Eng. 11 - block 2 - BETRAYAL, MORALITY, FATE

Betrayal, Morality, Fate

THE PURPOSE OF A LITERARY ESSAY: Looking at the text as a work of art, demonstrating clear critical judgment and explaining to the reader of your essay how the enjoyment of the text is assisted by literary devices, linguistic effects and psychological insights; showing how the text relates to the time when it was written and how it extends to our society now.


Make sure you have a quote sheet ready with Act, scene and line #
Look at Writing Improvements
Look at past feedback for essays
Go over essay package – what is the purpose of a literary essay
What does this play show us about this theme and human nature?
This play shows us about betrayal, morality and fate

BETRAYAL
• Most people die in this play because of some kind of betrayal
• Thane betrays Scotland, himself, Duncan, Banquo, himself, wife
• Starts the play with betrayal: Macdonwald
• Macduff betrays Scotland officially and Thane and family, but for the greater good
• “ring the alarum bell, treason and betrayal” (II iii)
• “fair is foul and foul is fair” – witches’ prophecies look fair, but end up foul
• Thane’s soliloquy in I vii – all the reasons why he should not kill the king
• Treason is worse since Duncan stays in Thane’s house, also kinsmen
• “our fears in Banquo stick deep” – when Thane talks to the murderers III i
• [does the Lady betray her husband?]
• Macduff betrays the king for Scotland itself
• Does the Lady betray her femininity? [think of Queen Elizabeth I]
• Witches’ prophesy – how complicit are they in all the actions for betrayal?
• Dagger symbolizes betrayal – not a lot of symbolism
• Does anyone get away with betrayal?
• [how does this theme connect to our world? – politics? Personal?]
• Lady betrays herself when sleepwalking “she has told what she should not” (V i)
• Birds of prey are highlighted – falcons, hawks and owls (“I heard an owl screech” II ii)
• Does every person get their come-uppance?
• Whistle blowing in our society is like a betrayal
• Hecate blames the witches for betraying her
• Remember – this is not just a list of examples of betrayal – you are showing the nature of betrayal and the effects
• Macduff put other people before himself (sacrificed his family)
• Duncan rewarded people for doing good (set him up for betrayal) –does this mean people who do good things get betrayed?
• Betrayal begets betrayal
• Paranoia leads to betrayal – must do something

MORALITY

- The Thane’s morals change throughout the play – they are not gone since he can’t sleep and he feels guilty look at I vii for reasons why he doesn’t want to kill the king
- the Lady seems to switch places with the Thane – she starts off calling on darkness and ends up debilitated by guilt (the blood)
- positive characters? – the Thane is first presented as brave and courageous in battle
- Banquo seems very positive but then wonders “may they not be my oracles as well” (III i)
- corruption seeps in causes betrayal
- we are presented with a dismal view of human nature (anyone moral? Malcolm?)
- the Lady asks to “stop up the access and passage to remorse” (I v) – asking to be cruel “fill me from crown to toe top full of direst cruelty” (I v) – doesn’t start off cruel – asks for it
- Thane killing guards?
- is morality important? (The Thane talks about (I vii) morality and how it will be ruined by killing)
- is it right to kill a man – people celebrate the Thane when he “unseam[s] [him] from nave to chaps” I iii, and Scotland executes Macdonwald – what is the difference?
- Lady is a trigger?
- the witches don’t say anything about murdering, but the Thane thinks about it right away when Malcolm is named Prince of Cumberland
- witches represent temptation
- subthemes: greed, temptation, guilt, corruption, deception,
- does the Thane have bad morality? Could any of us do something wrong given the circumstances?
- who is perfect?
- characters who are considered to be good do bad things – “the ends justifies the means” Machiavelli
- Lady doesn’t kill anyone, but she does shame her husband into killing – she also kills herself which is a mortal sin
- Macduff deserts his family (noble or not?)
- hierarchy of values – the Thane puts his manhood first (motivation?)
- the Thane has less and less reason to kill progressively – also hires murderers which is morally bankrupt
- “of all men else I have avoided thee” (V vii) – talks about how he doesn’t want to kill Macduff
-no one is completely good or evil

FATE

• Thane’s fate – is it to become a traitor? The witches don’t tell him how to get there – he could have become king at a later time
• VOLITION
• Thane becomes impatient as soon as he sees Malcolm crowned as Prince “the Prince of Cumberland! That is a step I must overcome or else o’erleap” (I iv)
• Suddenly the Thane thinks the prophesy might come true
• [how does fate work in our lives?]
• Sub themes: expectations, responsibility
• “is this a dagger which I see before me?” (II i) – does he blame the dagger?
• How much responsibility does the Thane take for killing?
• He doesn’t want to admit he’s in control
• Believes in the witches
• Whom do WE believe in? Do we give other people responsibility for our actions? Remember the external or internal pressures
• Many people today would like to give responsibility to others – they think “this is going to happen” and don’t do anything to change
• People believe in inevitability
• The Thane believes the prophesies to be true – except he doesn’t think Fleance should become king – tries to kill him – also when he gets the next three prophecies – he questions them all – look at IV i
• Fate could cause the Thane’s death – the second time he is tricked
• Becomes over-confident – (hubris) he says “I bear a charmed life” (V vii?)
• “Thou wast born of woman” (V vii)
• [What does it mean that Fleance doesn’t become king? Isn’t Shakespeare showing us that perhaps fate isn’t to be trusted?]
• Why does the Thane stay in Dusinane? Pride?
• Puts too much faith in the prophecies
• The Thane believes only what he wants to believe
• Do the witches manipulate the Thane? Look at their chant in I iii
• How much are we personally manipulated?