If I have to play the character of Lady MacBeth I will
seriously have to consider what the play says about guilt. This is such a
powerful emotion that in fact leads not only her but MacBeth to tragedy. Lady Macbeth’s
actions lead to guilt that further result in consequences. Lady MacBeth
controls her guilt and is able to control herself around others; however
someone like MacBeth is tremendously effected by guilt; not being himself
around others and lacking self respect. I will have to realise that guilt is in
fact stemmed from breaking the boundaries of a naturalised society. Lady
MacBeth feels as though she has power over MacBeth, and suddenly becomes
manipulative of him. Lady MacBeth is only a woman and is in some sense
powerless. Her husband MacBeth does not rule by divine right and hence the morale
code is broken. Lady MacBeth wipes away her feminine traits and steps out of
her ‘stereotypical’ woman actions. Lady MacBeth’s actions results in her
becoming a victim of the powerful emotion, guilt.
Wednesday, August 29, 2012
Practice reflective response on guilt
If I am going to play the character of Lady MacBeth I really
need to consider the powerful emotion of guilt. Lady MacBeth learns that with
any evil action comes a consequence. She learns this when she goes into Duncan’s
room and realises that she in fact could not kill the king herself. This
realization makes her ‘act’ even more innocent and stronger; however the
intense feeling of guilt cannot be hidden forever. You see, when Lady MacBeth
starts to imagine blood on her hands every second of the day she realises that
her guilt cannot be controlled. This powerful emotion has overcome not only her
but MacBeth too... (to be continued when I understand)
Consider what the play says about guilt
My thesis:
Guilt throughout the play is presented as a
powerful emotion. Although, all guilt leads to consequences and destruction,
different people have different responses to the way they handle guilt.
Wednesday, August 15, 2012
Reflective response- MacBeth
Practise reflective response: In role as MacBeth reflect on what you have learned about ambition during the course of the play. This should involve an analysis of what the play says about ambition, the attitudes and values supported in the play in relation to this idea.
I was rewarded with my ambition when I saved the country and killed the Thane of cawdor because he was a traitor. This was the best day of my life, but when I was exposed to the idea of becoming king my life and attitudes changed forever. I thought thriving for your desires and doing everything you had to, to get what you wanted was a part of life. From the start of my wife’s proposal to kill the king I knew it was the wrong thing to do, but it’s what I wanted. Ever since the day of acting fair but really being foul I felt guilt. Now I am the bad guy, I don’t even want to be king and this is probably going to be my last day on earth. I have learnt that heroic people are rewarded with ambition, whereas people like me who use ambition for evil are punished. Yes, I have been punished. I wish I never did what I did and didn’t have to live with this heart wrenching guilt. Ambition and power should be a privilege and something I work for, but no I had to go against fate and kill the king myself. I have realised that I don’t value power or ambition; I just use it for my selfishness. However, I consider myself a good person and it was Lady MacBeth who made me do this. Even if I do not die today, I will never be looked upon the same and will never be able to fulfil my ‘good’ desires. In fact I have always wanted to help the country and run it like it should be, but the guilt has got to me and people are against me. I have learnt that ambition is good when you do it the right way and thrive for it, but bad when you force it. I have been punished and will be killed, but that’s what I deserve. I wish I was still Thane of Glamis and thrived for higher positions rather than commit the deed I committed.
I was rewarded with my ambition when I saved the country and killed the Thane of cawdor because he was a traitor. This was the best day of my life, but when I was exposed to the idea of becoming king my life and attitudes changed forever. I thought thriving for your desires and doing everything you had to, to get what you wanted was a part of life. From the start of my wife’s proposal to kill the king I knew it was the wrong thing to do, but it’s what I wanted. Ever since the day of acting fair but really being foul I felt guilt. Now I am the bad guy, I don’t even want to be king and this is probably going to be my last day on earth. I have learnt that heroic people are rewarded with ambition, whereas people like me who use ambition for evil are punished. Yes, I have been punished. I wish I never did what I did and didn’t have to live with this heart wrenching guilt. Ambition and power should be a privilege and something I work for, but no I had to go against fate and kill the king myself. I have realised that I don’t value power or ambition; I just use it for my selfishness. However, I consider myself a good person and it was Lady MacBeth who made me do this. Even if I do not die today, I will never be looked upon the same and will never be able to fulfil my ‘good’ desires. In fact I have always wanted to help the country and run it like it should be, but the guilt has got to me and people are against me. I have learnt that ambition is good when you do it the right way and thrive for it, but bad when you force it. I have been punished and will be killed, but that’s what I deserve. I wish I was still Thane of Glamis and thrived for higher positions rather than commit the deed I committed.
Questions on Ambition
AMBITION
What does the play say about ambition?
The theme of ambition in Macbeth is linked to that of good and evil. Like many other passions and impulses, ambition can be both foul and fair.
How does it construct this representation?
Through Macbeth, we see that it can be fair when put to good uses, and when it is kept in check by one’s sense of right and wrong. But ambition is foul when it becomes so powerful that it destroys a person’s morality. This is essentially constructed through Lady MacBeth and MacBeth. They act like they are not planning anything evil and represent themselves to people as an innocent good couple. However they are really planning the kings murder and inside are feeling fear and guilt.
Ways you can go about exploring a concept in the play:
1. Ask a series of questions
2. Explore the idea of boundaries
Ambition – Define – what is ambition?
1. Which characters are motivated by ambition?
o MacBeth
o Lady MacBeth
o Mac Duff
2. How do they act upon their ambition?
o MacBeth acts upon his ambition by going against what he stands for to get what he wants. He acts good but really inside is planning something evil.
o Lady MacBeth manipulates Mac Duff to do the dirty work so she can gain indirect power.
o Mac Duff has good ambition and wants the best for the country.
3. What are the consequences of their ambition? – Reward or Punishment? – Why is one rewarded and one punished?
o Consequences for MacBeth- Rewarded ad Punished
- At the start of the play MacBeth is rewarded with praise because he saved the country from an disloyal general
- He gets what he wants (becomes king) then realises he does not want it anymore
- He feels immense guilt for what he has done
- He loses his love for Lady MacBeth
- He is killed
o Consequences for Lady MacBeth-Punishment
- She does not get what she wants
- She is made to act like everything inside is okay but really inside she is burning with guilt
- Has no one to tell her what to do
- Commits suicide
o Consequences for MacDuff- Rewarded
- Fights against MacBeth and wins
- He personally kills MacBeth and not only gets revenge for his family being murdered but saves the whole country
- Is now one of the most trustworthy friends of the new king, Malcolm
Good ambition is rewarded, where as ambition that is evil is always punished. People cannot live with the guilt, especially Lady MacBeth and MacBeth.
4. What does the paly say about ambition as a result of considering whose ambition is rewarded and whose is punished?
o The heroic characters are rewarded, and the evil ones are punished.
Reflective Task- Malcolm
Practice reflective Task – In Role as Malcolm, Consider the Understanding you have gained of the “Fair is Foul and Foul is Fair Motif”
What have you learned?
How did you learn it?
What are the implications for you of the outcome of the play?
For the past year everyone around me has been acting as something they are not. I personally have been exposed to the idea that fair is foul and foul is fair by people that are close to me. I have learnt that people are sometimes not who they say they are and people act differently to gain power and fulfil their desires. I will no longer trust anyone and I will find my own way to recognise whether they are acting or not. My dad was tricked and now he is dead because Lady MacBeth and MacBeth were hiding the deed they were planning. They hosted him and were to everyone a trustworthy normal couple but those two tyrants led life by fair is foul and foul is fair. MacBeth wanted to be king and Lady MacBeth wanted power. I was so careful of people ever since my father died. Even when Mac Duff came to me and asked for support, I was extremely iffy to talk to him. For all I knew he could have been on Macbeths’ side and wanted to kill me. So I tricked him and as I said before found my own way to see if he was here for actual support or to murder me too. Now that I am king, I have to be more careful than my father was because people want to be me. I will have to act this way to test whether the people around me are fair or foul. I see being king as being privileged and having the opportunity to run the country like it should be, I don’t want to be king just for ultimate power. I will be hesitant to go or stay anywhere. This position will not allow me to do several things, but my dad would be proud and it is better than tyrant MacBeth running this country down into the ground.
What have you learned?
How did you learn it?
What are the implications for you of the outcome of the play?
For the past year everyone around me has been acting as something they are not. I personally have been exposed to the idea that fair is foul and foul is fair by people that are close to me. I have learnt that people are sometimes not who they say they are and people act differently to gain power and fulfil their desires. I will no longer trust anyone and I will find my own way to recognise whether they are acting or not. My dad was tricked and now he is dead because Lady MacBeth and MacBeth were hiding the deed they were planning. They hosted him and were to everyone a trustworthy normal couple but those two tyrants led life by fair is foul and foul is fair. MacBeth wanted to be king and Lady MacBeth wanted power. I was so careful of people ever since my father died. Even when Mac Duff came to me and asked for support, I was extremely iffy to talk to him. For all I knew he could have been on Macbeths’ side and wanted to kill me. So I tricked him and as I said before found my own way to see if he was here for actual support or to murder me too. Now that I am king, I have to be more careful than my father was because people want to be me. I will have to act this way to test whether the people around me are fair or foul. I see being king as being privileged and having the opportunity to run the country like it should be, I don’t want to be king just for ultimate power. I will be hesitant to go or stay anywhere. This position will not allow me to do several things, but my dad would be proud and it is better than tyrant MacBeth running this country down into the ground.