Hi year 11
We have been watching the Polanski Macbeth. Polanski made the witches into real characters. We see them moving and talking. Do you think that the witches LED Macbeth to this evil path that he walks, or do you think that this is a path he would have taken anyway?
14 comments:
i think that the whitches played a role in ledding macbeth on this path but i strongly belive if his wife didn't put him on the spot with things she said he still would of been serving the king as a noble man and wouldn't be stuck in the mix up his in now
The witches did lead Macbeth to this whole idea of being a king and everything. When they told him that he will become king they opened his eyes and he started to imagine how good of a king he would be and how good it will be. If the witches didn't tell him about his future then he would still be King Duncan's noble man and he will serve the King well. So my opinion is that the witches dragged him into this mess.
I think the witches did lead him on this "evil"path. He had already been thinking about wanting to be king but the witches showed him that he would be and made him more egar for it to happen therefore following a murderous path to reach his goal and what he thought was ment to happen.
Nic
I agree with everyone else, because if were not for the 3 witches Macbeth would not have gotten the thought of being King. The witches had planted a seed and it grew in Macbeth's mind because it was the only thing he thought about and was on his head. There is the argument about Lady Macbeth leading Macbeth on, but because Macbeth had no evidence he would become King, he wouldn't of bothered and been happy with his Thane of "...."
Anthony
Hi Caner
From the moment Macbeth hears the witches' prophecy, he is "rapt withal". He is already eveloped by the thought of becoming king, and what he must do to allow the prophecy to be realised. His wife's words come long after this scene. Sure, she is pretty spirited about getting him into gear, but she is after all just a wife, a weak woman. How could she be blamed for all that Macbeth does?
Hi Karim
you seem pretty down on the witches. You say that without them ,Macbeth would have remained dunca's loyal servant. The witches can only speak words. They cannot change the events that take place. When they prophesy to Banquo, he just laughs them off. By contrast, Macbeth seems to get angry as the witches dissapear in the gatering mist of the night and he calls them back ("stay you imperfect speakers, tell me more"). Do you think that a man of such enormous ambition could have kept his ambition under control for much longer, with or without the witches?
Hi Younan, nice to hear from you again. It seems that most people in the class are prepared to see Macbeth as an "innocent" man tempted to the dark side by the forces of darkness. I don't know that he is such a good man. I have to say that when Macbeth and Lady Macbeth got a chance to talk about the prophecies, it sounded like this was not the first time that they had had this conversation. When Malcolm was named the prince of Cumberland, didn't we hear Macbeth say "stars hide your fires and let not light see your black and deep desires"? This is a man already hatching a complicated plan. This is a man who has his desires confirmed by the witches, not seeded by them. Do you think that this sort of ambitious man could ever really be pleased with a measly position like thane of Cawdor?
Hey Mrs.Leptos, the question was:
Do you think that this sort of ambitious man could ever really be pleased with a measly position like thane of Cawdor?
I believe that Macbeth on his own would be happy to be "Thane Of Cawdor." Even though he thinks about being king, if it weren't for his wife telling him he was a weak man and the witches making him think about it, he'd never have the guts and power to kill his own king, cousin and friend. He would've been happy to just become "Thane of Cawdor." But because his own wife called him weak he had no choice, because being called weak by your own wife is embarassing. He'd have to prove his strength to his wife. Although he should be able to make his own decisions...
Anthony
yes mz she is a weak lady jus a wife...but she has strong thoughts of were macbeth should be and how much he deserves it and will push him no matter what to get to that place...we see macbeth backign down from killing the king...but its her that makes him do it,its her that convinces him,and i strongly belive in a sence she muredered her husband from the choices she mad throught out the movie...(if you get what i mean miss) like by convincign macbeth to do so she ruined his life were as macbeth would still have bein a noble man with high respect and maybe even one day like he said he might become king without getting his hands dirty...so pretty much it dosent matter if she is macbeth's with and a weak lady,her heart and mind are strong enought to twist even the most outstandign people..
p.s i really liek the idea of liek homework over this so much easyier and more convinent
Hi Miss, I think that the witches DID not lead Macbeth into his path of evil but just toyed with his mind. Macbeth was having thoughts of being King from the very beginning and the witches showed him the life he was going to live, Macbeth just misenterpreted it and didn't realise the consequences of his actions. Yes the Witches are the work of the devil but if only Macbeth had thought about it and wasn't so haste with his actions then he wouldnt be on the path of evil.
Hi Josh
I agree with you that Macbeth was be-devilled with thoughts about snatching the throne well before the witches appeared to him. Their prophecy seems to make his secret thoughts somehow more likely to be realised. Do you think that Shakespeare wanted us to see the witches as characters or just the manifestattion of Macbeth's secret thoughts?
Shakespeare definately wanted us to see the witches as manifestattions of Macbeth's secret thoughts even though he projected them as characters.
I could not agree with you more Josh. Even if we never saw the witches on the stage, I could still believe that Macbeth had those "internal conversations". For me the witches just seem to confirm what he and Lady Macbeth think anyway.
Hi Caner
You said that Lady Macbeth is "a weak lady jus a wife" but a strong character. she is the most powerful thane's wife and as such she has some power. Do you think that she felt so determined about Macbeth committing the murder because she wanted to become queen? Have a close look at the speech where she works on Macbeth. For whom does she want the throne? I think i agree with you that without her strength, Macbeth may have never had the drive to "fix" Duncan.
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