SONNETS

• Shakespearean sonnets are two quartets and then a couplet.
• Patrarchan sonnets are divided in an octet and a sestet.
• The sonnet is a satire to the Patrarchan sonnets - which are more romantic and idolizing.
• It changes tone at the last couplet from criticizing and insulting the woman Shakespeare loved to praising her and accepting to love her for the way she was.
• The "shift" is visible because of the time change but also, coincidentally, the rhyme scheme also changes - making it more obvious.

EXTREME CHARACTERS

I liked the journal topic for today so I decided to post about it instead of writing it in my journal because I know that if I write in that little book, no one is going to be able to see or read it. So here it is:

Extreme characters: what are they? Crazy? Over dramatic? Unrealistic? I would say they're personas that we can learn from in modern world. I consider them to have personality of somebody not afraid of their opinion and their goals. They're certain. They're sure. Lady Macbeth was crazy, true. She was evil, true. She was psychologically unstable, maybe. But she was someone that none of us can be nowadays: definite, confident, and even manipulative (which all of us need at some point in our lives but don't have it). I believe that extreme characters allow us to view the world in a more acquiring sense: making us believe that it depends on us and our efforts and desires to achieve anything as long as there's perseverance and future vision involved in it. En finale (yes, I'm aware that this probably does not exist now, but hey, I could start it!), extreme characters are what you wish to be - positively, of course (I'm not a psycho, I promise!) - but is not  realistic to ever be that way.

ACT 4 STUDY QUESTIONS

4.1

1.  There are 3 witches in this scene.

2.  The first apparition says to be wary of Macduff and careful of him.  The second tells Macbeth he should be a strong willed ruler- bold and brace.  In other words he should not accept defeat.  The third warns of attacking armies coming, and tells Macbeth he won't be defeated until the kingdom of Norway attacks.
     Macbeth doesn't feel safe after the apparitions.  He has worries about Macduff's intentions and the possibility of an oncoming attacking army.  Yes he should feel unsafe because he is in a very precarious position.
     After the fourth, the line of kings, Macbeth is terrified.  He saw the ghost of Banquo at the end, whom he killed.  This frightened him as well as drawing out his guilt.

3.  In line 158 Macbeth learns from Lennox that Macduff is running away to England.  In response Macbeth decides to send someone try to kill as many of Macduff's family members as he can.
4.2
1) Lady McDuff seems to feel betrayed and angry at McDuff because he left them (her and her son) to die. She was advising her son to dislike his father because he fled when he discovered that Macbeth is planning to kill him.
2) The purpose of the scene between Lady McDuff and her son is to have his son have false impression about his dad. Also, the scene assists in the growth of the theme : fair is foul and foul is fair. This is because Macbeth is willing to kill McDuff in order to achieve what is"rightfully" his and McDuff fled, afraid of Macbeth's actions towards him. It also shows how McDuff's son refused to believe that his father left them to die, showing devotion, faith, and trust.
3) The entire McDuff family ends up being killed by Macbeth.
4.3

1. Macduff's family has been killed. 

2. Malcolm doesn't want to go home because he's afraid of judgement since he ran away. Malcolm is suspicious of Macduff bc Macduff has his own personal agenda. He might be secretly working for Macbeth since he left his family. Malcolm tests Macduff's loyalty to him and he passes. When Macduff starts to leave Malcolm takes back the lies he's told and trusts Macduff now- they're now allies. 

3. Malcolm says he's a bad king but Macduff says Macbeth is a way worse king and that he needs to return to restore peace and justice. Avarice bothers Macduff more in a king, it sticks deeper with kings in the terms of greed and lust.

4 

5 coming soon...

6. Ross tells Macduff that his family is dead, it takes him a while to tell him. Macduff says they must save their grief for later and Malcom says to turn their revenge into a medicine for their grief. Macduff says "he has no children" and he is referring to Malcom because he says he needs to mourn and "feel like a man" when Malcom tells him to dispute it like a man. To be a "man" in this play means to have feelings and don't hide but don't let them cloud your judgement.
7. Malcom, Macduff and Ross are ready to attack Macbeth's castle, they just need to go there.

ACT II STUDY QUESTIONS

2.1
1.The opening gives a sense of forboding, things are not as they should be. The discussion serves to have Banquo acknowledge the weird sisters rather than claim they are a hallucination. 
2. Macbeth is extremely stressed about having to Duncan and he is attempting to talk himself into committing the deed. He talks about it as if he is in a haze, a dream and he continues by making it a reality and committing the deed.
2.2
Coming soon
2.3
1) The porter, in the third scene of act ii, is drunk and is pretending to be the Porter of the gate to hell. In the play, Macbeth has the trait of equivocation, where he manipulates his listener by circumlocution and the expectations of the other person without actually committing. For example, he does this when Lady Macbeth asks him to kill King Duncan.
2) The thematic function of Lennox describing the night as unruly was because that night was when King Duncan was killed by Macbeth. It was "unruly" not only for King Duncan but also for Macbeth because the guilt and fear of getting caught will always make him say and do things that might be suspicious, dark, and unruly. The scene is necessary to show Macbeth's transformation from the character before the murder vs. the character after the murder. This also connects back to what the witches had said earlier in the play: Fair is foul and foul is fair.
3) Macduff reports that the king has been murdered. Lady Macbeth appears to be horrified that this act could take place on his household. Macbeth is in encaged and kills the chamberlains. Malcolm and Donalbain decide to flee Malcolm and will go to England and Donalbain will go to Ireland. They're fleeing because they fear they will be murdered.
2.4
1. The function of the dialogue between Old Man and Ross is to discuss the strange happenings that have been occurring such as how an owl killed a falcon, the horses went wild and are one another, and several other things.  This wicked behavior symbolizes and foreshadows the promotion of Macbeth to the thrown. 

2. Macduff tells us from the castle that Macbeth has been made king by his fellow lords and that he will travel to Scone to receive the promotion and get crowned. He tells us that Malcolm and Donalbain are suspected of the murder of Duncan. They are suspected because they fled the scene.

MACBETH: CHARACTER MAP

A character map that I absolutely loved is this one:
http://www.anoisewithin.org/wp-content/uploads/downloads/2014/01/ANW_Macbeth_Character_Map.pdf
The content is straight and to the point without digression and also its structure is easy to get a read on.

This link might not be the best one in terms of credibility but it does have content that's easy to understand and analytic enough for the readers to get a grip on Macbeth.
https://www.google.com/webhp?sourceid=chrome-instant&ion=1&espv=2&ie=UTF-8#q=Macbeth+character+map

This one is basic but helps in getting the characters "unmixed-up"
https://accf78fc-a-8e141b81-s-sites.googlegroups.com/a/puhsd.k12.ca.us/mrs-smith-english/Home/english-10/macbeth/macbethcharactermap.jpg?attachauth=ANoY7cpO09PQaEvNhbRbljiiIpksmOF0sDSJReT0OHNhMwO4tJPdTbHMztM7sk_nBf6rxY9U6CvaAHA9w6lzg6Axol6F2yrypVP100ZNFV7wq2yIB2us6A7rqCOQEirVCk1tYlLqqOLZAzQ3o7qQttJotT-lgg48YuzTmn7oU7chPRBLbhoNhZw1kvAXInJwZul-2DT_peLSTrAhFYec2uprqESJFzmRQF-JtlFRLQZtSudiTUb9MEXnUsOriCNHCWo4ZoWFtVBiwE7pqopYpF40jjEhKQFjMQ%3D%3D&attredirects=0

WHAT ABOUT MY MASTERPIECE?

As earlier mentioned, Jisu and I are writing a song as a "research" project to determine the audience's reaction based on different means of media the song is presented through. Since the AP tests are right on the curb, our attention and priority has slightly shifted. But what we both are discussing is a way to record (not necessarily on camera) the audience's reaction and either take Dr. Preston's help in publishing it or post it on our blogs and request the audience to review it and give feedback by commenting. We are also expecting help from Laura and Pete from London in organizing this project together. Finally, we are planning to contact Nevada - an extremely talented film student in Righetti - to help us put together a video that broadcasts emotions of our song!!

LOVE IS BLIND

Macbeth's perspective of Lady Macbeth vs. the audience's perspective on Lady Macbeth are foils of each other because of multiple reasons. First, the audience are aware of a different personality of her because of a dramatic irony presented to them by Shakespeare. Second, Macbeth is personally attached to her while the audience are not. As cliched as this sounds, love makes a man (or a woman) do anything to receive the other's love and respect. Lady Macbeth has always been insulting Macbeth and not valuing his bravery by calling him a coward, doubting on his masculinity, and referring to him as innocent and too kind. Macbeth, tired of this and having the motivation, anger, and determination to prove himself and his worthiness, agrees to do whatever Lady Macbeth asks for him to do. Third, the craziness and viciousness that the audience refer to is actually an over exaggerated desire of Macbeth mirrored in front of him. Even though he;s unsure and afraid to support his wife to kill the king, his desire and passion for the power to become a king brings out a selfish man who is willing to commit a crime if shown the path. 

ACT I STUDY QUESTIONS NOTES

• Intimidating and ominous - the mood created by having the witches and their dialogue as the initiation of the play.
• Shakespeare have foreshadowing about Macbeth without "beating us in the head with it."
• Their [Macbeth and Lady Macbeth] lack of remorse isn't completely irrational. According to the culture, it's "normal."
• Do: extremely important in the play. No "to be or not to be" moment for Lady Macbeth.
• Macbeth knows that Banquo will not share the same opinion about his actions as him. So instead of telling him, he talks to the audience because they would be the more entertaining and supporting.
• Lady Macbeth - presented as the anti stereotypical manner.
• Lady Macbeth has her mind set about her plan but Macbeth is still confused and wondering.
• Lady Macbeth has no fear, almost as close as a psychopath.
• If you're hosting someone, you're responsible for their safety.
• Macbeth similar to Hamlet: to be or not to be.
• Macbeth sternly opposes to Lady Macbeth about her plan. He believes that if it's meant to be, it will happen one day. Lady Macbeth calls him a coward, not a man enough.
• Dagger: symbolic of betrayal and symbolic of death.
• "False face must hide what false heart doth know."

ACT I STUDY QUESTIONS

1) Beginning the play with a dialogue between the witches sets the mood to be dark, evil, and mysterious. This foreshadows the plot, theme, and mood for the future of the story in the same manner. In comparison of Shakespeare's other plays, Macbeth requires more ambiguity and the syntax and diction used needs to be more bleak. For example, Hamlet highlighted the themes of betrayal and complexity of relationships and power. Even though, the theme falls in the same ballpark with Macbeth, the gloominess of the plot of Macbeth overpowers that of Hamlet. In the beginning of the play, the witches were going to meet Macbeth at the "ere of sunset." Line 10 was "Paddock calls" and line 11 was "Anon." The phrase paddock class means a toad, which symbolizes transformation. The word anon means soon or shortly. The "toad" and it's transformation could metaphorically be compared to Macbeth and his evolving and transforming to be a completely different person or even having a transformation in his status and power. The witch's response as anon signifies how Macbeth will shortly have a transformation - to be declared a thane.
2) 1. The bloody seargent indirectly characterizes Macbeth by glorifying his actions towards Macdonwald. Macdonwald is a rebel who was executed. He tried to attack them. Macbeth executed macdonwald with his sword. This did not end the fight with the rebels, the Norwegians are still attacking.
2. The traitor was the Thane of Cawdor, as we learn from Ross. Duncan says that its a relief the thane of cawdor was executed and that Macbeth now owns his previous title.

3) 1. The witches speech gives a first look at Macbeth and his wife without saying who they are. Indirect characterization of the two. Similar to Hamlet where he gives a mini synopsis early in the story. "Weird" in Shakespeare's day meant future seers not weird as we know it, prophecy and destiny. Shakespeare means that Macbeth's wife has him by the balls. They  cast a spell to control his destiny. 

2. Macbeth says something very similar to what the witches said at the beginning of the play. This could be him falling into the destiny the witches set up. Dried, chapped fingers, gender ambiguity, hairy, old, they have literal beards. The witches tell Macbeth that he will thane of Candor and eventually King, right then he finds out he is thane of Cawdor. Banquo asked the witch why they had nothing for him, they told him he is lesser but greater than Macbeth. We knew he was thane before he was thane.

3. Banquo says the witches were a figment of their imagination that they lie or that they are hallucinating. Macbeth learns that he is thane of Cawdor from Ross and Angus. During lines 114-156 he was going over his plan in his head and how everything had just happened to him. He acts very happy and shows no incredulity at being thane. Macbeth's aside shows him rationalizing what happened to him and he begins to think that he is going to be King soon. Macbeth tells Banquo that he is happy and excited and nothing more he explains his behavior by saying he is confused.

4) 1. Cawdor was executed after openly confessing his treason and pleading for mercy. Malcolm tried to stick up for the thane, but the king responds by basically saying that you can't trust a man according to his face. He doesn't believe the thane was truly repentant.

2. The king greets them by saying that he can never repay them enough for their good deeds, but announces he will leave all his estate and names his son, Malcolm, prince of Cumberland. He then proposes that they go to Macbeth's castle at Inverness. Macbeth tells himself that the only way to be king is to get rid of Malcolm, and even though he'll be appalled at his action, he must do it.

5) 1. Macbeth was honest with his wife when he informs her of his new title as "Thane of Cawdor." He refers to the witches as "weird sisters" probably because he doesn't want her know that he is associated with the "evil servants."
Lady Macbeth responds by saying that she thinks Macbeth is playng things off as if everything is fine. By saying "but be the serpent under't", she describes him as someone that lies to make everything appear under control. This doesn't really match the characterization of Macbeth so far in the story which implies that there is something the audience doesn't know about him. 

6) 1. The opening speeches (1.6.1-10) describe how the surroundings of the castle are "pleasant" and the air is sweet-maybe even too sweet. From the outside, the castle appears to be paradise.

Lady Macbeth's welcome is formal. Her language is totally different from her language in the previous scene which shows how fake and dishonest her welcome was.

7) 1. "If it were done when 'tis done then 'twere well." If it were done when it was done it was done well. (Meaning if he completed the death quickly and efficiently and with no complications then he did the job well.) Macbeth is determined to kill the king and be done with him but in lines 1-12 he is fearful of how the "inventor" will judge his actions. He's violating the hospitality of his kinship and responsibilities as a host towards his guest by trying to kill his guest instead of protecting them. The motivation that Macbeth attributes to himself in lines 25-28 is the attribute of an Arabic heaven-like God. He will be seen as a "God" and that is his source of motivation to get the job done. 

2. In lines 28-30 she is complaining about him leaving the chamber because it was  almost time for dinner. Macbeth responds to her complaining by saying did he ask for me? And lady Macbeth says don't you know he did? The positions are lady Macbeth is ready for the King to be killed while Macbeth is still hesitant and on the fence about it. Macbeth convinced Lady Macbeth by explaining that he is an respected person and doesn't want to lose his honor while Lady Macbeth convinces Macbeth by convincing him to gain the power and kill the king. The stronger person in the scene is Lady Macbeth because  she's more verbally confident in her argument while convincing Macbeth to kill the King.

MY MACBETH RESOURCES

1) The Tragedy of Macbeth: Open Source Shakespeare
https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=web&cd=14&cad=rja&uact=8&ved=0CGgQFjAN&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.opensourceshakespeare.org%2Fviews%2Fplays%2Fplaymenu.php%3FWorkID%3Dmacbeth&ei=YRwtVYeuLdSmyASoxYGAAQ&usg=AFQjCNHI_Wl_vTWJlUlcl_fCtwOM6n53sw&bvm=bv.90790515,d.aWw

2) Macbeth the play by William Shakespeare
https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=web&cd=13&cad=rja&uact=8&ved=0CCoQFjACOAo&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.william-shakespeare.info%2Fshakespeare-play-macbeth.htm&ei=Tx0tVZDzKomxyATr-IG4Dg&usg=AFQjCNGOwn6OFD7HmYruk5HV0dv5mL0PPQ&sig2=Nb7j-1QVyKlP6sB9LYWZsA&bvm=bv.90790515,d.aWw

3) Macbeth with Ethan Hawke
https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=web&cd=21&cad=rja&uact=8&ved=0CB0QFjAAOBQ&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.pbs.org%2Fwnet%2Fshakespeare-uncovered%2Funcategorized%2Fmacbeth-with-ethan-hawke%2F&ei=hh0tVeDlJ86tyASAtYG4BA&usg=AFQjCNHbqTMI9va87M1jTx8V2_oeu4kL8Q&sig2=hPB77svWCwUAI7OMiH4W1Q&bvm=bv.90790515,d.aWw

4) Macbeth: Folger Shakespeare Library
https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=web&cd=28&cad=rja&uact=8&ved=0CEcQFjAHOBQ&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.folger.edu%2Fmacbeth&ei=hh0tVeDlJ86tyASAtYG4BA&usg=AFQjCNEXD2SBecDf4d7nH9ccr2hc2rv8Ew&sig2=9z7zMGVZBYQ0SGrPfs834Q&bvm=bv.90790515,d.aWw

5) BBC Two - Shakespeare unlocked
https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=web&cd=41&cad=rja&uact=8&ved=0CB0QFjAAOCg&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.bbc.co.uk%2Fprogrammes%2Farticles%2FbsdCx8bV7F3NBX5N67YdZc%2Fmacbeth&ei=BB4tVfDPK8qpyASfzIDgDg&usg=AFQjCNEi4MmvErNlmRhyYvpS7q8PdcGXxw&sig2=mKs49UN_UST1-vNoJHDLaQ&bvm=bv.90790515,d.aWw

MEET MACBETH

1) Macbeth was introduced mostly through indirect characterization when the other characters began to describe and talk about him. A quote having a direct  bastardization for him is: "For brave Macbeth well he deserves that name disdaining fortune, with his brandish'd steel, which smoked with bloody execution."
2) Fair is foul and foul is fair
3) To provide exposition, Shakespeare has his characters converse - have a dialogue - with each other and discuss a character that has not been introduced yet. With a certain way of talking abs the diction used in the conversation serves as a means to foreshadow future events.
4) The tone while describing Macbeth is that of admiration.
5) 

MACBETH: HERE WE COME ("INTRODUCTION")

• Great chain of being:
• Elizabethan world order and great chain of being is a big part of the plots of the literary works.
• At the time, people were really searching for something that made sense.
• Shakespeare had to please his audience: a very fine line for his work.
• Fair is foul and foul is fair.
• The devil was very real for the people at the time.
• Characters of witches viewed as entrapments; witches were assumed yo have fairly real powers.
• Was loosely based on factual, real life event.
• "Come what come may,
  Time and the hour runs through the roughest day."

BRAVE NEW(OLD) PROMPT FOR "YOUNG GOODMAN BROWN"

POETRY ESSAY PROMPT AND THEN, WELL, ESSAY!

The prompt I chose to write my essay for the poetry "Woman Work" is: Read the poem carefully and then write an essay in which you analyze how the poem reveals the speaker's complex conception of a "woman's world." This prompt was in 1998 AP Exam.

I believed this prompt to be perfect for the poem I chose because they both [poem and the prompt] not only talk about the stereotypical world of women around the world but somehow encourage the readers to find evidence that proves the "world" to be a misconception. The prompt also focuses on discovering a "solution" to the "problem" about the work that women do.

MY ESSAY:

            Who is a woman? A mother. A cook. A cleaner. A maid. A housewife. Maybe even a slave. The duties of a woman have been specifically stated in the “Bible” of society. Ever since the establishment of human race, women were believed to be the workers of the house. In “Woman Work” by Maya Angelou, Angelou describes the contradictory personalities between the expected woman and a true woman by using metaphors, fragmentation, personification, and point of view. With the use of each of these literary elements, Angelou creates a sense of guilt in the readers’ minds and evokes the feelings of sympathy and empathy for the protagonist woman of the poem.

            Beginning the poem with a long list of chores that the woman has to perform, Angelou sets the mood to be busy and rapid. The first person point of view allows the readers to have the sense of identification towards the protagonist. The over simplistic manner in which the author lists all the duties is a dichotomy to the motif of the poem, which is the complexity of a woman’s character and her world – where she is tired yet has not done physically challenging works; she is bored yet she is busy almost the entire day; she seeks love and appreciation but finds nobody around her to provide it to her; she seems and is expected to be contended yet finds herself to be searching for a smile, a place to rest, and a sense of beautification.

            The woman of the poem can be characterized as a complete yet an incomplete woman. The two definitions of the two women are visible from the comprehensiveness of the first stanza of the poem versus the fragmentation of the last stanza: “Sun, rain, curving sky / Mountain, oceans, leaf and stone /star shine, moon glow / You’re all that I can call my own.” Angelou uses the nature and its “inhabitants” – sun, moon, stars – as metaphors for the family members of the woman that she has been searching for but never seems to find them: “Shine on me, sunshine / Rain on me, rain / Fall softly, dewdrops / And cool my brow again.” This metaphor becomes even more powerful when the author uses personification to bring the nature to life: “Fall gently, snowflakes / Cover me with white / Cold icy kisses and / Let me rest tonight.” The repetition of “Let me rest tonight” gives the readers the impression of an emotionally tired yet a physically active woman.

            The author’s utilization of her tone and the first person perspective results in an analytic and deep poem with one single protagonist juxtaposing the complexity of her life and her own desires. The author highlights a “woman’s world” through highlighting her work. The societal inability to comprehend a woman’s desires and the intricacy involved to lead such a life is implicitly addressed through the use of nature as the only supporter of the protagonist. A woman is much more than a mother, a cook, a cleaner, a maid, a housewife, or a slave. She is strength, she is power, she is intelligent, and she is capable: she only needs, wants, and asks for love and support.

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JOURNAL TOPIC FOR TODAY

First of all, I would like to apologize to Dr. Preston that I forgot my journal notebook at home since I switched my backpack. I would like to do today's journal on my blog.

I think with the pace and speed at which the life is moving forward for everybody with stress and pressure. I mean, I found white and gray hair in my age, which obviously is due to all the stress that surrounds me as a future college student. I think having someone make a fool out of you without offending you and having a laugh alleviates the tension in everyone's life. So I think it doesn't matter who you are, intelligent or average, freshmen or senior, everybody loves a little humor and a little stress reliever in life. And we don't want it to be so regular that it becomes boring and annoying - hence, only one day. Therefore, I would honestly really appreciate if I was a "victim" of April fools day!!!