Macbeth
Brianna Otero March 12, 2012
816 Mr. Golden
Macbeth
* Do you sympathize with Macbeth? Why or why not? Considering whether or not to feel sympathy for Macbeth can be based upon whether or not you think Macbeth has any control of his own destiny. If you think of Macbeth as a pawn in his own game, then you can feel sympathy. He is controlled by the witches, who promise him the crown, at exactly the right time when he has just been "promoted" to Thane of Cawdor. The witches give him something else to strive for. Macbeth is also controlled by his aggressive and demanding wife. He has no choice but to follow her plans. In these instances, you can feel sorry for Macbeth because he is unable to make good decisions because of the pressure from the witches and his wife. However, if you think Macbeth is simply irrational and power hungry then he gets what he deserves in the end, no sympathy for the continuous bad choices he made. He was doing well by simply supporting and fighting for King Duncan and Scotland. It is difficult to feel sympathy for a character who continues to make bad choices.
* Who are the heroic characters in this play? Explain why.
Macbeth is a true hero, distinguishing himself on the battlefield to protect King and country. He is truly courageous, brave and is rewarded by the king for his efforts. He does not sustain his hero status for very long, in fact, he becomes a villain, a murderer very shortly after this event. Murdering the king makes Macbeth a villain; he becomes truly evil, consumed with ambition and desire to protect his position once he is crowned king. As king, Macbeth is still a villain; a tyrant who threatens the survival of Scotland, even nature rejects Macbeth as king. Macduff emerges as a hero, a defender of Scotland, who is responsible for slaying the dragon, King Macbeth. Macduff makes a great sacrifice to save Scotland. He leaves his family unguarded as he journeys to England to meet with Malcolm and
816 Mr. Golden
Macbeth
* Do you sympathize with Macbeth? Why or why not? Considering whether or not to feel sympathy for Macbeth can be based upon whether or not you think Macbeth has any control of his own destiny. If you think of Macbeth as a pawn in his own game, then you can feel sympathy. He is controlled by the witches, who promise him the crown, at exactly the right time when he has just been "promoted" to Thane of Cawdor. The witches give him something else to strive for. Macbeth is also controlled by his aggressive and demanding wife. He has no choice but to follow her plans. In these instances, you can feel sorry for Macbeth because he is unable to make good decisions because of the pressure from the witches and his wife. However, if you think Macbeth is simply irrational and power hungry then he gets what he deserves in the end, no sympathy for the continuous bad choices he made. He was doing well by simply supporting and fighting for King Duncan and Scotland. It is difficult to feel sympathy for a character who continues to make bad choices.
* Who are the heroic characters in this play? Explain why.
Macbeth is a true hero, distinguishing himself on the battlefield to protect King and country. He is truly courageous, brave and is rewarded by the king for his efforts. He does not sustain his hero status for very long, in fact, he becomes a villain, a murderer very shortly after this event. Murdering the king makes Macbeth a villain; he becomes truly evil, consumed with ambition and desire to protect his position once he is crowned king. As king, Macbeth is still a villain; a tyrant who threatens the survival of Scotland, even nature rejects Macbeth as king. Macduff emerges as a hero, a defender of Scotland, who is responsible for slaying the dragon, King Macbeth. Macduff makes a great sacrifice to save Scotland. He leaves his family unguarded as he journeys to England to meet with Malcolm and