MR+Dean

=Assignment I: Act I Scene 3=

Characters
Witches: First of all, the stage direction mention them as witches, but they are reffered as weird sisters in the play. The word weird comes from 'wayward,' which means fateful. Moreover, from what they did on the beginning of the scene, audiences can infer that weird sisters are to show evil and darkness. Their appearances are perhaps discusting, as Banquo stated that they have beards that make people hard to realize that they are women. They also don't seem to be living on earth. In the scene, the weird sisters gave prophecy to Macbeth and Banquo, and suddenly vanishes when Macbeth tried to ask questions. As their name suggest, the weird sisters would be the one to determine Macbeth's fate.

Macbeth: In this section, audiences know that Macbeth is the thane of Glamis, and received the title of thane of Cawdor, which were the parts of the sisters' prophecies. Audiences can learn that he is a brave thane by how Ross describes the personal venture in the rebel's fight. After the meeting with the weird sisters, Macbeth tries to drive away his memory, and does not believe in that prophecy. Macbeth is also a loyal thane.

Banquo: He is also the thane, and also receives prophecies from weird sisters. He, as Macbeth, is also curious of what the weird sisters said, and does not believe them. He said to Macbeth that the weird sisters are perhaps the bubbles of earth. Banquo is surprised when Ross gave the title of thane of Cawdor to Macbeth, and asks "What, can the Devil speak true?" in his aside.

Ross: He is also the thane who came to Macbeth to deliver the king's message. Ross indicate "earnest of a greater honour" when he gives the title Thane of Cawdor to Macbeth.

Angus: Again another thane, and he delivers the news of how the thane of Cawdor helped the Norway to invade, and how he was executed by confessing his sins. He, together with Ross, would be static characters in this play.

Plots

 * 1) Weird sisters meet to give prophecy to the thanes
 * 2) Macbeth and Banquo meets
 * 3) Weirds sisters give prophecy about being the thane of Glamis, Cawdor, and king. Disappears
 * 4) Ross and Angus came to give the title of Thane of Cawdor
 * 5) Angus explains how the Thane of Cawdor is executed

Conflicts

 * The weird sisters gave such a sweet prophecies to Macbeth and Banquo. The thanes would have internal conflicts.
 * The two prophecies came true for Macbeth. Moreover, by having Ross say "earnest of a greater honour," Macbeth thinks that the king will name him the king.

=Assignment II: Act 1 Scene 5,6=

Lady Macbeth is a strong person. We must not forget that the deed that Macbeth is doing is illegal and immoral act. If Lady Macbeth is strong, she is more consistently evil. This also shows that Lady is shrewd to know the husband's weakness and help how to overcome it. Lady Macbeth would say that the meaning of life is being powerful and successful. She has extreme avarice for power and pride, and willing to do anything to make Macbeth as the King of Scotland.
 * What do we learn about Lady Macbeth in these scenes?
 * How might Lady Macbeth answer the question “What is the meaning of life?” Explain your answer.

"Yet do I fear thy nature: It is too full o'th'milk of human kindness" (Act 1 Scene 5 Line 16) I selected this line because it reveals that Macbeth is not willing to do anything wrong to achieve ambition. Macbeth was fearful, but Lady seemed to be energized. Both of them think of murdering King, but Lady Macbeth plans to kill.
 * Identify and write out two of Lady Macbeth’s lines that are particularly striking. Explain why you selected the lines.

"Come, you spirits that tend on mortal thoughts, unsex me here," (Act 1 Scene 5 Line 40) This was striking because Lady Macbeth is trying to turn off her womanly nature and go ahead to kill Duncan.

Business
 * Identify one significant word that Lady Macbeth uses in 1.5 or 1.6, and define both the denotation and connotation of the word. Explain why you think the word is significant.

Denotation: "the things that you do or the matters which relate only to you" (Cambridge Dictionary)  Connotation: killing the King Duncan. It is used in hte text as "this night's great business" in line 67 of Act 1 Scene 5

=Assignment III: Discussion Preparation=


 * "But screw your courage to the sticking place" line 14
 * "Stars, hide your fires; let not light see my black and deep desires." line 50
 * "I would, while it was smiling in my face, have plucked my nipple from his boneless gums and dashed his brains out, had I so sworn as you have done to this" line 56
 * "Be so much more the man." line 52

1. Your answer before the discussion Macbeth was convinced by both the Weird Sisters and Lady Macbeth. He also had a great avarice for his power. Macbeth was first frightened by the prophecies of the Weird Sisters. However, he was further convinced when the first two prophecies came true as Ross and Angus addressed him as the Thane of Cawdor. Moreover, Macbeth is convinced by Lady Macbeth and decided to kill Duncan.

=Assignment IV: Act II=
 * How does Macbeth react to the killing of Duncan? Why does he react this way?
 * How does Lady Macbeth react to the killing of Duncan? Why does she react this way?

1. Macbeth felt grief and regret. He is troubled by Duncan's body because he thinks he is now doomed by God. From this, we can infer that Macbeth is a dynamic character. Macbeth said "this is a sorry sight"at line 20. He also tells Lady Macbeth what he saw and heard, and said that he commited Nature's second course. Macbeth expects he shall sleep no more.

2. Lady Macbeth however, argues that it is foolish to say a sorry sight. Lady Macbeth does not feel guilty for killing Duncan; she is a static character. Moreover, she tries to keep Macbeth saying about his visions because it will drive them mad. "These deeds must not be thought after theses ways," said Lady Macbeth in line 34.

=Assignment V: Act III Scene 5, Scene 6=
 * Write a one sentence summary of each scene. (post on your MR wiki page)
 * In 3.6, what suspicions does the Lord have about Macbeth? (post on your MR wiki page)

Scene 5: Hecate, the queen of the weird sisters, appears and scold them for telling the prophecy; she seems to be angry for telling the riddles and affairs of death. Scene 6: Lennox feels pity for Macbeth and curses Malcolm and Donalbain for the murder of Duncan, and the Lord tells that Malcolm lives in England.

Malcolm and Donalbain fled to England, and this angered Macbeth to prepare a war. The Lord considers Macbeth as a tyrant and considers wierd for Macbeth's plan for ambush on the country which Macduff tries to ease tension between. Moreover, Macduff claimed absolute refusal to Macbeth according to the messenger. Lord seems not to ratify Macbeth's behavior.

3. reread 4.1
 * What does Macbeth want in this scene?
 * What stands in his way?
 * How does Macbeth attempt overcome the obstacles in his way?
 * What do the Witches want in this scene?
 * (Post responses to all of the above questions to your MR wiki page.)

1. Macbeth wants prophecies from the Weird Sisters, and wants an advice for whether Banquo's issue should be told or not. After the weird sisters disappeared, he heard the news from Lennox and decided to seize upon Fife to chase Macduff. 2. Macduff stands in his way because he had fled to Fife, and this will be a threat to him for the power. 3. Macbeth will seize upon FIfe, and attack Macduff. Before he accomplished the prophecy by his will. This time, he will go against the prophecy and will prevent Banquo's son to be the king. 4. The Weird Sisters seem to lead Macbeth into evil, and punish him as Hecate told. They provoked Macbeth to set an ambush on Fife, and this will eventually lead to his collapse and tragic end.

=Assignment VI: Act V=


 * (If you are a MALE answer the following question) How has Macbeth transformed by the end of the play?
 * find two pieces of textual evidence from Act 5 to support your ideas
 * write a paragraph to explain each piece of textual evidence

Macbeth became a true tyrant by the end of the play. Macbeth is resigned to violence. It is just easy to keep the violence instead of avoiding bloodshed. He has strange thought that he should act on people first before he is putting out of his mind. Before murdering Duncan, Lady Macbeth had to push and encourage Macbeth to kill. He was that honorable and moral man. However, at the end of the play, his moral values are totally gone, and continues violence. Macbeth uses his power unfairly and cruely, which is a sign of a tyrant. In addition, Macbeth became hopeless to his fate.

In Act V, Scene 3, when the servant entered, he said "the devil damn thee black, thou cream-faced loon!" (line 11). Loon refers to stupid fellow, and by this manner of speaking, audiences can infer that Macbeth lost his respect to his people, and shows violent behavior. Moreover, Macbeth also relate the servant as the devil. The servant didn't do anything wrong in this case, but only to tell that there are ten-thousand soldiers. By this overly outrageous speaking, Shakespeare shows how Macbeth is seriously having psychological problems in his mind.

In Scene 8 of the same Act, during the battle between Macbeth and Macduff, Macbeth says, "Accursèd be that tongue that tells me so,For it hath cowed my better part of man!And be these juggling fiends no more believed,That palter with us in a double sense,That keep the word of promise to our ear,And break it to our hope. I’ll not fight with thee." (Line 17-22)

Macbeth heard the prophecy from the weird sisters that he will not be killed by any men who are woman-born. However, Macduff says that he was from his mother's womb untimely ripped. After hearing this, Macbeth is fearful of his fate, and he seems to give up his hope. He says he will not fight. Before Act V, Macbeth tried his best effort to prevent the sister's prophecy by killing Banquo. He tried to destroy Banquo's line to make him safe, even this attempt came out as a failure by Fleance's survival. However, in this Act, Macbeth became feared of Macduff and lost his will to fight. Before, Macbeth was a brave thane, who could kill the rebels and cut off Macdonwald. Macbeth however, seems helpless and hopeless throughout this Act. He does not make an attempt to make his fate better.

=Assignment VII: Final Thoughts=


 * What is the main idea of the story?
 * What can we learn from these characters? Select one or two characters and explain your answer.
 * Do you see recurring images, words, deeds, situations, consequences, mistakes? Select two items from the preceding list and give examples from the play.

1. The main idea of the story is the conflicts from good and evil. In this play, Macbeth was the evil who went against good, and break down the law of nature. Such disorder and confusion destroys the order of society. This can be said as an universal phenomenum in human society. When Macbeth received the crown after killing Duncan with Lady Macbeth, there was no peace and satisfaction; terror and meaninglessness followed by. Therefore, Macbeth continued to keep exercising villainy. The murderer of the king killed his (future) oppositions and made the whole kingdom into hell. As this devil fall, the order of society is recovered, and the good rises to judge the 'Ultimate Harmony.' The rise of evil and breakdown of Nature is shown in this quotation: "Thou seest the heavens, as troubled with man's act, Threatens his bloody stage: by th'clock 'tis day, And yet dark night strangles the travelling lamp: Is't night's predominance, or the day's shame, That darkness does the face of earth entomb, When living light should kiss it?" (from Ross, Act II Scene4, line 5)

2. From Macbeth, we can learn the consequences that follow after a crime. In his initial reaction after the murder, Macbeth shows great horror and guiltiness. He suffered psychological hardness after the murder, and the consequences continue until Macbeth is killed by Macduff. This is what Macbeth said in Act II Scene2, line 50:

"I'll go no more: I am afraid to think what I have done; Look on't again I dare not."

This shows how Macbeth is feared by the blood, and refuses to place the daggers in the grooms.

3. I see recurring situations and words.

The bad weather is repeated, associating with the murder of Duncan. Macbeth said, "So foul and fair a day I have not seen" in Act I Scene 3, line 39. Ross said, "by th'clock 'tis day, and yet dark night strangles the travelling lamp" in Act II Scene 4, line 5

The word tyrant is recurring, especially when Macbeth is the King of Scotland. Lennox said, "and 'cause he failed his presence at the tyrant's feast, I hear, Macduff lives in disgrace" in Act III Scene 6, line 21. Macduff said, "Here may you see the tyrant" during the battle with Macbeth in Act V Scene 8, line 26.