Lady Macbeth, an honoured hostess and a fiend-like Queen Essay Example for Free

Lady Macbeth, an honoured hostess and a fiend-like Queen Essay The audience witness a total transformation of Lady Macbeth from a powerful, scheming woman to a sad and lonely wretch. By the end of this tragedy she has nothing to live for, is riddled with guilt and has lost all sanity. At the opening of the play the audience see how fervent her hunger for power and status is when she summons evil spirits; Fill me from the crown to the toe top-full of the direst cruelty; (Act One, Scene 5, lines 40-41). This statement displays Lady Macbeths character deeply nefarious, it would perturb the superstitions of the Christian spectators. The audience might also perceive her to be disturbed as in that same soliloquy she asks the spirits to, Make thick my blood, At the time that the play was written thick blood was associated with illness and derangement. It would have been most horrific for the audience to listen to the character persisting that she did not want to be womanly, especially for someone of her status is society. Pronouncing that she wished to be unsexed and that she wanted the spirits to Come to my womans breasts, and take my milk for gall, would outrage their perfervid Christian views as women were supposed to be maternal and loving whereas she uses the oxymoron to intensify her wish to become corrupt and inhuman. Immediately after she calls the spirits, Shakespeare returns Macbeth to the stage, scheduling his wife the ideal time to discuss her plan. Lady Macbeth begins to instruct him as she says, Look like th innocent flower, but be the serpent undert. She uses this metaphor to reassure her husband and make known to him that others wont realise hed be doing anything wrong but at the same time urging him to commit the deed,ergo underlining the way in which it is her evil inventions which will destroy Duncan. The Shakespearean audience would be very disturbed to witness such wicked schemes emanating from a female character; women were particularly governed by societys expectations and considered to be the fairer, gentler sex, leaving political machinations to their male counterparts. Along with manipulating Macbeth into executing all of her schemes, she also is competent to cover up after him when he is vulnerable to suspicion. Without her help and guidance, Macbeth would have not been able to consummate his feats. After Macbeths first act in which he commits regicide by killing his dear king Duncan, he is incapable of coming to terms with his actions and returning with the weapons to Duncans chamber. His ever-dutiful wife finishes the task. Give me the daggers. The sleeping and the dead are but pictures. Her control here reveals her power and determination. We see her draw a veil over Macbeths behaviour again after he has taken King Duncans life as Macbeth makes the mistake of killing the guards, when he knows that as a soldier himself he should interrogate suspects. After Macduff attempts to question Macbeth on his reasons, Lady Macbeth faints (Act 2 Scene 3 line 112). This shows her ability to extemporise when the situation requires it. Indeed there are several occasions when Lady Macbeth steps in to avoid her husband being put under suspicion. Her role in the banquet scene after Macbeth sees Banquos ghost has a reason. Macbeth shows signs of weakening before the spirit of Banquo. However, Lady Macbeth shows her authority over the proceedings. She instructs all but herself and Macbeth in Act 3 Scene 4 lines 118-9 to Stand not upon the order of your going. But go at once, thus managing to clear their estate of all the guests who had been visiting, which would have been a difficult feat especially for a woman yet her determination impels her capable. We sporadically notice that she is not such a nefarious character, as she would like to believe. An example of her vulnerability is when she needs a drink to give her courage in order to go through with the plan for the murder of Duncan, That which hath made them drunk hath made me bold. If she were truly a fiend she would feel nothing. Similarly, when she is anxious and awaiting Macbeths return she utters that, Had he not resembled my father as he slept, I had donet. Had she been entirely evil she would have distanced herself more and be unable to draw comparisons. The decisive moment however for Lady Macbeth is when she detects that she is no longer needed. Act 3 Scene 3 lines 6-7 describe this further when she asks Macbeth, Whats to be done? and he proves to her that he is no longer the mere student but the master as he replies, Be the innocent of the knowledge, dearest chuck, till thou applaud the deed. Macbeths use of dearest chuck would have been supposed to be playful however in this context would have aggravated his wife and spurred on the doubts that would have been forming in her mind. The quotation is also analogous to what Lady Macbeth had said to him in Act 1 Scene 5 about looking innocent, thus extra proof of his imitation of his wifes influence. Lady Macbeths return to the action in Act 5, scene 1 is dramatic in its irony. She is a mere shadow of her former self, unable to sleep and riddled with guilt she re-enacts the role she played in Duncans murder, and in so doing betrays her guilt to her waiting woman and, of course, the audience. The constant washing of her hands and utterances Out damned spot Whod have thought the old man to have so much blood serve to expose her crimes, her sentiments in Act Two A little water cleans me of this deed are shockingly highlighted in the closing Act with poignant irony. Delirious and disturbing outbursts: Heres the smell of blood still; all the perfumes of Arabia will not sweeten this hand. Oh, oh, oh! (Line 44-6) and her use of metaphor amplifies her acute mental torture and pain, she is a woman so construed by guilt that she loses all sanity. Lady Macbeths downfall, like her husbands, is a tragic one as she ultimately dies from her terrible crime. Like Macbeth, Lady Macbeth enjoyed reputation and status as the wife of the greatest Scottish warrior, much loved and honoured by king and county. However, she is as much Macbeth, guilty of vaulting ambition and when she succumbs to that fatal flaw she can no longer function. Indeed, so consumed by guilt, Lady Macbeth commits suicide knowing that her crimes have involved interfering with the divine right of kings. Interestingly, however, the audience see many times throughout this drama when Lady Macbeth is not so cold as she is made out to be. We know that she is not a fiend as we see on numerous occasions her inability to carry out acts herself, act 2 Scene 2, line 13-4, Had he not resembled my father as he slept. I had donet. She is unable to distance herself from the stunt and even helping to carry out the act she finds difficult as she needs help to bring the courage she needs: That which hath made them drunk hath made me bold; illuminating further how she has some empathy for Duncan. The audience see just how terrible an effect all the events since the witches first met Macbeth have had on her mental state as they hear how she has taken her own life in Act 5 scene 5 from Malcolm. To conclude, it is clear that Lady Macbeth begins her role as honoured; she certainly enjoys the wifely role of Scotlands hero. However, through greed and ambition, she forfeits her reputation and status. Certainly her actions are fiend-like but she does betray some small shreds of conscience and is therefore well aware of her choices. A totally fiendish character would not experience guilt, but Lady Macbeth goes insane simply because she knows she has been immoral and sinful. Lady Macbeth, an honoured hostess and a fiend-like Queen.

Atomic Theory :: physics atomic theory

Missing equations The understanding of the physical world changed as the development of the atomic theory progressed. The view of the world before the atomic theory is important to consider when trying to understand the kind of knowledge that people such as Democritus and Epicurus had when developing their theories that later influenced the further development of the atomic theory. Alchemy Alchemy is normally thought of as the transition of metals into gold. In reality alchemist are said by William H. Brock were â€Å"often concerned with a spiritual quest by humankind to make sense of the universe.† The transition of metals was only a small portion of what alchemy entailed. There were three main terms used when describing the work of early alchemists; macrobiotics, aurifiction, aurifaction. Macrobiotics used the understanding of botanical, mineral and zoological areas and then created medicines or as the people of the alchemical times called them, elixirs. Aurifiction was the imitation of gold or other precious metals. Aurifaction was the process of actually creating gold from another metal. Geography greatly influenced the practices of alchemists. All over the world people were exploring the natural world and its chemical and physical properties. Rituals similar to those involved in child birth were often found in Siberia, Indonesia and African alchemical procedures. Brock comments that, â€Å"like embryos, metals grew in the womb of mother nature.† There were myths associated in the creation of metals and why they were present in the world. In the Indian, Chinese and Arabic cultures they believed in the â€Å"elixir of life† and the alchemy taking place in these regions were focused on the body and the combination of what the body needs and what the body releases were of great importance. The Arabic culture is said to be responsible to spreading these ideas to 14th century Europe. When focusing on the development of scientific understanding it is necessary to take a closer look at the beliefs of the natural world of the various geographic areas. China As stated earlier, China was more focused on producing elixirs and drugs than the transition of metals. Brock states that they waned to, â€Å"bring the body closer to a state of perfection and harmony with the universe.† Undergoing this process would eventually lead to immortality. Naitan was the term associated with the physiological alchemy.

Langston Hughes Essay

The Harlem Renaissance took place in 1920s to the mid 1930s, it happened in New York City and it was a cultural bloom. The literary and artistic movement spurred a new black cultural identity. The reason why it occurred was because after the civil war the former slaves all went and lived in the same area, and that was the area where people started creating their own art and literary to define who they were. During the Harlem Renaissance the black people had almost no rights in politics and in society with white people. Even though no deference were shown to the black people, heroes and inspirations flourished and all of them were extremely passionate with what they did. One of the most important figures of literary during the Harlem Renaissance was Langston Hughes,(Swisher 1) he was a poet and a story writer. Amongst many works, the two poem Langston Hughes wrote called â€Å"Democracy† and â€Å"My people† received a lot of love and respect from people. James Mercer Langston Hughes (February 1, 1902- May 22, 1967) was an American poet and a storywriter. He was born in Joplin, Missouri. He started writing poetry when he started living with his mother around the age of 10 in Ohio. (Langston Hughes 1) His first poetry was â€Å"The negro speaks of rivers† which was published in The Crisis magazine. After dropping out of Columbia in 1922 he traveled around Europe and published more poems. When he came back to America, he met Vachel Lindsay a famous poet that helped promote Hughe’s poetry, which made him more known. Few years after that he not only wrote books and poems, but even plays and lyrics for a Broadway musical, he became the first poet to make a living by writing. Langston Hughes 2) Hughes died from prostate cancer, but not all of him died, he became an inspiration to others and still remains a historical figure of the Harlem Renaissance. â€Å"Democracy† (1949) is a poem about Langston Hughes’s point of view of politics. He had the same views as an average black person living in Harlem. In this poem Hughes stresses the point of freedom as one of the most essential factor a person needs. The main conflict in this poem is that no freedom will come to them. Hughes wrote â€Å"Democracy will not come, Today, this year nor ever† This shows how black people were treated in order for hem to feel this hopeless about their freedom. Hughes also displayed how desperate he was with his freedom, he said â€Å"I have as much right as the other fellow has to stand On my two feet and own the land. † He compares himself to other white people that are free. When he says this he is not representing himself only, but every single African American. The tone of this poem is hopeless. The poem is clear in it’s meaning and straightforward with the ideas, which allows people to picture how it is without fre edom. Hughes uses a metaphor that helps the poem’s tone to stand out more. He uses two metaphor, the first one is â€Å"I cannot live on tomorrow’s bread. † When he says this, he means he cannot live unsure and needs the basic factor that all human beings have, food is the most basic necessity us human beings need in order to survive, one will not be able to survive when they rely on food that will be given to them tomorrow. When he says â€Å"Freedom is a strong seed† he emphasizes that one can only be free when everyone around them is not racist and supportive, and the idea that it will only flourish when the seed is strong enough for the outcome. The tone of seriousness and a few metaphors in addition constructs the poem perfectly. There are two distinct themes in this poem, which is freedom and racism. The clarity of this poem makes it obvious for readers to know his point. He compares himself with others to highlight the fact that he wants equal treatment in his own country, and even uses metaphors to show what freedom means to him. On the other hand, the theme of racism is behind the poem, having knowledge about his biography; readers can clearly understand why Hughes felt this way. The second poem â€Å"My people† was written in 1923. My people is a very short poem that not only expresses his affection for his people but it also has a message of equality. He tries to help people understand that there are a lot of different qualities to black people. â€Å"Beautiful, also, are the souls of my people† (Hughes 1923) By saying this Hughes is describing that his people are not cold, but are also warm like the sun. He also tells the readers that â€Å"Beautiful† can be used to describe a lot of things. In every stanza he has the word â€Å"Beautiful† and they each have a different meaning, for example The night is beautiful† can be describing that black is beautiful, which relates to his people being beautiful, or when he says the â€Å"Stars are beautiful† he means that white is beautiful. The tone of this poem is pride, Langston Hughes being one of the first writer for using his situation (not having rights in anything) as an inspiration. ( Butler 1) His inspiration then guided him to write a poem about his people with pride. He describes them with the nature’s elements and always has a â€Å"My† before people. The imagery that is shown to the readers also helps shine the tone, everything being beautiful and so positive, we can tell that Langston Hughes was definitely a proud person who wasn’t ashamed of where he came from. Speaking positively about â€Å"his people† he conveys a lucid tone throughout this poem. The theme of this poetry is equality. It is obvious when a reader finishes reading the second stanza. Hughes uses metaphor in this poem to show the theme, the first stanza of this poem, he compares â€Å"the night† to the â€Å"faces of my people†, this portrays his thoughts about being black, it is beautiful to Hughes. In the second stanza Hughes compares his people to the stars, this is the controversial stanza because stars are white but in the first stanza he mentioned that black is beautiful too. This just portrays perfectly that color or race didn’t matter, everyone was equal and individuals had bits of each other in themselves. The last stanza when he compares the sun to the souls of his people, he depicts how warm and bright his people are, not dark and evil. More over, if the author did not use any metaphors and was straight forward, it would depict the theme as well as it would have had. This is a beautiful poem that doesn’t question anyone why Langston Hughes was so widely loved. In conclusion, one of the most prominent figures in literacy during the Harlem Renaissance was Langston Hughes, he was a great writer that wrote about various ideas and had a very unique way of thinking. (Butler 1) He is truly an inspiration not only to black people but to everyone, he teaches us that we can convert whatever we have in our mind to assemble a beautiful poetry about his people, or a hopeless poetry about his situation. Hughes still remains a legend in the literacy world and will never be forgotten.

Ancient Mayan Warriors and Warfare

The Maya were a mighty civilization based in the low, rainy forests of southern Mexico, Guatemala, and Belize whose culture peaked around 800 A.D. before going into steep decline. Historical anthropologists used to believe the Maya were a peaceful people, who warred upon one another rarely if at all, preferring instead to dedicate themselves to astronomy, building, and other non-violent pursuits. Recent advances in the interpretation of stonework at Maya sites have changed that, however, and the Maya are now considered a very violent, warmongering society. Wars and warfare were important to the Maya for a variety of reasons, including subjugation of neighboring city-states, prestige, and capture of prisoners for slaves and sacrifices. Traditional Pacifist Views of the Maya Historians and cultural anthropologists began seriously studying the Maya in the early 1900s. These first historians were impressed with the great Maya interest in the cosmos and astronomy and their other cultural achievements, such as the Maya calendar and their large trade networks. There was ample evidence of a warlike tendency among the Maya — carved scenes of battle or sacrifice, walled compounds, stone, and obsidian weapon points, etc. — but the early Mayanists ignored this evidence, instead of sticking to their notions of the Maya as a peaceful people. As the glyphs on the temples and stelae began to yield their secrets to dedicated linguists, however, a very different picture of the Maya emerged. The Maya City-States Unlike the Aztecs of Central Mexico and the Inca of the Andes, the Maya were never a single, unified empire organized and administered from a central city. Instead, the Maya were a series of city-states in the same region, linked by language, trade, and certain cultural similarities, but often in lethal contention with one another for resources, power, and influence. Powerful cities like Tikal, Calakmul, and Caracol frequently warred upon one another or upon smaller cities. Small raids into enemy territory were common: attacking and defeating a powerful rival city was rare but not unheard of. The Maya Military Wars and major raids were led by the Ahau or King. Members of the highest ruling class often were military and spiritual leaders of the cities and their capture during battles was a key element of military strategy. It is believed that many of the cities, especially the larger ones, had large, well-trained armies available for attack and defense. It is unknown if the Maya had a professional soldier class as the Aztecs did. Maya Military Goals The Maya city-states went to war with one another for several different reasons. Part of it was military dominance: to bring more territory or vassal states under the command of a larger city. Capturing prisoners was a priority, especially high-ranking ones. These prisoners would be ritually humiliated at the victorious city: sometimes, the battles were played out again in the ball court, with the losing prisoners sacrificed after the â€Å"game.† It is known that some of these prisoners remained with their captors for years before finally being sacrificed. Experts disagree about whether these wars were waged solely for the purpose of taking prisoners, like the famous Flower Wars of the Aztecs. Late in the Classic period, when the warring in the Maya region became much worse, cities would be attacked, looted and destroyed. Warfare and Architecture The Maya penchant for warfare is reflected in their architecture. Many of the major and minor cities have defensive walls, and in the later Classic period, newly-founded cities were no longer established near productive land, as they had been previously, but rather on defensible sites such as hilltops. The structure of the cities changed, with the important buildings all being inside the walls. Walls could be as high as ten to twelve feet (3.5 meters) and were usually made of stone supported by wooden posts. Sometimes the construction of walls seemed desperate: in some cases, walls were built right up to important temples and palaces, and in some cases (notably the Dos Pilas site) important buildings were taken apart for stone for the walls. Some cities had elaborate defenses: Ek Balam in the Yucatan had three concentric walls and the remains of a fourth one in the city center. Famous Battles and Conflicts The best-documented and possibly the most important conflict was the struggle between Calakmul and Tikal in the fifth and sixth centuries. These two powerful city-states were each dominant politically, militarily and economically in their regions, but were also relatively close to one another. They began warring, with vassal cities like Dos Pilas and Caracol changing hands as the power of each respective city waxed and waned. In 562 A.D. Calakmul and/or Caracol defeated the mighty city of Tikal, which fell into a brief decline before regaining its former glory. Some cities were hit so hard that they never recovered, like Dos Pilas in 760 A.D. and Aguateca sometime around 790 A.D. Effects of Warfare on Maya Civilization Between 700 and 900 A.D., most of the important Maya cities in the south and central regions of the Maya civilization went silent, their cities abandoned. The decline of the Maya civilization is still a mystery. Different theories have been proposed, including excessive warfare, drought, plague, climate change and more: some belief in a combination of factors. Warfare almost certainly had something to do with the disappearance of the Maya civilization: by the ​late Classic period wars, battles and skirmishes were quite common and important resources were dedicated to wars and city defenses. Source: McKillop, Heather. The Ancient Maya: New Perspectives. New York: Norton, 2004.