I found this tragedy interesting although I relied on the sub-titles to understand the development of the storylines most of the time. The classical verses were just too difficult to catch-up. This tragedy had a lot of suspense and the plot moved at a brisk pace, which I felt that these two characteristics were the strength of "Macbeth". I was always full of anticipation to know how the storyline developed when Macbeth started to show his desire towards the throne. I wanted to know whether Macbeth would kill King Duncan or not eventually?
I found the elements of prophecy and violence appear frequently in "Macbeth". Macbeth is in particular a violent play. Interestingly, most of the killings take place offstage, but throughout the play the characters provide the audience with horrific descriptions of the killings, from the opening scene where the captain describes Macbeth and Banquo wading in blood on the battlefield, to the endless references to the bloodstained hands of Macbeth and his wife. There are two bloody battles: in the first, Macbeth defeats the invaders; in the second, he is slain and beheaded by Macduff. Throughout the play there are a series of murders: Duncan, Duncan’s chamberlains, Banquo, Lady Macduff, and Macduff’s son all come to bloody ends. By the end of the action, Macbeth use the bloody deaths of others (those who seem to become threats to his throne) to satisfy his desires to be a king.
Besides that, prophecy from the three witches actually sets Macbeth’s plot in motion—namely, the witches’ prophecy that Macbeth will first become Thane of Cawdor and then the king of Scotland. The weird sisters make a number of other prophecies: they tell us that Banquo’s heirs will be kings for many generations after Macbeth, they warn that Macbeth should beware of Macduff, that Macbeth is safe till Birnam Wood comes to Dunsinane, and that no man born of woman can harm Macbeth. Save for the prophecy about Banquo’s heirs, all of these predictions are fulfilled within the course of the play. Still, it is left deliberately ambiguous whether some of them are self-fulfilling—for example, whether it is only Macbeth’s wishes to be a king or is fated to be the king of Scotland. Is Macbeth being blessed by the gods to be a king?
In conclusion, I feel that Macbeth is worth watching because it portrays how someone who is greedy towards power and wealth eventually will receive bad consequences and punishment.
I found the elements of prophecy and violence appear frequently in "Macbeth". Macbeth is in particular a violent play. Interestingly, most of the killings take place offstage, but throughout the play the characters provide the audience with horrific descriptions of the killings, from the opening scene where the captain describes Macbeth and Banquo wading in blood on the battlefield, to the endless references to the bloodstained hands of Macbeth and his wife. There are two bloody battles: in the first, Macbeth defeats the invaders; in the second, he is slain and beheaded by Macduff. Throughout the play there are a series of murders: Duncan, Duncan’s chamberlains, Banquo, Lady Macduff, and Macduff’s son all come to bloody ends. By the end of the action, Macbeth use the bloody deaths of others (those who seem to become threats to his throne) to satisfy his desires to be a king.
Besides that, prophecy from the three witches actually sets Macbeth’s plot in motion—namely, the witches’ prophecy that Macbeth will first become Thane of Cawdor and then the king of Scotland. The weird sisters make a number of other prophecies: they tell us that Banquo’s heirs will be kings for many generations after Macbeth, they warn that Macbeth should beware of Macduff, that Macbeth is safe till Birnam Wood comes to Dunsinane, and that no man born of woman can harm Macbeth. Save for the prophecy about Banquo’s heirs, all of these predictions are fulfilled within the course of the play. Still, it is left deliberately ambiguous whether some of them are self-fulfilling—for example, whether it is only Macbeth’s wishes to be a king or is fated to be the king of Scotland. Is Macbeth being blessed by the gods to be a king?
In conclusion, I feel that Macbeth is worth watching because it portrays how someone who is greedy towards power and wealth eventually will receive bad consequences and punishment.
By: Chuah Kar Wooi (134185)
B. Ed. (TESL)
Group 21
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