essay practice

multiple examples per paragraph

Conclusion

Achieved

-summarize – state the answer -point outside the text

Merit

-make an observation about the text (criticism) -Discuss the directors purpose

Excellence

question; describe at least 1 important character in the written text(s) Explain how the character changes throughout the text

Intro: The text Macbeth written by Shakespeare conveys the idea that ambition can be a bad thing when applied with pour morality. Macbeth the main protagonist changes throughout the text we see this through his rapidly diminishing state of mind and sanity. This is caused by the witch for seeing his future his cruel morals towards others and dissatisfaction when he has achieved his ambition

he has hallucination

he becomes crueler as the play goes on

his wife’s death

Conclusion: The Scottish soldier named Macbeth is consumed by his own ambition that is pushed on him by his wife. This ambition led by poor morals leads to his demise at the end of the play when Macbeth is killed by Macduff. When we look outside of the text and the message Macbeths journey of ultimate insanity shares with us; we can draw comparisons to real world characters who were to corrupted by ambition and this in turn changed them very much like Macbeth. An example would be Ronald Reagan the former US president

“Describe at least one important character in the written texts. Explain how the character changes throughout the texts”

In Shakespeare play Macbeth you follow the main protagonist Macbeth through a mental battle. You follow his diminishing state of mind that is rapidly decreasing through a number of external forces. Macbeth shows many signs of grievance subliminally and externally.

Ozymandias perfect paragraph

Ozymandias written by Percy Shelly is an abstract poem. What makes it abstract is that the meaning isn’t concrete and hard to decipher it changes depending on how you interpret it. I interpreted the poem literally with the subject matter being a towering stone statue that has been defaced;Yet the sculptor of the statue still stands in pride of the statue that no longer has any substance to it. The statue is a figment of the sculptors ambition.

Ambition Pablo Escobar

His father a peasant farmer, his mother an elementary school teacher. Not exactly a head start in life especially in Colombia. From a very young age Pablo Escobar expressed a powerful ambition and desire to support his family through wealth. Selling tomb stones to thugs then later on becoming a theif and body guard. At Pablo Escobar’s peak he was raking in 420 million a week making him one of the wealthiest drug lords in history. Pablo built an empire there was no doubt, but there were risks he had to take to get there and sacrifices made. “Pablo was earning so much that each year we would write off 10% of the money because the rats would eat it in storage or it would be damaged by water or lost,” Escobar wrote. According to Escobar, the cartel spent an estimated $US2,500 a month on rubber bands needed to hold stacks of bills together. At the height of his power, Escobar’s cartel supplied 80% of the world’s cocaine and smuggled 15 tons of cocaine into the US per day. Now i’m not saying selling cocaine is the right way to be ambitious but where he came from rags to rich’s from hard work. He had a drive and desire to become the wealthiest man in the world.

Very much like Macbeth Pablo uses and evil output to ruthlessly destroy anyone and anything in his way to get where he wants to go. In the play Macbeth, Macbeth had to kill the king and Macduffs Family. Pablo Escobar’s approach to authorities was known as “plata o plomo” Silver or lead. Those he could not bribe with his riches were killed. Hundreds, perhaps thousands, of police officers were murdered on Escobar’s orders for just doing their job. Countless familes destroyed to help a rich man could grow even richer. Very comparable to Macbeth killing the kings guards for doing their job , however on a much smaller scale.

How does Andrew Niccol encode his ideas in the film, Gattaca?

Andrew Niccol creates a futuristic utopia where humans are genetically modified to be the bets version of themselves. The ideas niccol uses to create this Utopian civilization include double breasted suits retro electric cars and modern architecture. The outdoor scenes all have a warm yellow haze filter. All these visual features have ties back to modernism the movement of the art in the late 19th century and the early 20th century. The idea of being genetically disadvantaged creates a inferiority divide, and bias between the people of gattaca. This can

NCEA 1.5 – Submission 2: Macbeth Analysis

Question- How does
Shakespeare exploit the conventions of
language and theatre to fill his play from the
crown to the toe top-full of direst cruelty –
and moreover, why is this so essential to the
universal meaning of the play?

Macbeth is a play written by William Shakespeare. It is a dark and powerful tragedy set in Scotland. The play is a showcase of the physiological and political effects put on the protagonist of the play Macbeth. When he chooses evil to fulfill his ambition. Shakespeare enriches this play through many powerful language devices and features. Throughout the play you delve into Macbeth’s slowly deteriorating and diminishing state of mind as he grasps for his ambition. The main story of the play is about a soldier (Macbeth) trying to seize his ambition of becoming king of Scotland through evil and tyranny. After which Macbeth kills the king he breaks the natural order spiraling the natural world in to chaos. Shakespeare uses language devices such as metaphors, personification, imagery and symbolism to enforce the universal theme for the play Macbeth, ambition. Ambition is most present in Macbeth and Lady Macbeth’s dialogue and is enhanced by Shakespeare’s ingenious figurative language features and devices ;but is shown in characters that play a smaller role as well.

In the beginning of the play Macbeth wants to become the reigning monarch of Scotland, but the way he achieves this ambition is through an evil output through committing treason and murdering the king. Before he murders the king he goes through a mental battle grieving and hallucinating. A example of this is”Is this a dagger I see before me” In this scene Macbeth pictures a dagger with its handle faced towards him and the blade towards Duncan. This quote is an example of creating imagery. ” I have no spur
To prick the sides of my intent, but only
Vaulting ambition, which o’erleaps itself
And falls on th’other ” Macbeth speaks these lines as he starts to doubt his plan to murder Duncan. He uses a complicated metaphor, a simile that compares his ambition to the experience of horse riding. He describes being unable to motivate himself to take action by creating the image of himself that he is a horse rider who cannot use his spurs to motivate his horse to move. In this case his horse is his ambition to become king and he is not mentally strong and lacks the drive to motivate his horse and finish the race. Once Macbeth becomes the king through murdering Duncan and his guards he is still unsettled and he rules Scotland with tyranny oppressing the people. “To be thus is nothing, but to be safely thus” Macbeth speaks this line after he has become king, but continues to feel restless and insecure.

The three witch’s present the prospect that Macbeth was soon to be king in the early stages of the play. This is the trigger for him to pursue his ambition for the crown; how ever this driving ambition is faltered by Macbeth’s lack of mental strength to kill the king. Where Macbeth’s mental strength and drive lacks Lady Macbeth’s thrives. “Thou wouldst be great
Art not without ambition, but without
The illness should attend it ” Lady Macbeth speaks these lines as she looks upon Macbeth’s character. She thinks that he is unwilling to display the dire behavior required to seize his ambition. Shakespeare uses a variety of complex metaphors and language features to create a more vivid image of what Lady Macbeth has to say in this next quote. “The raven himself is hoarse that croaks the fatal entrance of Duncan under my battlements. Come,you spirits that tend on mortal thoughts,unsex me here, and fill me from the crown to the toe topful of direst cruelty”. This quote uses strong imagery and metaphors to paint a picture of lady Macbeth’s current mindset. When lady Macbeth said “The raven himself is hoarse that croaks the fatal entrance of Duncan under my battlements. Shakespeare uses many language features to show death is calling Duncan under lady Macbeth’s roof. Universally the raven is a symbol for death setting this metaphor up with imagery of death, as we look further the raven is hoarse and croaks. Giving death a hoarse or sore throat this is personifying death making death come across as a being with a rough and menacing sound when they speak. In the next line lady Macbeth proceeds to say the following “unsex me here, and fill me from the crown to the topful of direst cruelty” unsex meaning she has to become something non human a being without gender. A being full of purest cruelty of the upmost importance from crown to toe ,Dire cruelty. This is creating a very strong image and emphasis of her determination, almost physcotic. The crown usually meaning head however it is too fitting that they are talking about ascending to king to use the word crown that’s another glimpse into Shakespeare creating imagery within the play. The quote strengthens lady Macbeth’s character displaying her inner passion for Macbeth to take the crown Shakespeare lets your imagination drift and create your own image of her thought through his strong language devices and features.

After which Macbeth kills the rightful king Duncan, he breaks the natural order spiraling the natural world into chaos. This segment of the play uses a lot of imagery and dramatic devices. First presented by the old man he states “And yet dark night strangles the travelling lamp” This quote states that times are dark both figuratively and literally. The travelling lamp is a metaphor for the sun, it’s being strangled by darkness. This is personification for darkness strangling out all of the light despite it being day. The Old man then goes onto say “A falcon, towering in her pride of place Was by a mousing owl hawked at, and killed.” This at first glance seems like just a factual statement but if you read between the lines its a great simile that uses clear symbolism. The mousing owl symbolizes Macbeth, the falcon towering in pride of place is Duncan the current king. The natural world reacts to Macbeth breaking the chain of monarchs through doing unnatural things. This is because a lower pecking order animals killing a higher pecking order animals such as Macbeth killing Duncan. Which is un-heared of and disrupts everything .

Throughout the play Macbeth, Shakespeare submerges into the depths of many figurative language features and devices. These features are most present in Macbeth and lady Macbeth’s dialogue. In the play Macbeth these language devices would have been essential because there was a lack of stage props. The rich language was the source of imagery replacing the props and complimenting the complex metaphors that painted a more vivid picture within the audiences imaginations. The language features are emphasized most in Macbeth’s and Lady Macbeth’s dialogue because they referrer to ambition the universal theme of the play. The two most ambitious characters have the strongest and most ambitious language features within their dialogue. Macbeth’s obsession of ambition is his own downfall. Leading him to murder innocence and rule with tyranny. Ultimately its his own demise when Macduff returns with an army and slays Macbeth. In my opinion Macbeth the play is a genius peace of literary work and a powerful and physiological story that changes your outlook on life as a whole.

Soliloquy analysis

ACT 5 SCENE 3 identifying language features

Seyton!—I am sick at heart, sick at heart personification for grief iambic pentameter

When I behold—Seyton, I say!—This push push verb referring to the battle iambic pentameter

I have lived long enough. My way of life iambic pentameter

Is fall’n into the sere, the yellow leaf, sere: dry or withered iambic pentameter

Will cheer me ever, or disseat me now. disseat verb referring to throne iambic pentameter

And that which should accompany old age, iambic pentameter

As honor, love, obedience, troops of friends, iambic pentameter

I must not look to have, but, in their stead, iambic pentameter

Curses, not loud but deep, mouth-honor, breath iambic pentameter

Which the poor heart would fain deny and dare not. poor heart personification iambic pentameter

Seyton!

Analysis Macbeth expresses his willingness to pursue the battle. This is introduced through him rallying courage despite his worries. An example of this is “I am sick at heart” which is personification for grieving or feeling unsettled ;how ever he also states “When I behold-seyton I say!-this push”. This tells us he is worried but also give off the what have I got to loose impression because he is still charging into battle . This attitude is reinforced by the next line “I have lived long enough. My way of life” .

Quotes:

“To be thus is nothing, but to be safely thus” (3.1) Macbeth speaks this line after he has become king, but continues to feel restless and insecure.

” I have no spur
To prick the sides of my intent, but only
Vaulting ambition, which o’erleaps itself
And falls on th’other ” Macbeth speaks these lines as he starts to doubt his plan to murder Duncan. He uses a complicated metaphor that compares his experience to horse-riding. He describes being unable to motivate himself to take action by likening himself to a rider who cannot use his spurs to motivate his horse to go faster. In this case his horse is his ambition to become king and he is not mentally strong enough to motivate his horse.

“Thou wouldst be great
Art not without ambition, but without
The illness should attend it ” Lady Macbeth speaks these lines as she reflects on her husband’s character. She knows that Macbeth is capable of ambitious dreams, but she thinks that he is unwilling to display the ruthless behavior necessary to achieve those dreams lacking mental strength.

Macbeth

“to be king stands not in the prospect of belief, no more to be cawdor”

“that is a step On which i must fall down, or else o’erlep, for in my way it lies” the steps are the ones referring to the ones in his way to become monarch which are banquo and duncan.

we’d jump the life to come

“vaulting ambition which o’erleaps itslef”

“that but this blow might be the be-all and end-all” when Macbeth is contemplating murdering duncan. he wants to achieve the action of becoming the king without the reaction from the wider world.

“The raven himslef is hoarse that croaks the fatal entrance of duncan under my battlements. Come,you spirits that tend on mortal thoughts,unsex me here, and fill me from the crown to the topful of direst cruelty”act 1 scene 5
unsex meaning she becomes something non human. A being full of cruelty from crown to toe. Crown usually meaning head however it is too fitting that they are talking about ascending to king to use the word crown. raven death battlements lady macbeths house

Art thou afeared to be in thine own act and valour, as thou art in desire lady Macbeth tries to convince Macbeth to seize his ambition through calling him frightened this is comparable to the saying the pour cat in the i’th’adage meaning a cat that wants to fish but doesn’t want to get its feet wet.

After which Macbeth kills the king he breaks the natural order spiralling the natural world in to chaos. as seen in these quotes

Macbeth is a play written by William Shakespeare. It is considered one of his darkest and most powerful tragedies. Set in Scotland, the play dramatizes the corrosive psychological and political effects produced when its protagonist, the Scottish lord Macbeth, chooses evil as the way to fulfill his ambition for power.

tyrant a cruel and oppressive ruler

Killing a worthy and rightful king is an evil act. Macbeth is obsessed with and possessed by his desire to become king once he is given the prophecy by the witches. … His intention in writing Macbeth was to entertain his audience, and to tip his hat to his benefactor, King James at the same time.

 supernatural forces might be controlling Macbeth’s actions, and that he might actually be an innocent party led towards his ruin.

First, King James was previously interested in demonology, including witchcraft. Several witches had been foiled in their attempt to place on a curse on James when he was king of Scotland. … Interestingly, Shakespeare wrote Macbeth as a tribute to King James, the new monarch of England at the time.

STRUCTURE-

introduction- state what the play is about and what makes it a ingenious piece of literary work

body- each paragraph is a different point contributing to answering your question.

conclusion- summaries and come to a final judgement of the question say how you have proven your point

MACBETH ARCHIVES

Scene 1

Setting: A heath somewhere in Scotland

characters: the 3 witches

summary: This scene is very short and it consists of where the witches will meet next they talk about meeting Macbeth at the heath in any conditions.

Quote: “when hurlyburlys’ done, When the battles lost and won”

Scene 2

Setting : Scotland military camp

Characters : Malcom Lenox Duncan Rosse Captain

scene summary: Duncan the king of scotland his two sons and a scottish noblemen are at a military camp where a wounded Captain arrives from battle where he fought to help Duncan’s son, Malcolm, escape.

Quote:” what he hath lost, noble Macbeth hath won”

Scene 3

Setting: Heath(hill) near battle field

Characters: The 3 witches Macbeth Banquo

summary: The witches mess with Macbeths head telling him will be thane of cawdor and soon to be king. Banquo warns Macbeth that they could be leading him to danger but Macbeth ponders on thought what he will have to do to be king more specifically killing the king.

quote “So foul and fair a day I have not seen”

Scene 4

Setting: King duncans palace

Characters: Duncan Malcolm Banquo Macbeth

Summary: Malcom tells Duncan that Cawdor confesses his treason and has been executed and Cawdor is said to die nobley and repent on his crimes (take remorse and regret on his crimes).Then Macbeth and Banquo walk in and Duncan announces his intention to name Malcolm next to be king.

Quote “There’s no art To find mind’s construction in the face:”

Scene 5

Setting: A room in Macbeths castle

Characters: Messenger, Mabeth and Lady Macbeth

Summary: Lady Macbeth receives a letter from Macbeth his letter shares that the witches told Macbeth he will fall apon the crown . This fires up Lady Macbeth with hunger for him to be king

Quote:

Metaphor Analysis

Point: In act 1 scene 2 the wounded captain who has returned from the battle field uses a stronger and complex metaphor to describe the battle and how evenly matched both apposing sides were.

Example: The captain used this metaphor to describe the battle that he had just left he said to Duncan the king
Quote: “Doubtful it stood, as two spent swimmers,that do cling together and choke their art”

Explanation: This metaphor tells that there are two swimmers in this case the two sides of battle. It also mentions they are spent meaning they are both tired from in this case fighting. It mentions they are clung together and choke their art. Now this is the metaphor if a pair of swimmers were bound together they wouldn’t be able to swim properly there for choking their art art meaning there ability to swim. So the metaphor in context to what has happened prior the metaphor tells the two sides of battle are tired and evenly matched not allowing each other to win or progress in the fight.