So they will "hover" in the fog, and in the dust and dirt of battle, waiting for the chance to do evil. Fair is Foul and Foul is Fair" is a paradox, a statement that appears to be contadictory but actually expresses the truth. The witches are foul, but they give fair advice. Macbeth seems like a hero, but he is a plotter and dastard. It is quite interesting to note that the words of the witches will have an echo in Macbeth’s “So foul and fair a day I have not seen”.
In the play "Macbeth" by Shakespeare, the author explores the many forms of evil and in particular whether evil is from within or is brought to the surface due to the environment in which people live in. For example, Macbeth says "O, full of scorpions is my mind, dear wife." and this could mean that he was born with evil thoughts and an evil nature, or that someone (the "weird sisters" or witches) has planted them there. The seeds of evil, once planted, appear to be nurtured by Lady Macbeth and by Macbeth himself. It could be that he has damaged himself so that he is unable to feel empathy for others - or that the evil is innate.
Analysis of Hamlet using this criticism reveals the mental states of the characters, especially Hamlet. Hamlet’s sanity, or insanity, is undoubtedly one of the most argued discussions in literature, but the psychoanalytic criticism proves one undeniable matter. Hamlet suffers from an Oedipus complex. Hamlet and Oedipus from Oedipus the King, by Sophocles, have striking similarities which augment Hamlet’s Oedipus complex. The Oedipus complex is a psychoanalytic theory which encompasses the idea of unconsciously desiring the parent of the opposite sex, while desiring to eliminate the parent of the same sex.
Hysteria leads the people of Salem to believe that those who were friends are executing witchery and associating themselves with the devil. The continuous accusations of witchery present the people of Salem with a chance to redeem long-term grudges. The abundant case of Abigail Williams uses the current situation to indict charges on Elizabeth Proctor, having her sent to jail. Not to be entirely blamed, Reverend Parries also pronounces his placement in society by accusing the people who question his authority. Hysteria can prosper from those who feed off of it.
“The Crucible” was written in 1953 and exposes the truths about the Salem Witchcraft trials, in Massachusetts. Ultimately, through their respective protagonists’ acts of aggression and violations of boundaries, authors Hawthorne, Soto, and Miller illustrate that the guilt derived from sin itself, especially if concealed from society, can cause emotional and mental torture, leading to everlasting internal punishment, and an increase in remorseful feelings. In The Scarlet Letter, Hawthorne depicts the consequences of concealing transgression through Hester by showing the internal punishment she faces and overcomes. Hawthorne opens this novel with a depiction of Hester’s punishment where she publically shamed on a scaffold and has no hope of hiding or concealing her guilt and sin. The author introduces an image of guilt and shame through the description of Hester as she appears from the darkness of the prison to the dazzling light of the day.
First and foremost, the Witches were the root of Macbeth’s misfortunes and evil doings. The Witches show Macbeth three prophecies regarding his past, present and future “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.”(Shakespeare, Act 1, Scene 3, lines 49-51).
We are able to sympathise with him because of the death of his brother and the remorse he feels when the falsely accused Justine is executed. Victor is obsessed with discovering the elixir of life, arguably more ardently after the death of his Mother; ‘she died calmly, and her countenance expressed affection even in death. I need not describe the feelings of those dearest ties to the soul.’ As the reader we are inclined to feel Frankenstein’s intentions are good and we sympathise with him because of the traumatic loss of his mother. Before all the murders and deaths in Victor’s narrative, we here that he works two cruel,
The personal beliefs and social order which were once static, collapse in the face of God’s ‘test.’ When faced with adversity and desperation, certain individuals embrace the challenge and their heroism shines through, whilst others instead choose to turn their backs on the town, acting in selfish and crude ways. Throughout the ‘Year of Wonders,’ Brooks explores the ways in which society responds to extreme hardship, and the ripple effect which peoples choices have on others within the community. The plague seeds which settle upon the soil of Eyam bring about profound change within the village,
Over the years academicians and scholars have argued on whether it was fate or personal choice which led Macbeth and Faustus to their respective dooms. Those who believed that Macbeth And Faustus were ultimately responsible for their own actions would point out their character flaws of pride and greed However, it should be noted that the witches and Mephastophilis were potent manipulators who may have borrowed a trick or two from Sun Tzu's famed treatise in bringing Macbeth and Faustus' downfalls. This essay will explore some of Sun Tzu's best known tactics and compare and contrast the ways each of the supernatural forces used them to their best advantage. "All warfare is based on deception. "-Sun Tzu's Art of War.
The role of females within Macbeth is of pivotal importance; the role of female characters – both witches and Lady Macbeth serve as a threat to the established social order as well as providing the play with some of its most darkly dramatic scenes and evocative language. The witches imbue the play with a sense of the supernatural which, for a Jacobean audience steeped in the traditions of dark magic, which would have created a great sense of terror. When Shakespeare combines their apparent powers with malevolent intention, the threat to the social order is augmented. The prophetic speech of the three witches carry with it some significance; revealing Macbeth’s latent lust for power and consequently, in his role as tragic hero, his harmartia: Macbeth’s belief in the witches ultimately leads to his committal of regicide and a gruesome string of murders thereafter, Macbeth’s actions confirm the witches’ final prophecy which appears to confirm their supernatural omniscience. Despite their underlying pressure throughout the play, the language that the witches use with each other is some of Shakespeare’s most dramatically engaging and disturbing.