A central theme of Macbeth is consequence of the character's actions. What can you tell about the main characters by their actions and how they deal with the consequences. Which character reacts in a way you relate to?
I relate to Banquo, who tries to remain good but knows something is wrong, and not acting on that feeling leads to his death. He is also faithful and kind, a good character who creates Macbeth's evil.
Macduff had to deal with the consequences of his family dieing because he was doing the right thing, this showed that he is turly good because he did the right thing regardless of the consequences.
Lady Macbeth didn't think that she was going to feel guilty, but then in the end her guilt ended up being the cause of her suicide. Macbeth felt his guilt, but he just kept going after one murder. I would act like Lady Macbeth because I would feel guilty but then end up repenting, instead of continuing like Macbeth.
Lady Macbeth- wants to kill Duncan but then goes insane with guilt Macbeth- kills Duncan and many others, and then felt guilt when he saw the ghost but overcame it. Macduff deals with the consequences of his dead family but still does the good thing. I relate to Macbeth because I am good at shutting out guilt.
I defiantly relate to the way that Lady Macbeth react, by becoming paranoid. Macbeth however gets very power hungry and in the habit of killing to all extetnts to achieve his overall goal of becoming King. Once he becomes King he keeps killing to secure this new role, but I personally could not deal with that many killings if any. Lady Macbeth sees how out of hand the events have gotten, and i feel i would be in that same situation rather than the character getting out of hand.
Macbeth deals with his actions by trying to ignore what he did, and is almost in denial of what he did. Lady Macbeth tries to cover up her actions, and tries to convince herself that what she did is okay. Neither of these strategies end up working, since they both feel guilty in the end.
Lady Macbeth deals with the consequences in a sort of bad way because she starts sleep walking and talking about how she can't wash the blood from her hands and how she is so guilty. I probably would react in a way similar to her because I would be so…gung ho for it in the beginning, but then would feel guilty later and eventually end up committing suicide or something of the sort.
Macbeth's actions remind me of how I dealt with situations when I was a little kid. He keeps trying to cover up is mistakes by making more lies and making more mistakes. I used to always lie to try to get of mistakes, but in the end it turns out worse then if you just admit to the first mistake. Macbeth's actions just keep digging him a bigger and bigger hole, until he is at the point that there is no way out.
Lady Macbeth is the person that initially comes up with the idea of killing Duncan, Lady Macbeth and Macbeth switch roles throughout the course of the play, Macbeth didn't express emotions as much as Lady Macbeth did, Macbeth startsd to become more paranoid as the story goes on, Macbeths actions make him more and more parnoid, Lady Macbduff told her son that her husband was dead-Why? Lady Macduff is afraid of hearing her husband is dead and therefore denies it at all costs, Is the messenger a significant character? All the women are portrayed of someone who is crazy.
Each character reacted differently. I feel like Banquo knew and was denying his best friend murdered Duncan. Macbeth had a completely different reaction, he immediatly turned into a calm person and hid any trace he possiby could of him being suspected of the murders but he gets sloppier every time. Lady Macbeth reacts by wanting to stop at Duncan and she feels guilty of her actions later on.
Lady Macduff was warned that she and her son should flee, but she ended up being murdred when she did not take to heart the warning. In a time of war and murder, she should have fled. This is also similar to my actions because I don't always take to heart warnings and then suffer a consequence.
If the characters are innocent then nothing really happens to them. Macbeth had intent to kill Duncan and Banquo and got a consequence for it. If the main character has a consequence, you can tell they did something to deserve it. I think I most relate to Banquo because when I get a consequence I tend to hold it against the one that's responsible for my consequence, like he appeared before Macbeth and haunted him.
Like Maria said, everyone is crazy, but Macbeth and Lady Macbeth switched roles and instead of continuing, Lady Macbeth just killed herself so she could make up for the nasty, ruthless deeds she has done.
Macduff suffers consequences because his family was killed as a consequence of Macduff's honesty and honor.His loyalty to Scotland and to true king leads to his family's death. His reaction is one of anger, loss, and most importantly, love for his family. If placed in Macduff's situation i would probably react in a similar way.
I can most relate to Lady Macbeth's strategy of trying to justify my actions to myself, because if I tell myself something for long enough I will eventually believe it.
Lady Macduff's reacton to her learning of her husband's flight to England is similar to how I would react. She worries that others will think that her husband is a traitor: "Our fears do make us traitors". I worry about others that are close to me (and myself)often, thinking about what there standing is in society, sometimes evenmore so then what really matters, such as school, friends, and family.
At first Macbeth was starting to freak out about the murders because he kept seeing Banquo's bloody ghost at the banquet. Each murder that Macbeth set up or performed, aside from the original murder of King Duncan, was to cover up the fact that Macbeth was guilty. Then towards the end of the book, Lady Macbeth starts to feel the guilt weigh upon her. She realizes that all the innocent lives that were lost, were lost because of her. She is the one that encouraged Macbeth to kill King Duncan. Then finally the guilt is just too muuch for her so she commits suicide.
Macbeth did not immediately see the consequences of his actions. He only saw what he wanted and the obsticles in his way. Even when that ment killing his own best friend, Banquo, he did it. Even when the consequences were not immediate, he manamged to haunt himself be imagining the ghost of Banquo. That's when the action of killing actually dawned on him in this instance. "Avaunt, and quit my sight! Let the earth hide thee... thou hast no speculation in those eyes..." -Macbeth, act 3, scene 4. In this way, I relate to Macbeth. I tend to emigine my own faults where everone can see them.
After the witches line "Fair is foul and foul is fair," Macbeth and Banquo first meet the witches. What is this quote foreshadowing? What does it mean? Why would Shakespeare use it at the beginning of the play?
I think Lady Macbeth's reaction would be closest to mine. Even if she only thought of the present and not of the consequences, she then regretted her actions after the fact. Compared to Macbeth, she is better in a way in which she felt guilt instead of going on a 'killing spree'. Every character is something. For example, Macbeth is someone who had good morals but then turns his guilt into angry passion and this turns into a threat to everyone around him. This included Lady Macbeth, she became so guilty and paranoid that she ended up committing suicide because of Macbeth's action. He ends up harming everyone, including those close to him.
I think Shakespeare uses that line because each person has two sides to him/her, one side is bad and one side is good. This really shows up with Macbeth and Lady Macbeth because one used to be bad and changes to a better person and the other way around. This also shows up throughout the book when in the beginning everything is good but the end everything is crazy and bad.
With Corbin's point, "how is foul fair?" I think it means that bad happens to you when you do something wrong and it is your fault, it's what you get. I think this is the underlying theme of the message; consequences.
I think that this quote means that all fair have some foul in them. This relates to "Lord of the Flies" because it depicts how almost everyone has an innate sense of evil in them. This foreshadows Macbeth's wrongdoings. I think "foul is fair" means that after the fair has done foul, they will die and all will be fair. Basically, after Macbeth becomes foul, order and justice will be established again when he is killed. Shakespeare would put this at the beginning of the play to foreshadow somebody's corruption and maybe he's foreshadowing that a character/characters will show their senses of evil.
This quote symbolizes what is going to happen in the story (macbeth killing to be king). Fair play will become foul: Macbeth becomes king by murder, which is foul insted of becomeing king naturally. Foul (killing others) soon becomes fair play for Macbeth so no one will know that Macbeth Is a murderer. It show what will happen with out giving the play away.
By fair is foul and foul is fair, Shakespeare might have been explaining how Lady Macbeth starts out seeing nothing but the benefits of Duncan's murder, and ends seeing nothing but the bad, whereas; Macbeth starts out seeing nothing but the bad and dies at the point of only seeing the benefits of Duncan's murder.
I think the quote is saying that Macbeth being king looks fair but how he got to that position is actually foul through murder, lies, and evil. Those foul deeds can seem fair through manipulation and twisted words. Like when Macbeth hires murderes to kill Banquo, he makes the murderers think wat their doing is fair. So maybe it forshadows Macbeth's deeds through the book and Shakespeare puts this in the beggining to give us a hidden question thats answered all throughout the book
It means that there are no more rules and people will do anything to get what they want. The "fair is foul" means that what used to be foul play is now fair. The "foul is fair" means that there is no rules in this sick "game" and people won't try to create rules. It is foreshadowing that Macbeth is going to change and do many bad things to become king. Shakespeare included this quote because it is a huge theme in the whole play. This sets up the viewer for what is yet to come.
This quote shows that all people have foul in them no matter how fair they seem. While some people appear foul they can have good intentions. This is a good way to begin a play because it gets the reader interested and foreshadows the rest of the play. The foreshadowing is that consequences will always find you, and not to just agree with the outside but look at the inside.
Do you think the witches really can foresee the future or are they just using Macbeth to take the future into their own hands? Were the witches using Macbeth to get something they wanted? Why did they tell Macbeth the prophecy in the first place?
Maybe foul is fair because people hide there foul behind fair, like Macbeth when he tries to hide his murder, or Corbin's point of someone looks good on the outside, but is bad on the outside.
At what point do the consequences start to outweigh the prize/result and make you regret your actions?
Which meaning of fair goes with each segment? OR does just one go with it? Fair- elegant, beautiful or fair- equal, even "Fair is foul and foul is fair"
The witches represent the temptation to be evil. When they say "Fair is foul," this means that equality and rightiousness is something to be ridiculed. When Shakespeare says "foul is fair," he is telling the reader that all is fair in the persuit of power. Being foul for the gain of power is in fact fair in the end. This foreshadows the future conflict between Macbeth and Banquo, warning Banquo that foul is fair, while spurring Macbeth on, saying that fair is foul. Foreshadowing only makes sense in the beginning of the play. It is here because the witches know what will come between the two and are willing to share their knowledge in a crypic way as to discretely pass the message.
This quote is talking about the contrast between all that is good and evil and what is beautiful and ugly. There are those who are good, and with pure intentions such as Duncan, but there are also those who are evil, like Macbeth. They all begin as "fair" or good, with Macbeth being a war hero, but like all tragic heros, Macbeth has a downfall. We are able to see this throuhout the play when we find that everyone has this "foul" bad side, and when the lines between the two start to blend, you question if something really is right. It also brings up the idea of something that might seem justifiable to one will be foul to another. This quote contradicts it's self, and forshadows Macbeth's confusion and the choices he is going to make.
Macbeth appears as a good person, which means fair. But later in the story he turns into a foul person with all the murders he commits. And the witches who are portrayed as ugly, or foul, cause Macbeth his downfall. And the witches are the good one in the end.
I think that this quote has a huge significance to the play and the plot line. along withe the theme in Lord of the Flies, everyone has an inates sense of evil in them and its only a matter of how long it is before that comes out. Also, everyone has a beautiful/happy and kind side to them. As mentioned in the previous sesion, Macbeth and Lady Macbeth kand of switch roles. This shows the change between the fair and foul in everyone and how at any moment and in any instance, a character or person can change their whole outlook and overall goondess in life. Corbin made a very good point about how someone may look one way on the outside and be totally different on the inside.
I think the quote "Fair is foul and foul is fair," means that Macbeth won't become king by just being fair. He has to be foul and fair in order to get to the throne. When he first becomes Thane of Glamis and Thane of Cawdor, Macbeth is being fair because he won those titles in war by saving King Duncan's army from being defeated. Then Duncan announces that his son, Malcolm, is the heir to the throne, so Macbeth decides to take the prophecy into his own hands by killing Kind Duncan. This is demonstrating that he is turning foul.
If beauty means fair, then i think fair relates to royalty and power. If you have to go as far as murdering a human being to get to the top, you will have to live with guilt. It can be foul being fair, if foul things have been done to get to be fair.
I believe this quote is, in a way, relating to the four apparitions. I think it is another prediction or interpritation of what the witches believe will happen. I think the fair it a potition like an inportant people. That Macbeth is fair but when he gets into the role of being king, he becomes foul in his actions. His foulness is portrayed in the chain reaction of continuous killing of all those who get in his way. When the quote gets turned around, it is kind of saying that when he is foul, he is becoming fair, even though he is killing and hurting all of those around him, he still has the sense of being fair.
I think that if the witches didn't tell Macbeth that he would become king, then he wouldn't have. The witches lead him into is future by telling what is going to happen.
I think that "Fair is foul and foul is fair is represting the actions of Macbeth, in a sense. It is foreshadowing the fact that there is something unexpected is going to happen. I think that this means that the person who looks fair, is foul, and the person who looks foul is fair. It is representing the fact that things aren't always as they seem. Shakespeare most likely put this quote at the beginning of the story to warn the readers/auidence members that if they have a gut feeling of who has done a crime by how they present themselves, they are wrong.
I believe the line "Fair is foul and foul is fair" connects to the previous topic of consequences. It foreshadows that if you create foul play, then it will come around and hurt you in the future. I believe it represents the theme that reoccures throughout the play. This is demonstrated through Macbeth's murders: He believes that the "fair "king, the rightful kingwas not correct, it was foul. But as the play progresses, and the murders have been commited, Macbeth begins to believe that he was meant to be the king and is in the rightful position. This quote may also mean that fairness is not interpreted in the same way. During the beginning of the play, Macbeth has no great guilt until Banquo accuses him of foul play, which Banquo does not approve. Also, now knowing that 'fair' during these times represents 'beautiful,' then I believe that it means that Macbeth sets a facade that he his a loyal and honorable man when in reality he had evil hidden deep within him. Also, "foul is fair" is demonstrated towards the beginning of the play when Duncan's sons flee after their father's murder. They are immediately accused of the crime, when they are really almost the most honorable and reliable characters in the play.
I think the witches couldn't really forsee the future. I think they just wanted to cause havoc for Macbeth and make him power crazed. Although I do not completely know why they told specifically Macbeth the prophecy... They must have had their eye on him the whole time. Why would they want to bother Macbeth anyways?
The witches are trying to get their own intentions. This could explain why Hecate, the leader of the witches got mad at not being there. The witches also achieved what they wanted when Duncan wanted but did not barging for Macbeths blood lust. Thus when it got out of hand they had to step in.
What would the profit be for the witches to tell Macbeth his future? They for-told that Banquo's children would be in the line of the thrown, and that ended up happenning. So what would the personal gain be for the witches to have Macbeth as King? The witches also told Macbeth that no women born person could kill him, and convinced him he was invincible. That definatly led to his downfall.
i dont think the witches can really see the future. I belive that they are really good at guessing about human behavior. They also got lucky. The main part of what they "saw" was normal for humans.
John Micheal brought up a good point that I over looked when thinking of the meaning. I think what it means, thinking with the new definition of fair, that Shakespeare began the book by giving us how we may view Macbeth vs. how Macbeth views himself at the beggining vs. the end.
At the beginning of the play. Lady Macbeth is so set on making Macbeth kill the king and then once Macbeth kills the king, Lady Macbeth has set off a chain reaction for Macbeth killing more people than her intention so she stars. She sleepwalks and tries to "rub" blood off of her hands and she commits suicide. Macbeth is hesitant to kill the king at the beginning of the play. Since he finally gives in to killing king Duncan, he ends up killing the servants. He then thinks that everyone knows what he did and kills his best friend, Banquo. Macbeth feels so guilty about this and then he starts having hallucinations about seeing Banquo’s ghost.
I feel like the witches did take advantage of the situation in some senses. like dan mentioned, some of the witches prophecies are correct and do come true i do not think that the witches knew how far Macbeth would take the prophecy and how he would turn it into a mass murder and power surge.
I agree with Riley. I think the witches are stadistic and were trying to mess with Macbeth's head. I believe their fortune proved for Macbeth to become king.
I don't belive that the witches could predict the future. The just where "messing with him" for fun. When you are told something will happen to you a person will take measures to reach that prediction. I think they where just doing it to see what will happen.
I think that the witches could foresee the future, because everyting they say becomes true, but that they really just wanted to see what would happen, if they showed the future to Macbeth.
I do not think the witches can really predict the future, because if they could i dont think they would give Macbeth the incentive to murder all these people. They just wanted to mess with Macbeths head and then put him down again. They did not intend all these people to get murdered.
I believe the witches WERE foreshadowing the future. They knew that if someone with Macbeth's personality heard of his great future, he would do whatever it takes to get there. The witches were also able to percisely prophesise Macbeth's downfall and his rise of power.
Throughout the play, the relationship between Lady Macbeth and her husband changes dramatically. The roles of the husband and wife become blurred. Explain the portrayal of the MAJOR role switch in the relationship and how it affected the plot. Would things be different in L. Macbeth had remained the controlling spouse.
I agree with what Eric said about Macbeth becoming more and more power crazy which overshadowed Lady Macbeth's main influence on him, he took things into his own hands.
This line said by the witches could mean several different meanings. One meaning that also foreshadowed what would happen with Macbeth is that some people could think that he was fair, or some could think he was foul. Another meaning could be that things aren't always what they seem like they are. Someone could have foul in them no matter how fair they are. And someone could appear foul but then be totally fair in the inside. I think that the witches could actually for see the future because they saw that Macbeth would become king and that Banquo's sons would soon become king. Also, in the end when the apparitions come, they predicted happenings that you wouldn’t think could come to pass. But they did.
In the beginning Lady Macbeth was very controlling. However, as the story played out, Macbeth took more control. He began plotting without her input. This change was due to her guilt and not wanting to murder/participate anymore. Macbeth, however, became more and more power hungry. Lady Macbeth only wanted to be queen, but then after decided that it would be better to be dead.
I think things would only be lightly different if Lady Macbeth still had the upper hand in their marriage. I think that even if she still wanted to kill eveyone and Macbeth didn't, then she would still be as controlling as she is when she is wanting to kill the King. She made Macbeth kill the king and he accepted. By doing this, I believe that even if they hadn't switched roles that the killing would still be going on in the same manner, with Lady Macbeth having the upper hand.
Lady Macbeth is the stronger force at the beginning. She convinces him to murder the king. After the murder, Macbeth begins to go insane. He gets very paranoid and thinks that everyone is out to get him. As an answer to his paranoia, he kills many of the characters in the play. Macbeth was a character that had such a strong desire for power that he would kill for it. The witches may have never seen an actual prophasy, they may have just convinced Macbeth that he could be king if he made it that way. Once the Macbeth got out of control te witches brought him back to ground level. Macduff arouse an army to take Macbeth from power. Once the news reached him of the murder of his family, his anger escalated to a level of burstind. He took his revenge by killing Macbeth himself. I can relate to Macduff. I have been in situations in which I am already angered and then I get struck by something personal and I explode.
I personally think that the witches can't see the future in their hands. I believe that witches are just trying to freak people out. They are trying to make people think that they are more powerful than they actually are. I feel like the witches used Macbeth because they, in a way, convinced Macbeth that he should kill Duncan. Although Lady Macbeth was the one whi convinced him, the withches brought up the idea. So if they could get someone else to commit this crime, they will get what they want but it won't be traced back to them.
In the beginning, Lady Macbeth was the driving force for Macbeth to kill Duncan and become king and Macbeth felt guilty, but once Macbeth is the king, he becomes the driving force to sustain his royalty and Lady Macbeth began to feel guilty.
During the beginning of the play I believe Lady Macbeth was in control of Macbeth. But as theplay progressed, Macbeth became the leader of the couple. He bacame more evil and power hungry, whereas these were the traits of Lady Macbeth during the beginning of the play. If Lady Macbeth continued to have control of Macbeth throughout the entire play, I believe there would have been less killings, and possibly, she would have drawn the guilt out of Macbeth, which could have caused him to step down from his position. I also believe that when Macbeth gained control, he kept wanting more. If she had kept her position, Lady Macbeth would have influenced Macbeth to be happy with what they want, and enjoy the royalty.
The whole plot line of the story really changed once Macbeth started to take the power away from Lady Macbeth. Things started to get a lot bloodier once Macbeth got in charge, whereas Lady Macbeth only wanted to kill the king and just be done with it. I think Macbeth took it to the next level with all the power he possesed and therefore became insane with parania because he kept thinking that someone was going to figure out all the nast things he had done. If, Lady Macbeth had remained the controlling spouse, then there probably would've been a lot less killing and a lot less drama
I agree with Joe, that Lady Macbeth had her limits. Macbeth started wanting more, to the point where he couldn't get enough, and nothing would stand in his way. He wanted Banquo dead, only because his sons were next in line to the thrown. He wanted no one to have what he had worked so hard for, even though he had worked his way to the top by lies and betrayal. Lady Macbeth only wanted to be queen, she didn't need all the power she could get. Macbeth got more and more power crazed as the play went on.
In the beginnig Lady Macbeth is portrayed as the evil one in the marrage. She is the one who convinces Macbeth to kill Duncan. And then she sorta hints to killing Banquo to. But then Macbeth the becomes the leader in the relationship. He became very paranoid and wanted anyone who could get in his way out. Macbeth also only suffers a little guilt when he murdered Banquo. But to Lady Macbeth all the guilt caused her her downfall. She killed herself, and Macbeths never realized how bad his actions really were. So in the end Macbeth wanted to kill eveyone and Lady Macbeth just wanted a way out.
Lady Macbeth wanted just to be queen so she didn't really think Macbeth would transform into what he became and how she used to be the dominant one in their relationship,but, now she doesn't have the control over Macbeth anymore. I think if Lady Macbeth had stayed the controlling spouse,then, there really wouldn't be any more killing since she just wanted to be queen and she became queen so there was no action to take.
At first, lady macbeth was the controlling spouse and showed no guilt at the murder of duncan. Macbeth is the one with allthe guilt of murder and was easily manipulated by lady macbeth. Later, lady macbeth shows guilt at the murders and starts to lose her mind. Macbeth overcomes his guilt in a way and continues to assert his power as a tyrant.If lady macbeth stayed in control than banquo and macduff wouldnt have been killed.Lady Macbeth showed restraint and would have kept macbeth under control
The portrayal of the major role switch is represented by power. in the beginning, Lady Macbeth is a very persuasive character and practically forces her husband into killing the king because she watned royalty so extremely bad. Macbeth, at first is very hesitant to the idea of killing the king,but ends up doing it. this illustrates how he cracks under pressure and ultimately ends up becoming more and more power hungry and wanting more and more, even after he became the king. lady Macbeth really steps down from being the "man" in the marriage to a more submissive wife. Macbeth is so emersed in his fear, guilt, paranoia and ideas that he doesnt even notice how possesed and upset Lady Macbeth is. Even AFTER she kills herself, he is still so absorbed in his role that he doesnt have time to grieve over his loss.
I also think that Banquo and Macduff Family would NOT of died, because there would be no harsh feelings towards them if Lady Macbeth's plan had gone the way it was supposed to.
The major role switch was when Macbeth begins to make his own choices instead of asking for Lady M. opinion or just doing what she wanted. The outcome would have been drastically different if Lady M. still had control of the relationship. The difference is located in their motives, Lady M. wanted to be queen and nothing more while Macbeth wanted to have all the power he could have.
I think that if Duncan was the only one killed, then Macbeth would still be crowned king, and he would continue to be King. So All the other murders were unnecisary.
In the beginning Lady Macbeth is definetly in control. She is the one to think of killing Duncan but you see shes also has flaws in her seemingly put together outer shell. Inside she has fear and she pushes down her true feeling when anyones around but alone she feels as if she can let go. After Duncan's murder she keeps some power over Macbeth temporarily, or so she thinks. Unknown to Lady Macbeth, Macbeth plans multiple murders that when he tells Lady Macbeth she doesnt see nessasary. By the end of the book Lady Macbeth has no power of Macbeth and she has gone completly mad. I think if Lady Macbeth had stayed in control there wouldnt have been as many murders
I still think Lady Macduff would've died, because even if Macbeth and Lady Macbeth only killed Duncan, Macduff still would've wanted to avenge his father's death.
I believe Lady Macbeth and Macbeth started with the same motive, which was to kill King Duncan, and obtain royalty. Macbeth was still unsure of commiting treason, but Lady Macbeth said that one who could not kill the King was not a "man." After this was obtained Macbeth wished to have more and more power. Because he was power-hungry and wanted to hold his position. He started to continue his murderous deeds without consulting his wife. This caused him to start to think for himself in the wrong way. If he consulted Lady Macbeth, then they would not dig themselves into a deeper situation. I think this is because Lady Macbeth was able to hold on to her sanity until Macbeth killed so many innocent people(MacDuff's castle). If he did not kill all those people, I don't believe Lady Macbeth would have lost her sanity.
Abby- I think that Macbeth stopped asking Lady Macbeth for assitance with murders because he would be the only one affected by Banquo's sons, but, she would keep her queen status.
At the beginning of the play, Macbeth was hesitant about killing Duncan. He didn't want to kill him at all, but Lady Macbeth spurred him on to do it. Slowly as the play progresses Macbeth becomes more and more greedy for power and Lady Macbeth starts to feel the guilt. Macbeth goes on to see to many more men to be murdered, Lady Macbeth feels the guilt by trying to wash blood off her hands in her sleep. At the end, Macbeth gets killed because he keeps on trying to gain power and Lady Macbeth kills herself because of the extreme guilt she felt. They both went from one extreme to another, slowly becoming more like how the other began.
Lady Macbeth for a brief period of time took the role of the "man" in charge of their relationship and convinced him to go through with the murder of Duncan. Macbeth was ready to not kill and then Lady Macbeth being in power position convinced Macbeth to go through with .]this action. If Lady Macbeth had not taken control many lives would have been spared, he would not have become king, and the prophecy would not have come true. Even though this role switch was brief it was enough to change the entire outcome of the story.
The addiction of Macbeth is one of power. he kills the family of Macduff not for logistical or tactical reasons, but simply for revenge and to assert his power.
i think Macbeth would kill pretty much anyone to maintain his reign. He killed his best friend so what would stop him from killing anyone else who got in his way?
I think that Macbeth would eventually have to kill everyone in order to keep his paranoia in check, so he ultimately would end up destroying his life as he knows it.
I think Banquo would not have died, since Lady Macbeth did not know about the prophecy. Macduff's family may have died if Lady Macbeth suspected Macduff of being a traitor, but Macbeth killed The Macduff family because the witches warned him that Macduff was a threat. Overall, Lady Macbeth probably would not have killed Banquo or Macduff's family, because she didn't know what the witches said.
ABBY: Macbeth was not confident enough before he was King. When he was King, he needed to ensure that his power would be permanent. He also needed a son, so he killed Banquo in order to stay in control because Banquo's sons were going to be royalty according to the prophecy. Therefore, if Lady Macbeth had stayed in control, Banquo would not be murdered and neither would the Macduff family because Lady Macbeth got what she wanted: to be queen. Macbeth, however, wanted ensure his royal position.
At the beginning of the story, Lady Macbeth was by far the controlling one is the relationship. However after Macbeth had killed Duncan, they switches roles. Macbeth began to be very controlling and powerful. He started plotting events himself without involving Lady Macbeth. I think that the roles in the realtionship changed mainly because of the guilt that fell upon Lady Macbeth and because of the guilt she could not bare it anymore. Instead of getting guilty, Macbeth wanted power more. He continued to cover up one mistake by making another. Like Amanda said, it was a dimino effect.
Macbeth would kill all who were a threat to his power to the point where everyone lived in fear for their lives. So, everyone would respect and obey Macbeth as a King due to his ability to kill ANYONE.
back to my comment is no one else would become queen the only heirs were Banquo's sons so since Lady Macbeth was not affected by that, he didn't feel like he had to tell her about his plan to murder Banquo
Because the murderers only killed because of his persuasion that their lives had been ruined by Banquo. He wouldn't need to kill them, but he would have felt paranoid and killed them anyway.
if Macbeth killed Duncan and no one else, Lady Macbeth would be happy and content. Macbeth would probably want to keep going. As mentioned in the inner circle, it is human nature to keep wanting more and more. Macbeth would probably kill the heir of Duncan's sons to ensure his power and royalty. Macbeth would most likely kill all of the murderers because no one is safe in the story.he would end up killing everyone and soon be "the king of no one". All of the murdering leads to another death to another deatha and another death, like a chain reaction.
I don't believe Banquo or the Macduff family would have been killed if Lady Macbeth stayed in control. She was already filled with guilt after the murder of Duncan, and I don't think she could have handled knowing about the numerous murders were her doings, and she would have become crazier than she already was. Macbeth would have to kill almost all of the characters of the play in order to keep his reign. Duncan's sons' army all knew of Macbeth's treachery, making them a threat to his reign. He would also have to murder all those involved in the murder, in case they might become traitors against Macbeth.
I like that it was brought up that eventually Macbeth might kill Lady Macbeth that she could become unreliable and he wouldn't be able to trust her and I thing that would haunt Macbeth to keep her alive.
Lady Macbeth triggered the power hungry and bloodthirsty monster within Macbeth, she had the power of persuasion when he was ready to take back the plan. If she herself had not been so power hungry at the time the roles would not have been switched.
ABBY: Do you think that eventually Lady Macbeth would have been found out as the original mastermind of the plot if Macbeth would have kept up his killing?
If Lady Macbeth had remained in control in the relationship, the murders would have stopped at Duncan. Lady Macbeth only wanted to be a queen. Once she reached that power, she would have pulled up the reigns. Macbeth was a very paranoid person. He felt that if he did not keep killing, some person would take him from his power. I believe the prophasy that Banquo's sons would be king struck Macbeth as a threat. Once he killed the next person after his murder of Duncan, he went on a rampage and did not stop. If Lady Macbeth had remained in power,Banquo nor the MacDuff family would have died.
The murderers would eventually go through guilt and try to right their wrongs. This would be a threat to macbeth's power and throne, so he would have to kill them. He might have killed lady macbeth if dunsinane hadnt been attacked. this would be because he couldnt let her guilt show subconciously as she had already.
What would Macbethhave been like if he were named King from the start? Would he yearn for more power, or become an awful dictator with Lady Macbeth? Would his personality have been very different from what it was?
CLOE: I understand your question. I believe that he could eventually be pushed to the point that he wouldn't be able to take the grief from his murders that he might push to his own suicide.
I agree with Eric when he said that the mind set of killing people for power passed from Lady Macbeth, to Macbeth. In the beginning Lady Macbeth was the man, and was talking her husband into killing the king, so that he would become king. However throughout the play, she slowly stopped having a lot of influence on Macbeth. Most would say that Lady Macbeth finally came the woman. But like what Joe said, maybe Lady Macbeth still was the man, because she actually had the strength to stop, un-like Macbeth. If Lady Macbeth stayed in the controlling roll, the play probably would have been different because she would have been able to keep a clear mind and tell Macbeth when to stop. To wrap it up, Lady Macbeth started out as the one who controlled the relationship (man) and Macbeth was the one that just did as she said (woman). Throughout the whole play, Macbeth started to stop caring about what Lady Macbeth said, and just kept doing what he wanted to do and finally took over the roll of the man, and Lady Macbeth was left in the dust.
I think that Macbeth wouldn't of been so bad then as he his now, because if he were king from the start then he wouldn't have to worry about all the murder and all the other things that were going on in the first place. Everyone that he had killed in the play would probably still be alive, so I think everything would be just peachy if he was named king from the beginning.
If Macbeth only killed Duncan he would be able to hold his power, but not his sanity. This is because he was shaky going into the murder, and the only way he would stay saine was by killing more people to ensure his powers.
I agree with Troy because he would still have made the same decisions as he did when he obtained it by force. Macbeth still would have wanted to kill Banquo and his son to ensure the fact that his lineage would maintain the throne.
Macbeth would not have been nearly as sadistic if he had just been named king. If he had been king from the start, he wouldn't have guilt or worry over anyone killing him, and his initial craving for murder after Duncan would not have existed. His controlling personality would still remain, however, and with power-hungry Lady Macbeth at his side he would become an awful dictator but not a murderer.
I think that Macbeth being king from the start would not lead him to be so cruel. He was cruel because of the prophecy and because of the need to become what he then saw he could become. I think he was so murderous because he had to be in order to achieve his goal. If he was king from the start then the goal would have already been achieved and he would not have to get into the habit of killing, he would not have to kill at all possibly and his habit of killing would not exist.
I think his personality would be different because he got power on his own, not by his own evil actions. I think that if he was king from the start, he would already have power, and would not be forced so much more to become so power hungry that he would kill multiple people.
I think Macbeth would feel more safe in his position as king and less killings would have occured. I believe Macbeth's guilt is what led to his immediate killings, so I believe that he may have been more understanding that Banquo's sons are to become the future kings, and possibly accept the situation.
I belive that he would of become a nice ,not a blood thirsty king. This is because he would of never had to kill anyone in the first place, this would make it so that he didn't have guilt about wrongly killing anyone in the first place. With out this guilt he would have no worries about someone finding out and there for no one to kill for more power.
I agree with what Riley said about he had no motive to kill people because he didn't have to cover up any murders and kill people who may know he killed King Duncan. If this was true, then what would happen between Macbeth and Macduff? Would they get along since Macbeth wouldn't have a motive for killing Macduff's wife and son?
I think Macbeth would have turned out much different. Before he murdered Duncan, Macbeth had morals. Only Lady Macbeth and the Witche's manipulation drove him to commit murder. He killed Banquo because his children were in the thrown's lineage, and he didn't want to work so hard, only to have Banquo's kids be king. If he hadn't "worked" so hard to reach the top, I don't think he would have as much anger towards Banquo.
The prophocy is the key point for the whole plot to the story, so if you take that important detail of the story out, then you don't really have a story at all.
Like Troy just said, Macbeth would have kept going on his power surge and would have killed more people. Even when he was king, he was never happy and always wanted more and more and more. Macbeth would have ensured that there was no chance that any heir or royalty would be taken away from him. Macbeth would most likely have bought into the prophecy no matter what. if someone creepy, prophetic witches told me that I was going to be royalty, i am not sure whether or not I would believe them. I think it mainly depends on how power hungry I am. If the prophecy was taken out of the story, there is no story. It is a picture perfect life set up for Macbeth if he is claimed king by Duncan.
Cloe: I completely agree! I think it would become to much for himself to handle and eventually, I believe he would become similar to Lady Macbeth and lose his mind then his life.
If Macbeth had been given the throne by honest means, the chain reaction of killing would never have started. Becomming king was his principle goal and he was willing to kill to get there. However, whether or not Banquo's sons became king after him would have been little of his concern had he nothing to hide. However when he resorted to low means in order to become king, Macbeth's killing left him with a paranoia of all men who might have found out.
Without the prophecy,Macbeth would just be the honored soldier and now heir to the throne that Duncan wanted him to be. He would not murder Duncan because he would not have a need to.
I think Macbeth would have killed Banquo, since he didn't want Banquo's sons to be king, but not Macduff's family, because Macduff rebelled because he suspected Macbeth was not justly king. If Macbeth was named king by Duncan, the justice of Macbeth's kingship wouuld not have been questioned.
If Macbeth were just easily named King by King Duncan, the story would not be nearly as interesting or dramatic. As a King Macbeth could dictate exactly what he wanted. Without the prophecy, he would not have killed anyone because he did not believe anyone was a threat. With that said, the witches played the most important role in this play by triggering Macbeth's hunt for power.
If the prophecy didn't exist, nothing would have happened. Macbeth would have no motive to kill anyone, knowing that he was to be King for sure. He wouldn't know of the threat of Banquo's sons and would have been less paranoid. He would have no desire to become King, because it was already set it stone. Also, before the prophecy, Macbeth was a loyal and honorable man and I believe he would have maintained those traits.
I think that Macbeth could of made a good King if he never commited any murders. I think the bad in Macbeth and Lady Macbeth only come out when they become power hungry. Lady Macbeth kills herself becasue she is so guilty. And the only reason she wanted to commit murder was to become Queen. If she was already placed in power then she would never want to kill anyone. And then Macbeth would have no push to commit any murders. I also believe that if you completely take the witches out of this story then no one would have been killed. So i believe thhe witches are to blame for eveything that happened.
i don't think the witches should be blamed for the whole thing. I believe this because what they used were just words. It was Macbeth that took those words and pused it over the edge onto a killing spree.
Going off of Troy i think that he would of been happy to let Banquo's kids be king. Macbeth didn't have to work as hard and Banquo helped Macbeth with his victory. This would let Banquo's kids become king as a "thank you" towards Banquo.
I think that the witches ARE responsible for everything that happened in the story, because if they hadn't given Macbeth that prophocy, then there would've been no reason for him to go and kill King Duncan and all those other people just to obtain power and in his mind his "rightful" place as king.
I believe if Macbeth had stopped the killings at Duncan, he would have not been figured out. The frame of the servents was set up well enough that everyone would have not looked further into Duncans murder. He would have not needed to kill anyone else if he was not so paranoid. The paranoia caused him to kill the ones he was threatend by.
I think that if Macbeth would have been King from the beginning, his personality would actually be similar to the way it was. He would probably not be hungry for more power, however I think that Macbeth would use his power to strongly. He would become a dictator and use his powers for the wrong things. He would be unfair to people. If there was never a prophecey brought up, I do not think that he would have killed Duncan, becausr there wouldn't be a reason to. So, in a sense, I personally believe that this whole situation was the withces fault, because they put the idea in Lady Macbeth's head. Which caused her to be very phsycotic.
I agree with troy if he was already king then the prophecy would not be needed and he would not be power hungry so he therefore would not be a murder machine.
Lady macbeth would still desire to become queen but if the prophecy hadnt happened it wouldnt of dawned on her that there was a hope for royalty so she wouldnt have convinced macbeth to murder duncan
Without the prophecy, the thought of becoming king wouldn't have occured to Macbeth if it wasn't for the witches. Even if it did, he wouldn't have actually believed it could happen, since he was just a thane. The reason Macbeth is determined to become king is the witches' accuracy in predicting him becoming the thane of Cawdor.
If Macbeth was crowned king in the first place, the play would have been quite different. When Duncan told Macbeth that his son would be king, his evil mind started to work and he started thinking about killing the king "". If Duncan told him that he would be king, he would have been able to wait for his time and not have been so eager to kill the king. However, because of the prophesy, he would have most likely killed Banquo, because in the prophesy, it said that Banquo's lineage would become a line of king. Once Macbeth was in power he would do anything to stay in that power, just like he would do anything to be king. Banquo's lineage was a threat; therefore Banquo was a threat to Macbeth. So Macbeth had to get rid of him to stay in power, just like the play.
I think that if Macbeth had been named king from the start he would have never killed anyone. The prophaseys caused him to kill because he felt threatend. He would have still asserted his dominance over Lady Macbeth and would have remained sane.
A central theme of Macbeth is consequence of the character's actions. What can you tell about the main characters by their actions and how they deal with the consequences. Which character reacts in a way you relate to?
ReplyDeleteI relate to Banquo, who tries to remain good but knows something is wrong, and not acting on that feeling leads to his death. He is also faithful and kind, a good character who creates Macbeth's evil.
ReplyDeleteMacduff had to deal with the consequences of his family dieing because he was doing the right thing, this showed that he is turly good because he did the right thing regardless of the consequences.
ReplyDeleteLady Macbeth didn't think that she was going to feel guilty, but then in the end her guilt ended up being the cause of her suicide. Macbeth felt his guilt, but he just kept going after one murder. I would act like Lady Macbeth because I would feel guilty but then end up repenting, instead of continuing like Macbeth.
ReplyDeleteLady Macbeth- wants to kill Duncan but then goes insane with guilt
ReplyDeleteMacbeth- kills Duncan and many others, and then felt guilt when he saw the ghost but overcame it.
Macduff deals with the consequences of his dead family but still does the good thing.
I relate to Macbeth because I am good at shutting out guilt.
I defiantly relate to the way that Lady Macbeth react, by becoming paranoid. Macbeth however gets very power hungry and in the habit of killing to all extetnts to achieve his overall goal of becoming King. Once he becomes King he keeps killing to secure this new role, but I personally could not deal with that many killings if any. Lady Macbeth sees how out of hand the events have gotten, and i feel i would be in that same situation rather than the character getting out of hand.
ReplyDeletekind of what Maria said, I think the two people switched roles in the book.
ReplyDeleteMacbeth deals with his actions by trying to ignore what he did, and is almost in denial of what he did. Lady Macbeth tries to cover up her actions, and tries to convince herself that what she did is okay. Neither of these strategies end up working, since they both feel guilty in the end.
ReplyDeleteLady Macbeth deals with the consequences in a sort of bad way because she starts sleep walking and talking about how she can't wash the blood from her hands and how she is so guilty. I probably would react in a way similar to her because I would be so…gung ho for it in the beginning, but then would feel guilty later and eventually end up committing suicide or something of the sort.
ReplyDeleteMacbeth's actions remind me of how I dealt with situations when I was a little kid. He keeps trying to cover up is mistakes by making more lies and making more mistakes. I used to always lie to try to get of mistakes, but in the end it turns out worse then if you just admit to the first mistake. Macbeth's actions just keep digging him a bigger and bigger hole, until he is at the point that there is no way out.
ReplyDeleteI think we all can relate to all of the character's reactions to their guilt but in different ways.
ReplyDeleteLady Macbeth is the person that initially comes up with the idea of killing Duncan, Lady Macbeth and Macbeth switch roles throughout the course of the play, Macbeth didn't express emotions as much as Lady Macbeth did, Macbeth startsd to become more paranoid as the story goes on, Macbeths actions make him more and more parnoid, Lady Macbduff told her son that her husband was dead-Why? Lady Macduff is afraid of hearing her husband is dead and therefore denies it at all costs, Is the messenger a significant character? All the women are portrayed of someone who is crazy.
ReplyDeleteEach character reacted differently. I feel like Banquo knew and was denying his best friend murdered Duncan. Macbeth had a completely different reaction, he immediatly turned into a calm person and hid any trace he possiby could of him being suspected of the murders but he gets sloppier every time. Lady Macbeth reacts by wanting to stop at Duncan and she feels guilty of her actions later on.
ReplyDeleteLady Macduff was warned that she and her son should flee, but she ended up being murdred when she did not take to heart the warning. In a time of war and murder, she should have fled. This is also similar to my actions because I don't always take to heart warnings and then suffer a consequence.
ReplyDeleteIf the characters are innocent then nothing really happens to them. Macbeth had intent to kill Duncan and Banquo and got a consequence for it. If the main character has a consequence, you can tell they did something to deserve it. I think I most relate to Banquo because when I get a consequence I tend to hold it against the one that's responsible for my consequence, like he appeared before Macbeth and haunted him.
ReplyDeleteLike Maria said, everyone is crazy, but Macbeth and Lady Macbeth switched roles and instead of continuing, Lady Macbeth just killed herself so she could make up for the nasty, ruthless deeds she has done.
ReplyDeleteMacduff suffers consequences because his family was killed as a consequence of Macduff's honesty and honor.His loyalty to Scotland and to true king leads to his family's death. His reaction is one of anger, loss, and most importantly, love for his family. If placed in Macduff's situation i would probably react in a similar way.
ReplyDeleteI can most relate to Lady Macbeth's strategy of trying to justify my actions to myself, because if I tell myself something for long enough I will eventually believe it.
ReplyDeleteLady Macduff's reacton to her learning of her husband's flight to England is similar to how I would react. She worries that others will think that her husband is a traitor: "Our fears do make us traitors". I worry about others that are close to me (and myself)often, thinking about what there standing is in society, sometimes evenmore so then what really matters, such as school, friends, and family.
ReplyDeleteI can relate to Lady Macbeth because when I do something wrong i feel really guilty.
ReplyDeleteAt first Macbeth was starting to freak out about the murders because he kept seeing Banquo's bloody ghost at the banquet. Each murder that Macbeth set up or performed, aside from the original murder of King Duncan, was to cover up the fact that Macbeth was guilty. Then towards the end of the book, Lady Macbeth starts to feel the guilt weigh upon her. She realizes that all the innocent lives that were lost, were lost because of her. She is the one that encouraged Macbeth to kill King Duncan. Then finally the guilt is just too muuch for her so she commits suicide.
ReplyDeleteMacbeth did not immediately see the consequences of his actions. He only saw what he wanted and the obsticles in his way. Even when that ment killing his own best friend, Banquo, he did it. Even when the consequences were not immediate, he manamged to haunt himself be imagining the ghost of Banquo. That's when the action of killing actually dawned on him in this instance. "Avaunt, and quit my sight! Let the earth hide thee... thou hast no speculation in those eyes..." -Macbeth, act 3, scene 4. In this way, I relate to Macbeth. I tend to emigine my own faults where everone can see them.
ReplyDeleteAfter the witches line "Fair is foul and foul is fair," Macbeth and Banquo first meet the witches. What is this quote foreshadowing? What does it mean? Why would Shakespeare use it at the beginning of the play?
ReplyDeleteI think Lady Macbeth's reaction would be closest to mine. Even if she only thought of the present and not of the consequences, she then regretted her actions after the fact. Compared to Macbeth, she is better in a way in which she felt guilt instead of going on a 'killing spree'. Every character is something. For example, Macbeth is someone who had good morals but then turns his guilt into angry passion and this turns into a threat to everyone around him. This included Lady Macbeth, she became so guilty and paranoid that she ended up committing suicide because of Macbeth's action. He ends up harming everyone, including those close to him.
ReplyDeleteI think Shakespeare uses that line because each person has two sides to him/her, one side is bad and one side is good. This really shows up with Macbeth and Lady Macbeth because one used to be bad and changes to a better person and the other way around. This also shows up throughout the book when in the beginning everything is good but the end everything is crazy and bad.
ReplyDeleteWith Corbin's point, "how is foul fair?" I think it means that bad happens to you when you do something wrong and it is your fault, it's what you get. I think this is the underlying theme of the message; consequences.
ReplyDeleteI think that this quote means that all fair have some foul in them. This relates to "Lord of the Flies" because it depicts how almost everyone has an innate sense of evil in them. This foreshadows Macbeth's wrongdoings. I think "foul is fair" means that after the fair has done foul, they will die and all will be fair. Basically, after Macbeth becomes foul, order and justice will be established again when he is killed. Shakespeare would put this at the beginning of the play to foreshadow somebody's corruption and maybe he's foreshadowing that a character/characters will show their senses of evil.
ReplyDeleteThis quote symbolizes what is going to happen in the story (macbeth killing to be king). Fair play will become foul: Macbeth becomes king by murder, which is foul insted of becomeing king naturally. Foul (killing others) soon becomes fair play for Macbeth so no one will know that Macbeth Is a murderer. It show what will happen with out giving the play away.
ReplyDeleteBy fair is foul and foul is fair, Shakespeare might have been explaining how Lady Macbeth starts out seeing nothing but the benefits of Duncan's murder, and ends seeing nothing but the bad, whereas; Macbeth starts out seeing nothing but the bad and dies at the point of only seeing the benefits of Duncan's murder.
ReplyDeleteI think the quote is saying that Macbeth being king looks fair but how he got to that position is actually foul through murder, lies, and evil. Those foul deeds can seem fair through manipulation and twisted words. Like when Macbeth hires murderes to kill Banquo, he makes the murderers think wat their doing is fair. So maybe it forshadows Macbeth's deeds through the book and Shakespeare puts this in the beggining to give us a hidden question thats answered all throughout the book
ReplyDeleteThis comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDeleteIt means that there are no more rules and people will do anything to get what they want. The "fair is foul" means that what used to be foul play is now fair. The "foul is fair" means that there is no rules in this sick "game" and people won't try to create rules. It is foreshadowing that Macbeth is going to change and do many bad things to become king. Shakespeare included this quote because it is a huge theme in the whole play. This sets up the viewer for what is yet to come.
ReplyDeleteThis quote shows that all people have foul in them no matter how fair they seem. While some people appear foul they can have good intentions. This is a good way to begin a play because it gets the reader interested and foreshadows the rest of the play. The foreshadowing is that consequences will always find you, and not to just agree with the outside but look at the inside.
ReplyDeleteDo you think the witches really can foresee the future or are they just using Macbeth to take the future into their own hands? Were the witches using Macbeth to get something they wanted? Why did they tell Macbeth the prophecy in the first place?
ReplyDeleteMaybe foul is fair because people hide there foul behind fair, like Macbeth when he tries to hide his murder, or Corbin's point of someone looks good on the outside, but is bad on the outside.
ReplyDeleteAt what point do the consequences start to outweigh the prize/result and make you regret your actions?
ReplyDeleteWhich meaning of fair goes with each segment? OR does just one go with it? Fair- elegant, beautiful or fair- equal, even
"Fair is foul and foul is fair"
The witches represent the temptation to be evil. When they say "Fair is foul," this means that equality and rightiousness is something to be ridiculed. When Shakespeare says "foul is fair," he is telling the reader that all is fair in the persuit of power. Being foul for the gain of power is in fact fair in the end.
ReplyDeleteThis foreshadows the future conflict between Macbeth and Banquo, warning Banquo that foul is fair, while spurring Macbeth on, saying that fair is foul. Foreshadowing only makes sense in the beginning of the play. It is here because the witches know what will come between the two and are willing to share their knowledge in a crypic way as to discretely pass the message.
This quote is talking about the contrast between all that is good and evil and what is beautiful and ugly. There are those who are good, and with pure intentions such as Duncan, but there are also those who are evil, like Macbeth. They all begin as "fair" or good, with Macbeth being a war hero, but like all tragic heros, Macbeth has a downfall. We are able to see this throuhout the play when we find that everyone has this "foul" bad side, and when the lines between the two start to blend, you question if something really is right. It also brings up the idea of something that might seem justifiable to one will be foul to another. This quote contradicts it's self, and forshadows Macbeth's confusion and the choices he is going to make.
ReplyDeleteMacbeth appears as a good person, which means fair. But later in the story he turns into a foul person with all the murders he commits. And the witches who are portrayed as ugly, or foul, cause Macbeth his downfall. And the witches are the good one in the end.
ReplyDeleteMatt's contribution about Macbeth starting fair and becoming foul is true. Maybe the ones that are thought to be foul are really the fair ones.
ReplyDeleteI agree that the quote could mean that the person who appers fair could be foul and the person who appers foul is really fair in the end.
ReplyDeleteI think that this quote has a huge significance to the play and the plot line. along withe the theme in Lord of the Flies, everyone has an inates sense of evil in them and its only a matter of how long it is before that comes out. Also, everyone has a beautiful/happy and kind side to them. As mentioned in the previous sesion, Macbeth and Lady Macbeth kand of switch roles. This shows the change between the fair and foul in everyone and how at any moment and in any instance, a character or person can change their whole outlook and overall goondess in life. Corbin made a very good point about how someone may look one way on the outside and be totally different on the inside.
ReplyDeleteI think the quote "Fair is foul and foul is fair," means that Macbeth won't become king by just being fair. He has to be foul and fair in order to get to the throne. When he first becomes Thane of Glamis and Thane of Cawdor, Macbeth is being fair because he won those titles in war by saving King Duncan's army from being defeated. Then Duncan announces that his son, Malcolm, is the heir to the throne, so Macbeth decides to take the prophecy into his own hands by killing Kind Duncan. This is demonstrating that he is turning foul.
ReplyDeleteIf beauty means fair, then i think fair relates to royalty and power. If you have to go as far as murdering a human being to get to the top, you will have to live with guilt. It can be foul being fair, if foul things have been done to get to be fair.
ReplyDeleteI believe this quote is, in a way, relating to the four apparitions. I think it is another prediction or interpritation of what the witches believe will happen. I think the fair it a potition like an inportant people. That Macbeth is fair but when he gets into the role of being king, he becomes foul in his actions. His foulness is portrayed in the chain reaction of continuous killing of all those who get in his way. When the quote gets turned around, it is kind of saying that when he is foul, he is becoming fair, even though he is killing and hurting all of those around him, he still has the sense of being fair.
ReplyDeleteI think that if the witches didn't tell Macbeth that he would become king, then he wouldn't have. The witches lead him into is future by telling what is going to happen.
ReplyDeleteI think that "Fair is foul and foul is fair is represting the actions of Macbeth, in a sense. It is foreshadowing the fact that there is something unexpected is going to happen. I think that this means that the person who looks fair, is foul, and the person who looks foul is fair. It is representing the fact that things aren't always as they seem. Shakespeare most likely put this quote at the beginning of the story to warn the readers/auidence members that if they have a gut feeling of who has done a crime by how they present themselves, they are wrong.
ReplyDeleteI believe the line "Fair is foul and foul is fair" connects to the previous topic of consequences. It foreshadows that if you create foul play, then it will come around and hurt you in the future. I believe it represents the theme that reoccures throughout the play. This is demonstrated through Macbeth's murders: He believes that the "fair "king, the rightful kingwas not correct, it was foul. But as the play progresses, and the murders have been commited, Macbeth begins to believe that he was meant to be the king and is in the rightful position. This quote may also mean that fairness is not interpreted in the same way. During the beginning of the play, Macbeth has no great guilt until Banquo accuses him of foul play, which Banquo does not approve.
ReplyDeleteAlso, now knowing that 'fair' during these times represents 'beautiful,' then I believe that it means that Macbeth sets a facade that he his a loyal and honorable man when in reality he had evil hidden deep within him. Also, "foul is fair" is demonstrated towards the beginning of the play when Duncan's sons flee after their father's murder. They are immediately accused of the crime, when they are really almost the most honorable and reliable characters in the play.
I think the witches couldn't really forsee the future. I think they just wanted to cause havoc for Macbeth and make him power crazed. Although I do not completely know why they told specifically Macbeth the prophecy... They must have had their eye on him the whole time. Why would they want to bother Macbeth anyways?
ReplyDeleteThe witches are trying to get their own intentions. This could explain why Hecate, the leader of the witches got mad at not being there. The witches also achieved what they wanted when Duncan wanted but did not barging for Macbeths blood lust. Thus when it got out of hand they had to step in.
ReplyDeleteWhat would the profit be for the witches to tell Macbeth his future? They for-told that Banquo's children would be in the line of the thrown, and that ended up happenning. So what would the personal gain be for the witches to have Macbeth as King? The witches also told Macbeth that no women born person could kill him, and convinced him he was invincible. That definatly led to his downfall.
ReplyDeletei dont think the witches can really see the future. I belive that they are really good at guessing about human behavior. They also got lucky. The main part of what they "saw" was normal for humans.
ReplyDeleteJohn Micheal brought up a good point that I over looked when thinking of the meaning. I think what it means, thinking with the new definition of fair, that Shakespeare began the book by giving us how we may view Macbeth vs. how Macbeth views himself at the beggining vs. the end.
ReplyDeleteAt the beginning of the play. Lady Macbeth is so set on making Macbeth kill the king and then once Macbeth kills the king, Lady Macbeth has set off a chain reaction for Macbeth killing more people than her intention so she stars. She sleepwalks and tries to "rub" blood off of her hands and she commits suicide. Macbeth is hesitant to kill the king at the beginning of the play. Since he finally gives in to killing king Duncan, he ends up killing the servants. He then thinks that everyone knows what he did and kills his best friend, Banquo. Macbeth feels so guilty about this and then he starts having hallucinations about seeing Banquo’s ghost.
ReplyDeleteI feel like the witches did take advantage of the situation in some senses. like dan mentioned, some of the witches prophecies are correct and do come true i do not think that the witches knew how far Macbeth would take the prophecy and how he would turn it into a mass murder and power surge.
ReplyDeleteI agree with Riley. I think the witches are stadistic and were trying to mess with Macbeth's head. I believe their fortune proved for Macbeth to become king.
ReplyDeleteI don't belive that the witches could predict the future. The just where "messing with him" for fun. When you are told something will happen to you a person will take measures to reach that prediction. I think they where just doing it to see what will happen.
ReplyDeleteI think that the witches could foresee the future, because everyting they say becomes true, but that they really just wanted to see what would happen, if they showed the future to Macbeth.
ReplyDeleteI do not think the witches can really predict the future, because if they could i dont think they would give Macbeth the incentive to murder all these people. They just wanted to mess with Macbeths head and then put him down again. They did not intend all these people to get murdered.
ReplyDeleteI believe the witches WERE foreshadowing the future. They knew that if someone with Macbeth's personality heard of his great future, he would do whatever it takes to get there. The witches were also able to percisely prophesise Macbeth's downfall and his rise of power.
ReplyDeleteThroughout the play, the relationship between Lady Macbeth and her husband changes dramatically. The roles of the husband and wife become blurred. Explain the portrayal of the MAJOR role switch in the relationship and how it affected the plot. Would things be different in L. Macbeth had remained the controlling spouse.
ReplyDeleteI agree with what Eric said about Macbeth becoming more and more power crazy which overshadowed Lady Macbeth's main influence on him, he took things into his own hands.
ReplyDeleteThis line said by the witches could mean several different meanings. One meaning that also foreshadowed what would happen with Macbeth is that some people could think that he was fair, or some could think he was foul. Another meaning could be that things aren't always what they seem like they are. Someone could have foul in them no matter how fair they are. And someone could appear foul but then be totally fair in the inside. I think that the witches could actually for see the future because they saw that Macbeth would become king and that Banquo's sons would soon become king. Also, in the end when the apparitions come, they predicted happenings that you wouldn’t think could come to pass. But they did.
ReplyDeleteIn the beginning Lady Macbeth was very controlling. However, as the story played out, Macbeth took more control. He began plotting without her input. This change was due to her guilt and not wanting to murder/participate anymore. Macbeth, however, became more and more power hungry. Lady Macbeth only wanted to be queen, but then after decided that it would be better to be dead.
ReplyDeleteI think things would only be lightly different if Lady Macbeth still had the upper hand in their marriage. I think that even if she still wanted to kill eveyone and Macbeth didn't, then she would still be as controlling as she is when she is wanting to kill the King. She made Macbeth kill the king and he accepted. By doing this, I believe that even if they hadn't switched roles that the killing would still be going on in the same manner, with Lady Macbeth having the upper hand.
ReplyDeleteLady Macbeth is the stronger force at the beginning. She convinces him to murder the king. After the murder, Macbeth begins to go insane. He gets very paranoid and thinks that everyone is out to get him. As an answer to his paranoia, he kills many of the characters in the play. Macbeth was a character that had such a strong desire for power that he would kill for it. The witches may have never seen an actual prophasy, they may have just convinced Macbeth that he could be king if he made it that way. Once the Macbeth got out of control te witches brought him back to ground level. Macduff arouse an army to take Macbeth from power. Once the news reached him of the murder of his family, his anger escalated to a level of burstind. He took his revenge by killing Macbeth himself. I can relate to Macduff. I have been in situations in which I am already angered and then I get struck by something personal and I explode.
ReplyDeleteI personally think that the witches can't see the future in their hands. I believe that witches are just trying to freak people out. They are trying to make people think that they are more powerful than they actually are. I feel like the witches used Macbeth because they, in a way, convinced Macbeth that he should kill Duncan. Although Lady Macbeth was the one whi convinced him, the withches brought up the idea. So if they could get someone else to commit this crime, they will get what they want but it won't be traced back to them.
ReplyDeleteDo you think Banquo would have died?
ReplyDeleteDo you think the MacDuff family would have died?
ReplyDeleteIn the beginning, Lady Macbeth was the driving force for Macbeth to kill Duncan and become king and Macbeth felt guilty, but once Macbeth is the king, he becomes the driving force to sustain his royalty and Lady Macbeth began to feel guilty.
ReplyDeleteDuring the beginning of the play I believe Lady Macbeth was in control of Macbeth. But as theplay progressed, Macbeth became the leader of the couple. He bacame more evil and power hungry, whereas these were the traits of Lady Macbeth during the beginning of the play. If Lady Macbeth continued to have control of Macbeth throughout the entire play, I believe there would have been less killings, and possibly, she would have drawn the guilt out of Macbeth, which could have caused him to step down from his position. I also believe that when Macbeth gained control, he kept wanting more. If she had kept her position, Lady Macbeth would have influenced Macbeth to be happy with what they want, and enjoy the royalty.
ReplyDeleteThe whole plot line of the story really changed once Macbeth started to take the power away from Lady Macbeth. Things started to get a lot bloodier once Macbeth got in charge, whereas Lady Macbeth only wanted to kill the king and just be done with it. I think Macbeth took it to the next level with all the power he possesed and therefore became insane with parania because he kept thinking that someone was going to figure out all the nast things he had done. If, Lady Macbeth had remained the controlling spouse, then there probably would've been a lot less killing and a lot less drama
ReplyDeleteI agree with Joe, that Lady Macbeth had her limits. Macbeth started wanting more, to the point where he couldn't get enough, and nothing would stand in his way. He wanted Banquo dead, only because his sons were next in line to the thrown. He wanted no one to have what he had worked so hard for, even though he had worked his way to the top by lies and betrayal. Lady Macbeth only wanted to be queen, she didn't need all the power she could get. Macbeth got more and more power crazed as the play went on.
ReplyDeleteWhat would have happened if Macbeth killed only Duncan and no one else?
ReplyDeleteMaria- Why do you think that Macbeth started doing/killing without Lady Macbeth's input, when he had relied on her so much before?
ReplyDeleteIn the beginnig Lady Macbeth is portrayed as the evil one in the marrage. She is the one who convinces Macbeth to kill Duncan. And then she sorta hints to killing Banquo to. But then Macbeth the becomes the leader in the relationship. He became very paranoid and wanted anyone who could get in his way out. Macbeth also only suffers a little guilt when he murdered Banquo. But to Lady Macbeth all the guilt caused her her downfall. She killed herself, and Macbeths never realized how bad his actions really were. So in the end Macbeth wanted to kill eveyone and Lady Macbeth just wanted a way out.
ReplyDeleteLady Macbeth wanted just to be queen so she didn't really think Macbeth would transform into what he became and how she used to be the dominant one in their relationship,but, now she doesn't have the control over Macbeth anymore. I think if Lady Macbeth had stayed the controlling spouse,then, there really wouldn't be any more killing since she just wanted to be queen and she became queen so there was no action to take.
ReplyDeleteAt first, lady macbeth was the controlling spouse and showed no guilt at the murder of duncan. Macbeth is the one with allthe guilt of murder and was easily manipulated by lady macbeth. Later, lady macbeth shows guilt at the murders and starts to lose her mind. Macbeth overcomes his guilt in a way and continues to assert his power as a tyrant.If lady macbeth stayed in control than banquo and macduff wouldnt have been killed.Lady Macbeth showed restraint and would have kept macbeth under control
ReplyDeleteThe portrayal of the major role switch is represented by power. in the beginning, Lady Macbeth is a very persuasive character and practically forces her husband into killing the king because she watned royalty so extremely bad. Macbeth, at first is very hesitant to the idea of killing the king,but ends up doing it. this illustrates how he cracks under pressure and ultimately ends up becoming more and more power hungry and wanting more and more, even after he became the king. lady Macbeth really steps down from being the "man" in the marriage to a more submissive wife. Macbeth is so emersed in his fear, guilt, paranoia and ideas that he doesnt even notice how possesed and upset Lady Macbeth is. Even AFTER she kills herself, he is still so absorbed in his role that he doesnt have time to grieve over his loss.
ReplyDeleteI also think that Banquo and Macduff Family would NOT of died, because there would be no harsh feelings towards them if Lady Macbeth's plan had gone the way it was supposed to.
ReplyDeleteWho else would Macbeth have to kill to keep his reign?
ReplyDeleteThe major role switch was when Macbeth begins to make his own choices instead of asking for Lady M. opinion or just doing what she wanted. The outcome would have been drastically different if Lady M. still had control of the relationship. The difference is located in their motives, Lady M. wanted to be queen and nothing more while Macbeth wanted to have all the power he could have.
ReplyDeleteI think that if Duncan was the only one killed, then Macbeth would still be crowned king, and he would continue to be King. So All the other murders were unnecisary.
ReplyDeleteIn the beginning Lady Macbeth is definetly in control. She is the one to think of killing Duncan but you see shes also has flaws in her seemingly put together outer shell. Inside she has fear and she pushes down her true feeling when anyones around but alone she feels as if she can let go. After Duncan's murder she keeps some power over Macbeth temporarily, or so she thinks. Unknown to Lady Macbeth, Macbeth plans multiple murders that when he tells Lady Macbeth she doesnt see nessasary. By the end of the book Lady Macbeth has no power of Macbeth and she has gone completly mad. I think if Lady Macbeth had stayed in control there wouldnt have been as many murders
ReplyDeleteWould he have to kill the murderers?
ReplyDeleteI still think Lady Macduff would've died, because even if Macbeth and Lady Macbeth only killed Duncan, Macduff still would've wanted to avenge his father's death.
ReplyDeleteI believe Lady Macbeth and Macbeth started with the same motive, which was to kill King Duncan, and obtain royalty. Macbeth was still unsure of commiting treason, but Lady Macbeth said that one who could not kill the King was not a "man." After this was obtained Macbeth wished to have more and more power. Because he was power-hungry and wanted to hold his position. He started to continue his murderous deeds without consulting his wife. This caused him to start to think for himself in the wrong way. If he consulted Lady Macbeth, then they would not dig themselves into a deeper situation. I think this is because Lady Macbeth was able to hold on to her sanity until Macbeth killed so many innocent people(MacDuff's castle). If he did not kill all those people, I don't believe Lady Macbeth would have lost her sanity.
ReplyDeleteAbby- I think that Macbeth stopped asking Lady Macbeth for assitance with murders because he would be the only one affected by Banquo's sons, but, she would keep her queen status.
ReplyDeleteAt the beginning of the play, Macbeth was hesitant about killing Duncan. He didn't want to kill him at all, but Lady Macbeth spurred him on to do it. Slowly as the play progresses Macbeth becomes more and more greedy for power and Lady Macbeth starts to feel the guilt. Macbeth goes on to see to many more men to be murdered, Lady Macbeth feels the guilt by trying to wash blood off her hands in her sleep. At the end, Macbeth gets killed because he keeps on trying to gain power and Lady Macbeth kills herself because of the extreme guilt she felt. They both went from one extreme to another, slowly becoming more like how the other began.
ReplyDeleteLady Macbeth for a brief period of time took the role of the "man" in charge of their relationship and convinced him to go through with the murder of Duncan. Macbeth was ready to not kill and then Lady Macbeth being in power position convinced Macbeth to go through with .]this action. If Lady Macbeth had not taken control many lives would have been spared, he would not have become king, and the prophecy would not have come true. Even though this role switch was brief it was enough to change the entire outcome of the story.
ReplyDeleteThe addiction of Macbeth is one of power. he kills the family of Macduff not for logistical or tactical reasons, but simply for revenge and to assert his power.
ReplyDeletei think Macbeth would kill pretty much anyone to maintain his reign. He killed his best friend so what would stop him from killing anyone else who got in his way?
ReplyDeleteI disagree with Emma because I don't think Lady Macbeth would have thought of that so maybe in the end Macbeth would have stil been killed
ReplyDeleteI think that Macbeth would eventually have to kill everyone in order to keep his paranoia in check, so he ultimately would end up destroying his life as he knows it.
ReplyDeleteDo you think Macbeth could lose his mine to the piont of suicide? Like his wife Lady Macbeth?
ReplyDeleteI think Banquo would not have died, since Lady Macbeth did not know about the prophecy. Macduff's family may have died if Lady Macbeth suspected Macduff of being a traitor, but Macbeth killed The Macduff family because the witches warned him that Macduff was a threat. Overall, Lady Macbeth probably would not have killed Banquo or Macduff's family, because she didn't know what the witches said.
ReplyDeleteABBY: Macbeth was not confident enough before he was King. When he was King, he needed to ensure that his power would be permanent. He also needed a son, so he killed Banquo in order to stay in control because Banquo's sons were going to be royalty according to the prophecy. Therefore, if Lady Macbeth had stayed in control, Banquo would not be murdered and neither would the Macduff family because Lady Macbeth got what she wanted: to be queen. Macbeth, however, wanted ensure his royal position.
ReplyDeleteAt the beginning of the story, Lady Macbeth was by far the controlling one is the relationship. However after Macbeth had killed Duncan, they switches roles. Macbeth began to be very controlling and powerful. He started plotting events himself without involving Lady Macbeth. I think that the roles in the realtionship changed mainly because of the guilt that fell upon Lady Macbeth and because of the guilt she could not bare it anymore. Instead of getting guilty, Macbeth wanted power more. He continued to cover up one mistake by making another. Like Amanda said, it was a dimino effect.
ReplyDeleteMacbeth would kill all who were a threat to his power to the point where everyone lived in fear for their lives. So, everyone would respect and obey Macbeth as a King due to his ability to kill ANYONE.
ReplyDeleteback to my comment is no one else would become queen the only heirs were Banquo's sons so since Lady Macbeth was not affected by that, he didn't feel like he had to tell her about his plan to murder Banquo
ReplyDeleteBecause the murderers only killed because of his persuasion that their lives had been ruined by Banquo. He wouldn't need to kill them, but he would have felt paranoid and killed them anyway.
ReplyDeleteif Macbeth killed Duncan and no one else, Lady Macbeth would be happy and content. Macbeth would probably want to keep going. As mentioned in the inner circle, it is human nature to keep wanting more and more. Macbeth would probably kill the heir of Duncan's sons to ensure his power and royalty. Macbeth would most likely kill all of the murderers because no one is safe in the story.he would end up killing everyone and soon be "the king of no one". All of the murdering leads to another death to another deatha and another death, like a chain reaction.
ReplyDeleteI don't believe Banquo or the Macduff family would have been killed if Lady Macbeth stayed in control. She was already filled with guilt after the murder of Duncan, and I don't think she could have handled knowing about the numerous murders were her doings, and she would have become crazier than she already was.
ReplyDeleteMacbeth would have to kill almost all of the characters of the play in order to keep his reign. Duncan's sons' army all knew of Macbeth's treachery, making them a threat to his reign. He would also have to murder all those involved in the murder, in case they might become traitors against Macbeth.
I like that it was brought up that eventually Macbeth might kill Lady Macbeth that she could become unreliable and he wouldn't be able to trust her and I thing that would haunt Macbeth to keep her alive.
ReplyDeleteLady Macbeth triggered the power hungry and bloodthirsty monster within Macbeth, she had the power of persuasion when he was ready to take back the plan. If she herself had not been so power hungry at the time the roles would not have been switched.
ReplyDeleteI think Macbeth would've killed many more people to maintain his reign before he ever would kill himself.
ReplyDeleteABBY: Do you think that eventually Lady Macbeth would have been found out as the original mastermind of the plot if Macbeth would have kept up his killing?
ReplyDeleteIf Lady Macbeth had remained in control in the relationship, the murders would have stopped at Duncan. Lady Macbeth only wanted to be a queen. Once she reached that power, she would have pulled up the reigns. Macbeth was a very paranoid person. He felt that if he did not keep killing, some person would take him from his power. I believe the prophasy that Banquo's sons would be king struck Macbeth as a threat. Once he killed the next person after his murder of Duncan, he went on a rampage and did not stop. If Lady Macbeth had remained in power,Banquo nor the MacDuff family would have died.
ReplyDeleteThe murderers would eventually go through guilt and try to right their wrongs. This would be a threat to macbeth's power and throne, so he would have to kill them. He might have killed lady macbeth if dunsinane hadnt been attacked. this would be because he couldnt let her guilt show subconciously as she had already.
ReplyDeleteWhat would Macbethhave been like if he were named King from the start? Would he yearn for more power, or become an awful dictator with Lady Macbeth? Would his personality have been very different from what it was?
ReplyDeleteThis comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDeleteCLOE: I understand your question. I believe that he could eventually be pushed to the point that he wouldn't be able to take the grief from his murders that he might push to his own suicide.
ReplyDeleteI agree with Eric when he said that the mind set of killing people for power passed from Lady Macbeth, to Macbeth. In the beginning Lady Macbeth was the man, and was talking her husband into killing the king, so that he would become king. However throughout the play, she slowly stopped having a lot of influence on Macbeth. Most would say that Lady Macbeth finally came the woman. But like what Joe said, maybe Lady Macbeth still was the man, because she actually had the strength to stop, un-like Macbeth. If Lady Macbeth stayed in the controlling roll, the play probably would have been different because she would have been able to keep a clear mind and tell Macbeth when to stop. To wrap it up, Lady Macbeth started out as the one who controlled the relationship (man) and Macbeth was the one that just did as she said (woman). Throughout the whole play, Macbeth started to stop caring about what Lady Macbeth said, and just kept doing what he wanted to do and finally took over the roll of the man, and Lady Macbeth was left in the dust.
ReplyDeleteABBY: I think he could have lost his mind to the point where he felt like he couldnt trust himself!
ReplyDeleteI think that Macbeth wouldn't of been so bad then as he his now, because if he were king from the start then he wouldn't have to worry about all the murder and all the other things that were going on in the first place. Everyone that he had killed in the play would probably still be alive, so I think everything would be just peachy if he was named king from the beginning.
ReplyDeleteIf Macbeth only killed Duncan he would be able to hold his power, but not his sanity. This is because he was shaky going into the murder, and the only way he would stay saine was by killing more people to ensure his powers.
ReplyDeleteI agree with Troy because he would still have made the same decisions as he did when he obtained it by force. Macbeth still would have wanted to kill Banquo and his son to ensure the fact that his lineage would maintain the throne.
ReplyDeleteMacbeth would not have been nearly as sadistic if he had just been named king. If he had been king from the start, he wouldn't have guilt or worry over anyone killing him, and his initial craving for murder after Duncan would not have existed. His controlling personality would still remain, however, and with power-hungry Lady Macbeth at his side he would become an awful dictator but not a murderer.
ReplyDeleteI think that Macbeth being king from the start would not lead him to be so cruel. He was cruel because of the prophecy and because of the need to become what he then saw he could become. I think he was so murderous because he had to be in order to achieve his goal. If he was king from the start then the goal would have already been achieved and he would not have to get into the habit of killing, he would not have to kill at all possibly and his habit of killing would not exist.
ReplyDeleteI think his personality would be different because he got power on his own, not by his own evil actions. I think that if he was king from the start, he would already have power, and would not be forced so much more to become so power hungry that he would kill multiple people.
ReplyDeleteI think Macbeth would feel more safe in his position as king and less killings would have occured. I believe Macbeth's guilt is what led to his immediate killings, so I believe that he may have been more understanding that Banquo's sons are to become the future kings, and possibly accept the situation.
ReplyDeleteMacbeth wouldnt have turned out the same because he wouldnt have the same paranoia associated with the murders.
ReplyDeleteI belive that he would of become a nice ,not a blood thirsty king. This is because he would of never had to kill anyone in the first place, this would make it so that he didn't have guilt about wrongly killing anyone in the first place. With out this guilt he would have no worries about someone finding out and there for no one to kill for more power.
ReplyDeleteI agree with what Riley said about he had no motive to kill people because he didn't have to cover up any murders and kill people who may know he killed King Duncan. If this was true, then what would happen between Macbeth and Macduff? Would they get along since Macbeth wouldn't have a motive for killing Macduff's wife and son?
ReplyDeleteI think Macbeth would have turned out much different. Before he murdered Duncan, Macbeth had morals. Only Lady Macbeth and the Witche's manipulation drove him to commit murder. He killed Banquo because his children were in the thrown's lineage, and he didn't want to work so hard, only to have Banquo's kids be king. If he hadn't "worked" so hard to reach the top, I don't think he would have as much anger towards Banquo.
ReplyDeleteThe prophocy is the key point for the whole plot to the story, so if you take that important detail of the story out, then you don't really have a story at all.
ReplyDeleteLike Troy just said, Macbeth would have kept going on his power surge and would have killed more people. Even when he was king, he was never happy and always wanted more and more and more. Macbeth would have ensured that there was no chance that any heir or royalty would be taken away from him. Macbeth would most likely have bought into the prophecy no matter what. if someone creepy, prophetic witches told me that I was going to be royalty, i am not sure whether or not I would believe them. I think it mainly depends on how power hungry I am. If the prophecy was taken out of the story, there is no story. It is a picture perfect life set up for Macbeth if he is claimed king by Duncan.
ReplyDeleteCloe: I completely agree! I think it would become to much for himself to handle and eventually, I believe he would become similar to Lady Macbeth and lose his mind then his life.
ReplyDeleteIf Macbeth had been given the throne by honest means, the chain reaction of killing would never have started. Becomming king was his principle goal and he was willing to kill to get there. However, whether or not Banquo's sons became king after him would have been little of his concern had he nothing to hide. However when he resorted to low means in order to become king, Macbeth's killing left him with a paranoia of all men who might have found out.
ReplyDeleteWithout the prophecy,Macbeth would just be the honored soldier and now heir to the throne that Duncan wanted him to be. He would not murder Duncan because he would not have a need to.
ReplyDeleteI think Macbeth would have killed Banquo, since he didn't want Banquo's sons to be king, but not Macduff's family, because Macduff rebelled because he suspected Macbeth was not justly king. If Macbeth was named king by Duncan, the justice of Macbeth's kingship wouuld not have been questioned.
ReplyDeleteIf you get rid of the prophecy Macbeth will have no reason to worry about anything. Did King Duncan have a wife?
ReplyDeleteIf Macbeth were just easily named King by King Duncan, the story would not be nearly as interesting or dramatic. As a King Macbeth could dictate exactly what he wanted. Without the prophecy, he would not have killed anyone because he did not believe anyone was a threat. With that said, the witches played the most important role in this play by triggering Macbeth's hunt for power.
ReplyDeleteIf the prophecy didn't exist, nothing would have happened. Macbeth would have no motive to kill anyone, knowing that he was to be King for sure. He wouldn't know of the threat of Banquo's sons and would have been less paranoid. He would have no desire to become King, because it was already set it stone. Also, before the prophecy, Macbeth was a loyal and honorable man and I believe he would have maintained those traits.
ReplyDeleteOuter Circle: Log off and shut down
ReplyDeleteI think that Macbeth could of made a good King if he never commited any murders. I think the bad in Macbeth and Lady Macbeth only come out when they become power hungry. Lady Macbeth kills herself becasue she is so guilty. And the only reason she wanted to commit murder was to become Queen. If she was already placed in power then she would never want to kill anyone. And then Macbeth would have no push to commit any murders. I also believe that if you completely take the witches out of this story then no one would have been killed. So i believe thhe witches are to blame for eveything that happened.
ReplyDeletei don't think the witches should be blamed for the whole thing. I believe this because what they used were just words. It was Macbeth that took those words and pused it over the edge onto a killing spree.
ReplyDeleteGoing off of Troy i think that he would of been happy to let Banquo's kids be king. Macbeth didn't have to work as hard and Banquo helped Macbeth with his victory. This would let Banquo's kids become king as a "thank you" towards Banquo.
ReplyDeleteI think that the witches ARE responsible for everything that happened in the story, because if they hadn't given Macbeth that prophocy, then there would've been no reason for him to go and kill King Duncan and all those other people just to obtain power and in his mind his "rightful" place as king.
ReplyDeleteI believe if Macbeth had stopped the killings at Duncan, he would have not been figured out. The frame of the servents was set up well enough that everyone would have not looked further into Duncans murder. He would have not needed to kill anyone else if he was not so paranoid. The paranoia caused him to kill the ones he was threatend by.
ReplyDeleteI think that if Macbeth would have been King from the beginning, his personality would actually be similar to the way it was. He would probably not be hungry for more power, however I think that Macbeth would use his power to strongly. He would become a dictator and use his powers for the wrong things. He would be unfair to people. If there was never a prophecey brought up, I do not think that he would have killed Duncan, becausr there wouldn't be a reason to. So, in a sense, I personally believe that this whole situation was the withces fault, because they put the idea in Lady Macbeth's head. Which caused her to be very phsycotic.
ReplyDeleteI agree with troy if he was already king then the prophecy would not be needed and he would not be power hungry so he therefore would not be a murder machine.
ReplyDeleteLady macbeth would still desire to become queen but if the prophecy hadnt happened it wouldnt of dawned on her that there was a hope for royalty so she wouldnt have convinced macbeth to murder duncan
ReplyDeleteI think it is interesting how Macbeth and Lady Macbeth easily believe in these low witches dressed in hags without any questioning or criticism.
ReplyDeleteWithout the prophecy, the thought of becoming king wouldn't have occured to Macbeth if it wasn't for the witches. Even if it did, he wouldn't have actually believed it could happen, since he was just a thane. The reason Macbeth is determined to become king is the witches' accuracy in predicting him becoming the thane of Cawdor.
ReplyDeleteIf Macbeth was crowned king in the first place, the play would have been quite different. When Duncan told Macbeth that his son would be king, his evil mind started to work and he started thinking about killing the king "". If Duncan told him that he would be king, he would have been able to wait for his time and not have been so eager to kill the king. However, because of the prophesy, he would have most likely killed Banquo, because in the prophesy, it said that Banquo's lineage would become a line of king. Once Macbeth was in power he would do anything to stay in that power, just like he would do anything to be king. Banquo's lineage was a threat; therefore Banquo was a threat to Macbeth. So Macbeth had to get rid of him to stay in power, just like the play.
ReplyDeleteI think that if Macbeth had been named king from the start he would have never killed anyone. The prophaseys caused him to kill because he felt threatend. He would have still asserted his dominance over Lady Macbeth and would have remained sane.
ReplyDelete