Chaucer saw this in people and knew that a person couldn’t be classified as good or evil because we are a mixture of both. He presented this very strongly in the way that he presented his pilgrims. He showed, for many of the pilgrims, that they had good intentions, such as the Pardoner. At the same time, he wasn’t afraid to show their evil side. The Pardoner is a prime example of his presentation of humans because he showed that he had good intentions, to help people and to pardon their sins, but he also had his evil side, which was to tell people that they have sinned simply to earn himself a few extra coins.
According to the people of Salem, everyone belongs to either God or the devil; there is no contended medium. Difference within oneself is degrading, which relates to the continuous trials of witchcraft. Danforth states: “A person is either with this court or he must be counted against it.” Being the terminal meaning of reestablishing the purity of Salem, the hanging of witches is a declaration of intolerance. The theme of hysteria also plays an important role in The Crucible. Hysteria leads the people of Salem to believe that those who were friends are executing witchery and associating themselves with the devil.
Gillian MacDonald 21 March 2013 ENG 4U Mr. Chalmers The Ringleaders of the Salem Witch Trials In the book The Crucible by Arthur Miller, the theme of hysteria is dominantly present throughout the entire play. It is not hard to narrow down the cause of the widespread hysteria to three people that inevitably had their hand in the trials. The devious character, Abigail, shows her wicked mind and skill of manipulation in the play so she can get what she wants, John Proctor. The slave, Tituba, gave into the accusations and started the hysteria of the witch trials. The last character that contributed to an entire town’s belief in witches would be Danforth.
,1 ENG 3U104 December 3, 2013 Macbeth Essay: Macbeth By William Shakespeare Shakespeare’s Three Witches, or Weird Sisters, are very important characters within his timeless tale of Macbeth. The Witches answer to the “fates of mythology” (Dover Wilson) by showing people prophecies and apparitions. These Witches are more important within the play than people understand. They have a calamitous affect on the protagonist within Macbeth, and all the characters associated with him. After a protracted discussion of the topic of who is to blame for the demise of Macbeth, the blame has come to rest upon the Three Witches.
Besides Macbeth, Lady Macbeth also shows her character is deceiving by planning how Duncan will be killed. At the end of the play she dies because the guilt from helping to kill Duncan was too much of a burden on her conscience. Lastly, the witches are deceiving characters because they give confusing prophecies. Macbeth misinterprets the confusing prophecies which later lead to his tragic death. There are many appearances that show characters in the play Macbeth are deceiving, ultimately leading to tragedy.
Although it is true that Lady Macbeth is a big part of the play and adds a lot of interest, her character is revealed through her unkind attitude with Macbeth, careless feelings towards the lives of others, and her guilty conscience. Lady Macbeth is very pushy when it comes to the murder of Duncan and Macbeth’s hesitations towards it. She gives this comment to Macbeth, “Oh, never shall sun that morrow see! Your face, my Thane, is as a book where men may ready strange matters. To beguile the time, look like the time, bear welcome in your eye, your hand, your tongue.
Macbeth Essay Macbeth by William Shakespeare is a play, which highlights individual’s thirst for power and the unethical paths many take to achieve their goals. The final scenes draw the dramatic tale to a close and cease the constant stream of murders. The audience observes the re-establishment of themes within the final scenes such as guilt, restoration of harmony, and good defeating evil. These along with significant events change the mood of the play consequently altering responders’ overall interpretation. Guilt is constantly seen throughout the play Macbeth driving the characters to question their morals.
These three evil witches with magical powers were the creation of Shakespeare’s interpretation of the supernatural. Shakespeare’s contemporaries believed in the supernatural very strongly and a majority of them were frightened of it, including the king of that time, King James I of England. James I personally believed he had been a victim of witchcraft but saw it as an opportunity to produce stage shows for his benefit. He used dramatization as means of “control” – plays show eventual royal power reasserting its authority e.g. Banquos sons.
The witches sound evil and many fear them because of their powers and witchery. They also want Macbeth to be king by saying, “Hail, Hail!” when he walks in. The witches know that this will make him anxious, in which it does. These three hags can also be portrayed as Fates in the mythology state. February 1, 2012 “When shall we three meet again?
Nevertheless, it is the innate evil in Macbeth that makes him curious about their predictions. In fact Banquo’s statements on noticing Macbeth’s reaction to the witches’ prophesies, “Look how our partner’s rapt,” make us suspect Macbeth’s integrity. Again, the fact that he gets dependant on the witches for further advice clearly demonstrates the evil in him. While it was the initial influence of the witches, that led Macbeth astray, it is ultimately Macbeth’s decision to commit such heinous crimes.” Apart from the witches, Lady Macbeth also has a profound influence on bringing about Macbeth’s tragedy. Lady Macbeth is an evil and ruthless woman who, being aware of Macbeth’s ambitious nature decides to exploit it and manipulates him into murdering King Duncan.