Continuation of Friday (12/17/21) lesson
Aim: How are the major symbols in Macbeth used to create allusions and connections?
The first thing we did in class was to break down and annotate the soliloquy (Macbeth – Act II, scene i) we left off of from the previous lesson.
Mac 3rd Soliloquy: Is this a dagger.docx (can be found in the syllabus)
Summary of soliloquy
Macbeth sees a dagger in front of him. He does not know whether he is imagining it or if the dagger is actually there. Every time he tries to touch and wrap his hand around the handle he can’t touch it. This shows he is hallucinating. This can be due to the fact that he is both excited about killing the king and also guilty to kill a man that trusted him. In addition, the dagger he sees is specifically pointing towards Duncan’s room. It is almost as if it is telling Macbeth to go and kill the King. In the meantime, Macbeth realizes that there might be something wrong with him. He almost feels sick and feverish from the thought of killing the king. Eventually, he pulls out his own dagger and starts heading towards Duncan’s room. He walks slowly and carefully, making sure that he doesn’t make too much noise. He does not want to alarm the people and guards around him of his presence. If they hear him, they may sense danger and see Macbeth. After all, Macbeth’s castle is old and creaks a lot. Finally, he hears the bell and that was a signal from him to Lady Macbeth that everything is prepared for him. The guardsmen are drunk and King Duncan is asleep. He is unaware of the danger ahead of him. Macbeth heads to Duncan’s room. He does not know whether Duncan prayed or not, not knowing if he would end up in heaven or not.
Next, we researched about Hecate and the rape of Lucrece (both allusions in Macbeth)
(Hecate) (The Rape of Lucrece)
Hecate
http://www.shakespeare-online.com/plays/macbeth/soliloquies/witchcraft.html
Chief goddess of magic and spells “the head witch”
She is powerful and all-knowing
The three witches technically work under her
How it applies to Macbeth
Macbeth is questioning whether the witches are influencing him to kill the king
The Rape of Lucrece
http://www.shakespeare-online.com/plays/macbeth/soliloquies/tarquin.html
Tarquin became the king after killing the king before him
Lucretia was raped by Tarquinius’s son, Sextus Tarquinius and she committed suicide
Her death led to anger and revolt from the Romans eventually creating the Roman Empire
How it applies to Macbeth
Macbeth is afraid that killing the kIng might start a revolt against him
Duncan is a well-loved and respected king by the people
King Duncan is innocent and Macbeth is going after him / stalking after him to kill him
Duncan doesn’t know he is in danger
Next, we watched a clip of the movie
(the movie can differ from the book based on the director’s direction and vision)
Movie link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n2YG4jOFpmA
In the movie, Macbeth asks Banquo to back him after he becomes king. Banquo says that he will if Macbeth becomes king honorably without doing anything evil and foul. Banquo does not know about Macbeth’s plan to assassinate the king. This foreshadows that Macbeth and Banquo will have conflict in the future. Banquo is an honorable person while Macbeth currently is not going down an honorable path. Previous events have already shown Banquo and Macbeth’s clashing heads when it comes to personality and morals.
New lesson
Aim: How is the tone, mood and theme in Macbeth illuminated by the symbols in Act II, scene ii, while contributing to the work as a whole?
Do Now: TEAMWORK
Work collaboratively to compile a list of tactics that someone might implement to evade getting caught, after they have committed a crime?
Group response:
To avoid getting caught, people might try to frame other people or shift the blame off of them. They do not want to be the primary suspect of the crime. In addition, they can even get rid of evidence that points to them as the suspect. This can include getting rid of the murder weapon and/or fingerprints at the crime scene. Lastly, if time permits, people could also possibly clean up the crime scene or hide the body somewhere else. This makes it harder to detail what happened during the crime and who did what.
Class response:
Commit suicide (recent events with Gabbie Petito and Brian Laundrie)
They can leave where they committed the crime
They can run away to another country and flee
They can change their appearance and disguise
Plastic surgery
Bribery
Worked greatly for people in the past
People could simply cover up their crime using their money
Set fire to get rid of the crime location
Example: Macbeth could set a fire in the castle to say that the fire killed King Duncan instead of him. Although if a fire breaks out the first person every guard is running would be the king
Use someone else’s dagger or weapon
Possible plot hole in Macbeth (Both Lady Macbeth and Macbeth didn’t think about the fact that the dagger Macbeth used could possibly be recognized as his by other people around him if it belongs to him)
Reflection:
Finishing up the previous lesson, the soliloquy foreshadows and sets up the path that Macbeth is going to take. Breaking down the soliloquy and researching the different things Macbeth alluded to also helped me greatly with understanding his mentality. In the scene, where it is shown that Macbeth is hallucinating about a dagger that points towards Duncan’s room. This shows in a way that Macbeth has made his final decision to kill Duncan and take the crown for himself. The allusions made in Macbeth about Hecate and the Rape of Lucrece helped better explain how Macbeth is being influenced both by the people around him and how his actions may create consequences for the future. These allusions help better convey Macbeth’s actions and thoughts to us. They help explain things using references we may understand from both history and the Bible. Today’s lesson helps set up what might happen to Macbeth and how he is going to cover up his crime of killing King Duncan and getting away with it. Listing the different ways a criminal may cover up their crime helps us see what Macbeth’s options may be. It gives us an opportunity to see what Macbeth and Lady Macbeth may do after killing the king. This also applies to the real world because allusions help you interpret and understand the different references in literature not just Shakespeare. In addition, the different tactics listed help you understand the real world better and the events that take place in the everyday life. Many of the tactics listed are used by criminals every day.
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