Over the course of the Grade 10 year, I had the wonderful opportunity to read a few texts, including plays, poems and books. These readings included two very interesting novels/plays, “The Help” and “Macbeth”, that each had different plots, but many similar characters. Within the novel “The Help” there was Aibileen, Minny, Skeeter, Hilly Holbrook and various other characters. From Macbeth the characters most significant to the plot and journey were Banquo, Macbeth himself, Macduff and Lady Macbeth . Each and every single one of these characters had very long and eventful journeys that were lived within the texts, but the two journeys that stood out most from both of these books, and that seemed to be the most relevant to one another were those of Mrs. Hilly Holbrook, and Lady Macbeth. These two powerful women played what I thought to be very significant roles in their respective worlds of drama, being so encompassed in their own worlds of mischief, that they forgot the bigger picture and almost never realized who they were wronging.
The journey Hilly Holbrook took throughout “The Help” was quite dull, yet eventful. From “Bridge Club” gatherings at Ms. Leefolts house, to banquets and dinners, Mrs. Holbrook seemed to always be out and about, trying to make the already difficult lives of coloured people far more difficult than they already were. From the start of the book, the reader got the immediate sense that Hilly was a racist, mainly because she stated on the 8th page of the book that she believed, and I quote, that “they (Black People) carry different kinds of diseases than we (White People) do.” (The Help, Page 8). She believed that by passing a law that would make it mandatory for colored people to have separate bath...
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...cognized what she was doing was wrong, and that her actions were not only effecting her, but those surrounding her as well as the victims of her sins and those who surround them. Evidence for this is clearly shown when we get the sad news in Act 5 Scene 5 that Lady Macbeth had committed suicide. She could not live with herself knowing what she had done and therefore ended her life under her own will. In Mrs. Holbrook’s case, from start to finish she never once understood that what she was doing was a bad example on her family, and a horrible influence on those surrounding her. She never realized that she was hurting other people, and even if she had she never stopped doing what she was doing. At no point throughout the book do we see Hilly treat someone of a different race, or anyone of her race for that matter, as someone who is on the same “level” as her.
Why is that money and power can changes an individual’s personality? Well, when some humans see something desirable and valuable that doesn’t belong to them, they will go to a great extent to have it. Whether, that is stealing, lying or even killing loved ones. This is simply described as greed. Greed and ambition is a common theme in both Shakespeare’s tragic play, Macbeth and the movie “A Simple Plan”. They both share the concept of wanting something and committing crime after crime to achieve it. Similarly, the main characters in both stories become greedy after finding something valuable and their spouse encourages them further. Once in control, the main characters are willing to do anything to keep possession, even if it means to kill love ones.
The quote, “Man is not truly one, but truly two.” can be analyzed from a behaviorally or mentally aspect. Physically, man is one, but if you delve deeper into the man, he can be separated into two parts which creates a whole man. In the play Macbeth and in the novel Lord of the Flies, some of the characters can be split into two conflicting parts. The characters are neither entirely good or entirely bad. In both the novel and the play, something happens to the characters that made them split into an evil side, thus creating two men.
In this essay we will be comparing two female characters from different texts and different time periods. We will be looking in depth at Lady Macbeth from Shakespeare's play 'Macbeth', and Sheila from J.B. Priestley's 'An Inspector Calls'. We will be looking at their roles in their respective plays, and how their characters develop over time.
A quote which really defines Lady Macbeth and Macbeth’s ambition regarding power is “Power does not corrupt men; fools; however, if they get into a position of power, corrupt power” George Bernard Shaw. Lady Macbeth is more ambitious in terms of gaining power then Macbeth is and that Lady Macbeth will do almost anything to gain power, even evil things that she normally wouldn’t do. This is shown when Macbeth and Lady Macbeth learn about the witches’ predictions, then roles in the plans to murder king Duncan in order to gain power and then finally after the murder, Macbeth doesn’t want to finish the plan making Lady Macbeth angry and causing a chance they might get caught and gain no power at all.
Macbeth rejects conformation to traditional gender roles in its portrayal of Lady Macbeth’s relationship with her husband, her morals and their effect on her actions, and her hunger for power. Her regard for Macbeth is one of low respect and beratement, an uncommon and most likely socially unacceptable attitude for a wife to have towards her spouse at the time. She often ignores morality and acts for the benefit of her husband, and subsequently herself. She is also very power-hungry and lets nothing stand in the way of her success. Lady Macbeth was a character which challenged expectations of women and feminism when it was written in the seventeenth century.
Racial discrimination is a conviction within one’s self. No matter how long we fight against it, it will always remain present in our society. Too often people are quick to judge others based on physical appearances. Often, people base their judgments on the unknown; whether that is fear, curiosity or unfamiliarity. The quote in the novel, “A bill that requires every white home to have a separate bathroom for the coloured help. I’ve even notified the surgeon general of Mississippi to see if he’ll endorse the idea,” Hilly Holbrook, the novels “villain,” wants to legalize such discriminatory actions to separate blacks from whites. In another quote, she states that, “Everybody knows they carry different diseases than we do.” Holbrook re...
The Relationship between Macbeth and Lady Macbeth Throughout the play of "Macbeth" written by William Shakespeare there is an on-going relationship between Macbeth and Lady Macbeth. This relationship is one of the functions of the play that creates most of the actions, reactions, moods, feelings and attitudes. Macbeth's relationship with his wife was not always great. This is shown in one of there conversations; MACBETH: "We will proceed no further in this business: He hath honour'd me of late; and I have bought Golden opinions from all sorts of people, Which would be worn now in their newest gloss, Not cast aside so soon. "(Macbeth,I,vii, )
The one who is at fault in the play of Macbeth written by William Shakespeare is not all who presume it is. Some say the blame is on the Witches, some say Lady Macbeth, but Macbeth is the real man at fault. He was at choice of his decisions, only slightly pressured by his wife, Lady Macbeth. Macbeth dug himself into a hole he was not able to climb out of. There was no return to the light side for him as he had no regrets, he was inhumane, and cold-blooded. There are many examples that show his inhumanity towards others throughout the play, one cold-blooded act to another with no turning back. It was a painful ending for Macbeth since no one showed sympathy for him as his head ended up on a sword. Macbeth is at fault for all the critical events within the play as he is the one that killed Banquo, King Duncan, and Macduff’s family.
Macbeth: Shakespeare's Comparisons and Contrasts. Throughout Macbeth Shakespeare uses comparison and contrast to bring out characteristics of his main character, Macbeth. Shakespeare uses comparisons with Duncan, Lady Macbeth, and Banquo to bring out aspects of Macbeth's character. After hearing of Macbeth's courageousness on the battlefield, Duncan, a good and honest king, bestows the title of Cawdor on Macbeth.
In understanding the art form of expression in various ways like music and play writes, it brings together this sense of self identity that the artist wants to fulfill. Having this understanding about the life behind the scene, screen, and/or stage. My paper will present two art forms music by 50 cent “Many Men” and William Shakespeare play “Macbeth” in which I will describe similarities among the characters. My four categories for 50 cent and Macbeth are as follow Greed, Savage, Survivor and Success.
In the play of “Macbeth”, Shakespeare gradually and effectively deepens our understanding of the themes and most importantly the relationship between Macbeth and Lady Macbeth. The main theme of Macbeth is ambition, and how it compels the main characters to pursue it. The antagonists of the play are the three witches, who symbolise the theme appearance and reality. Macbeth and Lady Macbeth’s relation is an irony throughout the play, as most of their relation is based on greed and power. This is different from most of Shakespeare’s other plays, which are mostly based on romance and trust. There is also guilt that leads Macbeth and Lady Macbeth to the final consequences of the play. As the progresses, the constant changes in Macbeth and Lady Macbeth are exposed.
has sent to her, Lady Macbeth begins to plot and plan how Macbeth can become
There was a common saying, “Behind every great man there's a great woman”. The men, Macbeth and Winston Smith in Shakespeare’s Macbeth and George Orwell’s 1984 may not be considered as the “great man” however, both Lady Macbeth and Julia are good examples that can be presented as the “great woman” behind the men. Both Lady Macbeth and Julia do an excellent job of pretending to be someone who they are not, they are not only affecting the men in their lives to rethink their previous position but also have a bad ending accompanied with physical and psychological issues.
In Shakespeare’s tragic play Macbeth, Shakespeare creates the ruthless character Macbeth, who is willing to go beyond any measure in order to attain the power of being king, including murder, deceit, betrayal and overpowering the chain of being. Macbeth was first tempted by the idea of kingship when three witches presented him with their portent of Macbeth becoming the next King of Scotland. Ebullient, Macbeth, immediately informed his wife of the news and they both pondered the thought of having the power to rule all of Scotland. Lady Macbeth, a power seeker herself, promptly schemed a plan to kill King Duncan in order for her and her husband to rule, displaying her ready ambition for power. Macbeth’s thirst for power ate away at his conscience
Macbeth is a very complex character whom reflects man's thirst for power through the drastic changes of his personality; thus being one of the slightest reasons in which make this intriguing character, greatest of all Shakespearean’s well-known works.