Writing Class
Ms. Lawson
2/26/13
Herodotus once said “men are at the mercy of events and cannot control them.” In saying this Herodotus meant that men cannot control any situation, but that it is fate that determines what is to occur. Macbeth from Macbeth by William Shakespeare and Katniss The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins prove this statement true.
Macbeth from the play Macbeth proves this true. One day he finds three witches that tell him toward the end of their dialogue “That this great king may kindly say…” this is showing how he will become king. Macbeth is forced to kill the current king, king Duncan, in order to take the throne. This causes to have visions and hear Banquos ghost later on as king, he tried to kill Banquo and the stop him from having children to take over the kingdom. Macbeth went from having wealth power and appreciation to losing it all and even becoming mad. These are effects on him listening to the witches instead of listening to Banquo telling the prophecy might be evil, Macbeth tried to do everything in his power to stop the prophecy but couldn’t.
Katniss from The Hunger Games also proves this true. Her sister is initially chosen to be in the hunger games but Katniss takes her place because she feels her sister , prim, is to young. Once she is within the arena she has to find anyway to live. She is forced to go with the game and has no control of what happens to her. She is forced to go with the game that Peeta and her advisor Haymitch have. She at first is furious that they both were going along with this. She had no feelings that showed love towards him, but Peeta did towards to Katniss. She had to do this to try to survive the arena. She eventually starts to have feelings towards him as they spend more time together. And starts to show this as time passes she did not know any of this was going to happened until the games. And she did not get the clues peeta gave to her like burning the loaves of bread to give to her or him staring at her.
You May Also Find These Documents Helpful
-
One day when I was in the fourth grade, we had just finished a free response test on a story we were supposed to read last night. The next day, my teacher had completed grading all the test and he had noticed that two of the papers had were the exact same, their names were Danny and Ishmael. But Danny was absent today so the teacher called Ishmael to the front of the classroom and asked him if he and Danny cheated off of each other's test. Ishmael first lied and said, “I don’t know how we have the same answer it had to by coincidence.” The entire class knew they cheated off of each other but no one uttered a word, we all just watched like we were frozen in time. The teacher just raised his eyebrow and folded his arms, and asked the question…
- 1672 Words
- 7 Pages
Good Essays -
Often in life and in literature, people find themselves in overpowering situations. This is what Herodotus was referring to when he wrote, “Men are at the mercy of events and cannot control them.” In other words, people suffer not because of their own actions, but because of the situation in which they find themselves. This is true in considering Of Mice and Men by John Steinbeck because George and Lennie, the two protagonists, and other minor characters suffer due to events beyond their control. Herodotus’ quotation is also true in considering William Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet, because the protagonists, Romeo and Juliet, are also overpowered by the forces that surround them. Herodotus’ quote proves particularly true in considering the setting of both novels, the conflicts within the two texts, and the characterization of the protagonists and even the minor characters within the novels.…
- 1576 Words
- 5 Pages
Good Essays -
Herodotus once said “men are at the mercy of events and cannot control them.” In saying this Herodotus meant that men cannot control any situation, but that it is fate that determines what is to occur. Prince Edward from The Prince and the Pauper by Mark Twain and Macbeth from Macbeth by William Shakespeare prove this statement to be both true and false.…
- 615 Words
- 3 Pages
Good Essays -
John Pokinghorne said "I can perceive another person as an aggregation of atoms, an open biochemical system in interaction with the environment, a specimen of homo sapiens, an object of beauty, someone who needs deserve my respect and compassion, a brother for whom Christ died. Myers believes Christians must appreciate the essential role of science in nuturing curiosity and humility. This will put a wrongheaded notion about existence to an empirical test. The levels-of-explanation view believes humans are best understood in terms of hierarchy of levels or disciplines of relative complexity that should not be confused. One's faith should not affect the other levels or disciplines. The levels of explanation view looks at the biological, cognitive, and behavioral components. This levels of explanation view also examines cultural, biological, and interpersonal views.…
- 1725 Words
- 7 Pages
Good Essays -
The prophecies that the witches foretold to Macbeth played an immense role in fueling his passion to rule. These prophecies each held true to Macbeth in some way. Initially, the witches address Macbeth as the Thane of Glamis, which is what he is already considered as. This can be considered the first sign the witches know many things about Macbeth. The second prophecy stated that Macbeth would become Thane of Cawdor, which became true as the original Thane had been condemned to death as he was traitor. After being bestowed this title, the final prophecy appealed to Macbeth even more, as it stated that he would become the King of Scotland. Macbeth was confident in these prophecies because one way or another, they assumed that he would be very successful in life. These prophecies can be the ones to blame for igniting the spark inside of Macbeth that would slowly fuel his deep and treacherous ambition to rule. They changed his attitude immediately and from that point on, he was bent on fulfilling his future by committing actions that would lead up to each of these situations to come true.…
- 936 Words
- 4 Pages
Good Essays -
In the play Macbeth, Macbeth receives a prophecy from three witches that tell him that he will one day become king. Macbeth then sets out to make the prophecy a reality by committing regicide and taking the king’s life, then becoming king himself. After he becomes king, he begins to go mad with guilt and paranoia from what he has done, yet he still commits more murders in order to keep his throne. The country is thrown into chaos after the death of the king, and Macbeth does little to nothing to keep his country in order due to his own personal issues, which causes a rebellion, led…
- 1362 Words
- 6 Pages
Better Essays -
Evidently, it can be said that who someone is, and what character traits they posses can help determine their future. But what happens when these traits are manipulated and transfigured as the result of an impossibly great desire? This is seen when both Macbeth and Hedda struggle with significant changes within their moral selves as they are both upset with a life they have every reason to be happy about. Macbeth and Hedda want more, and are willing to do anything to find happiness in the lives they are so “sadly” living. Macbeth is an ethical and ambitious young general who comes to have extremely corrupt thoughts as a result of a prophecy contrived by three witches that becomes true. The witches predicted that Macbeth would be given the position as the Thane of Cawdor, and later they predicted he would be the King of Scotland. Because the fist prophecy became true so easily, Macbeth could not help but believe what the witches had to say this time about him becoming king, and Macbeth's corrupt thoughts turned into actions. Macbeth began killing…
- 1526 Words
- 7 Pages
Better Essays -
In the beginning of the play the witches told Macbeth that he will become Thane of Cawdor, and later on King of Scotland, before this knowledge Macbeth had no thoughts or intentions on becoming king, not even Thane of Cawdor, but these prophecies implanted the thought and ambition Intro his mind, thus leading to the murder of Duncan. In the beginning Macbeth was also told that Banquo's descendants shall become kings, Macbeth wanting none other than his blood to have the throne after him, murdering Duncan in hope that the prophecy would perish, and his blood would claim the throne after, thus the witches influencing the second great crime. Later on in the play after Macbeth’s second encounter with the weird sisters, he is told to beware of Macduff, he gets the family of Macduff murdered, therefore the witches influenced Macbeth into committing the third great crime. The witches influencing Macbeth into the three great crimes of the play, in essence leading Macbeth to his ultimate downfall. When Banquo and Macbeth encounter the three witches they speak, “All hail, Macbeth, that shalt be king hereafter! (1.3.03)”. In this passage from the play the witches are speaking the prophecies that they have predicted, conveying his future, and that his fate is to become king. When Banquo’s skeptically requests for his fate, the witches say "Lesser than Macbeth, and greater (1.3.68).” "Not so happy, yet much happier (1.3.69).” "Thou shall begets kings, thou be none (1.3.70). In the first quote the first witch speaks that Banquo will be lesser than Macbeth in royal ranks, but greater because he will be the father of future kings. The second quote is spoken by the second witch, and prophesizes the fact that…
- 776 Words
- 4 Pages
Good Essays -
Throughout the play, the witches fill Macbeth’s head with half-truths, giving him false hope. At the start of the play Macbeth and Banquo stumble upon the witches and are given three prophecies: “All hail Macbeth, hail thee, Thane of Glamis. All hail Macbeth, hail thee Thane of Cawdor. All hail Macbeth, that shalt be king” (A1S3L46) before leaving the witches also mentioned to Banquo “Though shalt get kings, though thou be none.”(A1S3L65) The three prophecies that Macbeth received were confusing to him: he is already Thane of Glamis but is unaware of King Duncan’s plans to name him as Thane of Cawdor. Once that prophecy comes true he becomes convinced that the third one will too. However he is not certain if the third prophecy will be proven to be true whether he goes through with Duncan’s murder or not. Once Macbeth murders Duncan and is crowned king he believes in what the witches say and still has worries of their last prophecy about Banquo. Without a second thought he sends out murderers to kill Banquo and Fleance to secure his position as king. After this Macbeth becomes dependent on the witches and must know what the witches have to say about his future. Macbeth plans to see the witches so he will know what to do further on. Macbeth goes to see the…
- 1201 Words
- 5 Pages
Good Essays -
Although the first and second prophecies that the witches foretell come true, they only turn Macbeth greedy. After Macbeth becomes Thane of…
- 893 Words
- 4 Pages
Good Essays -
For centuries, there has been lots debate on whether or not there is such thing as fate or free will. To this day, people are trying to decide if one’s life is already laid out for him/her and that if no matter what he/she does that it will still unfold in a preset way, in which that they cannot change, or if one has free will and the ability to completely change his/her life. In William Shakespeare’s Macbeth, the main character, Macbeth, is not doomed by fate, but by free will. In particular, Shakespeare’s Macbeth demonstrates that it is not fate that determines one's life as it is one's flaws and choices. This is illustrated through Macbeth himself, who, first, makes the choice of not listening to his conscience, which continuously makes…
- 1209 Words
- 5 Pages
Better Essays -
Don't be afraid,Macbeth no man born of a woman will ever defeat you.In Shakespare's Macbeth is told a proficy by three witches and he thought the proficy that the witches told him where just a scam but then then it all started to slowly come true .the three withes didn't just tell Macbeth a proficy also told Banquo that his discendence will be royalty.Macbeth became king and gained much power he later killed Duncan so he can remain powerful and a…
- 82 Words
- 1 Page
Satisfactory Essays -
When the witches tell Macbeth and Banquo that Macbeth will be the next king, this fuels Macbeth’s ambition and everything goes downhill. When he tells Lady Macbeth, she’s the one who states King…
- 427 Words
- 2 Pages
Good Essays -
Throughout history, men have questioned whether they control their fate, and even today, men still linger on this dilemma. In Oedipus the King, and Antigone, Sophocles shows men have no control whatsoever in their determined fate. In Oedipus the King and Antigone, Sophocles show how men try to change their fates, but ultimately fail in the end despite the decisions of the characters.…
- 1004 Words
- 5 Pages
Good Essays -
When Macbeth is met by the three witches, they predict that his title will be upgraded to King, after hearing this prophecy he is both sceptical and filled with joy. Moments after Macbeth hears this news he is made Thane of Cawdor, which has made one half of the witches prophecy appear to be truthful. With the news Macbeth writes…
- 444 Words
- 2 Pages
Satisfactory Essays