Macbeth Explication Essay: Themes of Ambition and Death

Macbeth Explication Essay Matt Cuyler 12/17/17 F Block Macbeth Explication The "Tragedy of Macbeth" by William Shakespeare tells a tale of deceit, murder, and ambition, beginning with a cutthroat rise to power, followed by calamitous downfall. At the start of the play, Macbeth is a brave and loyal captain in King Duncan 's army, but after three witches prophesize that he himself will become the king of Scotland, and that those born of a friend, Banquo, will be king after him, Macbeth is overtaken by ambition and gluttony. Instigated by his wife and his own lust for power, he murders Duncan, assumes the throne, and subsequently sends mercenaries to kill Banquo's sons. While awaiting battle, Macbeth addresses the death of his wife in Act V, scene 5. Throughout the ...show more content... The idea that: "Life's but a walking shadow, a poor player / That struts and frets his hour upon the stage / And then is heard no more" (V.V. xxvii – xxix) conveys that life is something that lacks substance, that it's an actor who only spends a short time on stage. This metaphor explains how life is short and passes quickly. Finally, Macbeth refers to death as the last act of an awful play or "...a tale told by an idiot full of sound and fury, / signifying nothing" (V.V. xxix–xxx), demonstrating the ending to a long journey down an existential path. Over the course of the tragedy of Macbeth, Shakespeare uses various literary devices to bring to attention the importance of his diction, as well as relate the speech to the common theme of death and life's worthlessness. Beyond the figurative language mentioned above, there are elements that are significant on their own, specifically foreshadowing, metaphors, repetition and alliteration. Shakespeare hints at an important upcoming event using Macbeth's boastful attitude when he describes the walls surrounding his main character. This element of foreshadowing allows for the reader to predict that something tragic and significant will soon take place. As the speech progresses, the author continues to emphasize Macbeth's idea that life is brief Get more content on StudyHub.Vip

Emily Dickinson Explication Tara T. Stoffa Instructor: Mary Wallace ENGL 102:23 14 Sep 17 Explication of Emily Dickinson's "Because I could not stop for Death" Ms. Dickinson may have had a clairvoyance and comfort about death. She definitely has an inventiveness for such a morbid topic, which everyone will universally experience in their own unique way. According to Biography.com, Emily and her sister Lavinia cared for their ill mother until she passed away. Emily also died rather young at the age of 55 from kidney disease. She could possibly be talking about herself in this poem (Biography.com, 2017). In Ms. Dickinson's poem, the speaker is a female ghost or spirit talking to the audience describing her leisurely horse–drawn carriage ride with Death unaware that centuries have passed since her death. Death seems to be personified as a gentleman that she is comfortable with. Almost as if on an immortal romantic ride to the afterlife. It seems Emily could live a romantic life through her poetry . Both Emily and her sister never married and lived together until their respective deaths. Emily's biographical note in our text tells that she was sometimes referred to as the "virgin recluse". (Dickinson 80) In the first stanza, Death "kindly" stops for the speaker since she cannot stop for him. He displays "civility" by making time for her and persuades her to leave behind anything that made her too busy for him. Get more content on StudyHub.Vip

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William Shakespeare's Macbeth Essay example William Shakespeare's Macbeth Shakespeare's use of a soliloquy is an important factor of the play. It is usually used when a character wants to express his or her thoughts and feelings when alone. Macbeth's soliloquy takes place just before he leaves to kill Duncan. He is very nervous and anxious about his decision and is reassuring himself that he is doing the right thing. Throughout Macbeth 's speech, he uses a variety of tones which creates an atmosphere within the soliloquy. Macbeth may be talking very softly and quietly incase anyone is listening to him which creates a sense of secrecy and guilt. He seems to have the tendency to talk quite quickly, because he wants it all over and done ...show more content... Macbeth can't stand the anticipation any more and leaves to kill Duncan before his words change his mind. The structure of the soliloquy shows how confused Macbeth really is. It is a very long piece, which gives the impression that Macbeth is almost rambling as if he was loosing his mind. At the beginning of the soliloquy, Macbeth speaks in shorter sentences giving the impression that he is very tense and that he has the sense of urgency. He has decided to commit treason and now wants to get it over and done with. The use of shorter sentences also creates a picture of confusion and uncertainty. "I have thee not, and yet I see thee still." This antithesis further highlights Macbeth's confusion and self doubts. We see Macbeth asking questions which emphasizes that he has doubts and worries about what he is going to do. "Is this a dagger which I see before me, the handle toward my hand?" Here he is unsure of what he can see, it's like he can't believe his eyes. Towards the end of the soliloquy the sentences become longer, and Macbeth seems to sound calmer and more prepared. Shakespeare's choice of vocabulary fits the theme of 'Murder'. This is very affective and creates a very clear image. 'Blood' is a key word in the play not only just in Macbeth's soliloquy. It reminds the audience of the murder which is about to Get more content on StudyHub.Vip

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Literary Elements In Macbeth Great authors use literary elements to develop a message. William Shakespeare's play, "Macbeth", tells a tale about a man who desires to rule the country of Scotland as king. With three witches that tell him his future, Macbeth realizes that his life would be better off as king, but in order to seize the throne, he has to kill the current king. After motivation from his wife to kill the king, Macbeth 's life follows a series of events and actions that eventually lead to his death. Shakespeare uses characterization, conflict, and author's purpose through "Macbeth" to convey to others that their worst enemy can potentially be themselves through the tragic flaw of overconfidence. Through Shakespeare's use of characterization, he portrays ...show more content... Later on, Macbeth pleads the three witches to tell him whether or not Macduff will threaten his reign. Desperate to secure his seat as king, Macbeth wants to "make assurance double sure, and take a bond of fate" (Shakespeare, IV, i, 83–83). Even though Macduff will most likely not expose Macbeth, Macbeth wants to make it certain that he will remain king. Shakespeare characterizes Macbeth as a man who uses ambition to carry out his actions by making him take desperate measures to secure his throne. As the play develops, Shakespeare purposely transforms Macbeth as someone who requires motivation to take action into a man who makes his own decisions to take aggressive steps in order to remain in control. Shakespeare uses conflict of a high office to demonstrate how desire for power can lead to the downfall of a person. Once Macbeth holds power as king, he realizes how he can live a life full of extravagance. Obsessed with the idea of gaining more power, Macbeth wants to ensure his kingship. Afraid of potentially losing his power, he feels the need to kill all possible enemies, such as Banquo . Macbeth knows that he "could with barefaced power sweep him from my sight" (Shakespeare, III, ii, 118–119). With this new power as king that Macbeth possesses, he now believes that he can get away with not following the laws. Get more content on StudyHub.Vip

Explication of Sonnet 144 Essay Explication of a Sonnet Sonnet 144 In explication of sonnet 144 I would like to take a drastic change from what seems to be the common view of many in regards to who it is written about and the story behind it. I would like to state first of all that the straight facts about the sonnets are so few and that theories and debates are many. Doubt is cast over nearly every aspect of these sonnets. Arguments from when they were written, whom they were written to, why they were written, and even in many cases the question of who wrote them. The common thought of whom they were written to and why they were written has evolved as of late to reach a view of Shakespeare's sexual love affair with a young man and a mysterious mistress. While ...show more content... One of these headmasters was Simon Hunt, who left Stratford and became a Jesuit, eventually rising to the office of Grand Penitentiary (Mabillard). Shakespeare would have been raised among very theological and religious teachings while learning his literary skills. Shakespeare's literary approach in this sonnet may be more that of a spiritual abstract than that of a plain forward love triangle. By viewing Shakespeare's sonnet 144 with a bias religiosity we can view an interpretation that creates a picture of human struggle that is very much apparent in many of Shakespeare's plays. The use of the terms "spirits" ( Line 2) and "angels" (Line 3) as they "suggest" (Line 2) or as they council and tempt him echo the spiritual conflict present in the Christian Bible. As the Apostle Paul writes in his letter to the Galatians, "For the flesh lusteth against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh: and these are contrary the one to the other: so that ye cannot do the things that ye would"(Holy Bible Galatians 5:17). Here personifying the nature of the "Spirit" and the nature of the "Flesh", Paul displays an idea of conflicting natures that is also present in his letter to the church in Rome saying this; "When I want to do good, evil is right there with me. For in my inner being I delight in God's law; but I see another law at work in the members of my body, waging war against the law of my mind and making me a prisoner of Get more content on StudyHub.Vip

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Reflective Poetry Essay Reflective Poetry Essay Composing poetry is an artistic expression; subsequently it's a way of conveying everything that needs to be conveyed and finding importance in expressions. Through poetry words are illuminated to form a picture, express feeling and share a thought in so few words. Putting down on paper all the emotions going through ones head is a way of re–living and remembering the overwhelming emotions they grapple with throughout their lives. Poet Michelle Williams states that: " .... humans have always grappled with overwhelming emotions. Throughout history we have expressed these emotions in many ways, such as through song, music, dance, art and poetry " This is true because putting on paper emotions such as hurt and ...show more content... This stanza returns to the solitude of the lonely wondering cloud. However, the poet has been changed by his imaginative experience involving the daffodils and the accompanying bay waters. Loneliness is now a peaceful solitude. William Wordsworth describes himself as alone and lonely, detached even from nature. Wordsworth feeling of sadness emerges from this poem. In Conclusion, poets William Wordsworth, Percy Shelley and William Blake show how poetry displays the importance of human ability to convey emotions and say what they feel. Therefore the quote by poet Michelle Williams is true. In poets William Wordsworth "Preface" to Lyrical ballads, he describes poetic process as follow: "Poetry is the spontaneous overflow of powerful feeling: it takes its origin from emotion recollected in tranquility. Thus through poetry the opportunity to recreate and relive the previously experienced emotion is conveyed. Get more content on StudyHub.Vip

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I Wandered Lonely as a Cloud by William Wordsworth "I Wandered Lonely as a Cloud" by William Wordsworth, a poem that discloses the relationship between nature and human beings: how nature can affect one's emotion and behavior with its motion and sound. The words the author adopted in this poem are interconnected and related to each other. They are simple yet profound, letting us understand how much William Wordsworth related his works to nature and the universe. It also explained to us why William Wordsworth is one of the greatest and the most influential English romantic poets in history. As Robert DiYanni says in his book, "with much of Wordsworth's poetry , this lyric reflects his deep love of nature, his vision of a unified ...show more content... He sees the universe as a harmonious whole, in which every subject reflects and echoes the other. The daffodils became the speaker's companions in the third stanza, and they were describing as "the jocund company" by the poet. He enjoys the company of the dancing daffodils, which brings him happiness and joy. As the poem goes on, the second emotion from the speaker occurs in the last stanza: the state of "solitude." "For oft, when on my couch I lie, in vacant or in pensive mood, they flash upon that inward eye, which is the bliss of solitude," the first emotion of isolation and loneliness seems to reappear here. But his mood is no longer just "vacant" as a "lonely cloud," but "pensive." His mind is now thoughtful and meditative because the existence of the daffodils. If he is "vacant," he cannot remember anything; then his memory would be involuntary. Unlike the first emotion that took the speaker out of his loneliness, the second emotion repeats and recurs to the speaker, as William Wordsworth uses the word "oft"–often. The speaker is looking forward to his time of being alone, because the daffodils will be there to dance for him, to keep him company; as the poet writes, "which is the bliss of solitude; and then my heart with pleasure fills, and dances with the daffodils." William Wordsworth uses different groups of words in this poem to connect nature with human beings: the pattern of their Get more content on StudyHub.Vip

Explication Of Annabel Lee Poe's Annabel Lee is more than just a poem. This short piece tells a story much like a dark fairytale. The beginning of the piece even begins with a variation of once upon a time in a kingdom far away. In starting this tragedy with a variation of a traditional story start it is almost as if Poe is trying to draw attention to the love that is more than a love and the fact that although starting out as a fairy tale there is no happily ever after at the end. This dark piece speaks not of the bright sunshine filled days of love but of the tragedy that strikes when love is lost. In blaming the angels in heaven Poe manages to convey in words a stark belief that his love is forever lost. According to the poem Annabel lee died not from an accident Get more content on StudyHub.Vip

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Alliteration In Macbeth Examine the speech Macbeth gives upon hearing that his wife is dead in Act V, Scene V. Why is this speech thematically significant? Macbeth's soliloquy, spoken in Act V Scene V offers immerse thematic significance. This soliloquy reflects the sorrow of Macbeth after hearing from Seyton that Lady Macbeth , his wife and queen, is dead. The imagery painted within these lines reflect the journey that Macbeth takes throughout the play, from the courageous soldier to the fallen King. The themes of hopelessness and of fate are captured in his resignation that 'Life's but a walking shadow'. Shakespeare vividly presents Macbeth's mood in these moment and eloquently foreshadows his inevitable downfall. Repetition is used by Shakespeare to highlight the thematic significance of fate throughout the play. After hearing of Lady Macbeth's death, Macbeth states that she 'should have died hereafter', indicating that he is remorseful and sad about her untimely ...show more content... It is shown in Shakespeare's use of alliteration in the soliloquy. 'And all our yesterdays have lighted fools/ The way to dusty death.' The alliteration of the 'p' sound, in 'petty pace', and the harsh 'd' sound, in 'dusty death', is to tell the audience that the 'fools' death is pointless. The 'fools' in this soliloquy is regarded as the innocent people that is directly or indirectly killed by Macbeth, like Duncan and Lady Macbeth. They are significant because they make Macbeth stepped into these incidents so far that he cannot get back out, 'Stepped in so far that should I wade no more,'. Furthermore, Macbeth's actions from 'yesterday' cause the 'dusty death' of many innocent people. The soliloquy in Act V, Scene V that is spoken by Macbeth is talking about time, 'yesterday', 'today' and 'tomorrow' are mentioned in this soliloquy. Macbeth may be talking about eternity, which is 'signifying nothing', because Macbeth knows that his overall downfall is Get more content on StudyHub.Vip

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A Hunger Artist by Kafka Essay example A Hunger Artist by Kafka "A Man of Art and Spirituality" In Kafka's " A Hunger Artist," art is not used in its conventional context. Kafka illustrates the interdependency of the audience and the hunger artist, and especially his need for attention. It is through the audience that the hunger artist is fulfilled, but because he cannot communicate the sincerity of his performance he is always left dissatisfied. The definition of artist according to The American Heritage Dictionary of the English Language is "Any person who performs his work as if it were an art." This is a perfect example of the hunger artist as he approaches his work with passion and devotion. He takes pride in his work and is disappointed by the limitations put ...show more content... The Hunger Artist's primary interest was in the recognition from the crowd, an achievement never completely fulfilled because of the crowds inability to understand the passion he had in his work. The audiences fascination with the Hunger artist's fasting is what the artist lived for. In the beginning of the story the hunger artist's desire for attention is illustrated when the narrator said " much more to his taste were the watchers who sat close up to the bars … He was quite happy at the prospect of spending a sleepless night with such watchers."(299) Even the guards who were appointed to watch over him were enough to quench the artist's thirst for attention. When the Hunger Artist was no longer a source of entertainment a circus hired him as a minor attraction. There the story says, "When the public came thronging out in the intervals to see the animals, they could hardly avoid passing the hunger artist's cage and stopping there for a moment; … And that was the reason why the hunger artist, who had of course been looking forward to these visiting hours as the main achievement of his life, began instead to shrink from them."(303) At the end I believe it was the lack of attention that caused him to die for it was the way "the world was cheating him of his reward"(304) This meant the artist was never satisfied with the amount of attention he had received and he wanted more. And the artist's audience over time had lost interest in his art, and Get more content on StudyHub.Vip

The Unknown Citizen Essay The Unknown Citizen In "The Unknown Citizen," Auden is implying that people are statistics and easily conformed to the normality of society. Throughout the poem, Auden portrays the character as being an all around normal citizen and "one against whom there was no official complaint." In lines 4 and 5, the speaker describes the character as a "saint" and "for in everything he did he served the Greater Community." He served in war, never got fired from his job, popular with his mates, and "normal in every way." Auden develops the theme by describing the character's life through the research of different bureaus, researchers, and psychology workers. Each one of these descriptions point to the same idea that the character is a ...show more content... Also, by focusing on the descriptions of the character's life, the readers become more aware of their own lives and how their lives compare to his. This makes the poem intriguing and brings a more personal affect towards the reader. One literary device the author uses is symbolism. This poem was written in 1940. During this time period the common occupation was a factory worker. In line 8, "Fudge Motors Inc" is the factory that the character works for. Also, in line 26, the character had "a phonograph, a radio, a car and a frigidaire." These were all the things "necessary to the modern man." Auden uses these cultural symbols to accentuate the main idea of the poem. He wants the reader to realize the commonality of the character's lifestyle. Another device that Auden uses is alliteration . In line 29, the speaker said "that he held the proper opinion for the time of year; when there was peace, he was for peace; when there was war, he went." The alliteration, "when there was war he went" enhances the meaning of the poem because it emphasizes to the reader the type of citizen the character was and the conformity of the character. Auden also uses visual imagery to contribute to the meaning of the poem. Almost every single line is effective in describing the character's life, his personality, and how he lived. For instance, in line 13, the "Social Psychology worker found that he was popular with his mates and liked a drink." Get more content on StudyHub.Vip

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Literary Criticism In Poetry Formalist criticism is the literary theory that takes a look into works of literature for the message and meaning, but gives a special focus on the form and structure, as well as the literary devices it utilizes. This form of criticism is has a very straightforward approach, breaking down the text into different component parts. Imagery, language, point of view, structure, motivation are all elements this group examines when reading the text. The thing that differs this approach from other literary schools of criticism, is its focus on the internal components, instead of the outside influences. The critic must pay no attention the authors intent and read the text with a neutral or unemotionally. The reader is interesting in determining who the protagonist is, the protagonist's conflicts, the climax, setting, and theme of the literary works. This essay will discuss three poems "Wild Iris", "Lady Lazarus", and "Aunt Jennifer's Tigers" and apply the Formalist literary criticism towards each of the poem's text. "Wild Iris" is a poem by Louise Glück, that doesn't display its meaning clearly and makes the reader work to find answers and understand the message of the poem. The part I noticed first was that the protagonist and speaker of the poem was the flower itself. As said in an article written by The Editors of Encyclopædia Britannica, personification is, "a type of metaphor and a common literary tool. It is when you assign the qualities of a person to something that isn't Get more content on StudyHub.Vip

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Explication Essay Example

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