Mini Debate – Blog Entry In Class
Using the text of Macbeth as the only source, debate the
extent of the power of the witches upon Macbeth (I,iii.)
LOTF Fri. Oct. 11/19 Ch. 8-12 (see Lord of the Flies transcript PDF file on edsby) or following link: http://cdn.preterhuman.net/texts/literature/books_in_PDF/Lord%20of%20the%20Flies.pdf 1-Explain the irony in Jack’s saying, “I’m not going to play any longer. Not with you” (Ch. 8, p. 98). 2-What is Simon’s “ancient, inescapable recognition” upon speaking to the lord of the flies (Ch. 8, p. 111)? 3-Why do the boys attack Simon? What does his death indicate about how the boys have changed?
Debate Evidence/Points to Bring up:
ReplyDelete- The witches hugely influenced Macbeth. On page 5 where the first, second, and third witch (in order) each say their own quote: "All hail, Macbeth! Hail to you, thane of Glamis!" "All hail, Macbeth! Hail to you thane of Cawdor!" "All hail, Macbeth, the future king!". These quotes are what developed Macbeth's ambition, by telling him that he will become king. In addition, Macbeth shortly became the Thane of Cawdor after the witches told him so. "And to give you a taste of what’s in store for you, he told me to call you the thane of Cawdor. So hail, thane of Cawdor! That title belongs to you now", said Ross. The witches telling him that he becomes Thane of Cawdor, and then actually becoming Thane of Cawdor is a massive influence that tells Macbeth he becomes the king. Furthermore, Macbeth is even thinking: "It’s just like they said—now I’m the thane of Glamis and the thane of Cawdor. And the best part of what they predicted is still to come. After all, the witches who said I was Thane of Cawdor promised them nothing less." Macbeth is thinking greatly upon hearing this. 3 strange figures foreshadowing his prophecy and 2 out of 3 prophecies coming true. +He is even thinking to himself, "Now I’m the thane of Cawdor, just like they said I would be. But if this is a good thing, why do I find myself thinking about murdering King Duncan, a thought so horrifying that it makes my hair stand on end and my heart pound inside my chest?" Now that the idea of being the king has been instilled into him because of the three witches, he is thinking of ways that he will become the king. The reason I bring up these quotes and events is to show the extent of power that the witches have on Macbeth. That just their words can drive him to consider killing the king, the person he lovingly served. All this evidence shows how much power the witches have over Macbeth.
Rebuttal (counter argument):
- Without the witches, Macbeth would have no ambition and the plot of ambition leading to murder of the king would never have developed
- I thought it was the witches fault, in contrast to the opposing group saying it was Macbeth's fault
- My reason for this is the mass manipulation that the Witches do on Macbeth
- They use charms, spells, visions, and showing people he killed to force him and drive him mad
The supernatural powers the witches use on him and the spells they used force Macbeth into violence
The witches literally just started the whole story and what was gonna happen they told macbeth that all his descendants will be king even though he will not be one.
ReplyDeleteIn the play of 'Macbeth' by William Shakespeare the witches have a strong effect on Macbeth.
Macbeth was a loyal soldier, the witches were the ones who planted the seed of evil in Macbeth 's head and awake his ambitions.”FIRST WITCH:All hail, Macbeth! Hail to you, thane of Glamis!SECOND WITCH:All hail, Macbeth! Hail to you, thane of Cawdor! THIRD WITCH:
All hail, Macbeth, the future king!(Act 1, scene 3)
They cause both Macbeth’s rise to power and the fall to his death. They may not actually be forcing Macbeth to do certain actions, but they are the ones who plant the actual idea of killing Duncan into Macbeth's mind ,with what witches told him he thinks that is his destiny and he must do anything to complete it. But it was Macbeth who made the choices that determined his destiny. He was not forced to kill Duncan or any of his other victims. But after he murdered Duncan, Macbeth lost his mind. The witches plan to lead Macbeth to his death by making him feel overconfident.
Through the play the witches shown a lot of power. For instance,
ReplyDeleteShape shifting (when the woman refused to get one of the witches chestnuts.)
“A sailor’s wife had chestnuts in her lap, And munched, and munched, and munched. “Give
me,”
quoth I.
“Aroint thee, witch!” the rump-fed runnion cries.
Her husband’s to Aleppo gone, master o' th' Tiger;
But in a sieve I’ll thither sail,
And like a rat without a tail,
I’ll do, I’ll do, and I’ll do.”(1.3)
Control over wind (that one witch who didn’t get her chestnuts said that she know where her husband is sailing and she would kill her husband):
“I myself have all the other,
And the very ports they blow,
All the quarters that they know
I' th' shipman’s card.
I’ll drain him dry as hay.
Sleep shall neither night nor day
Hang upon his penthouse lid.
He shall live a man forbid.
Weary sev'nnights nine times nine
Shall he dwindle, peak and pine.”
Although these witches have supernatural power, they didn’t use them neither in favor nor against Macbeth. They just gave him an idea of what he could be. It was his ambition which got him in problem. And lady Macbeths to some extent. Because she put some peer pressure on his back too.
(Mine and Rose’s is the same)
ReplyDeleteThe witches literally just started the whole story and what was gonna happen they told macbeth that all his descendants will be king even though he will not be one.
In the play of 'Macbeth' by William Shakespeare the witches have a strong effect on Macbeth.
Macbeth was a loyal soldier, the witches were the ones who planted the seed of evil in Macbeth 's head and awake his ambitions.”FIRST WITCH:All hail, Macbeth! Hail to you, thane of Glamis!SECOND WITCH:All hail, Macbeth! Hail to you, thane of Cawdor! THIRD WITCH:
All hail, Macbeth, the future king!(Act 1, scene 3)
They cause both Macbeth’s rise to power and the fall to his death. They may not actually be forcing Macbeth to do certain actions, but they are the ones who plant the actual idea of killing Duncan into Macbeth's mind ,with what witches told him he thinks that is his destiny and he must do anything to complete it. But it was Macbeth who made the choices that determined his destiny. He was not forced to kill Duncan or any of his other victims. But after he murdered Duncan, Macbeth lost his mind. The witches plan to lead Macbeth to his death by making him feel overconfident.