"...I am in blood stepped in so far..."
Hello APers, it's the 11th hour of your winter break and you should be mostly finished with Macbeth; if not...you have some work to do. You'll have a test on the entire book at the beginning of our next class.Macbeth is a very troubled guy; he's a true example of how power has the ability to corrupt an otherwise virtuous individual. But who can Macbeth trust? Who is looking out for his best interests? For extra credit, respond to the questions: What advice would you give Macbeth right now? How can he maintain his role as king without betraying or murdering any more innocent people? Who are the people that Macbeth should trust and take advice from?
Post your response in the comments. Make sure your name is there as well. As always, email me with questions.
Enjoy your last few days of break,
Ms. Mack
What advice would you give Macbeth right now?
ReplyDeleteI would tell Macbeth to the let the prophecy of the Weird Sisters fall into place naturally, rather than interfering through murderous means to get what he wants. Perhaps the crown would have passes naturally through succession to Macbeth, and he would have not had the same political turmoil.
How can he maintain his role as king without betraying or murdering any more innocent people?
He can maintain his role as king by allowing his political opponents into his group of advisers. If he allowed people like Malcolm and Macduff to have positions of power, they might be pacified and less likely to dethrone him.
Who are the people that Macbeth should trust and take advice from?
Macbeth should trust people like Ross. Ross has a good notion of the political state of Scotland, and is more acutely aware of the threats faced by Macbeth. Trusting Ross would allow Macbeth to mediate a peaceful solution to the problems between him and Macduff, rather than stubbornly resisting advice from everyone.
Jasmine Manzano Dayrit.
ReplyDeleteThe advice I would give to Macbeth would be to reflect and start over. The prophecies from the weird sisters had made him want all the privileges, but none of the responsibility of being a king. If he reflects on what he needs to do to be a fit king of Scotland, he would not be hated by all and seen as a lonely tyrant. His behavior had even effected his wife, which is why the reflection process is the most important.
He can maintain his role as a king without betraying or murdering any more innocent people by proving to Scotland that he really is fit to be king. It's the simplest solution to his problem because although the death of Duncan had been a tragic thing and Macbeth became king, nobody really had a problem with it until they realized how tyrannous he was.
The person that Macbeth should have paid attention to at first would be Banquo because although he also had a prophecy that benefited his family, he didn't want to do anything to harm anyone else. The best person to give Macbeth advice now would probably be Macduff because he cares about Scotland.
Macbeth,
ReplyDeleteIt’s a lot of power isn’t it? An entire kingdom to rule, hundreds of people praising your name, and kissing your feet. You have control over the actions of so many people, and others waiting on your every whim. It’s intoxicating isn’t it? And well deserved, don’t you think? But was it worth it, to see the bloody heads of your friends lie before you?
A weight as heavy as a kingdom needs extra shoulders to bear it. You cannot hold the responsibility and the guilt on your two weak limbs. You’re alone. And you are the reason it is such. How can you fix this, you may ask. And to answer simply, it cannot be fixed. It could have, however, been prevented.
If you had waited for the Weird Sisters’ prophecy to take effect on its own accord, then perhaps you would be ruling over a stainless majesty now. You knew they were right based on the fact that their first premonition became true without your influence. So why push what is already set in stone? You disturbed the supernatural process, and consequently the results were not in your favor.
If I had known you would have made these decisions I would have warned you of a few things ahead of time. I would have initially warned you of how contagious greed is when power is at hand. Your closest companion would become the serpent in your ear. Just as Eve was lured by the snake, and thus lured Adam into biting the flesh of the powerful fruit, your love would be hypnotized by the power offered in the prophecy and she would convince you to pursue it. Your unsure conscience would be pushed to action by the words spoken through the lips you trust so much.
I would have also warned you to listen to your conscience. The reason you were so torn regarding which actions you would choose was because the violent choice was obviously vile, and unjust, and the proper choice, to wait, to remain patient, was clouded by the promises of control. If you had paused, and paid attention to the omens that plagued your senses, perhaps you would have realized the illness that had spread throughout your body was going to kill you. Perhaps you would have realized the madness that had consumed you. And maybe this enlightenment would have inspired you to stop your conspiring.
The only other offerings of advice I could have…should have shared with you would be to remember where you were in life before the prophecy. You were a hero. A beloved husband. A reliable friend. A good spirit. I should have warned you that power can turn the brightest soul dark, and spin the kindest smile into a sinister grin of greed and deception. I should not have let this happen to you, I should have prevented you from doing this to yourself. But, I did not, honestly, I could not. And now, you are alone. May the omens not burn so brightly in your eyes as you suffer with your bloodied hands and guilty crown.
-A regretful…friend.
It is true that Macbeth is troubled by the decisions he makes in order to obtain and preserve power. Our tragic character can only trust the three Witches, his wife, and his friends until the Witches's prophecies foretell his death at the hands of anyone related to his friends. Lady Macbeth is looking out for his best interests since she convinced him to murder King Duncan to obtain the throne until her untimely demise in Act 5.
ReplyDeleteIt would be easier for Macbeth to maintain his power if he no longer consults with the witches. Their prophecies have led to his doom in the hands of Macduff. Furthermore, Macbeth shouldn't trust his wife because she convinced him to betray King Duncan for the throne. Macbeth should place his trust upon his friends, especially Banquo, since they were at good terms before the Witches's prophecy foretold his demise at the hands of his friend's sons.
Alwin Szeto
ReplyDeleteMacbeth, bro, you seriously screwed up man. You should’ve stuck up for yourself instead of being manhandled by your wife! If the man doesn’t want to do something, then he doesn’t want to do it! If you knew that it was wrong to kill Duncan, (although any king named Duncan should be killed anyways) you should have stood your ground and said no! I guess that it’s not entirely your fault since you didn’t know that your wife wanted to e the queen so badly that she summoned evil spirits to empower her. That’s women for ya! (lol jk).
In all seriousness, you let greed get the better of you. Why did you want to be king so freaking bad? You just became the thane of Cawdor and you got that just because you were in the right place at the right time! If you want to blame the witches, I suppose you could, but everyone knows that witches were the con artists of the Shakespearian centuries… You must learn to be content with what you have. Chill out and enjoy being the thane before you become super paranoid because you killed your best friend because you thought he was a liability, and now his son is going to kill you and take your place. Bravo man, bravo. I suppose it’s only natural that you would go around killing everyone else that looked at you since you were so paranoid and strung out at that point.
FINAL SUMMATION: Don’t be so greedy next time, and violence is not the answer to all problems, and if you see your wife in hell, tell her that summoning evil spirits is always a bad idea. Better luck next time buddy.
Reena Alog
ReplyDeleteHe’s not smart for killing someone so important for the reasons he did. Right now it’s pretty much him against the world because even his wife is crazy and inconsiderate of his own ability to make decisions. It would be really hard to maintain himself without continuing to do bad things since he achieved his power by cheating. He will need to continue to kill innocent people and betray people. Actually, even if he doesn’t do anything, he’s still betraying everyone because he killed the king and blamed it on someone else. That’s the worst betrayal and he can’t really do anything to give back to society for his sin. He can’t bring back the king. He shouldn’t trust anyone, even if he were mentally able to, since now he’s probably paranoid of everything and everyone. He already has hallucinations. He should, I guess, trust his wife because she’s the real root of all of the things that are happening and will probably not trust Macbeth himself to make decisions because he almost didn’t kill Duncan like she wanted. Then again, it’s not cool to have a controlling wife who makes you do illegal things against your will for materialistic reasons. If anyone, it’d be ok to trust his closest family because no matter how bad something a family member does, your family should be protective. If he has none, I don’t know because he went and got his best friend killed.. So trust your instincts and don’t let anyone tell you what to do. In fact, you should tell people that you’re guilty, even though you’d die either way. It’s nice to reconcile with people instead of just being killed or just being on everyone’s hit-list for a long time, being killed suddenly with a guilty conscience.
Dan Recinto
ReplyDeleteMacbeth should trust Lady Macbeth because she is the only one who he can really rely on. She isn’t really looking out for his best interest because she does not consider the consequences to their action. He should have trusted Banquo because they were best friends and he seems honest and trustworthy. He also gives very wise advice. I would advice Macbeth to have maintain calm and collected and think things through because all he has been doing is murdering and killing people without really thinking it through. He should know the consequences to his actions. He should not have killed Banquo at all and if there were rumors about him killing Duncan, he should have just played like the victim. He should not take advice from anyone because Banquo is dead and Lady Macbeth is stupid and greedy.
When the prospects of wealth and power corrupt all that can be good in the minds of men, there is truly little that can be done. Short of suicide or confession, which would equate most certainly to the same result as the latter, Macbeth’s only true hope for emotional salvation would be to leave the British Isles and take refuge on the larger European continent, far away from his troubles.
ReplyDeleteThere is really no means for Macbeth to maintain his reign without a reliance on murder. Short of eliminating all those persons who are not innocent (those who conspire with the intent of treason) in some sort of grand pogrom, all Macbeth could do is begin to act with sincere kindness in the hopes of persuading his subjects to view him in good favor.
The people Macbeth within who Macbeth might have some reasonable hope to take solace and place trust are few. Macbeth’s best hope for longevity would be to attempt to convert one of his lord’s to his cause and thus turn them into a confidant. Aside from such an option, Macbeth could attempt to find solace and take advice from his beloved wife, providing he insures that she persuades him to place down his dagger once and for all.
Dear Macbeth,
ReplyDeleteForrizle bro. You need to calm your hizzle, understand-izzle? You are worrying way too much about you only murdering one man then your best friend because you're hungry for power. I totally understand it. If my friend stole my Klondike bar I would be pretty pissed off too. All I can say though is you need to think things out before you do them, and think about the consequences of your actions, like MacDuff and Malcolm taking over Scotland because you are being dumb.
“But how do I stay king Andrew (sad face)?!” Do you really want to know how? Honestly? ARE YOU SURE? Okay, I will tell you. You got to stop killing people (shocker). You need to understand that you won't even be around for your kids to be king, so you didn't need to kill your friend Bank Roll! You need to think think think. Not Act act act. You be understanding me bruh? Or, as the House of Pain would tell you to do, “pack it up, pack it in, let me begin.” Let me be king. That's the best way to stop your reign of being a dummy. TRUTH.
You should trust me because I am your friend, and I obviously don't want to be king of Scotland because in Scooby-Doo there's a Lockness Monster that scared me at the age of six. Yes. True story.
Truly Yours,
Andrew Pagan
Michael Tamin
ReplyDeleteA piece of advice I would give to Macbeth is to, firstly, stop listening to Lady Macbeth. It is clearly her in the later parts of Act One who really wanted Macbeth to become king. If it weren’t for her, Macbeth would not have had the courage to murder Duncan, especially after he decided in his thoughts that it would go against his best interests and that he ought to respect Duncan as any good Scotsman would. Seeing as how it was Lady Macbeth who led him astray, it would be wise for Macbeth to cease listening to her reasoning.
However, as the witches seem to not be capable of making any mistakes (as all of their prophecies come true), it does not seem possible for Macbeth to retain his position as King of Scotland, although he may be able to prolong his death. One way is to continue to rule the country as a fair and just king. Although what the witches have prophesized will eventually come true, doing so would give others no reason to actively go after Macbeth. It might also be feasible to delay his death by making it more difficult for the events the witches explained to occur. An example of this would be for Macbeth to order the forest near Dunsinane Hill to be burned/destroyed, making sure that the forest can no longer approach the hill until new growth has happened. It is also possible that, just because the witches explained what must happen before he is to lose power, there may not be a need. Perhaps if Macbeth decides to never have children, he could reign peacefully until his death where Banquo’s children would then be passed the crown.
One person Macbeth should have trusted was Banquo, who, even as he was killed, was Macbeth’s good friend. He never laid suspicion on Macbeth after the Duncan’s murder, and always had good intentions for him. Macbeth should not have feared him or his son as it was clear Banquo knew he would never be king, and that his son is part of a newer generation who would not be so interested in gaining the crown at such a young age. Other than him, no one else seems to worthy of Macbeth’s trust, as they eventually turn against him (although before Macbeth’s actions gained him notoriety, Macbeth should not have doubted anybody except his wife, as nobody was plotting against him). Of course he can trust the witches for telling him the truth, but his actions have separated him from anybody he could trust to look out for his best interests.
The advice I would give to Macbeth is just to breathe and stay calm. I think that Macbeth should take a break from all this power that he has in his hands, so suddenly, and just chill out and let himself and his brain absorb what was going on. I also would tell him to rest more, because like his wife had said, one of the first things he needed was sleep, but he wouldn’t give in.
ReplyDeleteI believe that he can maintain his role as a king if he believes and acts out on good deeds for the people around him. Macbeth doesn’t have to rule in cruelty and believe that everyone is out to trust him, but rather, he could rule with generosity and sincerity. The way he acts upon others will allow them to act upon him, in the same way.
I don’t believe that Macbeth should take advice from the witches. The witches were one of the reasons why he ended up in this thirst for power. I don’t think Macbeth should take advice from his wife, either. His wife is willing to do what ever Macbeth wants, and sometimes what Macbeth wants isn’t the right deed. Like Macbeth acting upon his thoughts of being power hunger he kills everyone around him, his wife supported him in doing so without objecting. Although he shouldn’t take advice from his wife, he should trust her the most, because she is willing to do anything for him, even if it’s to kill someone.
Oops! I didn't put my name!!! Donna Chow
ReplyDeleteThe advice I would give to Macbeth is just to breathe and stay calm. I think that Macbeth should take a break from all this power that he has in his hands, so suddenly, and just chill out and let himself and his brain absorb what was going on. I also would tell him to rest more, because like his wife had said, one of the first things he needed was sleep, but he wouldn’t give in.
I believe that he can maintain his role as a king if he believes and acts out on good deeds for the people around him. Macbeth doesn’t have to rule in cruelty and believe that everyone is out to trust him, but rather, he could rule with generosity and sincerity. The way he acts upon others will allow them to act upon him, in the same way.
I don’t believe that Macbeth should take advice from the witches. The witches were one of the reasons why he ended up in this thirst for power. I don’t think Macbeth should take advice from his wife, either. His wife is willing to do what ever Macbeth wants, and sometimes what Macbeth wants isn’t the right deed. Like Macbeth acting upon his thoughts of being power hunger he kills everyone around him, his wife supported him in doing so without objecting. Although he shouldn’t take advice from his wife, he should trust her the most, because she is willing to do anything for him, even if it’s to kill someone.
DONNA CHOW
Alex Tsang
ReplyDeleteI would advise Macbeth to be a lot more trusting. He initially started out as a loyal general that successfully defeated an invading army. However, his good character was corrupted the moment that he met with three witches. He was manipulated into believing their prophecies of him becoming king. If he was able to have more self control, he would have avoided falling into a big downward spiral at that point. He even got promoted to thane of cawdor but that wasn't enough for him. He got greedy and suffered the consequences. I would advice him to be more happy with what he has and more trusting.
He can maintain his role as king by apologizing for what he has done. If he comes clean people are more likely to cut him some slack as opposed to them finding out for themselves. By telling the truth he would no longer have to kill or betray people to get what he wants. All he would have to do is be goodhearted and honest.
Macbeth should of trusted his friend Banquo. They were such good friends before he was corrupted by the witches' predictions. He is a trustworthy person who fought with Macbeth to defend Scotland from the invading armies. He should also trust and take advice from himself. From being stronger and more independent he would be immune to his wife's violent suggestions.
Alex Tsang
ReplyDeleteI would advise Macbeth to be a lot more trusting. He initially started out as a loyal general that successfully defeated an invading army. However, his good character was corrupted the moment that he met with three witches. He was manipulated into believing their prophecies of him becoming king. If he was able to have more self control, he would have avoided falling into a big downward spiral at that point. He even got promoted to thane of cawdor but that wasn't enough for him. He got greedy and suffered the consequences. I would advice him to be more happy with what he has and more trusting.
He can maintain his role as king by apologizing for what he has done. If he comes clean people are more likely to cut him some slack as opposed to them finding out for themselves. By telling the truth he would no longer have to kill or betray people to get what he wants. All he would have to do is be goodhearted and honest.
Macbeth should of trusted his friend Banquo. They were such good friends before he was corrupted by the witches' predictions. He is a trustworthy person who fought with Macbeth to defend Scotland from the invading armies. He should also trust and take advice from himself. From being stronger and more independent he would be immune to his wife's violent suggestions.
My advice to Macbeth would be to take a step back and look at where he is, and what he wants to do. Too often does Macbeth seem to (as the saying goes) ‘go with the flow’. He does not plan out his actions, and tries to take everything in stride. And that, clearly, is not working. What he needs to do is steel his nerves and calm himself. He needs to get over the fact that he killed someone who did not deserve it, and as a result has to continue killing people in cold blood. Being a general before this, he should be used to killing, even if it isn’t in cold blood. Macbeth and his wife apparently have not gotten over the shock of them killing Duncan. They've let their emotions take control over them, and all their actions are hastily planned; from the murder of the King to the defense of castle. He should get ready for more bloodshed and lose all sense of compassion and honor if he wishes to retain his title. And if he still fears getting overthrown when his position is secure, the only thing I would have left to say to him would be ‘Eat, drink and be merry; for tomorrow you may die’.
ReplyDeleteEvidently Macbeth wants to maintain his position as King, and consequently he has to kill people to maintain it. There’s no way that he can keep this secret without doing so; and if he is found out, as has already happened, he will have to either kill or be killed. Malcolm was already planning his revolution, so there would be no chance of no more bloodshed unless he relinquishes his title and surrenders to Malcolm. Since that's now out of the question, the remaining problem is that of who he should trust. As a rule, people should only trust people who they know have the same goals. Looking at the way Macbeth treated his servants and his friends, we can safely assume that he was not someone who inspired loyalty in his people. That being said, the only person Macbeth should trust is his wife; partly because she can never betray him (herself being a fellow conspirator), and partly because she actually benefits from him being in power. So he can trust her, but should he take her advice? She was the one who pushed him to do it and, indirectly though it may be, is one of the sources of his problems. Moreover, she is suffering her own problems, and is sleepwalking, and cannot bear the guilt. She then can be ruled out of the people from whom Macbeth can take his advice. At the end of it all, Macbeth should listen to his own heart and do what he feels is best for him, be it morally right or wrong.
My advice to Macbeth would be to take a step back and look at where he is, and what he wants to do. Too often does Macbeth seem to (as the saying goes) ‘go with the flow’. He does not plan out his actions, and tries to take everything in stride. And that, clearly, is not working. What he needs to do is steel his nerves and calm himself. He needs to get over the fact that he killed someone who did not deserve it, and as a result has to continue killing people in cold blood. Being a general before this, he should be used to killing, even if it isn’t in cold blood. Macbeth and his wife apparently have not gotten over the shock of them killing Duncan. They've let their emotions take control over them, and all their actions are hastily planned; from the murder of the King to the defense of castle. He should get ready for more bloodshed and lose all sense of compassion and honor if he wishes to retain his title. And if he still fears getting overthrown when his position is secure, the only thing I would have left to say to him would be ‘Eat, drink and be merry; for tomorrow you may die’.
ReplyDeleteEvidently Macbeth wants to maintain his position as King, and consequently he has to kill people to maintain it. There’s no way that he can keep this secret without doing so; and if he is found out, as has already happened, he will have to either kill or be killed. Malcolm was already planning his revolution, so there would be no chance of no more bloodshed unless he relinquishes his title and surrenders to Malcolm. Since that's now out of the question, the remaining problem is that of who he should trust. As a rule, people should only trust people who they know have the same goals. Looking at the way Macbeth treated his servants and his friends, we can safely assume that he was not someone who inspired loyalty in his people. That being said, the only person Macbeth should trust is his wife; partly because she can never betray him (herself being a fellow conspirator), and partly because she actually benefits from him being in power. So he can trust her, but should he take her advice? She was the one who pushed him to do it and, indirectly though it may be, is one of the sources of his problems. Moreover, she is suffering her own problems, and is sleepwalking, and cannot bear the guilt. She then can be ruled out of the people from whom Macbeth can take his advice. At the end of it all, Macbeth should listen to his own heart and do what he feels is best for him, be it morally right or wrong.
- Philip Pachigalla