Macbeth English Coursework Essay Example for Free

Macbeth English Coursework Essay 1. The scene opens with Lady Macbeth speaking in soliloquy; as a director I would tell the actress to look agitated, maybe wringing her hands and pacing the stage, quite near the back of the stage so it looks as if she is almost trying to hide. In the first soliloquy she seems less powerful compared to when she is with Macbeth. Lady Macbeth begins to imagine noises that represent bad omens, for example, the owl shriekd. She probably didnt hear that noise but an owl shrieking is a symbol of evil and she knows she is doing wrong. She then begins to go over the plans as if she is reassuring herself of what to do and wondering what is going on and how the plan is doing. Lady Macbeth obviously wasnt that confident because she even says that she needed an alcoholic drink to calm her and make her brave again. Then when Macbeth enters, still in soliloquy, she panics that Macbeth hasnt committed the murder, that they woke up and caught him and she expresses her doubts very obviously as shown in this quotation, I am afraid this shows how she lacks confidence and proves that she wasnt bold. Then when Macbeth and Lady Macbeth begin to talk to each other they are both very nervous and jumpy but slowly Lady Macbeth begins to regain control again and she can then comfort and sooth Macbeth who is very shocked and seems almost hysterical. Then Macbeths concerns worry Lady Macbeth but she still remains in control because she starts to command and order Macbeth around. For example, give me the daggers, get on your nightgown; Lady Macbeth regained her calm and Macbeth has become worried. Lady Macbeth gets worked up because of Macbeths doubting and worrying and she is almost shouting in rage at him when she says infirm of purpose and as a director I would definitely say to be bossy and very angry towards Macbeth. She then begins to insult him which shames him as he is supposed to be a brave warrior when she calls him a child so she has definitely regained her control and is bold at the end of the scene. 2. In lines 16-31 Shakespeare creates lots of tension and anxiety by showing Lady Macbeth who is supposed to be very brave and someone who would rather bash her babys brains out than show cowardice being nervous and jumpy. Lady Macbeth says that she couldnt do it herself and doubts that Macbeth has the willpower to do it as well. Following this there is a very jumpy quick exchange between them in lines 22-30. The punctuation in this section is very short like full stops exclamation marks it is very quick answering, they almost finish off each others sentences. This would make the audience think whether they were going to get away with it? Would they be found out? Could they cover it up? Lie about it? So this creates a lot of anxiety as the audience want to know what is going to happen to them. 3. Macbeth is in a state of shock when he returns from Duncans Chamber. He hears sounds which frighten him so he appears very shocked and upset when he enters the scene. He is concerned that they will be found out and in that era the punishment would have been death for high treason. When he talks to Lady Macbeth they have a very quick and nervous exchange. During this exchange he begins to realise the seriousness of what he has just done and Macbeth then begins to feel guilty. He doesnt seem to be able to focus on one thing at a time but the two dominant things he talks about is that he wont be able to get spiritual forgiveness and he wont be able to sleep. He then starts to talk about two lodgers praying and the fact that when they said Amen he couldnt because he had gone against God and broken the Divine Right of Kings. The Divine Right of Kings is an ancient belief system that was the eldest son of the king or queen would become the next ruler of the country. Macbeth had killed the king and taken his place so broken this spiritual belief. So Macbeth knows that he has disobeyed God and cannot get forgiveness. This is shown in lines 37-44. In these lines a very strong metaphor is used to show just how guilty he feels. The metaphor is: Hangmans hands. This is comparing his hand to those of someone who kills frequently so this means that Macbeths guilt is so strong that it feels as though he has killed more than one person. The second dominant topic is that Macbeth sleep has the power to heal and nurture people who are troubled and weary but he has lost the right to sleep and will never sleep again. Lines 47-52 use a lot of good personification which further shows the guilt that Macbeth is feeling. He refers back to the witches in this extract: Glamis hath murderd sleep, and therefore Cawdor Shall sleep no more; Macbeth shall sleep no more. this suggests that the witches are on his mind and how their prophecies have driven him to treachery. He then begins to question why he is jumpy; why his guilt and regret is so great; why he cant go back in the room or even look at his hands. 4. The scene starts off with Macbeth in control because Lady Macbeth couldnt commit the murder but after Macbeth did he couldnt re-enter the room and face what he had done. Their relationship is very interesting because they have a large reliance on each other. Lady Macbeth needs Macbeth to commit the murder and Macbeth needs Lady Macbeth to drive him and push him so he has courage to commit the crime. Macbeth looses all his control in the relationship after he commits the murder because he is so haunted and shocked by what he has done and he then needs Lady Macbeth to calm him and make him feel at ease. You can find this change between lines 20-79. Lady Macbeth is in complete control at the end because she begins to call Macbeth names to make him feel ashamed of his cowardice and uses very commanding vocabulary to make him hide what they know and she is in some ways scared in case he cant pretend that he doesnt know anything. 5. The main themes of the play are nearly all mentioned in this scene. To me the most significant theme is that this story is about a man who potentially could have been great, powerful and strong but has been corrupted by darkness, witches and greed. Witchcraft is the theme that got them to this stage and is what really drives Macbeth to commit the murder. The witches prophecy drives him to killing anybody who got in his way especially Macduffs family in Act IV Scene 2. Macbeth is constantly referring back to the witches and seems to have complete trust in them. An example showing that they are on his mind is in Act II Scene 2 when he is distraught about the murder in lines 55-57. Lady Macbeth also refers to witchcraft when she hears bad omens like the owls scream so witchcraft and darkness is a main concern and theme of this particular scene. The theme of deception is carried on throughout this scene; at a more physical level than the deception of the witches with their contradicting language. In this scene, Act II Scene 2, Macbeth and Lady Macbeth are putting the blame of the murder on the Kings guards and appearing to be unaware of the situation. Bloodshed and guilt is another key issue especially with phrases like Hangmans hands and they very graphic visual image in lines 76-79. This theme is referred to throughout the rest of the play and eventually until Lady Macbeths death. The guilt is so strong that it causes her to take her own life and the guilt rules Macbeth into decisions and causes a lack of sleep which is another key theme. His lack of sleep is because he has ruined his own equilibrium. Macbeth knows that he has disrupted the Divine Right of Kings so therefore upset God. So Macbeth finds that he is unable to pray and has lost the right to sleep which is natures healer which is a theme which continues right from the murder to the end of the play. He becomes mentally disturbed. The final topic in this scene is the power shifting in the relationship between Macbeth and Lady Macbeth. They both rely on each other to be strong.

The Purpose of Restorative Justice Methods Essay -- Law, criminal just

The Purpose of Restorative Justice Methods Introduction High rates of recidivism demonstrate that the judicial system has been unsuccessful in determining criminal activity. Alternatives to incarceration known as restorative justice has existed for centuries, yet has only been recently implicated into the Canadian judicial system. The practices of restorative justice have been proven very successful for minor offences among adults and youth in bringing together the offenders, victims, and the community. However, acts of violence and serious offences committed by youths have no place in these resolutions. The act of violence is traumatizing to the victim. There is a high chance of re-conviction of a violent offence and these types of offences are too complicated to be resolved outside of the judicial system. The Purpose of Restorative Justice Methods The restorative justice is a new development of crime control. The ideal method behind the restorative justice philosophy is that criminal behaviour is able to be reduced by decreasing the expected utility of criminal activity (Goff 2011, p. 86). Restorative justice is created in the interest of the victim, the public, and the community. The offender is to be made aware of their moral wrong doing and have it be known that their actions will no longer be tolerated. The method of deterrence is not from legal sanctions, but rather from the negative consequences. The criminal behaviour is highlighted as a despicable act and thus, the offender is then shamed. Another purpose of the restorative justice procedures is to off the victim with the opportunity to heal and take part in the systems. Community members can add a humanistic element to the justice system and provides off... ...undertake. Conclusion The methods of restorative justice have acted as a mediator tool which brings together the offender, victims and community. The offender gains a moral conscious of their wrong doing and understands the impact on the victim, although this provides the victim with the opportunity to confront the offender and resolve the wrong doings. While the methods of restorative justice have been successful in resolving minor offences, more serious offences such as violence committed by youth has no place in being disputed outside of the judicial system. The repercussions of violence on the victim have been proven long-lasting and the victim is unlikely to participate in the mediation. The chances of re-offending are very high for those who commit acts of violence, and the offence of violence is too complex for the community to settle these disputes.

The Philosophy of Cartesianism

â€Å"Cogito, ergo sum† (â€Å"I think, therefore I am. â€Å"), Descartes famous basis for his philosophy of Cartesianism, is also compelling evidence towards the defense of one of the most famous of the early Greek teachers, Socrates. In order to be, one must think. Socrates was a seeker of truth, and the highest knowledge is knowing what is best for oneself and one†s community. He was penalized and served the ultimate sentence for his belief in the true nature of education. He was blamed for opposing the authoritative belief that education had the sole purpose of transmitting social mores intact. He believed instead that education was meant to examine and re-evaluate social norms for the betterment of society. It was his re-evaluation of social norms that was perceived as dangerous by his society. This leads to the question, â€Å"Is it dangerous to think to much? † Is it sometimes better to let things be, in order to keep the peace? One of the many charges brought against Socrates was the charge of corrupting the youth with his teachings. Instead of letting the laws govern their lives, he was attempting to show his pupils ways of rationalizing their own world. God originally gave mankind free will so that we would not become a bunch of robots walking around doing his bidding, and yet this is what traditions were doing. The customs of early Athens were limiting on what a person could or could not believe. Socrates believed independent thought in itself could never be bad. It is what one does with this knowledge that determines its worth. Socrates believed that â€Å"self-knowledge† is different from the â€Å"knowledge of information† that had been handed down from generation to generation. Socrates was more concerned with ethical knowledge: self-understanding means self-improvement. Not only must one know what it means to be a human being and understand one's own character (and how it falls short of the ideal), but knowing better means doing better. Knowledge becomes a virtue. One must transform one's own character in the light of one's vision of what is best. Socrates believed true knowledge or human wisdom was not abstract information or facts that filled the brain. It is knowledge that transforms character, brings order to a disorderly life, refines attitude, and makes one better. This self-understanding that Socrates taught his pupils is actually beneficial to a community. When one has order in their lives, it is easier for them to bring order to the world around them. When you smile the world cannot help smiling too. Conversely, when one allows himself to be corrupted, he corrupts the society around them. Self-improvement equals social reform. At the same time, social reform requires knowledge of what is best for the community (as a whole). Thus, since self-improvement and social reform are interdependent, self-knowledge and knowledge of social justice are also interdependent. Ethics is inseparable from politics and individual good is inseparable from the common good. Therefore, by teaching the youth to think without worrying about following tradition, Socrates not only helps them enhances themselves, but he improves society in general. There still remains the question as to whether or not this constant inquiry into the world can be detrimental. Without pioneers of thought, pioneers of action would never exist. As science progresses through time, more and more of its theories are being put into development. Although the progress of science has greatly enhanced society and the world we live in, there are many cases where an invention or discovery managed to set society back. One of the best examples of this is weapons of mass destruction, more specifically, the A-bomb. No one would disagree that this was a terrible thing to create; even the inventor had hesitations when he figured out what he was doing. Still he made it, and as society progress, it progressively develops newer and more destructive weapons. The irony is that the leaders of society are the people pushing for the bigger and better weapons, for the sake a guaranteeing public safety. Yet as more and more weapons are created the inevitable mass destruction of all societies becomes evident. In this way, Socratic thought and the quest for knowledge is detrimental to a society. Pure Socratic belief is best summed up by his saying, â€Å"the unexamined life is not worth living. † Many of Socrates adversaries believed that this principle was an open invitation for anarchy. Examining life leads to new ideas that do not necessarily conform with the beliefs of society. This causes great movements of revolution. Socrates believed these movements were a great tool in the advancement of civilization. One great proof against this idea is the rise of Hitler and communism. Hitler examined his life and found that the Jews were the source of all his problems. He therefore decided to kill as many of them that he could. His ultimate goal was genocide. In this case the personal thoughts of an individual did not help the advancement of society. The new debate becomes, â€Å"Is it justifiable to condemn a person for Socratic behavior? † The answer is no. Everyone should be allowed to quest for knowledge. That is why the necessity for a college education in the modern world is so strong. Society needs thinkers. What is condemnable is the specific actions that are taken as a result of some of these thoughts. Hypothesizing about what a weapon of mass destruction can do and testing it out on innocent people and animals are two different things. Many people criticize Socrates for not being a man of action. All Socrates ever accomplished was questioning and probing the democratic beliefs of his day. He built nothing, and he wrote nothing, all he did was think, and a person cannot be condemned for their thoughts. In the big picture, people should be encouraged to think for themselves, to decide what they are going to believe and what they are going to dismiss as fiction. Society has the right to punish a man†s actions if they are causing harm to society, but expressing a view other than popular opinion is not harmful to society. In actuality, contemplation can help to resolve many of society†s problems. Meditation on a problem leads to possible solutions to the problem, and in essence, progress. By examining oneself, a person gains better insight into who they are, and where their place in society is. This allows them to become more secure with themselves and more efficient in the community. Socratic behavior is about examining everything in order to gain knowledge. The pursuit of knowledge is not condemnable as long as no one is getting hurt.

Biography of J. Gresham Machen Essay - 1815 Words

Biography of J. Gresham Machen John Gresham Machen was born in Baltimore, Maryland on July 28th 1881 to parents Arthur Webster and Mary Hones Gresham. From an early age Machen was taught lessons of the bible and of Jesus. His family attended a Presbyterian church called Franklyn Street Presbyterian. (Wikipedia) Machens father was a lawyer and therefore Machen was considered to be brought up in a rather privileged home. He attendee a private college where he was educated in classics such a Greek and Latin. Machen began his education at John Hopkins University in 1898 where he majored in Classics. In college he was a member of Phi Kappa Psi Fraternity and was also a member of academic societies. After graduation he†¦show more content†¦However, Machen never identified himself as a fundamentalist because he would not embrace things such as premillennialism and the anti-intellectual attitude of traditional fundamentals.(Piper) In 1929, Princeton Seminary was beginning to sway toward liberal theology, which Machen opposed. In response to the changes at Princeton, Machen went on to found Westminster Theology Seminary in order to continue reformed orthodox theology. Later, in 1933, Machen , along with seven others, were suspended from the Presbyterian ministry. They went on to leave the Northern Presbyterian Church and founded the Orthodox Presbyterian church. Only a few years later, in 1937, Machen died at age 56. even though he died rather young, Machen helped shape the conservative movement against Modernists without being a true fundamentalist. His books, sugh as his textbook on New Testament Greek, are still used today in modern seminaries. (Haykin) Machens thoughts about society and Christianity can be found in many of his own books. The book I found most useful was entitled What is Faith?. Unlike fundamentalists, Machen believed that education was highly important in society; yet, he still thought that the most significant part of Christianity was not throught the church or school. In the introduction of what is Faith? Machen explains: The most important Christian educational institution is not the