Antony and Cleopatra Pt. I

Antony and Cleopatra Act 1

I imagine the love story of Antony and Cleopatra to be a version of Romeo and Juliet that takes place among more powerful and older people, but basically the same. At this point in the story, the two are obsessed with each other, so much so that Antony has been ignoring his duties to Rome. During this semester, I have also taken an ancient civilizations class, and we learned that ones duty to Rome, however powerful one may be, was of the up most importance. One could not fully call oneself "Roman" if one did not sacrifice it all for service of the state. Being so that Antony was no common citizen, the frustration of Octavius Caesar are fully understandable; Antony was to be an example for the people and he was neglecting that role. He would hardly even be identified as Roman during this time in history.
Going back to the parallel between Antony and Cleopatra and Romeo and Juliet, they have become infatuated with each other to the point that they have forgotten about feuds and responsibilities. Antony, still being the Roman that he is, still feels somewhat inclined to be of service for Rome, yet Cleopatra acts like a foolish girl in love around him. I'm most curious to find out how the story ends for Cleopatra than any other character so far.

Macbeth Pt. III

Macbeth Acts 4 & 5

Lady Macbeth shows some humanity in the last Act, as her guilt and nervousness leads her into madness. As sad as her drive into madness is, the fact that she is moved by the deeds she has helped influence, helps the reader feel some sympathy for her and brings her back from being completely evil. The visions she beings to have of her hands being bloody, shows her ability to feel remorse which is a very human emotion to feel. She commits suicide, which in Christian tradition, was the ultimate sin one can commit since there is no salvation from such a sin. While in the eyes of Christian tradition this may seem terrible, and it is, I also believe that this further proves her humanity instead of her being pure evil. As a reader, making her human once again is important, it makes for a much less scary tragedy and one where one can explore realistic human tendencies. Macbeth shows the reader the absolute ugliness in human nature, and that to me, is far more intriguing than something that seems out of this world.

Macbeth Pt. II



The Ghost of Banquo

 Macbeth Acts 2 & 3

Acts II and III bring up the theme of a false sense of security, which not only Macbeth but also Lady Macbeth feels. This false sense of security, first begun by the three witches, is what makes both Macbeth and Lady Macbeth confident in their evil doings. Macbeth feels protected within their prophecy, yet it starts to aggravate him when he realizes the final part of prophecy: that Banquo's children will inherit the crown. Macbeth feels safe so long as this doesn't occur, which then prompts him to order the killing of Banquo and Fleance. Furthermore, the main witch, Hecate, wants to further deceive Macbeth by showing him visions and spirits who will provide more false security. This idea is further illustrated with the overall obtainment of the crown. Why do Macbeth and Lady Macbeth want the crown so badly? Why does anyone who is human want to elevate their social status? There is a certain false sense of security in having both status, money, and power. I think Shakespeare does a good job of presenting how wrong the human is in believing that. Everyone strives for it because it means having a prosperous, stable life, yet at the core of this ambition lies the need to either commit malicious deeds to others, or have malicious deeds done to us.

Macbeth Pt. I

Macbeth Act 1

Lady Macbeth's power over Macbeth makes for a very scary duo. Macbeth knows that what he is doing is wrong, yet he gets so easily persuaded by Lady Macbeth's taunting, that he agrees to proceed with the murder. Lady Macbeth challenges the traditional view of the ideal wife. Traditionally, a wife was supposed to encourage her husband to honorably progress in life, and to respectably provide for their family. Lady Macbeth, while encouraging her husband to progress and to provide for their family, does not encourage honor or dignity. She wants immediate prosperity and does not see how this can be their downfall. Her tragic character flaws make me wonder how she was like before the three witches told Macbeth their prophecy. Was she always this evil? Or did she cling onto this idea because the prophecy of Macbeth becoming the thane of Cawdor proved true? Macbeth seems either blinded by his love for her, or purely easily persuaded by any glimpse of possibility for higher status. Neither seem moral at this point, but at least Lady Macbeth seems to be more in control of her emotions and thoughts.

Richard III Pt. III

Richard III Acts 4 & 5

Amidst Richard's murders of his young nephews and all the misery filling up in England, the young Richmond comes into the plot and brings hope to the characters and to England. Richmond's fight against Richard is admirable and noble, because he is trying to bring good back into England. He succeeds and knows he will succeed when he dreams about the people Richard has murdered, and when they tell him he will be successful. This beginning portrayal of the house of Tudor brings up a question about Shakespeare's motivations for making Richard seem so evil. The Tudor dynasty is the dynasty of Queen Elizabeth I, whom Shakespeare was at least semi-responsible for entertaining. The entertainment would not be the same if the Tudor dynasty was not shown to be pure and good. Shakespeare dramatizes a key turning point in English history. He had to favor the court he was entertaining; of course I don't blame him at all, for the more evil Richard seemed, the more respectable the Tudor dynasty seems. Being a successful playwright, in Shakespeare's time, meant pleasing the current noblemen/noblewoman. However, from the perspective of the real Richard III, his image has now been popularized in a very negative way.

Richard III Pt. II

Richard III Acts 2 & 3

In Acts II and III we see that not everyone is manipulated or deceived by Richard. Richard's young nephews, who would be next in line for the throne, can see right through him. They feel unsafe with Richard, and likewise, the common people of London can also see right through Richard's actions. Richard's nephew, Edward, also seems to have a way with words like his uncles Richard and Clarence. He tells Richard that he wants his uncles, and indirectly tells Richard that he doesn't want him around. When the common people hear that Richard may be the next ruler of England, they do not cheer but rather are terrified and disgusted at the idea. I imagine that the opinion of the common people was and is more important to the average Shakespeare audience, simply because they solely want to make sure they will be ruled by a just ruler, a ruler who will help them progress in their daily life. With Richard, even a modern audience sees the danger in having someone as deceitful as Richard rule over them.

Richard III Pt. I

Richard III Act 1

In Act I, we are introduced to Richard, brother of the new King Edward. He is unhappy and thus wishes misery upon everyone else. He was born deformed and says he cannot be as happy as everyone is. Richard's eloquence and manipulative skills are seen in scene ii when he is trying to persuae Anne to marry him. He causes her to feel guilt, and says that her beauty is the cause for her husband's death. Although Richard is pitiful at times, especially in the very first scene, the reader finds out that Richard has no real motive to hurt anyone, he simply wants everyone else to be as unhappy as he is. This is scary because it makes Richard very dangerous and unstoppable, seeing as he is not seeking any sort of vengeance that will satisfy his need for wrong doing; there is no knowing what Richard will do. His use of words are in fact so convincing that even his brother Clarence, who was imprisoned because of Richard's wishes, does not believe that his brother could do him harm.