Comic 3

"Be lion-mettled, proud; and take no care Who chafes, who frets, or where conspirers are: Macbeth shall never vanquish'd be until Great Birnam wood to high Dunsinane hill Shall come against him." (IV.i.90-94)

Macbeth has been told by the third ghost not to worry about anything or anybody because he will not be defeated until Birnam Wood meets and fights Macbeth on Dunsinane Hill.  In this comic, Macbeth is standing strong and saying he is proud and brave.  Meanwhile though, the forest, which are actually soldiers camouflaged by trees, are on their way to meet Macbeth.  This riddle is the most complicated out of all the riddles.  It is a bit hard to understand until you read more of the play.  I think it was quite interesting how Shakespeare included these riddles in the play as it gave the reader/audience something to think about.  

Comic 2

"Be bloody, bold, and resolute; laugh to scorn The power of man, for none of woman born Shall harm Macbeth. " (IV.i.79-81)

Macbeth has been told by the second ghost not to worry about getting killed because a child born of a woman cannot hurt Macbeth.  In this comic, a child is being held by his mother behind jail bars.  The child is wanting to kill Macbeth but the Mother is telling the child he can’t because he was born of a woman.  Macbeth is then standing strong and laughing because the child cannot hurt him.  This was a riddle that required some thinking.  When somebody sees this, they might think that Macbeth is untouchable because everybody has been born of a women... or have they?  We read in the next Act that not necessarily is everyone born of a woman.

Comic 1

"Macbeth! Macbeth! Macbeth! beware Macduff; Beware the thane of Fife. Dismiss me. Enough."(IV.i.71-72) 

Macbeth has just been told by the first ghost that he should be aware of the Thane of Fife also known as Macduff.  In this comic, Macbeth is having thoughts of Macduff.  Macduff is saying to Macbeth that he is out to get him.  Macbeth is worried about this.  I think this was a very straightforward riddle.  The ghost is predicting that Macduff is going to get Macduff and that Macbeth better be aware.     

Reflection on my Twitter Experience

A reflection on using Twitter:

I have mixed opinions about using Twitter for English, particularly this assignment.  I believe that, in an English course, you should be able to respond in a detailed format.  Attempting to fit in my thoughts into 140 characters proved to be quite difficult.  I felt that I could not quite say what I wanted to say.  There was just simply not enough space to put my thoughts into words.  I also feel that using Twitter for a Shakespeare assignment is a little ironic.  Twitter is quite modern which is the complete opposite of Shakespeare.  Mr. Shakespeare wrote in old English but people Tweet not in old English, not in new English, but in slang and abbreviated forms of the English language.  Tweeting Macbeth’s thoughts just feels quite odd.  It was quite difficult transforming Macbeth’s old speech into today’s English.  The next con I would like to point out is concerning proper use of grammar.  In writing, especially in an English class, you must have proper grammar and writing techniques.  Using Twitter does not allow us to practice our proper grammar and writing techniques.  I also do not like using social media as a learning tool.  Social media is very popular nowadays and lots of people are making use of it. However, I myself am not a fan of it.  I believe it has taken over people’s lives.  We see social media a lot in the news but not always in a good way.  Social media is another way that people are bullied everyday.  Advertisements on TV show how people are making fun and bullying others on Facebook and Twitter yet now we have to use it in an assignment.  I suppose using social media, especially Twitter, can also be a good for some.  People who have trouble expressing their thoughts can easily do so on Twitter.  People who have trouble expanding their ideas are able to do on Twitter because they do not need to write a lot.  Social media is also a good way for people to connect and get an idea around.  Over all, I must say I did not enjoy my Twitter experience.  I simply felt I was not able to put everything I wanted to say in for I just ran out of space.  

Twitter:

https://twitter.com/MrMacTheMan

Character Profile

3) Pick one character from the first act and write a "Character Profile" of that character.  Tell us what you know about them, what you think will be their role in the play, and what you think about them as a character.  Do you like them?  Identify with them?  Do they teach us a anything?

On this post, I will talk about Banquo.  Banquo is a lot like Macbeth, they are good friends and fought together in the war against Norway.  Like Macbeth, Banquo is a patriotic general and soldier.  Macbeth and Banquo pay a visit to the three Witches.  They predict that Banquo’s sons will become the King of Scotland.  Banquo, again like his buddy Macbeth, is brave on the outside but weak on the inside.  He is unable to transform his determined thoughts into action.    

It’s hard to think what role Banquo will hold in the play.  He is so much alike Macbeth.  Since both Macbeth and Banquo have trouble putting their thoughts into actions, I do not think they will be too much of an influence to each other.  

I think Banquo is a cool character.  His name is definitely the best name in the entire play.  He also seems to have a close relationship with his sons.  I also like the fact that he is a brave soldier.  I do not like the fact that he is not strong enough to put his ambitious thoughts into actions.  He just cannot seem to be able to stand up for himself.  I cannot seem to identify with him.  I just do not relate to him in any way.  

Does Banquo teach us anything?  I believe it’s too early to tell.  I can’t seem to believe he is a symbol for anything to come.  Banquo is an interesting character who is quite similar to the main character, Macbeth.  

Destiny, Fate, and Influence

2) With all this talk about Destiny, Fate and Influence, what role do you think the witches will have in this play?  Are we all subject to our pre-determined destiny?  Or can we influence our own future?

The Witches are three sisters who ultimately determine the fate of the other characters in the play.  They are quite different that any of the other characters in the play.  One of the big differences is that the witches speak in rhyming verse contrary to the others who speak in blank verse.  For example, “Double, double, toil and trouble, / Fire burn and cauldron bubble”  (4.1.10–11).  This is a rhyming sentence that sounds rather peculiar.  When we think of witches, we think of broomsticks, potions, pointed hats, and cauldrons.  One belief is that witches mix potions in cauldrons to see the future.  This is what the three witches in this play are doing.

As a human being, we have the opportunity to influence our own future.  We also have the ability to have someone else influence our future.  I think these Witches will play a big part in the play.  Like in the previous post, I mentioned that I felt that Macbeth had contradictions in that he was both brave and weak.  He may have been brave on the outside, as a soldier loyal to his country, let on the inside, Macbeth is weak.  He let other people decide his outcome in different situations.  Not to be sexist, but he is heavily influenced by women.  Overall, I believe the Witches will play a large role in the outcome of this play in a supernatural, mystic sense.  

Some people believe we are subject to a pre-determined destiny.  Other believe that we can influence our own future.   We can be subjected to a pre-determined destiny but only if we allow it.  We can let other people tell us how we should live or what we should be when we grow up.  In this way, we are influencing our own future by allowing some to determine our destiny.  It’s not a bad idea to have someone give you ideas, as long as they are not telling exactly how to live. Overall, I believe we can have the greatest influence on our future.  Life should be what we make of it, not something that has been planned out since the day we were born.  We should make our own choices in life whether it be where we go to school, what job we should hold, or who to marry.  As long as we remain strong, only us as individual human beings can influence our own future.