KUROSAWA

Can't wait to get to the movie! I'm hyped up! Hyped up!

:D

you guys rule + some context

Thanks so much for getting that info back to me. I really think the University is going to be thrilled to have all your feedback. As you know, the assignment you guys are going to have to do is all about context. Here are some really good, to so so sites that I found. You guys should all be aiming to read through one a week at least!

http://www.sparknotes.com/shakespeare/macbeth/context.html

www.jiffynotes.com/Macbeth/HistoricalContext.html

http://www.bookwolf.com/Free_Booknotes/Macbeth/Context-Macbeth/context-macbeth.html

http://shakespeare-tragedies.suite101.com/article.cfm/the_witches_in_macbeth

http://www.rsc.org.uk/exploringshakespeare/mlanguageandthemes/historicalcontext.htm

This one has tons of related links at the bottom as pages and pages on Macbeth themes etc.
http://www.helium.com/items/725364-literary-analysis-dominant-themes-in-shakespeares-macbeth?page=2

Feel free to add to this list. Remember, the assignment will ask you to focus on some elements/themes/issues of the play and discuss how a change in context has changed how the story has been presented. Having a sound understanding of the original contextual influences will make this a lot easier.

Thanks again everyone!

Homework

Hi guys,
Here's your homework assignment. First it's extremely important you get it done by tomorrow. It's not a lot of work but your feedback is really important.
The centre for learning innovation wants to know how you find some of these resources. They are a series of interviews with famous writers. I'd like for you to find one that you're interested in and watch the videos. Can you answer questions it has next to the interview and write a couple sentences about:
a) What you felt was valuable about the resource
b) How you feel this might help you improve your own writing (writing process)


2008 http://tinyurl.com/avjtte
2007 http://tinyurl.com/am8h2p

The Gunpowder Plot

The Gunpowder Conspiracy of 1605, or the Powder Treason or Gunpowder Plot, as it was then known, was a failed assassination attempt by a group of provincial English Catholics against King James I of England and VI of Scotland. The plot intended to kill the king, his family and most of the Protestant aristocracy quite literally in a single blow, by blowing up the Houses of Parliament during the State Opening on 5 November 1605. The conspirators had also planned to abduct the royal children (not present in Parliament) and lead a popular revolt in the Midlands.

Here is a link to a sketch of the conspirators:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Gunpow1.jpg

Dear Following English Constituents

My concerns for the lack of concrete knowledge in the continuum of literary and English terms needed to complete the curriculum. I myself do not have adept skills in this area and need constant reminders in this lingo. Therefore I have made this blog so that any willing student can contribute to the list of terms (which is my ambitious product). Such terms like assonance, alliteration, personification and so on are the specific examples I am referring to. Also does anyone know the term that describes an unexpected outcome of a situation, an effect that diverts expectations?

Group 8: Examine Christian Symbolism and Biblical Imagery With Macbeth

What are Christian Symbolism and Biblical Imagery?
Religious symbolism including Christian and biblical imagery is the use of text, images, procedures, or actual physical objects to represent an idea or belief. The most common example is the use of objects to symbolize the faith itself, as in the use of a cross to represent Christianity, There are many more symbols used in Christianity. For example, the sacraments (Holy Communion, baptism, ordination and marriage) are symbols of spiritual change in the participants. In communion, the bread and wine are symbolic of the body and shed blood of Jesus, which are themselves also symbolic of the salvation of the recipient. Other Christian symbols include the dove (symbolic of the Holy Spirit), and the sacrificial lamb (symbolic of Christ's sacrifice).

Within the Play
SPEECH OF CHARACTERS
One of the strongest themes in Macbeth is that of piety or more precisely Christianity. The world-view and speech of the characters is influenced or infused by God and the devil, and they clearly believe in and understand the opposing spiritual forces of the supernatural. Even the most casual reader can see that Christian terminology is everywhere in Macbeth. In part, this is because Christian terms had been incorporated into the everyday colloquial expressions of the time: your highness, faith, my lord, your grace, heaven preserve you, gospelled, and good God, for example.
Further, the expressions of sovereignty such as your highness when applied to men are an upside-down reference to God’s supreme position in the universe. No one is higher than God, yet the term your highness is applied to human royalty. This is one of the first symbols of the distorted spiritual hierarchy that plagues the world of Macbeth. In trying to usurp the position of the most high God, and His authority, Macbeth succeeds in turning his world topsy-turvy, destroying his own mind, and becoming an instrument of evil.

MURDER OF JESUS CHRIST
In Macbeth, however, these expressions take on a deeper meaning, because its plot parallels the murder of Jesus Christ. The extensive Christian imagery in Macbeth, in fact, seems to represent the foundation that the entire story is built upon: the allegorical connection between the murder of King Duncan and the murder of Jesus Christ. The good king of Scotland whom Macbeth, in his ambition for the crown, murders. Duncan is the model of a virtuous, benevolent, and farsighted ruler. His death symbolizes the destruction of an order in Scotland that can be restored only when Duncan’s line, in the person of Malcolm, once more occupies the throne.

BILICAL AND MYTHOLOGICAL IMAGERY
In the second scene of the first act, a Sergeant, reporting on the fight he has just witnessed, says about Macbeth and Banquo that it seemed as if “they meant to bathe in reeking wounds / Or memorise another Golgotha” (1.2.40-41). This biblical allusion reminds us of course of the death of Christ, as reported in Matthew 27:33: “And when they came unto the place called Golgotha, that is to say, the place of dead mens’ skulls.” On first reading, the reference to this biblical story in the speech of the Sergeant may just be seen as a compliment to the two generals: the Sergeant is complimenting Macbeth and Banquo on their determination and pugnacity. Shakespeare’s underlying meaning, however, may well be that this is a foreboding: just as Christ was put to death by the soldiers, Duncan will be killed by Macbeth. Although one cannot go as far as to say that Duncan is Christ, it could be said that he is a Christ-like figure: he is the representative of the good. This is underlined in act 1, scene 4, when Macbeth and Banquo return from battle and are received in audience by Duncan. The King himself says to them, “I have begun to plant thee, and will labour / To make thee full of growing” (1.4.28-29). The idea of “planting” men and “letting them flourish” can be found repeatedly in the Old Testament, for instance in Jeremiah 12:2, where it says about Jehovah: “Thou hast planted them, and they have taken root: they grow, and bring forth fruit.” Knowing that Macbeth will kill the King, this passage underlines how evil this deed will be. Macbeth will not simply commit murder, but will destroy his “roots”.

LADY MADBETH
A comparison that is more solid, is the one between Pilate and Macbeth. When we look at act 2, scene 2 - when King Duncan has just been murdered – we find Lady Macbeth saying to her husband about this murder, “A little water clears us of this deed: / How easy is it, then!” (2.2.66-67). The idea of washing unclean hands is, of course, biblical: we recognise the passage in Matthew 27 in this quotation, in which Pilate publicly washes his hands and says that he is not guilty of killing Jesus.

The Legend Of "The Curse" of Macbeth (by Team 7)

What is The Curse of Macbeth?

The "Curse of Macbeth" is the misfortune that happens during the production of the play. The theory suggests that Shakespeare included actual black magic spells in the incantations of the weird sisters. Those who mention the play's name within the confines of a theatre risk having these evils brought down on them. The tragedy of Macbeth is considered so unlucky that it is hardly ever called by its name inside the profession. People refer to the play as "that play”, “the unmentionable" or "the Scottish play." It is supposed to be bad luck to quote from the play or to use any sets, costumes, or props from a production. The superstition is not so much about doing the play as about naming it.

A Series of “Unfortunate” Events

The play partly acquired its evil reputation because of the weird sisters and partly because tradition traces a long line of disasters back to its premier on August 7, 1606. In this performance prop daggers were mistakenly swapped for real ones, resulting in a death.

Ø In the 1672 staging of Macbeth in Amsterdam, the actor playing the lead deliberately knifed the guy playing Duncan, gorily killing him on stage while the audience looked on.

Ø Or the 1721 English performance where a nobleman obliviously walked across the stage mid-performance to chat with a friend on the other side of the theatre. The understandably annoyed actors chased him away with their swords but learned the hard way that you didn’t play uppity with the aristocracy in eighteenth-century England: The nobleman’s cronies quickly returned and torched the theatre.

Ø In the infamous 1849 Shakespeare-related riot at NYC’s Astor Place Opera House, which ended up with hundreds dead and injured, had all started with a performance of Macbeth.

If you’re still not convinced, the track record of famous twentieth-century Macbeth performances is even more startling.

Ø The boy actor playing Lady Macbeth died back stage on opening night. In 1934, four actors played Macbeth in a single week.

Ø In 1937, Macbeth had to be postponed for three days after a change in directors and because of the death of Lilian Boylis

Ø Another 1937(British) production was particularly ill-starred. A stage weight fell from the theatre ceiling, missing the star (famous Shakespearean actor Doyen Laurence Olivier) by less than an inch. Later, a chunk of Olivier’s dagger detached and catapulted into the crowd, striking a spectator who dropped dead of a coronary just a few hours later. Not long later, the theatre owner died suddenly of a heart attack during a dress rehearsal. Not to mention that, while driving to the theatre, the director and the actress playing Lady Macduff were nearly killed in a car accident. All this, and in just one production.

Ø A 1942 production of the play starring John Gielgud saw three actors die in unrelated incidents and the director commit suicide.

Ø In a 1947 production, an actor named Harold Norman was stabbed (this time accidentally) on stage and died quickly and messily of his wounds in front of the crowd. Legend has it that his ghost still haunts the London Theater where all this happened.

Ø And a 1953 outdoor performance in Bermuda went awry when a sudden gust of wind sent the stage flying. One of its pieces hit some wiring, which set off a fire, which ignited Charlton Heston, the lead actor, who had—somehow—been partially soaked in kerosene while performing.

Ø In one production of Macbeth, nothing went wrong until the fight scene between Macbeth and Macduff. Both actors had round "Celtic-style" shields strapped to their forearms of their left arms. The fight was very physical. The actor playing Macbeth made a violent move with his left arm and the shield left his arm and flew like a Frisbee for twenty feet across the stage.The actor playing Macduff ducked instinctively and the shield hit the ground about sixteen inches from the front of the stage. Sitting in the front row, directly opposite the shield sat two nuns.

Theories Behind The Curse

One hypothesis for the origin of this superstition is that Macbeth, being a popular play, was commonly put on by theatres in danger of going out of business, or that the high production costs of Macbeth put the theatre in financial trouble. An association was made between the production of Macbeth and theatres going out of business.

According to the superstition, Shakespeare got a few of the lines from an actual coven of witches and when they saw the play they were greatly offended and cursed the play. Another tradition tells that the original prop master could not find a suitable pot for a cauldron and stole one from a coven, who then cursed the play in revenge for the theft. It is believed that breaking the taboo calls the ghosts of the three witches to the show and it is they who cause all the mishaps.

Productions of Macbeth are said to have been plagued with accidents, many ending in death; the play does include more fight scenes and other such opportunities for accidents than most plays, and the atmosphere in the backstage area of old-fashioned theaters was a prime setting for disasters, especially when dealing with potentially dangerous equipment.

There is a lot of fighting and physical action in Macbeth. It is inevitable that in the long run of the play someone is going to get hurt. After a few of these stories get around, you get the "Curse of Macbeth." The most interesting theory is that the play contains the devil in the form of the porter.

Can It Be Cured?

The most common remedy to get rid of the curse is that the offender must step outside, turn around three times, spit, and say the foulest word he/she can think of, and wait for permission to re-enter the theatre.

It is difficult for us to believe in super-natural events, but the circumstantial evidence surrounding the curse of macbeth is pretty potent. Its disturbing production history has prompted many actors and other theatre people to take the Macbeth curse seriously so maybe we should reasses our beliefs.

Lady Macbeth by TK, Liz, Vicky, Vishnu

Lady Macbeth is most commonly known for her role in Shakespeare’s “Macbeth”. She is the wife to the play’s protagonist, Macbeth who is a Scottish nobleman. The character’s historical origins lie in the accounts of Kings Duff and Duncan in Holinshed’s Chronicles (1587). Shakespeare’s Lady Macbeth is a composite of two totally separate and distinct personages in Holinshed’s work. According to the account of King Duff, she is Donwald’s nagging, murderous wife. However on the other hand, King Duncan portrays her as Macbeth’s ambitious wife.
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The character of Lady Macbeth has often been described as malevolent, influential, ambitious and cold blooded. She is portrayed as a malicious character that would do anything and everything to achieve here selfish lust-driven goals. This portrayal of her personality is confirmed when she insults Macbeth’s masculinity forcing him to lose all confidence in himself in order for him to commit regicide. Lady Macbeth has also been described as quite a “masculine character”. Lady Macbeth is a misogynist who despises women and dreams to become a man in order to fulfill her lust for killing. A flattering quote from Macbeth confirms her dream to be a man by telling her that she has such undaunted courage that she could only have male children and never females.

In comparison to records of historical Lady Macbeth, historically known as “Gruoch”, the character of Lady Macbeth is by far much more cold-blooded and ambitious. The character of Lady Macbeth loses interest in her relationship with Macbeth as the play progresses, as she begins to become more indulged in her own affairs. However historical records portray Grouch as a loyal lover who did anything and everything to aid Macbeth even seeking aid from witches.
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Lady Macbeth is said to be quite masculine, and she, herself, desires to be a man to kill the King herself. Otherwise, her character is ignored greatly after her part in the killing of the King, until the last act where she is said to have committed suicide off-stage.

Lady Macbeth is seen as a ruthless character who aims to satisfy one’s selfish desires of great status and power. Her greed for power and evil actions drives her to certain extents where murder is a necessary key for her plan to succeed.

"The words of the three Weird Sisters also (of whom before ye have heard) greatly encouraged him hereunto; but especially his wife lay sore upon him to attempt the thing, as she was very ambitious, burning with an unquenchable desire to bear the name of a queen."
- Holinshed’s version.

She is a loving wife and upon hearing word of the three Weird Sister’s prophecy, is eager for her husband, Macbeth, to become King. She plots Duncan’s murder as she believes it will make Macbeth King, and her Queen. She is understanding and knows her husband well as she foresees Macbeth’s reaction towards the murder of Duncan. At first, Macbeth refuses to kill Duncan, but Lady Macbeth insults his manhood and his love for her, forcing him to carry out the murder.

In the beginning of the play, Macbeth and Lady Macbeth are devoted to each other. E.g. Macbeth addresses his wife as ‘My dearest love.’ Macbeth respects his wife and is easily manipulated by her. Lady Macbeth is considered a far more ambitious and daunting character than Macbeth. She is committed to her purpose as she calls on to be stripped of her femininity. Through manipulation, Lady Macbeth is able to achieve her goals without her doing the actual killing. She would have killed King Duncan if he had not reminded her of her father. Towards the end of the play, their relationship drifts apart and their roles switches. Lady Macbeth becomes weak as she has trouble with her conscience. She sleepwalks at night and washes imaginary blood from her hands. Wracked with guilt, she cannot handle it any longer and kills herself.

Supernatural themes in Macbeth

Team 2: Dinithi, Dhruv, Terence and Annee

The use of the supernatural themes in Macbeth is shown in the witches, the visions, the ghost, and the apparitions this inturn creates the dramatic suspense and tension. The theme supernatural is tied in to show the intensity of the human mind. This is a key and vital element in making the concept of the play work and interesting. The utilisation of supernatural themes arises from the medieval and renaissance periods and the Holinshed chronicles.

The themes can be seen at the start of the play with the witches predicting the fate of Macbeth. Banquo’s ghost is also a sign that supernatural themes are used in Macbeth. The apparitions were so strong and suggestive (the dagger Act 2 Scene 1) became over-confident and decided his fate, which was eventually, death. This shows the depth and strength and more importantly the mental stability of the human mind like mentioned above.

Origin of the witch story from the Holinshed’s chronicles:
Shakespeare's primary source for Macbeth was Raphael Holinshed's Chronicles of England, Scotland and Ireland, first published in 1577. The outlines of Shakespeare's story are derived from Holinshed's account of Kings Duncan and Macbeth. In addition, Shakespeare seems to have taken many particulars from Holinshed's account of King Duffe, who died eighty years before Macbeth did.

Origin of the witch story from the witch lore of the Celtics:
In the witch lore of the Celts, witches are seen as triple goddesses, as in Macbeth. But it has been modified a bit as the witches are presented as hags.
In Irish folklore witches are the children of Cailidin, who plot Cu Chulainn’s death and in Welsh legend we find the hags of Gloucester, warrior women. The witches speak in three’s, this being a sacred number for the Celts. The witches in Macbeth seem to be more like the Elizabethan stereotype, than to the idea of the three supernatural goddesses of destiny.

Views on witchcraft during the Renaissance:
During the Renaissance period people blamed unexplainable events as the work of witches. Women were those most often accused of being witches! This was largely due to the fact of the invention of the printer the books that were published Bibles and other hold books promoted the ideas about witchcraft and witches. The hysteria and paranoia regarding witches, which was experienced in Europe, did not fully extend to England during this turbulent period. However, Queen Elizabeth I passed a new and harsher witchcraft Law in 1562 leading to witch hunts and the prosecution of witches. Thus women of law class calibre were targeted especially those with knowledge of herbs.

The use of supernatural themes in MacBeth creates many functions within the play. They create dramatic tension; suspense and more importantly foreshadow told events. Thus without the use of these supernatural themes in Macbeth, “the character of “Macbeth” and his kingdom would not exist” 1

1 "The Supernatural in Shakespeare's Macbeth." 123HelpMe.com. 01 Feb 2009

Role of infants and children

Macbeth

Macbeth is one of the most well-known works written by William Shakespeare. The use of symbolism, meanwhile, is a significant aspect of the play which often becomes an area of study and critics, and the role of babies and children in the play is certainly most intriguing.
In Act IV scene I, the second apparition whom Macbeth has sought counsel from was depicted as a bloody child. This was done due to a number of reasons. Young children were used as a symbol for vulnerability and innocence in the play; a blood-stained child therefore would suggest that the innocent will die because of Macbeth’s lust for power. This was evident in various scenes, like the scenes where Duncan and Banquo were murdered by the orders of Macbeth. In addition, the apparition also implied that the last of Macbeth’s innocence has diminished through his struggle for power, a statement which was proven right later in the play when Macduff’s family was slaughtered. Immediately afterwards, the third apparition appeared in the same scene. It also took the shape of a young child, but was crowned and was holding a tree. This was obviously to warn Macbeth of the imminent danger that he was facing, but also conveyed a more subtle meaning in an evasive way. The crown symbolised kingship while the tree symbolised the rebellion rising against Macbeth, the overall message of the apparition would therefore be that the innocent will become king once more.
Another example of children’s appearance in Macbeth was the scene just before Macduff’s family was murdered. The young son of Lady Macduff served as a symbol for the innocent, once again. By closely examining the conversation between the mother and son, it was not hard to conclude that Macduff’s son already knew about the power struggle in the Scottish royal palace. This could consequently illustrate the fact that the innocent and the vulnerable were unwillingly engaged in the conflicts. Duncan’s son Malcolm and Banquo’s son Fleance were examples of such.
There were also scenes in which babies and children appeared and played crucial roles in the play, however, overall, the role of babies and children in Macbeth is defined as a symbol for innocence and vulnerability. It proved to be a very important role, as throughout the play, they served as important messengers which sent hints to the audience, and furthermore, highlighted what will happen as time passes. Their importance in Macbeth was therefore significant and unarguable.