Macbeth Literary Analysis Final

      A journey that a man takes to achieve power can often make the obstacles seem obsolete. The greed for power can easily blind a man of what is really going on around them. Many people seek power and have temptations to do bad to gain that power. The degree of actions that one takes depends on the person and the story of one striving for power can be seen in literature such as Macbeth by William Shakespeare. The play is of how temptation of power can cause a general, Macbeth, to do series of actions that will change the lives of everyone. To get the title of King, Macbeth does the unthinkable, murder, which is followed by more crimes due to guilt. Through the play of Macbeth by William Shakespeare, it shows how man's ignorance of their actions when pursuing power leads to unfortunate ends and to be cautious of the evil that tempts you when reaching for your goals.
       Becoming king is often seen as gaining power. The leadership of a country is a form of power that some seek. In the play, Macbeth plots, "The first steps toward that ultimate goal, the throne!" (1.3.128-9). Temptation begins to slip into Macbeth's mind as he begins to think of the power of being king. Although there weren't any necessities in Macbeth taking over, he still believes that he should become king. The actions that are needed to give Macbeth the power is clear. He must get rid of the King, "I'm settled then. All my faculties shall be devoted to this terrible deed" (1.7.80). Deciding on going along with the plan of killing the king, Macbeth decides to ignore the fact of what could happen with the death of the king and plans to murder the King. The pursuit of power has blinded him of the difficulties that he will have to face later. All that he risks is the pursuit of power in his eyes. Macbeth falling into the temptation of power shows how one can be ignorant when shown power at their grasp with consequences that follows.
       Murder cannot be taken lightly, it is a decision one makes through extensive thinking. Many different things can happen after one commits such a crime like Macbeth, " Is there enough water in the oceans to wash my hands of this blood?" (2.2.60). Guilt begins to eat away at Macbeth early on the play. The ignorant action of Macbeth when going along with the murder has him starting to regret his actions although he will soon gain the power that he seeks. Because of the guilt and paranoia of the murder, this causes Macbeth to further his actions to keep his power, "My health is undermined while he lives. His death would restore it." (3.1.106-7). The plan to kill Banquo and his son, Fleance is a pain due to his endeavor of staying king. The actions that Macbeth does to further his reign is unethical and he knows it. The consequences of the king's murder led to guilt and paranoia which shows how consequential the ignorant actions of one pursuing power really is.
      Redeeming oneself after such actions is impossible. This leads to further crimes and does not end well. Murder has been on Macbeth's mind throughout most of the play and he is not done, "I will take Macduff's castle by surprise. I'll occupy Fife and kill his wife, his children, and all his relations." (4.1.150-2). Macbeth continues to plan murders of those who he fears will take away his power. His desire to stay king has driven him to commit unimaginable acts of crime. He is blinded by the power that he has and becomes blind to what is going around him. All these actions lead up to one thing, "See where the usurpers' cursed head stands! The world can breathe again." (5.7.84-5). The ultimate price Macbeth faced was death itself. Although he did grasp the power of being king, it was soon taken away. All to show how man's ignorant behaviors when pursuing power leads to misfortune.
      Throughout the play, Macbeth became ignorant of his actions and just sought power to be in his hands. It can be seen how those actions gave a consequence equivalent of his actions. Macbeth by William Shakespeare gives an insight on how people should not live. When one man seeks power, it can cause them to be unaware of their actions which lead to unfortunate ends, which is why it is important to be cautious of evil tempting you when pursuing power. Macbeth gives an important lesson to all and emphasizes the value in doing good while striving for your goals. No good can come from evil, thus we must always be aware of the actions that we do.

LOTF - JOURNAL REFLECTION

       I work so hard, yet Ralph has yet to realize the importance of my work. I should've been the leader from the start. We would have caught ten pigs by now if I was the leader. The little children are frightened right now but we shouldn't be focused on that too much. We need more meat so we can survive. My choir isn't much of a help in hunting and the forest gives off a weird vibe when you are there by yourself. It always feels like someone is looking at you. I don't know why Ralph is so serious in getting rescued. Yes, I want to go home too but we should have some fun too.
       Everyone should be grateful for my capture of the pig. With the help of the twins, and some of my choir we were finally able to catch the pig that we've been hunting. I wish I could just show everyone what happened when we were hunting. The blood and the squealing sound of the pig. Or when my team gathered around the pig and surrounded it, giving no chances of escape. No one can forget however how I was the one that slit the throat of the pig.
       This great feat and Ralph is mad at me for taking the twins away from the fire. Irrelevant because we caught a pig. I wouldn't have been able to catch the pig without the twins. Even if there was a ship that passed by, there must be more ships that would pass by. Now I truly feel like a leader. I can give orders now and they respect me because I caught a pig. The meat was a great difference from all the fruits and nuts. However, I am bewildered by Ralph's chieftainship. How others give him respect when all he did was blow a conch shell. Nobody dared to talk back to and this puzzles me. Now a meeting to attend.

Macbeth Literary Analysis

       When a man pursues power, the goal can often make the obstacles seem obsolete. The greed for power can easily blind a man of what is really going on around them. The story of one striving for power can be seen in literature such as Macbeth by William Shakespeare. The play is of how temptation of power can cause a general, Macbeth, to do series of actions that will change the lives of everyone. To get the title of King, Macbeth does the unthinkable, murder, which is followed by more crimes due to guilt. Through the play of Macbeth by William Shakespeare, it shows how man's ignorance of their actions when pursuing power leads to unfortunate ends and to be cautious of the evil that tempts you when reaching for your goals.
       Becoming king is often seen as gaining power. The leadership of a country is a form of power that some seek. In the play, Macbeth plots, "The first steps toward that ultimate goal, the throne!" (1.3.128-9). Temptation begins to slip into Macbeth's mind as he begins to think of the power of being king. Although there weren't any necessities in Macbeth taking over, he still believes that he should become king. The actions that are needed to give Macbeth the power is clear. He must get rid of the King, "I'm settled then. All my faculties shall be devoted to this terrible deed" (1.7.80). Deciding on going along with the plan of killing the king, Macbeth decides to ignore the fact of what could happen with the death of the king and plans to murder the King. The pursuit of power has blinded him of the difficulties that he will have to face later. All that he risks is the pursuit of power in his eyes. Macbeth falling into the temptation of power shows how one can be ignorant when shown power at their grasp with consequences that follows.
       Murder cannot be taken lightly, it is a decision one makes through extensive thinking. Many different things can happen after one commits such a crime like Macbeth, " Is there enough water in the oceans to wash my hands of this blood?" (2.2.60). Guilt begins to eat away at Macbeth early on the play. The ignorant action of Macbeth when going along with the murder has him starting to regret his actions although he will soon gain the power that he seeks. Because of the guilt and paranoia of the murder, this causes Macbeth to further his actions to keep his power, "My health is undermined while he lives. His death would restore it." (3.1.106-7). The plan to kill Banquo and his son, Fleance is a pain due to his endeavor of staying king. Not thinking of the consequences of more murder, Macbeth decides this ignoring his own actions as a terrible thing. The consequences of the king's murder led to guilt and paranoia which shows how consequential the ignorant actions of one pursuing power really is.
      Redeeming oneself after such actions is impossible. This leads to further crimes and does not end well. Murder has been on Macbeth's mind throughout most of the play and he is not done, "I will take Macduff's castle by surprise. I'll occupy Fife and kill his wife, his children, and all his relations." (4.1.150-2). Not realizing the magnitude of his evil, Macbeth continues to plan murders of those who he fears will take away his power. His desire to stay king has driven him to commit unimaginable acts of crime. He is blinded by the power that he has and becomes blind to what is going around him. All these actions lead up to one thing, "See where the usurpers' cursed head stands! The world can breathe again." (5.7.84-5). The ultimate price Macbeth faced was death itself. Although he did grasp the power of being king, it was soon taken away. All to show how man's ignorant behaviors when pursuing power leads to misfortune.
      Throughout the play, Macbeth became ignorant of his actions and just sought power to be in his hands. It can be seen how those actions gave a consequence equivalent of his actions. Macbeth by William Shakespeare gives an insight on how people should not live. When one man seeks power, it can cause them to be unaware of their actions which lead to unfortunate ends, which is why it is important to be cautious of evil tempting you when pursuing power. Macbeth gives an important lesson to all and emphasizes on the value in doing good while striving for your goals. No good can come from evil, thus we must always be aware of the actions that we do.

Macbeth Act II Review

1. In your opinion, is Lady Macbeth a cold-blooded murderer? Why or why not?
    To a certain extent, I believe that Lady Macbeth is a cold-blooded murderer. This is because she is always calling Macbeth weak for not being able to swiftly kill the King. She was also the one to influence Macbeth with no hesitance.

Evidence #1
  "'If Duncan hadn't looked like my father in his sleep, I'd have done it myself'" (2.2.12-13)
Evidence #2
  "[scornfully] A dreadful sight' - that's stupid" (2.2.21)

2. Lady Macbeth has her own antics throughout the play. Why does Lady Macbeth faint in Act II? Does it serve its purpose? Explain.
   Lady Macbeth pretends to faint to solidify her innocent character to the others in the play. When she faints, she gives the impression of great despair and surprise. It serves the purpose of showing her fake expression.

Evidence #1
  "Take care of the lady" (2.3.140)
Evidence #2
  "No woman could survive the telling" (2.3.89-90)

3. How does Macbeth's attitude toward Duncan change after the murder?
   He feels sorrow for the King and wishes that he hadn't done the deed. His attitude toward the king is not an obstacle for his kingship but a regret that he will never forget.

Evidence #1
  "Wake Duncan with your knocking! I wish you could!" (2.2.74)
Evidence #2
  "I am afraid to think of what I've done. I daren't look at it again!" (2.2.52-3)

4. If so pressuring on Macbeth, why didn't Lady Macbeth kill the king instead of Macbeth?
   Lady Macbeth did not kill the king instead because the king looked like her father when sleeping.

Evidence
"If Duncan hadn't looked like my father in his sleep, I'd have done it myself" (2.2.12-13)

5. Now that Macbeth has killed the king, do you think he must do anything else to reign as king?
   I think that Macbeth will face more obstacles to reign as king or at least continue to reign as king. There may be suspicion that would arise from the death of the king and who may have done it.The sons of the King are still alive so they may also come back and cause trouble for Macbeth in the future.