Youtube Speech!

Macbeth Riddles!

My first picture includes the telling of the riddle and Macbeth’s reaction. In my image, I attempt to comically recreate Macbeth’s paranoia and anxiety. The first apparition, which is Macbeth’s severed head, yells "Macbeth! Macbeth! Macbeth! beware Macduff; Beware the thane of Fife. Dismiss me. Enough.” A paranoid Macbeth attempts to question the apparition for more information but is stopped by the witch. The witch states that the apparition shall not be commanded. I believe that the apparition is a symbol which foreshadows the beheading of Macbeth as the play nears its end. 

The second image consists of a baby telling Macbeth the riddle and Macbeth’s response. Once again, I attempted to take a comical approach to the task. The second apparition, a bloody baby, cries "Be bloody, bold, and resolute; laugh to scorn The power of man, for none of woman born Shall harm Macbeth." This riddle basically states that no man born naturally from a woman’s womb will harm Macbeth. This gives Macbeth a false sense of invulnerability as he believes that no man will be able to harm him, including Macduff. Unfortunately for Macbeth, Macduff was born via caesarean section which is an unnatural method of birth.          

My final image is a picture of a man hiding with a bush as Macbeth laughs on. However, Macbeth is unaware of the man hiding within that bush. My image is created through a comical point of view in order to showcase Macbeth’s ambition. The riddle is "Be lion-mettled, proud; and take no care Who chafes, who frets, or where conspirers are: Macbeth shall never vanquish'd be until Great Birnam wood to high Dunsinane hill Shall come against him." This riddle was difficult to comprehend properly until I delved deeper within the play. The riddle foreshadows Macduff’s men moving in onto Macbeth’s castle with the help of camouflage (bushes). While Macbeth laughs at the bush itself, a man is hiding within that bush ready to assassinate him. 

Macbeth Presentation!

Twitter Experience!

https://twitter.com/IvanMacbeth

Using Twitter as a learning tool was a rather interesting experience for me. I started this experience with low expectations of success. To my surprise, Twitter turned out to be an excellent tool to aid with the learning process. As I got started, the first step was to create my Twitter account. With an easy step to step process, I had my account created within minutes which included my profile picture and bio. Twitter offers a very user friendly interface. Even without looking at the instructional guide to Twitter, I figured my way around the website in less than five minutes. As I began, the act of tweeting felt very foreign to me. To express important sections of Act II with only a sentence proved to be quite a challenge. Eventually, after the first few tweets, I felt more and more comfortable with the activity. As I became Macbeth and brought him to the 21^st century, it helped me fully comprehend Macbeth’s troubles through Act II. Whilst tweeting about Macbeth’s actions and thoughts, I felt more connected with the character itself. If Twitter did not limit the amount of letters per tweet, it would be a lot more effective as a learning tool.  However, since the tweets had to be short and precise, it really helped me pinpoint the important information that I needed. At the moment, I have mixed feelings about Twitter. In the form of a social media tool, I believe that Twitter is a complete waste of time. As a learning tool, I truly believe that Twitter helps accelerate the memorization and comprehension progress of literature if used properly.         

Character Analysis - Macbeth

The first character who caught my eye was our protagonist, Macbeth. He stands victorious after defeating the traitor thane of Cawdor. My first impression of him is of a courageous leader. This was solely due to the way the injured soldier portrayed Macbeth and his comrade Banquo. However, when Macbeth meets with the witches in Scene 3, his darker side is revealed and expressed. Within his thoughts, out comes a man with ambitions to seize power and control. He wonders if he will murder for the sake of the throne when the time presents itself.

Macbeth’s role in the play will follow the witches’ prophecies. How far Macbeth will go for the throne is still unknown with my present knowledge. The fact that Macbeth is considering to commit treason in order to seize the throne, gives me with an uneasy feeling. Knowing that the play “Macbeth” is one of Shakespeare’s great tragedies, I do not expect Macbeth to proceed with the valiant act.

From my personal viewpoint, I like Macbeth very much as a character. Brilliantly engineered by Shakespeare himself, he highlights the fact that not everyone may seem like whom they may be. Macbeth is a heroic leader to his fellow comrades. Unfortunately to their dismay, he contains a power hungry nature within. Macbeth’s ally, Banquo, continues to inform him of the devilish ruse that the witches may be trying pull them into. Banquo’s cries are ignored as Macbeth is lost in within his thoughts.

Macbeth is a very interesting character and I look forward to seeing how he turns out as a character. Will his prophecy come true? What will Macbeth do as he is given the opportunity to seize the throne? Will he lose his ability to distinguish right from wrong through his power hungry ambitions? There are many questions left to be answered as I am eager to read on.

Image: http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/1/19/Macbeth_of_Scotland.jpg

Macbeth - Destiny, Fate, and Influence?

I believe the witches have the crucial role of influencing Macbeth. Whether Macbeth chooses to believe or not to believe the witches’ prophecy, their words will never leave his unconscious mind. With the phrase “All hail, Macbeth, thou shalt be king hereafter!"  (I.iii) lingering around in his mind, Macbeth has a goal to work toward. His fellow comrade Banquo states that the witches may be telling half-truths in order to ”win us to our harm” (I.iii). Essentially, Banquo is trying to state that the witches may be out to sabotage Macbeth. Banquo worries about how far Macbeth’s power-hungry ambition will take him. Macbeth ignores Banquo as he continues to ponder on about how far he would go in order to become king. Macbeth eventually snaps back to reality as he shakes off the thoughts and departs. As his decision remains a mystery, I look forward to how the witches will further influence Macbeth.

Despite all the conspiracies, I do not believe that we are subject to our pre-determined destiny. Depending on where we go, who we meet, and what actions we take, these things will determine our future. Even our personality is interchangeable. When we were born, we were set with a pre-determined personality. This personality however, is highly malleable. Depending on various factors such as the people around us, the events we experience, they all can play a role in changing our personalities. When we were children, we all thought that we would become millionaires and live happy lives as we believed in a pre-determined future. As we grew older and faced the hardships of life, we slowly come to realize that nothing can be achieved without hard work and perseverance. I believe everything in our life is interchangeable. Everything done, and will be done will all play a crucial role in determining our future.

Image: http://www.bbc.co.uk/bitesize/standard/english/macbeth/images/witches1_546x307.gif

Macbeth First Thoughts!

                                 

As a novice to the Shakespearian language, the play was quite baffling after the first read-through. Thankfully after reading the scenes repeatedly, with the aid of re-enactments, I have come to comprehend the play quite well. 

The first act begins with the appearance of the ghastly three witches. The setting of lightning and thunder indicate that the witches have no good intentions to follow. The quote "Fair is foul, and foul is fair" (I.i) which is essentially translated into "good is bad, and bad is good," highlights the witches' devilish natures. With the reversal of good and bad, it undermines the reader's definition of right and wrong. Since the witches outlined the entire Macbeth play, I believe that they will be important characters as the play progresses.

As the witches were notifying Macbeth and Banquo of their near future, they stated that Macbeth was going to be appointed the title of “thane.” With the word “thane,” I understood that the play was set in Scotland hundreds of years back. With the witches’ foresight, I know that Macbeth will quickly ascend in the noble rankings until he is King. The witches also state that Banquo’s children will be kings. The witches speak in contradicting riddles which underlines how mysterious they really are. The mysterious factor is backed up with the sudden vanishing of the witches immediately after Macbeth questions them.

After reading the first act of Macbeth, I am extremely intrigued with the plot development. Will the prophecies come true? How far will Macbeth go in order to become king? There are many questions that remain answered after the first act. The witches are also a very interesting character group. Their devious nature makes me believe that they are leading Macbeth into a trap. Anxiously, I prepare myself to dive deeper into the book.  

Image: http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-WEe-xr3gDWY/T_rqgyOpdmI/AAAAAAAABeM/NsvEKrLMJrs/s1600/MacbethArt2.jpg