Discuss the role of the witches in Macbeth! I think Shakespeare used the witches in the play because, he was writing for an audience that believed in the formidable powers of witchcraft. Disturbances in the heavens were considered to indicate upheaval and strife and the presence of evil. I think Shakespeare used the witches also to create a sinister atmosphere in the play. The witches appear during thunder and lightning in Act 1 Scene 1.
"-Sun Tzu's Art of War. Deception is one of the main tactics used by dark forces in both Macbeth and Dr Faustus. Sun Tzu advocates luring enemies into a false sense of security. In Macbeth, the witches do lure Macbeth into a false sense of security by equivocating that is, by using ambiguous phrases which may mislead a person. Their equivocation can be clearly seen in the opening scene, where they juxtapose contrasting words in the same lines.
Discuss time period. What were men like at this time? Why was Macbeth written? The audience is first introduced to Macbeth when the witches discuss their future plans to ‘meet with Macbeth’. 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.
.Elorm Vowotor Ms. Van Dyk ENG3U-SL 19th November 2012 Macbeth: Act V: Equivocation Equivocation is the use of ambiguous expressions in order to mislead. It is also to deceive with words; to say one thing but mean another. Shakespeare uses equivocation to illustrate the evil nature of the witches. Equivocation is found in the witches prophesies. Vague language is used when providing Macbeth with prophesies.
Deceiving and the manipulation of one can have a great impact on people’s minds and thoughts. Early in the play we see the three witches and Macbeth use the tools of deception to cloud what is to come. At the beginning of
To do this I will look at the language of the play, looking at references to the devil and what they can show us. Furthermore I intend to compare the character of Iago with Mephostophilis, looking for comparisons between the two which will highlight the devilish nature of Iago. I will be looking at how the power and control which the two other characters possess shape and the change the lives of other characters, and how they effect the final outcome of the play. Through doing this I hope to prove that the devil is as much a function in Othello as he is in Dr. Faustus, and that how it can be viewed that he runs within Iago and the decisions he makes which lead to tragic ends. The motives behind Iago’s actions in Othello have been something of great debate since the
In this essay, I will look at the role of Friar Lawrence in Romeo and Juliet – in particular, the eventual tragic deaths of the “star-crossed” lovers – and the manner in which Shakespeare uses Friar Lawrence as a means to challenge ideas of fate and light/darkness through his use of language, imagery and metaphor. From the first appearance of Friar Lawrence in Act 2 Scene 3, we can see that he uses a lot of contrasts which help to depict the dramatic contrasts in the entire play. His statements such as, “eastern clouds with streaks of light; and flecked darkness like a drunkard reels” and “baleful weeds and precious-juiced flowers” show that Friar Lawrence helps to set-up the contrasts within the entire play, and that he hints towards the eventual deaths of Romeo and Juliet. The contrasts between ‘tomb’ and ‘womb’ in the line “the earth that’s nature’s mother is her tomb; what is her burying grave, that is her womb”, also show for the audience that the fate of Romeo and Juliet is almost foretold and that despite the play resulting in their deaths, their families will begin a new ‘life’ as allies. Friar Lawrence
How do the Dramatic Devices in Miller’s Play ‘The Crucible’ ensure that it is relevant to more than one Time in History? ‘The Crucible’ was published in 1952 and was based on the Salem witchcraft trials that occurred in 1962. There is however also a clear parallel to the 1950’s trials during McCarthyism where anyone with left wing views was persecuted. Throughout the play Miller uses different dramatic devices to create tension and other effects for the audience. The use of dramatic devices by Miller allows the audience to interpret aspects of the play in a way that makes it relevant to different periods in time.
The witches are possibly linked as the “charms” seem to influence Macbeth and he begins to echo “foul and fair”. Whenever Macbeth seems at his most inhumane he uses rhyming couplets for example, “knell that summons…to heaven…hell” is used before killing Duncan in act 2 and “fight…heaven…find it out to-night” before killing Banquo in act 3.
The third witch says, ‘There to meet Macbeth’, this intertwining of Macbeth reflects the relationship which will be made between him and the witches, and the evil which is going to be involved in Macbeth’s life. The arrangement of meeting place shows their target for the forces of evil, and their thorough planning of making an appointment to lure Macbeth to destruction. This scene symbolises the witches as a representation for temptation, therefore foreshadowing Macbeth’s potential human weakness to be susceptible to temptation, before we are even introduced to Macbeth himself. Shakespeare presents Macbeths character as brave and fearless in Scene 2; without Macbeth being present. “Till he unseamed him from the nave to th’chaps and fixed his head upon our battlements”, this quotation is said by the captain, who is commending Macbeth for defeating the leader of the rebel army.