Macbeth Group Presentation: Individual Write-up

Macbeth Group Analysis Oral Presentation Reflection: Act 5 Scenes 1 to 3

The essential question “How does power corrupt?” connects to my scenes because in scene 3 Macbeth is talking to the doctor who is caring for his wife. The doctor tells Macbeth that Lady Macbeth is mentally unstable. In response Macbeth simply tells the doctor to just fix her and goes on with planning for the coming battle. It is obvious in the beginning of the play that Macbeth cares for and respects his wife, but now she is sick and he can barely even give a moment of his time to even think of her. He has been so corrupted by power that he is too busy thinking of ways to keep and get more power that he can’t be bothered with caring for his wife anymore. I selected this essential question because when I read this part of the play how coldly he dismisses his wife's health really shocked and upset me.

The essential question “Is ones self worth constant or ever changing?” is very well addressed in the first scene of this act. Lady Macbeth’s self worth is shown to rapidly deteriorate over the course of the play until she kills herself. At the very beginning she acts as if the prophesy gives her the right to be queen and she will do anything to achieve it, but then the first blow to her self worth is when she tries to murder Duncan. She is unable to so Macbeth does it. After this she is haunted by nightmares and fears. When she suspects that Macbeth had Banquo murdered her self worth is harmed even more by the fact that she caused these things to happen even without doing them herself. I chose this essential question because it is something we should all be aware of. Lady Macbeth lost all of herself worth without even noticing or figuring out why. This is very scary when you think about this happening to yourself or one of your friends.

I learned a bunch of things when I did this presentation. I found that it was much more obvious in the play than in the movie how uncaring Macbeth becomes during the end. I also learned that some things make much more sense in the play than in the movie or vice versa, such as at the end of the scene where they find Duncan dead Lady Macbeth fainting is much clearer and less abrupt in the play than in the movie.

While working in groups I found that it made the work easier if you make a plan in class so that every one knows what is happening and don’t try to make anything too elaborate for the time constraints you are given. I found that it worked well to work with people you knew and could comfortably discuss with. I don’t think I would do anything differently next time. I do feel that the work was evenly distributed because everyone did everything they were able to do.

I am proud of how well we planned our presentation and how we all decided on what we were doing and did it well.

Macbeth Journals: Final

Journal #1:

This last day has been the most peculiar and unsettling that I have ever experienced. After leading my forces and defeating the scoundrels who were rebelling against our noble king Banquo and I encountered beings of a most supernatural nature. Three weird women who made the most startling predictions. They said that I would be Thane of Cawdor and even more ridiculously that I would be king. They also tell Banquo that he will not be king, but that his children will be kings. After giving us these unsettling predictions they vanished strait into the air. This must be some joke or the ramblings of old women because such things can not be possible, but I still can't help but wonder if maybe there is truth in what they say. No, there can not be, it was merely the fantasies of three crazy old ladies.

Journal #2:

Truth, those witches spoke truth. When the kings men met Banquo and I they hailed me as the thane of Cawdor. The previous thane had been found to be a traitor and would soon be put to death. In gratitude for my part in putting down the rebels the king had awarded me with the title. Of course I can not help but think of what this means for the rest of the predictions the witches made. Will I truly be king? We are rushed to the kings side so he may congratulate us himself. After the congratulation though he makes a most disturbing announcement. He has named Malcolm as his heir. That title is mine by right, it has been foretold. The king and his son will have to be disposed of, but he has honored Banquo and I. He has rewarded my service so greatly. Oh, what am I to do?

Journal #3:
Earlier I was so sure of my course of action after speaking with my wife, but now I begin to doubt my decision. The king is at this very moment feasting to the table of my house and I am considering murdering him, it is not right. He has named an heir even though it is I who am supposed to be king. Surely fate is mocking my position. Oh, but my absence has brought my wife from her guests. I will tell her that we can’t go through with this rash course of action. I, a coward, this woman dares to call me a coward and mock my manhood. I can’t allow her to dismiss me in such a way, but now she is telling me of her plan for the king. It is perfect, we will kill the king with his servants daggers and they will be blamed for the death. No suspicion will fall on use and I will be king!

Journal #4:
Oh, this night is I will never be able to wash from my memory. First I met Banquo in the courtyard only to have him tell me that he doesn’t think I have the right to be king. Then after he leaves a dagger appears in the air before me. I know it can’t be real yet it still mocks me and the deed I did this night. The ghostly dagger disappears from my sight when I am called by the bell that is my wife's signal that the time is right for the murder of the king. Then, oh, I did what I had to do and killed the king with his servants daggers, but on leaving his chamber a ghostly voice tormented me with warnings and prophetic mutterings of doom. I fled to the chamber where my wife awaited me in a state of panic. I was a fool though and had brought with me the daggers I was to have placed with the servants. My wife ran to return them, but with one foolish move I had almost ruined my chance to be king. My wife returned, but with her a knocking started on the door.

Journal #5:
The knocking was Macduff and Lennox, who it appears that the king asked to awake him at this hour. While I am listening to Lennox Macduff goes to the kings chambers. He soon returns yelling that the king has been murdered. I run to see the king for myself to show them my innocence. I tell them of the blood covered grooms and how I killed them in my grief for the king to ensure that the blame falls completely on them, it seems though that this was in vain for as soon as my back is turned from the supposed “heir” and his brother they slip away. I will be king soon though and then they won’t be able to do anything.

Journal #6:
I have, this night, taken grave steps to protect my kingship. Any other would have hesitated in this course of action, but I am king and better that those. Even now as I prepare for the coming banquet those two fools I hired are about to if they haven't already gotten rid of Banquo and his son Fleance. I just wish that my confidence in sleep as it is in wakefulness. It is most troubling that my wife and I find sleep and increasingly hostile thing. We spoke of the coming banquet and how important it is that we keep the mood of celebration and joy this evening. I wish to tell her of the brave and courageous thing I have done to protect our position, but her mental state is not well enough as it is. I should not worry her further with such things.

Journal #7:
I had such hopes for this nights banquet, but alas they were dashed and broken against the floor. My wife and I had just finished welcoming our guests and were preparing to eat when one of the idiots I had sent after Banquo tells me that though Banquo was good and dead they had foolishly allowed his son, Fleance, to escape. Then after returning to my guests the horror appeared before me. It mocked me, this apparition. It was Banquo, so surely dead and yet standing before me. I could not help myself and raged at its appearance aloud discomforting our guests greatly. It disappeared just as suddenly as it had arrived. Just as my wife and I had calmed ourselves and our guests it approached me again. I fear that its appearance was too much for my mind and I started raving forcing my wife to dismiss our guests. These disturbances of the mind are growing more and more horrible, but I suppose in time they will fade, they must. I have decided to seek out the witches again and demand that they explain this to me.

Journal #8:
Joy, I am glad that I chose to seek out the weird women. Finding them was not difficult nor was convincing them to answer my questions. Their masters answers thrill me greatly too. I must be immortal for they say I can only be killed by a man not born of women and I will fall when Birnam Wood walks to my castle. Both of these things are of course impossible. They also said that I must beware Macduff, but why should I do such a thing when he has no way of defeating me. What troubles me though is their answer to my last question about Banquo and his heirs. They showed me a vision of child-kings all walking in a row followed by Banquo. The children were of his get, looking all like him. This matter not though for I can’t be defeated. I am more than a man, much more. I do not feel the need to continue this silly journal for journals are for mortal men and I am not that.

comment

Jodie
You were off to a great start with your first two journal entries. What happened to the rest?