Spring Semester Lit Analysis #1-Macbeth

sorry about the timing, the flu is not my friend
Spring Semester

Lit Analysis #1

"Macbeth" William Shakespeare

Book Edition: Barnes & Noble Shakespeare

"And oftentimes, to win us to our harm,

The instruments of darkness tell us truths,

Win us with honest trifles, to betray's

In deepest consequence."

-Macbeth (ACT I, scene iii)

1. Briefly summarize the plot of the novel you read according to the elements of plot you've learned in past courses (exposition, inciting incident, etc.).  Explain how the narrative fulfills the author's purpose (based on your well-informed interpretation of same).

"Macbeth" by William Shakespeare is a play contained within five comprehensive acts (further divided into scenes). Each act goes in sequential order to tell the story of Macbeth's, the title character and protagonist, downward spiral. As the last and darkest of Shakespeare's great tragedies, "Macbeth" (occasionally called the Scottish Play), is the only one to have a villain as its protagonist and goes deep into its examination of the human character, ambition, and guilt.

Act 1 first introduces the three witches (sometimes called the three weird sisters), and despite their brief introduction and deprived background (as in nothing about them is known) they become incredibly important to the play itself and serve as a mode of foreshadowing for the crowd creating a sense of dramatic irony. Also in Act 1, we are introduced to Duncan King of Scotland who is waiting for news of a battle led by Macbeth-Thane of Glamis  against the Thane of Cawdor and a rebel group. As the battle ends the three witches come to Macbeth calling him the Thane of Cawdor  and King of the Scots. Their interaction soon ends and King Duncan greets Macbeth giving him the title; Thane of Cawdor, which interestingly fulfills the weird sisters' prophecy.  Eventually Lady Macbeth hears the news and urges Macbeth to kill King Duncan to take the throne which would make her Queen. Duncan arrives that night at Macbeth's estate giving Lady Macbeth and Lord Macbeth the opportunity for murder.


Act 2 moves much quicker than the first and in it we see our murder.

2. Succinctly describe the theme of the novel. Avoid cliches.


The Power of Corruption: Ambition, power, and corruption are definitely among the biggest symbols within this play. This whole play simply struggles with that universal idea of corruption through power. And it starts quickly in Act one with the three weird sisters/witches. Their words and predictions for Lord Macbeth's future as first the Thane of Cawdor and then King of Scotland begin the corruption. When the first of these predictions rings true Lord Macbeth, spurred onwards by his Wife, dives deep into a spiral of deceit, and murder as he tries to not only take but hold on to the throne. As a reader it is interesting to see how quickly this spiral consumes not only Macbeth but his relationships. Even before the deed is done Macbeth, much like Hamlet, struggles with the deed and wonders about his soul in the afterlife. These struggles continue within the play, and drive it forwards.

3. Describe the author's tone. Include a minimum of three excerpts that illustrate your point(s).


The tone of Macbeth is definitely more ominous and dark than anything else, which is expected due to the intense and serious nature of the play itself.

 4. Describe a minimum of ten literary elements/techniques you observed that strengthened your understanding of the author's purpose, the text's theme and/or your sense of the tone. For each, please include textual support to help illustrate the point for your readers. (Please include edition and page numbers for easy reference.)


This section of the lit analysis has always bugged me. I don't mark my books or fold the edges of the pages or even break the binding (for me its like a crime). So this time I'm just going to write a nice paragraph and use the following words and explain quickly how they each explain plot and help the narrative of the play move along: point of view, protagonist,
metaphor, dramatic irony, foreshadowing, climax, epitaph, audience, motif.
-It seems so cliché to say this over and over again that Shakespeare wrote plays, and "Macbeth" is one these plays but I'm saying it again. As for point of view, "Macbeth" offers an interesting one. Playgoers and now readers (aka audience) have more of a unique perspective on the surroundings of the play. In fact, it almost gives the plays the playgoers an omniscient point of view except for the fact that they aren't getting insight to the characters uttermost thoughts and feelings unless one of the characters has a quick soliloquy, which Macbeth does on a number of occasions. Macbeth, the title character, is obviously the protagonist and his presence and actions within the play can definitely be seen as a metaphor for this idea of greed and ambition. In terms of dramatic irony, the witches find their purpose. Though they serve the purpose of foreshadowing events and things to come for both the characters and the audience their prophecies and predictions create for an interesting twist. For example both Lord and Lady Macbeth understand what the prophecy means for King Duncan, (hint...climax!) who in turn himself fulfills part of Macbeth's prophecy by simply naming him the new Thane of Cawdor. When it comes to motif, for me the most obvious was weather. Although not exactly an inanimate object, weather plays a huge role within the play. As a background the changing weather first appears as Macbeth is about to kill King Duncan and begins to signify how out of balance with nature murder is and when things are about to go wrong in the play, weather typically precedes it.

 CHARACTERIZATION
1. Describe two examples of direct characterization and two examples of indirect characterization.  Why does the author use both approaches, and to what end (i.e., what is your lasting impression of the character as a result)? &  2. Does the author's syntax and/or diction change when s/he focuses on character?  How?  Example(s)?


"Macbeth" is a play and for these questions focusing on characters it makes things a bit more difficult. On one hand the work was intended to be seen on stage and the best way to really see how Shakespeare intended to display each character is on stage, where actors have room to perform and add their own insight and experience to the character. On paper it is a bit more difficult. Shakespeare wasn't trying to make the reader deeply analyze character, because frankly he had to move the play along and keep it interesting for his paying audience to guarantee their return to the theater.

 3. Is the protagonist static or dynamic?  Flat or round?  Explain.


Macbeth himself as a character has to be incredibly dynamic and round. He commits murder and takes the life of another human being. And that definitely changes a person. And as the play continues he wind himself deeper and deeper in his growing lies, murders, and his own guilt.  And by the end of the play Macbeth is a completely changed character and is so far from who he was just five acts prior.

 4. After reading the book did you come away feeling like you'd met a person or read a character?  Analyze one textual example that illustrates your reaction. 



I definitely felt as if I had met a person, although it was like getting to know a person involved in a case on Dateline or 48 Hours Mystery rather than in line at the grocery store. A little weird or gruesome, but I can't complain too much.