Here is your space to ask questions, seek understanding and assist your peers in learning Macbeth. Don't forget to be a critical thinker, participate often, and check back regularly. Good luck.
Well, I really thought it was strange that Macbeth thought the only way to be king was to murder Duncan because Duncan would choose someone else. Couldn't he just outdo everyone and proove to be a better leader? I mean, there are other ways to get someone's job other than murder... why didn't he just outdo Duncan's heir to the throne, or make the heir look bad, or make the heir disowned? Why kill? Is that what the witches intended with their prophecy? Since witches were considered evil, they could have driven macbeth to murder.
josed---I think that Macbeth thought that the quickest and most surefire way to become king is to murder Duncan. He already proved his brutality as a warrior by killing two people in the battle, so maybe he is brutal like this in everyday life. Just my speculation.
I agree with amyw it would be hard to oppose a man who killed for the throne. Did anybody elso notice that the weird sisters is the name of the three witches but are also the name of a band in Harry Potter. I thought it was kind of cool that shakespear was even in Harry Potter.
josed- I think that amyw is right. I think that it is just the mentality of Macbeth. He seems to be a very brutal man!! I agree about your comment about the prophecy, and the witches.
I had a question too. What exactly does this mean: “Fair is foul, and foul is fair. Hover through the fog and filthy air.” Are the withes talking about what will happen when the battle is over, and they see Macbeth? Please clarify this for me. Macbeth will become the Thane of Cawdor, right? Why were the Norwegians attacking Macbeth in the first place? Was it because there was a dispute between Macbeth and the King of Norway? That is what it sounded like to me.
chelsea- yes he is the thane of cawdor and also glamis, i'm pretty sure. and the Norwegians only attacked because they saw an advantage for new land. that's why most kingdoms attacked each other back then. also i wonder if the witches told him he'd be king just so he would try to fufill it faster. Maybe the witches just made it up right then. Perhaps they don't like Duncan as King and thought this was a way to get him off the throne... i don't know, just thinking out loud. mollys will probably use this... in harry potter, when harry learns about theprophecy, he realizes that that is how it will end. i won't spoil it, but it brings up my previous question: is there really a prophecy or did someone just say it so that someone would decide to fufill it faster, if ever? i know of lots of prophecies in the bible (and those came true) so were they really going to happen, or did someone fufill it faster? i believe the first sometimes, but the second other times. what do other people think about that point of view?
So far I seem to be getting this whole thing pretty well. Macbeth is the war hero and he had his future told by the witches. They pretty much said that he would become the Thane of Cawdor and Glamis. However, in concordance to what chelseas said, I don't get the whole "fair is foul, and foul is fair" thing. Does anyone know what it means. Personally I think it is the witches opinion when they say that fair is foul. They are saying that it is a bad thing, though I do not know why they would say that. Then since they are witches they think that foul is fair. So in other words they think that anything that is considered wrong or unfair is actually fair. They kind of have reversed thinking. Maybe it will tie up someway later but I really don't know.
chelseas and amyw- Well, I don't know if Macbeth really is a brutal man. He is definitely brutal in war, but he didn't really consider murdering the king. The thought occured to him, but I thought he was horrified of the idea and tried to forget about it. Besides he is not only a fearsome warrior, but a very loyal man. So far at least, it doesn't look he's going to murder the king, but then again, this is the kind of thing that might change later on.
chelsea, my impression of what the witches meant when they said fair is foul and foul is fair is that the prediction they are making is fair to tell MAcbeth but they know that nothing good can come from it. that telling him will lead to his downfall making it foul. i could be completely off but that is what i was thinking. My question is pretty simple. i understand the text pretty well. what does anon mean? I am confused about from whom Macbeth recieved his new title. Was it the guy he killed or the guy who was captured?
I agree Clarao; Macbeth might have been merciless on the battlefield, but these actions were done to show loyalty to Duncan. If Macbeth had truly wanted to oppose Duncan, he could have joined up with the Thane of Cawdor in the first place. Macbeth especially shows his loyalty to Duncan when he considers the idea of murdering his cousin, and is filled with revulsion at himself for even thinking of that action. I also agree with Josed. If Macbeth was truly a better ruler than Duncan, then he would receive a higher political pedestal anyways, which is almost as good as being king.
My question is, what type of man is Banquo? He seems like a fast companion of Macbeth, but the witches refer to him as almost jealous of Macbeth. "Lesser than Macbeth, but greater. Not so happy, yet much happier." What is Banquo's role in Macbeth? Is he a side character, or is there more to him than just that?
Stefo, anon means immediately and Macbeth killed one the Thanes and captured the other. So there was actually two people Macbeth was involved with in that battle. Elisabethc in the book on page six it says that "fair is foul and foul is fair" is the "witches delight in the confusion of good and bad, beauty and ugliness". I can't think of any questions I have right now but if I think of any I'll post another comment.
I agree with Clara O. when she said that Macbeth is a brutal man in war, but doesn't really seem that way in everyday life because when he even thought about murdering the king he said it was " horrid." But I can also see where Amy W. is coming from, considering he did brutally kill two men. I personally believe the medium of these two opinions. I think that Macbeth is brutal in war and mostly in everyday life, but I think he has a great respect for authority so that's why when he thought of murdering the king, he was horrified. As for the "fair is foul and foul is fair" thing, I have no idea what that is supposed to mean. Any help?
Thanks amandah. Banquo also to me at first seemed to be a jealous kind of man because when the witches dont speak to him about his fortune, after telling macbeth of his amazing future, he gets off his horse and demands to know his future as well
Maddief - I agree with you and Clarao. Macbeth seems the more noble type to me than somebody who would kill his King. After all, it was his king he was fighting for and considering how great a warrior he is it wouldn't be hard for him to become a traitor himself. This makes me think of the tragic hero report in class - I'm not sure how, but I am sure that this first act is fortelling some secret of Macbeth's that will end up being his downfall.
Also, chelseas and elisabethc I think "fair is foul and foul is fair" refers to how the story is going to change; from MAcbeth's rise to greatness to his downfall. In different amounts his rise to power could very well seal his doom. That's my interpretation anyway.
I agree with Maddief, what kind of man is Banquo? I din't know what to think about him, except he seems to stand up for Macbeth against the witches, but it's hard to tell if he's really standing up for Macbeth or if he's really just trying to protect his own interests and asks out of jealousy.
Going through my notes I just thought of another question. What do you think the purpose of the dark and stormy weather is? I think it symbolizes the strain and brutality of war and when used around the witches I think it means that they're fortellings may appear to be good news, but will actually turn out to be very bad.
I agree with clarao. Well, in the war, Macbeth was a fearsome warrior, but when his wife brought up the aspect of killing King Duncan, he was aghast at the very idea. He didn't want to murder his king... In scene seven, Macbeth has this whole entire speech about how horrific killing him would be. But we all know that his wife was very persuasive.
I'm kind of wondering about that though. In the elizabethan era, weren't men in charge of their wives? I would have thought Macbeth would have said no or something like that. I wouldn't think that he would be brought down to her level if you know what I mean...
Morgant, you have a very interesting point. To tell the honest truth I don't know either, but my guess is that he has alot of respect for her and knows that she is a very clever woman. Maybe he just doesn't want anybody else to know that his wife is the clever and decieving type; or maybe he already knows but is denying it.
stefo- That makes perfect sense! I agree with you that the witches are talking about the news that they bring to Macbeth and how it will seem fair but its outcome will be foul. But then there is “the foul will be fair”. Does that mean that what appears to be foul is actually fair? So even though Macbeth wants to be King, it would be better for him to stay as he is.
OR They could also be talking about Macbeth’s wife, that even though she is beautiful and fair, her heart is foul. Then they are talking about themselves when the say that foul is fair. Just another viewpoint. However, what you said just really made sense. To answer your question about his titles, yes, Macbeth received the titles from the men he killed and defeated,
amandah - that is another great viewpoint of that "foul is fair line". The witches could be describing themselves and are just complete trouble makers! You know, I think that almost every line of Shakespeare has a hidden meaning, haha.
Morganw- I agree with you that the weather has a meaning. I actually believe that it is going to play a HUGE role in the play. It's hard to decipher what it means exactly , but what you said about it portraying the brutality and the strain of the war and the witches foretellings is a part of it. Does any one else have an idea of what the weather symbolizes? Do you think it is important or not?
Going off of what whitneys said about Lady macbeth and the foul is fair line, maybe the witches are reffering to macbeth and the battle. He is foul to the men he kills in battle, but what he does to them could be considered is fair because they are traitors.
did anybody think that maybe the witches are causing trouble to get duncan out of power? i mean, the witches may have never had a prophecy, but decided to tell Macbeth because they knew he needed power, and would do anything to get it faster. it could be a stretch, but does anyone disagree with me? i havent seen anyone comment on what i said before!
I thought it was interesting when Macbeth was speaking to himself thinking about killing the king and sort of thought that is what "fair is foul and foul is fair" came from.
Just to answer Morgan, I think Banquo is just another leader of the army along with Macbeth, sort of like Macbeth's best pal.
Here is my two cents on the whole fair is foul and foul is fair thing. I think that this could mean two things. One, that because the witches are evil they believe that things that they do that are foul or evil are fair, or ok for them to do and that things that are fair or good are ugly, evil or bad. This could also be a physic type thing again where they are saying that what is fair will be foul and what is foul will be fair like what the Bible says about the first will be last and the last will be first.
Some questions I had about the book I am still really confused understanding the writing of Macbeth. I also think it is weird how the title of King can make Macbeth so possessed to want it that he is willing to kill his own cousin. I think the witches giving him this prophecy of becoming King has either possesed him to fulfill the witches prediction or becuase one already came true he thinks it must become true and killing Duncan may be the only way to do it.
In reality, Macbeth is ambitious. If he is even thinking about murdering his cousin, it shows that he is capable of killing. Now he's thinking that instead of waiting for Duncan to die, he could just kill him. I didn't think that Macbeth would want to do this, because on the outside he showed such loyalty to Duncan; but after hearing Macbeth's thoughts, I seriously think that he might kill Duncan.
I don't think he had the gall to have such considerations until his wife started egging him on. She seems to be the truly evil one, and she'll probably be his downfall by the end of this. I mean, if she's willing to kill her own baby, she's got some serious issues.
I think Lady Macbeth has some serious issues, like maddief said. She is definately the one who is putting the thoughts of murdering King Duncan into his mind. I don't think he would have been able to do this on his own. I agree with what Josed said that murder is not the only way to get the job, and that he should have thought of a better way to do it. I wonder if he is going to actually murder Duncan, but if he did it would not have been at his own urging, it would have been at his wifes urgings. I disagree with chelseas when she says that Macbeth is a brutal man at heart. Although he may be incredibly brutal towrd his enemies, that is not his way at heart, and he does not want to betray the people who trust him.
I agree with what Josed said. Macbeth doesn't neccisarily have to kill Duncan to get the throne, if he has patients and a brain, I think there are better ways to ge the throne. I think that the witches told Macbeth about him becoming king just so that it would drive him to make the stupid desision of murder. The witches knew that it would drive Macbeth crazy and that it would cause caois. I don't think Macbeth should have told his wife of the prophesy, he should have know her personality and ways and known how greedy she was and how she would want him in any way to get that throne. I also agree with maddief about how Macbeth shouldn't kill him, he would ruin the loyalty and trust that many people had given him, no one would be able to trust him with any information again if it was revealed he was the killer, no one would accept him as a king. Why doesn't his wife, if she wnats it so bad, kill Duncan herself? If that is truly what needed to happen, then if Lady Macbeth killed Duncan, then it would be the smartest desion. Morganw, I agrre with how the weather is reflecting what is going on in the plot, setting the tone for the future, the caios that is being produced by the witches.
I agree with Becky G and Maddie F. Lady Macbeth has a lot of issues and sounds like she needs to get some help. I would definitley want Macbeth to be my king. I would not want my ruler to be someone who murdered people so that he could have more power. If Macbeth goes through with the murder, becomes king, and then his subjects find out that he killed Duncan, then Macbeth will be in a lot of trouble.
I think that it absolutely ridiculous how brutal and heartless Lady Macbeth is. I thought that Macbeth was bad but he is nothing compared to his wife. In act 1 she was talking about how she would kill her child if she wanted something as bad as Macbeth wants to be king. I think that it is a way different kind of brutality that Macbeth portrays. He is a fierce warrior but I don’t think that he would ever kill his own child. I think that Lady Macbeth is crazy.
I agree with everyone who has said that Lady Macbeth has problems and is very heartless. Sure, I can see that she wants her husband to be king, because then she would be "famous" and he would be extremely powerful. But it's really bad that she wants this so much that she compared it to killing her own child. (Who would kill their own child to gain power??) She's going overboard with this. I also think she may have serious mental problems if she thinks like this.
I'm actually surprised by how well I understand this. I'm glad that we talk about it in class and Ms. Smith explains things to us so that we're not confused!
I don’t really understand why Lady Macbeth is so intent on her husband killing Duncan. If she is so ‘hard’ and intent on being queen, why doesn’t she just do it herself? She may be a woman but I don’t think that makes a huge difference, because even when Macbeth kills him, she was the one who drove him so hard to do it! So technically, she is just as guilty.
I think that lady Macbeth is a nutcase, and I think "fair is foul and foul is fair" might just be Shakespeare trying to write something that looked like a spell. Because witches were considered evil, it could be that things considered good are repulsive to them. Many writers use female antagonists to portray the kind of fierceness that Lady Macbeth portrays: a psycological one. She is mad, and in those days women were considered to be weak, so she used her mind rather than Macbeth's brutal fighting to coerce him into the dark deed.
liap--i think that maybe she doesn't want to risk being discovered. She didn't seem to loving to her husband, and maybe if he gets discovered, she would just play stupid. I don't think she loves Macbeth because she'd be willing to kill her own child, and insulted and kind of mocked him to get what she wanted. I also don't think Macbeth would rat her out, and she took advantage of that. but it might have been easier to do it herself, ya.
I think "fair is foul and foul is fair" shows that Macbeth may look like a fierce warrior, and cold-hearted, while he was really an honest, trustworthy man. Lady Macbeth looked pretty and delicate, but she was really a psyhco.
Lady Macbeth may be compleatly insain but I think that she is the only reason that Macbeth is so far up in the higharcy. Has anyone else noticed that when a story takes place in around the time as Macbeth is that the women may not have many writtain rights but they really know how to manipulate other people to make things go their way? Lady Macbeth will probably be a central character later in the story. Also with the whole foul is fair thing. I think that it means that being the king may sound good but you will have to do foul things to get there and keep yourself there. And if foul things happen to it will be fair because of the bad things you have done.
JoseD- In the Mid-evil times if a King had any bllod relatives the crown would first go to a son then a brother and after that it would go to a cousin. Macbeth was king Duncan's cousin. So his sins would have to either renounce their claim to the crown. But Duncan would have to die first.
Lady Macbeth needs to get phsycological help!!! I think that she should like be one of the witches because she wanted demons to 'unsex' her! How wierd is that? She is really caught up in this whole scheme. I also think that she was unfair about saying that Macbeth wasn't a man because he wouldn't kill somebody. That's just plain wrong! I'm starting to really dislike Lady Macbeth. But, I do respect Macbeth for saying no, but then he goes ahead and does it.
Do you think lady Macbeth actually loves Macbeth or is married to him for something else? Also, why doesn't anyone realize macbeth is plotting against the king with all the weapons lying out in his castle?
I was wondering if Cawdor and Glamis are like peices of land in Scotland. I know that in the fuedal system, the country would be divided and given to knights, so are those just different parts of Scotland? In answer to tylerg, I do think that she loves MacBeth because she obviously knows his "kind" character well. She, however, is blinded by power and is therefore making him do things that he doesn't want to do. And also, I am pretty sure that weapons were common in places of residence in the Elizabethan era, so it probably was not fishy to Duncan.
I was thinking about that today during class: Does lady Macbeth actually love her husband?
I think that sometimes power changes people. When Lady Macbeth heard of what her husband could become I think another side of her came out. She was so exited by the thought of riches, power, or maybe just status. This makes me wonder if Macbeth always knew she was part crazy. So I think that her and her husband were in love at one time, maybe even up to recently, but how could you love someone that said they would kill a baby!?
I have a feeling that the hope for power could over shadow their love. I think Macbeth will slowly lose love.
Ok, basically, I really dislike Lady Macbeth. She is way too controlling and minipulative. I am also mad at Macbeth for letting her push him around. I don't care how badly you want power, you shouldn't kill someone. But I can't help but feel bad for him because it's like Lady Macbeth is playing devil's advocate for even entertaining the thought of Macbeth killing Duncan. Its like he is torn between his morals and what his wife wants him to do. I can just tell that Macbeth is going to be split between his wife and what he knows is right and he is going to end up losing something important to him.
In response to Dawnielle, back then, I don't even think it mattered to them if they loved eachother. All that people wanted was power, which is probably why she tells him to do horrible things.
Ok I have a question why would Macbeth commit such an act only because his wife said so? Also, were men considered better than women back then? If so why would Macbeth listen to his wife, I mean I know it's his wife but I wouldn't listen to someone if they told me to kill someone.
Ok so going back- I think "fair is foul and foul is fair" relates back to the idea that the witches like to create chaos. They are saying if good is bad, then bad is good. There is such a fine line between good and bad. Like a quote in scene 3 says “so foul and fair day I have not seen.” It is just saying like I have never seen a day that was so good and bad at the same time.
I agree with you guys on Lady Macbeth. I think Lady Macbeth saw that she had a perfect opportunity to bring out her evil side by using her husband, Macbeth. Like DawnielleN said power can show a different side of people, and it is not necessarily good. Lady Macbeth IS crazy!! She has brainwashed Macbeth wouldn’t you all agree? It also says that Lady Macbeth almost fears Macbeth’s nature. Is this saying that she fears the kind side of him? Also- amandah I like the point you bring up. I think Macbeth is obeying Lady Macbeth as more of a fear thing. I think he may know her evil side and might almost fear her.
Good question hannahl when you asked about Cawdor and Glamis. I put the names in Google and it came up with different castles. So I’m assuming they are castles. Does anyone else know?
madisonm, thank you for clarifying that. It sounds like it could make sense because the castle could be on a large plot of land. Also, as for the lady macbeth controversy, here is what I think. She is a person who wants power. She also therefore likes power over people, meaning Macbeth. She loves him and in a twisted way, him killing Duncan is a sign of that love. Someone asked, if she loves him why does she want him to kill Duncan. This is both selfish and loving because she wants what she thinks is best for him which is being King.
I agree with what everyone is saying for the most part. I agree that Lady Macbeth has some serious issues. I think that she is almost “power hungry” in a sense, and that she might want the throne more than Macbeth does. I agree with maddieh that husbands and wives didn’t always love each other. In this time period, marriages weren’t made by love, but by the parents. When they were married, they hardly knew each other, and met for the first time, more times than not. I also agree with what stephenf said about the blood relatives and the crown going to the cousin. I understand what we read today in class a lot better than yesterday. Also, beckyg, I thought about your comment about my previous one, and I agree. I think that that is revealed or proved even more in today’s reading. Oh, I also was thinking about Lady Macbeth. I think that Macbeth won’t have the guts to kill Duncan, but that Lady Macbeth will hold that against him, or else kill Duncan herself. Lady Macbeth is very two faced! It is just a thought.
Like everyone, i agree that Lady Macbeth suffers from slight insanity. It's interesting how knowing Macbeth, you would think this man has no soul "Till he unseamed him from the nave to the chops and fixed his head upon our battlements" you feel like whoa baby, why is he so vicious. And then he doesnt have the heart to kill the king. While his lover is all sweet until she has the power to become queen. i think they balance each other out nicely. I think it's funny how she questions his masculinity when he doesnt want to kill him. I agree with you chelseas, at this point, Macbeth has killed so many people for the king, he's not going kill the man he killed so many others for. But the next thing he has to worry about is his psyco-crazy wife threatening the life of thier future children
Okay well personaly I am not even sure that Macbeth will become king, and if he does, I think it will only be for a short amount of time. The first two things that the witches said had already happened and if the witches really have "powers" then they could travel wherever they want to recieve information. Like Ms. Smith said, the witches represent chaos and they might have just made up the part about Macbeth becoming king, because they knew the first two things were true, so Macbeth would assume the third to be true. So the witches may just being making up the whole king thing to create disorder throughout Scotland. On another note, I agree with what chelseas said, that Macbeth won't be able to go through with killing Ducan because he is so loyal to the king. So because of that I think that Lady Macbeth will end up doing the actual stabbing and go even more insane than she already is. Also I was kind of wondering who that guy that is with Macbeth a lot, Banquo is?
Amandah, I think one of the reasons that the witches are rhyming may be to distingush the witches from the other characters, they are so odd and different, and this is another way to subtly show this. Or it could be that Shakespeare wanted to display a mysterious essence abotu the witches in how they work and speak, to add to your visualizatio of them.and to dwaniellen, I think you make a valid point on how Lady Macbeth may not love Mabeth, but I do think she does and that she is just so passionate about gaining the throne, she is portrying a ruthless side to her husband. I don't know totally why I feel that way, but for some reason, I just think she does love her husband, whether she shows it in a way we find affectionate or not. I don't thnk she just all of a sudden became a mainiac, I think Macbeth knew he was marrying this maniac, and it doesn't surprise him, thats why he hasn't commented on her behavior.
Catem, I really liked what you said. It sparked a thought for me. When the witches promised Macbeth that his children will be king, did they ever promise that he himself will be king? I know they said hail to Macbeth, but like catem said they could be just trying to create chaos? What are everyone else’s thoughts?
i have a question, what is a thane? is it like a lord, prince, or is it somethig else? And how good of a rank is it? i also don't know why the king just didn't appoint Macbeth as his heir to the throne, when he has fought every battle for the king, he has killed the traitors, and i think he should have gotten a better reward for his bravery than just a thane (whatever that is). Macbeth's wife is pretty nuts, especially when she said that she would beat her own baby if she was committed to actually do it.
Maddison, I think that the whole "childrens will be kings thing" meant that since Macbeth was going to take the throne his children would automatically become kings after his death. It is a possibility that they simply meant to confuse him and create chaos.
what I want to know is how the witches are connected to Macbeth and why they are causing chaos for him.
also as everyone else said, i think Lady Macbeth is pretty crazy...either she wants to be a queen to the point where it drove her mad or she was just mad to begin with. She seems to be a bit too passionate about killing Duncan though...i find it a little unsettling
Well in response to aaronw harry potter is the first thing i thought about in this prophecy thing. I don't think Macbeth would have turned so crazy if it hadn't been for the witches prediction, just like how voldemort would have never killed harry's parents if he hadn't heard professor trelwaney's prediction. I think it is imporant to make connections like this, in order to understand what might be coming, as we know that many modern stories are based on Shakespeare stories.
Well I think Lady Macbeth is Shakespeare's representation of what human people become when faced with great things, opportunities, ways of life and possibly even versions of themselves. I think this is a lot like Lord of the Flies. In the way that when the boys started out on the island they were innocent and as much themselves as ever been exposed. After they had seen what the island had to offer, they started to change and become their true, raw selves. Just like Lady Macbeth presented with the idea of being queen.
And mitchl, i have no clue what a thane is... sorry, i am curious as well
To me Lady Macbeth seems psychopathic and is thirsty for power. I was shocked that she would say such things about what she would to for power. She is clearly using Macbeth for her quest, and he is likely going to be the one hurt by it. Does the witches foretelling of the future seem important to anyone, or is just me?
I have a few questions on the characters in Macbeth. Who are Malcolm, Lennox, Ross, Angus, and Banquo? Why are they in the story and what do they have anything to do with any of the other other characters? Right now they seem like they were just randomly thrown in to create more lines and more actors in the play. Also, I can't believe Lady Macbeth would bash her baby's head in to get more power. Does anyone else find that just a little bit disturbing? I can't believe Macbeth gave in to his wife's plot with almost no attempt at protest. I thought he was actually loyal to King Duncan, or at least it seemed that way to me. But there is no way he can be loyal to him if he agrees to stab him once he is asleep. That is a cowardly move.
Tylerg! I like your way of thinking. Maybe she is just married to him so that she can try to get the throne and take control of everything. Who knows what would happen if she did! It sure seems like that with how determined she is to follow through with the plan to kill Duncan and Malcolm. She tells Macbeth to leave it all up to her. Maybe she doesn't even trust him to do that job. She also calls him a coward and things like that. So far it sure doesn't seem like she loves him. It seems like she is just usuing him (like a lot of other people said). I feel bad for Macbeth though because it sounds like he trusts her and confines a lot of his true feelings with her. Maybe it will turn out differently, but so far it does not look very good. But personally I do not like Lady Macbeth at all. She sounds devilish and insane.
I agree with mattf, I think that Lady Macbeth is using her husband to get what she wants, but then if anything goes wrong he will take the fall and she won't be harmed.
if she just married her husband to be queen, how could she have known it would happen? She was very surprised when she learned he was thane and to be king, how would she have known?
Well, Mitch, I know for a fact that Banquo is Macbeth's best pal, who was the same rank as Macbeth (both military captains).
As for Malcolm, Lennox, Ross, and Angus, I think they too are lesser military leaders, too. Pretty much anyone of power in those days was related to the military.
I personally find it very interesting that Macbeth is still entertaining the idea of killing the king just so he can live at most 7-10 years as king and then be damned to hell for the rest of eternity. But I guess all of us have done that whole sinning thing.
OH, by the way, is anyone on this blog a religion other than Christianity? I don't want to offend any one with talking about religion, because that would not be cool. I do know some kids who are Jewish and they are some of the coolest kids ever with the whole religion thing. I really respect that kind of tolerance in a person. But that's a conversation for another time.
Anyhou, I have a question to end all of this mess of a comment and I’ll ask it to prove I’m not just rambling.
Is there another reason Lady Macbeth is crazy other than want for the crown?
I agree with mitchs and mattf. I think Lady Macbeth is using her husband to get the throne. does anyone else think she might kill Macbeth so she can rule Scotland????
to mollys. yeah we have pushy people. but Lady Macbeth kinda seems really evil. i guess it was the acting in class and the text that made me think she is capable of plotting to kill her husband.
Lady Macbeth goes above and beyond just a little pushy. She is proof about what a different time it was back then by the way that she is so cold. MAcbeth is very easily pushed around by his wife. i wonder if she ever loved him but used him to gain more power. alot of people said that but there isn't alot of prove that she does anything execept for her own gain. my question is more therorical. Would the witches prophecy about him becoming king if they hadnt mentioned to him? Maybe, maybe not.
Today reading I understood a lot more than I did yesterday. I agree with basically everyone who said that Lady Macbeth is a little bit of a pyschopath. I don't think that side of her would have come out if she hadn't gotten the oppotuinty to become queen. When she started yelling at Macbeth about how he was cowardly because he wouldn't kill the king, I actually thought the opposite. I think he would be more courageous if he just accepted the fact that he wasn't going to be king, and maybe through some chain of events he could have become king without killing anyone. I also had a similar question like Step O's. Would Macbeth still have gone on this rampage if he had no knowledge of the witch's prophecy?
I think she does love him, but her twisted desires to earn power are overpowering the desire to love her husband. Maybe she is trying to do what she thinks is best for Macbeth beacause she loves him. You're right, there is no proof, but ther's also o proof that she doesn't love him in her own "special" way. About the prophecy, I don't know if he would have thought about killing Duncan...it does seem like he talks himself into it after he becomes the Thane of Cawdor. I have to blog earlier in the day.
I don't think that Lady Macbeth actually love Macbeth, I think she is just using him because he was close to the King. I ting there might also be an underlying theme to how everyone the King trusts in betrays him. The play Macbeth seems to be about macbeth's internal conflict over becoming the King and how it will effect him.
Well, I’ll just make a list of questions/comments to people because no one likes reading through huge blocks of text to find what they want:
MitchS-I only say that for the whole "sinning" thing because there are some people out there that would take a lot of offence to that, and as I said, that's not cool. Luckily everyone I know, Jewish or Christian, Isn't like that. It was just a just in case kind of thing.
NicoleK- They were, as stefo sorta said, thane of cawdor (macdonwald {notice the MAC, usually irish/scottish last name}) and some king/noble of Norway betrayed the king (Duncan) and joined on the other side of the war and fought against him to make them traitors. But this is just my understanding, so it might be wrong.
Everyone- I agree that we don't know if Mrs. Macbeth actually loved Macbeth when they were married, so she probably just wants power. I also think Ryan had a good point in saying that she could want to secretly discard Macbeth to be the unhindered queen because when Macbeth is around, she will have to share the throne with him.
Hey guys, I was curious, I didn't know if the old thane of cawdor was dead yet. Are they going to kill him soon or is he already dead. I would guess if he was still alive thtat maybe they were goinmg to kill him soon. I just can't seem to remember that. thanks guys
Here is my question: Doesn't Macbeth still have to kill duncan's son Malcom to become king??
brianc- I agree with you on the fact that the play may be about battle within macbeth about becoming king. But I don't agree with your opinion on lady macbeth not loving mabeth because if she didn't love him she wouldn't be so persistant nor rejoicing so much in his successes. But, I do think that she has a partial selfish reason in helping macbeth, like some kind of benefit for her husband to become king. Also, their is actually a great chance that she doesn't actually love him because back them the marriages were arranged, they weren't made for love.
jhall- yes the thane of cawdor was exicuted that part was told to us right before the king says that he trusted the thane of cawdor and macbeth enters.
macm- He didn't have to talk himself into becoming the thane of cawdor becuase the news was brought to him as the thane of cawdor was found to be a traitor and executed and the title was given to him, but I don't think that macbeth would have gone on to kill Duncan to be king if the witches had not profesised about him becoming king.
Alyssas- I agree that the phyco side of lady macbeth probley wouldn't have had come out if she didn't have the opportunity at the great power of being queen. Also I agree that it would have been more courageous for him to have accepted the fact that he isn't going to be king.
Nicolek- The play never told us exactly what they did but they betrayed/ were traitors to the kind in some way. The thane of cawdor and Macdonwald are the two people, I think.
Alot of people- I think that it is a possibility that lady macbeth may be using macbeth to get to the throne of scottland, I didn't think of it that way, thanks for the new point of view. But she couldn't have married him just so that she could eventually take up the throne she wouldn't have known already, she was surprised when she heard that he had become the thane of cawdor, she might also be physco because her husband said that he would do something that she would be willing to kill a baby she was feeding just to complete this task if she promised to do it. But I don't think she had to get that mad over his choice on an issue. It sounded like macbeth would have been just fine if he never became king. He might have eventually became king anyways, maybe that is what the witches were talking about but they knew that he and his wife would want to ensure that this would happen so they would kill the king creating turmoil which is the witches goal in life.
Maddisonm: I disagree totally on the fact that macbeth might fear his wife becuase he doesn't even fear facing the whole norwegian army, and slicing a man in half. That does not sound like a man that would be scared of his wife. But that is my opinion.
Amandah: Good point, why would macbeth only do it because he is listening to his wife, weren't men considered higher than women back then?
I do not think Macbeth has to kill Malcom, Duncan's son in order to be king. I don't even think Macbeth has to kill Duncan. Macbeth might be able to wait just a little while in order for the prophecy to come true. maybe Duncan and Malcolm will get killed in a wreck or something. But this book, being a tradgedy, Macbeth will end up killing both Duncan and Malcom
I agree with Kristinah. I think it would be eaier to kill Malcolm so Macbeth would become heir. Then if he wanted to kill Duncan, he could do it and take the throne.
SPOILER ALERT! SPOILER ALERT! DON'T READ ON IF YOU LIKE TO BE KEPT IN SUSPENSE!
You guys, I recently read a few paragraphs near act five, and this will, I think, clarify some things. I'm pretty sure, not 100% sure, that lady Macbeth goes total ga-ga crazy and dies. That's all I think I should reveal, because I could get in trouble for spoiling it all for you guys (possibly).
SPOILERS OVER. You can now read.
I think Banquo is important because his kids will be kings, and they cant be his kids if he doesn't exist. Also, I think he's there to contrast Macbeth's ambition, and warns him about how evil can give truth in details to get on to sin in big matters. So he's kind of like the little angel while the witches are the demons (if you've ever seen cartoons, a little angel appears on one side of a character facing a moral conflict and a demon appears on the other, and they argue to him. Maybe that's where that came from...)
I agree with zachh and kristinah because I also think that Macbeth should kill Malcolm if he wants to become king that bad. If he kills Duncan, that won't get him the throne because Duncan has a surviving heir! Not to sound twisted or anything, but if they're really going to do this, why didn't they think of this option??
Haven't you ever heard somebody say "the plot thickens"? It's thickening as we speak, and if Macbeth only killed Malcolm, then the actual king(duncan) would still be king. If Macbeth killed Malcolm, then the king might name him heir, but Macbeth would only become king if Duncan died, and I don't know if Macbeth will outlast Duncan.
yeah, but maybe lady Macbeth will go all crazy on his butt and kill duncan, because if Macbeth(the dude) kills mlcolm, he might be too shooken up to kill duncan, so she might take it upon herself
I'm just wondering, but even if Malcom and Duncan are killed, who says that MAcbeth would automatically be king??? Is he like next in line or something, or would he just be like "Ohh, they're dead! I'm willing to take over!" Because couldn't anyone do that?
I agree with alexf. I guess he will be the next in line for the throne, after Maclom and Duncan. Right? I also agree about the comments by amyw, zachh, and kristinah. If Macbeth wanted to be sure that he was the hier, then it would only be logical for him to kill Malcom.
Hey there period 2 and 5- well done. I am really impressed with your thoughtful replies as well as addressing the person who asked the question in your response. Keep it up!
Chelseas, true, it does make sense for him to kill Malcolm if he will be able to have the throne then. Still, I am confused how he absolutely knows that he would be in line for the throne next. It must have something to do with his pride and that might lead to his downfall.
Hey everyone, Macbeth assumes that he will take the throne because according to the traditional way of handing down the throne it goes to the eldest son first and then to the cousin, I think. At least that is what I have understood.
mattf---Yes, if Macbeth kills Malcolm, he will inherit the throne. Duncan seems older and if he's worried about choosing an heir (Malcolm), then this means he may die soon, and after he dies he obviously won't be able to be king anymore. So to inherit the throne, he probably only has to kill Malcolm.
i'm kind of confused about the whole plot of the first act with all the wierd language and everything. Could anyone help me with like a summary of act 1?
I still do not understand why Duncan thinks it nessescary to KILL Duncan because if he just waited then what he wanted would've unfolded eventually. Why Kill?
Also I agree with aaronw said about the witches not wanting Duncan as king. Also I think that they know that Macbeth is brutal so they think that he would kill Duncan so he himself can be king.
Also I agree with aaronw said about the witches not wanting Duncan as king. Also I think that they know that Macbeth is brutal so they think that he would kill Duncan so he himself can be king.
I am kind of confused at what Macdownawald did to betray the Kingdom. And don't tell if you have already read the book yet but what are peoples thoughts on Macbeth killing Duncan and Malcom. Does he have to kill him to now that he is in the way and is he next blood-relative in line to take the throne or does he have to go through anymore people?
mattf, if Macbeth kills malcolm than he would become king, assuming that he doesnt get cuaght. But i think that Macbeth wouldnt need to kill duncan and just wait untill he dies.
that's a good question Mark: I was actually just thinking that... and also why would Macbeth want to stay with Lady Macbeth if she didn't love him? she's kind of cranky... and does anyone think that there maybe never WAS a prophecy? Mollys said that voldemort would have never killed Harry Potter's parents if he hadn't heard profesor trelawny say it... which is a good ppoint and makes you think about differrent points of view. Harry thought he killed his parents just to kill him... but it was because of the prophecy he killed them. Kind of like MAcbeth... possibly...
Markg, It is really hard to tell right now. In the movies it seems as if she loves him because of the way that they act together but maybe she is hiding something inside. I am kind of curious about that too.
javon: Macdonwald made a secret alliance with the Norwegians and didn't tell the Scots when they landed. And Liap: i think TIME magazine has some study that the women has a little more power in a marriage because the man will do most things for her... so he couldn't take control so fast... does that help?
hey wait... if the witches said that Banquo won't be King, but his kids will... couldn't that be a red flag for Macbeth that he won't either have kids, or he will die???
Taking the time period into thought, why would Macbeth consistantly take instruction form Lady Macbeth? She seems to wear the pants around their household and he does what she says. From what I know from this time period, men where the leaders and woman should always follow.
I agree with aaronw, Macbeth should have noticed that. And when pressed he should have told Lady Macbeth abount Banquo's prophecy as well. Jhall:Banquo is Macbeth's friend and is probably involved with the army in some way as an officer or something.
Keke: I think that the reason why "Lady macbeth wears the pants int he hbousehold" is because shde has been with him for many years, and I bet that this is the first time that she really wnats something like this because if Macbeth is king- she is QUEEN. We find out Lady Macbeth wants power so much that she will give up her soul. OR maybe she is challenging the FEUDAL SYSTEM. I think Shakespeare leaves room for us to think about that. PS. Thanks salenam
Ok, i've been reading other comments, and no then got really confused. The witches say that MAcbeth will be king and all, which i get...but how will Banquo's children also be kings. If Macbeth is king, then will her appoint Banquo's children to be kings once he dies?
Hey Jhall someone already answered that. Go up a little and read the comment by NickB.
Keke, you have a good point. Women didn't generally wear pants back then and men were usually in charge. I don't really know why he just does what she says.
I think in the end Macbeth will probably die and Banquo will end up becoming King. this relates to what aaronw said about Banquo children being kings. I imagine Macbeth might be King for a little while but eventually he will be found out and probably killed for going against Duncan
About nickb's comment, I don't think we know enough about Lady Macbeth to tell if she has another reason that she want's the throne. For now I think that all we know is that she wants the crown, but she has so much passion for it, it almost seems like she needs another reason to feel so strongly. Just my thought.
The play Macbeth seems like one of those stories where everybody dies. Tragic heroes usually die, so there goes Macbeth. I wouldn't be sad if Lady Macbeth died either. I just wonder about Banquo.
So if Banquo is the only one (besides lady Macbeth) that knows about the prophecy, does that mean that Macbeth will have to kill Banquo, his best friend, to protect the trust between himself and Duncan?
I don't know Mac. Maybe he would, but maybe Banquo doesn't believe it like Macbeth. Or maybe they'll end up in some dramatic incident, where Macbeth has to shoose between his wife and best ally. I wonder who he's choose........?
macm and mattw- I don't think Macbeth will have to kill Banquo because of the act he has put on...you know, he's acting like he doesn't really believe the witches, while inside he does. Lady Macbeth is the only one who knows his actual thoughts for sure. Banquo seems like he simply heard the witches' prophecy, then kind of forgot about it, you know? Like he doesn't really care that much? So I don't think he has to worry about Banquo...but if for some reason Banquo found out, Macbeth would probably choose his wife. I mean, blood is thicker than water, so to speak, and he would probably choose the one he's married to over his best friend... but this is all only my opinion...
NickB- Lady Macbeth not only wants the crown, but she wants other things too, in response to your question earlier. Noblewomen in the elizabethan era were considered inferior. If she were to be queen, she wouldn't be considered inferior anymore. She could do what she wanted, she would be rich, and she would get tons of benefits. That is what she wants in addition to being the queen. She is a very ambitious woman....in a bad way!
Okay, about this killing Malcom thing, don't you guys think it would look like really wierd to have two sudden deaths, then Macbeth suddenly takes the throne? To me, that would arouse suspicion all around. Maybe Macbeth does intend to kill Malcom, but they just haven't gotten that far yet in their twisted up scheme! I think that two deaths would look really wierd. But, maybe that's just me.
I agree with what amyw said because MAcbeth put on quite the act about not believing in witches and stuff like that, but I think that banquo wouldn't be paying that much attention to it all and since him and macbeth are great companions he probley wouldn't assume the worst, that macbeth did the killing. He will probley think that it was one of the servants or something like that.
I agree with kristenh and morgant. I would think that it is very suspicious if two people were suddenly killed, and Macbeth took the throne. That’s true about Macbeth pretending about the witches’ prophecies. I hadn’t thought of that yet.
I think it is interesting how lady macbeth kind of suduces Macbeth into preraring to kill Duncun. I wonder if that is a parallel to adam and eve? ( hey girls isn't it great how much power we have over the men! ha ha JK JK)So What do you guys think Macbeth's downfall is going to be? I think that it'll be how power hungry he is and the influence others have on him! (peer pressure can do more than you'd guess. dont drink and drive. stay true to yourself. ha ha)So power is somthing I think every one naturaly wants but then why can other people so easily inflence you? Power drags people down! (for all of you pro imperialists to much power leads to your own destruction!!)
You know...I was just thinking that maybe Macbeth will be King after he kills everybody that he has to and then maybe Banquo will marry Lady Macbeth and resume the throne. Just a thought. Also, I was reading about your conversations as to why Lady Macbeth would go to such measures to get the throne and if she loves Macbeth. From what I gained from the movie versions and how Macbeth trusts her with the letter, I think that Lady Macbeth does love her husband and would never kill her husband. And about the power, it's suprising how little the text lets us know about why she would murder her kinsmen for power, but I guess that it just goes back to the whole thing in Lord of the Flies and how it is just in human nature to have a lust for power and domination over other human beings.
I was just thinking that maybe Macbeth wouldn't have murdered Duncan if Duncan hadn't named malcolm his heir. Because then there would still have been a chance that he would have named Macbeth heir, so he would have waited. He probably still would have been king any way.
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144 comments:
Test question from Leslie
Well, I really thought it was strange that Macbeth thought the only way to be king was to murder Duncan because Duncan would choose someone else. Couldn't he just outdo everyone and proove to be a better leader? I mean, there are other ways to get someone's job other than murder... why didn't he just outdo Duncan's heir to the throne, or make the heir look bad, or make the heir disowned? Why kill? Is that what the witches intended with their prophecy? Since witches were considered evil, they could have driven macbeth to murder.
josed---I think that Macbeth thought that the quickest and most surefire way to become king is to murder Duncan. He already proved his brutality as a warrior by killing two people in the battle, so maybe he is brutal like this in everyday life. Just my speculation.
I agree with amyw it would be hard to oppose a man who killed for the throne. Did anybody elso notice that the weird sisters is the name of the three witches but are also the name of a band in Harry Potter. I thought it was kind of cool that shakespear was even in Harry Potter.
josed- I think that amyw is right. I think that it is just the mentality of Macbeth. He seems to be a very brutal man!! I agree about your comment about the prophecy, and the witches.
I had a question too. What exactly does this mean: “Fair is foul, and foul is fair. Hover through the fog and filthy air.” Are the withes talking about what will happen when the battle is over, and they see Macbeth? Please clarify this for me. Macbeth will become the Thane of Cawdor, right? Why were the Norwegians attacking Macbeth in the first place? Was it because there was a dispute between Macbeth and the King of Norway? That is what it sounded like to me.
chelsea- yes he is the thane of cawdor and also glamis, i'm pretty sure. and the Norwegians only attacked because they saw an advantage for new land. that's why most kingdoms attacked each other back then.
also i wonder if the witches told him he'd be king just so he would try to fufill it faster. Maybe the witches just made it up right then. Perhaps they don't like Duncan as King and thought this was a way to get him off the throne... i don't know, just thinking out loud.
mollys will probably use this... in harry potter, when harry learns about theprophecy, he realizes that that is how it will end. i won't spoil it, but it brings up my previous question: is there really a prophecy or did someone just say it so that someone would decide to fufill it faster, if ever? i know of lots of prophecies in the bible (and those came true) so were they really going to happen, or did someone fufill it faster? i believe the first sometimes, but the second other times. what do other people think about that point of view?
So far I seem to be getting this whole thing pretty well. Macbeth is the war hero and he had his future told by the witches. They pretty much said that he would become the Thane of Cawdor and Glamis. However, in concordance to what chelseas said, I don't get the whole "fair is foul, and foul is fair" thing. Does anyone know what it means. Personally I think it is the witches opinion when they say that fair is foul. They are saying that it is a bad thing, though I do not know why they would say that. Then since they are witches they think that foul is fair. So in other words they think that anything that is considered wrong or unfair is actually fair. They kind of have reversed thinking. Maybe it will tie up someway later but I really don't know.
chelseas and amyw- Well, I don't know if Macbeth really is a brutal man. He is definitely brutal in war, but he didn't really consider murdering the king. The thought occured to him, but I thought he was horrified of the idea and tried to forget about it. Besides he is not only a fearsome warrior, but a very loyal man. So far at least, it doesn't look he's going to murder the king, but then again, this is the kind of thing that might change later on.
chelsea, my impression of what the witches meant when they said fair is foul and foul is fair is that the prediction they are making is fair to tell MAcbeth but they know that nothing good can come from it. that telling him will lead to his downfall making it foul. i could be completely off but that is what i was thinking. My question is pretty simple. i understand the text pretty well. what does anon mean? I am confused about from whom Macbeth recieved his new title. Was it the guy he killed or the guy who was captured?
I agree Clarao; Macbeth might have been merciless on the battlefield, but these actions were done to show loyalty to Duncan. If Macbeth had truly wanted to oppose Duncan, he could have joined up with the Thane of Cawdor in the first place. Macbeth especially shows his loyalty to Duncan when he considers the idea of murdering his cousin, and is filled with revulsion at himself for even thinking of that action. I also agree with Josed. If Macbeth was truly a better ruler than Duncan, then he would receive a higher political pedestal anyways, which is almost as good as being king.
My question is, what type of man is Banquo? He seems like a fast companion of Macbeth, but the witches refer to him as almost jealous of Macbeth. "Lesser than Macbeth, but greater. Not so happy, yet much happier." What is Banquo's role in Macbeth? Is he a side character, or is there more to him than just that?
Stefo, anon means immediately and Macbeth killed one the Thanes and captured the other. So there was actually two people Macbeth was involved with in that battle. Elisabethc in the book on page six it says that "fair is foul and foul is fair" is the "witches delight in the confusion of good and bad, beauty and ugliness". I can't think of any questions I have right now but if I think of any I'll post another comment.
ryad I didn't know that but now that you point that out that's cool! What is the significance of the witches ryhming?
I agree with Clara O. when she said that Macbeth is a brutal man in war, but doesn't really seem that way in everyday life because when he even thought about murdering the king he said it was " horrid." But I can also see where Amy W. is coming from, considering he did brutally kill two men. I personally believe the medium of these two opinions. I think that Macbeth is brutal in war and mostly in everyday life, but I think he has a great respect for authority so that's why when he thought of murdering the king, he was horrified. As for the "fair is foul and foul is fair" thing, I have no idea what that is supposed to mean. Any help?
Thanks amandah. Banquo also to me at first seemed to be a jealous kind of man because when the witches dont speak to him about his fortune, after telling macbeth of his amazing future, he gets off his horse and demands to know his future as well
Maddief - I agree with you and Clarao. Macbeth seems the more noble type to me than somebody who would kill his King. After all, it was his king he was fighting for and considering how great a warrior he is it wouldn't be hard for him to become a traitor himself. This makes me think of the tragic hero report in class - I'm not sure how, but I am sure that this first act is fortelling some secret of Macbeth's that will end up being his downfall.
Also, chelseas and elisabethc I think "fair is foul and foul is fair" refers to how the story is going to change; from MAcbeth's rise to greatness to his downfall. In different amounts his rise to power could very well seal his doom. That's my interpretation anyway.
I agree with Maddief, what kind of man is Banquo? I din't know what to think about him, except he seems to stand up for Macbeth against the witches, but it's hard to tell if he's really standing up for Macbeth or if he's really just trying to protect his own interests and asks out of jealousy.
Going through my notes I just thought of another question. What do you think the purpose of the dark and stormy weather is? I think it symbolizes the strain and brutality of war and when used around the witches I think it means that they're fortellings may appear to be good news, but will actually turn out to be very bad.
I agree with clarao. Well, in the war, Macbeth was a fearsome warrior, but when his wife brought up the aspect of killing King Duncan, he was aghast at the very idea. He didn't want to murder his king... In scene seven, Macbeth has this whole entire speech about how horrific killing him would be. But we all know that his wife was very persuasive.
I'm kind of wondering about that though. In the elizabethan era, weren't men in charge of their wives? I would have thought Macbeth would have said no or something like that. I wouldn't think that he would be brought down to her level if you know what I mean...
Morgant, you have a very interesting point. To tell the honest truth I don't know either, but my guess is that he has alot of respect for her and knows that she is a very clever woman. Maybe he just doesn't want anybody else to know that his wife is the clever and decieving type; or maybe he already knows but is denying it.
stefo- That makes perfect sense! I agree with you that the witches are talking about the news that they bring to Macbeth and how it will seem fair but its outcome will be foul. But then there is “the foul will be fair”. Does that mean that what appears to be foul is actually fair? So even though Macbeth wants to be King, it would be better for him to stay as he is.
OR
They could also be talking about Macbeth’s wife, that even though she is beautiful and fair, her heart is foul. Then they are talking about themselves when the say that foul is fair. Just another viewpoint.
However, what you said just really made sense. To answer your question about his titles, yes, Macbeth received the titles from the men he killed and defeated,
amandah - that is another great viewpoint of that "foul is fair line". The witches could be describing themselves and are just complete trouble makers! You know, I think that almost every line of Shakespeare has a hidden meaning, haha.
Morganw- I agree with you that the weather has a meaning. I actually believe that it is going to play a HUGE role in the play. It's hard to decipher what it means exactly , but what you said about it portraying the brutality and the strain of the war and the witches foretellings is a part of it. Does any one else have an idea of what the weather symbolizes? Do you think it is important or not?
Going off of what whitneys said about Lady macbeth and the foul is fair line, maybe the witches are reffering to macbeth and the battle. He is foul to the men he kills in battle, but what he does to them could be considered is fair because they are traitors.
did anybody think that maybe the witches are causing trouble to get duncan out of power? i mean, the witches may have never had a prophecy, but decided to tell Macbeth because they knew he needed power, and would do anything to get it faster. it could be a stretch, but does anyone disagree with me? i havent seen anyone comment on what i said before!
I thought it was interesting when Macbeth was speaking to himself thinking about killing the king and sort of thought that is what "fair is foul and foul is fair" came from.
Just to answer Morgan, I think Banquo is just another leader of the army along with Macbeth, sort of like Macbeth's best pal.
Here is my two cents on the whole fair is foul and foul is fair thing. I think that this could mean two things. One, that because the witches are evil they believe that things that they do that are foul or evil are fair, or ok for them to do and that things that are fair or good are ugly, evil or bad. This could also be a physic type thing again where they are saying that what is fair will be foul and what is foul will be fair like what the Bible says about the first will be last and the last will be first.
Some questions I had about the book I am still really confused understanding the writing of Macbeth. I also think it is weird how the title of King can make Macbeth so possessed to want it that he is willing to kill his own cousin. I think the witches giving him this prophecy of becoming King has either possesed him to fulfill the witches prediction or becuase one already came true he thinks it must become true and killing Duncan may be the only way to do it.
In reality, Macbeth is ambitious. If he is even thinking about murdering his cousin, it shows that he is capable of killing. Now he's thinking that instead of waiting for Duncan to die, he could just kill him. I didn't think that Macbeth would want to do this, because on the outside he showed such loyalty to Duncan; but after hearing Macbeth's thoughts, I seriously think that he might kill Duncan.
I don't think he had the gall to have such considerations until his wife started egging him on. She seems to be the truly evil one, and she'll probably be his downfall by the end of this. I mean, if she's willing to kill her own baby, she's got some serious issues.
I think Lady Macbeth has some serious issues, like maddief said. She is definately the one who is putting the thoughts of murdering King Duncan into his mind. I don't think he would have been able to do this on his own. I agree with what Josed said that murder is not the only way to get the job, and that he should have thought of a better way to do it. I wonder if he is going to actually murder Duncan, but if he did it would not have been at his own urging, it would have been at his wifes urgings. I disagree with chelseas when she says that Macbeth is a brutal man at heart. Although he may be incredibly brutal towrd his enemies, that is not his way at heart, and he does not want to betray the people who trust him.
I agree with what Josed said. Macbeth doesn't neccisarily have to kill Duncan to get the throne, if he has patients and a brain, I think there are better ways to ge the throne. I think that the witches told Macbeth about him becoming king just so that it would drive him to make the stupid desision of murder. The witches knew that it would drive Macbeth crazy and that it would cause caois. I don't think Macbeth should have told his wife of the prophesy, he should have know her personality and ways and known how greedy she was and how she would want him in any way to get that throne. I also agree with maddief about how Macbeth shouldn't kill him, he would ruin the loyalty and trust that many people had given him, no one would be able to trust him with any information again if it was revealed he was the killer, no one would accept him as a king. Why doesn't his wife, if she wnats it so bad, kill Duncan herself? If that is truly what needed to happen, then if Lady Macbeth killed Duncan, then it would be the smartest desion. Morganw, I agrre with how the weather is reflecting what is going on in the plot, setting the tone for the future, the caios that is being produced by the witches.
I agree with Becky G and Maddie F. Lady Macbeth has a lot of issues and sounds like she needs to get some help.
I would definitley want Macbeth to be my king. I would not want my ruler to be someone who murdered people so that he could have more power. If Macbeth goes through with the murder, becomes king, and then his subjects find out that he killed Duncan, then Macbeth will be in a lot of trouble.
I think that it absolutely ridiculous how brutal and heartless Lady Macbeth is. I thought that Macbeth was bad but he is nothing compared to his wife. In act 1 she was talking about how she would kill her child if she wanted something as bad as Macbeth wants to be king. I think that it is a way different kind of brutality that Macbeth portrays. He is a fierce warrior but I don’t think that he would ever kill his own child. I think that Lady Macbeth is crazy.
I agree with everyone who has said that Lady Macbeth has problems and is very heartless. Sure, I can see that she wants her husband to be king, because then she would be "famous" and he would be extremely powerful. But it's really bad that she wants this so much that she compared it to killing her own child. (Who would kill their own child to gain power??) She's going overboard with this. I also think she may have serious mental problems if she thinks like this.
I'm actually surprised by how well I understand this. I'm glad that we talk about it in class and Ms. Smith explains things to us so that we're not confused!
I don’t really understand why Lady Macbeth is so intent on her husband killing Duncan. If she is so ‘hard’ and intent on being queen, why doesn’t she just do it herself? She may be a woman but I don’t think that makes a huge difference, because even when Macbeth kills him, she was the one who drove him so hard to do it! So technically, she is just as guilty.
I think that lady Macbeth is a nutcase, and I think "fair is foul and foul is fair" might just be Shakespeare trying to write something that looked like a spell. Because witches were considered evil, it could be that things considered good are repulsive to them. Many writers use female antagonists to portray the kind of fierceness that Lady Macbeth portrays: a psycological one. She is mad, and in those days women were considered to be weak, so she used her mind rather than Macbeth's brutal fighting to coerce him into the dark deed.
liap--i think that maybe she doesn't want to risk being discovered. She didn't seem to loving to her husband, and maybe if he gets discovered, she would just play stupid. I don't think she loves Macbeth because she'd be willing to kill her own child, and insulted and kind of mocked him to get what she wanted. I also don't think Macbeth would rat her out, and she took advantage of that. but it might have been easier to do it herself, ya.
I think "fair is foul and foul is fair" shows that Macbeth may look like a fierce warrior, and cold-hearted, while he was really an honest, trustworthy man. Lady Macbeth looked pretty and delicate, but she was really a psyhco.
Lady Macbeth may be compleatly insain but I think that she is the only reason that Macbeth is so far up in the higharcy. Has anyone else noticed that when a story takes place in around the time as Macbeth is that the women may not have many writtain rights but they really know how to manipulate other people to make things go their way? Lady Macbeth will probably be a central character later in the story.
Also with the whole foul is fair thing. I think that it means that being the king may sound good but you will have to do foul things to get there and keep yourself there. And if foul things happen to it will be fair because of the bad things you have done.
I have a quick question... did shakespeare live in medieval times, or the renaissance? Or was it a completely different time period?
Well he lived in 1564-1616 so that would make it the baroque period.
Well at least it was in the 1600s.
JoseD- In the Mid-evil times if a King had any bllod relatives the crown would first go to a son then a brother and after that it would go to a cousin. Macbeth was king Duncan's cousin. So his sins would have to either renounce their claim to the crown. But Duncan would have to die first.
Lady Macbeth needs to get phsycological help!!! I think that she should like be one of the witches because she wanted demons to 'unsex' her! How wierd is that? She is really caught up in this whole scheme. I also think that she was unfair about saying that Macbeth wasn't a man because he wouldn't kill somebody. That's just plain wrong! I'm starting to really dislike Lady Macbeth. But, I do respect Macbeth for saying no, but then he goes ahead and does it.
Do you think lady Macbeth actually loves Macbeth or is married to him for something else? Also, why doesn't anyone realize macbeth is plotting against the king with all the weapons lying out in his castle?
I was wondering if Cawdor and Glamis are like peices of land in Scotland. I know that in the fuedal system, the country would be divided and given to knights, so are those just different parts of Scotland?
In answer to tylerg, I do think that she loves MacBeth because she obviously knows his "kind" character well. She, however, is blinded by power and is therefore making him do things that he doesn't want to do. And also, I am pretty sure that weapons were common in places of residence in the Elizabethan era, so it probably was not fishy to Duncan.
I was thinking about that today during class: Does lady Macbeth actually love her husband?
I think that sometimes power changes people. When Lady Macbeth heard of what her husband could become I think another side of her came out. She was so exited by the thought of riches, power, or maybe just status. This makes me wonder if Macbeth always knew she was part crazy. So I think that her and her husband were in love at one time, maybe even up to recently, but how could you love someone that said they would kill a baby!?
I have a feeling that the hope for power could over shadow their love. I think Macbeth will slowly lose love.
Ok, basically, I really dislike Lady Macbeth. She is way too controlling and minipulative. I am also mad at Macbeth for letting her push him around. I don't care how badly you want power, you shouldn't kill someone. But I can't help but feel bad for him because it's like Lady Macbeth is playing devil's advocate for even entertaining the thought of Macbeth killing Duncan. Its like he is torn between his morals and what his wife wants him to do. I can just tell that Macbeth is going to be split between his wife and what he knows is right and he is going to end up losing something important to him.
In response to Dawnielle, back then, I don't even think it mattered to them if they loved eachother. All that people wanted was power, which is probably why she tells him to do horrible things.
Ok I have a question why would Macbeth commit such an act only because his wife said so? Also, were men considered better than women back then? If so why would Macbeth listen to his wife, I mean I know it's his wife but I wouldn't listen to someone if they told me to kill someone.
Ok so going back- I think "fair is foul and foul is fair" relates back to the idea that the witches like to create chaos. They are saying if good is bad, then bad is good. There is such a fine line between good and bad. Like a quote in scene 3 says “so foul and fair day I have not seen.” It is just saying like I have never seen a day that was so good and bad at the same time.
I agree with you guys on Lady Macbeth. I think Lady Macbeth saw that she had a perfect opportunity to bring out her evil side by using her husband, Macbeth. Like DawnielleN said power can show a different side of people, and it is not necessarily good. Lady Macbeth IS crazy!! She has brainwashed Macbeth wouldn’t you all agree? It also says that Lady Macbeth almost fears Macbeth’s nature. Is this saying that she fears the kind side of him?
Also- amandah I like the point you bring up. I think Macbeth is obeying Lady Macbeth as more of a fear thing. I think he may know her evil side and might almost fear her.
Good question hannahl when you asked about Cawdor and Glamis. I put the names in Google and it came up with different castles. So I’m assuming they are castles. Does anyone else know?
madisonm, thank you for clarifying that. It sounds like it could make sense because the castle could be on a large plot of land. Also, as for the lady macbeth controversy, here is what I think. She is a person who wants power. She also therefore likes power over people, meaning Macbeth. She loves him and in a twisted way, him killing Duncan is a sign of that love. Someone asked, if she loves him why does she want him to kill Duncan. This is both selfish and loving because she wants what she thinks is best for him which is being King.
I agree with what everyone is saying for the most part. I agree that Lady Macbeth has some serious issues. I think that she is almost “power hungry” in a sense, and that she might want the throne more than Macbeth does. I agree with maddieh that husbands and wives didn’t always love each other. In this time period, marriages weren’t made by love, but by the parents. When they were married, they hardly knew each other, and met for the first time, more times than not. I also agree with what stephenf said about the blood relatives and the crown going to the cousin. I understand what we read today in class a lot better than yesterday. Also, beckyg, I thought about your comment about my previous one, and I agree. I think that that is revealed or proved even more in today’s reading. Oh, I also was thinking about Lady Macbeth. I think that Macbeth won’t have the guts to kill Duncan, but that Lady Macbeth will hold that against him, or else kill Duncan herself. Lady Macbeth is very two faced! It is just a thought.
Like everyone, i agree that Lady Macbeth suffers from slight insanity. It's interesting how knowing Macbeth, you would think this man has no soul "Till he unseamed him from the nave to the chops and fixed his head upon our battlements" you feel like whoa baby, why is he so vicious. And then he doesnt have the heart to kill the king. While his lover is all sweet until she has the power to become queen. i think they balance each other out nicely. I think it's funny how she questions his masculinity when he doesnt want to kill him.
I agree with you chelseas, at this point, Macbeth has killed so many people for the king, he's not going kill the man he killed so many others for. But the next thing he has to worry about is his psyco-crazy wife threatening the life of thier future children
Okay well personaly I am not even sure that Macbeth will become king, and if he does, I think it will only be for a short amount of time. The first two things that the witches said had already happened and if the witches really have "powers" then they could travel wherever they want to recieve information. Like Ms. Smith said, the witches represent chaos and they might have just made up the part about Macbeth becoming king, because they knew the first two things were true, so Macbeth would assume the third to be true. So the witches may just being making up the whole king thing to create disorder throughout Scotland.
On another note, I agree with what chelseas said, that Macbeth won't be able to go through with killing Ducan because he is so loyal to the king. So because of that I think that Lady Macbeth will end up doing the actual stabbing and go even more insane than she already is.
Also I was kind of wondering who that guy that is with Macbeth a lot, Banquo is?
Amandah, I think one of the reasons that the witches are rhyming may be to distingush the witches from the other characters, they are so odd and different, and this is another way to subtly show this. Or it could be that Shakespeare wanted to display a mysterious essence abotu the witches in how they work and speak, to add to your visualizatio of them.and to dwaniellen, I think you make a valid point on how Lady Macbeth may not love Mabeth, but I do think she does and that she is just so passionate about gaining the throne, she is portrying a ruthless side to her husband. I don't know totally why I feel that way, but for some reason, I just think she does love her husband, whether she shows it in a way we find affectionate or not. I don't thnk she just all of a sudden became a mainiac, I think Macbeth knew he was marrying this maniac, and it doesn't surprise him, thats why he hasn't commented on her behavior.
Catem, I really liked what you said. It sparked a thought for me. When the witches promised Macbeth that his children will be king, did they ever promise that he himself will be king? I know they said hail to Macbeth, but like catem said they could be just trying to create chaos? What are everyone else’s thoughts?
i have a question, what is a thane? is it like a lord, prince, or is it somethig else? And how good of a rank is it? i also don't know why the king just didn't appoint Macbeth as his heir to the throne, when he has fought every battle for the king, he has killed the traitors, and i think he should have gotten a better reward for his bravery than just a thane (whatever that is). Macbeth's wife is pretty nuts, especially when she said that she would beat her own baby if she was committed to actually do it.
Maddison, I think that the whole "childrens will be kings thing" meant that since Macbeth was going to take the throne his children would automatically become kings after his death. It is a possibility that they simply meant to confuse him and create chaos.
what I want to know is how the witches are connected to Macbeth and why they are causing chaos for him.
also as everyone else said, i think Lady Macbeth is pretty crazy...either she wants to be a queen to the point where it drove her mad or she was just mad to begin with. She seems to be a bit too passionate about killing Duncan though...i find it a little unsettling
Well in response to aaronw
harry potter is the first thing i thought about in this prophecy thing. I don't think Macbeth would have turned so crazy if it hadn't been for the witches prediction, just like how voldemort would have never killed harry's parents if he hadn't heard professor trelwaney's prediction. I think it is imporant to make connections like this, in order to understand what might be coming, as we know that many modern stories are based on Shakespeare stories.
Well I think Lady Macbeth is Shakespeare's representation of what human people become when faced with great things, opportunities, ways of life and possibly even versions of themselves. I think this is a lot like Lord of the Flies. In the way that when the boys started out on the island they were innocent and as much themselves as ever been exposed. After they had seen what the island had to offer, they started to change and become their true, raw selves. Just like Lady Macbeth presented with the idea of being queen.
And mitchl,
i have no clue what a thane is...
sorry, i am curious as well
To me Lady Macbeth seems psychopathic and is thirsty for power. I was shocked that she would say such things about what she would to for power. She is clearly using Macbeth for her quest, and he is likely going to be the one hurt by it. Does the witches foretelling of the future seem important to anyone, or is just me?
Like mitchl, I am wondering what a thane is. Does anyone know?
I found that the definition of a thane is: a free retainer of an Anglo-Saxon lord; a Scottish feudal lord. I found this in as old dictionary.
I have a few questions on the characters in Macbeth. Who are Malcolm, Lennox, Ross, Angus, and Banquo? Why are they in the story and what do they have anything to do with any of the other other characters? Right now they seem like they were just randomly thrown in to create more lines and more actors in the play. Also, I can't believe Lady Macbeth would bash her baby's head in to get more power. Does anyone else find that just a little bit disturbing? I can't believe Macbeth gave in to his wife's plot with almost no attempt at protest. I thought he was actually loyal to King Duncan, or at least it seemed that way to me. But there is no way he can be loyal to him if he agrees to stab him once he is asleep. That is a cowardly move.
Tylerg! I like your way of thinking. Maybe she is just married to him so that she can try to get the throne and take control of everything. Who knows what would happen if she did! It sure seems like that with how determined she is to follow through with the plan to kill Duncan and Malcolm. She tells Macbeth to leave it all up to her. Maybe she doesn't even trust him to do that job. She also calls him a coward and things like that. So far it sure doesn't seem like she loves him. It seems like she is just usuing him (like a lot of other people said). I feel bad for Macbeth though because it sounds like he trusts her and confines a lot of his true feelings with her. Maybe it will turn out differently, but so far it does not look very good. But personally I do not like Lady Macbeth at all. She sounds devilish and insane.
I agree with mattf, I think that Lady Macbeth is using her husband to get what she wants, but then if anything goes wrong he will take the fall and she won't be harmed.
if she just married her husband to be queen, how could she have known it would happen? She was very surprised when she learned he was thane and to be king, how would she have known?
Well, Mitch, I know for a fact that Banquo is Macbeth's best pal, who was the same rank as Macbeth (both military captains).
As for Malcolm, Lennox, Ross, and Angus, I think they too are lesser military leaders, too. Pretty much anyone of power in those days was related to the military.
I personally find it very interesting that Macbeth is still entertaining the idea of killing the king just so he can live at most 7-10 years as king and then be damned to hell for the rest of eternity. But I guess all of us have done that whole sinning thing.
OH, by the way, is anyone on this blog a religion other than Christianity?
I don't want to offend any one with talking about religion, because that would not be cool. I do know some kids who are Jewish and they are some of the coolest kids ever with the whole religion thing. I really respect that kind of tolerance in a person. But that's a conversation for another time.
Anyhou, I have a question to end all of this mess of a comment and I’ll ask it to prove I’m not just rambling.
Is there another reason Lady Macbeth is crazy other than want for the crown?
Yeah... I'm Jewish, but I don't see what that has to do with anything you said.
Nick, either way I wouldn't be offended by it at all.
I agree with mitchs and mattf. I think Lady Macbeth is using her husband to get the throne. does anyone else think she might kill Macbeth so she can rule Scotland????
I don't think she would do anything that drastic. It would be too obvious and she would probably get arrested for it.
Yeah she probably would be found out. But wouldn't she have been arrested for plotting to murder Duncan?
Who is Banquo?
gosh guys
she wasnt the one who came up with the idea to kill the king
it was Macbeth, she is just being the one to keep him on track to what he thought he wanted
she might just be one of those type of people who just are pushy and want to do what they think are best for you, even if it isnt.
i mean there is no denying that she is a little off her rocker, but then again we have pushy people who are alive today, right??
to mollys. yeah we have pushy people. but Lady Macbeth kinda seems really evil. i guess it was the acting in class and the text that made me think she is capable of plotting to kill her husband.
wait
hooooold on
killing her husband? as in killing Macbeth??
yes as in killing Macbeth for the throne after he is (according to the prophecy) king.
i'm confused about the two people that betrayed the king before Macbeth? who were they and how did they betray the kings trust?
they were the thane of cawdor and macdonwald i think and they both gave information to the enemy i think
Lady Macbeth goes above and beyond just a little pushy. She is proof about what a different time it was back then by the way that she is so cold. MAcbeth is very easily pushed around by his wife. i wonder if she ever loved him but used him to gain more power. alot of people said that but there isn't alot of prove that she does anything execept for her own gain. my question is more therorical. Would the witches prophecy about him becoming king if they hadnt mentioned to him? Maybe, maybe not.
Today reading I understood a lot more than I did yesterday. I agree with basically everyone who said that Lady Macbeth is a little bit of a pyschopath. I don't think that side of her would have come out if she hadn't gotten the oppotuinty to become queen. When she started yelling at Macbeth about how he was cowardly because he wouldn't kill the king, I actually thought the opposite. I think he would be more courageous if he just accepted the fact that he wasn't going to be king, and maybe through some chain of events he could have become king without killing anyone. I also had a similar question like Step O's. Would Macbeth still have gone on this rampage if he had no knowledge of the witch's prophecy?
I think she does love him, but her twisted desires to earn power are overpowering the desire to love her husband. Maybe she is trying to do what she thinks is best for Macbeth beacause she loves him. You're right, there is no proof, but ther's also o proof that she doesn't love him in her own "special" way. About the prophecy, I don't know if he would have thought about killing Duncan...it does seem like he talks himself into it after he becomes the Thane of Cawdor. I have to blog earlier in the day.
I don't think that Lady Macbeth actually love Macbeth, I think she is just using him because he was close to the King. I ting there might also be an underlying theme to how everyone the King trusts in betrays him. The play Macbeth seems to be about macbeth's internal conflict over becoming the King and how it will effect him.
Well, I’ll just make a list of questions/comments to people because no one likes reading through huge blocks of text to find what they want:
MitchS-I only say that for the whole "sinning" thing because there are some people out there that would take a lot of offence to that, and as I said, that's not cool. Luckily everyone I know, Jewish or Christian, Isn't like that. It was just a just in case kind of thing.
NicoleK- They were, as stefo sorta said, thane of cawdor (macdonwald {notice the MAC, usually irish/scottish last name}) and some king/noble of Norway betrayed the king (Duncan) and joined on the other side of the war and fought against him to make them traitors. But this is just my understanding, so it might be wrong.
Everyone- I agree that we don't know if Mrs. Macbeth actually loved Macbeth when they were married, so she probably just wants power. I also think Ryan had a good point in saying that she could want to secretly discard Macbeth to be the unhindered queen because when Macbeth is around, she will have to share the throne with him.
Hey guys, I was curious, I didn't know if the old thane of cawdor was dead yet. Are they going to kill him soon or is he already dead. I would guess if he was still alive thtat maybe they were goinmg to kill him soon. I just can't seem to remember that. thanks guys
i think they said that they had executed him allready, but i could be wrong...
I think that he is dead, because at the beginning of scene four, they talk to an eye witness who saw the Thane confess his treason and be hanged.
And, I still think that Lady Macbeth could love Macbeth, because maybe they were married before he became close to the king, you never know.
to alyssas, i dont think Macbeth would have even thought about killing the king if he and banquo hadnt come across the witches.
Here is my question: Doesn't Macbeth still have to kill duncan's son Malcom to become king??
brianc-
I agree with you on the fact that the play may be about battle within macbeth about becoming king. But I don't agree with your opinion on lady macbeth not loving mabeth because if she didn't love him she wouldn't be so persistant nor rejoicing so much in his successes. But, I do think that she has a partial selfish reason in helping macbeth, like some kind of benefit for her husband to become king. Also, their is actually a great chance that she doesn't actually love him because back them the marriages were arranged, they weren't made for love.
jhall-
yes the thane of cawdor was exicuted that part was told to us right before the king says that he trusted the thane of cawdor and macbeth enters.
macm-
He didn't have to talk himself into becoming the thane of cawdor becuase the news was brought to him as the thane of cawdor was found to be a traitor and executed and the title was given to him, but I don't think that macbeth would have gone on to kill Duncan to be king if the witches had not profesised about him becoming king.
Alyssas-
I agree that the phyco side of lady macbeth probley wouldn't have had come out if she didn't have the opportunity at the great power of being queen. Also I agree that it would have been more courageous for him to have accepted the fact that he isn't going to be king.
Nicolek-
The play never told us exactly what they did but they betrayed/ were traitors to the kind in some way. The thane of cawdor and Macdonwald are the two people, I think.
Alot of people-
I think that it is a possibility that lady macbeth may be using macbeth to get to the throne of scottland, I didn't think of it that way, thanks for the new point of view. But she couldn't have married him just so that she could eventually take up the throne she wouldn't have known already, she was surprised when she heard that he had become the thane of cawdor, she might also be physco because her husband said that he would do something that she would be willing to kill a baby she was feeding just to complete this task if she promised to do it. But I don't think she had to get that mad over his choice on an issue. It sounded like macbeth would have been just fine if he never became king. He might have eventually became king anyways, maybe that is what the witches were talking about but they knew that he and his wife would want to ensure that this would happen so they would kill the king creating turmoil which is the witches goal in life.
Maddisonm:
I disagree totally on the fact that macbeth might fear his wife becuase he doesn't even fear facing the whole norwegian army, and slicing a man in half. That does not sound like a man that would be scared of his wife.
But that is my opinion.
Amandah:
Good point, why would macbeth only do it because he is listening to his wife, weren't men considered higher than women back then?
GOOD POINTS AND THOUGHTS EVERYONE!!!
I do not think Macbeth has to kill Malcom, Duncan's son in order to be king. I don't even think Macbeth has to kill Duncan. Macbeth might be able to wait just a little while in order for the prophecy to come true. maybe Duncan and Malcolm will get killed in a wreck or something. But this book, being a tradgedy, Macbeth will end up killing both Duncan and Malcom
I agree with Kristinah. I think it would be eaier to kill Malcolm so Macbeth would become heir. Then if he wanted to kill Duncan, he could do it and take the throne.
SPOILER ALERT! SPOILER ALERT!
DON'T READ ON IF YOU LIKE TO BE KEPT IN SUSPENSE!
You guys, I recently read a few paragraphs near act five, and this will, I think, clarify some things. I'm pretty sure, not 100% sure, that lady Macbeth goes total ga-ga crazy and dies. That's all I think I should reveal, because I could get in trouble for spoiling it all for you guys (possibly).
SPOILERS OVER. You can now read.
I think Banquo is important because his kids will be kings, and they cant be his kids if he doesn't exist. Also, I think he's there to contrast Macbeth's ambition, and warns him about how evil can give truth in details to get on to sin in big matters. So he's kind of like the little angel while the witches are the demons (if you've ever seen cartoons, a little angel appears on one side of a character facing a moral conflict and a demon appears on the other, and they argue to him. Maybe that's where that came from...)
I agree with zachh and kristinah because I also think that Macbeth should kill Malcolm if he wants to become king that bad. If he kills Duncan, that won't get him the throne because Duncan has a surviving heir! Not to sound twisted or anything, but if they're really going to do this, why didn't they think of this option??
Haven't you ever heard somebody say "the plot thickens"? It's thickening as we speak, and if Macbeth only killed Malcolm, then the actual king(duncan) would still be king. If Macbeth killed Malcolm, then the king might name him heir, but Macbeth would only become king if Duncan died, and I don't know if Macbeth will outlast Duncan.
yeah, but maybe lady Macbeth will go all crazy on his butt and kill duncan, because if Macbeth(the dude) kills mlcolm, he might be too shooken up to kill duncan, so she might take it upon herself
I'm just wondering, but even if Malcom and Duncan are killed, who says that MAcbeth would automatically be king??? Is he like next in line or something, or would he just be like "Ohh, they're dead! I'm willing to take over!" Because couldn't anyone do that?
I agree with alexf. I guess he will be the next in line for the throne, after Maclom and Duncan. Right? I also agree about the comments by amyw, zachh, and kristinah. If Macbeth wanted to be sure that he was the hier, then it would only be logical for him to kill Malcom.
Hey there period 2 and 5- well done. I am really impressed with your thoughtful replies as well as addressing the person who asked the question in your response. Keep it up!
Chelseas, true, it does make sense for him to kill Malcolm if he will be able to have the throne then. Still, I am confused how he absolutely knows that he would be in line for the throne next. It must have something to do with his pride and that might lead to his downfall.
Hey everyone,
Macbeth assumes that he will take the throne because according to the traditional way of handing down the throne it goes to the eldest son first and then to the cousin, I think. At least that is what I have understood.
So, has it been established that if Macbeth kills Malcomn and Duncan, then he will inherit the throne, or will he have to kill others?
mattf---Yes, if Macbeth kills Malcolm, he will inherit the throne. Duncan seems older and if he's worried about choosing an heir (Malcolm), then this means he may die soon, and after he dies he obviously won't be able to be king anymore. So to inherit the throne, he probably only has to kill Malcolm.
i'm kind of confused about the whole plot of the first act with all the wierd language and everything. Could anyone help me with like a summary of act 1?
I still do not understand why Duncan thinks it nessescary to KILL Duncan because if he just waited then what he wanted would've unfolded eventually. Why Kill?
Thank you Mrs. Smith...
Also I agree with aaronw said about the witches not wanting Duncan as king. Also I think that they know that Macbeth is brutal so they think that he would kill Duncan so he himself can be king.
Also I agree with aaronw said about the witches not wanting Duncan as king. Also I think that they know that Macbeth is brutal so they think that he would kill Duncan so he himself can be king.
does Lady Macbeth even love Macbeth or does she just stay with him for his future kingship?
Oops.... I put Duncan kills Duncan instead of Macbeth kills Duncan...
I am kind of confused at what Macdownawald did to betray the Kingdom. And don't tell if you have already read the book yet but what are peoples thoughts on Macbeth killing Duncan and Malcom. Does he have to kill him to now that he is in the way and is he next blood-relative in line to take the throne or does he have to go through anymore people?
Why is Macbeth so easily manipulated by his wife?? He should take control and do what he knows is right!
I think that lady Macbeth started out loving Macbeth but then found out he was close to the King and she started to use him.
It's Peer Pressure!
mattf, if Macbeth kills malcolm than he would become king, assuming that he doesnt get cuaght. But i think that Macbeth wouldnt need to kill duncan and just wait untill he dies.
that's a good question Mark: I was actually just thinking that...
and also why would Macbeth want to stay with Lady Macbeth if she didn't love him? she's kind of cranky...
and does anyone think that there maybe never WAS a prophecy? Mollys said that voldemort would have never killed Harry Potter's parents if he hadn't heard profesor trelawny say it... which is a good ppoint and makes you think about differrent points of view. Harry thought he killed his parents just to kill him... but it was because of the prophecy he killed them. Kind of like MAcbeth... possibly...
Markg, It is really hard to tell right now. In the movies it seems as if she loves him because of the way that they act together but maybe she is hiding something inside. I am kind of curious about that too.
javon: Macdonwald made a secret alliance with the Norwegians and didn't tell the Scots when they landed.
And Liap: i think TIME magazine has some study that the women has a little more power in a marriage because the man will do most things for her... so he couldn't take control so fast... does that help?
hey wait... if the witches said that Banquo won't be King, but his kids will... couldn't that be a red flag for Macbeth that he won't either have kids, or he will die???
Hey guys, who can tell me who Banquo is?
Taking the time period into thought,
why would Macbeth consistantly take instruction form Lady Macbeth?
She seems to wear the pants around their household and he does what she says.
From what I know from this time period, men where the leaders and woman should always follow.
I agree with aaronw, Macbeth should have noticed that. And when pressed he should have told Lady Macbeth abount Banquo's prophecy as well. Jhall:Banquo is Macbeth's friend and is probably involved with the army in some way as an officer or something.
Keke: I think that the reason why "Lady macbeth wears the pants int he hbousehold" is because shde has been with him for many years, and I bet that this is the first time that she really wnats something like this because if Macbeth is king- she is QUEEN. We find out Lady Macbeth wants power so much that she will give up her soul. OR maybe she is challenging the FEUDAL SYSTEM. I think Shakespeare leaves room for us to think about that.
PS. Thanks salenam
Ok, i've been reading other comments, and no then got really confused. The witches say that MAcbeth will be king and all, which i get...but how will Banquo's children also be kings. If Macbeth is king, then will her appoint Banquo's children to be kings once he dies?
Hey Jhall someone already answered that. Go up a little and read the comment by NickB.
Keke, you have a good point. Women didn't generally wear pants back then and men were usually in charge. I don't really know why he just does what she says.
I think in the end Macbeth will probably die and Banquo will end up becoming King. this relates to what aaronw said about Banquo children being kings. I imagine Macbeth might be King for a little while but eventually he will be found out and probably killed for going against Duncan
About nickb's comment, I don't think we know enough about Lady Macbeth to tell if she has another reason that she want's the throne. For now I think that all we know is that she wants the crown, but she has so much passion for it, it almost seems like she needs another reason to feel so strongly.
Just my thought.
The play Macbeth seems like one of those stories where everybody dies. Tragic heroes usually die, so there goes Macbeth. I wouldn't be sad if Lady Macbeth died either.
I just wonder about Banquo.
So if Banquo is the only one (besides lady Macbeth) that knows about the prophecy, does that mean that Macbeth will have to kill Banquo, his best friend, to protect the trust between himself and Duncan?
Rachel's test question.
I don't know Mac. Maybe he would, but maybe Banquo doesn't believe it like Macbeth. Or maybe they'll end up in some dramatic incident, where Macbeth has to shoose between his wife and best ally. I wonder who he's choose........?
macm and mattw-
I don't think Macbeth will have to kill Banquo because of the act he has put on...you know, he's acting like he doesn't really believe the witches, while inside he does. Lady Macbeth is the only one who knows his actual thoughts for sure. Banquo seems like he simply heard the witches' prophecy, then kind of forgot about it, you know? Like he doesn't really care that much? So I don't think he has to worry about Banquo...but if for some reason Banquo found out, Macbeth would probably choose his wife. I mean, blood is thicker than water, so to speak, and he would probably choose the one he's married to over his best friend...
but this is all only my opinion...
NickB- Lady Macbeth not only wants the crown, but she wants other things too, in response to your question earlier. Noblewomen in the elizabethan era were considered inferior. If she were to be queen, she wouldn't be considered inferior anymore. She could do what she wanted, she would be rich, and she would get tons of benefits. That is what she wants in addition to being the queen. She is a very ambitious woman....in a bad way!
Okay, about this killing Malcom thing, don't you guys think it would look like really wierd to have two sudden deaths, then Macbeth suddenly takes the throne? To me, that would arouse suspicion all around. Maybe Macbeth does intend to kill Malcom, but they just haven't gotten that far yet in their twisted up scheme! I think that two deaths would look really wierd. But, maybe that's just me.
I agree with what amyw said because MAcbeth put on quite the act about not believing in witches and stuff like that, but I think that banquo wouldn't be paying that much attention to it all and since him and macbeth are great companions he probley wouldn't assume the worst, that macbeth did the killing. He will probley think that it was one of the servants or something like that.
I agree with kristenh and morgant. I would think that it is very suspicious if two people were suddenly killed, and Macbeth took the throne. That’s true about Macbeth pretending about the witches’ prophecies. I hadn’t thought of that yet.
I think it is interesting how lady macbeth kind of suduces Macbeth into preraring to kill Duncun. I wonder if that is a parallel to adam and eve? ( hey girls isn't it great how much power we have over the men! ha ha JK JK)So What do you guys think Macbeth's downfall is going to be? I think that it'll be how power hungry he is and the influence others have on him! (peer pressure can do more than you'd guess. dont drink and drive. stay true to yourself. ha ha)So power is somthing I think every one naturaly wants but then why can other people so easily inflence you? Power drags people down! (for all of you pro imperialists to much power leads to your own destruction!!)
You know...I was just thinking that maybe Macbeth will be King after he kills everybody that he has to and then maybe Banquo will marry Lady Macbeth and resume the throne. Just a thought. Also, I was reading about your conversations as to why Lady Macbeth would go to such measures to get the throne and if she loves Macbeth. From what I gained from the movie versions and how Macbeth trusts her with the letter, I think that Lady Macbeth does love her husband and would never kill her husband. And about the power, it's suprising how little the text lets us know about why she would murder her kinsmen for power, but I guess that it just goes back to the whole thing in Lord of the Flies and how it is just in human nature to have a lust for power and domination over other human beings.
I was just thinking that maybe Macbeth wouldn't have murdered Duncan if Duncan hadn't named malcolm his heir. Because then there would still have been a chance that he would have named Macbeth heir, so he would have waited. He probably still would have been king any way.
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