King Duncan plays a large role indirectly in the play Macbeth. He dies very early on in the play and therefore we don’t learn a lot about him. The only way we learn about him is through the thoughts of Macbeth. Before Macbeth kills King Duncan in Act 2 he looks at the good and bad qualities King Duncan has. We know that King Duncan had to of had some good qualities because of the amount of time Macbeth spent considering possibly murdering him. At the end of Act 1 Macbeth assesses the pros and cons of killing King Duncan. He is shortly after brought back to reality by his wife Lady Macbeth. "So clear in his great office, that his virtues will plead like angels" (1.7.18-19). Here Macbeth is saying that King Duncan is a perfect person and hasn't done anything that people assess as bad. Macbeths only reason for killing King Duncan is a selfish reason. He does this horrid dead so that he can become king for a short lived time as he know it will not be passed onto his children. Macbeth also thinks that killing him is a disloyal act. This shows that Macbeth has a reason to be loyal and respect King Duncan. "First, as i am his kinsman and his subject, strong both against the deed; then, as his host" (1.7.13-14). Macbeth doesn't want to kill King Duncan because as his kinsman Macbeth wishes to be loyal. If Macbeth has such significant reason for not killing the king then King Duncan is clearly a good leader. In the end Macbeth is convinced by his wife Lady Macbeth to kill the king. His reason for killing King Duncan is horrifically selfish and does not reflect what he truly thins of the king as a leader. Macbeth believes that King Duncan is a good leader and wants to be loyal to him.
I think that Machiavelli would evaluate Macbeth as a great leader. One of Machiavellis famous quotes states that " the end justifys the means". Macbeth demonstrates this when he decides to kill the king. He know that killing the king is a horrible disloyal act that he shouldn't commit but does it anyways. Lady Macbeth tells him that he wants the end means but isnt willing to work for it. She emphasizes the fact that what he will recieve in the end will be worth all that he does. Machiavelli and him both believe that is the end resault is beneficial to the leader himself then commiting the act or acts that lead up to it are justified by his gain Machiavelli also believes that a leaders appearence is more important than the reality of what he does. When Macbeth considers killing the king he becomes worried about what could happen to his appearence. "Golden opinions from all sorts of people, which would be worn now in their newest gloss, not cast aside so soon" (1.7.13-15). In this quote Macneth directly states that people think highly of him as a leader and that he dioesn't want to ruin that view. If he kills the king and gets caught his whole reputation is ruined. If you read this scene closely you see that he only worries about what will happen to him when he gets caught rather then what will happen if he doesn't. He believes just like Machiavelli that how he appears to the people around him has higher importance then what he actually is. Later in the scence when Lady Macbeth convinces Mabeth that he has no chance of getting caught he is okay will following through witht the murder. Macbeth shows that his appearence to otherrs is more important then reality in this scene.
Thursday, November 11, 2010
Friday, November 5, 2010
Macbeth
Machiavelli believed that the way you appeared to people was more important than how you actually acted. He believes that no matter how horrible and cruel you really are you should appear good to others. Shakespeare addresses this same belief many times in the play Macbeth. Early in the play you read that +the Thane that appeared loyal and honorable to the country was not that. "the Thane of Cawdor, began a dismal conflict. No more that Thane of Cawdor shall deceive our bosom interest" (1.3.53, 63). When he was later found to be disloyal he was punished by death. Machiavelli and Shakespeare both want you to think that as long as you appear good you will succeed. The Thane of Cawdor appeared good for as long as he lived and succeeded and as soon as this appearance was shattered his rein ended. This same idea of appearance vs. reality is addressed throughout the play. Macbeth is another main character that plays with this idea of appearance. All throughout the play he appears loyal and honorable to the country but is quick to betray others to get what he wants. I believe that Shakespeare enjoys toying with and adding the ideas of Machiavelli in the play. He is reteaching these ideas to the audience.
In Macbeth Shakespeare uses the character of Lady Macbeth to express and change the traditional male and female roles of the times. Lady Macbeth is supposed to be the lady of the house, be sweet and loving to her husband, be innocent and do as she is told. Lady Macbeth is the opposite of this. She is cruel hearted and wants to be. She does not want to feel pain or suffering for others. Lady Macbeth is ambitious and cunning. She is all the things women aren't supposed to be. Shakespeare made her this way so that you looked at her as a rebel. Her different behavior is most highly expressed in the following reading "come, you spirits that tend on mortal thoughts, unsex me here, and fill me from the crown to the toe top-full of direst cruelty" (1.5. 38-41). When she asks to be unsexed she is asking to become a man. Directly after she asked to be full of cruelty. This shows that she believes that men are tough and cruel. She wants to become the opposite of what she is. The idea that men are tough, strong and cruel is commonly seen throughout the play.
"With one that saw him die, who did report that very frankly he confessed his treason" (1.4. 4-5). This is a line from the report that Malcolm gave about what had just happened to the Thane of Cawdor. Malcolm and King Duncan spoke highly of the honorable thing he did. By admitting to what he had done wrong throughout his life King Duncan was seen as dying honorably. Although he was honorable he put himself in great danger because as soon as he admitted to what he had done he was killed. This importance of honor is weighted throughout the play. Shakespeare highly encourages people to be honorable.There is also great importance weighted on being loyal to people and your country. Throughout the play Macbeth is seen as an honorable and noble person but in the end when he is a know betrayer he is beheaded. As soon is someone is seen as disloyal they are punished. This shows that Shakespeare greatly cares about teaching people to be honorable and loyal.
In Macbeth Shakespeare uses the character of Lady Macbeth to express and change the traditional male and female roles of the times. Lady Macbeth is supposed to be the lady of the house, be sweet and loving to her husband, be innocent and do as she is told. Lady Macbeth is the opposite of this. She is cruel hearted and wants to be. She does not want to feel pain or suffering for others. Lady Macbeth is ambitious and cunning. She is all the things women aren't supposed to be. Shakespeare made her this way so that you looked at her as a rebel. Her different behavior is most highly expressed in the following reading "come, you spirits that tend on mortal thoughts, unsex me here, and fill me from the crown to the toe top-full of direst cruelty" (1.5. 38-41). When she asks to be unsexed she is asking to become a man. Directly after she asked to be full of cruelty. This shows that she believes that men are tough and cruel. She wants to become the opposite of what she is. The idea that men are tough, strong and cruel is commonly seen throughout the play.
"With one that saw him die, who did report that very frankly he confessed his treason" (1.4. 4-5). This is a line from the report that Malcolm gave about what had just happened to the Thane of Cawdor. Malcolm and King Duncan spoke highly of the honorable thing he did. By admitting to what he had done wrong throughout his life King Duncan was seen as dying honorably. Although he was honorable he put himself in great danger because as soon as he admitted to what he had done he was killed. This importance of honor is weighted throughout the play. Shakespeare highly encourages people to be honorable.There is also great importance weighted on being loyal to people and your country. Throughout the play Macbeth is seen as an honorable and noble person but in the end when he is a know betrayer he is beheaded. As soon is someone is seen as disloyal they are punished. This shows that Shakespeare greatly cares about teaching people to be honorable and loyal.
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