Wednesday, December 15, 2021

Blogger #4 - Haoran Chen - Period 8 - 12/15/2021

It is December 21st 2021 and the class started with teams changing their names for the new unit. Our group, previously known as “The Men”, changed our team name to “The Kingsmen”. 


These were the questions we discussed in our groups when then later developed into a class discussion. 

1. Explain the conflict between Macbeth and Lady Macbeth.

The conflict between Macbeth and Lady Macbeth is that Macbeth believes he will have the ambition which will keep him going, while Lady Macbeth thinks he has come too far to back off in their plans. Eventually, Macbeth gives into Lady Macbeth’s persuasion and goes along with Lady Macbeth’s plans in killing King Duncan. Both of them will benefit greatly from this devious act if it is a success. This conflict occurs internally between the two and that this situation relates to the tale of Adam and Eve. In the tale, Eve tempts Adam into eating the apple that was in a tree in a sacred garden. Lady Macbeth, seeing Macbeth backing off at the last second, feels betrayed and that their marriage is on the line. 


2. How does Lady Macbeth plan to aid him?

Lady Macbeth plans to aid Macbeth in the killing of King Duncan by making the guards drowsy. The distance that the guards have to travel from King Duncan’s castle to Macbeth’s castle is tremendous and that the guards are sure to pass out when they arrive. Lady Macbeth makes sure this happens by hosting a party and giving the guards plenty of alcohol so they would drop asleep the moment they hit the bed. This would strip Duncan of his protection and make him an easy target for the assassins, who will be Macbeth himself. 



3. Based on your understanding of character types, what character type(s) fit Macbeth?

Based on the understanding of character types, the character types that best fit Macbest are dynamic and round. Macbeth is portrayed as a dynamic character because he changes over the course of the scenes, first being an honored warrior on the battlefield fighting for Duncan to having a vicious mindset of killing the king. He is also a round character due to him having more than one side to him. Although Macbeth really wants to be king, he also stops to think about all the consequences that would be inflicted upon him if he took the actions he was planning to carry out. 


4. How is Macbeth’s character flawed?

Macbeth’s flaws and weaknesses are that he is indecisive, overly ambitious, and exceedingly gullible. Macbeth had been thinking about all the ways he could become king but decided to completely change his mind at the last second. Although having ambition can be a good thing, having too much ambition could potentially lead to Macbeth’s downfall. His goal in becoming king made him so focused that he didn’t care about any of the possible consequences and completely ignored them. Another flaw that Macbeth seems to have is that he is extremely gullible. He was easily manipulated by his wife and the witches that he didn’t stop to think. Macbeth isn’t capable of thinking rationally all by himself and needs the assistance of others. 

5. Who portrays more umbrage/offense, Macbeth or Lady Macbeth? Justify.

Lady Macbeth is the one who portrays more umbrage/offense because she is the one that starts the argument/the idea of killing Duncan. She said that she was willing to kill a baby if she was given the choice between that and breaking a promise. This act shows her ambition and that she will potentially do anything if it means she keeps her word.


6. Why might Lady Macbeth be a better-suited assassin?

Lady Macbeth might be a better-suited assassin because she doesn’t back out on her plans unlike Macbeth and that she keeps going until the job is done. She isn’t a royal subject of King Duncan himself and that she had never served him. Lady Macbeth will feel less guilt if she was the killer instead of Macbeth who had fought alongside the king. 


7. *A critic once stated that this scene represents a clash of love and duty. With this in mind, which of the two do you believe wins out?

Love is the winner of this clash because when Macbeth is reluctant to actually do the murder, Lady Macbeth feels betrayed. Her portrayal and love for him begins to wither. The quote “united we stand, divided we fall” is perfect for this situation because it reflects on how if Lady Macbeth and Macbeth don't work together, all their plans would fall and they will be exposed. Once they aren’t on the same page, they will fall apart along with all their plans. 


8. How has cunning and manipulation played a role in Act I, vii?

Cunning and manipulation played a role in Act I, vii because it contributed to the turning point of the story. Although the actual turning point of the story isn’t revealed yet, this gives a little bit of a plot twist. Macbeth, who was leaning on not taking action, does a 180 when he decides to carry on with the plans again. He was manipulated by Lady Macbeth. 


After we finished going over the questions, we submitted in the lessons and were told to be prepared to start drawing. A new aim was displayed and we were told what we had to do. 

Aim: How can the major symbols in Macbeth used to create allusions and connections?


With your partner, construct a message to them (may be digital or pen/paper) by solely using images. Upon completion, exchange so you can see if you understand what the other conveyed.


To convey their messages, many people decided to go for a more simple but stereotypical look. They draw very common and easily recognizable things because it would allow for better communication. The reason for this is because people have most likely been exposed/experienced with the simpler, everyday drawing style. 



•Symbols must be something tangible or visible, while the idea it symbolizes must be something abstract or universal. In other words, a symbol must be something you can hold in your hand or draw a picture of, while the idea it symbolizes must be something you can’t hold in your hand or draw a picture of).

•Sparked the beginning of communication

•Hieroglyphics = the foundation of reading and writing

•Cuneiform (cu·ne·i·form):denoting or relating to the wedge-shaped characters used in the ancient writing systems of Mesopotamia, Persia, and Ugarit, surviving mainly on clay tablets. cuneiform writing was "a Mesopotamian script pre-dating cuneiform“.


We were going to start a conversation about dreams that involve falling from a cliff but we were cut short by the bell. 



Reflection:

1.What did I learn?

In today’s lesson, I learned how symbols are used to convey messages and how sometimes, simpler could be better. Some past knowledge that I had included what hieroglyphics and cuneiform are and that these were good memory refreshers. After we went over the questions, I have gained a clearer understanding of the many scenes that we have read in Macbeth and a better understanding of what is happening in the book. I have also gained a new appreciation for the book after learning about how in-depth it actually goes. 


2.Why did I learn it?

This lesson mainly went over what symbols were and how they were used in everyday life. We learned this to enhance our knowledge of what these symbols are and how we can apply them to our everyday lives. We learned about symbols because they appear in Macbeth so often that every scene has at least three (fyi not completely accurate but close enough). 


3.How will I use what I learned?

I will use this new found knowledge of symbols to obtain a better way of communicating my ideas across. I will also use this knowledge to get a deeper understanding of Macbeth and find all the little details that pop up here and there. Symbols are not just limited to literature, but also the outside world. There are everywhere from art and possibly even music. 




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