How evil is presented throughout the play Essay Example for Free

How evil is presented throughout the play Essay Show how Shakespeares sense of theatre supports the presentation of evil in Macbeth. Shakespeare was born in 1564 at Stratford upon Avon, he was an English poet and playwright. He wrote 38 plays 154 sonnets. He began his successful career in London as an actor and a writer, and later became known as what many say to be the greatest writer in the English language. One of his most successful plays is Macbeth it was written at the time king James I was on the throne at the time that the Gunpowder Plot that took place in 1605, and plotted against king James I and tried to blow up the houses of parliament. This is quite significant to the play as it links to people plotting against the king, as Macbeth does. In the end Guy Fawks is burnt, and at the end of the play Macbeth is also murdered. Shakespeare received patronage from the current monarchy if they were pleased with the play he had produced, so he made it appeal to the king or Queen he was writing it for. He did this when he wrote Macbeth, as he Put witches in the play and also based the play around witches and portrayed them as personifying evil this would have appealed to King James I as he wrote a book about witches called Demonology in this book he confirmed his conspiracy about witches being evil supernatural beings that made bad things happen. Shakespeare set the play in the 12th century when it was the17th century so that he could twist the facts of what happened to get across what he wanted to say, about the plot of the witches. Shakespeare tried to make things relevant in the play to King James I. He did this at the start of the play where he used Thunder and Lightening, before the three witches came on this would have appealed to King James I as he expressed very strongly that witches conjured up storms in the book he wrote. Another thing that portrayed evil at the start of the play is that the chant that the witches do ;Fair is foul and foul is fair, this shows that evil is about good being bad and bad being good. This links to Macbeth because when he first talks, he says so fair and foul a day I have not seen. He is echoing the words of the witches, and this alerts the audience and makes them think he is connected to them or of the same nature (also evil). Also when the witches say when the hurlyburlys done, when the battles lost and won it makes you curious to think that they may know what is to happen in the future. It also gives you the feeling that the witches are peculiar and supernatural if they can make predictions with such certainty. Shakespeare is also trying to show the power the witches have to make evil happen, that their presence or their words can effect people make them think evil and then become evil, as Macbeth does throughout the play. Macbeth as a victim of supernatural conspiracy as its the witches who put the essence of treason in his mind.This is shown when Banquo asks Macbeth Good sir, why do you start and seem to fear. This shows Macbeth is not innately good because seeing the evil of the witches made him fear and a noble man was not to let evil get to him, like Banquo didnt. This also shows he is susceptible to evil. He also started to have evil thoughts that even started to scare himself he says I yield to that suggestion whose horrid image doth unfix my hair, and make my seated heart knock at my ribs. Macbeth knows it is a sin against God to Murder or even hurt the Lords anointed King. At the start of the play he was honourable and favoured greatly by Duncan who gave him the titles Thane of Cawdor and Thane of Glamis for winning the battle and defeating the king of Norway, but Macbeth above all was a man of action and wanted to know how he could make the prediction of the witches come true and so he didnt let his evil thoughts get in the way .He says in act 1 scene 4 Stars hide your fires, let not light see my black and deep desires, he wants the stars to stay dark so that he can hide his murderous thoughts. Also dark is associated with bad and evil and light with good and noble. He doesnt want a starry night so that he can hide his evil thoughts in the darkness away from the light. Macbeth had lots of imagination but he lacked a strong will, when lady Macbeth allures him into Duncans murder he went along with the plans although deep down he knew it was morally the wrong thing to do., on the other hand lady Macbeth had a strong will persuading and brainwashing Macbeth, but has no imagination, she is the one who persuades him to commit the ghastly deed but is the one who goes mad. Another aspect of Macbeths imagination is when he sees daggers and apparitions before he goes to kill Duncan. Macbeth even Hallucinates when he sees the ghost of Banquo. When Macbeth goes to see the witches they make him feel invincible, they tell him no man of woman born can touch him hearing this he goes and kills all of MacDuffs family (his innocent wife and children) that is because he has descended to evil, he has reached the depths of evil and because evil never triumphs the audience knows he is going be caught, this is when he finds out that the witches tricked him but he does die a noble death because he is brave. Lady Macbeth is portrayed as an evil person in the play but also the source of all the evil from Macbeth. She personifies evil to Macbeth making him do wrong and she guides him into all that he does. This play is written to relate to the biblical story of Adam and Eve where God allows them to eat the fruit from all the trees except the tree of Knowledge of Good and Evil. A serpent persuades Eve to eat from that tree; she does so but also persuades Adam to eat from it. This relates to the story of Macbeth because Lady Macbeth persuades Macbeth to do evil. This is another thing that would have appealed to king James I as he was a religious man who strongly believed in what the bible said. When lady Macbeth reads the letter he has been sent by Macbeth she gets excited and starts having fantastical thoughts, yet she thinks her husband is too kind to do such a thing when she says It is too full o th milk of human kindness to catch the nearest way. She knows she will have to persuade him and she knows just how she will do this that I may pour my spirits in thine ear, and chastise with the valour of my tongue. She is saying she will use her language of persuasion and guide him into the evil to do what she wants him to do. She is the one who induces him and leads him to do it, at first he is reluctant but then she wins him over by saying that he should do it for the love of her, she also challenges his masculinity by doing this so in the end after arguing a won battle because lady Macbeth isnt backing down, Macbeth finally goes to murder Duncan. Later she entices him by saying that the blame of the murder could be put on the kings guards, so their crime wont be discovered. Throughout the play Macbeth goes from noble and good with people referring to him as noble Macbeth and valiant cousin to evil led by the witches. Macbeth was a victim of an evil plot with the witches tricking him and leading him to evil and sin, but the blame can not be put entirely on the witches because although they lead him he was the one who choose to kill Duncan witch was the start of all the bad things that came from it. Macbeth comes to die a noble death, because of his bravery and of this and then the rightful order has been restored and the rightful king is on the throne. This makes stronger the belief that people have that the king is the lords anointed and nobody can do anything about it. The play justifies the position of James I as he is a noble and righteous king . Shakespeare ended the play this was to show that no good comes from witches and from evil and it is a lot better to be noble as you will get a better outcome, Banquo was noble and his son became the king in the end.

Leaving My Home :: Personal Narrative Traveling Essays

Leaving My Home We finally found gate C-4 after what seemed like an interminably long time. I rejoiced to see the rows of plush cushioned chairs. My aching legs were also thankful after wandering the long cramped halls of O'Hare's bustling airport. Although the halls exuded spaciousness, the throngs of impatient people thwarted any chance for a leisurely stroll. However, I could not concentrate on this scene of busy travelers and cramped corridors. For the airport and my trip to Argentina seemed surreal to me as I dreamed of my dog Max and my bedroom and how long it would be until I saw them again. This after all was just a stop on a busy road to my future. Of all the rows of chairs, we staked out five that were closest to the boarding doors. My parents sat across from me, and observed me like birds that watch their fledgling take its first flight. My sisters Rebecca and Elizabeth sat on either side of me, both filled with the anxious thoughts of a year without a brother and friend. Then it was time for us to wait. At first the comfort of sitting in the cushioned chairs and staring out the large glass windows was enough. I saw the planes make their exits from the sky to come gliding onto the runway. Although made of metal those birds land gracefully. A slight squall from the tires, a bit of smoke, but all in one smooth slip from the sky to skating across the open pavement. They taxi their ways along the integral paths of painted yellow lines. Each one was like an ant moving purposely about its assignment without disturbing its fellow workers. The men and women on the ground crew carefully orchestrated it all with orange batons and walkie-talkies, making sure there is no confusion. The plane returns to its port like a seaman after a long voyage. Their thoughts are only that it's good to be home. The scene soon became monotonous. The planes always nearly landed on the tail of the one just departed. They turned with the same motions following the same paths to yet another loading dock. Even the questions that quarry an observer ran stagnant. Where were all those planes going? It became apparent that they are all on journeys without any final destination. They only hope to get in as many miles as is possible in their lifetimes.

Frankenstein and Blade Runner †Texts in Time Analysis Essay

Many themes and ideas continue to reoccur among different texts in time. However studying two texts in conjunction allows one to observe how composers manipulate ideas in order to more accurately connect to their context, and reflect the concerns and values of the time. Through the comparative study of Mary Shelley’s 1818 gothic novel Frankenstein or The Modern Prometheus and Ridley Scott’s 1981 neo-noir cyberpunk film Blade Runner (Director’s Cut), one can observe how in these two didactic and prescient tales, ideas of the dangers of unrestrained scientific progress and the Promethean overreaching of man are explored, with differences in values presented reflecting the different contexts between the texts. Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein was created in an era of rapid technological change. By 1818, the Industrial Revolution had deeply influenced the fundamental nature of society, while Enlightenment inspired ideals of logic and autonomy of reason were prominent in society. Her text accordingly reflects this, as seen in the protagonist Victor Frankenstein; â€Å"I am imbued with a fervent longing to penetrate the secrets of nature. † This metaphor alludes to his passionate and desperate urge to uncover the secrets to the creation of life. Shelley however critiques his intrusive scientific pursuit and horrid creation by juxtaposing it with the beauty of nature. This is seen in the bucolic descriptions of nature’s sublime; â€Å"Mighty alps, whose white and shining pyramids and domes towered above all. † Nature calms and dehumanises Victor throughout the text, but Victor pursues science to the extent that nature loses its consoling ability, and thereafter the Arctic becomes a pathetic fallacy to mock Victor’s psychological and mental isolation. This criticism is further emphasised through the epistolary narrative framework, which allows the text to begin in medias res. The first introduction to Victor is him in a state of complete ruin, and so the text is a forewarning of the ramifications of amoral scientific advancement. In a similar manner, Ridley Scott’s Blade Runner was created in a time of rapid technological progress through the 1970s and 80s. The emergence of the computer and communication age meant that the world became more centralised, with a growing concern that technology was destroying the environment. Set in Los Angeles in 2019, the opening establishing shot of the expansive city immediately demonstrates the negative consequences of untamed scientific advancement. The fire belching into the sky, the artificial city lights sparkling under a looming red-grey sky and the haunting synthetic pulses from the Vangelis soundtrack allude to Hades, making the city a vision of hell. The camera then zooms into the reflection of an eye, which depicts the artificiality of the world and introduces dystopian themes of paranoia and surveillance. Hence we can see that Blade Runner is representative of a grim future that Shelley’s scientific hubris warned us of nearly two centuries ago. However there are alterations in the ideas shown to befit the differing contexts of the texts. Mary Shelley argues that an excessive pursuit of science can lead to the ruin of an individual man, seen in Victor Frankenstein. She also argues that nature is larger than man, evident in her highly Romantic descriptions of nature’s sublime. Ridley Scott however argues that man is overpowering nature, owing to the global concerns of pollution and deforestation in the 1980s. Hence Scott implies amoral scientific advancement will lead to the detriment of society as a whole, and not just at an individual level. Unequivocally, both texts explore the idea of the promethean overreaching of man and his tendency to usurp the role of God, through the characters of Victor Frankenstein and Tyrell. The subtitle of Mary Shelley’s novel, The Modern Prometheus, refers to Victor Frankenstein, and his creation of the monster. A new species would bless me as its creator and source† His creation however leads him to transcend the boundaries of man and elevate him into a god-like status, and this leads to Victor’s complete societal and mental isolation, where he loses sight of his responsibilities and the consequences of his actions. Victor compares himself to God, while the monster says to Victor â€Å"I ought to be thy Adam, but I am rather the fallen angel†, referring to himself as Lucifer. This means the text is given added complexity in that there is a duality between both characters, where neither Victor or the monster are innately good or bad, rather they containing capacity for both, as they become two sides of a single entity, forming a doppelganger relationship. Finally, the literary allusion by Victor; â€Å"how could I enter into a festival with this deadly weight hanging round my neck? † is a reference to the albatross in The Rime of the Ancient Mariner, and shows the eternal punishment and guilt Victor faces from outstretching the boundaries of man and playing the role of God. Therefore it is apparent that in her text, Shelley attempts to warn of the dire consequences of man’s promethean overreaching of the role of God. Correspondingly, the idea of man overstepping of the natural order is heavily explored in Blade Runner. The film is the epitome of a dystopian world dominated by commerce. The initial low angle shot of the Tyrell Corporation’s grand ziggurat-like monolith reflects the rampant commercialisation and commodification of the world, while the blue light shining into the sky pertains to the usurpation of God’s role, and the diminishment of nature in modern society. The Tyrell Corporation’s dominance criticises the â€Å"greed is good† attitude of the 1980s, typified through the antagonist Eldon Tyrell; â€Å"Commerce is our goal here at Tyrell, ‘More Human than Human’ is our motto. † His thick glasses symbolise his failure to see the future consequences of his actions, much like Victor, and this adds to the eye motif of the film, where eyes are windows to the soul and measures of humanity – something which Tyrell clearly lacks. Roy Batty, the film’s role-reversed protagonist, is portrayed initially as a Satanic figure; â€Å"I’ve done questionable things†, akin to the monster being labelled â€Å"daemon† and â€Å"devil† in Frankenstein. However Scott makes a biblical allusion when Batty crucifies his own hand, and this relates him to Christ. Thus one can see how in both texts the composers warn of the dangers of usurping the role of god, showing the complexity and duality of man on Earth. Mary Shelley’s romantic values however mean that through the character of Victor, she aims to criticise the overreaching aspect of Enlightenment, warning that those who do will be eternally punished. Ridley Scott however aims to condemn the overcommercialisation and increasing greed in society, using Tyrell as a figure to represent man’s obsession for power, and in such he criticises the society that we live in. In these ways it can be seen how the overreaching of god in both texts is used differently to resonate with different contextual values. Therefore, through a comparative study of both Frankenstein and Blade Runner, we can see how the common issues of rampant scientific and technological progress and the usurpation of the natural order is explored in both texts, however these ideas are varied slightly in order to suit the differing contexts. Frankenstein aims at questioning Enlightenment values, while Blade Runner condemns materialism, unhinged genetic engineering and corporal greed, essentially critiquing society and presenting a dystopian vision of the future.

A Short Story - 725 Words

â€Å"Here’s to the best chemist the lab could have hoped for.† He glanced sidelong at Erica and grinned, running a hand through his unruly hair. â€Å"You’ll blow them away with another brilliant solution as usual,† he said, bringing the drink to his lips. Returning the grin, Erica started to raise the cup to her lips, then paused and frowned, staring intently at the ground. Pressing her free hand firmly against the dirt at the edge of the blanket, she felt the ground shiver and then saw small pebbles and rock chips vibrate. â€Å"Tommy, can you feel that?† She asked in a worried voice as the stones grew more exuberant in their movements. She put down the cup and slowly stood, trying to place the source of the vibration. Tommy ran back to the speeder,†¦show more content†¦Ã¢â‚¬Å"I knew I was forgetting something when I left this morning,† he said, his face turning a pale green. â€Å"Do you remember when I told you how the cooling vents were acting up, and I was on duty to repair them?† Erica nodded slowly. â€Å"Well, I was so distracted by our trip, that I completely forgot about them. And now...† He flinched, running a hand through his hair. â€Å"You always get me in so much trouble,† he told Erica, watching her out of the corner of his eye. The way he was looking at her made the hair on the back of her neck stand on end. She drew in a breath to retort, when a blinding flash of light consumed the horizon, chased by a deafening roar that flattened the trees and slammed her into a nearby boulder. Shakily standing, she put a hand to her mouth and winced as she felt the deep cut on her lip. Cracking her jaw to try and clear the ringing out of her ears, she found Tommy stumbling several feet away, trying to get his bearings. Grabbing a survival kit from the speeder, she pulled his arm and shouted. â€Å"Head for the rocks! We have to get underground in case there’s another explosion.† Tommy stared at her blankly. The ringing in his ears sounded like deep whispers. He shook himself like a wet dog, focused his mind and accessed the program for natural formations. He scanned the area with fresh understanding. â€Å"This way,† he pointed at a broad, shallow crevice about fifty yards away. â€Å"There’s a fissure leading to an underground tunnel. 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