Witchcraft, Murder and Ghosts in Macbeth
A notable point within Shakespeare’s play Macbeth is the use of the three witches in the opening scene. The number of witches for a contemporary audience can go unnoticed. However in the time that Shakespeare the symbolic meaning of the number three was important, as it symbolized unluckiness and when remembering the fear of the unnatural and being unlucky (epitomized by such historical events as the rage of witch trials within Britain). This is not the only symbolism within the play, the use of the disparity between light and dark is an important concept. We can perhaps see the parallel between the horror movies of today, and the images of witchcraft, murder and ghosts of the past.
Firstly in the initial scene of Act IV there are a number of references to the number three.
First Witch: "Thrice the brinded cat hath mew.d" (1)
Second Witch: "Thrice and once the hedge-pig whin'd" (2)
First Witch: "Days and nights hast thirty-one" (7)
First Witch: "Pour in sow's blood, that hath eaten
Her nine farrow;" (65)
All of these examples refer to the number three, or the denominator of nice. The final example of the number three used is within the fourth act with Macbeth...
... middle of paper ...
... of Shakespeare enjoy an aura of immortality because we see in Shakespeare the mirror of the human condition with which we may all identify and gain a sense that in some strange way his plays are a reflection of our souls.
Bibliography
The Tragedy of Macbeth New Haven: Yale University Press Revised 1994
Shakespeare's Macbeth Total Study Edition Coles Editorial Board 1990
Holinshed R. Historie of Scotland (2nd Ed. Chronicles of England, Scotland and Ireland 1587) "Historie of Scotland"
Paul. Henry N. The Royal Play of Macbeth 1950 pp. 213-17
Bradley A. C. Shakespearean Tragedy 1912 pp. 468-9
Although national political parties were considered “divisive and disloyal”, the first two-party system of the United States, Hamiltonian-Federalists and Jeffersonian Republicans, emerged during George Washington’s administration. The political division was later sharpened with Jay’s Treaty. They differ from each other in various aspects. Nevertheless, the political turbulent during the 1790s greatly expanded the public sphere.
American democracy is fluid; it is constantly evolving and changing. The earliest divide in American politics stems from the very establishment of the government. Regardless of the hope the American founders possessed, political parties began to form almost immediately as the country began to take shape. Today, the two main parties are the Democrats and the Republicans, however each party was not always the same at their start as they are currently.
A political party is a group of people who seek to win elections and hold public office in order to shape government policy and programs. George Washington warned the nation against creating political parties in his famous “Farewell Address”. He feared political parties would divide the country and weaken support of the Constitution (Doc 4). The first major political parties, the Federalists and the Republicans, were created during the term of President George Washington. Despite President Washington’s warning, the rise of the two political parties, in the years after his term was inevitable. The Federalists were in favor of a strong central government, while the anti-federalists opposed most their ideas. Over time, the gradual development of political parties resulted in the Democrat and Republican parties we have today. The Whiskey Rebellion and different views between the Federalists and Antifederalists were a couple of the main causes that led to the rise of political parties in the 1790’s.
The first political parties in America began to form at the end of the 18th century. "The conflict that took shape in the 1790s between the Federalists and the Antifederalists exercised a profound impact on American history." The two primary influences, Thomas Jefferson a...
The post-revolutionary war period of the Unites States saw the establishment of the first party system and an enlarging gap in viewpoints between the wealthy and the common man. The contradictory views of Alexander Hamilton and Thomas Jefferson were primarily responsible for the rise of political parties from 1783-1800.
In the 1790s, soon after the ratification of the Constitution, political parties were nonexistent in the USA because President Washington feared they would drive the country apart. However, Thomas Jefferson and Alexander Hamilton, with their rivalling mental models, could not help but spark the division of the United States into the Democratic-Republican and Federalist parties. These parties, the Democratic-Republican wanting a small, local government system and the Federalist wanting a strong, powerful government system, turned citizens against one another and eventually led to the inimical Democratic and Republican parties of today. Hence, the formation of the original political parties in the United States is very significant. Political
The fact that Frankenstein’s creation turns on him and murders innocent people is never overlooked; it has been the subject of virtually every popularization of the novel. What is not often acknowledged is the fact that Frankenstein himself embodies some of the worst traits of humankind. He is self-centered, with little real love for those who care about him; he is prejudiced, inflexible and cannot forgive, even in death. While some of these traits could be forgivable, to own and flaunt them all should be enough to remind a careful reader that there are two "monsters" in Frankenstein.
A two-party system is a political system in which only two parties have a realistic opportunity to compete effectively for control. As a result, all, or nearly all, elected officials end up being a member in one of the two major parties. In a two-party system, one of the parties usually holds a majority in the legislature hence, being referred to as the majority party while the other party is the minority party. The United States of America is considered to be a two-party system. A two-party system emerged early in the history of the new Republic. Beginning with the Federalists and the Jeffersonian Republicans in the late 1780s, two major parties have dominated national politics, although which particular two parties has changed with the times and issues. During the nineteenth century, the Democrats and Republicans emerged as the two dominant parties in American politics. As the American party system evolved, many third parties emerged, but few of them remained in existence for very long. Today the Democrats and Republican still remain as the dominant parties. These two parties hav...
Throughout William Shakespeare's Macbeth, many characters evolve and many disappear into the background. The main character, Macbeth, travels through utter chaos when he proclaims himself monarch. When he first meets the witches of the supernatural, they tell him of the future. One of the themes amplified throughout the play is the circle of life, from the beginning to the end. The visions provided by the three witches begin Macbeth's quest for dominance. The three main effects of this theme are: the death of Macbeth's friends and family. Second, the deaths of his mortal enemies. The last point is the death of himself. The supernatural amplifies the theme of death.
In Frankenstein, Victor’s monster suffers much loneliness and pain at the hands of every human he meets, as he tries to be human like them. First, he is abandoned by his creator, the one person that should have accepted, helped, and guided him through the confusing world he found himself in. Next, he is shunned wherever he goes, often attacked and injured. Still, throughout these trials, the creature remains hopeful that he can eventually be accepted, and entertains virtuous and moral thoughts. However, when the creature takes another crushing blow, as a family he had thought to be very noble and honorable abandons him as well, his hopes are dashed. The monster then takes revenge on Victor, killing many of his loved ones, and on the humans who have hurt him. While exacting his revenge, the monster often feels guilty for his actions and tries to be better, but is then angered and provoked into committing more wrongdoings, feeling self-pity all the while. Finally, after Victor’s death, the monster returns to mourn the death of his creator, a death he directly caused, and speaks about his misery and shame. During his soliloquy, the monster shows that he has become a human being because he suffers from an inner conflict, in his case, between guilt and a need for sympathy and pity, as all humans do.
Today, political parties can be seen throughout everyday life, prevalent in various activities such as watching television, or seeing signs beside the road while driving. These everyday occurrences make the knowledge of political parties commonly known, especially as the two opposing political parties: the Republicans and the Democrats. Republican and Democrats have existed for numerous years, predominantly due to pure tradition, and the comfort of the ideas each party presents. For years, the existence of two political parties has dominated the elections of the president, and lower offices such as mayor, or the House of Representatives. Fundamentally, this tradition continues from the very emergence of political parties during the election of 1796, principally between Federalist John Adams and Anti-federalist Thomas Jefferson. Prior to this election people unanimously conformed to the ideas of one man, George Washington, and therefore did not require the need for political parties.1 However, following his presidency the public was divided with opposing opinions, each arguing the best methods to regulate the country. Ultimately, the emergence of different opinions regarding the future of the United States involving the economy, foreign relations, ‘the masses,’ and the interpretation of the Constitution, led to the two political parties of the 1790s and the critical election of 1800.
Holinshed R. Historie of Scotland (2nd Ed. Chronicles of England, Scotland and Ireland 1587) "Historie of Scotland"
The discovery of Pascal’s Triangle is widely considered to have taken place centuries prior to Pascal’s lifetime. However, Blaise Pascal was the first to publish the triangle, which he did in his 1654 work, “Traite du Triangle Arithmetique”. (Kazimir, 2014) Originally, interest in the concept was confined to gamblers as it provided a convenient method to calculate probabilities of an event such as a coin flip or game of dice. (Witchita, 2014) Since then, interest has tended toward the methods and applications of the triangle. The methods of use are essentially number theoretical and the applications are wide. Many fields such as algebra, probability, and combinatorics may find use in Pascal’s Triangle, and additional applications include identifying number sequences such as triangular and tetrahedral numbers.
How could anyone ever imagine what their life would be like if it was controlled by supernaturalism? After Queen Elizabeth's death in 1603, King James I took over. He’s in bloodline with Banquo and by the time Macbeth was written, King James I was incredibly skeptical of witches. He told his judges to be wary and to not be deceived of the supernatural. The play Macbeth, written by Shakespeare was dedicated to King James I and the dedication is seen through various parts of this play. Supernaturalism, such as the witches and apparitions, are what influence Macbeth into committing horrific actions.
Many plays by William Shakespeare have a reoccurring aspect of the supernatural; presenting itself never in an evil demeanor, though it does wreak havoc on the lives amongst it.