Blog 14: The Macbeths

In the beginning of the play, Macbeth and Lady Macbeth are very attached and dependent on each other. Persuasion and ambition plays a big role in their relationship. Lady Macbeth questions her husband's manhood and she knows what buttons to push with him. She mocks Macbeth and is hungry for power. She portrays herself as a kind and good person while she's really evil.

Lady Macbeth needs to stop teasing Macbeth and he needs to tell her how he feels about her behavior. Macbeth needs to tell her when she's out of line and being too controlling. They do have a close relationship so they should be able to talk things through. Macbeth and Lady Macbeth should be totally honest with each other and not keep secrets. They need to especially work on their communication with each other.

Blog 13: Why Shakespeare & Why Macbeth

1. My reaction to the documentary is that of happiness that Shakespeare showed men and women in an equal light. This is why women were anxious to be in one of his plays. My question to Shakespeare is how and where did he acquire such an extensive and expansive use of the English language?

2. William Shakespeare was born in Stratford-Upon-Avon in 1564. He was the third of eight children and the son of a successful merchant. Shakespeare attended a free grammar school and did not go on to university. Shakespeare married Anne Hathaway when he was eighteen in 1582. Their first child was a daughter named Susanna, and later they had twins Hamnet and Judith. Hamnet died at the age of eleven.

Shakespeare always wanted to be a serious writer and in 1588, he began to prove himself as an actor and playwright. His company was the most successful in London during his day. Shakespeare died in 1616 at the age of fifty two. Shakespeare is the most written about author in Western civilization history. His works include thirty eight plays, one hundred and fifty four sonnets, and two epic narrative poems. The themes in his work are universal, and the characters are extremely vivid, so that they can cut across from generation to generation and are still popular even today. Shakespeare was also successful with poetry and his most widely printed work during his lifetime was his poem Venus and Adonis. This helped him financially and in terms of his reputation. Shakespeare also wrote sonnets, which addressed love, beauty, mortality, and faith.

Shakespeare is most known for his command of the English language. His vocabulary exceeded seventeen thousand words, which is four times that of an average intelligent person. He also introduced at least three thousand words into the English language. Shakespeare wrote most of his plays and poems in iambic pentameter, although some passages were written in prose. He used a rhyming couplet to end scenes and create suspense. An example of this can be found in Macbeth: As Macbeth leaves the stage to murder Duncan, he says, "Here it not Duncan; for it is a knell that summons thee to heaven or to hell." Humor is a key element in all of his plays and his works bring out the complete range of human experiences. His characters are human beings that are complex and bring out emotion in audiences. Shakespeare's work greatly influenced literature, poems, plays, theatre, culture, and film more than any other author in history.

3. The following is a list of the most significant characters in Macbeth. Macbeth is the Scottish General of England and he is a brave and powerful soldier. Lady Macbeth is Macbeth's wife and she is power-hungry and controlling. The Three Witches also called the Three "black and midnight hags," plot against Macbeth using different powers including charms, spells, and prophecies. Banquo is a brave and noble general who is a rival to Macbeth. King Duncan is the good King of Scotland who Macbeth murders for his crown. Malcolm is King Duncan's older son. He is appointed King of Cumberland and later becomes the next King of Scotland.

Blog 12: Magnet Poetry

Looking Out The Window

By: Emily Itskovitch

She always wanted to live in the country,

Being close to nature made her feel happy.

She didn't know why she felt this way,

But it was how she wanted to start everyday.

The large windows would be open to the green,

And immediately her mood would be serene.

A chair by the window to take it all in,

Deep breath of country air was a sure win.

The room was simple with subtle tones,

A dash of white, brown, and pink was shown.

But nothing in the room could compare,

To the beauty of the nature that waited out there.