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How does shakespeare present macbeth as masculinity
Symbolism essay on the play macbeth
How does The witches prophecies influence Macbeth’s actions to some extent
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The weird sisters prophecies ignite Macbeth's ambition setting events in motion by telling him that he will be king. “ All hail, Macbeth! hail to thee, Thane of Glamis/ All hail, Macbeth! hail to thee, Thane of Cawdor/ All hail, Macbeth! that shalt be king hereafter” (1.3.48-50). At first Macbeth does not wholeheartedly believe that the weird sisters prophecies will come to be, but realizes they may hold some truth. Shortly after the weird sisters vanish, Ross who was sent by the king, announces that Macbeth will be named Thane of Cawdor. Macbeth recognizes that one of the prophecies has come true and begins to trust them, “Two truths are told, As happy prologues to the swelling act/ Of the imperial theme” (1.3.128-29). Currently the weird …show more content…
However, Macbeth has reservations regarding his logic; “He’s here in double trust: 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” …show more content…
A bloody child is the second apparition which tells Macbeth, “Be bloody, bold, and resolute. Laugh to scorn/ The power of man, for none of woman born/ Shall harm Macbeth” (4.1.79-81).The apparition reveals that nobody born from a woman would ever harm him. Macbeth now feels that he has nothing to fear from Macduff or anyone, if he cannot be killed by someone born from a women. The third apparition of a crowned child with a tree in his hand reinforces Macbeth's arrogance by saying, “Macbeth shall never vanquished be until/ Great Birnam Wood to high Dunsinane Hill/ Shall come against him” (4.1.92-94). Macbeth feels safe and secure, because he knows that all men are born of women and that forests cannot move. “Let them fly all./Till Birnam Wood remove to Dunsinane/ I cannot taint with fear” (5.3.1-3). Trusting the weird sisters and their apparitions Macbeth does not attempt to prepare himself or flee. According to the second apparition no man born of women can harm him, creating a sense of invincibility and fearlessness: “Was he not born of woman? The spirits that know/ All mortal consequences have pronounced me thus:/“Fear not, Macbeth. No man that’s born of woman/ Shall e'er have power upon thee.” (5.3.4-7). Macbeth awaits the arrival of the army sent to overthrow him, certain that the weird sisters prophecies guarantee his safety. However, he is struck with fear when he learns that the
Macbeth, a play written by William Shakespeare, portrays Macbeth as a kinsman, subject and trusted friend to King Duncan I of Scotland. A trusted friend, that is, until Macbeth has a chance encounter with the “three witches” (Shakespeare) or the “Weird Sisters”. The witches predict that Macbeth will become the next King and that his fellow companion, Banquo, will be the father of a line of kings. A change comes over Macbeth after his meeting; he is no longer content to be a follower of the King, he will “be” King at any cost. After killing the King and his friend Banquo, losing his wife to madness and ordering the execution of many, Macbeth is killed in much the same fashion as he has killed. But does this really reflect the real King MacBeth of Scotland? While examining the characteristics and actions of the two Macbeths and decide if Shakespeare’s writing was historically sound or was it just “double, double, toil and trouble” (4.1.22-26) playing with MacBeth’s character.
First they gain his confidence by making predictions that come true, then the underlying true is seen through. In Act I, Scene 3 they refer to Macbeth as "Thane of Glamis," which he is, and as "Thane of Cawdor," which as far as he knows, he is not. When he is later given the news that the king has made him Thane of Cawdor, he naturally believes that the witches know the future and that he can trust them. His thoughts then move to the other prediction the witches made: that he will be king. Macbeth seeks out the witches for more information and assurance. Then, once coming across the Three Witches, Macbeth then asks them to give him some clarification on his future to hold. The Witches then show Macbeth three apparitions. The second apparition that Macbeth is shown, the bloody child, tells Macbeth that "...none of woman born shall harm Macbeth"(Shakespeare 4.1.81-82).This apparition brings confidence into Macbeth by giving him this security that he basically should have no fear about men because he cannot be killed. Unfortunately, where the false part comes into play from the false security, is the man not born of woman turns out to be Macduff, whose mother delivered by him by what we now call a C-section he was born out of a body. Thus, he was not born of woman. The third apparition appears and tells Macbeth to take courage, as well giving Macbeth
When the witches told Macbeth that no man born of a woman could harm him, he would not be defeated until the forest came to his castle, and that his only threat was Macduff, Macbeth felt very secure about his kingship. Little did Macbeth know, that all of these foretellings would bring about his demise. Macduff was born out of a dead woman, so he was the only one who could hurt Macbeth. When Malcolm's army attacked Macbeth's castle, they camouflaged themselves with trees, thus giving the appearance of the forest coming to the castle. Finally, Macduff was the only thing that Macbeth had to worry about, because he was not born of a woman, and could kill Macbeth. Macbeth completely disregarded the Witches' prophecies because he thought of them as rubbish. Had the three witches told Macbeth the real truth that they ticked him out of believing, Macbeth would not have gotten so cocky as a result of his security.
Another influential power of the Weird Sisters was their ability to create visions and apparitions. Early in the murder scene of Duncan, Macbeth sees a bloody dagger and in a phantasmagoric state, remarks, "Thou marshal'st me the way that I was going, / And such an instrument I was to use,"(II, i, 51). Macbeth also states, "Witchcraft celebrates Pale Hecate's offerings,"(II, i, 60). Both of these statements may suggest a supernatural force in the affair. The witches' powers also extend to the summoning of apparitions that foretell future events. The three apparitions tell Macbeth, "Beware the Thane of Fife,"(IV, i, 81), "none of woman born / Shall harm Macbeth," (IV, i, 91), and "Macbeth shall never be vanquished be until / Great Birnham Wood to high Dunsinane Hill / Shall come against him,"(IV, i, 106). These visions and apparitions, as seen later on, have a profound effect on Macbeth's actions.
“All hail, Macbeth! Hail to you, thane of Glamis. All hail, Macbeth! Hail to you, thane of Cawdor. All hail, Macbeth, that shalt be king hereafter!”(1.3.51-53) and also goes on to tell Banquo that his descendents will be kings even though he won’t become one. At first Macbeth dismisses these claims, and Banquo suggest that they were just hallucinating, but the idea of becoming Thane of Cawdor and king of Scotland has been implanted in Macbeths head. Coincidentally just before Macbeth and Banquo meet the witches Duncan announces to Ross that Macbeth will be the new thane of Cawdor “No more that thane of Cawdor shall deceive our bosom interest: go pronounce his present death, and with his former title greet Macbeth.”(1.3.76-76) When Macbeth finds out that he will become thane of Cawdor from Ross and Angus he starts to truly believe that he can and will become the new king. The witches use this previously announced fact “Hail to you, thane of Cawdor” as a catalyst, to trick him into believing that he will become king which makes him take action towards the prophecy, but which was really his free will maki...
middle of paper ... ... Macbeth is tortured, torn apart by his two conflicting sides: his practicality and his morality. His practicality ties him to the throne. Part of him still depends on approval, on the “worldly symbols” he was never truly able to relinquish.
Which leads him to think he’s invincible. In Act Four Scene One, three apparitions appear and inform Macbeth of his prophecies. The Second Apparition says, “for none of woman born shall harm Macbeth” (Shakespeare. IV.i.91-92).
The witches predict that Macbeth will become Thane of Cawdor and King of Scotland while Banqou’s child will become king: “All hail, Macbeth! hail to thee, thane of Glamis! All hail, Macbeth, hail to thee, thane of Cawdor! All hail, Macbeth, thou shalt be king hereafter! (1.3.50–52).” The witches continue to deceive Macbeth with their equivocal language which in turn creates a dark, suspenseful and ominous mood.
The third apparition presented to Macbeth was in the form of a crowned child holding a tree in its hand, saying not to fear defeat until Birnam Wood comes to Dunsinane. Macbeth was confused by this apparition and seems to ignore
The most prophetic statement in the work is given by none other than the witches. As Macbeth approaches the hags, they great him by saying, “All hail, Macbeth! hail to thee, thane of Glamis! / All hail, Macbeth, hail to thee, thane of Cawdor! / All hail, Macbeth, thou shalt be king hereafter!” (I.iii. 47-50). The wicked women state the first two correctly; he is the thane of Glamis and the newly appointed thane of Cawdor. The third is correctly stated, yet the audience is unsure of this truth. Macbeth is not the current King, but fittingly all will “Hail him King”. This profound prediction lays the bedrock for the argument of fate. Once again, the witches have a control over Macbeth and merely suggest the possibility and leave the rest up to Macbeth.
...e murdered. When king Duncan thanks Macbeth for his heroic service in the battle he replies “Your highness a king cares for his people as a father cares for his children and the people represent the loyal children to the father (I, iv, 23-25). Later in the scene, Lady Macbeth shames her husband so he can continue with the plan of killing Duncan. To shame Macbeth, she calls him a coward, questions his manhood, and tells him that he should be as tough as she is, (1.7.54-59). The second apparition is a bloody child which shows Macbeth "The power of man, for none of woman born Shall harm Macbeth" (4.1.81). This shows that no man can harm Macbeth because everyman is born of a women except Macduff. He says that Macduff was born untimely and was ripped out of his womb . This was abnormal because being ripped out of your mothers womb is being born.
[ Thunder. Second Apparitions, a Bloody Child.] “Second Apparition: Be bloody, bold, and resolute. Laugh to scorn The power of man, for none of women born shall harm Macbeth.” ( 4.4. 81-82).
This apparition creates a view of invincibility in Macbeth's mind because he does not know of any man that is not born of a woman. This point of view made Macbeth a fearless warrior who would fight anyone in his path. This overconfidence later causes Macbeth to fight Macduff with arrogance. Macbeth does not realize that Macduff was born from Cesarean section which leads to Macduff killing Macbeth in a bloody battle. After the witches tell Macbeth his second apparition, the witches then tell Macbeth,” Macbeth shall never vanquish'd be until/ Great Birnam wood to high Dunsinane hill/
This prophecy feeds Macbeth’s confidence, as he thinks everyone on Earth is of woman born. The next apparition assures him that he won’t be vanquished unless Birnam Wood moves to Dunsinane Hill, where Macbeth resides. These promises are half-truths, designed so Macbeth is mollified, which makes him complacent as he gets ever closer to his downfall. Finally, the fourth apparition is a series of kings followed by Banquo, which Macbeth takes to mean as Banquo’s sons, because Fleance is still alive, replacing him as King. These apparitions, particularly the latter, causes him to act on his worries in the next scene, murdering Macduff’s family and fueling Macduff’s need for
The deliberately ambiguous apparitions play on Macbeth’s hubris and they make him feel so overconfident that he feels invincible and unstoppable. In his castle, Macbeth jokes that he will never fail “till Birnam wood remove to Dunsinane” (V.iii.2) thinking that the apparition literally means that the forest will pick itself up and move to Dunsinane which he thinks is impossible despite all the supernatural events he has experienced. However, the forest does not move by itself but it does move to Dunsinane because of Malcolm’s ingenious strategy. As Malcolm approaches Macbeth’s castle with the English forces, he orders each soldier to cut off the branches of the trees of Birnam Wood to use as camouflage. This greatly contributes to Macbeth’s downfall since he was nowhere near ready for an invasion of the English forces. However, because of his hubris, he is still confident that he is unstoppable as he believes no one “borne a woman” (V.iii.6) can harm him. Unbeknown to him, Macduff was born through a caesarean section and thus not “borne” so much as “taken” from a woman. This lack of access to the entire truth sees Macbeth eventually