Starting from a victorious, respectable, glorified hero who was a ruthless killing machine, Macbeth then turns into a paranoid, merciless and unstable character which Shakespeare is able to shape, due to the various factors that would change Macbeth. We then get a sense that Shakespeare has perceived Macbeth as a fallen hero, one who was originally good however after being manipulated and wrapped up in delusions, he then turns into what we would call a villain. I have three main points that will support my line of argument. First of all, Macbeth is indecisive and weak willed which means that he is easily manipulated and that is what leads to his fall as a hero. When faced with the decision to kill Duncan the King, the audience can see Macbeth's indecisive nature as he battles with his mentality, taking up several scenes before finally deciding with the help of Lady Macbeth.
Starting from a victorious, respectable, glorified hero who was a ruthless killing machine, Macbeth then turns into a paranoid, merciless and unstable character which Shakespeare is able to shape, due to the various factors that would change Macbeth. We then get a sense that Shakespeare has perceived Macbeth as a fallen hero, one who was originally good however after being manipulated and wrapped up in delusions, he then turns into what we would call a villain. I have three main points that will support my line of argument. First of all, Macbeth is indecisive and weak willed which means that he is easily manipulated and that is what leads to his fall as a hero. When faced with the decision to kill Duncan the King, the audience can see Macbeth's indecisive nature as he battles with his mentality, taking up several scenes before finally deciding with the help of Lady Macbeth.
As a tragic hero, Brutus maintains noble intentions throughout the play. Grabbing at any opportune moment, Brutus desirably protects the Roman Republic from becoming corrupt and ruled by dictatorship. Cassius and other conspirators felt that Caesar’s ambition and tyrannical ruling reflects upon a dangerous outcome for future Rome. Persuaded by Cassius’s hatred of Caesar’s immediate gain in power and acknowledgement, Brutus constructs a plan for the assassination of Caesar. He greatly fears that “the people// [will] choose Caesar for their king” (I.ii.78-79).
This is supported by the Othello by William Shakespeare and A Streetcar Named Desire by Tennessee Williams. Both literary works show theme of deception and characterization that convey the critical lens. If a person does a wrong thing he/she should try to fix it before it’s too late. If they will not take any steps to fix it, it will eventually affect them in a bad way. Both literary works showed how a person did a wrong thing and it has caught up to him/her.
Romeo AND Juliet In one of the most celebrated and retold plays in history “Romeo and Juliet” written by William Shakespeare depicts many tragedies and unforeseeable events, that all contribute to the eventual demise of the main characters. Shakespeare manages to stress that the deaths endured at the hands of the Romeo and Juliet were mainly not preventable as misguided and poor decisions made at hands of the elders involved meant that disaster was inevitable. Fate also hints at the fact that tragedy was going to be around the corner as Romeo and Juliet were willing to test the boundaries as to how far their relationships would go, although such a catastrophe could have been prevented through the mending of ties between the feuding families. A contributing factor as to why the deaths of the main characters were predominately not preventable was the profound fact that both Romeo and Juliet were clearly misguided by those around them. Shakespeare employs Friar Lawrence as one of these characters that abets the death of Romeo and Juliet as he fails to deny the two “star crossed lovers” any part in marriage instead aiding their eventual demise through the careful yet greatly flawed plan where Friar Lawrence “gave thee remedy” that formed the basis of the two characters deaths.
Macbeth’s ambitious nature was the catalyst for the deaths of many characters, including his own. At first, in order to gain absolute power, Macbeth performed regicide to become King and receive the top position on the ‘Great Chain of Being.’ However, it was found that he was afterwards plagued with insecurity, as he claimed, ‘To be thus is nothing, but to be safely thus.’ Macbeth would be unsatisfied until he had absolute security over his power. As Macbeth’s insecurity and fear of losing power grew, the degree of his violence amplified. It drove him to the murder of his own friend, Banquo, the murder of the Macduff family, which involved innocent women and children, and in the end, another civil war. In addition, Macbeth’s naivety was also responsible for the tragedies, and his own downfall.
In an essay he wrote about his play Death of a Salesman, Arthur Miller argues that a tragic hero is not necessarily one who is noble of birth. However, the tragic hero must have these traits: he must suffer, be doomed from the start and his decline inevitable, be basically noble in nature, and have free choice to some degree. Also, his inevitable fate must result from a tragic flaw, and his story must arouse fear and pity. If these qualities are truly what makes a tragic hero, then it can be said that Ethan Frome is a tragic hero, and, therefore, that his story is a tragedy. This can be said because Ethan Frome meets every requirement listed by Miller.
Macbeth’s character shows both qualities of good and evil. What do you think Shakespeare is saying about the possibility for such different qualities in humans? Intro: Introduce topic * What is Shakespeare trying to say about the different qualities in humans * Different sides to humans – good and bad sides, various triggers to each sides, power brought the evil side out of Macbeth * Such desire and hope for power can be dangerous – Macbeth did everything that was necessary in order for him to become king * When in doubt, vulnerable to others opinion - Lady Macbeth took advantage of Macbeths confusion and doubt and made it clear to him that killing Duncan was the “right” thing to do. * Link to next paragraph Para 1: Different sides to humans * Humans both have good and evil qualities within them, its just the matter of which is the more dominant feeling of the two. * Often certain things trigger specific human behavior, for example, Macbeth’s reaction to the witch’s predictions triggered instant doubt, and left him vulnerable to his wife influence.
Alex Carney Julius Caesar Jacobs - 2nd Period April 15th, 2011 Ambition Many times in Shakespeare's “Tragedy of Julius Caesar,” Julius Caesar is accused of being ambitious. In fact, it is even the stated reason for his death. Among different interpretations, it is debatable whether or not this is a legitimate accusation. As a leader, Caesar had to do what was right for the good of Rome; however, the conspirators saw his leadership as tyranny. Ambition is used with an extremely negative connotation in Shakespeare's writing, but today, ambition is seen as a good trait for a hardworking person.
Assessment 2 Conflict arises where morals and ethics of an individual/society clash in situations where other individual/society has different values or expectations. As humans we change our attitudes and beliefs to accommodate the morals of society. Othello by William Shakespeare, Blood Diamond directed by Edward Zwick, This is my Country by Curtis J Garrette. An individual that intends to commit conflict must have a strong ideological belief, so that the manipulation can be easily passed out. Iago the villain from Othello by William Shakespeare, needs a strong ideological belief, because his character must not show his real emotions during the play.