Birds

The birds in MacBeth are used to foreshadow key events in the play. The first introduction of birds is when the captain compares sparrows to eagles when explaining that MacBeth and Banquo weren't frightened by the Norwegian king entering his troops in the battle. Then a raven is introduced by Lady MacBeth when she is talking about the arrival of Duncan to her house. She uses the raven because the raven usually symbolizes an ill omen, and she knows that her and MacBeth are about to kill Duncan. Then when Duncan arrives he notices a martlet flying and he believes that martlets only build their nests high on the buildings when the air is the nicest. This means that Duncan believes he is safe and isn't expecting to be killed whatsoever, but little does he know Lady MacBeth's plans for him that the raven helped foreshadow earlier in the act. Then Lady MacBeth introduces the owl when MacBeth is gone murdering Duncan. She uses the owl to explain when Duncan is killed because the owl's shriek symbolizes the bell that is rung when somebody is executed. The shriek announces the death of Duncan before MacBeth comes back to tell Lady Macbeth of him completing the deed. The owl is then mentioned again after Duncan is found murdered.  Then the morning after Duncan was found murdered Ross and old man were talking about weird things that were happening and they mentioned an owl taking down a falcon. This was used to symbolize MacBeth taking down Duncan. The next bird mentioned was a crow to announce that MacBeth has ordered to kill Banquo. Then when Banquo's ghost appears Shakespeares uses a "kite", a hawk. After Banquo's ghost leaves Shakespeare writes of  Magot-pies , choughs, and rooks because they are birds that can be taught to talk. He uses these birds to show that MacBeth is feeling guilty about his secrets. The birds are used again to right before the murders of MacDuff's family. The child and the mother talk about birds when discussing why MacDuff left them. Shakespeare also used to the "hell-kite" and "chicken" when Ross was telling MacDuff of his family's death. The hell-kite was used to symbolize MacBeth and the chickens were used to describe the poor innocent family members of MacDuff. Shakespeare used birds throughout the play to foreshadow events or to help explain them. He used many birds to symbolize Macbeth during his murders. Birds were used often and seemed to be very important to the story line of the play. 

The Women in MacBeth

Shakespeare's use of women in Macbeth is very unique. He uses the women in a very manipulative way.  He uses Lady MacBeth to be stronger and more ruthless than her husband, MacBeth. In that time period women didn't have power but Lady MacBeth manipulated her husband to be in control of him. She of course orders him to murder Duncan and we all know he completed that task after Lady MacBeth accuses of him of being weak and un-manly. Do you remember when she wished she wasn't a woman so that she could commit the crime on her own? Shakespeare uses her character to link masculinity to power. MacBeth makes a comment to Lady MacBeth that she is masculine soul inhabiting a female body.Shakespeare does this to show that only men in that time period had power. The women had to play games and manipulate their husbands or each other to complete tasks that they wanted. Women can be as cruel and powerful as men but the social constraints of that time period deny them from having power. They used their husbands for power and to complete their manly ambitions that they couldn't complete on their own.

The MacBeths

Shakespeare has introduced a controlling relationship between the MacBeths. Lady MacBeth found herself being very bossy and controlling to MacBeth when she was planning the murder of Duncan. MacBeth gave in to her requests and followed what she asked of him although he was guilty and knew it was not right to kill Duncan. Now MacBeth has been changed and is okay with the idea of murdering people to stay in control. This becomes very obvious when he ordered murderers to kill Macduff's family. He didn't have to kill them for political power he just killed them to be cruel. Lady MacBeth and MacBeth's power has changed his way of life and he is now a horrible cruel man.

MacBeth finds himself looking for help from the three witches who he was previously scared of. He seeks help from the witches when in that time period witches were bad news and cruel. People in that time period would not have looked for help from witches. It is surprising that MacBeth goes to witches for help. Most people also do not want to know their fate or their future but MacBeth is curious. This is the beginning of his downfall. MacBeth learning his fate influences many of his choices, as it would for anyone. If everyone knew their fate and their future they would do things cautiously to avoid messing up their fates, but MacBeth didn't. MacBeth killed many people to keep his power but he didn't think of the short life he would live due to the results of his murders.

Under the Witches Spell

MacBeth goes to the witches for help again. He has learned nothing from them except for his fate. His fate shows that he has no worries except for MacDuff, which he already knew. He kills Macduff's family and MacDuff and Malcolm partner up to defeat MacBeth. MacBeth and his influences from the witches has caused many deaths. It is not known whether or not MacBeth would have killed Duncan without the witches and Lady MacBeth's help. But since the start of MacBeth's help from the witches he has hired many people to kill other innocent men. MacBeth's fate is doomed because of what he started.

Banquo is a Ghost

MacBeth as king. Well he doesn't even gain his power morally so how will we expect him to keep his power morally. MacBeth killed Duncan to become king and now he faces the truth of Banquo's sons becoming king and him not having sons to be heirs to his throne. With the little blood on his hands from his first murder he now believes that he can kill anyone to keep his power. He calls upon murderers to do the deed on killing Banquo and his sons because he and Banquo have friends in common and he doesn't want to be blamed if he killed Banquo himself.. The murderers completed part of the task by killing Banquo but his son was able to make it out alive. Although MacBeth believes he can kill anyone to keep his power he does experience guilt. Like with the imagining of the dagger before killing Duncan he imagines Banquo's ghost at dinner. Lady MacBeth is forced to provide explanations for MacBeth's strange behavior and sayings. She tells them that he has experienced these fits since he was a child. Lady MacBeth knew about the murders but she wasn't very fond of them like she was for the murder of Duncan. MacBeth is very full of himself with his great deal of power.

Duncan's Death

Okay so Act II was actually very interesting. It began with the Banquo not being able to sleep because of nightmares about the witches. MacBeth and him have a quick talk about the witches and then Lady MacBeth rings the bell to order MacBeth to kill Duncan. Wow does she have compete control over him! Before he murders him he become anxious and paranoid and imagines an invisible weapon. But then again who wouldn't go crazy if they were being forced to kill someone just to raise their social level. What if people were still like this today? Then MacBeth does the deed of killing poor old Duncan and comes back to his wife with bloody hands. He feels guilt and I'm not sure if he imagined it or not but he heard Duncan's servants praying and he couldn't say Amen with them because he just murdered someone. Then old control freak Lady MacBeth freaks out on MacBeth because he forgot to put the weapons with Duncan's servants to free himself from blame. She goes and places the weapons back there herself. She is one crazy lady. She would have killed the poor man herself if he didn't look like her father when he slept. A lady that would kill an innocent man? That woman would have some serious nerves. Then the weird knocking happens for like a million lines. It just ended up being somebody who wanted to see Duncan and wake him up because that was his assignment. MacBeth takes him to Duncan's room and fakes his surprise at his death. MacBeth then kills the servants that allegedly killed Duncan and his wife does a great fainting act at the horror of seeing a man dead in her house. MacDuff doesn't believe this story one bit and I'm sure no other person would either. Really hoping MacDuff gets MacBeth in the future for the murders but I'm not sure if that is Shakespeare's style of writing or not. Duncan's some flee the scene to England and Ireland because they are afraid they will be murdered next, which I am sure would happen because of control freak Lady MacBeth. The dumb princes left and that makes MacBeth king. So now MacBeth and Lady MacBeth have control. The witches were right but where on earth is Shakespeare going to take this story now? Is MacBeth going to be killed by the suspicious MacDuff or is MacBeth going to kill him first. I'm sure after the blood on his hands MacBeth will do anything in his power to maintain control. Maybe even become Hitler before Hitler was a thing. Then the weird conversation with Ross happened. I went back to not understanding Shakespeare at that part. Something about birds and horses. Like where did that come from and what is it supposed to mean?

Shakespeare

We have been reading Shakespeare since our freshman year and I still have yet to find any interest in his writings. I do not understand anything that is being said without the help of Spark Notes and the teachers that have forced us to read his works. Why is it that we have to read Shakespeare? Oh right because he is like the greatest English writer of all time. But what does his works actually teach us? So far I have learned that death is better than not being able love someone, something about fairies, something about the most obedient wife, and now here I am trying to understand MacBeth. MacBeth so far has been described as this awesome knight who puts peoples heads on a stick. He gets some land and becomes Thane of Cawdor. Some weird witches predict that he will be king and now his wife wants him to kill Duncan. I think it will be interesting if he actually kills the king because like won't everyone know they killed him. Duncan is at his house so it will be quite obvious who committed the crime. Is this really how life was back in the 1500 and 1600s?