We are unaware of the witches plans regarding Macbeth but it is clear that they are planning to meet him to unleash evil in the play at that is what witches do. King James was particularly interested in Witches and even wrote a book on it. Shakespeare opens Macbeth with a scene that introduces the witches
She shows how women can only be categorised as either an angel or a whore. It shows the way that women can only be judged at the time. She also frequently alludes to the “bad” women in literature to show how women could only be categorised in those binary opposites like Lady Macbeth or Eve. She uses rhetorical devices to explain how bad women are needed to disrupt the static order which is Patriarchy. Atwood also shows her opposition to the extreme feminism that existed in her time where feminism was influencing the creation of literature at the time.
Do you agree that Shakespeare presents Beatrice and Katherina as “offending against society’s expectations about women”? The idea that both Beatrice and Katherina offend against society’s expectations of women in the plays Much Ado About Nothing and The Taming of the Shrew is open to personal interpretation. We must take into account which society it is we are suggesting they are offending against, if we are judging it on Shakespearean society’s expectations we could, in theory, agree with the statement, due to the fact that at that time, women were largely expected to be submissive, quiet and respectful to the superior sex, males. However, it would not be correct to say that Beatrice and Katherina offend against modern day expectations of women. Further to this, it would also depend on at which point in the play we are making our judgement.
Marie de France does this to criticize and combat the societal expectations and inherent inequalities in Norman England. The poem begins by Marie immediately introducing and defending herself as a writer. She declares that in her culture, People should praise anyone who wins admiring comments for herself but anywhere there is a man or a woman of great worth, people who envy their good fortune often say evil things about them. (5-10) This introduction reflects the negativity her society has against female writers. Where Marie de France comes from, many people disagree with women having power through literature.
Whether Dimmesdale decided to reveal his deep dark hidden secret or not, merely has no significance. As Puritan Society stated, women were more prone to be sinners; the envisioned picture of me was already painted as the corrupter. Is that moral? Would God find this acceptable because the Puritan Society apparently does. If Dimmesdale had came forth, it might have saved him from the mental and physical deterioration but would the Puritan Society had honestly punished him the way I had been?
Shakespeare's England was not a very accepting society when it came to foreigners. Shakespeare, through the captivating play Othello, addresses and reflects these racist issues during the 1600s, while Good Will Hunting reveals the inherent human condition. Both texts highlight the fact that our fear of change, our fear of threats cause us to alienate outsiders. In Shakespeare's England, racially different people challenged the status quo and thus were seen as a threat that must be resisted. Shakespeare reflects this as Othello's and Desdemona's marriage, black man and white woman, is seen as “against all rules of nature” although it simply is just a change in tradition.
The matter it is based on dates back to the 1600’s and is readily identifiable to the Salem witch trials. During this period in history, women were accused of being witches for the most ludicrous reasons, and were burned at the stake. The statement Van Allsburg is making by relating his plot to something so historic is to intensify his message that we should learn from the mistakes made by others throughout history and improve from them. As opposed to just moving around in circles, in the much worn footsteps of others. The composer is communicating his belief that while human beings claim to be educated, just and accepting, we can sometimes be quite the opposite.
One of the main ideas Shakespeare tried to pursue was betrayal. “Look like the innocent flower /But be the serpent under it.” (Macbeth I, IV, 65-66) This quote can be used to describe the role of the characters in this play. Deceiving means to cause to believe what is not true; mislead. The Witches, Lady Macbeth, and Macbeth, play a big part with misleading others throughout the play. When Shakespeare wrote the play Macbeth he showed that being dishonest and misleading will bring you nothing in life but
Sexism is defined in our textbook as any attitude, action, or institutional structure that subordinates a person because of his or her sex. What this is basically saying is that someone who is sexist will think differently and act negatively towards the opposite sex. Sometimes an individual can be sexist towards their own sex. Most western societies have minimal sexism and more racial hostilities. In other parts of the world sexism is more prominent because males have dominant roles over women and therefore look down upon them.
They test Macbeth to see how he will react and how their prophecies will affect him. If the witches could really control Macbeth there would be no point in their game they play for boredom. They want to see how Macbeth will act if they mess his Fate up a little bit. Considering that the witches know everyone’s Fate, they know before hand how Macbeth would end up. That is where the play hits a confusing part, the witches would not want to control Macbeth.