Macbeth Human Nature Essay - 1134 Words

Shakespeare may be dead, but his ideas about human nature are timeless, and still very much alive today. Two of the richest ideas explored by Shakespeare in his play Macbeth revolve around the differing versions of reality and the pursuit of ambition through manipulation. These ideas are examined though the purposeful characterisation of the witches, King Duncan and Lady Macbeth. These themes are also highlighted in contemporary texts such as Mark Waters Mean Girls, Are you living an Insta lie? and Cameron Russel’s TED Talk Looks Aren’t Everything, which demonstrates that when it comes to the ability to manipulate and then substantiate actions through developing a version of the truth, it is done to best suit the individual’s purpose. As†¦show more content†¦However he turned out to be a traitor to which Duncan surmises, you cannot trust appearances. The reality portrayed by the former Thane to Duncan was different to his true nature. It is these contras ting versions of reality that ultimately leads to both Duncan’s and Macbeth’s demise. Similarly, the idea of an artificially constructed version of reality is also evident in the context of our time through social media. The YouTube video â€Å"Are you living an Insta lie?† explores how Instagram users post a different â€Å"version of reality†. Viewers on Instagram interpret the posts literally, without imagining what effort was made to edit the photo, providing only one version of reality. For example, the image of the girl laying on her bed with the quote â€Å"#woke up like this†, when taken literally, shows she woke up looking fresh and perfect. However, the video shows us that she washes her face, brushes her hair and applies make up, clearly revealing one message to the audience that is very different to her reality. The TED Talk ‘Looks aren’t everything, believe me, I’m a model’ by Cameron Russel also exposes the different versions of reality manipulated in the modelling industry. The juxtaposition of the image of the attractive young women posing in her bikini and Cameron’s explanation â€Å"this is the first time I ever wore a bikini, I was only a young girl further highlights the constructed reality we live in, in contemporary society. Through theShow MoreRelatedDefining Manhood Through Gender Stereotypes1183 Words   |  5 PagesStereotypes in Macbeth In The Tragedy of Macbeth, Shakespeare attempts to define manhood and explore the different perceptions held towards what it means to be a man. As William Liston notes in his essay, â€Å"Man appears more than 40 times, almost always with a conscious sense of defining the term—or rather, of defining a person by the term† (232). Lady Macbeth is used as a tool to not only convey this theme, but she instigates the plot as well. Without her consistent scorn and ridicule of Macbeth and hisRead MoreSexual Frustration as the Root of Evil Essay1222 Words   |  5 Pagespeople develop neuroses as a result of frustration. Freud’s essays on this topic postulate that sexual repression may result in aggressive behavior. These two elements emerge in the characters in Macbeth. In Freud’s book, Civilization and its discontents, he takes the premise even farther by correlating severe sexual frustration with the onset of psychoses. In regard to Macbeth, I believe that Macbeth and Lady Macbeth portray this spiral into psychosis as a result of theirRead More Supernatural in Shakespeares Macbeth - Purpose of the Witches940 Words   |  4 PagesThe Purpose of the Witches in Macbeth  Ã‚      One purpose for having the witches in Shakespeares play,   Macbeth, is to make a comparison between Macbeths conscious world and Macbeths unconscious, dream world. 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In Macbeth, Shakespeare does well to disguise ambition as the true source of villainy, behind the faà §ade that is Lady Macbeth and the witches. Without ambition, there would never be any action, no good, no evil, would EveRead MoreAllegorical Elements In Macbeth Essay761 Words   |  4 PagesThe use of allegorical devices within Macbeth can also be used as a way of discussing internal political and ethical perspectives. Shakespeare condemns equivocation within the narrative, â€Å"Faith here’s an equivocator that could swear in both the scales against either scale who committed treason enough for Gods sake, yet could not equivocate to heaven† . This is probably in reference to the Jesuit, Henry Garnet a man who was tried and executed for his role in the Gunpowder Plot of 1605. Garnet publishedRead MoreMacbeth by William Shakespeare1293 Words   |  5 PagesThe play, â€Å"Macbeth† is one of William Shakespeare’s tragic plays written approximately in 1606. The play centres on Macbeth who is a general in King Duncan’s army. Upon returning from a successfu l battle, Macbeth is confronted by three witches who claim they know the future. The three witches tell Macbeth that he will be the future King. The events that occur after this encounter between Macbeth and the witches are what makes this play a tragedy. This essay will focus on the treatment of gender inRead More Destructive Ambition in Shakespeares Macbeth Essays1671 Words   |  7 PagesDestructive Ambition in Macbeth      Ã‚  Ã‚   William Shakespeares tragic play Macbeth presents the fizzled drive of an ambitious husband and wife. This essay is the story of their destructive ambition.    Fanny Kemble in Lady Macbeth refers to the ambition of Lady Macbeth:      [. . .] to have seen Banquos ghost at the banqueting table ... and persisted in her fierce mocking of her husbands terror would have been impossible to human nature. The hypothesis makes Lady Macbeth a monster, andRead MoreThe Struggle between Good and Evil; in Macbeth Essay1022 Words   |  5 PagesMacbeth is without a doubt a play about evil. The play revolves around the bad and wicked qualities in human nature, but Shakespeare also contrasts this evil with the power of good. In this essay I will explore the ways in which Shakespeare contrasted good and evil in Macbeth. These contradictions start in the very beginning of the play, with the witches. In line 12, the witches say, â€Å"Fair is foul and foul is fair.† This is interesting as they are suggesting good and evil as being one. The witches’