Portfolio - Macbeth Creative Piece
The first notable thing I had done in the year in my opinion was my Macbeth benchmark. Macbeth is an amazing tale of greed and it's recommended for everyone. In this project we had to trace a character throughout the book and note how their behavior had changed over time.
Macbeth Creative Writing
Anthony Buchanico
In the story of Macbeth, Macbeth had gone from such a bold and noble man with no sense of violence except those against his loved ones, yet when he heard of his chance to be king he slowly fell under the lust for power and began his journey consisting of slaughtering anybody in his way. This can be shown throughout the story in his words as well as the words of others.
In
Act 1 scene 3 Banquo and Macbeth have come to contact with the witches and are
discussing the prophecies told to them. Macbeth has been said to become king
while Banquo has been told his children shall inherit the throne afterward.
While in discussion whether this prophecy may be true Banquo states, “If
you can look into the seeds of time, and say which grain will grow, and which
will not.” To see which grain will grow and which will not is to take note of
whose future will flourish and whose will come to an end.
Act
1 scene 5; Macbeth is in deep thought over the plan to end the life of the King.
To end the life of someone he considers a friend is just too much for him to
simply go about doing, but he would do almost anything for the power of king as
well as make his wife happy. So
while in a soliloquy, Macbeth cries “Stars, hide your fires!
Let not light see my
black and deep desires.” In short, Macbeth doesn’t wish for such controversy
over being king, but doesn’t want to admit he will eventually fall to his lust
for power.
For
Act 1, scene 7 the majority of Macbeth’s time is spent arguing with his wife
over the deed to end Duncan. Macbeth is taking the side of finding another way
to go about obtaining kingship while his wife wants the deed done immediately
and to the fullest extent. She accuses Macbeth of being everything under a man
and the only way to bring his masculinity back he would need to murder someone
with a familiar face. As a
response, he replies with “I dare do all that may become a man; Who dares do
more, is none.” He’s saying manhood cannot be judged by taken lives. And this would
turn him to a beast rather a man.
The
remainder of Act 1, scene 7 is spent discussing the way to rid of the king.
Lady Macbeth’s influence had finally hit Macbeth. Rather then take his task
with confidence like on the battlefield; he is extremely timid at the thought
of the murder. For words of confidence, Lady Macbeth responds with “Screw your courage to the sticking-place.”
Saying this had told Macbeth to center his courage before taking the task. This
gave him the confidence shown on the battlefield to apply to the murder of
Duncan.
After
the dawning of the day Duncan’s death is discover, Act 2 scene 3 is spent
detailing the conversation with the ones close to the king such as Macbeth and
Macduff. Although most are unsuspecting, Donalbain had sensed guilt among the
crowd. “There's daggers in men's smiles.” Is said by him when he suddenly feels
a large amount of guilt in the crowd. He senses one man had done this. That
Macbeth did the deed is not apparent however.
Act
3, scene 4 begins to show the ruthless man Macbeth is becoming. He begins to
find out Banquo knows Macbeth completed the death of Duncan. As a result he
begins to contemplate yet another murder to keep his secret safe. He begins to
enter another soliloquy. This time he states “I am in blood Stepp'd in
so far, that, should I wade no more, Returning were as tedious as go o'er.”
Saying this shows Macbeth knows he has to murder again, he doesn’t think of it
as such a crime though. He’s done it once he’ll do it again. The only
difference now is his hired assassins shall do the deed.
Act
4, scene 2 Lady Macbeth has had a growing regret over the murder since the deed
was committed. She is slowly falling apart. Macbeth realizes this and tries to
assure her the problem is over and nothing bad will come from this anymore. She
is still rather doubtful about it no matter what he says. She realizes they are
traitors no matter what. “When our actions do not, our fears do make us
traitors.” This shows just that.
Macbeth
has been a horrible king. His citizens are afraid of his wrath and are afraid
to make any action. There are few people who aren’t afraid to go against him.
These people are devoted. Going against him they tell each other his rude ways.
One man, Angus notes how afraid his subjects are. “Those he commands move only
in command, nothing in love: now does he feel his title Hang loose about him,
like a giant's robe upon a dwarfish thief.” Angus is saying his power is not
meant for him and is too much for him to maintain. This is related to the dwarf
owning the oversized robe in that manner.
Macbeth’s
final time of battle is near. He realizes the forest is coming after him. The only thing he can do is stay
devoted and fight for his life. “I have almost forgot the taste of fears;
The time has been, my
senses would have cool’d
To hear a night-shriek;
and my fell of hair
Would at a dismal
treatise rouse and stir
As life were in't: I
have supp'd full with horrors;
Direness, familiar to my
slaughterous thoughts
Cannot once start me.”
This is a short speech about how Macbeth shall embrace death with acceptance in
a way, but won’t let it bring him down so easily. If this is really how his
life is supposed to end. It is at least worth the test.
In
the final act of the play, Macbeth’s mistress has come to an end. He shows very
little grief nor feels it. He just
embraces it. She was but a mere assistance to him in the long run. Thought of
as his puppet. “Life's but a walking shadow, a poor player
That struts and frets
his hour upon the stage,
And then is heard no
more. It is a tale
Told by an idiot, full
of sound and fury,
Signifying nothing.”
These words signify the end of Macbeth’s heart. He is nothing but a shadow of
his former self, a walking beast who’s hungry for any power possible.
As
shown above, Macbeth’s character has changed dramatically. Once the most modest
man in the entire world, he is not a relentless demon seeking nothing but
personal benefit. This gives the strong message that power can change even the
kindest of hearts. Power destroys people.
