Examine the role of the witches in Macbeth Essay

King James I succeeded Queen Elizabeth I on the throne of England in 1603. He was a member of the Stuart dynasty and was already the King of Scotland. This meant he united the two kingdoms, ending incessant warring between the two nations. James hoped to end the period of religious turmoil that had engulfed England for the previous century. The people in 17th Century England were very superstitious and witchcraft was the object of fevered fascination. In 1604 a law was passed that said anyone convicted of witchcraft should be executed. King James I was as fascinated by witches as his subjects, and in 1590 he personally interrogated a group of witches who had plotted to kill him. Misogyny and a strong belief that morality was being upheld fuelled society’s hatred of witches. World Order was an important factor of seventeenth century life. World Order was a system in which God was at the top of the chain, followed by the King or Queen, then humans, birds, animals and fish. They believed that the King had been directly chosen by God and therefore did not have to answer to parliament. The human section of the Order was split into subdivisions of classes. It was believed that each person was born into their social status and ambition to rise above their position was considered unacceptable and was punishable by political means or by fate. The audience would immediately realise that once Macbeth had murdered the King, he would have to die, as he had disturbed God’s natural order. The first scene of Macbeth prepares the audience for the entrance of the witches with the use of pathetic fallacy. This is used to dramatic effect, with thunder, lightning and rain applied to create a feeling of chaos. The scene being set in a desolate place reinforces this idea, with the setting making it seem like the events that will unfold will be of an ominous nature. The words the witches use support the idea of chaos and disturbance. The word ‘hurly-burly’ is used to show the turmoil at the time, with the area being ravaged by battle. Another phrase used to show disturbance is ‘fair is foul and foul is fair’. This phrase makes the audience wonder how anything fair can possibly be foul, thus creating confusion. There are many indicators that the ‘three weird sisters’ are witches. These include the use of the number three, the familiars and the language of the sisters. The number three is a number often believed to be magical, and throughout the play Shakespeare frequently uses this number throughout the play. All three of the sisters have familiars, demons who take the form of creatures to aid witches with their evil craft. This is shown when the witches say ‘I come Graymalkin’, ‘Paddock calls’ and ‘Anon’. Some of the sisters say things that can be interpreted as being related to witchcraft, including ‘that will be ere the set of sun’. This relates to witchcraft, as traditionally it was believed that witches performed magic at sunset. In Act I Scene 1, the Captain tells the story of Macbeth being a brave and noble man who is valiant and trustworthy. He gives an account of a battle that has just taken place and tells the king of Macbeth’s role in it. As the man telling the story holds the rank of Captain, trust is established between him and the audience. The use of words such as ‘carved’, ‘unseamed’ and ‘steel’ have connotations of murder and butchery, showing Macbeth’s bloodthirstiness in battle. The Captain also uses the phrase ‘or memorise another Golgotha’. This compares Macbeth’s fighting as being as bloody and savage as the crucifixion of Jesus Christ. This is a huge comparison, as Christ is a holy figure. I think that this shows Macbeth fights with such passion it could be almost a religion. A semantic field of ‘warfare and battle’ supports this scene, with lexis including ‘choke’; ‘rebel’; ‘galloglasses’; ‘smoked’; ‘over-charged’; ‘bloody’; ‘execution’; ‘carved’; ‘battlements’; ‘cannons’ and ‘wounds’. I think the words ‘choke’ and ‘over-charged’ are strong words, as they both show the zeal and ferocity Macbeth fought with. There is a large contrast between the way the witches and the Captain portray Macbeth. This creates an ambivalent presentation of Macbeth, allowing the audience to interpret Macbeth’s character in different ways. As a result of this, Macbeth’s entrance to the play is delayed until the third scene to allow the witches and the Captain to speak. The contradictory ideas about Macbeth that are spoken create tension, as the audience waits to see the true nature of Macbeth. A witch speaks before Macbeth’s arrival in Act I Scene 3, the line ‘A drum, a drum, Macbeth doth come’. This line has a strong aural quality, and the rhyming of ‘drum’ and ‘come’ creates a sound like a heartbeat, or a drum signifying war. This creates uncertainty in the audience’s mind, and prepares them for an ominous scene. Throughout the first scene of the play the witches are presented to the audience as puzzling creatures, possibly closer akin to Satan than humans. Their characters seem uncertain and their strange speech patterns are an enigma. They speak many contradictions including ‘when the battle’s lost and won’ and ‘fair is foul and foul is fair’. These contradictions could possibly be affiliated to world order, and the 17th Century audience may interpret the witches’ speech as a disturbance of that. The second appearance of the witches gives an insight into the power of the witches. The first witch tells the others about a woman who insulted her and how she would take her revenge upon the woman’s husband. The woman’s husband was the captain of a ship and the witch says ‘in a sieve I’ll thither sail’ and ‘I’ll do, I’ll do, and I’ll do’. One of the skills witches were credited with was the ability to sail in sieves and the use of this and the way in which ‘I’ll do’ is repeated three times, suggests some form of incantation will be used upon the sailor. The other witches offer to ‘give a wind’, allowing her to create a storm at the ship’s location. This shows that while the witches cannot directly control people, they do have control over the environment and they can use this to change the circumstances of people. What the witches plan to do with the captain is very alike what happens to Macbeth in the future. â€Å"Sleep shall neither night nor day† is similar to Macbeth after murdering Duncan, where he is plagued by nightmares and cannot sleep. This links Macbeth to the witches and shows his evil nature. When Macbeth meets the witches he is greeted with the witches saying ‘hail to thee, Thane of Glamis’, ‘hail to thee, Thane of Cawdor’ and ‘All hail Macbeth, that shalt be king hereafter’. The three lines indicate the three states of being: past, present and future. ‘Glamis’ shows the past tense, as Macbeth has been Thane of Glamis for a significant amount of time and he is aware of his position. ‘Cawdor’ represents the present, as unbeknown to him, Duncan has just stripped the previous Thane of Cawdor of his title, and will issue it to Macbeth. The final greeting is a prophecy, and it tells Macbeth that he will become King of England. The close repetition of the phrase gives the parallelism a strong rhythmic value, creating a sound that is similar to a spell or incantation. This reminds the audience that the prophecy has come from the mouths of evil, and so cannot be pure. After hearing these prophecies Macbeth responds by physically jolting. Banquo saying ‘why do you start and seem to fear’ shows this. There are three possible explanations for him jumping. Either Macbeth jumps in fear of the witches, jumps because he knows Duncan must die, or because the idea of murdering the king was already in his mind. In my opinion the reason Shakespeare put Banquo’s line into the play was to make the audience wonder if Macbeth had already thought about killing Duncan and claiming the throne. After the prophecies are given, Macbeth also orders the witches to tell him more. Imperative verbs are used to show his commands. These include ‘stay’ and ‘speak’. These show Macbeth wants to know more and show his military commanding background. It appears that he is used to having his orders carried out. Ross – a herald of King Duncan – then gives the news that Macbeth is Thane of Cawdor. Macbeth responds by saying ‘The Thane of Cawdor lives. Why do you dress me in borrowed robes?’ This is part of a set of ‘clothes’ images throughout the play. This series of images supports the theme of the play, assuming a false identity and assuming someone else place. Clothing is used because Macbeth appears to be hiding his true nature behind the valiant robes of kingship. The set of images is effective because clothing can suggest concealment and disguise. After being assured of his position as Thane of Cawdor, Macbeth edges into a soliloquy. This is a dramatic technique and shows a character’s innermost thoughts. The phrase ‘if ill, why hath it given me earnest of success?’ is spoken by Macbeth, and shows how he cannot understand how the prophecies can possibly be evil when they have given him success. This shows he fully believes the witches and so means he will be likely to commit the murder of the king. A series of images from the stage is in this soliloquy with words such as ‘prologues’; ‘act’ and ‘imperial theme’. Another one of William Shakespeare’s plays, ‘As You Like It’ has a similar theme and a character in it says ‘All the world’s a stage and the characters merely players. They have their exits and their entrances.’ This displays world order, and it can be seen that each person has a part to play and must not step out of his or her role. By killing Duncan, Macbeth will step out of his role and cause chaos. I also think this can be related to Macbeth, as the witches have carefully orchestrated his life and have great control over his destiny. This is very much alike to the lines or acts in a play, while his exit will be his fate. At the end of the soliloquy there is also another clothes image, when Banquo says ‘look how our partner’s rapt’. This is a pun, as Macbeth is ‘spellbound’ but also metaphorically ‘wrapped’ in the clothes of another man – the king. The language of Macbeth’s letter to his wife shows that he has chosen to believe the witches prophesies. The letter opens with the phrase ‘They met me in the day of success’. This shows that all the experiences he had that day were successful, the battle and the encounter with the witches. The phrase ‘they have more in them than mortal knowledge’ shows that he fully believes they have magical powers, and that he trusts they will be beneficial to his cause. He says he ‘burned in desire to question them further’, showing the audience his desperate need to know more information. The phrase ‘fate and metaphysical aid doth seem’ is used by Lady Macbeth in her response to Macbeth’s letter. This phrase is significant as it shows her readiness to ally herself with evil and the magic of the witches. It also shows that she believes fate has placed the supernatural witches in their paths and they would be wrong to side against them. Lady Macbeth has a large soliloquy in Act I Scene 5. A soliloquy is where an actor turns to the audience and speaks directly to them, as if the character were daydreaming. The actor speaks the truth – as their character perceives it to be – to the audience. This technique is used to great dramatic effect by Shakespeare. In her soliloquy her deadly intent is revealed. The words ‘I feel now the future in the instant’ spoken by Lady Macbeth are very significant. They show that she believes their future will be decided by their actions regarding the king. I think that at this point she knows what must be done for her husband to become King. Lady Macbeth graphically indicates her decision to bring about the death of King Duncan by saying ‘O never shall sun that morrow see’. This shows that when the king goes to sleep, he shall never see daylight again: his fate is inevitable. ‘Sun’ is used as an image because the sun is a symbolic representation of monarchy. Also, in world order, kings where the highest placed creature, just as the sun is the most important thing in the sky. When Macbeth rejoins his wife, they speak of their plans to kill Duncan. She advises Macbeth to ‘look like th’innocent flower, but be the serpent under’t’. This means she wants Macbeth to look honest and friendly on the outside, yet on the inside, be as venomous as a vicious serpent and murder the king. The audience at the time would make a link between this and the Gunpowder Plot. The medals awarded during the plot to commemorate James’ escape featured a flower intertwined with a snake. As this had only recently happened in Shakespeare’s time, the audience would immediately recognise the connection. In Act I Scene 6, Duncan visits Macbeth’s castle. At the scene’s start, Duncan remarks upon how agreeable the castle is, with phrases such as ‘hath a pleasant seat’ and ‘recommends itself’ displaying his thoughts. This is ironic, as the castle looks like ‘th’innocent flower’ but is really ‘the serpent under’t’, as the king finds out. Lady Macbeth uses many euphemisms for murder in her soliloquy. Examples of these are ‘provided for’, ‘great business’ and ‘dispatch’. The use of euphemism shows that she does not want to explicitly state her murderous intentions clearly. A reason for this could be that she is afraid of being overheard and accused of treason. However, I think the main reason is that if she clearly said ‘murder’ the situation would seem more ‘real’ and she would see the extent of the crime. I believe she is still unsure herself about the gravity of the situation. The euphemisms all have double meanings, and these could be seen as a type of test for Macbeth to see how he would react to the suggestions. ‘Provided for’ could mean to be fed or to be killed. The ‘great business’ could be seen to be the feasting or the murder that would mean greatness for the Macbeths. The word ‘dispatch’ could mean welcom ing the guest, or the murder. In Act I Scene 7 Macbeth has a soliloquy that shows his indecisive state of mind. There are many words which show doubt, including ‘if’ and ‘but’, displaying how he is considering his actions and is not fully committed to the cause. This is supported by the language of thought, including ‘but how’, ‘if’ and ‘could’. Macbeth shows he is aware of just how immoral the murder would be, with the lines ‘he’s here in double trust: first, as I am his kinsman and his subject†¦ then as his host’. Here Macbeth lists his reasons why he should not kill Duncan, as he is his subject, his host and is even related to him. Through the soliloquy Macbeth shows that he understands there will be consequences for murder. ‘Might be the be-all and the end-all – here’ is a line spoken that shows the murder will not be the end of his troubled time; it will be the beginning of an even more distressing s tate. He recognises that consequences will occur to whoever carries out the action and shows it through the phrase ‘bloody instructions which being taught, return to plague th’inventor’. Macbeth also says to himself that Duncan has been a good king and that ‘his virtues will plead like angels’. At the end of the soliloquy an extended metaphor of horsemanship develops. This includes words such as ‘spur’; ‘prick’; ‘vaulting’; ‘o’erleaps’ and ‘falls’. This is prefigures Macbeth’s life, as his ‘vaulting ambition’ is all he has to ‘spur him on’, and it will eventually reach too high (the position of king) and ‘o’erleap’. He will then ‘fall’ and will receive the consequences of his actions. The image of horsemanship was used to remind the audience of Macbeth’s strict militaristic background. Macbeth’s soliloquy shows a huge difference in character between himself and his wife. While his wife immediately resolves that they must kill the king, Macbeth thinks about the consequences. This shows Macbeth does have a conscience and I think this causes the audience to feel sympathetic to his plight. Macbeth has a second soliloquy in Act II Scene 1. Here his intensified fragile state of mind is shown to the audience. Macbeth sees an apparition of a floating dagger, shown through the phrase ‘is this a dagger which I see before me’. This shows that his mind is so focused upon the murder of Duncan, it is seeing weapons everywhere he turns. Phrases such as ‘a dagger of the mind†¦ proceeding from the heat-oppressà ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½d brain’, show the mental strain Macbeth is under. A semantic field of the ‘supernatural’ underpins this soliloquy, with words including: ‘witchcraft’; ‘Hecate’; ‘murder’; ‘sentinel’; ‘wolf’; ‘stealthy’; ‘ghost’ and ‘fear’. I think that ‘Hecate’ is a particularly powerful word to use as Hecate was traditionally thought to be the goddess of witchcraft. At the beginning of the soliloquy Macbeth is using euphemisms for murder, like ‘the bloody business’. However, towards the end of the soliloquy, the language has developed and now includes words like ‘murder’ and ‘horror’. This shows that Macbeth has now fully made his decision and accepts what he must do. The soliloquy ends with a rhyming couplet, reminiscent of the witches. By using the language of the witches on Macbeth, Shakespeare has identified Macbeth closely with them. This creates the impression that the soliloquy ends with him making his own spell that will mean the death of Duncan. The two soliloquies depict the way in which the witches have effected Macbeth. They have given him advice and he has taken it in the way that he believed was correct. The witches have only influenced him, they have not directly told him what to do. I think Shakespeare has used these soliloquies to give the audience an insight into the mind of a murderer. As this was a 17th Century production, psychology and other studies into the mind had not been begun. This would mean the audience would be enthralled by what would have been revolutionary viewing. Act II Scene 4 takes place outside of Macbeth’s castle and is a conversation between Ross – a thane – and an old man. Though this scene takes place after the murder of Duncan, the two characters discussing the night do not yet know anything about his death. It is important that the man speaking is old, as this means he has lived for a long time among the feuding Scottish warlords. This creates an impression of knowledge, and that the old man would have seen many unusual things. Pathetic fallacy is used, with the phrase ‘dark night strangles the travelling lamp’ signifying an eclipse. I think an eclipse has been used for the night’s weather, as it is highly unusual and would have been considered to be supernatural. This would have given the night an eerie atmosphere. The old man begins the scene by saying ‘this sore night hath trifled former knowings’. This shows that while the man is very old, he cannot remember a night as strange as this. A bank of images relating to the stage is found, including ‘act’ and ‘stage’. These relate to the previous stage images, found in Act I Scene 3. The images link to world order and the way in which everybody has a part to play that they cannot change. By murdering Duncan, Macbeth has stepped out of his role and his upset the balance of world order. ‘A falcon tow’ring in her pride of place was by a mousing owl hawked at and killed’. The falcon is top of the food chain, and this is metaphorical for a lesser animal (Macbeth) killing something that belongs at the top of world order (Duncan). The horses have turned cannibalistic and are eating each other: ‘turned wild in nature, broke their stalls†¦ they eat each other’. This shows just how disturbed the order of the world is, yet it is also metaphorical for Macbeth killing his own kind. The use of language such as ‘entomb’, ‘strange’ and ‘unnatural’ show the precarious state the world is now in, with Duncan dead. Act IV Scene 1 begins with the three witches casting a spell in preparation for their meeting with Macbeth. Pathetic fallacy is once again used, with thunder giving the audience the impression the spell will be destructive. The chant shows many of the prejudices of the time. The witches put many parts of creatures that were considered inferior to the majority into the cauldron. These inferior creatures are: ‘frog’; ‘bat’; ‘dog’; ‘adder’; ‘blind-worm’; ‘lizard’ and ‘howlet’. All of the animals mentioned are creatures of the night, and so were considered very rudimentary forms of life. After more chanting, the witches begin to put in parts of other items associated with death. The mythical ‘dragon’, the predatory ‘wolf’, the evil ‘witches’ mummy’ and the poisonous ‘hemlock’ are all placed into the pot. This adds to the feeling of death and evil. Society’s prejudices come to the forefront of the chant with body parts of non-Christians being added to the pot: ‘liver of blaspheming Jew’, ‘nose of Turk’ and ‘Tartar’s lips’. As Jews, Turks and Tartars were not Christian, the audience would have feared them as they were foreign and their cultures were unknown to them. There is a semantic field of ‘poison’ in the incantation, and the lexis included are: ‘poisoned’; ‘entrails’; ‘toad’; ‘sweltered’; ‘venom’; ‘sleeping’; ‘boil’ and ‘bubble’. These were all added by Shakespeare to make the witches’ concoction appear to be very deadly. Towards the end of the spell, the finger of a ‘birth-strangled babe, ditch delivered by a drab’. A ‘drab’ was a prostitute and the child would have been killed at birth, as an illegitimate child would bring shame upon the family. As it was strangled at birth, the child is unblessed and so would never enter Heaven. This is ‘familiar magic’ and works through association. This could prefigure Macbeth’s murder of Macduff’s children. The magic number three is also used, when the witches say ‘thrice’ towards the start of the spell. The rhymes and rhythm of the words help to reinforce the idea of a deadly spell. The spell has a heavy aural quality, and this meant the audience could feel a part of the play. Rhyming couplets are used throughout the spell, helping to make it seem like a chant. An example of a rhyming couplet is ‘Ditch delivered by a drab, make the gruel thick and slab’. This phrase also has many labials in it, helping to create a sense of evil and decay. Shakespeare also employs onomatopoeia in Macbeth. This helps to reinforce the tension and make an aural sound of a spell. Examples of onomatopoeia are ‘double’, ‘trouble’ and ‘bubble’. There is a language link between this and Act I Scene 2 where the captain describes Macbeth as having ‘doubly redoubled strokes upon the foe’. This helps to tie Macbeth to the witches. I think that Macbeth returns to the witches because he wants to know his future. He has been tortured by the spirit of Banquo whom he has had killed and he fears for his sanity. Macbeth goes to the witches to seek assurances that he will not be dethroned in the future. I think he is looking for a future, as his guilt seems to tell him he will not have a pleasant one. The fact that he comes to the witches for reassurance shows that he has chosen to fully believe them and he trusts them. By consulting them, he is trying to change his own fate. This could further upset the order of the world. Macbeth greets the witches in the following way: ‘How now, you secret, black, and midnight hags! What is’t you do?’ ‘Black’ and ‘secret’ connote concealment and this links to the clothes images that run throughout the play. The use of the phrase ‘midnight hags’ shows that Macbeth understands the power of the witches and that they have just created a spell. Midnight is the witching hour, and this can be cross referenced to Act I Scene 1 where the witches say ‘that will be ere the set of sun’. A witch responds by saying ‘a deed without a name’. This is in keeping with the earlier euphemisms for murder. When Macbeth speaks to the witches he instantly commands them by saying ‘I conjure you’. This is a play on words, as the witches have the ability to conjure things and because he is commanding them. Imperative verbs are once again used, showing that he is used to having his orders carried out. Examples of imperatives are ‘answer’ and ‘speak’. Macbeth is prepared to take the world to the edge of destruction to get the answers he seeks. ‘Castles topple’ and ‘pyramids do slope their heads to their foundations’ shows he does not care about the destruction he causes in his quest. He ends by saying ‘even till destruction sicken’. I believe this would be said with finality, showing how deeply he will pursue his aims. A semantic field of ‘chaos’ underpins this whole section, with words like: ‘winds’; ‘yeasty waves’; ‘confound’; ‘swallow’; ‘lodged’; ‘blown down’; ‘topple’; ‘slope’; ‘tumble’ and ‘destruction’. Semantics are used here to show just how much Macbeth has already disturbed world order by murdering Duncan. The witches create three apparitions that give Macbeth a prophecy each. The first apparition is of an ‘armed head’ and it tells Macbeth:’Beware Macduff, Beware the Thane of Fife’. Macbeth’s immediate response is ‘thou has harped my fear alright’, meaning he has confirmed what he thought. Towards the end of the scene, he says he will act on his first impulse and do what his first instincts say: ‘The very firstlings of my heart shall be, the firstlings of my hand’. After hearing Macduff has fled Scotland, Macbeth turns into a blind rage and orders his men to ‘give to th’edge o’th’sword his wife, his babes, and all unfortunate souls that trace him in his line’. The second apparition is of a ‘bloody child’ and tells Macbeth: ‘Laugh to scorn the power of men, for none of woman born shall harm Macbeth’. This greatly pleases Macbeth and gives him more security. Although he is reassured, he still makes an oath that he will kill Macduff. I think he does this for extra reassurance in light of the first apparition. The bloody child prefigures the decision Macbeth will make to kill Macduff’s children. The third apparition is of a ‘child crowned, with a tree in his hand’. The child tells Macbeth: ‘Macbeth shall never vanquished be until Great Birnam Wood to high Dunsinane hill shall come against him’. Macbeth responds by saying no one can make the trees move at their will. This shows that he dismisses the prophecy and does not take into consideration the possibilities of how this could occur. Macbeth’s confidence has improved greatly after hearing these prophecies and he confidently asks the third apparition ‘shall Banquo’s issue ever reign in this kingdom?’ By asking the question, Macbeth shows he is still intrigued by the original prophecy of the witches which said Banquo’s descendants will be monarchs. The witches then tell him ‘seek to know no more’. This annoys Macbeth and he childishly says ‘deny me this, and an eternal curse fall on you’, showing his arrogance. After he does this, the witches summon another apparition, this time eight kings with Banquo following behind. Macbeth realises the answer to his question about Banquo’s heirs when he says: ‘Now I see ’tis true, for the blood-boltered Banquo smiles upon me, and points at them for his’. Macbeth’s reactions to all the prophecies show his precarious state of mind. Throughout Act IV Scene 1 he lapses into bravado, attempting to show he is confident when in actual fact he is very nervous and afraid. Two examples of bravado used are ‘call ’em, let me see ’em’ and ‘had I three ears, I’d hear thee’. Although he is nervous and fearful of his future, Macbeth still feels superior to the witches. This is shown through phrases such as ‘tell me’ and ‘filthy hags’. Macbeth misses the significance of the third prophecy, where the obvious interpretation of the trees being camouflage is overlooked. This shows that he is no longer thinking like a soldier, and rather a desperate man. The apparition showing Banquo’s heirs is believed to have political significance. The eight king bears a glass (mirror) and it is thought that it would have been pointed at King James I, watched the play. As it was facing James, the audience would have seen the kings face while the line, ‘some I see, that two-fold balls and treble sceptres carry’ was spoken. These represent the two orbs James I carried at his two coronations in Scotland and England, as well as the three kingdoms he now ruled: Scotland, England and Ireland. I think this was put into the play to try and support James. When he came to power, he promised better things for both Catholics and Protestants. However, he seemed not to fulfill these promises in the way that the people wanted and the Gunpowder Plot challenged his rule. I think that Shakespeare put this section in Macbeth to try and show James had a legitimate claim to the throne as he was descended from ancient royalty. In the scene, Macbeth’s assistant is called Seyton. This could possibly be pronounced ‘Satan’, adding to the impression of Macbeth’s growing evil. I think the use of an assistant called Seyton makes it sound as though Macbeth now has his own familiar, the Devil himself. Towards the end of the scene, the doctor tells Macbeth that Lady Macbeth is suffering from a mental ailment. Macbeth’s immediate response is to order the doctor to ‘cure her of that’. The next few lines of the play detail Macbeth asking if the doctor cannot cure ‘a mind diseased’. However, I believe the audience would see the question as Macbeth asking for help himself, as the anxiety and sorrow he describes is what he himself is suffering from. The question is reinforced by a semantic field of ‘cleaning’, with words such as: ‘minister’; ‘pluck’; ‘raze’; ‘antidote’ and ‘cleanse’. I think this shows just how badly Macbeth wants his mental state to be cured. When the doctor says patients must cure themselves, he responds by angrily saying ‘throw physic to the dogs’. This shows his precarious mental state. Act V Scene 8 details the battle between Macbeth and Macduff outside Dunsinane Castle. The scene begins with Macbeth saying he wants to become the great soldier that he once was, and will not commit suicide. The line ‘why should I play the Roman fool and fie on mine own sword?’ shows this. Macbeth tells Macduff that he has avoided him for the entirety of the battle, but his ‘soul is too much charged with blood’. This means he has seen so much death he no longer cares about who he faces. As he is facing Macduff, Macbeth boasts that no naturally born man can kill him. This makes Macduff reveal his own Caesarean birth. Hearing this, Macbeth almost physically collapses. The mental stress and the fake promise of glory from the witches suddenly leave Macbeth, and he is free to sadly muse about his shortcomings. ‘And be these juggling fiends no more believed That palter with us in a double sense, That keep the word of promise to our ear And break it to our hope.’ This section shows how Macbeth now views the witches and their prophecies. The first line shows how he no longer believes the witches. The use of the phrase ‘juggling fiends’ represents his view that the witches have been ‘juggling’ with fate, emotion and people’s lives. ‘That palter with us in a double sense’ means Macbeth now accepts that the witches’ prophecies could have been interpreted in different ways and he made the wrong choices. ‘That keep the word of promise to our ear’ shows how they misled him by speaking of future greatness, but then ‘break it to our hope’. Despite realising that Macduff will kill him, Macbeth decides to die fighting, in an attempt to reclaim some of his lost honour. Another reason for his decision to die fighting is the fact that he cannot bear the thought of being subservient to Malcolm after being in a position of power all his life.

Outline the Ways in Which Rubbish Can Be Said to Have Value in a Consumer Society

Since the latter part of the nineteenth century, contemporary UK society has been steadily changing. Where once we tended to define ourselves by our employment and the status in society that position may have given us, we now define ourselves much more by the goods we buy and choose to surround ourselves with (Hinchcliffe 2009). What we wear, the house we live in, the food we choose to buy and the experiences we create for ourselves all are thought to say more about us personally and as a society and have led to the creation of the term ‘consumer society’(Hinchliffe 2009). The rise in disposable income and the ability to acquire easy credit has enabled the vast majority of the UK population to buy goods more readily than at any time ever before and to fill our homes with an array of consumables. However this increase in affluence has generated a massive rise in consumer goods being manufactured and purchased and consequently is creating huge amounts of waste in return. Outdated and broken goods, massive amounts of packaging and waste created during manufacture are proving increasingly difficult to dispose of. The resources being depleted in order to create and transport goods are also having devastating consequences on the earth and the environment and are not sustainable (Brown 2009). This essay will look at some of the ways in which we can revalue this rubbish in our ever changing and evolving society. When we purchase goods today there are many factors that can eventually transform the item into what we would commonly term as ‘rubbish’, something of no value whatsoever to its owner. Goods are made increasingly cheaply and in quantity to allow for low selling prices and are not necessarily built to last. The cost of repair can be more than replacing the item itself with very few specialist repair services being offered on the high street nowadays. Ever changing fashions and trends altering every season can lead to everything from shoes to furniture being thrown away and replaced in order for one to stay ‘in trend’ in our modern consumer society (Brown 2009). One theory of how rubbish can be redefined and given new value is put forward by Michael Thomson (Brown 2009). His theory suggests that items can move from being valued into the category of rubbish and out again into something of value. Items can be ‘Transient’, in other words, not built to last and consisting of most of the consumer goods such as mobile phones and clothing we can purchase in our shops today. Their value will decrease with use and they will often be replaced as fashion and trend dictates and newer and more desired items come on to the market. Other items can be called ‘Durables’. These items are often more expensive to buy and gain value over time such as good jewellery, paintings and rarer items people may wish to invest in or collect. His third category is one of ‘Zero value’ such as completely broken items and worn out clothes (Brown 2009). Economic reasons can be one of the ways in which new value can be placed on an object. The rise in charity shops, car boot sales and online auctions enables some of the ‘Transient’ items to be given new value. One person’s rubbish may be of value to another (Brown 2009). The changing economic climate since the recent credit crunch and more unemployment may mean that people with more time and less money may find uses for the worn out clothes and other ‘Zero value’ items by repairing or recycling in some innovative way(‘Reflections on Material Lives’,2009). Transient goods can become out-dated over time until they apparently become almost worthless. Some of these goods may then become popular or appealing in some other way. For instance a new trend in retro items such as the current interest in ‘shabby chic’ goods gives the items a fashionable appeal. Old and outdated consumer goods can become of interest to collectors and as interest increases so does the value. If these goods are no longer being produced, demand will outweigh supply and thus increase their price and therefore their value (Brown 2009). Aesthetic revaluation is another example of how new value can be given to rubbish. Some contemporary artists such as Tracey Emin and Chris Jordan (Brown 2009) have created works containing junk and other waste such as plastic cups, circuit boards, empty bottles and cigarette ends. By making a statement about our wastefulness in our consumer society in their works, they are bringing new value to rubbish by transforming it into valuable objects of art (Brown 2009). Environmental concern is another aspect that is prompting the revaluation of rubbish. In 2008, the waste generated more quickly than could be disposed of, was said to be 40% greater than the earth’s available yearly resources (Brown 2009). The earth’s resources and its capacity for absorbing the waste we generate has become environmentally unsustainable. Disposing and recycling of rubbish is now huge international business and although there is great economic value in this for the companies involved the need to find ways to sustain the environment is also a major factor in this process (Brown 2009). Transporting rubbish around the world where it is recycled more cheaply and remanufactured into a usable commodity to be shipped back, highlights the new value of some of our rubbish. Waste plastics, paper, card and glass are now just some of the products collected, recycled and sold for profit. Previously they may have been simply landfilled at not only monetary cost, so of ‘negative value’, but as we are now discovering, great cost to our planet (Brown 2009). Revaluing rubbish can therefore come about in many ways. In an ever growing consumer society we are beginning to become more fully aware of not only the amount of rubbish we are generating, but the understanding that by revaluing this waste we are helping to sustain the planet. Where once we would have thrown it into the bin without thought, we now know the ‘value’ of our waste. The increasing demands to cease using plastic carriers in favour of supermarket ‘bags for life’; the prevalence of car park bottle bins and clothing banks; the household recycling bins are all constant reminders to us of the value of our rubbish. Economic value can be added to out dated goods due to new trends and fashions and as items become of interest to collectors. The less there may be of something and the more the demand is for it; the more likely the value will be raised creating further interest and higher prices. Taking junk and turning it into art also revalue’s rubbish. Many artists are seeing the possibilities of pointing out to us our wastefulness and by using rubbish in their art they are turning it into something of artistic merit and often considerable monetary value (Brown 2009). Moreover, even design students today are being taught to utilise used items and create something new and useful or aesthetically appealing from them. (Reflections on Material Lives’, 2009). Whether selling our old possessions on online auctions for profit or donating to the charity shop, we are giving new value to what we no longer feel has worth. Rubbish is becoming more and more valuable as our consumption as a society grows ; â€Å"at a time when we’re both short of materials globally as well as short of energy globally, we’re now looking to waste as a real resource† ( Reflections on Material Lives,2009).

AMERICAN GOVERNMENT Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 1

AMERICAN GOVERNMENT - Essay Example Bureaucrats create and enforce regulations in various sectors in economy and society. In Supreme Court justice is exercised for people who have disputes and protects civil freedom and rights. TheSupreme Court also ensures that the government wings use their powers to a sufficient limit. Although all this political players have some powers invested in them, some of them are very effective and powerful than others. Based on the different roles and actions of the congress, I feel this as most effective andpowerful. Apart from setting the budget, it has powers to make laws and rules for the landand government. The congress also determines the security status of the nations. For instance, it maintains the navy as well as army and declares war in deserving circumstances. It also imposes exercise duties to all the people in a state in uniformity. Another powerful influence of congress is its right to organize the Supreme Court. Congress membershave no term limit hence the decision to amend the term solely depends on them to devise a method to do so.Congress influences bureaucracy by applying its budgetary oversight functions. Any bureaucracy agency cannot spend money before its authority and the existence of any agency depends on congress approval. The presidency is also most potent because of being the leader of the executive branch. This is illustrated in a situation where civil servant may need to have common guidance and the president alone has the power to provide it.The presidency also plays a role in security matters. Training, supervising and deployment of forces is done by the president .In supporting opinion in a country, the president has the greatest influence. This is to say that presidency heads all ceremonies of the government. It’sthe authority of the president to modify the bureaucracy’s organizational structure, and to also submit to congress a

Strategic Analysis Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Strategic Analysis - Research Paper Example However, the company particular focuses to target United States and sustain it edge in the industry. The company is currently facing criticism that Voss contains similar sources as the tap water due to which the company is currently struggling to sustain its positioning in the industry. However, the competition in the bottled water industry is becoming intense with the passage of time. The present document strategically analyzes Voss Water and its positioning in the industry. In order to determine the positioning of the company, industrial analysis, PESTLE analysis and PORTER five forces analysis have been conducted to determine strategic positioning of Voss Water in the  Bottled Water industry (Anon., 2014). The overall trend in Bottle Industry has significantly improved that has significantly affected the sales of the bottled water. According to a report of International Bottled Water Association (2014),  "Bottled Water Industry in the United States has showed significant growth during 2012-2013 after the Great Recession 2009  (IBWA Report, 2014)".  Despite the fact that the United States  has slower economic recovery but has high-income level due to which the consumer are comfortable to spend money on discretionary items, including bottled water. It is predicted that the improvement in the economic conditions will cast  positive impact on the revenues of bottled water industry (Hamphell, 2013). The consumer’s response is improving with the passage of time (2008-2009) due to which the some of the consumers that were distracted from the high-calorie beverages are also now getting back to the same category. On the contrary, the low-income Americans that were also disprop ortionately affected are currently struggling for employment due to which they are inclined towards discounted bottled water. In 2013, the off-trade value sales of bottled water have increased by 2 percent. However, the prices of the bottled water have

Hot topic Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Hot topic - Assignment Example Singer (2015) reports that the independent ethics board has lost the only chairperson it ever had before. Mr. Porter Gross stepped down from the board following the unpopularity of his board. The ethics board is acting unethically by allowing its investigation into the public domain without effective completion. The senior military officials for instance the navy officers has been censured for their roles in in the high trending bribery cases, which put the military at the threat of discrediting. Such a case relates to the current scandal on the navy about sharing of confidential information in exchange of bribe or in prostitution (Brook, 2015). According to Diamond (2015) reports, current research indicates that the US army officers lie often while on duty. A 33-page interview conducted recently shows that the military department is marred with deception and evasions at all the ranks, from junior to senior. The report comes after the revelation of the scandals surrounding the navy boss Hagel. There is consistence in the deception and evasion among the military in their lines of duty. According to reports by Schumacher (2015), teaching profession needs explicit moral guidance for effective service delivery and attainment of desired outcomes. Political influence in teaching profession raises moral concerns especially relating to teaching pedagogies. For instance, Schumacher (2015) reports Governor Cuomo funding and common test influence in New York schools. Such infringements into state schools require observation of ethical morals and standards. Brook, Tom Vanden. (February 17, 2015). Hagels parting ethics advice to brass: Do better. USA Today. Web. April 27, 2015. Retrieved from http://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation/2015/02/17/hagel-pentagon-ethics-scandals/23560047/ Roff, Peter. (February 20, 2015). ALEC Wins Big in Ethics Case. US News. April 27, 2015. Retrieved from

The Employment Relations Environment in France Essay

The Employment Relations Environment in France - Essay Example France is characterized by heterogeneous employment relations prevailing in different firms, yet unionization has achieved significant status and recognition in the country (â€Å"Eurofound†). The French government has provided full legislative and legal support to its workforce in the form of strict and enforceable laws. Essential elements of French employment relations structure are: Employment is provided on written contract based agreements and minimal wages are authorized. Employment is also guaranteed and no worker can be thrown out of a job without sound reasons. Employees are also guaranteed sick and paid leaves with maternity leaves for women in addition. France is faced with many serious problems and challenges with respect to its employment relations structure due to some inherent shortcomings and governance loopholes which are discussed as below (Jenkins 17): There is no provision of either insurance or hygienic working conditions. In addition to this, women do not get proper representation in the workplace as they should get. The communication gap between management and union with respect to recruitment policy and other information details is a common problem. Collective bargaining is a well known and established tool of dispute and grievance handling which is not implemented in its entirety in France. People are either not aware of their roles or possess little knowledge of the legislative remedies available to them. Employees feel fearful of losing their job and so do not raise their voice and similarly, managers are hesitant in delegating decision making authority to others to avoid any hassles. This has resulted in many stark conflicts and battles between union and management in bigger firms.

Same Sex Marriage Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Same Sex Marriage - Essay Example However, homosexual adults who have come to terms with their homosexuality, who do not regret their sexual orientation, and who can function effectively sexually and socially, are no more distressed psychologically that are heterosexual men and women (Duberman, et al., 1989). Being identified to be gay doesn't compose this person to be an alien because each and every one is a person within his or her own exclusive way. There is no trouble with gay people getting married since in the United States everybody is equal. Why then, is there a concern with gay citizens getting married, when a man along with a woman may get married with no difficulty. Gay couples will keep on living and giving out their lives together even though they don't get married. But if they do not get the opportunity to get married, there will still be gay partners. Gay marriages must be permitted everywhere for the natural facts that the gay society is growing day by day and gay people are individuals just like anybody else. Be it a gay partner or a straight pair, two people in love with each other should be together regardless of what anyone believes. There is no difference involving the love of two gay individuals and the affection of two heterosexuals. Gay marriage has become a controversial subject matter for some time now. There are more and more people that oppose to it, than there are supportive of it. The most important issue in this work is that gay marriage should have the same treatment under the law. It shows that the administration is concentrating more on the happiness of a particular person fairly than on whether or not this person is being treated equally. Who can tell, maybe the gay society have their personal religion which permits them to be wed. We could make God pleased if we loved the citizens who possess different manners of thinking. In God's eyes each and every one are all brothers and sisters, so why not make Him a proud God I just want all the people to recognize that there is nothing erroneous with two people who desire to be happy. Well, not each person trusts in the Bible or God, so why is the administration even declaring this The Free Exercise Clause states that the government is outlawed from meddling with the free exercise of religion inside the United States. Nowadays it seems as though the administration is promoting Christianity by stating that the Bible declares that God says that marriage was intended for one man together with one woman. If the government would try to please everyone within this nation, it may be a total catastrophe. I suppose that there has been way over concentration on gay marriages, and too l ittle on equal handling (Fisher, R. D., 1994). Gay marriages contradict the self-apparent truth of nature where male and female bodies are calculated for and match each other. Homosexual marriage may undervalue your marriage. An authorization to marry seems to be a lawful document, by which government may consider same sex marriage as if it were the same as the real thing, is a license which speaks for the administration and will tell the society that government states the marriages are equal. Any time a less important thing is made equal towards a greater where the greater is undervalued. If we were to ban same sex marriage we might be taking an enormous step backwards with regards to human rights.