oral presentation reflection-macbeth

1. The play of Macbeth connects to many essential questions of this unit. However, we found frequent occurrences that connect to: what could destroy or build a person's self worth and what is loyalty. My group and I focused mainly on act 4 scene 2/3 where Macduff escapes from Macbeth's soldiers and leaves his family.

"His flight was madness: when our actions do not,

Our fears do make us traitors." IV, ii, 4-5

The fact that he ran away makes him treacherous and disloyal to the King, Scotland and his family. Therefore, Macduff's disloyal actions affected his family the most in which Lady Macduff and her son are seen as traitors.

"I hope, in no place so sanctified

Where such as thou mayst find him." IV, ii, 90-91

One of Macbeth's soldiers came into Macduff's house in search for him. Lady Macbeth was disappointed in her husband for abandoning the family; yet, she still protects Macduff from the soldiers. This is an example of loyalty to one's spouse. Macduff wasn't loyal to Lady Macduff, but still she protects him.

"It is myself I mean: in whom I know
All the particulars of vice so grafted,
That, when they shall be open'd, black Macbeth
Will seem as pure as white snow, and the poor state
Esteem him as a lamb, being campared
With my confineless harms." IV, iii, 57-62

Malcolm was to be King Duncan's successor; however, he fled to England when Duncan died. His cowardliness transformed into selfish tyrant in which destroyed his self worth of being a lawful King. Macduff is appalled by this for he came to Malcolm for advice. Unfortunately, Malcolm says that he would be worse than Macbeth if he were king.

"Macduff, this noble passion,
Child of integrity, hath from my soul
Wiped the black scrupples, reconciled my thoughts
By many of these trains hath sought win me
Into his power; and modest wisdom, plucks me..." IV, iii, 129-134

Macduff's display of loyalty to the country and self worth enabled Macduff to pass Malcolm's honor test. This showed Malcolm that Macduff was an honourable man who just panicked when Macbeth's soldiers came for him. Arguing with Malcolm about tyranny built Macduff's self worth in which he believes in kindness and justice.

2. In groups, I learned that you have to have good group dynamics and teamwork. Cooperation and agreement is key to a successful project. Group projects aren't meant to be done by one person; they're meant to be done by a number of people.

3. Overall, I learned that you have to make sure everything is done as soon as possible and that everyone has done what they say they would do. Therefore, if something wasn't completed in time, a group member would help out. This results in trust and safety nets.

4. Something that I need to work on is time management. I found that I procrastinated too much to do the recordings and filmings in which resulted in some last minute work. Next time, I should do all my assignments as soon as possible.

5. Overall, I'm most proud of our project especially of the creativity and merging quotes from both Star Wars and Macbeth in our script.

6. Contribution was pretty much 33% each. Marcus did the editing of the video, Kathleen did most of the voice recordings, I did the filming, and Kathleen and I wrote the script.

Macbeth 4.2 Individual assignment

In summary, Mcduff left his family to escaped from Macbeth's soldiers. His family felt abandoned and questioned his loyalty to them, the king, and Scotland. Mcduff left his family in doubt of their own self worth. Lady Mcduff and Mcduff's son discussed about what they were to do without a father/husband. At the end of the scene, Macbeth's soldiers came for Lady Mcduff and son. They killed Mcduff's son, who had absolute faith in his father, and left Lady Mcduff to mourn over her losses. In the end, Mcduff's family still stayed loyal to him for they protected Mcduff's escape plans.

The Essential Questions that we would like to use in our project are:
1. What could destroy or build a person's  self worth?
2. What is loyalty?
3. Is one's self worth constant or ever changing?

We chose these questions because we found frequent examples of loyalty, self worth and the lack of them both.

Macbeth's integrity

In act 1, Macbeth desires to kill the King of Scotland; however, his integrity makes Macbeth have second thoughts."But here, upon this bank and shoal of time, We'd jump the life to come. But in these cases, We still have judgement here; ...Commends the ingredients of out poison'd chalice." line 6-11. His morals of justice and loyalty do not fit with murdering his King.The hierarchy in Scotland then was King-Nobles-Thanes-Freemen-and then Peasants. By killing King Duncan, Macbeth would neglect god's way. Once he refused to murder Duncan, Lady Macbeth manipulated his thoughts. "I dare do all that may become a man;" Also his integral duties of a man and love for a woman oppose his act of loyalty to the King. "Who dares do more, is none." Now he is confused. With murdering the King, Macbeth will offend God, lose humanity, and break royal loyalties. On the other hand, with not murdering the king, Macbeth will lose ambition, have limited power, lose integrity of being a man, and break his loyalties to Lady Macbeth. The influence of Lady Macbeth and his ambitions hazed his just integrity. In the end of act 1, Macbeth's weak and poor decision resulted to the King's death. At the last line, Shakespeare had Macbeth say, "False face must hide what the false heart doth know."line 92. The lesson of this scene is to not let your conscious get to you. You should follow only your integrity, not what others tell you to do.

Response

Your poem is very good choice for identity. But do you think we really lose our identity if we lose our memory?(or does it just change???) Are we still not the same person? As you have revealed in the poem, our expereinces are shped by others and ourselves and maybe we do lose them.
Did you know that there is a lot of Robert Frost in that poem as well. I liked your insight.

Macbeth Help

http://www.sparknotes.com/shakespeare/macbeth

http://www.gradesaver.com/macbeth/

poem identity response

I Could Give All to Time

To Time it never seems that he is brave

To set himself against the peaks of snow

To lay them level with the running wave,

Nor is he overjoyed when they lie low,

But only grave, contemplative and grave.

What now is inland shall be ocean isle,

Then eddies playing round a sunken reef

Like the curl at the corner of a smile;

And I could share Time’s lack of joy or grief

At such a planetary change of style.

I could give all to Time except – except

What I myself have held. But why declare

The things forbidden that while the Customs slept

I have crossed to Safety with? For I am There,

And what I would not part with I have kept.

- Robert Frost

The speaker in this poem expresses his personal experiences in his life. He has had the ups and downs throughout time; however, Frost shares Time's emotionless reaction because they both know that life goes on. The speaker views that life has to have sad days and happy days, for those that are level only offers boredom. The inconsistencies of life are what give us souls and imperfection. Frost also indicates that life is too short to just give away. "Except what I myself have held." line 12. He wants to keep his memories and identity with him when time goes by. "At such a planetary change of style" line 10. As people grow older, we lose our memory and therefore, we lose our identity. In summary, Frost wants us to take our experiences of everyday life and live them to the fullest. Because who knows what will happen next.

The Lottery Response

The village in this short story follow many values that have been past down from generation to generation. The villagers have been so used to their traditions that they have become ignorant to change and deny the fact that their ways are out-dated. '"It's not the way it used to be," Old man Warner said clearly. "People ain't they way they used it be."'-pg 8. It is also noticeable that the villagers are waiting for new ideas for population control for they are becoming aware that "[the lottery] isn't fair, it isn't right"-pg 9. The lottery has been so much in their lives that they are afraid to leave it. Their poor choices reflect on their identity to be-in our eyes- inhumane.It is like they perceive life to be just a game of luck. Once you get the black dot, your friends and your own family turns on you to be beaten to death. The fear of not following the village ways furthermore provides the lack of life's experiences. One can see a movement of change where "over in the north village [they] [talk] of giving up the lottery." People are starting to question the morals and outcomes of the primitive game. We can hope that the villagers use their global community's experience and actions to reform their own.

The Charmer Blog Response

EQ: How are people transformed through their relationships with others?

Zach was a selfish,manipulative boy who took advantage of his family. He cared so much for himself that the family dynamics fell to pieces. Zach ended up angry and alone once his relationship with his family crumbled. "He just walked out the door without a word." Winnifred and the Dad became stronger individuals with their own values of the family. "Over the years, I've been wondering what to do about forgiveness...Lord Himself wouldn't have wanted us all to just lie down and be walked over." Both Winnifred and her father realized that family members should be grateful for another and obtain equal worthiness. Winnifred eventually learned from her past relationship with her brother; therefore, she did not give in to her own daughter's manipulations. And the mom felt guilty that it was "too late" to change Zach and bring him back home. So "she [then] became senile."- the Charmer.

Picture connection of The Charmer

The crown with jewels represents Zachary and how he had his family(the jewels) to enhance himself. Zachary acted like a king to everyone in his life. And he used his charm to make others follow him and do his errands. He treated his family like slaves.
"I was Zachary's willing slave. Slavery, in fact, was in vogue in our house."
And he even talks like a noble from the 15th century! This kingly image resulted in drama queen behaviours and short tempers. Zachary took his family's money, love, and dignity. And no one of the family stood up for themselves, just like no subject refused a King's order without fear. Zachary only cared for himself, not even one of his own flesh and blood. A family member is just another jewel for him, nothing else.
I made this connection because Zachary- maybe a little exaggerated- had the personality and life of many us in the real world. Our families do so much for our benefit and give no gratitude in return. Like what Zach's Dad said, "Lord Himself wouldn't have wanted us all to just lie down and be walked over".