Natural Order

Natural Order in Macbeth:

In Macbeth, the reader is positioned to understand the naturalised hierarchy through references to animals, the weather, and gender. Unnatural events such as murder and witchcraft are often followed by unnatural events in nature. Order can be seen as resembling the animal world, with the falcon ruling over the smaller and less powerful animals. After the murder of Duncan, the weather patterns are absurd: “And yet dark night strangles the travelling lamp. Is ‘t night’s predominance or the day’s shame that darkness does the face of Earth entomb” (Act 2, Scene 4). Banquo spoke about the lack of moon and the presence of a heavy wind. The morning after the murder, Ross speaks to an old man about the strange weather and odd animal behaviour. The old man also mentions the unexpected killing of a falcon by a mere owl that usually hunts mice. Ross then brings up the strange happening of the King’s horses breaking loose and turning wild and eventually eating themselves. “On Tuesday last, a falcon, tow’ring in her pride of place, was by a mousing owl hawked at and killed” (Act 2, Scene 4).

Natural Order in Macbeth

What constitutes order in the play Macbeth?
The play is linked with the reversal of values. Unnatural acts such as murder and witchcraft are often followed by unnatural events in nature. Order is the natural order of a King ruling over lower class citizens and passing his Kingship on through blood ties. In Macbeth, there is a reversal of this order, as Macbeth becomes King not through the passing down of the crown, but through murder. The order can be seen as resembling the animal world, with the falcon ruling over other smaller and less powerful animals. In the play, the falcon is killed by an owl, and this is seen as a reversal of the natural order.

Think about the start of the play. What is Macbeth rewarded for? What is the first Thane of Cawdor punished for?
Duncan rewards Macbeth with the title of the Thane of Cawdor and all the land that comes with the title. He says Macbeth will rise to new levels of glory. Duncan announces punishment for the traitor Macdonwald, who was the Thane of Cawdor and a reward for Macbeth. “No more that thane of Cawdor shall deceive Our bosom interest: go pronounce his present death, And with his former title greet Macbeth” (Act 1, Scene 2).

When Macbeth kills Duncan what is his immediate response? What does his intense feeling of guilt tell us?
Macbeth seems very nervous and scared immediately after killing Duncan. “I have done the deed” (Act 2, scene 1) Both Macbeth and Lady Macbeth seen to be in a heightened state of awareness after the murder. Macbeth feels guilty and feels as though he cannot wash the blood of his hands. "Will all great Neptune's ocean wash this blood clean from my hand? No, this my hand will rather the multitudinous seas incarnadine, making the green one red" (Act 2, Scene 2). This guilt tells us that Macbeth has realised that he has disturbed the natural order. Macbeth hears the knocking and hopes that is will wake Duncan. “Wake Duncan with thy knocking. I would thou couldst.” (Act 2, Scene 2).

Chaos ensues for Scotland. What does this tell us about what Macbeth has done?
Macbeth’s ambition for power led to uncontrollable paranoia. His desire to be King, led to the murder of numerous people. His ambition is the end and his paranoia led to his physical destruction but also the abandonment of his kingdom. Macbeth seems to want to destroy all opposition to his rule and driven by a sense of insecurity, Macbeth appoints murderers to kill Banquo and Fleance. Macbeth becomes a tyrannical ruler. This tells us that Macbeth has disturbed the natural order, and as a result, the Kingdom is in ruins. Macduff talk about Scotland being in a terrible state by saying “Each new morn, New widows howl, new orphans cry, new sorrows Strike heaven on the face, that it resounds As if it felt with Scotland and yell'd out Like syllable of dolour” (Act 4, Scene 3) Macbeth still feels insecure because he knows that he did not receive Kingship through his father. He feels insecure because he has a "fruitless crown, and … a barren sceptre in his gripe,"(Act 3, Scene 1) He does not have any son to succeed him and feels that every king should or else their reign is deemed as insignificant.

What occurs in the natural world when Duncan is murdered? What does this tell us?
After the murder of Duncan, the weather patterns seem absurd: “And yet dark night strangles the travelling lamp. Is ’t night’s predominance or the day’s shame That darkness does the face of Earth entomb” (Act 2, Scene 4) Banquo spoke about the lack of a moon and the presence of a heavy wind. The morning after the murder, Ross speaks to an Old Man about the strange weather and odd animal behaviour. The Old Man also mentions the unexpected killing of a falcon by a mere owl that usually hunts mice. Ross then brings up the strange happening of the King’s horses breaking loose and turning wild and eventually eating themselves. “On Tuesday last, A falcon, tow'ring in her pride of place, Was by a mousing owl hawked at and killed.” (Act 2, Scene 4)

How does Lady Macbeth contribute to our understanding of order? Consider her attempts to transgress the boundaries in relation to gender and what this leads to. An example of "reversal of nature" is with Lady Macbeth and her masculine characteristics when compared to the norm at the time and her husband's femininity. After she reads her husband's letter, she asks for the gods to "unsex" her and therefore, remove all feminine feeling from her mind. She takes charge over Macbeth, which was unusual for the time and manipulated Macbeth, causing hi to falter.

Fair is Foul and Foul is Fair

"Fair is foul, and foul is fair: Hover through the fog and filthy air" (1.1.11-12) In this context, Fair means everything that is good and beautiful, whereas foul means the opposite - all that is gruesome. Essentially, fair and foal means good and bad. This motif is introduced at the very beginning of the play when the witches wait to Macbeth to come back from battle. This is essentially, is a paradox. How can something good, also be bad? The chant boils down to "good is evil, evil is good."It undermines how uncompromisingly evil they are - to them, everything good and virtuous is disgusting, and everything loathsome and horrible is desirable. When the witches first introduce this chant, they are alluding to the paradox between Macbeth's nobel and "fair" nature, but as far as the witches are concerned, he is far from the average definition of "fair." The line, "fair is foul and foul is fair," also implies that the characters are not as they seem to be. Macbeth is introduced to us a nobel and brave soldier who has just returned form battle, but his intentions after meeting the witches are vicious. The witches are merely foreshadowing an incident that will happen. It really all descends into "What is good for you is bad for me, and what's bad for me is good for you." This comes into play when Macbeth murders Duncan; it was good for him, bad for the King. Whilst at battle, Macbeth is praised for his skills and nobility, but after he meets the witches and hears their predictions, he is led to commit evil crimes. We can no longer trust Macbeth as he appears "fair" but because of his crimes, he is "foul."

Chapter 9 - The Catcher in the Rye

The first thing Holden did when he got off at Penn station was head for a phone booth. He felt like calling someone up; anyone at all. As soon as he was inside though, he was confused as to who he could call. D.B was in hollywood. Phoebe would be asleep by 9 o'clock. She probably wouldn't have cared if Holden called her, the only problem was his parents would have been the ones to answer the phone; not Phoebe. Holden contemplated whether or not to call Jane Gallagher. He didn't really feel like it, though. The next person was Sally Hayes - this girl that Holden used to meet up with quite frequently. Her mother would have answered the phone at this time of night, and her mother didn't like Holden much. So that was not an option. After about twenty minutes, Holden came out of the booth carrying his bags and got a cab. Not thinking clearly, he gave the diver his regular address, just out of habit. He forgot he was going to stay in a hotel until vacation started. Halfway through ht park Holden told the driver to turn around and head back downtown. Being a wise guy, the driver told his he couldn't turn around here. Holden didn't want to argue so he remained silent. When all of a sudden he remembered the ducks near Central Park. The ones in the lagoon. Not able to contain he curiosity, Holden asked the driver where they went when the lake froze over. Of course though, the cab driver looked at him like he was a madman.

Herr Keller,
Years have passed since my years in Adelaide, studying at the Conservatorium. Studies and friends are all a surreal blur now and the only thing that remains vivid in my mind is the advice you have given me; the countless upon countless misinterpreted quotes that my mind back then, simply could not comprehend. Or was it that I was just too egotistical to want to understand? It was silly of me to believe that I have learnt everything there is to know about piano. I recall sending you a tape of my Honours performance in Elder Hall – expecting to receive a letter of praise in return. Instead, I ignorantly and furiously tried to ignore the critique. I guess you could say I quickly fell pray to the vanities of praise and believed that I had already reached the level of a master. I believed and I assured myself that I had nothing left to learn – no one could teach me, only I could teach myself. But now I clearly understand that my life in Adelaide was simply an absence of you. I now understand and have interpreted your sly invitation back to Darwin – you critiqued me to remind me that I haven’t fully learnt yet and that you are willing to teach me what you know because you never had the chance to do that – you never got the chance to convert all your skills and all your knowledge to someone else. I thought that I have reached your standards and that I had nothing left to learn – but now, only now, do I realize that I cant and never will compare. I realise that I have wasted my years away from Darwin, simply pressing keys and hearing only notes –never real music – and obsessing over technique that I know you will never approve of. I have made decisions that cannot be unmade and now regret overwhelms me but also a sense of gratitude because I have finally learnt what you have been trying to teach me all these years.

Intermezzo

Intermezzo is an interlude of a break in music and the contents of this chapter reflect the chapter name; Paul takes a break from his musical studies with Keller and from his friends to travel to Adelaide for his school holidays. This gives him time to reflect on his life in Darwin. Adelaide used to be a utopia for him when he was younger and the he entertained himself by going to the zoo and watching television. But 16-year-old Paul did not find those things interesting anymore and instead, resorted to spending most of his holidays in the library, researching Herr Heller. One day, Paul experiences a couple having sex in the library and this leaves a lasting impression on Paul. It causes him to explore and to think about his own sexual desires. Paul focuses on reliving the activities from the library the same night rather than focusing on music. His reaction to the lovers proves to us that Paul is - simply put - just another teenage boy and it reminds us of his burgeoning sexuality. We begin to understand that whilst Paul is interested in music and his research on Keller’s life; he is more interested in his own sexual desires.
At the end of the first chapter, Keller says to Paul, “If you want people to believe your lies, set them to music.” Keller believes that music blinds Paul from the reality of the situation. He doesn’t want Paul to make decisions based on emotions, but rather based on reason. A superficial understanding of music can make Paul forget the nuance in music and forget to appreciate what the real purpose of music is. Keller sends Paul an older edition of a music book her already has. Paul is disappointed with his present but is makes him more curious as to where Keller got it from and this causes him to go and research Keller and his life in Europe.

My Father’s Axe

The story, My Father's Axe, explores the changing dynamics of a man's relationship with his father. When he is a child the man sees his father as a hero-like figure; someone who he looks up to and admires. He sees his father as someone who can build and repair anything as well as someone who protects, and he strives to be as gallant as his father supposedly is. This represents manhood as a type of trait that is passed on from father to son over time. However, the relationship is ambivalent, as he believes his father is disappointed in him. We see this on a number of occasions in the story as the relationship with his father diminished slowly and the father refuses to talk to his son on many occasions. As the man grows up and his father grows old, the relationship changes. The father becomes increasingly weak and frail, meaning that the man increasingly takes on the role of the man of the house. For a male, growing up is therefore represented as involving taking on the role of his father and doing the same chores and chopping wood just as his father did. The man's relationship with his mother is quite different. With her he is more open and communicates with her more freely. Being an adult female is therefore represented quite differently in that you can communicate your feelings without being afraid of being downgraded or seen as a weak character. The axe is a symbol of strength; both physical and emotional.

Dear Diary, Today I have had the displeasure of coming across and ad that was situated on my mother’s bedside drawer. The title, ‘Senior Year of High School’, instantly grabbed my attention since I, myself, am completing my final year of school. After reading the article three times over, I furiously ripped it up and disposed of it. My mother; the woman who ejected me from her womb, trusts me so little that she decided to join in some parental campaign against teenagers. Sure, I understand when your daughter is a troubled teen who instead of talking to her parents about her problems, resorts to alcohol and drugs. I guess then it’s okay to take advice from an advertisement produced by a group parents. But the fact that my mother kept this piece of paper means that she has no trust in me whatsoever. This piece of A4 paper basically warns parents that teenagers are all so rebellious and crass that they must be watched over until they reach the age of a complete adult. According to the ad, we are incapable of making our own life decisions and must be watched over constantly otherwise we could run amok. There are always teenagers who will drink and try out drugs, but they do not epitomize the majority of teenagers on this planet. We need to be trusted. If we are not trusted we end up lying anyway. Sure, a teen might try alcohol once or smoke a cigarette but that does not set us up for a lifetime of alcoholism and despair. At this age we are capable enough to make our own life choices. We know the consequences and those who choose to mess around too much end up realizing their mistakes further down the line.

Week 4 Homework

In the play ‘Othello’, Iago is a manipulative character who manages to get revenge on Othello by using the power of jealousy. Iago is introduced to the audience as a character who is known for his honest and reliable nature. Desdemona is depicted as a loyal, innocent, and honest woman but she received her father to marry Othello. This event is brought up by Iago to remind Othello that she is not as innocent and honest as she appears to be, for she received her father. Through the positioning technique of naming, Iago is constantly being told of how honest and loyal he is to Othello and other comrades; Othello even calls him, Honest Iago" (1.3.290). Othello does not believe he is a gullible or jealous person, but when Iago brings up the idea of Cassio sleeping with his wife, Desdemona, Othello doesn’t question it. Instead, this makes him curious and rather angry. Iago uses his manipulative skills and reputation for honesty to plant seeds of doubt and make Othello eventually believe that Desdemona is unfaithful. Othello reacts so strongly to Iago’s accusations because he is known to be an honest man and although the evidence of Desdemona and Cassio sleeping together is impossible to find, Iago manages to use Desdemona’s handkerchief to frame Cassio. Although, Othello was not weak in nature, he was an easy target for Iago due to his gullibility. Othello is also very easily affected by jealousy, and he eventually lets his jealousy clutter his mind and good judgement. Why is Othello so convinced that Desdemona is cheating on him? Iago never offers any real proof of her being unfaithful, which suggests that Othello is very gullible. Othello believes that Iago has his best interest at heart and this leads to him believing everything Iago tells him.

Theme in Othello - Homework

Reputation and honour and both major themes throughout Othello. This theme is first encountered in Act 1, scene 3 when the Duke addresses him as “valiant Othello”. Then it is clear to the audience that Othello has political power and is regarded as brave in the military. Before this address by the Duke, Othello is only referred to as ‘the Moor’ or described with rather vulgar language. The use of imagery is present when characters describe Othello. An example is when Iago calls Othello an ‘old black ram’ and Desdemona a ‘white ewe’. The juxtaposition of black and white is meant to make the audience see how people associated Moors with the colour black which also symbolized all things evil. In Act 2, Iago gets Cassio drunk in order to damage his reputation. After humiliating himself, Cassio realizes how his actions have impacted his career and reputation as Othello’s lieutenant. When he is stripped of his rank, he indicates the importance of reputation by repeating to himself “reputation, reputation, reputation.” (2.3.257) We then see that reputation is more valuable to Cassio than anything in the world. Iago also has a reputation, but he has a reputation for being loyal and honest. He has the power to manipulate people and lie to them but make it seem truthful.