the witches influence on Macbeth resulted in more destruction than Iago’s influence on Othello.