Category: Writing

Theme: Nature of Ambition.

TEXT 1: Macbeth – Shakespare

Macbeth coveys ideas about ambition as it explores the centural character of Macbeth’s, dire ambition of being king and over ruling Scotland. More specifically it explores the consequences derived from his ambition and conveys the message that not all ambition are good, some are bad, and some are vey bad.

Link – Character (Macbeth + Hamilton). Both have a dire ambition that overrides common scene, love, or human needs. It controls their every move and they are both killed at the end because of their ambition. Ambition can have both reward and punishment!

Quotes: 

“Tomorrow, and tomorrow, and tomorrow, Creeps in this petty pace from day to day – Linking to HAMILTON

“Oh, full of scorpions is my mind, dear wife!” – MACBETH 

“False face must hide what the false heart doth know.” – MACBETH

TEXT 2: Hamilton – Lin Meneual Miranda

The idea of AMBITION is conveyed in Hamilton through the character Hamilton and his aspirations to always be more. More specifically it explores the sacrifices one makes to forfill his/her ambition/aspirations, and that sometimes we become so consumed in our ambitions that we get lost in our own lives and lose grip on reality and the things that matter most to us (family, friends, experiencing + living life to the fullest.

Link: Perception of power and importance caused by AMBITION – and how the one and only destroyer of power is DEATH. When Hamilton and Ozymandias die their work/power struggles to be remembered despite all they did and how praise/feared they were when they were alive. Eliza tries – Hamilton. Labourers try – Ozymandias. But when your time is up it’s up. And the ambition dies with the characters.

Quotes: 

“Tomorrow and tomorrow and tomorrow creeps in this petty pace from day to day. I trust you’ll understand my reference to another Scottish tragedy without my having to name the play. They think me Macbeth, and ambition is my folly….” – Hamilton “Take a break”

“There’s a million things I haven’t done, just you wait” – Alexander Hamilton “Alexander Hamilton”

“I’m just like my country—I’m young, scrappy, and hungry, and I am not throwing away my shot.” – Hamilton, “My Shot”

TEXT 3: Ozymandias

The idea of AMBITION is conveyed in Ozymandias through the hubris of the past king as he had great ambitions for himself but this has lead to a false perseption of himself as he see’s himself as to important. This shows yet another side or consequence of ambition like in Macbeth, where it’s good for humans to have ambitions but some develop into unhealthy and dangerous illusions of the mind.

Imagery to show the isolation ambition can cause. Ozymandias – The barran sand surrounding the statue shows how Ozymandiases ambition lead to his own isolation, with no one to support or praise him. Gattaka – The spiral staircase represents Jerome’s personal battle of defying his genetics and this battle means that Jerome feels very isolated.

Quotes:

“And wrinkled lip, and sneer of cold command,
Tell that its sculptor well those passions read
Which yet survive, stamped on these lifeless things,”

“Round the decay
Of that colossal wreck, boundless and bare
The lone and level sands stretch far away.”

TEXT 4: Gattaka 

The idea of AMBITION is conveyed in Gattaka as we are presented two different worlds. One with all the physical ideal capabilities to achieve ones ambitions and dreams but lacks the ambitious drive. And the other who struggles physically and is isolated because of genetics but has the biggest and most driven ambition. This text demonstrates or brings to light the ideal of struggle linking to ambition, and tells us that to really achieve our ambitions we must defy our struggles/set backs as it only makes us stronger, and this text shows that not all of us that drive and determination but can help guide those that do.

Quotes:

“You want to know how I did it? This is how I did it, Anton: I never saved anything for the swim back.” – Vincent

“He had everything except desire.” – Vincent

Director Josef: No one exceeds their potential. If they did, it would mean we did not accurately gauge their potential in the first place.

Introduction:

Paragraph 1 (Macbeth)

Paragraph 2 (Hamilton) Link

Paragraph 3 (Ozymandias) Link

Paragraph 4 (Gattaka) Link

Conclusion

Ambition is powerful, dangerous, beautiful, damaging, and inspiring all at once. Ambition takes many shapes and forms and therefore is completely different for everyone. Some people are born with a natural powerful ambition while others struggle to strive for anything, but the one thing we know for sure is that without ambition no one would strive for personal success, make goals and work to achieve them, or even just learn something new. In attempt to further understand the true nature of ambition I have chosen four texts (Macbeth – Shakespeare, Hamilton – Lin-Manuel Miranda, Ozymandias – Percy Shelley, Gattaka – Andrew Niccols) that follow an ambitious theme. These texts all explore ambition but in different forms and to different extends, this supports the idea that ambition is different for everyone and that there are many different types of ambition.

Macbeth written by Shakespeare is globally recognised as a tale about a dark ambition. The story follows Macbeth’s dire ambition of becoming king and over ruling Scotland but more specifically the journey he takes mentally as his ambition grows. Macbeth starts with a sane ambition, with sane reasoning but as his greed grows so does his menacing thoughts and dark vision. The famous ‘Scottish tragedy’ follows the consequences derived from an unhealthy ambition. One that imposes harm on others and deteriorates Macbeth’s mental stability. The main message conveyed in the play is that ambitions can be both good and bad. The immediate association with the word ‘ambition’ is generally good, resonating hopeful positive projections for ones future, but Macbeth challenges this link. Ambition can just as easily be bad as it is good. This switch can be seen in the final moments of act 1 when Macbeth says “False face must hide what false heart doth know.” Macbeth wants to become king but the only way he believes this is possible is to perform an act of pure evil (killing king Duncan). His good sense and sane mind convinces him not to fulfil his ambition, but his wife has different plans. Her murderous, and dark intentions influence Macbeth’s decision and when saying this quote he has decided he will kill the king despite the deed going against his moral beliefs. The quote shows that Macbeth will put up a front to hide his immoral plans (“False face must hide”). While also lying to his heart (“false heart doth know”), because if he was listens to his heart he can’t fulfil his ambition. Macbeth’s ambition is too strong and therefore over rides his beliefs. This example shows that ambitions can be both good and bad as Macbeth’s ambition quickly grew into a powerful weapon of destruction. His danger to himself and to others only grows as they play advances with him saying “Oh, full of scorpions is my mind, dear wife!”. By him metaphorically comparing his current mental state to a poison insect we know that his ambition no longer has any good – it’s drowned in evil. Macbeth is an ambitious character and the text as a whole validates the idea that ambition is different for everyone.

Another text that follows the ambitions of a driven character is the musical Hamilton by Lin Manuel – Miranda. This text links to Macbeth as the two central characters (Hamilton + Macbeth) both have a strong ambition that over rules common scene, love, and human sanity. Hamilton’s ambition of being remembered, making a change and always being more than enough and Macbeth’s ambition of being king both control the characters every move. Both texts explore the idea of having an ambition so strong you can’t control it. That sometimes we become so consumed in our ambitions that we get lost in our own lives and lose grip on reality, most importantly the things that mean the most to us (family, friends, experiencing and living our best lives). The two characters ambitions give them a scene of purpose and achievement but also a list of consequences, and as their ambition gets stronger the consequences multiply. This concept helps us conclude that ambitions can be extremely controlling and overbearing at times and this can be seen clearly in both texts. In Hamilton the line “They think me Macbeth, ambition is my folly” is sung by Hamilton in the song ‘Take a break’ and directly addresses the link between the two characters (Macbeth and Hamilton). By saying his “ambition is my folly” we know that it’s a part of him that he can’t control. It’s to strong to tame. It’s important to also add that both characters (Macbeth + Hamilton) die at the end of the text because of their ambitions. This again shows how vulnerable they are and how controlling ambitions can be. The quote “There’s a million things I haven’t done, just you wait” sung by Hamilton in ‘Alexandra Hamilton’ emphasises Hamiltons need to achieve above whats expected and from this we can understand that to Hamilton success and accomplishment are like drugs he can’t live without. The text Hamilton clearly shows how overpowering ambitions can be and again emphasises how ambitions are very much a powerful thing that everyone experiences to different extents.

The next text following an ambitious theme is the poem Ozymandias by Percy Shelly. The theme of this text is ones perception of their own power and how ambition can lead to hubris. This poem follows the story of an ancient king (Ozymandias) and how his grand ambitions lead to a false perception of his own importance. He became to powerful for his own good and this can be seen in the quote “And wrinkled lip, and sneer of cold command, Tell that its sculptor well those passions read”. This quote tells us that the king was demanding of his people and had an arrogant attitude which was reflected in the way he treated others. He saw himself as exceedingly superior. This brings about another side to a successful ambition –  hubris. This is yet another consequence of ambition, like Macbeth, where it’s good for humans to have ambitions but some develop into dangerous illusions of the mind. It’s possible to hold power over others, and this is generally a result of ambition, but it’s also possible to become to powerful.  When one becomes to powerful their hubris tends to take it’s toll. No matter how hard we resist it, our power as humans is transient, and this text links to Hamilton as it discusses the only defier of ambitious power – death. When Hamilton and Ozymandias die their power/work struggles to be remembered despite all they did when they were alive. Hamilton was typically praised, while Ozymandias was feared, but it all becomes dust when the physical person is gone. Hamilton’s wife, Eliza, tries to keep his work and eternal imagination and intelligence alive, but eventually comprehends that “you have no control, who live, who dies, who tells your story” – Washington (‘History has it’s eyes on you’ – Hamilton). When your time is up it’s up and you can no longer control who or how people perceive you. This quote from Hamilton clearly outlines that when your deceased it’s the strength of your power due to your original ambition that determines whether or not your remembered. The quote “Round the decay
Of that colossal wreck, boundless and bare…” from Ozymandias also illustrates this idea. The kings labours tried to memorialise his power but because his hubris was remarkably ill-favoured as shown in the quote (“colossal wreck”) the statue stands withdrawn from society. Never to be admire, feared or remembered again. Ambition only holds strength when in action, when it’s dead it lies dormant and eventually inactive to the present world.

The film Gattaka by Andrew Niccol is the fourth and final text that questions the true nature of ambition. This texts shows a side to ambition that hasen’t been explored in the other texts – having a strong ambition but not the physical ability to achieve it. In the film we are presented with two worlds. Jerome’s – with all the ideal physical capabilities of achieving highly, but no ambitious drive or wantingness to better ones self. Vincents’s – with struggles physically, and is isolated because if his genetic makeup, but has the strongest and most driven drive of them all. This texts demonstrates or brings to light the struggle one must face in order to fulfil their ambitions. Without struggle there’s no success, and without success there would be no ambition because what would we all be striving for? This is a crucial factor of ambition that is commonly missed in our everyday life. Many try to short-cut their way to success, but there is no such thing. The only reason success feels so good is because we have to struggle, fight hard, and persevere to achieve it. “I never saved anything for the swim back” is said by Vincent in the film and shows that the only way Vincent managed to defy the expectation put upon him was to keep going and going with one mindset telling him he was almost there, he was almost there. If you have an ambition so strong but aren’t ‘ideal’ for the job, never give up, because you just don’t know whats around the next corner. The film Gattaca links to Ozymandias as both authors/script writers play with the idea of isolation due to ambition. This isolation is shown through the use of imagery. In Ozyamandias “Round the decay, Of that colossal wreck, boundless and bare
The lone and level sands stretch far away” is said and creates a strong image in the readers head of a large damaged statue standing in a vast lonely desert. The use of alliteration the words “lone and level” give the line a distant and remote tone. This reflects Ozymandias isolation due to his ambition and undesirable power. Imagery is used in Gattaca to show Vincent’s isolation because of his ambition too. The spiral staircase in Vincent and Jerome’s house replicates that of a genetic DNA strand. This can represent Vincent’s personal struggle of defying his genetics, and can be seen at 1 hour, 19 minets, and 15 seconds into the film when the authorities are coming to Vincent and Jerome’s house. Jerome (who is paralysed from the hips down) desperately pulls himself up the stairs using only his arms to save Vincent’s ambition from being destroyed. The stairs are used in this tense scene as a hint that Vincent’s dream is on the line, and holds the question of, can Jerome’s genetics save it? This also shows yet another side to ambition – helping others achieve their ambition if you can’t achieve your own. Jerome has no ambitious drive to strive for more and he was on the verge of ending his life before deciding to us his advantage (DNA/genetic makeup) to help Vincent achieve his dream of going to space. This illustrates that not all of us have the want or need to fulfil our ambitions, but can guide those that do. “He had everything except desire.” is said by Vincent. In this quote he his referring to Jerome and how he was a perfect fit, he had everything he could possibly need, but had no “desire” to succeed and as we know from above “desire” is a crucial part of ambition. Percy Shelly and Andrew Niccol were both very clever when deciding to use imagery to show the characters isolation as it enables the viewers/readers to use a wider knowledge of thinking to comprehend the message being portrayed. This text shows once again that ambition is different for everyone and can’t fit under one label.

In summary the four texts, Macbeth from Shakespeare, Hamilton from Lin Manuel – Miranda, Ozymandias from Percy Shelly, and Gattca from Andrew Niccol, all prove that ambition comes in different shapes and forms and is different for everyone. The texts all followed ambitious themes but discussed different challenges or confrontations as a result of ambition. This study has broadened my understanding of the true nature of ambition and I have come to the conclusion that ambition is what gets you started,  but it’s you do with that ambition and how determined and perserverent you are that determines how far and in what direction the ambition takes. 

Percy Shelley’s “Ozymandias”

I met a traveller from an antique land
Who said: Two vast and trunkless legs of stone
Stand in the desert… near them, on the sand,
Half sunk, a shattered visage lies, whose frown,
And wrinkled lip, and sneer of cold command,
Tell that its sculptor well those passions read
Which yet survive, stamped on these lifeless things,
The hand that mocked them and the heart that fed:

And on the pedestal these words appear:
‘My name is Ozymandias, king of kings:
Look on my works, ye Mighty, and despair!’
Nothing beside remains. Round the decay
Of that colossal wreck, boundless and bare
The lone and level sands stretch far away.

Question: How does Shelly convey the idea of Ozymandias’ hubris in the poem??

The poem, Ozymandias, written by Shelly, conveys an idea of ones self importance or hubris. In spite of what we may deceive ourselves to think. our power as human beings is transient, at best. Through the use of symbolism and imagery this idea of hubris is communicated. When the traveler is recounting his/her encounter with the Ozymandias statue in the desert the barren, bare landscape is used as an important symbol of isolation. The poem says “And on the pedestal these words appear: ‘My name is Ozymandias, king of kings:
Look on my works, ye Mighty, and despair!’” which emphasises the over importance Ozymandias holds of himself. He had power, he thinks he is powerful but surrounding him is nothing. The sand symbolises how his power, like many other people’s perception of their own power, could have been great, grand, and remarkable at the time but if our ambitions get the better of us and because we all eventually die, our power is lost, we’re left with nothing and no one. Another way this idea is communicated is through imagery. “Two vast and trunkless legs of stone Stand in the desert… ” is said at the beginning of the poem, implying that the Statue of Ozymadias is very large. The poem then goes on to talk about how the lonely landscape of nothingness surrounds it. This create a strong imagery of how Ozymadias’s statue stands so tall in the desert for no one to see because that’s how he saw his self. Big, extravagant, and far more important than anyone else. The barren sand represents his isolation due to his arrogance. Overall the poem explores this idea hubris and the symbolism and imagery add to this exploration.

“Describe at least one idea that changed you perspective or point of view in the film” 

Mr Waugh’s example: As is common to all dystopias, the film Gattaca by Andrew Niccol deals with elements of our society that are discomforting and project these into a future where they are followed through to their natural conclusion. Genetic selection is the target for Niccol’s moral tale; and alongside his exploration of where our genetic technology might take us, he has also presented a number of visual motifs that direct our attention back to the early 20th century and its modernism and preoccupation with Eugenics. Arguably, nowhere is the idea that we are not defined by our genetic make-up more obvious than in the scenes in Vincent and Jerome’s house that revolve around their helix staircase. The two men are presented quite literally in relation to a representation of human DNA, forcing us to confront the ideas that Niccol most wants us to

Statements, evidence, explanation

My attempt: In the film Gattaca by Andrew Niccol, ideas or problems arising from society that bring up discomfort or controversy are portrayed in a futuristic display, enabling us to envision the possible outcomes if we as a human race don’t changed our morals for the better. Genetic selection is the theme or main idea that the story follows and through the use of directly referencing the commonly appearing helix staircase in Vincent and Eugene’s home, the idea of genetic selection is reenforced even more so to the audience. The two characters (Eugene + Vincent) are represented throughout the film as different strands of human DNA. Eugene is a perfect born – his DNA presents no flaws that could limit his any ambition. Vincent on the other hand is of god born and his DNA shows flaw after flaw. The staircase in their home could be seen as a replica of Vincent’s DNA, as in this scene Eugene devotes his everything to help Vincent achieve his goal by climbing up the staircase. Also, at the end of the scene after the inspector and Irene have left, Vincent is shown standing underneath the stairs looking up to hear them leave. This illustrates the limits to Vincent’s capabilities and portrays Eugene’s DNA as superior to Vincent’s. This again, addresses Andrews overall theme of genetic superiority, and through the use of the helix staircase the audience can further grasp this concept.

CLASS MODEL ANSWER:

The 1997 film Gattaca by Andrew Niccol is set in a dystopia future where being anything less than genetically perfect causes you to be a disadvantaged in life. The film tells us that there are some things that genetics can’t determine. Arguably the most important of these is ambition. At the climax of the film, Jerome, who no longer has the use of his legs after an earlier suicide attempt, is shown dragging himself up a helix staircase to rescue the genetically ‘invalid’ character Vincent from being discovered by the authorities. Many point of view shots are used to reinforce Jerome’s struggle, which, because it’s literally with a helix, symbolises the destructive dominate of genetics in their society. This reinforces the view that apparently benign genetic selection practises could rob human society of the very forces that we value the most.

• 
  
• Shot 7 – Eugene close up, level angle
• Shot 8 – Vincent mid shot, low angle
• Shot 9 – Wheel chair E long shot, low angle
• Shot 10 –  mid shot, high angle
• Shot 11 – long shot, level angle
• Shot 12 – long shot, low angle 
• Shot 13 – long shot, high angle
• Shot 14 – long shot, birds eye view
• Shot 15 –  Irene + Anton two shot, level angle
• Shot 16 –  hand close up, level angle
• Shot 17 – feet close up, level angle 
• Shot 18 – Car long shot, level angle
• Shot 19 – long shot, level angle
• Shot 20 – Car long shot, level angle
• Shot 21 – close up ,low angle
• Shot 22 – Stairs close up, level angle
• Shot 23 – long shot, level angle
• Shot 24 – long shot,  
• Shot 25 – long shot 
• Shot 26 – long shot 
• Shot 27 – Eyes long shot 
• Shot 28 – two shot
• Shot 29 – mid shot 
• Shot 30 – two shot
• Shot 31 – close up 
• Shot 32 – two shot 
• Shot 33 – close up 
• Shot 34 – long shot 
• Shot 35 – two shot 
• Shot 36 – long shot 
• Shot 37 – long/mid shot
• Shot 38 – long shot 
• Shot 39 – mid shot 
• Shot 40 – mid shot 
• Shot 41 – close up 
• Shot 42 – mid shot 
• Shot 43 – long shot 
• Shot 44 – two shot 
• Shot 45 – mid shot 
• Shot 46 – two shot 
• Shot 47 – long shot 
• Shot 48 – close up 
• Shot 49 – close up 
• Shot 50 – close up 
• Shot 51 – close up 
• Shot 52 – mid shot 
• Shot 53 – close up 

Sounds 

Moments:

The help

• Coming up with the idea to write the book
• Nightmares
• When her mother tells her the story about continuing and she realises that their all stuck in a web they can’t escape, and they don’t even realise their stuck in it.
• Miss Skeeters upbringing, like a reflection after her mum tells her Constintine’s story

I was raised in this house. From the moment mother brought me back from the hospital, Constantine was there. Her face was the first i remember smiling with. She would hold ever so gentilly. Like i was made of glass. I remember smiling up at her kind brown eyes. I could see the world behind those eyes. Years of wisdom, joy. And now I know equally years of horror and betrayal.

Never the less she was my angel. Seeing her walk through the door in the mornings with her white uniform, white stockings, and white shoes, and her chocolate skin. Her coloured skin fasinated me as a child. I went through a stage of wanting to have brown skin too. It was different…special. and … well.. I wanted to be special like Contintine.

She was my hero. She was always there. She taught me how to ride a bike, make pancakes, brush my teeth, braid my hair…. But most importantly she taught me to be kind. She knew what it was like out there. More than anyone. How cruel the world can be. How cruel white people can be. She knew what i was bound to become, like every other white girl becomes. clones of their mothers.

Our help would raise us, nurtur us and love us. Then when we were old enough we would hire help of our own and forget. Forget all the things OUR help had done for us when we were younger. We would turn into wiches. Ritch snobby witches who only cared about their bridge club meetings, and keeping the husband happy. Like Miss Hilly. Oh god she would kill me for saying that. But surely we’re all entitled to say anything with some truth behind it. MISS HILLY.

I won’t forget. How can I forget. Costintine was my mother over my mother. Does that make scence. No. Contintine was my mother in my eyes. While my real mother would sit and read the paper or drive down the street to the hair salon, Constintine would be up sitting next to me up my tree house looking out for sneeky pirrots, or sitting next to me upstairs on a rainy day reading my favourite stories. She was patient…. And honest…. She always told me the truth…. That way I knew i could always trust her.

oh , i remeber this thing she used to do with her hand, pressing her thumb into my palm. it was our little sign, a sign that told me what she had to say was IMPORTANT…. I wish she could be here now…. I know she would be proud…. I hope she would be proud… sometimes if i just close my eyes i can picture her sitting beside me…. I wish someone anyone could press their thumb into my palm now, assure me that i am doing the right thing….

she left… she just left… no goodbye hug, wave, not even a letter to explain…. For years i couldn’t understand it… blamed her… blamed myself…. But now i have my mother to blame…. No actually i have every white citizen of the united states of america to blame…They took her away from me…. They left her with no other choice…. They drove her out of town with no job, no home, no money, no hope….and…. they … well… they killed her….. They broke her heart and killed her…. There’s no explanation for that…. No reasoning that can make any part of it right…. What they don’t understand is it doesn’t just affect the coloured it affects all of us…. Whether we like it or not we are all part of this cruel cycle…. You just have to walk down the street to see it…. Whites only church, whites only libary, whites only toilets, whites only buses, whites only shops, whites only schools….. What does it all mean…. When will they realise this is all wrong….

I can’t do this anymore. I’ve spend my whole life thinking the world of Costintine, she was my friend, my family, my hope, my angel. When i was  about 15 my mother looked me in the eye and said the only duty I owe to god is to be a good wife, have children, and keep my husband happy… nothing else mattered… In her eyes, and in everyone else’s eyes that was the guideline to a successful life. It was measured in the husbands happiness and money. Hahaha.  When i told her i was going back to school to be a writer… she cried… she stood there in front of my 19 year old self and… and she told me how ashamed she was to be my mother…. Lord, Hilly had already a husband… she was pretty, well mannered.. She just fitted in….. “Why can’t you just fit in Skeeter” she used to say…. When I was 12 we had our first school dance at school. No one had asked me to go with them. I was tessed everyday after it. Skeeters ugly, Skeeters too tall, Skeeters too loud, Skeeters different, no boy will ever love skeeter. That day, Contintine found me after school crying under my favorite tree in the our backyard. I told her what had happened and made her promise not to tell mother. I was so scared of her reaction. Contintine said nothing for a while just held my hand. There’s power in silence, I think. When she was ready she said that I WAS different, but that it wasn’t a burden it was a gift… i was going to do some special with the life I’d been given.. I was going to make a difference, because i was brave, and smart, and kind. I’ve never forgotton those words… BRAVE, SMART, KIND. They were the exact words i needed to hear. With them in mind, i packed my bags and left home the next morning walked straight pass my mother and smiled…. I knew in my heart I had more in me than being a house wife…. And Contintinw told me anyway that men are strange creatures, if we think about finding the right man for too long we wind up with the wrong one or in some cases many wrong ones, but if we follow our hearts and does what makes us happy the right one will appear… and he will love you, for just being you, not trying to be anyone else. I’ll make you proud contintine, promise i’ll make you proud.

“The Help”

https://www.cliffsnotes.com/literature/h/the-help/book-summary

CHARACTER STUDY: Eugenia ‘Skeeter’ Phelan

• A 22 year-old wealthy white woman
• lives + grew up on a cotton farm/plantation
• After school she went to study at Ole’ Miss (University of Mississippi)
• She is very tall, lanky, and not very pretty – much to her mothers disaproval
• She wants to be a writer – her mum wants her to be a wife
• When she comes back from school she realises that her views on black + white segregation have changed. She becomes intrigued on the ‘helps’ views on what it’s like to serve for a white house hold every day, and be the inferior colour.
• This idea is extremely dangerous but skeeter is determined and string willed!

Page: 89

Reading the letter from Harper & Row:

“Miss Phelan

You certainly may hone your writing skills on such flat, passionless subjects as drunk driving and illiteracy. I’d hoped, you’d choose topics that actually had some punch to them. Keep looking. If you find something original, only then may you write me again.”

Upset that Missus Stein’s letter was so negative. feeling discouraged because i have no better ideas

Pick up copy of ‘let us now praise famous men’ wondering if I’ll ever write anything that worth while or that holds such an impact.

My maid Pascagoula knocks on the door – THAT’S WHEN THE IDEA COMES

“no. I couldn’t. That would be… crossing the line.”

but……

Scene 1

Characters: Doctor, Gentlewoman, Lady Macbeth

Location: At night in king Macbeth’s castle

Events: The doctor and gentlewoman watch-on and discuss LadyMacbeth’s strange sleepwalking habits. They are both very concerned for her as it is clear she is going mad. She enters a trance and starts sorrowing over the deaths of her husband and herself. She keeps referring back to her hands, saying they will never be clean and rubs them hard trying to get the ‘blood’ she is imagining off them. Of course, the doctor and gentlewoman grow suspicious and wary of what she is saying but are more concerned about her health than anything else. She is slowing going mad and developing a mental illness as a result of the murders that have taken place.

Quotes:

“Out, damned spot! Out, I say!—One, two. Why, then, ’tis time to do ’t. Hell is murky!—”

(Lady Macbeth)

Lady Macbeth says this line while vigorously washing her hands. The murder of King Duncan and Banquo are starting to take their toll and are haunting her into a mental state. In this line, she is saying that she can’t and will never get the blood off her hands. She see’s spots of it all over her hands is trying to get it off but it won’t go away. This, of course, is just in Lady Macbeth’s head.

“Here’s the smell of the blood still. All the perfumes of Arabia will not sweeten this little hand. Oh, Oh, Oh!”

(Lady Macbeth)

She is saying that even the smell of blood haunts her. She says that not even all the perfumes of Arabia will get rid of the smell from her hands.

“To bed, to bed. There’s knocking at the gate. Come, come, come, come. Give me your hand. What’s done cannot be undone.—To bed, to bed, to bed!”

(Lady Macbeth)

She is reliving the moment when she and Macbeth killed King Duncan. The only difference is that in the scene when they actually did the murder she says ‘come to Macbeth clean your hands, once they are washed from this bloody witness it is as if we never did it’. But now she is saying give me your hand because want has been done can never be undone and we will forever be murderers.

Scene 2

Characters: Menteith, Angus, Caithness, Lennox

Location: Outside Macbeth’s castle

Events: A group of Scottish lords discusses the upcoming battle between England and Scottland. But really its a battle between England and Macbeth because they tell us that the Scottish army has agreed to meet the English troupes at Burnum wood to join forces and side against Macbeth.

Scene 3

Characters: Macbeth, Servant, Seyton, Doctor,

Location: Inside Macbeth’s castle

Events: Macbeth strides through the halls of his castle assuring himself and his servants that they must not fear the battle because of what the witches said (No man woman born could harm Macbeth and that he will not be defeated until Birnam wood moves to Dunsinane). The Doctor talks to Macbeth about Lady Macbeth’s health. And tells him that an illness like this can not be cured

Quotes:

Scene 1

Characters: First Witch, Second Witch, Third Witch, Hecate, Macbeth

Location: A dark Carven

Events: The witches appear around a bubbling cauldron, chanting a spell as they drop ingredients into the cauldron?. Macbeth enters (just as the witches had predicted) and asks the witches the truth behind their previous prophecies. In response to this 3 apparitions appear with a different message for Macbeth. The first is a floating head with 20 gashes on its face – This warns Macbeth to beware of Macduff. To this Macbeth says ‘he is already’. The second is a bloody child – telling Macbeth that no person woman born could ever harm him. And the third is a crowned child holding a tree – telling Macbeth that he is safe until Birnam Wood moves to Dunsinane Hill. Macbeth is happy to hear all of this because it makes him feel superior and powerful. Finally, the witches create a line up of 8 kings. The last king holding a mirror, Banquo’s ghost appears and moves to the end of the line. Macbeth is angered by this ? and demands to know the meaning behind it. Instead, the witches dance around and finally vanish leaving Macbeth to wonder what that all meant.

Quotes:

Scene 2

Characters: Lady Macduff,  Ross, Son, Messenger, First Murderer

Location: Macduff’s castle

Events: Lady Macduff meets Ross and asks why her husband fled. She feels betrayed ?. Ross says that she must trust her husband’s judgment and not worry about him leaving. Ross leaves (he knows that the murderer is about to come but doesn’t warn or help Lady Macduff or her son…… Interesting?!). Lady Macduff tells her son that his father is dead (she thought it was better to tell her son that Macduff has died rather than he had left and didn’t care about them anymore). Her son doesn’t believe her and says that he is not dead. A messenger hurries into the castle and warns Lady Macduff that something dangerous is coming her way and they must both flee as soon as possible. Lady Macduff argues and claims nothing bad could happen because she had done nothing wrong. but as she says that a murderer appears, he talks badly of Macduff and the son calls the murderer a lier! The murderer stabs the boy and he dies ☠. In shock, Lady Macduff runs out of the castle and the murderer chases after her.

Quotes:

“My father is not dead, for all your saying.” (son)

The son denying that his father is dead, saying that his mother is wrong!

Scene 3

Characters: Malcolm, Macduff, doctor, Ross,

Location: England; A room in the king’s palace.

Events: Malcolm and Macduff talk, and at first Malcolm isn’t sure he can trust Macduff, as he fled from Scottland and could have easily sided with Macbeth. Malcolm lyes and says he doesn’t think he is a fit king – to see what MacDuff’s reaction is. When he finally agree’s that Malcolm isn’t a fit king of Scottland, he has passed Malcolm’s loyalty test. The two become allies. Ross enters from Scottland and tells Macduff that his family is well (not wanting to break the news) and urges Malcolm that he must come back to Scottland and help save his country from Macbeth. Malcolm says that he will return but with ten thousand English soldiers lent to him by the king to help battle. Eventually, Ross breaks the news to Macduff that his wife and son had recently been killed. Macduff is grief-stricken by this, but Malcolm’s advice is to turn that grief into and anger and they both promise to fight against Macbeth and pay revenge.

Quotes:

Scene 1

Characters: Banquo, Macbeth, Lady Macbeth, Attendant, 1 murderer, 2 murderer

Location: A room in a palace in Forres

Events: Banquo states his suspicion for Macbeth killing the king because that was what the witches had said. Macbeth and Banquo have a conversation about the feast coming up, that Banquo promises to attend. Banquo tells Macbeth that he and his son are going riding tonight. Macbeth brings in two murderers once Banquo has gone and convinces

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