Problems with blogger/Important reminder

If you cannot read the following post, it's because the website is having problems. I was just trying to remind you about the inclass essay on Tuesday and Wednesday depending on your block. Below is an example of an outline I created to give you an idea of what I am expecting. Sorry about the technical difficulties.

Important Reminder

Hello Everyone!

Welcome back, I hope you've all had a restful spring break. Just wanted to remind you all that the Macbeth in class essay will be tomorrow for block A, and on Wednesday for block G. Take a look about two posts back and you will find the list of questions in case you lost your handout. We will be working on outlines in class on Monday(A) and Tuesday (G) so if you are away, you need to do that work on your own and come to class prepared to write the essay.

To give you an idea of what your outline might look like, here is an example.

If you choose to write about Lady Macbeth, you might make an outline like this one:

First, you need an argument/thesis for your introduction:
You might want to say that Lady Macbeth begins as a strong, cunning character, but underneath she is actually weak and unable to withstand the guilt of her own evil actions, which brings about her downfall.

Then, you need three points to prove your argument:

1) Prove that Lady Macbeth is strong
-she plots a murder
-she convinces her husband to murder the King
-then chose a couple of quotes ("look like the flower but be the serpent under it", the one about dashing a babies brains out etc...any one will do)

2) Show lady M's break down
-she can't kill Duncan
-she's not involved in planning the other murders
-she becomes shaky and jumpy after Duncan's murder
quotes: "he looked too much like my father as he slept" etc.

3) Lady macbeth loses control
--she hallucinates
--she sleepwalks]
--she kills herself
quotes: "Out damned spot!"/ when she mumbles about the murders/ she always carries a light/ when the doctor says "Aye but their sense is shut"

Conclusion: Restate and summarize

So this is an example of how to organize your essay. You may chose any topic. Good luck.

The final Act

Act five is a brief act of 8 scenes, which switch back and forth between the castle, where Macbeth is constantly receiving reports that the English army is coming, and the forest, where the army led by Siward, Malcolm, and Macduff are planning their attack.

Scene 1 shows us Lady Macbeth for the final time. She is distraught, hallucinating, and sleepwalking. This is a big change from the first Lady Macbeth we see. She mutters in her sleep about the murders her husband has committed, and her lady and doctor overhear her.

Then, we discover that Malcolm and his army are approaching. They fufill one of the witches apparitions when Malcolm tells them to cut down the branches from the trees of Birnam wood to cover themselves as they approach the castle. This will camouflage their numbers, but will also make it look like the forest is moving to Dunsinane Hill.


Macbeth does not know this yet, but he is still feeling confident and repeating the two apparitions to himself--first, that he will not be harmed by anyone born of a woman, and second, that he cannot be vanquished until the forest of Birnam wood comes to Dunsinane hill. These two things are making him feel very confident and self-assured. He is acting very rashly because of it, and says he wants his armour--he would go and fight everyone himself he is so confident and angry. Until, that is, a messenger tells him that he has seen the forest coming towards them. This makes Macbeth falter, and he is not as assured as he once was. However, he still clings to the idea that everyman is born of a woman, so no man can harm him.

In the meantime, Lady M kills herself. Macbeth does not have time to grieve for her, but gives his famous speach about how life drags on (Tomorrow and tomorrow and tomorrow) and how life is just a brief story like an actor who struts on a stage and then leaves.

The English forces now arrive and drop their camouflage. Malcolm orders Siward and young Siward to do the first attack. Macbeth meets young Siward in combat, and, still confident that he will win, kills young Siward, stating that he was born of a woman, and therefore, must die.

Now, Macduff, who at this point is clearly Macbeth's nemesis, searches for his one-on-one combat. Macbeth has now ruined many father son relationships through his killing spree. Macbeth does not want to fight Macduff, however, because he says he has already too much of his family's blood on his soul. But, Macduff meets him in battle, and at first, Macbeth is winning. But, he makes the mistake of saying that he can not be beat by anyone born of woman. This is when Macduff reveals that he was "untimely ripped from his mother's womb"--meaning, that he was cut out, (what we would now call a c-section). Thus, he was not technically born of a woman in the traditional way. Macbeth now does not want to fight, but Macduff will not let him give up. So, Macbeth dies in as honourable a way as he can--he feels guilty for what he has done, and knows that he should not have trusted the witches, who told him half-truths, and made him feel over confident. He rushes into death fighting, and is killed and beheaded by Macduff.

Now, it is left to Malcolm to return the world to the status quo. He must make everything right again. He is the rightful king, and begins his rule by making the Thanes Earls; then, inviting home all the people who were exiled, and finally, by inviting them to see him crowned at Scone.

Old Siward also learns of his son's death, but is comforted by the fact that his son's wounds were on the front, meaning that he died facing his enemy, not running away from the battle.

So, the play ends with much blood shed, but with the idea that Scotland has been cleansed of its disease, of its sickness, and the darkness has now left with the death of Macbeth.

Homework: Hand in 4 assignments
Also, remember that we are writing an in class essay after spring break!
Bring your ideas to the first class back as we will be spending that class making outlines.

Macbeth Essay topics

Macbeth In-class Essay topics: To be answered in class on Tuesday, March 27th (block A), or Wednesday March 28th (Block G).

Choose one of the following questions to answer. You may use your books as well as your post-its. Be sure to organize your answer into several paragraphs, use quotations to back up your argument, and construct a clear thesis in your opening paragraph.

Total: 20 marks


1) Who is the most to blame for the bloodshed in Macbeth—Macbeth, or Lady Macbeth? How much blame can be placed on the “instruments of darkness”?

2) Write an essay on one of the themes present in Macbeth. You may wish, in your discussion, to make reference to more than one theme, or to compare two themes. (Themes may include: appearance vs. reality, darkness, greed, ambition, power, etc.)

3) Write about one character in Macbeth. (Lady Macbeth, Macbeth, Duncan, Banquo etc.)

4) What qualities of a good leader/king does the play Macbeth explore? Compare the various Kings with which we are presented throughout the play. Can any of their qualities be applied to what it means to be a good leader today? Or a bad leader?


You should create an outline for this essay prior to the class to help you organize your thoughts ahead of time, but do not attempt to write it and memorize it—your essay will be much better if you write it in class. We will work on the outline together in class after spring break.

Act four, scene 2 and 3

Act four continues with Lady Macduff, Ross and her son, discussing the fleeing of their father, Macduff to England. Lady Macduff thinks he is a coward and doesn't love them, or he would have stayed to protect them. Ross reassures her, stating that things can only get better from where they are now, and then leaves. However, we know that things will get worse, as a messenger arrives bearing the bad news that murderers are on their way to the castle. Lady Macduff doesn't know what to do, as she has done nothing wrong. However, she is too late, as a murderer enters and kills her son, and then she is chased off the stage and killed as well.

Next, we switch venues and move to England, where Macduff has arrived to try and convince Malcolm to round up an army to take back the throne from the tyrant Macbeth. First, though, he has to pass Malcolm's test to prove that he is indeed one of the good guys. Malcolm tests Macduff by making up a list of vices, such as lust and greed, to which Macduff responds politely, still convinced that Malcolm would make a better king. However, Malcolm finally convinces Macduff that he would be worse than Macbeth and would ruin the unity of the country. Finally, Macduff reacts and says that all hope is lost if this is true, and that Malcolm is not at all like his noble parents and doesn't deserve to be king. Malcolm now reveals that he made all the vices up and has actually never been with a woman. He says he now knows that Macduff wants a true, good king, and that he already has Old Siward and 10 000 men to go with him to Scotland. But, just when all looks good, Ross enters and tells Macduff that his family has been murdered. Macduff is shocked, but Malcolm encourages him to harness his anger and turn it into revenge. Macbeth and Macduff are now enemies and Macduff wants to fight him one on one. The scene ends with the decision to go to Macbeth and kill him.

Blog # 4 and Assignments

Announcement: As mentioned in class, the fourth blog will be optional, as I will only be counting your best 2 out of 3 blog posts on your final report card. So, if you are happy with your grade on blog # 2 and # 3 then you can relax and just work on your Macbeth assignments! If you have not completed blog # 2 or 3 then I would suggest that you post on this fourth blog, as you will avoid losing late marks. The fourth blog post will be due by Sunday March 11th, if you choose to do it.

Questions:

1) Discuss the various apparitions and visions Macbeth sees in Act IV, scene 1. How do you interpret these? Why do the witches want to make Macbeth feel safe?

2) In a tragedy, the tragic hero causes suffering through his actions. Discuss the suffering Macbeth has caused by the end of Act IV. Do we still have sympathy for him as a tragic hero?


REMINDER: Assignments are due no late than March 16th during TAP, or in class time on Friday for Block G. I will be marking these assignments to give back after spring break, so there will be no accepting assignments after that point, unless you see me prior to ask for an extension.

Act four, scene 1

This is the cauldron scene. As you will recall, Macbeth had decided to go and meet the witches to demand more answers. The witches show him 3 apparitions which give him three messages.
The first apparition tells him to beware of Macduff. However, the second apparition tells him that no one born of a woman may harm him. Thus, Macbeth sees this apparition as cancelling out the second. He feels confident that Macduff cannot harm him; however, as his ambition and desire to have no worry or fear overcome him, he decides to have Macduff killed anyway, just to be sure. The next apparition is even stranger; Macbeth is told that he will not be vanquished until the great Birnam wood comes to Dunsinane hill. In other words, Macbeth feels he is completely safe, as it is impossible for a forest to walk to the castle.

However, Macbeth insists on having one more question answered: will Banquo's son ever reign? The witches tell him yes, they will, and Macbeth sees a vision of a line of kings that stretches on for a very long time. He is extremely angry at this vision and curses the witches. He then finds out that Macduff has fled and determines to go and have his family and household murdered anyway. At this point, Macbeth's ambition and evil acts have completely overcome him--he ignores how wicked an act it would be because he wants to ensure that no one can harm him. He is causing much suffering and soon the forces of good will be rallying against him.