Riddles & Images

The 3 Riddles in Macbeth:

Riddle #1: "Macbeth! Macbeth! Macbeth! beware Macduff; Beware the thane of Fife. Dismiss me. Enough."(IV.i.71-72) 

Riddle #2: "Be bloody, bold, and resolute; laugh to scorn The power of man, for none of woman born Shall harm Macbeth. " (IV.i.79-81)

Riddle #3: "Be lion-mettled, proud; and take no care Who chafes, who frets, or where conspirers are: Macbeth shall never vanquish'd be until Great Birnam wood to high Dunsinane hill Shall come against him." (IV.i.90-94)

Riddle #1: Macbeth! Macbeth! Beware Macduff; Beware the Thane of Fife. Dismiss me. Enough.

In this image, I have one of the three witches telling the first apparition what to say to Macbeth.

With this apparition, the witches are warning Macbeth and telling him to be careful of Macduff. At first Macbeth brushes this off and doesn't care that much because at the time Macduff isn't at Scotland, so Macbeth feels safe. To be on the safe side though, he sends soldiers to Macduff’s castle to kill Macduff’s wife and kids.  When Macduff hears of the murder of his family he meet with Malcolm and they plan to come back home and fight Macbeth so they can protect their people and their country. 

Riddle #2: Be bloody, bold and resolute; laugh to scorn. The power of man for none of women born shall harm Macbeth.

Again, in this image, the witch  is telling another apparition what to tell Macbeth.

After Macbeth heard this statement, he felt very happy and relieved. He thought that it meant that nobody could ever hurt him, or interfere with his kingdom. At the end when Macduff was about to kill him Macbeth asked how it was possible. How could Macduff kill him after what the witches had said? Macduff laughed at him and told him he was born from his mother’s womb through C-Section. Macbeth then replied saying: Accursed be that tong that tells me so, for it hath cow’d my better part of man: And juggling fiend no more believ’d, that palter with us in a double sense; that keep the word of promise to our ear, and break it to our hope. I’II not fights with thee. (act.5.8-14-18) Macbeth dropped his sword but he was not ready to quit. He stood up and tried to pick up his sword but Macduff cut his neck and won the battle.

Riddle # 3: Be lion-mettle. proud; and take no care who chafes, who frets or who conspires are; Macbeth shall never vanquish'd be until Great Birnam wood to high Dunsinane Hill shall come against him

In this last image the witch is reciting the prophesy that was given to Macbeth.

When Macbeth heard this last statemtn, he thought it meant no body could ever hurt him. He thought that since it was impossible for a forest to rise against someone, so that meant he was invincible. He said, “That will never be”. What he didn’t know about was Malcolm and Macduff’s plan. They ordered every solder to take a tree so no one will recognize them when they are approaching the castle. With every solider holding a tree, it looked like the forest was walking towards the castle. When Macbeth saw this, he got scared and said, “To doubt the equivocation of the feind that lies like truth; fear not, till Birnam wood come to Dunsinane. Arm, arm, and out! If this which he avouches does appear, there is nor flying hence, nor tarrying here. I’ gin to be aweary of the sun.(act.5.5-43)  

Lady Macbeth's Speech

Here is a link to my YouTube presentation of Lady Macbeth's Speech:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n12YiiyZqkQ

Macbeth Acts 1-3 Presentation

Link to Presentation

Twitter

Twitter: Reflections

This is the first time I have ever used twitter, and so far I had a good experience with it. I opened an account on twitter this week, and it was very easy for me, and I understand very well how to use it.  I found that you can choose who you follow, and the more you active you are on your account, the more followers you get. The other thing I learned about twitter is that you can share your thoughts and your emotions, in the form of a tweet. A tweet is a short statement that consists of only 140 characters. What I like about this is that it makes sure the statement is short and concise and straight to the point. Other followers will read your tweet and think and feel about it. For example: when I was talking about lady Macbeth I pretended that I was lady Macbeth and I talked about her  thoughts and experiences, her  emotions  and feelings. In that moment I felt so emotional and I also experienced my personal feelings too.  It was very interesting; it was the very first time that I felt like that.  Secondly, on twitter you can communicate with other people and share your ideas and ask questions and answer questions any time you want. Also when you post a tweet, in a few minutes you will have the following responses. Another thing is that with twitter, you are up to date with all the new things happening around the world, with the help of the World Wide Trends. On twitter you can also reconnect with old friends that you lost for a long time. So, all in all my twitter experience was very good and I enjoyed communicating though Lady Macbeth’s perspective. I am so glad that I made this twitter account.

Link to my twitter account:

https://twitter.com/ladymacbeth975

Character Analysis: Banquo

Banquo

I would like to talk about Banquo and his role in the play, and what I know about him so far. Banquo is a Scottish general in the king’s army and Macbeth’s friend. With Macbeth, Banquo helps Duncan’s forces claim victory over the king of Norway and the thane of Cawdor. Following the battle, Banquo and Macbeth encounter the witches, who make a several prophesies about Macbeth. They then speak to Banquo about his own future, saying that Banquo’s descendants will be king. (www.enotes.com/macbeth/banquo-character-analysis) In addition, Banquo is very intelligent and trustful man, and also he is up front. Him and his friend Macbeth, both meet the witches while they coming back from the battle and heading home. He saw the witches first, even though he didn’t believe what they said. He said: ‘Tie strange: and oftentimes, to win us to our harm, the instruments of darkness tell us truths; win us with honest trifles, to betrays.(act.1.3-120-125) But Macbeth believe on the witches and he said: This supernatural soliciting  cannot be ill; cannot be good if ill, why hath it given me earnest of success, commencing in a truth? I am Thane of Cawdor. (Act.1.3-130-132.) when Banquo realized that Macbeth believes on witches and he is preparing to the kingdom and want to kill Duncan. He said to him if what they were saying is true that means you stand in the way of my children. He afraid for his son because the witches told him that his  son will be a future  king, so when Macbeth murder king Duncan and take the throne that means he is going to protect his kingdom and kill Banquo’s son.  Banquo promise him if he becomes a king he will not kill him, if he doesn’t kill his son.  Macbeth promise him and they decided to not talk about it again. Therefore, I like Banquo’s personality and I learn a lot of things from him.  He is aware of what is going on. He believe in god rather than witches, he is very respectful and doesn’t like to do evil things.                                  

Witches & Destiny

The witches are the most important characters in the play, even though there are horrible, and they greatly affected Macbeth. Macbeth was a good man who had a lot of good thing in his life. When they told him he will become a king, a terrible ideas come to his mind, then he end up thinking about murdering the king just so he could make their prophesy come true, and he can become a king. 

They said:

First witch. All hail, Macbeth! hail to thee thane, Thane of Glamis!

Second witch. All hail, Macbeth! hail to thee, Thane of Cawdor!

Third witch. All hail, Macbeth! that shalt be king hereafter (1.3-48-49)

At first Macbeth didn’t believe them, and he told them that the words that they said doesn’t make sense, and he asked them to explain themselves. “He said. By sinel’s death I know I am Thane of Glamis; But how of Cawdor? The Thane of Cawdor lives, a prosperous gentleman; and to be king,   Stand not within the prospect of belief, No more than to be Cawdor. Say from whence, you owe this strange intelligence? Or why, upon this blasted heath you stop our way, with such prophetic greeting  Speals I charge you, Witches vanish.” (act.1-71-77). Later when Ross told him that he was going to be the thane of Cawdor, he changed his mind and started to think about what they said, and he said, “This supernatural soliciting cannot be good. If ill, why hath it given me earnest of success, commencing in a truth? I am Cawdor.”(act.1.2-130-132) and his friend Banquo didn’t believe on them at all, he said’ “What! Can the devil speak true?”(Act.1.2-106)

The witches have a very strong role in this play. Even though don’t know anything about the future, they didn’t control others destiny.  They add temptation, and influence to Macbeth. He create his own misery when is driven by his own sense of guilt. This causes him to commit more murder. The witches gave him the idea, but in the end it is each individual’s decision to either fall for the temptation, or to be strong enough to resist it.

Every individual influences their own future. We can plan our lives and our days, and how hard we work, or how lazy we are will affect the rest of our lives in the long run.

First Thoughts

The play is very interesting and everything is changing very quickly.  So far I have read and watched Act 1, and  I think the three witches were controlling Macbeth's future.   

In the beginning of the play, the three witches meet in the desert and they discussed when they are going to meet again. They decided to meet again when the war is over and Macbeth comes back from battle. They meet again with Macbeth and Banquo at the forest while the two were coming back from battle and going back home. At that time there was a war between the Scottish and Norwegians. When they returned from battle, Duncan the king of Scotland found out that Macbeth and Banquo were the leaders of the army's victory. 

When Macbeth and Banquo meet the three witches they predicted their futures. They told Macbeth that he will be thane of Cawdor and then the king. Macbeth didn't respond immediately, but Banquo ask them if the witches can into his future too. They said to him, “less or than Macbeth and greater and not so happy, yet much happier, Thou shalt get kings, though thou be none” (1.3- 63-67) Macbeth couldn't imagine being the thane of Cawdor because the current thane was alive. He wanted to know where the witches got this information, but they wouldn't explain it to him, and they suddenly disappeared. Then Macbeth said to Banquo "your children shall be kings,” Banquo respond, “You shall be king.”(1.3- 84) 

Then Ross and Angus enter and Ross said to Macbeth, “the king hath happily received, Macbeth, the news of thy success. He bade me, from him, call thee Thane of Cawdor.”(1.3-92-104) Macbeth was surprised to find out that what the witches were saying was true and then he ask Banquo if he hope his children will be king. Banquo replies, can Devil speak true! Macbeth didn't pay attention to him,  and  started  thinking about  the throne.     

Overall I like this play and I am interested in finding out how the witches prophesies will affect Macbeth and Banquo. So far, all of Shakespeare's plays that I have read have been very interesting,