Tuesday, September 18, 2007

The Devil... Now that I have your attention...

“The devil hath power to assume a pleasing shape.” (Shakespeare Hamlet)

1. How do you interpret the above quote? In other words, how would you explain its message to someone else?


2. Who is playing the role of the devil in Macbeth? Are there several devils in this play? Briefly explain and support your answer.


3. Describe the evil that has occurred in the play so far. What is the pleasing shape it has taken on?


4. Is there any good or decency in this play so far? Which do you think will triumph at the end of the play-good or evil? Briefly explain your response.

64 comments:

josed said...

1. The above quote is that the devil looks attractive to tempt people into doing evil by making it look good.

2.The devil in Macbeth is actually many; the witches, murder, and the promise of kingship. The role of king attracts macbeth to murder Duncan, which is evil, and the witches bring this enticing prophecy.

3.The pleasing shape of evil (murder) is that if Macbeth kills Duncan, who is a good man, he will be promised the crown.

4. Duncan's graciousness and trust towards Macbeth despite the recent betrayal of Cawdor, is the good in the play.

clarao said...

The way I iterpret the quote is that the devil is evil, but can seem falsly sweet and seem like a normal person. They can be whatever they want to be to fool someone else.

josed said...

Oh, yeah, I think good will win at the end because Macbeth got his place dishonestly and good always wins, or people don't believe in justice

markg said...

This qoute means that the devil looks appealing in a way that would make you powerful. I think that Lady Macbeth is playing the devil in Macbeth. She is behind Duncans murder and is the backbone of all of Macbeth's plans. Macbeth wanted to be king soo bad that he "had" to kill Duncan. In this case Macbeth was taken over by the devil. The pleasing shape is the fact that Macbeth could be king. It think that everyone will figuir out that Macbeth killed Duncan and he will be exicuted.

clarao said...

In Macbeth, the devil changes around. It is sort of like the devil is "posessing" different people. In this act, It seems like whenever somone does something wrong, it's really the devil.

maddief said...

Satan has taken many forms in history in order to take on the role of the tempter. What is luring someone to perform an immoral act must be in the shape of something that is important to the person who is being tempted. This could be in the form of money, power, or even a beautiful woman in the case of Macbeth. Lady Macbeth takes on the role of the devil in Macbeth, because she seduces him in order to convince him to murder Duncan. Macbeth can not refuse the request of his wife, and her tempting him to kill finally led to that action. The evil in the play is the want and lust for power that seems to envelope Macbeth that causes him to actually kill his own cousin. So far I don't see any good in the play, and I think that Macbeth's murder of Duncan will come back to haunt him in the end; so in this case, justice will prevail, but not in a pleasing way for Macbeth.

ZachH said...

1. This means the devil can come in many forms. It choses a form based on a person's weakness and then tempt them to do bad things.

2. Lady Macbeth is the devil. She is Macbeth's wife, therefore he is attracted to her and will do what she says.

3. Macbeth has killed the king. The dager was evil as was Lady Macbeth. They both tempted Macbeth to comit the murder.

4. I think Macbeth will be discovered as the murderer and he will be punished. Even though Macbeth is not evil, he has helped evil commit it's deeds. Therefore, if Macbeth fails, evil fails, and good will triumph.

rsabey said...

I think the quote is saying that somthing wrong may seem fun or interesting or like it will benifit you when really it would just innerly tear the person who commited the action apart. For exsample when i do somthing to piss off my brothers it gives me a momentary "thirll" but ends up just hurting me. Its called life!

Louiseb said...

I think that the quote means that the devil can disguise himself in any form in order to please someone. I think that it would be much easier to get people to do what you eant if you are someone or something that appeals to them rather than something that scares them.
The devil seems to take the form of Lady Macbeth because she was the mastermind behind killing the king and also Macbeth because he was the one who actually killed the king.
The evil that has occured in the play so far is the plan to kill Duncan and this has taken the Form of Macbeth and Lady Macbeth.
There is some good, even though Macbeth killed the king, he feels horrible about it and his actions are sure to haunt him for the rest of his life. I think that both good and evil will triumph at the end of the play.

Liap said...

I think the quote means that the devil tempts people by making himself seem like a good choice that benifits the innocent person. In Macbeth, i think Lady Macbeth symbolizes the devil. she tempts Macbeth with the notion of killing the king, making him see how much it would benifit him rather than how much it would hurt him.
The evil in the play has been the predictions of the withches. They made everything sound like it would simply fall into place,but Macbeth murdered Duncan, which means that he altered his own destiny.
There hasn't been much good so far, but there have been moments of justice, like when the traitors were executed. However, i do think that good wil triumph in the end, and the 'imbalances of nature' will be fixed.

clarao said...

If one person has to be the devil, then I would agree markg. Macbeth at least regrets what he did, but Lady Macbeth just acts as if nothing ever happened.

chelseas said...

1. The quote above is saying that the devil can cause you to think different things. People are tempted to do things that they normally wouldn’t do. They will often do things to make themselves appear better, or good to other people. I’ll finish later!!!

JohnB said...

1. The quote is saying that he's explaining that the devil is making it seem that bad things are good things.

2. In Macbeth the devil would have to be Lady Macbeth because she makes out that killing Duncan will be good for them.

3. So far, Macduff discovered Duncans dead body.

4. So far there is some decency because people like Macduff are trying to find out what happened. I think that good will triumph because I think when people find out what Macbeth and his wife did, they will be put to death.

aaronw said...

The message of this quote, i believe is that the devil can, if he wants to, change his physical shape into a temptation of some sort that a person would find pleasing. Sorry if that pretty much stated the quote,let me try again...
The devil has power to change himself to whatever he wants to, including things that someone would want... not need. He can tempt people into doing stuff that they really don't want to do, but still do it and manipulate it so they THINK its good.

I'm not quite sure who the devils could be except lady Macbeth.

The evil is the future power Macbeth could have as King. It's taking the shape of wanting it too fast...
DELAYED GRATIFICATION BUDDY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I think that evil will triumph in this story, unfourtanently, because of the fact that the devil is already at work in the Macbeths... and i don't think it will leave...

Brian c said...

This quote says that the devil has the power to obtain almost any shape, even pleasing ones to lure you to him like a fish to bait.

I think that Lady Macbeth is playing the devil in Macbeth because she lures Macbeth into killing Duncan.

The evil that has happened in Macbeth so far is that; Duncan has been Murdered, Macbeth "turned to the dark side", and Lady Macbeth has lost all femineness.

The good that's happened in this play so far is; The war was ended.

phoebef said...

1. "The devil hath power to assume a pleasing shape." how i interpert this quote is that the devil or devilish actions is often disguised to appear acceptable or even good. an example of this is in the movie damn yankees. a very ugly woman named lola sells her soul to the devil, for beautiful. when she is not able to pay him back, she becomes the devils meassenger, and uses her body to steal other souls. She is very appealing to the main character so he ends up selling his soul to the devil as well.

2. the witches play the roles of the temptress and lola in a sense. they tell macbeth of his so called destiny. i will finnish this later.

MollyS said...

1. I would explain this by saying the evilness inside of people can be made into any shape but will still be there and have the same purpose and devilness.
2. I think the devil is being played by both Macbeths (Mr. and Lady) becasue they both have good and bad sides and the devil is being played in the outside level for Lady Macbeth, and more internal for Macbeth.
3. I think the biggest evil in the play so far is the murder and decption. Macbeth not only killed King Duncan, but he also lied about it to everyone else. I think those are both very evil acts.
4. I think there is some good so far, because Macbeth is the one who really really regreded it. I think that if he didnt have these feelings, then he wouldnt he human.

Unknown said...

1. This quote means that the devil places himself in the form of many different things to make himself look like something good. For example, he presents himself to Macbeth with the idea of becoming king, which to Macbeth is a good idea. The devil makes himself look like somthing good to people so that they are willing to give into the temptations that he has presented. Another example is Adam and Eve in the Bible. They give into the temptation of eating the apple because the snake (the devil) says that the fruit is good for them and he makes it look appetizing.
2. The role of the devil in Macbeth is Lady Macbeth. Because she is Macbeth's wife she looks good to Macbeth and he wants to do whatever she tells him. The devil has pretty much disquised himself in her to make evil look like something good, and to make it take a pleasing shape. Also, Macbeth himself could be a devil because he is doing the horrible deeds, or Lady Macbeth is only using him as a tool.
3. The evil that has occured in the play is when Macbeth kills Duncan. To Macbeth, the pleasing form of it is that he gets to become the king, and that looks like a good thing to him until he discovers the guilt of the act after he performs it.
4. I don't think that there is any direct form of good in the play at this moment. No one is standing up against the form of corruption that is taking place. Maybe a role of good with come in later during the play. Since this is a tradgedy, I think that the evil will rule over at the end of the play, or that is what it seems like so far. If Macbeth dies in the end, since he is that tragic hero, maybe good might rule over instead. I don't think that we are further enough in the play yet.

alexd said...

1. I think that this comment basically means that evil people can be all shapes and you can never really tell who someone actually is. Evil can exist in all shapes and sizes.
2. I think that Lady Macbeth symbolizes the devil in this play because she is the one who is sneaky in the way she plans the murder of Duncan. I don’t think that Shakespeare intended Macbeth to be a devil at all. I think that he has a bit of evil in him but he also has some good in him.
3. I think that so far there has a lot of evil in it. There is the murder of Duncan and just the fact that everyone is lying and conniving to each other. It seems like everyone in the play is somewhat evil in one way or another.
4. I think that there is some good in the play. I think that eventually macbeth will be good. I have faith in him.

amyw said...

The quote is saying that the devil is tempting to people, and he kind of lures you in. Evil seems so tempting at first, but in the long run it turns out to be bad. I'd say that Lady Macbeth plays the role of the devil because she's so vicious and doesn't seem to have any guilt about the plan she masterminded. She's a cruel person. The evil in this play is Macbeth killing Duncan to become king. There is good in Macbeth in this play, because he really feels guilt for what he did, unlike Lady Macbeth. I think good will win out in the end because that's how it mostly happens in literature. Macbeth seems like a good person who got caught up in a bad scheme.

Javonm said...

That it is talking about whoever is doind a bad deed or has done something wrong basically has assumed the role of the devil by messing up the regular order of life.

Macbeth and Lady Macbeth are both playing the role of the devil in this book. Lady Macbeth is seems like a bigger version of the devil in this. She is the one instigating and making all the evil plans to kill duncan and how to cover up their murder and everything. Whereas, Macbeth not with quite as evul of ideas acts cowardly towards his wife and ends up doing what she says anyways and killing Duncan. They are like your everyday criminal team. You have the mastermind who doesn't do any of the action or any of the dirty work, but comes up with all of the brilliant ideas. Then Macbeth plays the role of the sidekick, where he does all the dirty work, but because lady macbeth has control of him and tells him what to do.

The killing of Duncan and, the way they framed the other guards and were so fake when they pretended to care, and fainting thats really fake, but good.

I think good will triumph in the end and that someone will figure out what Macbeth has done and the kingdom shall rid of him. I think that Macbeth had some decency in him, but he is to overpowered of his wife so I don't think he has control anymore.

NickB said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
kristenw said...

1. I think this means that the devil can take any shape and look innocent.

2. I think that Lady macbeth is a great example of the hidden devil, because everyone(except Macbeth) tink she's compleatly innocent. But there are also many other devilish items in Macbeth.

3. The evil that has occured so far is of course is the murder of Duncan, but also the witches, and Lady Macbeth.

4. One decent thing that has happened is that Macbeth regrets mudering Duncan

Tylerg! said...

The devil can take many shapes and forms, but mostly, it is anything that seems wonderful to people, even if it is wrong. It appears to be one thing, but is really something else. Another example of appearence versus reality. Lady Macbeth seems to be the devil in this, but in a non human form, power is the devil to macbeth.

Selenam said...

1. I think the quote means that the devil forms good shapes in the person's mind and that persuades the person to do evil things. For example, Macbeth at first doesn't want to kill Duncan, but then he finally does it. He thought being king would be worth killing Duncan.

ParkerH said...

1. Satan takes pleasing shapes, like drugs that make you high. Evil doesn't generally look boring or such to others. It looks fun or rewarding.
2. I think both the Weird Sisters and Lady Macbeth ared representations of the devil. They both cause and create chaos and evil.
3. Murder, and Macbeth did it because he would be king then. He wanted that, and that was the pleasing part.
4. Yes, King Duncan was good. Hi the only person that is really guiltless, except for maybe the porters and the like.

jordanh said...

"The devil hath power to assume a pleasing shape." is a quote that isvery true not only in all of Macbeth, but in the real world.
1. Basically this quote is just saying that evil can look apealing or like it's the right thing to do at times.
2. The role of the devil in Macbeth is played by several characters. An obvious one is Lady Macbeth, because she tempts and persuades Macbeth into doing things he probably wouldn't do. To further prove the Shakespearian quote, Lady Macbeth always looks and appears like the damsel in distress and the good lady, but at heart she is truly evil. the other "devils" in Macbeth are the Wierd Sisters. they are evil and are out there to create chaos for the heck of it. Those are the prominant examples of devils in Macbeth, although everybody really does have a devil in this play.

3. The main example of evil in Macbeth so far is Macbeth killing King Duncan. This took on such a tempting and pleasing shape because it is something Macbeth thinks will win him the throne. This isn't only appealing to Macbeth but to Lady Macbeth too.

4. there are decent characters in this play such as Banquo, Macduff, and even Macbeth at times, but since this is a tragedy, I doubt that the good will win over.


To sum things up, evil is prominant in some figures, needs to be called upon in some, and is hardly present in others. But whenever evil is resorted to, it is almost always appealing.

beckyg said...

1. I think this means that the devil is able to make evil seem like the right thing to do and that it will help you out.
2. Like parkerh said, I think Lady Macbeth and the wierd sisters play the devil. Lady Macbeth is the one who ultimately convinced Macbeth to murder, and she seems to be a very evil person. The wierd sisters enjoy creating chaos and hurting others. They also placed the idea of murder in Macbeth's head to begin with.
3. Murder is the most prominent evil, but treachory and betrayal was commited at the same time. It's pleasing shape was that by murdering the king Macbeth would become king. Along with the title of king comes power wealth and influence.
4. So far, Duncan has been a good person in the play. Also, the fact that Macbeth has showed remorse is a decency. I think in the end of this play the good will triumph, because Macbeth's grief and guilt will overwell him, causing him to trn himself in and then good will be able to triumph.

melissaz said...

1.I think this quote means that the devil, but also evil tends to take the most appealing shape to draw you towards it. Like elizabethc said, the devil presented himself to Macbeth in the idea of becoming king, or some could say the witches. But not only that, but the evil persisted taking shape in his wife. They pushed and tempted Macbeth causing a personal conflict. One very small connection in my own life that can be displayed in many ways, is when I am tempted to like have a peice of cake when I know I shouldn't,or just little things like that.
2. Like I said before, I think there are a few devil roles in Macbeth. The whole idea of becoming king and the romatic side of all that is a huge cause to the reason why Macbeth ends up killing the king in the first place. Just having that information causes his mind to turn, thinking about how great it would be and all the fame and glory he would get. He begins to tear himself apart. Then it could also be argued that the witches where also part of the devil. They are the ones always trying to cause chaios and are the ones who even put the idea in his head and started all the mess. And of course Lady Macbeth is an obviuse role of evil.She was the mastermind behind the whole murder plot and I don't think Macbeth would actually have killed Duncan if his wife was not pushing and prodding him to do so.
3. I think the murder, the thought, idea, and actual action of murder has really changed the characters to the evil and it is obviusly turning out just like it was ment to. It is really the shady and defining aspect of the whole play.
4. I don't think there is a very large role of good in the play. Yes there was a time when Macbeth was a great leader to the country,that was good, or when he thought he wasn't actually going to kill Duncan,the good prevailed for a while, but not for long. And now that Macbeth somewhat regrets killing Duncan, that is the good cryiong out basically saying,why did you do that. I think that Macbeth will be king and that no one will really realize that he was the killer,his life will be good and everything will be restored to order, but Macbeth will have to live with the guilt, and in the end, it will ruin him.So in a way the good will prevail, but it will not be the typical hero story where all is resolved,but more like a hidden good has prevailed.

amandah said...

The devil has the power to tempt people (pleasing shape). The devil can tempt you and trick you into doing something that can seem pleasing to you.
The role of the devil is played by the witches, Lady Macbeth, and in a way Macbeth. The witches kind of caused the death of Duncan by telling Macbeth the prophecy. Lady Macbeth called the evil spirits to her in her evil ritual and planned the death of Duncan. Macbeth committed the act of killing the king.
The evil in the play would be the plotting of Duncan's death and the killing of Duncan. The pleasing shape would be that the plan worked and Macbeth will become king.
There is good in the play so far for example the friendship and loyalty of Banquo to Macbeth. Its hard to predict which will prevail good or evil but I think evil will because I think bad will come to Macbeth and every tragic hero has a down fall and dies or comes close to dealth. Its like what goes around comes around.

mattw said...

I the quote means the same thing as "fair is foul and foul is fair". This is because the devil obviously represents evil and dark intentions, while the pleasing shape is anything you'd want or need. These things would be "fair", because you see them in a positive light, but in reality they provoke greed and grudgery. This is also like the theme apperance vs. reality/ phony faces. Things like misery or loneliness are foul, but they stay self-contained. In Macbeth, I think it's pretty obvous that the devil Lady Macbeth, because she's just plain evil, even though she takes the "pleasing shape" to Macbeth. The evil is of course the King's murder. The only good so far was very minor and casual, like the porter opening the gate. In the end, evil will prevail, because this is a tragedy.

lesliel said...

1. I interpret this quote that the devil appears in a shape that can convince the indivisual to do evil. In Macbeth the pleasing shape is Lady Macbeth.

2. As said above Lady Macbeth is playing the role in Macbeth, also i think that the prediction the witches made could have stirred the evil inside him also.

3. Evil has occured within Lady Macbeth, the witches, and in the end Macbeth, though that was stirred by somebody else

4. I think the good in this play was the fact that Macbeth wasn't all into the idea of killing Duncan. His loyalty to his king was some of the only decency in here so far. At the end of the play I think that good will triumph because there is so much bad right now that there has to be some kind of "good" explosion at the end when everyone is sad.
=D

KatherineM said...

I think the quote means that the devil has the ability to make evil things look very attractive. That way, evil will be much more tempting.

I think the witches are the devils in Macbeth, because they are the ones who actually gave Macbeth the idea of being king. Without them, Macbeth wouldn't have thought about being king, therefore he would not have murdered Duncan. Also, I think you could call Lady Macbeth a devil, because she really pushes Macbeth into murdering Duncan.

The evil that has occurred is the murder of Duncan. The pleasing shape it took on was the chance for Macbeth to become king.

I think that Duncan was good. He seemed to be a good, well liked king. Also, the friendship between Macbeth and Banquo is good. I think that evil will triumph in the end since this is a tragedy.

SerenaL said...

1. I interpret the quote that you can only see the outside of a person, the inside can be concealed, and the outside may be a show.

2. I think ambition and desire are the "devils" in Macbeth. What you desire may be slightly out of reach, or dangerous to get to, but Macbeth is willing to take that risk.

3. Macbeth has murdered King Duncan, who is innocent, and now he thinks he is going straight to hell but he is in line for the throne.

4. At the end of the play, since it is a tragedy, I think that Macbeth will be killed, which could be good or bad. I think I would say evil wins because he will finally end is inner battle, and correct his ways, and then he will be killed, which is unfortunate for him.

Anonymous said...

1. Evil comes in a form that people are comfortable with. At first, no one notices it because it seems normal but once there is enough of it, it can show itself for what it really is.

2.I personally think Lady Macbeth is the most obvious devil in the play. She is definately pushing for immoral and wrong things just to get what she wants. But I do think there are more devils, like Macbeth's inner desires for example. None of his actions would have taken shape had he not had such strong desires that he would be willing to do anything for.

3. I think that evil has occured within Lady Macbeth and it's pleasing shape is that it is in the "dainty, sweet" wife of Macbeth. Also, evil has occured with the murder of King Duncan and it's pleasing form is that, so far, no one suspects Macbeth which means things are working out in his favor.

4. It's hard to say if there is any good or decency in the play because it is all overshadowed by the unmistakable evil in the play. I would have to say that Macbeth having second thoughts about the murder would be the only good because it shows that at least some part of him shows remorse. Considering it is a tragedy, good has to win because Macbeth is so entangled with evil at this point that to bring about his downfall, good has to triumph.

hannahl said...

1. I think this quote means that the devil can possess any person or thing, usually that person or thing is a good soul who is desperate and would never be suspected because they had never done anything bad before.
2. I think the devil takes on the shape of the weird sisters. Even though some may say that the devil also takes the shape of Lady Macbeth, I would disagree. This is because the weird sisters made all this calamity happen and they were the ones who Lady Macbeth asked to fill her heart. This means that it was them who initiated her evilness, and they therefore are the main shape that thedevil takes on so far.
3. The evil that has taken place thus far in the play is not only the killing of Duncan, but also the loss of Macbeth, formerly a great and moral hero to the people. That loss of the hero Macbeth is tragic and evil just as evil as the loss of the King.
4. The decent things that have happened thus far are few and far between. However, the main good in this play so far is Banquo. He still trusts his friend, and he is evermore loyal to the King. He represents the good conscience of Macbeth kind of like Piggy is the good conscience of Ralph. I think he will play a big part in the play because somehow he will set up for Macbeth's downfall since his "descendants" will be King. Also, I can see Macduff playing a good part in the play. We shall see. However, I do think that good will triumph and Macbeth will, in the true sense of a tragic hero, be punished for his mistakes even though he regrets them.

chelseas said...

Continued from earlier!!!
1. This can be interpreted in different ways, though. I think that it is saying that you shouldn’t always trust people from first impressions. This can relate back to our trust blog. I think that Lady Macbeth is a perfect example of this quote. She appears to be a kind and gentle woman on the outside, but she is actually filled with lots of “evil”, so to say, inside.
2. In Macbeth, there are a few different “devils”. One is the witches. They sort of cause people to do things that they normally wouldn’t do, like Macbeth, with their prophecies. Lady Macbeth can also be considered a “devil” because she master-minded the mission to kill Duncan.
3. The pleasing shape of evil is the whole murder of Duncan that took place. The reason for this would be that Macbeth killed Duncan, and is now promised the crown. Macbeth has done no wrong to spectators on the outside, so he will get the throne.
4. I think that the good in the play is the friendship of Banquo and the fact that Duncan completely trusted Macbeth, especially since he had been betrayed by the Thane of Cawdor recently. I think that it will end in good over evil. I also think that Shakespeare will throw something in to catch you off guard. For being such a famous play, I would think that it would at least end in good triumphing over evil.

stephenf said...

1. The qoute from Hamlet gives the idea that the Devil can make evil things seem pleasing and nice but there not. Somethings are evil even in look but somethings are beautiful but evil underneath, like Macbeth.

2. The devil's in Macbeth are Lady Macbeth as she has given here self to the devil and the witches. I think Lady Macbeth is the devil because she lures Macbeth into the idea that killing the king would be good even though Macbeth knows it's wrong. The witches are also devils because they are evil and tell Macbeth that he will become King.

3.The death of the king in Macbeth is the evil so far and to Macbeth it is good because it makes him king.

4.The good in this story is Banquo and his stalwart loyalty. He never has faltered and I don't think he will stop. But he might end up killing Macbeth or putting him on trial. I think Macbeth wil come forward with the crime and all will be set right or will it?

stefo said...

1.i interpert it to mean that in order to make evil appealing it changes shape so that others with go after it,
2.Obviously the withes and lady macbeth are playing the role of evil in the play but i believe that macbeth's own ambition. the witches tempt him but it is the glittery idea of becomeing king that pushes him over the edge
3. the death of duncan is the evil and that in itself is not very pleasing but the fact that Duncans sons have fled, making Macbeth the next in line for the throne is a very pleasing shape.
4. Duncan was very good. Macbeth even said that he was a good man and that his soul would be stained for killing such a man. in all tragic stories the main character with that fatal faw dies and ocne that happens good will be restored

catem said...

The uote basically means that the devil and evil can take any shape that there is on Earth. Usually the shape that they choose looks appealing to the one that is being shown the evil in disguise. (Appearance verses reality...) Evil can take shape in anything from a letter to a pig's head on a stick.

The role of evil in Macbeth is being played by the ambition to become king. Along the way evil gets its followers such as Macbeth and LAdy Macbeth to help it along. Through this act, it makes evil easier to spread and overcome good.

The evil that has happened so far in the book is: the king has been killed; two men have been falsly accused, resulting in there death; the king's sons have been forced to leave there homeland for safety, therefore creating suspition among the innocent; and not to mention, disturbing the natural balance of nature. I mean when you have horses eating horses, you have to know that something is wrong. Could this symbolize family betraying and killing family? Hmmmm...

Of course there is good in the story. Every story has good. Evil never triumphs over good. It may occasionaly get in a few good laughs, but good is always sure to get the last one. The good in this story so far has come from loyalty and trust. Duncan trusted Macbeth, and because Macbeth broke that trust, Things are going to start looking retty grim for Macbeth. Also because like a lot of other people have mentioned, Banquo has stayed loyal to the king, and I think once he finds out that Macbeth killed Duncan, he will get the word out, and Macbeth's rule will be overthrown, although I'm not sure Banquo will be around to see it happen.

NickB said...

1) I think that that quote means that evil can take many shapes, and it takes whatever shape is most pleasing to you at the time

2) I believe that lady Macbeth plays the role of the devil because she tries to edge on Macbeth

3) Evil has taken place when the Witches create the false prophesy, when the original thane of cawdor betrays Macbeth, and Macbeth murdering Duncan. The betrayal and murder both seemed pleasing at their respective times because of their promise of king of Scotland, while the false prophesy is pleasing because it causes chaos, which is what witches like.

4) Yes, before the prophecy, Macbeth was fighting for his king, if you can call war good. I think that evil will triumph in the end because it almost always does. Look at all recorded history if you need examples.

Unknown said...

1. The quote means that the devil can take on any form to tempt you. He has the power to do that. He wants to look appealing to you so you will go down the wrong path.

2. Well, there are many examples of evil in Macbeth. Obviously, Lady Macbeth is one form. She talks Macbeth into killing the king. That is sin, and she doesn't care that they did it as long as she gets what she wants. The witches also play a part. First of all, they are associated with demons, and they can fortell the future. They just have evil plots and have evil thoughts. I agree with the others, I think that Macbeth's ambition is also a form of evil.

3. The evil that has occured first of all is when Macdonwald and the former Thane of Cawdor betray the king. Then, Macbeth kills the king. Lady Macbeth thought up the plan, but Macbeth reluctantly carried it out. The pleasing shape the devil has taken on is power. Sometimes, people will do anything for power (a.k.a: Lady Macbeth).

4. There is some good in the play. Banquo says that he would be loyal to Macbeth as long as he would also be loyal to the king. He is a good guy. Others are very overwhelmed at King Duncan's death. They are good people. I agree with stefo. King Duncan was also a good man. He really did try to rule his kingdom well. And, yes, Macbeth will be sorry for killing him. I can say with confidence that good will triumph over evil. It always does. In some way, Macbeth AND Lady Macbeth will be found out. Lady Macbeth can't just sit on the side watching her husband getting killed for treason and act like she can't believe he killed the king. Well, she can, but she would be living in fear the rest of her life. It was her husband that committed the treason.

Ryad said...

1. I think it means that the devil can come in many ways and some of them may seem pleasing. Like in Macbeth ambition is like the devil but it will make him king.

2. The devil in Macbeth is ambition because it makes him kill Duncan. Lady Macbeth is who the devil is working through.

3. The evil that has occured is the murder of duncan. It has taken the pleasing shape of ambition.(everything is ambition in this play).

4. The only decency I can think of is when Banquo says that he will support Macbeth but only if he is not going against the king. Right now it seems that evil will win but the tide may change before the end of the book.

mattf said...

1. This quote means that the main character finds evil the attractive and better alternative than the others.
2. The devil resides in Macbeth, Lady Macbeth, and the Witches. In Macbeth, the evil causes him to imagine the dagger leading to Duncan. The witches cause chaos, which is a characteristic of the devil. Lady Macbeth conspires in the murder.

3. The evil taken place in this book is when Macbeth kills the King and his servants. Evil took the pleasing shape of power and ambition.

4. The good in this play so far is in Macduff. He is bent on hunting down the King's murderer. He knows it was treason and may find Macbeth. I think good will prevail because Macbeth is a tragic hero, he did something bad, and now he must fall.

Lukez said...

1. I think that the quote above means that the devil can take whatever form it wishes to please people. By pleasing people it can twist them to do whatever it wants them to do

2. I think that there are several devils in this play. The witches are the devil because they gave him the prophecy that drove him to kill the king and being witches they probably knew that by doing giving this prophecy they could drive Macbeth to murder. The devil is also Lady Macbeth because without her coaxing it is very unlikely that Macbeth would commit such a terrible deed.

3.The evil that has occured is the murder of the king. This is obviously evil because this king was a very innocent man with only the flaw of misplacing his trust. The pleasing form that the devil takes on for Macbeth is the throne. The amabition to be king is what drives him to murder.

4. There is the decency in this play but not by any of the main characters. There is decency in characters of little importance like Ross and Macduff who are totally inocent in the terrible deeds that have occured. I think that evil will prevail in the play in the fact that macbeth will eventually tell of what he did and be killed for his actions. This is evil prevailing because the naturally good Macbeth has killed and died only because of evil.

morganw said...

1) I would explain it as the devil tempts us to do things that seem appealing to us - even if we know they are not good things to do they are made out to be attractive in some manner to us so we'll give in to temptation.

2)Lady Macbeth started out as the devil in this play, but I predict that she won't be for long - the guilt will eventually catch up to her. The witches, in my opinion, are all devils. They tempt Macbeth with murder by promising him good things - they make him take matters into his own hands and ruin his reputation and conscience

3)The evil is most obviously the murder of Duncan, which seemed pleasing because of the gain of power for whoever committed the act. A slightly less noticeable evil is the split in the once close nobility of Scottland - they are all now suspicious of each other and more willing to kill and commit treachery to get what they want

4) Macduff and Banquo are the good that I see in this play. They still have their wits about them and still follow the orders of society. They are true to the king even if he is dead. I think good will triumph at the end of the play because even now Macbeth's conscience is catching up to him. I don't think he's really that evil - I think he's still good but not quite smart enough to find another way out of his situation.

macm said...

1)I interpret this quote as evil being a shapeshifter, a temptress who presents a morally wrong idea as attractive to certain people. That's not to say that some are more easily swayed than others, but this quote reminds me of the sirens in greek mythology. Their beautiful song would supposedly tempt saliors to jump off a boat and swim into their clutches.
2)I would have to say that Lady Macbeth plays the role of the devil, because she presents the idea so tactfully and her beautiful looks may persuade Macbeth, unlike the witches who merely suggest the idea instead of backing it up and making it alluring.
3)The evil that has occurred in the play is obvously the killing of Duncan. The pleasing form that evil takes on is obviously power and ambition, but maybe deeper Macbeth may think he is going to help the people by being a better king.
4)I think that there are good an decent people, but none of them have committed an act of good to counteract the instances of evil. Good, evil, when you have a tragic hero they're almost one in the same *cough* *cough* Hamlet. I think that in the end, the acts of good and evil will end up cancelling eacother out. But what you have to consider is that if someone finds out that Macbeth killed Duncan and kills Mscbethy for revenge, isn't it good because Duncan is being avenged, but bad because murder is being committed?

Laurenc said...

1) I interpret this quote as meaning the devil has the power to make something horrible seem good or pleasing. The Devil can make something like murder beneficial to the murderer.

2) There are several devils in Macbeth. One is represented by all the Weird Sisters and their very persuasive power or foresight. This is devilish because had they simply been guessing Macbeth would be King and had never truly seen it, Macbeth still would have murdered Duncan thinking it was destiny. Another devil is Lady Macbeth who tells her husband it is his destiny to become King and aids him in the plan for the murder. Another devil could also be the position of King itself which entices men to it.

3) The evil so far in the play was the murder of Duncan which was aided by the Weird Sister's prophecy. The shape it took on was the promise of the crown to Macbeth.

4) I think there IS decency in the play so far. Macbeth truly is battling with the shame he feels for committing the murder and I think this shows he is a decent man who is simply confused by what other's (lady Macbeth and the weird sisters) have promised is destiny.

Alyssa S. said...

1. I interpret that quote to mean that the devil has the power to disguise itself. In other words, I think that the devil and evil can come in many different forms.
2. Well, I think that both Macbeth and Lady Macbeth are playing the roles of devils. I think Macbeth is playing the role of a devil for the obvious reason that he killed three people, including the king. And I think Lady Macbeth also plays the role of a devil because she is pretty much the mastermind behind Duncan's murder and she is the one that forced Macbeth to kill Duncan. In another sense I guess I also consider greed to be a devil because greed is the whole reason for political uproar (and the death of Duncan) in Macbeth.
3. The evil that has occurred so far in Macbeth, is obviously Duncan's murder. And along with what a lot of others have said, its pleasing shape is the fact that Macbeth is now crowned king.
4. Well, I think there was good in this play in the form of Duncan because he was a good king but now that he is dead, there doesn't seem to be all that much good in the play because everybody is twisted up in lies and deceit. This is also the reason that I think that evil will triumph in the end of Macbeth.

ashleyf said...

I think the Hamlet quote was stating how when evil is the fastest way to get what you want, it is extreamly tempting to put evil into action. When Macbeth could get what he wanted out of killing the king, it seemed very pleasing at the time.

The devil in Macbeth, i think, is Lady Macbeth. She is the one tempting Macbeth, telling him how it is unmanly to not kill the king. At first i thought that Macbeth was the role of the devil, but he probably wouldnt ever dream of doing all this if it hadnt been for his wife, who practically froced him to do it, or for the Weird Sisters who told him of his destiny.

The pleasing shape the devil has taken is the life Macbeth will live as king. Or it could also be portrayed as Lady Macbeth who is this nice fair woman who would never hurt anyone.

Hard to say how this will all end up. I'd have to say evil because its a tragedy, and most tragedies end rather tragically.
The only decencey i've seen is Macbeth's hesetance to killing the king, while in the end he actually did, he does feel guilty about it. and like nickb said, before the prophecy was made, Duncan had a loyal soldier and cousin.

alexf said...

1. Pretty much, when I read this quote I think that the devil is very powerful and can tempt ANYONE because he can make it look appealing. If thought about later, one would realize that it was wrong, but at that particular moment, it looked fascinating and tempting.
2. I think that the weird sisters and Lady Macbeth are the “devils” of the play. The weird sisters totally represent the quote, “The devil hath power to assume a pleasing shape.” They told Macbeth that he would be king, which looked very very pleasing, but he will probably learn that it was a foolish mistake to listen and act on this prophesy. Lady Macbeth also represents evil because she pretty much commands her husband to kill Duncan. Although I don’t think that she made it look as pleasing as the weird sisters, she more of forced Macbeth into committing the crime. I don’t think that Macbeth was an example of the devil because he merely acted on what he was persuaded to do (and plus, he knew it was wrong!).
3. So far, the evil that has occurred is the murdering of Duncan and the blaming/killing of the servants. Murdering Duncan is obviously wrong, but the pleasing shape that it took on was Macbeth taking over the throne. Blaming and killing the servants I think is evil because although he knew it was wrong, he decided that since they were lower than him and would help get rid of “witnesses”, Macbeth murdered them also. This would help to prove his case.
4. I don’t necessarily think that there is GOOD in the play yet. (And I mean like good, good! Really good :0) I think that people were nice to each other, like King Duncan naming Macbeth the Thane of Cawdor, but other than that, not really. I think that Macbeth will die in the end (tragic hero), but that there will still be thoughts of evil and wrong-doing.

maddisonm said...

1. I interpret the above quote as the devil possesses power in a way that is appealing to others. So power can come in a form that is appealing, or tempting to others.

2. I personally think Lady Macbeth is the devil in Macbeth because she makes power and evil in an appealing form. She is also very tempting. She is basically the reason Macbeth murdered the king!

3. The evil that has occurred in the play so far is the murder of King Duncan. The pleasing shape it has taken on is the reward for king. It is “saying” if you do this one form of evil, then you will become king.

4.So far, no I don’t believe there has been any good decency in the play. It has all been about betrayal, murder, and the want for power. At first I thought in the end evil would triumph because this is not a fairy tale. This is a story involving murder and betrayal, and what good can come from that. However, ZachH made me look at it in a whole new way, he said “Even though Macbeth is not evil, he has helped evil commit it's deeds. Therefore, if Macbeth fails, evil fails, and good will triumph.” This helped me look at in a new way and now my opinion has swayed.

mitchs said...

1. I would say that this quote means the devil can make himself look like something good or desirable to make you commit acts of evil. This is a good example of appearance vs. reality. The devil could make himself appear like like the flower but be the serpent underneath it.
2. Lady Macbeth and Macbeth are playing the role of the devil. Yes there are several devils in this play, Macbeth and Lady Macbeth. Macbeth and Lady Macbeth are the devils because they are evil and plot to kill the king.
3. The evil that has taken place in the play so far is that Macbeth has killed the King. The pleasing shape it has taken is that now Macbeth gets to be King and he blamed it on the porters.
4. Yes there is decency in the play so far, Macbeth felt remorse for killing Duncan right after he did it. I think that good will triumph and Macbeth will fall from grace and/or die. I think someone will find out that he killed Duncan and then he will be killed for it or thrown in jail or something like that, some kind of punishment

kristinah said...

1. I think that the quote means that the devil has the ability to have a pleasing and likeable semblance. He had the ability to take on the shape of something very pleasing to the eye. He also has the ability to make things/ actions look appealing but really they are evil or bad things to do.

2. There are several devils in this play of Macbeth. One of the roles of the devil is played by the weird sisters because they bring about evil things and also told macbeth that he was to be king which lead to the evil act of killing Duncan which may lead to other less appealing things for macbeth. Another character that is playing the devil role in macbeth is lady macbeth. She is demonstrating this in the way that keeps encouraging Macbeth to do evil things such as killing the king and she also seems to regard the evil deeds as things that she is used to or that they are not such a big deal. This is demonstrated when she tells macbeth to go wash his hands of the blood and she does so also and says how easy was that like it was just a passing moment that she was used to doing and used to helping people do. One other devil in this play is represented by power or the throne because it is the reason that the king was killed, Macbeth has no other reason as to why he would kill the king, except to be king himself.

3. The evil in the play so far has taken on the pleasing shape of the throne for king. The gain of the throne and the title of king may look very rewarding, so rewarding it is worthy of murder, but it may end up being something that is more troublesome and bothersome than it is rewarding. The evil that had taken place in the play so far has been from the weird sisters and their prophesy for macbeth, from lady macbeth and her encouraging and pushing for macbeth to kill duncan, and from Macbeth for killing duncan.

4. Yes, I do think that there is some deciency in the play so far. I believe that it first comes from Banquo because he has stayed loyal to the king, while he was alive, and it sounded like he is a good companion to macbeth also. Another form of decency comes from Macbeth and the remourse he felt after killing the king. I am not really sure if I think that good or evil will triumph in the end, I am thinking that in the end Macbeth will die keeping his role as a tragic hero and maybe like zackh said “Even though Macbeth is not evil, he has helped evil commit it's deeds. Therefore, if Macbeth fails, evil fails, and good will triumph.”

nicolek said...

I think the quote means that the devil can come in any shape or size. Any person can do bad things and any person can be a "pleasing shape."

I think that there are many devils in Macbeth. First there is Macbeth himself who is fighting within himself between good and evil. And then there is Lady Macbeth who has commited many evils and said she would even kill her own child.

The main evil that has occured in the play is the murder of Duncan. Duncan was an innocent man but the devil inside of Macbeth and Lady Macbeth made them want to kill him.

There was good and decency done by the son's because they stayed loyal to their father unlike so many others. So far in this play though, there has been far more evil than good but i think that it can only get better from here.

phoebef said...

2.another devil in the play is Lady Macbeth. she represents the deadly sin of lust. she is willing to do what ever it takes to become queen.

3. it rakes the shape of want and desire to have power.

4. Because of my background knowledge that macbeth is the story of a tragic hero, i know that evil will triumph over macbeth.

Anonymous said...

1) To me the quote from Hamlet means that the devil has the power to appear as something good, true, honest and right even when he really is sin, death, and evil.

2)Honestly I think the witches are playing the devil. For the witches appear to be fair when they tell Macbeth and Banquo of the good news, yet they are really just enticing them into sin with the promises of power. Their foretelling is really what begin's Macbeth's thoughts of murdering King Duncan. However Lady Macbeth is almost like Beezlebud or the Lord of the Flies, because Satan puts out the first temptation, and then Lady Macbeth pushes her point and seduces her husband into the action of murder. So the witches are the devil and Lady Macbeth is hre right hand man.

3)The evil that has occured is the murder of King Duncan. To Macbeth it has taken the pleasing shape of being King. While to the other people, Macbeth doesn't appear to be the murderer, ut the Savior of the Kingdom for assuming the throne and appearing so loyal.

4)There has been some deceny is shown through Banquo. He is portrayed as a charcter that will fight for justice and remain loyal to those he believes are doing the right thing. Also it seems like that in the future Banquo will end up confronting Macbeth about murdering the King, and Macbeth will murder him. Similar to how Simon tries to confront the boys about the evil they are performing and they end up murdering him. So based on the ending of Lord of the Flies, I belive that evil will triumph in Macbeth.

mitchl. said...

1. i think that this quote means that evil can come in all shapes and sizes to whatever is pleasing to the victim.
2.Yes i think that the weird sister are the devils and they are tricking macbeth into becoming the king
3. the evil so far is that macbeth has killed the king and blamed it on the guards watching him. but the pleasing shape is the idea of becoming the new king.
4. the good in the play i think is king duncan because i don't think he made any evil descisions, and the bad in the play is probably greed or wanting glory of becoming king. i think evil will triump at the end because this play is a tragedy and macbeth is the tragic hero.

jordanh said...

Well, I know lots of people have said this, but I forgot to mention it: evil is in EVERYONE. that is exactly the point Golding makes in LOF. but, people must call on their evil, and that is what determines whether or not you are evil- how willing you are to call on your evil

DawnielleN said...

1. I think the quote not only meant that the evil could appear in all shapes and sizes but I think it meant that evil can seem so ___. For example, to Lady Macbeth the dark world is something with power and something that seems so intriguing to her. She was willing to ask the evil word to help her. So I think the quote is saying that Evil can disguise it self as something not so evil.

2. The devil in Macbeth is represented by Lady Macbeth, the witches, and power is an evil as well. The witches are one of the more obvious evil characters, Macbeth is evil because she invited it in, and Power is an evil in itself because of the deep desire for it.

3. The first evil acts were performed by the witches toward the beginning of the story, then Macbeth becomes evil because of power and greed.

4. The only good I can think of is from King Duncan. I think that good will triumph in the end because of Macbeth being explained as a Tragic Hero. Hannah said to me today that she thinks Banquo may kill Macbeth. I don’t think that would happen because although tragic heroes often die, they die in a way in which honor is present. If Macbeth dies I think that it will be in some way that people still think of him as a loyal man. I think HE needs to redeem him self.

Anonymous said...

1. It means that the devil (and evil in general) has the power to make things seem really nice or good and that evil has the power to tempt you.

2. The role of the devil in Macbeth, I think, is definatly Lady Macbeth. She tempts and almost forces Macbeth to do what she wants without doing anything herself, even if Macbeth doesn't want to. Other devil characters are the Weird Sisters, who delight in making others suffer.

3. The murder of Duncan (obviously) wit took a pleasing shape by offering Macbeth the Throne and the witchcraft and evil presented by the Weird Sisters, which looks pleasing to them because they love chaos and destruction.

4. The few parts with decency in Macbeth are the parts with Banquo, who is generally a good person and when Duncan thanks Macbeth for his deeds and presents him Thane of Cawdor. I chose this person and this part of the play because it shows some decency in rewarding those who've done right by them and how Banquo wants to do what's right.

rsabey said...

I think the devil is Lady Macbeth. It is also possible that the witches are devils. I am not sure what do you guys think about that? They tell people their future and lead them to it faster than they may be prepared for. They also make it seem like the characters dont have a choice forcing them mentaly to move away from light and into darkness. I think what makes a character a "devil" is that they have the ability to influence another person by making a "sin" sound like it has an good effect on themselvs and on others. The devil also takes the deepest most evil part of characters and surface them making them seem okay or even appealing and awarding to

katyj said...

1.The quote means that the devil while he is very evil, has the ability to take on a more pleasing shape and make the evil seem more okay.
2.Lady Macbeth is the devil in Macbeth, but also the witches prophecy is the devil becuase the witches tell him he will be king which looks pleasing to him. Lady Macbeth really plants the idea of killing Duncan though, so she to is the devil.
3. the only real evil in the play so far, is killing Duncan, because he did not do anything to warrant being killed.
4. There is some good and decency in the play. Banquo and Macduff are good characters who are loyal to their king. I definatly think that good will triumph over evil and someone will kill Macbeth and Lady Macbeth.

ryanm said...

1. i think the quote means that the devil can come in any way shape or form he pleases.

2. i think that the Wierd sisters, macbeth, and lady macbeth are all the devil in macbeth. the weird sisters are just plain evil, Macbeth has commited murder for gain of power and Lady Macbeth helped kill Dunacn. either way, theyre unfortunatley headed down the Hellevator

3. the evil acts are, Macbeth being overcome by the temptation of power, and then him killing Duncan and then hiring men to killl Banquo

4. Yes, Banquo is the "Christ-like" figure in this play. although his children will be kings, he is not overcome by the desire to kill the king for his (childrens) gain.