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Questions:

In act three scene five, the witches meet with Hecate. She is upset that they interfered with Macbeth and Banquo, without informing her because she is the goddess of all witchcraft. I think this scene is quite random. The only real purpose that Hecate has in this play is telling the witches to summon the apparitions, which talk to Macbeth. Other than that, he appearance in this play is meaningless and a touch confusing. She is the only 'goddess' in the whole play. Why is this scene in the play? Is there a deep meaning to it? I am confused as to what significance this character has, because every other character plays an important role in the play as a whole. This scene was not in the play that we went to see, and I think the play made more sense without this scene.

In act three scene six, Lennox is strolling someplace in Scotland with a lord. The lord informs Lennox that Macduff has gone to England to assist Malcolm pleading to King Edward for help from Macbeth. They discuss how Fleance is suspected for Banquo's murder, but how they both know that Macbeth did it. They have caught on to Macbeths evil scheming and now they are hoping that he will fall from power, and lose the war that is being planned by opposing sides.

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In scene four, when the witches are brewing their evil concoction I was kind of expecting this to occur. Stereotypically, witches make evil potions and I knew that eventually this would happen. I did not expect though, that this evil potion would enable Macbeth to see and listen to apparitions, which revealed the validity of his previous prophecies.  The first apparition is a floating head and it tells Macbeth to watch out for Macduff. This statement does not cause Macbeth to falter, or become scared. He was already aware that he needed to keep an eye out for him. The next apparition is a bloody child who tells Macbeth that no man born from a woman shall hurt him. This is a trick because Macbeth now believes that he is invincible, and that no one can stop him. What he doesn't know is that Macduff was born using a c-section, where he was cut from his mothers stomach. This means that Macduff can kill Macbeth. The third apparition is a crowned child holding a tree, and he tells Macbeth that he is secure until Birnam wood moves to Dunsinane Hill. Macbeth now thinks that he is completely safe, and nobody can hurt him or attack. A forest cannot be moved to him, so he will be safe. What he doesn't know, again, is that Macduff and Malcolm use a large tree/log to advance their men towards Macbeths castle. This then makes him unsafe, and not protected.

Reactions and Questions:

When Lady Macduff encounters Ross in their castle, she is asked why Macduff has fled the castle and headed for England. She is confused as to why he would leave, and that is understandable. She thinks that her husband has betrayed her and her son. She tells her son that his father is dead, but he does not believe her and argues back. This made me wonder, how does the boy know that his father is really alive? All of a sudden a messenger warns her that she is in danger, and a group of murderers enter. One of the murderers criticizes Macduff, and the son calls the murderer a liar, and he is stabbed. Lady Macduff runs away. This scene kind of confused me. Why were Macduff's son and wife a threat to Macduff?

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Since the murder of Duncan by Macbeth, other schemes such as that one have been planned. There will be more than one murder by the end of the play. Macbeth still feels that there are threats to the throne, and that Banquo and Fleance are among those threats. It appears that he is warming up to the idea of being an insane murderer to gain power in his country. He is killing innocent people to gain power for himself, and to insure that he keeps that power. I think that this situation is like it is with lies. Once you tell just one lie, you keep telling them, and spinning a web of lies. And when one person finds out, they will tell everyone. That one person is Banquo. He suspects Macbeth, so he terminates him. It began with Duncan, and developed into Banquo and Fleance. I think that Macbeth may have become king if he had stayed faithful and true to his country. Instead, he craved power, and was determined to do anything to get it, much like other villains in the world. They will stop at nothing to conquer anything.

Macbeth's murderers fail to kill Fleance, as he escapes the murder scene. Banquo is killed though. As the play progresses, it appears that Macbeth becomes even more unexpected. At the beginning, he seemed like a courageous and honorable man who served his country well. Now after murdering his king, he also murders his best friend. I never would have expected this to happen. His wife had a huge impact on the first act of murder against Duncan, but he didn't even inform her of his plan to murder Banquo and Fleance. This sort of surprised me, and I'm not exactly sure why he didn't. The very first thing he did when he found out about the witches prophecies was telling Lady Macbeth. Now that Duncan is dead, and he is trying to secure the throne, he doesn't inform her of this new plan. Why not?

Significance and Questions:

In the fourth scene of act 3, there is a banquet, which takes place at Macbeth's castle. This banquet brings forth questions for directors of the play. Macbeth is envisioning Banquo's ghost at the table. Now, do you use a real actor in this scene, or not? If you do, then you get Macbeths perspective, and if not, you get the court's perspective.

If no actor is used, and Macbeth is doing actions towards nothing, I think more questions would arise. Why is he talking to nothing? But this then shows how insane Macbeth is really becoming insane. It would require better acting to try and convince the audience that he was really seeing Banquo sitting at the table.

If an actor is used, the audience might be a bit confused at first. Macbeth is seeing Banquo, who was just murdered. It might spark some questions, but they would begin to understand, as the other people of the court cannot see the ghost. I think that if it were staged well, then this would be the best scenario for the play.

Macbeth is so far into this mess of murders, that he can't escape. He has destroyed his chances of living a long happy life, because murdering a king comes with extreme consequences. He has brought this evil fate upon himself, and there is no turning back now. He just keeps digging a bigger hole, and it is now impossible for him to get out of it. 

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Banquo and Fleance are walking around in Macbeths grand castle, thinking they are alone. Banquo expresses to his son that sleep has inspired "cursed thoughts". He is beginning to doubt Macbeth. They are very surprised to see Macbeth also awake. Banquo mentions his dream about the three weird sisters, and Macbeth goes on to say that he hasn't thought about them since their encounter. If I were Banquo, I would immediately know that this was a lie. The witches prophesies truly sparked many questions among the two men, and for Macbeth to say that he hasn't thought about what they told him, then it is clearly a lie. The witch told Macbeth that he would become Thane of Cawdor, and he did. This would then cause Macbeth to really think about whether he would become king...and it did. Macbeth had murderous thoughts for days, wondering whether he should kill Duncan. Knowing that Macbeth was lying, I would begin to think that something was wrong. Banquo and Macbeth are good friends, and if Macbeth were keeping something from Banquo it would probably be something of a large importance.  Waking up the next morning with Duncan and the chamberlain's dead, Banquo must have a feeling that it was Macbeth.

When Malcolm and Donalbain flee from Scotland, there would be some people thinking that it was they who killed their father. They were heartbroken, and split up in case the murderer wanted to kill them too. This action caused Macbeth to be crowned king.

Significance:

The dagger scene is a notable section of the play. I think that the scene really portrays to the audience that Macbeth has finally gone crazy. He imagines a dagger, with the handle facing towards him, and the blade pointing towards Duncan's room. He attempts to grab it, but fails to do so each time. Macbeth then thinks that he see's blood on the dagger, and he comes to the conclusion that he is just imagining it, and it is just troubled thoughts. The thought of murdering his king is evidentially causing problems in the function of Macbeth's brain. It is unhealthy for him, to be imagining these kinds of things. Obviously, this is a sign that Macbeth does not want to kill him, but that he is being lead and influenced by evil. His wife has brought this upon him, and after he murders Duncan, there is no going back. Macbeths castle has become hell.

In Character: Lady Macbeth

It is morning. My Macbeth killed king Duncan last night. I was at first so confident that this was the right thing to do for us, but now... I'm not so sure. We are both so worried, and we don't know what will happen. Malcolm and Donalbain will be heartbroken. How are we supposed to act? What are we supposed to do? What is going to happen to us? I wish I could take it back; it was the wrong thing to do.

There is a knocking at the door and the porter has opened it.  Oh dear, Macduff and Lennox are here. Macduff enters Duncan's chambers and... screams. Yelling, oh no. I take Macbeths hand and we leave our chambers. Macduff is furious, and so upset. Everyone is showing these emotions, all because of our actions. Macbeth goes into Duncan's room, and he comes out looking beyond upset. He says that he killed the chamberlains. Oh Macbeth, why would you do that? This is worse now. He said that he couldn't control his anger, but he really killed them because they saw him in the night when he entered to kill Duncan. Macduff is suspicious of him, but I really think everyone is. He is drawing a lot of attention to the fact that my own Macbeth killed the two men that were thought to have killed Duncan. People may soon discover that it was him... what do I do? My mind is overwhelmed.

Reactions and Relationships:

In scene five Lady Macbeth receives a letter from her beloved Macbeth. He explains to her, his encounter with the three witches and how they told him he would become the Thane of Cawdor and the King. Lady Macbeth instantly begins to doubt him; she thinks that he is too kind to take the necessary steps to become king, regardless of what they are. It seemed to me like she wanted Macbeth to become King, not for him, but for her. Lady Macbeth's personality appeared to me like it was selfish. She manipulated her husband, which shows that she doesn't really care about him or his feelings. He was unsure about murder, and who wouldn't be. I don't even think she realized the consequences that would come from murdering a King.

When Lady Macbeth says her soliloquy "Come, you spirits that tend on mortal thoughts, unsex me here and fill me from the crown to the toe topfull of direst cruelty..." it surprised me. Women at this time probably would not have thought anything like this. They wouldn't have wanted their feminine qualities taken away and replaced by cruelty, so they could murder a man and their husband could be King.  This suggests that Lady Macbeth was not an average lady. She looked like the innocent flower, but she was the evil serpent under it.

Significance:

 I feel that Lady Macbeth was an important character in this play. If Macbeth was not manipulated by his wife, and had time to think about the murder, I think he would have realized that it wasn't worth risking his loyalty to his King or his country. He would have eventually come to his senses. If Lady Macbeth appreciated her husband's opinions, and respected the fact that he didn't really want to kill his King then it could have postponed Macbeth's death.

When Duncan arrived at the castle, he was pleased and impressed. He thought it was very nice. This is dramatic irony, because the audience knows that King Duncan is going to be killed, and he thinks that it is a nice peaceful place. Duncan has no idea that his prized fighter, Macbeth, would be the cause of his death. He trusted him very much, like he had done with the previous Thane of Cawdor.

Questions:

Before the feast with Duncan and his accompaniers, Macbeth ponders the thought of murdering Duncan. He thought that if he could complete the act, and no consequences would follow then he would do it. That is not realistic though, because murder will obviously come with consequences. Murdering a King though, would have more severe consequences, such as death.  Macbeth thinks about the reasons why he shouldn't kill Duncan. It appears as though the cons out weighed the pros. If Macbeth truly did not want to kill Duncan, his King, then why would he let his wife convince him to go against his will? He should have stuck up for what he believed in. The witches told him that he would become Thane of Cawdor, and he did. Macbeth was appointed that title and he didn't have to do anything. The witches were correct about his current title, and he soon after became Thane of Cawdor without thinking about ways to become it. So it would make sense that in time Macbeth would earn the right to become King, and not have to murder anyone along the way.  

Act 1 Scene's 1-4:

Significance and Questions:

The significance of this first act in Macbeth, more specifically scene three, is the heroes' encounter with the three witches. At first Macbeth and Banquo were confused as to whether these three women were even mortal, because they did not look like they were. The witches suddenly hail Macbeth as the thane of Glamis, and as the thane of Cawdor. What surprised me was that the witches had never met Macbeth, and it surprised him as well. How did they know who he was?  And how did they know that moments later, Macbeth would become the thane of Cawdor? It also surprised me, and seemed quite ironic, that the previous thane of Cawdor was a traitor, and he died, then Macbeth becomes thane of Cawdor, and he begins to have murderous thoughts towards king Duncan. It stunned me even more when the witches proclaimed that Macbeth would one day become the king. The three prophecies directed at Macbeth, in a way, foreshadow what may or may not happen in the coming scenes and acts. Macbeth becomes quite curious as to whether he will become the king. He ponders over the situation, and wonders if he will be appointed king, or if he will have to perform a dark deed to be crowned king.

Quotations:

When the witches were telling Banquo of his future, they said to him "Lesser than Macbeth, and greater. Not so happy, yet much happier. Thou shalt get kings, though thou be none." (1.3. 63-65) The witches then went on to tell him that his descendants would be on the throne, but he would not be. I think that when they said "Lesser than Macbeth, and greater" they meant that people know of Macbeth and how talented he is at fighting, and he is a more respected fighter compared to Banquo. Banquo does not have this high reputation, but they might mean that he has more than just fighting skills. He might have a family, and other things that are more important to him than combat. When they said "Not so happy, yet much happier" it could mean that he isn't happy emotionally, but he has so many things to be grateful for. It might also be because Macbeth is a better fighter, and everyone praises him, but Banquo truly has something to be happy about. Antithesis has been used multiple times in the play in the first act, and I think that each time it is used it displays to the reader or listener that there is a deeper meaning. It really makes you think about what is being said, and what each phrase really means. When it is used, its as if a deeper meaning is being expressed to the reader.  

The first act, and in the scenes 1-4, really leave the reader wanting more. There is a possibility that Macbeth could become king, because of the witch's prophecies, but is there something that he will need to do, to gain the power of the king?

In the novel Lord of the Flies, there are many very meaningful quotes and references to the conch. This novel study has revealed that the conch is more than just a shell. It has a deep and underlying meaning to the dynamics of the events, which occur, on the island for the duration of the novel. Through the use of the conch as a symbol, Golding develops the idea that the civilization and relations between the boys is completely shattered when the conch is crushed by the large rock. This then reveals through microcosm and macrocosm, that democracy is beginning to die in our world today. More dictators are taking over. In the beginning of the novel the conch represents democracy, democratic authority, civilization and order. In the middle of the book the boys start to ignore it more, it is less important to them, and the new tribe of hunters do not respect it. At the end, everything that the conch represents is completely destroyed when it is crushed along with Piggy by the boulder. Cruelty, power, and savagery take over.

In the beginning of the novel, the conch is extremely important to the group of boys. To them it represents democracy, democratic authority, civilization and order. The boys think that the conch is, "ever so valuable"(11).  Such as how important democracy is to a group of individuals to retain social equality. Once the conch was found, it was put to work right away: "We can use this to call the others. Have a meeting"(12).  They used the conch to call assemblies, which shows the importance of democratic authority to the group of boys. Their assemblies and meetings were always very civilized, and they each had their turn to say what they thought about certain things. At a dictators meeting, it would consist of chanting and yelling, and the leader would be the only one to express their opinion. When they began to use the conch to call assemblies, it worked very effectively at the beginning of the novel: "The children gave him the same simple obedience that they had given to the men with the megaphones"(14). This quote shows how attentive and well behaved the children were during the meetings, they were obedient to Ralph and others when they were speaking. When Ralph blew the conch, everyone obeyed him and there was no confusion, or disrespect to him or the conch. So in the first few chapters of the novel, the conch was very important to the boys. It represented democracy, democratic authority, civilization and order, which are very important to maintaining a civilization.

Work Cited

Golding, William. Lord of the Flies. London: Faber, 1954. Print.

I wake up to the calming scent of the fresh sea breeze seeping through the large open windows beside my bed. My husband is silent with slumber, as it is exceptionally early for any other person to be awake. I quietly leave the room to let him rest a while longer. As I tiptoe down the hallway, I peek into my darling daughter Maddie's room. She is deep in sleep, lying with her vibrant stuffed animals. I step soundlessly down the staircase to make myself a mug of tea.

Every morning I walk down to the beach to sit and watch the sunrise. Our house is built on a plot of land with a private bay, off the coast of British Columbia. My husband built our dream home 2 years ago, which we have been planning together ever since we were young. Our love for each other is stronger than anything, and it has been like that since I was 14 years old. He is my best friend, and I can tell him anything.

            I take a sip of the steaming tea and I squish my toes into the sand. After a few minutes I feel the breath of another on my neck. My spouse sits down beside me, and wraps a blanket around our shoulders. It is summer here, but the cool morning wind from the Pacific will chill your body in seconds. We sit here together, watching the radiant sun take its place in the sky.  

            I decide to go back up to the house to check on Maddie, and put some breakfast on for us. She is awake and playing with her Barbie's and multiple stuffed critters. I love to look at her; she is the most beautiful child I have ever laid my eyes on. Her thick golden hair falls upon her plump rosy cheeks, as she reaches into her chest full of toys. Her big and beautiful hazel eyes light up, as she sees me leaning against her door. She runs towards me with open arms, and I pick her up into an embrace and swing her around in circles. We laugh together; her laugh makes my heart sing. My husband comes in and we all hug and howl with laughter together.

            I go back to the kitchen to start making the muffins. My partner tries to help, but we just end up throwing the ingredients at each other like children. Maddie hears the laughing and the screaming and she joins in. I call a truce when we are all covered from head to toe with flour, eggs and other ingredients. My husband picks Maddie and I up and carries us down to the water to wash off. When we are all dried off from the warm sun, we go back up to the house.  I make the muffins with the remaining ingredients, and clean up with my hubby.

            As soon as I put the muffins in the oven, I take Maddie to her room to get dressed. I open the doors to her closet, and she pulls open her dresser drawers. We have the same sense of style so it's easy to pick out an outfit together. We pick it out and she gets dressed, then afterwards she helps me with my outfit. It seems like just yesterday she was born. Time really does pass quickly when you take pleasure in

every moment of every day. I lift her up onto my shoulders and we go back out to the kitchen to check on our homemade chocolate chip banana muffins.

            We eat them out on the porch by the water. It is the most beautiful view, something that could be on a postcard. The wind blows the pine trees back and forth, and the ocean spreads as far as you can see. It is the perfect place to have a family and raise children.

            The three of us walk into town for lunch. We see our friends in their yards on the way, and we stop to chat for a few minutes. We have been living here since my husband and I finished university, and we have gotten to know many great people. Maddie decides to bring along one of her friends with us to town. There is a restaurant there that makes fresh homemade fries. It is our regular Saturday afternoon lunch spot.

After we finish eating, we stroll around town in the shops. So many tourists come to this part of B.C. because it is so peaceful. It is a small town, but not too far from the city. It is right next to the ocean, but also very close to the mountains.

            We head home, as it is time for Maddie's afternoon nap. This is the precious time that my husband and I get to spend with each other.  We tuck her into bed and go to the kitchen to get a tub of chocolate ice cream and 2 spoons. We take it back up to our room and lie on our bed eating the rich ice cream and talking to each other.

Hours pass and yet we don't run out of things to talk about. We could talk for days on end and never ever run out of things to say to each other.

            It is roughly 2 O'clock when we hear sounds in Maddie's room. We go to check on her and she is awake, and changing into her bathing suit, I change into mine as well and we head back down to the beach. We both share a passion for swimming.

            We spend hours swimming through each others legs, doing handstands, and having competitions to see how long we can hold our breath for. My husband comes into the water too, and he brings a ball and we play catch. We spend hours in the water.  If I could, I would live in the water. It makes me so happy and it just feels right. I coach the local swim team, and I have been for many years now. It is so exciting for me to get to know the kids and help them develop their skills. Maddie is eager to join the team when she is old enough, and I am excited for her.

            I leave my life partner, with Maddie on his lap, down by the water. I go back up to the house to make dinner for us. I decide to make my favorite dinner for the family; a juicy and tender fillet mignon, a twice-baked potato stuffed with bacon and cheese, a side of broccoli, and a fresh loaf of Italian bread.

            Once we finish eating, we clean up the dishes as a family, and sing songs together. My husband runs to get his guitar from our room, so he can play along

with us. We parade around our house belting songs, dancing like fools, and giggling uncontrollably. 

            After dinner we put Maddie to bed in her warm and cozy pajamas, I read her a bedtime story, and her daddy lies down beside her.  When I finish reading the book she is sleeping silently.  We quietly leave the room and shut the door behind us. My husband and I pick out a movie and take it to our room to watch.

            Once it is finished we get into bed and hold one another in our arms and lie there in silence. Some moments of silence connect us in a way that words will never be able to do.  Just gazing into his eyes makes my heart race, and my stomach fill with butterflies. I know, and I always have known, that this is the kind of love that will never die.