2 years later...

At the brink of what is sure to be one of the most intellectually and physically demanding years of my life - my third year at Royal Holloway, University of London - I stumbled upon the forgotten blogs of yesteryear..the literary thoughts and explorations of a 16 year old me. How strange.  What is even more curiouser (and curiouser) is that the blogs long forgotten by me, my inspiring A2 English Literature teacher and my old classmates, have clocked up numerous views over the past two years. Who on earth has been reading them?!  Whoever you are, I am grateful and I hope you have enjoyed.  However I intend to leave the 16 year old me behind and start a new blog, fit for a third year undergraduate of Comparative Literature & Culture, with no idea what the next step is post-graduation but with a sheer love for literature.

So to anyone who does view this blog, let me direct you to the thoughts of a more present me: www.rhulramblings.blogspot.com
Where I will be blogging about the literature I enjoy, as well as the literature that I study at university. Oh, and also about the stress of three 5,000 word dissertations and their sure to be soul destroying effect.  Enjoy! See you soon.

How Frankenstein connects to the other texts...

- themes of isolation/rejection
*represented in the monster's rejection from society (Frankenstein)
*Macbeth's self-isolation from the norms of society- immersed in his own deception
*Isolated setting of 'Mr Lyon'- desolate castle surrounded by 'swirling snow' far away from the city and civilisation (Bloody Chamber)
- nature as a destructive force
*nature of Victor's personality - obsessed with knowledge/science etc - it his nature which leads him to the destructive task of creating the monster
*the natural forces of destiny/fate (represented in the witches) as an uncontrollable force lead Macbeth down a destructive path of deceit and murder
*Natural setting of the sea, as an enforcer of the young bride's capitivity - the sound of the sea is described as a violent ever present force, reminding the young bride of her entrapment in the castle (The Bloody Chamber)
-Relationships and the dark consequences of them
*The closeness of Victor's family, close relationships results in the monster exploiting this by murdering those that Victor holds dear to cause the most pain
*Macbeth and Lady Macbeth - both thirsty for power, almost competing whose stronger? LM comes off the worst in her insanity. Also the trusting friendship with Banquo, Macbeth betrays this by ordering the murder of Banquo
*The murdered wives of the Marquis, they all trusted and loved him, once again this is abused and he betrays them (The Bloody Chamber)

Frankenstein can be seen as a novel of identity..

-the monster lacks his own identity.
- within the society represented in the novel the monster's physical identity is rejected (causing him to doubt his inner identity/personality?)
- the monster likens himself to the characters of Paradise Lost - trying to assign himself an identity - copies the actions of the DeLaceys
- Victor's identity - sees himself only as a scientist? cannot escape his identity - cast in his role (marxism?)
- lack of identity of the monster also evident in the submissive role of women in society

The Werewolf

The introduction of this story creates an ominous atmosphere 'they have cold weather, they have cold hearts', creating immediate tension for the reader before the story has developed. Carter emphasises the stereotypical original Gothic type stories everyone has been exposed to, of witches, the devil etc. typical scary content. 'the Devil holds picnics...and invites the witches; then they dig up fresh corpses, and eat them'. Creates the idea of evil as an openly existing, ever-present thing.

Heroine in the story a brave young girl, the innocence of her virginity creates her bravery in that she is not exposed to the dark side of human nature, which Carter emphasises to be sex throughout her collection of short stories. 'she dropped her gifts, seized her knife and turned on the beast'.

Ironic death of her grandmother, cut of her paw as a wolf and then discovers her in human form with her bloody stump 'festering' (Gothic image of death/rotting).

Women represented as as the enemy (grandmother the villain), similar to Snow Child, shows that woman are not always the innocent victims.

As the reader we do not necessarily hate the villain (the grandmother), feel sorry for her as she cannot refrain from preying on her granddaughter. idea of being cursed/damned by something completely out of your control (link to The Lady of the House of Love) and also raises the idea of higher powers at work, destiny/fate.

Carter's emphasis on the treatment of witches etc (being stoned) could be seen as Carter's criticism of over-judgement in society. Could also be seen as a demonstration of how easily the traditional Gothic villains could be removed, eg. by stoning them, or placing a 'wreath of garlic' on the door. The point Carter is trying to make here is that the neo-Gothic that she is demonstrating in her writing is not as easy to rid yourself of, as it is an innate feature of human nature. Suggesting that this is where the true Gothic comes from, and this is what we should really fear in life, the dark side of human nature.

Key themes in The Bloody Chamber.

- Use of shock tactics : use of explicit language eg. 'cunt', controversial issues eg. paedophilia + necrophilia, exploitation of innocence, sadistic exposure of sex.
- Fairytale element of story telling: Carter has taken the original fairytales for children and giving them her own dark twist- removing common previous fairytale conventions, whilst ironically still maintaining ones such as the 'happily ever after' ending.
- Feminism - challenging female conventions in society by giving the female characters the more dominant role
- Entrapment - idea of being surrounded or trapped, eg. The Bloody Chamber, the female is surrounded by the sea and trapped in the castle
- Violence linked with love and sex
- Virginity/Innocence/Purity - common association : virginity and innocence.
- Nature
- Transformation

Gothic nature of The Bloody Chamber relies on human nature, and general features of it which appear to be normal in everyday society, Carter takes these features and explores them in a way that exposes the many dark and sadistic faults in human nature. Focusing on sexual desires as a dark subject and emphasising the innocence of the human race in a virginal state. As well as this Carter also explores the importance of nature as a Gothic element, in it's destructive nature and omnipotence in life, which leads well above any control we possess.

'The Erl King' ; Angela Carter

The introduction to the Erl King describes the serene natural setting of the forest, ‘the leaves glittered…the withered blackberries dangled…’ Carter’s narrative here involves the reader directly; using direct description to the reader ‘you step between the first trees…the wood swallows you up’. Moreover a feeling of claustrophobia is created in Carter’s description of the overbearing forest, ‘Once you are inside it, you must stay there until it lets you out again’. Moreover the idea that nature is control is created here, in the sense that the forest holds the control, personifying the forest and making it seem grand and above the powers of human control ‘the trees stir…a little stream…has grown sullen’.

Setting is important here, as it creates the atmosphere for the story. As Carter spends so much time describing the menacing forest we as the reader are kept in suspense as to what is going to happen and are put edge by the gloomy, threatening setting.

Page 97 - ‘It is easy to lose yourself in these woods’; could have 2 different meanings? 1. Get physically lost 2. Lose the kind of person you are?

Narrative shifts between first, second and third person – intention to confuse the reader? Make us feel lost by the forest?

The Erl King: Seems to be at one with nature, a part of the forest. ‘He knows all about the wood and the creatures in it’. Physical description of the Erl King creates the image of a tree, ‘hair that is the colour of dead leaves, dead leaves fall out of it’. The way in which the birds come to rest on him, as if the branches of a tree. ‘Like a tree that bears bloom and fruit’

He is at one with nature, yet asserts power of the forest, calling all the birds to him (similar to The Pied Piper) – is he a symbol of nature’s power? Destructive in the same way that nature can be destructive.

Seduction by the Erl King, ‘he drew me towards him’.

Idea of stripping skin (links to Tiger’s Bride and Wolf Alice) ‘he strips me to my last nakedness, that underskin of mauve’.

Young woman narrator feels consumed by him, consumed by the forest/nature. Takes control and ironically strangles him with his own hair.

‘with hands as gentle as rain’ – shows a different less destructive side of nature – however an odd simile to use to describe such a destructive act

'Wolf Alice' ; Angela Carter

Wolf Alice represents a common theme in Angela Carter's version of the Gothic, animalistic qualities within a human. Alice is initially introduced as 'wild, impatient of restraint, capricious in temper' and is further characterised as a wolf by the constant reference to her 'claws'. Page 146, ‘you might say she could not put her finger on’, the italic emphasis of ‘finger’ is ironic, in the sense that until this point Alice is described as having ‘claws’, it also reminds us that she is human. We also see the emphasis of animalism in humans in the 'Bloody Chamber' when the Marquis is described as having a 'dark mane'.

Another Gothic theme present is the idea of rejection or desertion; Alice is rejected by the nuns (who were her 'saviors') because of her animalism. Similarly we see themes of rejection in Frankenstein + also 'The Courtship of Mr Lyon'.

Setting: The Duke's 'gloomy mansion'

Gothic themes: Werewolf, setting at night, corpses, graveyard, loneliness, and rejection

(direct reference to the bloody chamber...'heaped in the corners of his bloody chamber')

Page 143 - 'the coffin had been ripped open...not a trace could be found but for a rag of the bridal veil...’ This creates an oxymoronic image of a negative, death and a positive, marriage. Links to Frankenstein- the 'bridal bier' (Elizabeth's death)

Page 142 – Angela Carter uses the idea of food and appetite to remind us of the link between animals and humans. ‘His eyes see only appetite. These eyes open to devour…’ The word ‘devour’ emphasizes the need for food and also his uncivilized existence. (Courtship of Mr Lyon; Mr Lyon’s health decreases when he does not eat – reminds the reader of the close link between animals and humans)

Importance of the moon/night: Is when the Duke hunts, acts as an illuminator, revealer, how Alice establishes time (acts as a cycle). ‘With a punctuality that transformed her vague grip of time’

The Mirror: Alice discovers her reflection and believes it to be a playmate, this emphasizes her loneliness and isolation, and also how distant she is from the human world as something as regular and recognizable as a mirror/her own reflection she does not know of. (Naivety? Innocence?). Also reveals the Duke eventually.

Establishment of her human side: Gradually Alice establishes a grip on human life, she recognizes time and the regularity of her natural cycle, cries and later discovers clothing and compassion for the Duke

Drawing upon at least two stories from The Bloody Chamber explore the ways in which Carter might be considered to re-interpret the gothic conventions.

The gothic genre is one that has been explored for centuries, ranging from classics such as the Castle of Otranto, to the more modern interpretations from Angela Carter’s The Bloody Chamber. Carter has been known to challenge and manipulate some of the traditional gothic features, thus re-interpreting the gothic with a modern flair and exposing the darker side of human nature to be sadistic and sexual rather than purely grisly murders that we are so often exposed to in the gothic genre.
The Bloody Chamber, the first story in Angela Carter’s collection of short stories seems to represent all things gothic. Primarily the setting we are introduced to alludes to the typical gothic, a castle ‘on the very bosom of the sea’, with ‘spiked gates’. The setting in a gothic text is important in creating an atmosphere for the story to come; Angela Carter remains true to this aspect of the gothic. Using the castle in this story to create a sense of entrapment and claustrophobia for our unnamed heroine. Throughout the story the sounds of the sea are constantly referred to, creating the image of the castle being completely surrounded by the sea with no way to escape. ‘The play of the waves outside’ ‘the waves crashed’. This is an interesting twist on the typical fairytale as well as the gothic, as the heroine is trapped in the castle in a sense but not by a wicked villain, by nature and it’s forces (in this case the sea). Similarly in The Courtship of Mr Lyon Carter creates the idea of claustrophobia around the Beast’s castle ‘it might have been the reflection of a star, if any stars could have penetrated the snow that whirled yet more thickly’.
A typical feature of the gothic is often suspense and mystery; Carter’s stories however lack this. There is a distinct lack of fear within the stories which in this sense shows Angela Carter’s own interpretation of the gothic. In The Bloody Chamber our heroine experiences no fear, ‘still I felt no fear, no raising of the hairs’. This of course affects the way in which we as the reader receive the story, as there is no real tension or suspense to enthral the reader and maintain that tense atmosphere so often associated with gothic text or film. This could be interpreted as a means to emphasise Carter’s own interpretations of what the gothic is truly about. Her writing style demonstrates and emphasises nature and the dark force of it, for example the snow in The Courtship of Mr Lyon, shielding the castle of the Beast from the outside world. Similarly Frankenstein, a famous gothic text emphasises the importance of the destructive force that nature can hold. Moreover Carter uses her description to allude to the senses of the reader, making several references to the ‘fleshy’ feel of the lilies in The Bloody Chamber.
Angela Carter’s The Bloody Chamber takes several well known fairytales and delivers them in a dark, provocative way. However the fairytale aspects of her narrative are what remove that tense gothic atmosphere from the texts. Both The Bloody Chamber and The Courtship of Mr Lyon end with a typical fairytale ‘happily-ever-after’ ending, which distinguishes Carter’s gothic from the traditional gothic. ‘Mr and Mrs Lyon walk in the garden…in a drift of fallen petals’. The serene ending of The Courtship of Mr Lyon is an example of the fairytale endings that Carter uses throughout her collection. These endings may not necessarily fit with the traditional gothic genre but they do fit with Angela Carter’s version of the gothic genre.
The female role in Carter’s stories can also be interpreted as untraditional in comparison to the traditional gothic. The typical gothic female role is a damsel in distress type character, however in both stories I have explored the sexuality of the female character is exposed as well as a role reversal in who holds the power. The Bloody Chamber explores the sexual side of the gothic genre which is quite often ignored in traditional gothic texts, the young bride displays signs of frustration and desire which traditionally would not have been revealed so openly ‘I felt both a strange and impersonal arousal…’. Carter has used her interpretations of the gothic to challenge the female role in society also. Written in the late 1970’s a time of social progression, it comes as no surprise that Carter places her female characters in a position of sexuality or power. In the Courtship of Mr Lyon, Beauty holds the power over the Beast. Demonstrated in the detrimental effect her absence has on him and how upon her return he is saved; this demonstrates the change in who holds the power that was occurring at the time and also challenges the conventions of the saviour and damsel in distress. Making the Beast, the male, the damsel and the female, Beauty the saviour, this emphasises the title of this particular story, The Courtship of Mr Lyon; it is the male character being courted, which traditionally was the other way round in the sense of courtship.

Carter’s narrative definitely demonstrates a re-interpretation of the gothic genre, whilst still remaining true to the main traditional gothic features such as isolation and desertion, Carter inserts her own ideas of what the gothic is about, for example nature and the distribution and abuse of power between male and female.

In Chapter 10, to what extent is nature a key point?

Nature holds a key part in this chapter, as Victor once again seeks comfort from it and relieves his grief and calamities by being at one with the natural surroundings of Mount Blanc. The romantic theme of this chapter demonstrates the popular movement existing in the 18^th and 19^th century, when Mary Shelley wrote Frankenstein. Romanticism celebrated nature rather than civilisation and focused on the effects of nature, this is relevant particularly in this chapter as Victor seeks solace by climbing the ‘tremendous’ Mount Blanc. ‘It had then filled me with a sublime ecstasy that gave wings to the soul’. As we have seen throughout the novel so far Victor temporarily forgets his sorrows when surrounded by nature and presents this feeling of overwhelm and awe at the beauty and grand scale of nature. His love for nature and the relief that comes with it is emphasised the positive language Victor uses in relation to nature, 'tremendous' 'awful and magnificent'. Mary Shelley’s emphasis on the romantic elements of nature comes as little surprise, as she was acquainted with some of the greatest romantic poets of her time, for example Wordsworth. Moreover within the novel nature is perceived as the highest immutable power, above that of mankind and the struggles in society. In chapter 10, both Frankenstein and the monster seek the power of nature to forget the erratic humane troubles that they are faced with, highlighting the romantic within Mary Shelley and more subtly her criticisms of society.

Frankenstein, Chapter 1.

Themes in chapter 1:

- family/companionship/love – love between parents ‘he strove to shelter her’ love for Elizabeth, relationship with family, ‘one train of enjoyment for me’

- Elizabeth: Victor shows genuine affection for her – positive description ‘’cherub creature who seemed to shed radiance from her looks’ – yet serves as a protector *last paragraph* ‘I shared it, my pride and my delight’, selfish intentions behind his love?

- happiness of childhood/parents: respect shown for parents, refers to them as ‘benevolent’ constantly, God described as ‘benevolent’, other religious references: mother a ‘guardian angel to the afflicted’.

- Women (oppression of?): Female characters in this chapter portrayed as the weaker sex, Victor’s mother- rescued from poverty ‘he came like a protecting spirit to the poor girl’. Elizabeth a possession (trophy) – ‘mine to protect, love and cherish’ – reflects society in the time it was written – women held a more passive role in society, under the power and protection of men.

- Question of victor’s obsession (source of?): Where does his obsession with the quest of knowledge come from? Such a stable upbringing, plenty of love and affection. Stability: lessons of ‘patience, of charity and of self control’. (is his future obsession class rebellion?) -NATURE VS NURTURE debate – must come from nature? Nurture (upbringing completely stable)

- Possession? Elizabeth like a possession he can display and claim to be his ‘Till death she was to be mine only’

- Inevitability of Victor’s tragedy: Indications of Victor’s doom. Speaking in past tense ‘I was so guided…’ – implies he lost that guidance

- Locations: Childhood in Geneva (influence of Lake Geneva from Shelley’s life)

- Prolepsis: Elizabeth’s death ‘til death she was to be mine only’ (not the monsters)

*imagery: ‘bloomed…fairer than a garden rose among dark leaved brambles’

- idea of Elizabeth as a bright, beautiful influence on the dark, on Victor’s inherent darkness, when he leaves for Ingolstadt, the darkness is in complete control. Elizabeth: light (good) contrast to darkness of novel.

Act five, Macbeth

Act 5 brings a sense of justice to the play, as well as the triumph of good over evil. In scene 1 Lady Macbeth's madness is revealed to the reader, displaying how her steely, strong character has descended into utter insanity due to her participation in the murder of the King of Scotland, as well as constantly assuring Macbeth in the earlier scenes in the play. *Strange how we don't question whether LM is truly unaffected by the murder earlier in the play, assume she is the stronger one, someone has to be?* The presence of the doctor and gentlewoman are extremely important as they both act as witnesses in a sense, and emphasise the depths of madness to which LM has sunk. Moreover the doctor emphasises the disturbance in nature which rings true throughout the play, 'perturbation in nature', 'unnatural deeds', and is also relevant in the 'unnatural troubles' of LM. The doctor's last speech is rich in natural imagery, 'breed', 'mated', 'eyes', 'speak', 'sight'. The language used once again emphasies the unnatural occurence witnessed by the doctor but also possibly the things LM is no longer in control of, or never has been. For example, the true nature of her feelings of guilt concerning the murder of Duncan she is no longer in control of, and her senses 'sight' and speech she is also no longer in control over, as she confesses unknowingly in her insanity and regarding her eyesight her 'sense are shut'.
LM's inability to sleep is foreshadowed in the second act, where one of the King's attendants cries 'Macbeth does murder sleep', the 'benefit of sleep', has no effect on LM as it has been 'murdered' by Macbeth, thus she cannot resolve her guilt in her mind, as she does not receive the mental healing rewarded by sleep.
* blood once again used as a symbol of guilt - similar to Macbeth 'will all great Neptune's ocean wash this blood from my hand?'
*'hell is murky' - not real hell, as she is not dead or has not been convicted or found out, self inflicted darkness - personal hell?
Scene 2 fundamentally shows the extent Macbeth has gone to- as he has lost all loyalty and respect, previously bestowed upon him by the various lords etc. in court. - they belittle him calling him a 'dwarfish thief'
*imagery once again of blood 'sticking' (not being able to wash it clean)
Macbeth's guilt is also evident in act 5 (Scene 3), when he enquires after the doctor after his 'patient' (aka LM), this is such a cold way to address his wife, indicating Macbeth's desire to distance himself from her 'illness', possible as he is to blame? to ease his own guilt? Macbeth asks generally of the doctor 'canst thou not minister to a mind diseased,pluck from the memory the rooted sorrow, raze out the written troubles of the brain'. His casual use of the word 'the' lacks specification LM who is the one seriously ill because of 'written troubles of the brain' yet Macbeth speaks so generally - leaving it open, to whether he can be cured of his own 'diseased' mind.
Macbeth's soliloquy in reaction to LM's death (scene 5) is key at this point in the play, nearing the end of the play, there is already a hint of desperation and despair, Macbeth's speech echoes a typical nihilistic view on life, that it has no meaning or purpose and is essentially pointless. does his nihilistic view on life act as self justification for his own crimes, if they signify nothing then he has done no wrong?
*'life's but a poor player...' - Macbeth directed by witches (he is the player on stage) or could be interpreted as a dramatic way of Shakespeare forcing the audience to recognise the theatrical illusion of the play?
Scene 6: murder of Macbeth
Act 5 is much more fast paced than the others, representing the culmination to the climax of the play, and also the action within this scene. Macbeth's soliloquy is key not only in this act but of the whole play, as it demonstrates a rare genuine view of Macbeth's, with no influence from LM, the witches or his power hungry mind, it is Macbeth in despair, at a loss, vulnerable and acknowledging that his end is near also.

Act four, Macbeth

Act four in my opinion is the epitome of the gothic in Macbeth; the act begins with the witches gathered around their cauldron chanting some kind of spell ‘round about the cauldron go; In the poisoned entrails throw…’. The first scene is rich with similar gothic imagery ‘baboon’s blood’, emphasising the gothic role of the witches, which is to remind the audience/reader of the reality of evil or unnatural things in the play. It is in this scene which we see clearly how far Macbeth has transgressed from the beginning of the play, Macbeth goes to the witches to seek their advice and prophecies, yet separates himself from them, calling them ‘secret, black and midnight hags’. At this point Macbeth has gone to the dark side as it were, yet refuses to admit this to himself, this is evident in the way he distances himself from the witches (the embodiment of evil in the play) and also in an earlier act when he personifies ‘wither’d Murder’, to distance himself from the act of the murder of the King.

The idea of control is central to the witches in the play; they are quite clearly in control of Macbeth, evident in the fact that what they say to him he acts upon, with no real sufficient evidence or source to what they are prophesying and they create this illusion of control given to Macbeth, ‘speak, demand, we’ll answer’, which he falls for and believes he is in control of the witches, ‘call ‘em. Let me see ‘em’. Here Macbeth believes he is in complete control and takes it upon himself to command the witches, and when dissatisfied adopts the witches behaviour ‘an eternal curse fall on you!’. This also emphasises the change in Macbeth, in the sense that he has become like the witches.

The hierarchy of power and control is also represented in the presence of Hecat in Act four, up to this point in the play, the audience are also under the illusion that the witches are the highest source of power, and then we are introduced to Hecat, the goddess of witches, who administrates her power and approval over the witches ‘O well done! I commend your pains’. The presence of Hecat in this scene alludes to the idea of destiny within they play, that there is a force working against all of the characters in the play that we have been led to believe hold power, for example the witches and even Lady Macbeth, this force is destiny, which is reinforced frequently by the witches predictions. Macbeth however works in vain against destiny, highlighting how unnatural and evil he has become (as he fights against the destiny of Macduff- by killing his family)

Scene 2 also emphasises this change within Macbeth, as we are once again shown the murder of more innocent characters, in this sense Macduff’s wife and son. Macduff’s son in particular represents the innocence of lack thereof within the play, his innocent questioning ‘what is a traitor?’ highlights the extent of the evil deed Macbeth is about to commit. Moreover the son is wise, despite his naivety and innocence, he comments in that innocent child-like way on the simplicity of the problem of good and evil, ‘then the liars and swearers are fools; for there are liars and swearers enow to beat the honest men and hang them up’. Here he is saying that the traitors are stupid as there are so many in the world that they outnumber honest men and can triumph over them. It is ironic that he comments on this, as it is the way the play seems to be going at this moment, that evil is in fact triumphing over good, as Banquo is dead and the ‘light’ has been extinguished. (Light symbolising good)

* bird reference again ‘whither should I fly?’ – Innocence of son and fleance.

* references to evil character of Macbeth - emphasises his change. 'black Macbeth' 'shag haired villain' 'horrid hell'

- everyone aware of the true nature of Macbeth.

*ADDED NOTES:

in relation to the development of his evil character, he kills Macduff's family, for no political or personal gain but for the want of causing harm, which we have been yet to witness in the play: a truly vindictive, sinister and dare we say, evil murder.

Why are the witches in Macbeth?

The witches in Macbeth not only add to the gothic theme of the play, but also act as a constant messenger to Macbeth. Through their prophetic dialogue, Macbeth is informed of us future, from which he acts so as to secure that future. Arguably without the witches, there would be no story, as Macbeth would have no real desire to overthrow Duncan. The witches also demonstrate the fundamental idea of power which is clearly evident within the play, Macbeth is in a sense under the control of the witches and Lady Macbeth, as he is influenced by what they tell him. However the witches are controlled by Hecat (Goddess of witches), suggesting that there are bigger sources of power working above that of the supernatural.
* Possibly nature? (emphasised in the end of the play when the trees move, from the castle it seems as if the trees (nature) are attacking the castle).

I think the witches are also present in Macbeth to demonstrate how the character of Macbeth has changed from the beginning of the play. When Macbeth first encounters the witches he comes across as innocent and puzzled, and when speaking to the witches refers to them as 'imperfect speakers', yet in act 4, he refers to them as 'secret, black and midnight hags', this shows how he has changed and become more evil as he insults the witches.

Act three, Macbeth

Act three is essentially a build up to the murder of Banquo in scene 4, the preceding scenes act as a tool of suspense and ever increasing forebode. Scene 1 is an interesting display of the change in relationship between Banquo and Macbeth, who have gone from best friends in act 1, ‘think about what hath chanced, and at more time…let us speak our free hearts each to other.’, to suspicious and untrustworthy friends by the third act. In Banquo’s soliloquy (L1-10) he displays the sincerity of his character and also lack of malice and manipulation that his character contains, in stark contrast to Macbeth. ‘Thou hast it now: King, Cawdor, Glamis, all, as the weird women promised’, Banquo talks about how Macbeth has all that the witches prophesised and what that must mean for him, showing that until this point Banquo has not obsessively thought about how he must make the prophecies come true as Macbeth has. His soliloquy also demonstrates how suspicious Banquo is of Macbeth ‘I fear thou play’dst most foully for’t’. Yet still it demonstrate the kindness of Banquo, as he fears Macbeth’s immoral actions, as he still cares for him.

Upon Lady Macbeth and Macbeth’s entry they immediately compliment Banquo in an attempt to sweeten him, ‘here’s our chief guest’, this demonstrates the unease that Macbeth obviously still feels as he feels the need to keep his friend sweet so as not to arouse suspicions. On the other hand Macbeth’s attempts at flattery and sincerity are portrayed as something completely the opposite, behind his words there is an almost cynicism and sarcasm ‘fail not our feast’, this exposes the darker side of Macbeth in the sense that Macbeth is completely aware that Banquo will not be joining them at the feast as he has ordered him killed.

Lady Macbeth begins scene two with a rhyming soliloquy, mimicking that of the witches’ in act one. The poetic dialogue we get from Lady Macbeth in this scene is a first from her usually strong, almost masculine character, and suggests she is attempting to find her femininity again. Linked to this is a role reversal in power between Lady Macbeth and Macbeth, whilst Lady Macbeth rhymes and is re-establishing her role as the woman, Macbeth is taking power his role as King, man and husband by keeping secrets from his wife. ‘Be innocent of the knowledge…till thou applaud the deed’.

Macbeth also seems obsessed by darkness, it seems like he is reliant on darkness to cover his deeds and to gain this confidence he needs to commit his deeds ‘good things of day to droop and drowse, whilst night’s black agents to their preys do rouse’. Here it is like Macbeth is one of ‘night’s black agents’, not just because of the dark and evil deeds he has already committed, but because the ‘good things of day’ sleep at night, or ‘droop and drowse’, which Macbeth of course cannot do. ‘Sleep in the affliction of these terrible dreams that shake us nightly.’

Scene 3 features the dramatic murder of Banquo, this differs to all other scenes of the play as the murder is actually described and would be played out in a performance. Scene 3 works as a transition between scenes, as the previous scenes have been all talking and scheming, whereas this presents action to the play and also shows the depths of betrayal Macbeth has gone to. Also the murder of Banquo gives us insight into the death of Duncan, as we weren’t given a first hand description of it, allowing us to sympathise with Duncan and also realise just how dark and obsessed with gaining the title Macbeth has become. ‘Who did strike out the light’, I feel this quote here is important as it symbolises the only ‘light’ or good in the play (Banquo) going out, leaving the play completely consumed by the darkness of Macbeth and Lady Macbeth, and also the impending revenge that Banquo has asked of Fleance ‘thou mayst revenge’.

Once again cracks begin to appear in the character of Macbeth, upon the impending news of Banquo’s completed murder, Macbeth hallucinates of Banquo’s ghost at the banquet, it is ironic that Macbeth himself said ‘fail not our feast’ knowing Banquo would not attend, yet Banquo still in a sense attends. There is also another role reversal occurring in this scene, Lady Macbeth is seizing the power back taking advantage of Macbeth’s hallucination, asking him ‘are you a man?’ she often questions his masculinity, in an attempt to belittle him and almost guilt trip him into acting as if nothing has happened. Weakness in relationship between Lady Macbeth and Macbeth is evident in this last scene particularly, as well as the rest of the play, as yet again they do not support each other when it is most needed and also care an awful lot about face and how they appear to be, which puts a strain on their relationship.

Act two, Macbeth

Act two features Macbeth’s famous dagger speech, which is full of some of the richest language and imagery in the play in my opinion. Prior to this a brief conversation takes place between Banquo and Macbeth, in which Macbeth lies to his best friend by saying ‘I think not of them’ (in reference to the witches). Despite Banquo’s naivety to Macbeth’s lie he is still suspicious ‘So I lose none in seeking to augment it’, here he is saying he will follow Macbeth as long as he doesn’t lose any honour, I interpreted this as suspicion of the way Macbeth is acting from Banquo’s view.

The tone of Macbeth’s soliloquy changes as if it is in two halves; the first half is more questioning, he questions the illusionary dagger, representing the internal questioning he is experiencing, whether to kill Duncan or not. ‘Is this a dagger which I see before me? The handle toward my hand?’ The second half seems more sinister, representing the fact that he has decided to kill Duncan. ‘Hear it not Duncan, for it is a knell that summons thee to heaven or to hell.’ Within the soliloquy Macbeth comes across as heavily and easily influenced, the language he uses hints at this. ‘heat-oppressèd brain’, the word ‘oppressèd’ implies that Macbeth is under pressure and being demoralised, as we know the source of this is Lady Macbeth. Macbeth is constantly guided throughout this scene, Lady Macbeth guides him to the murder, he personifies ‘Murder’, giving it a capital ‘M’ as if it is a person committing the murder and also blames the dagger itself, ‘thou marshallst me…’, Macbeth is constantly passing the blame, to distance himself as much as he can from the murder.

Nature plays a huge part in the play and it is in this soliloquy that nature turns, ‘nature seems dead’, Macbeth then goes on to almost glorify all the wicked things in the world as all nature, ie. The good things are ‘dead’. ‘Witchcraft celebrates’. ‘Tarquin’s ravishing strides’; what is odd here is that Macbeth likens himself to Tarquin (a rapist), when he has been persistently attempting to distance himself from his murderous thoughts, yet here is happy to associate his ‘strides’ with that of Tarquin, once again the wicked is glorified here in a contrast to nature and good in the play by describing Tarquin’s strides as ‘ravishing’. I think this is a turning point, as Macbeth has realised it is inevitable, that the murder of Duncan must take place, and to liken himself to a evil character gets him in that frame of mind and gives him that confidence that he feels he needs, but deep down knows he cannot pull off.

After the murder itself both Macbeth and Lady Macbeth are jumpy and nervous, ‘hark! Peace! It was the owl that shrieked’, Lady Macbeth when on her own displays nervous habits and also cowardice ‘had he not resembled my father as I slept, I had done’t’. is this an excuse? Or the only insight we get to the feminine, vulnerable and compassionate side of Lady Macbeth? The short sharp dialogue between the two main characters represents the nerves and the tension in this act, and also an urgency to be rid of the deed. ‘I have done the deed…’ ‘…Did you not speak?’ ‘When?’ ‘Now.’ ‘As I descended?’ ‘Ay’ ‘Hark!’. However Lady Macbeth quickly re-establishes her power and dominance in the relationship, taking control of the situation and returning the daggers back to the chamber ‘my hands are of your colour, but I shame to wear a heart so white’. Lady Macbeth uses this play on Macbeth’s cowardice to get him to man up throughout the play. At this point Lady Macbeth shows no more signs of nerves or weakness ‘a little water clears us of this deed’.

Scene 3 brings some humour into the play, possibly acting as a way to keep the intended audience in suspense after the dramatic murder of Duncan. The drunken porter contemplates what would happen if the gate he is in control of was the ‘hell-gate’ and how many people he would admit. He then goes onto to debate what crimes they would have committed to get to hell. ‘English tailor come hither for stealing out of a French hose’. It is ironic that the crimes he would expect are innocent compared to that of the crime that Macbeth just committed. In this sense Macbeth is already in hell as he is behind the gates. Highlighting the evil nature of his deeds. This is also emphasised by his ability to lie so freely, ‘I’ll bring you to him’ , ‘grace is dead’, it is strange that he lies so confidently in the high pressured situation of the discovery of Duncan’s corpse, yet when he is on his own and only under pressure from his own guilt the cracks in his cowardice appear. Macbeth also goes as far as to hint at his part in the murder, when talking about how he killed the servants he says it was because of the ‘violent love’ that he felt the King, the word ‘violent’ suggests his implication in the murder.

The last two scenes are full of references to nature and how it has been breached etc, in correspondence with Macbeth’s soliloquy, ‘nature seems dead’. ‘a breach in nature’ ‘wild in nature’ ‘’Gainst nature’. As well as nature there is a distinct theme of darkness and light aka evil and good. This is highlighted in the last scene by Ross and ‘Old Man’, scene is seemingly unimportant yet it acts as a reinforcement of the evil in the play and the lack of good. ‘Dark night strangles the travelling lamp’. ‘Is’t night’s predominance or the day’s shame’

Religion is also featured in reference to the King’s death, possibly to reiterate the goodness of the King. Macduff refers to Duncan’s corpse as ‘the Lord’s anointed temple’, and goes onto to say the murderers broke into the temple and ‘stole thence the life o’the building.’

Gothic elements in Macbeth, Act 1

The very first scene of Macbeth has got gothic written all over it. Immediately the setting ‘Thunder and lightning’ gives a ominous tone to the play, moreover the fact that the only characters introduced so far are 3 witches also sets the mood for the gothic themes to follow. The imagery used in this first short scene alone really set the mood for the rest of the play, simply by describing the weather to set the scene and also with the language used by the witches ‘fair is foul and foul is fair:’, this riddle style dialogue used by the witches, adds mystery to their characters and also to the scene. Already within the first scene as a reader we get the idea that something bad is going to happen from the setting and mysterious language.

Moreover throughout the act there is evidence of prophetical speech not only from the three witches but also from Banquo and Lady Macbeth, this emphasises the theme of methaphysicality within the play and thus the gothic element that this entails. In Scene 3 (Line 120-126) Banquo says 'instruments of darkness tell us truths...to betray consequence', meaning that the witches tell part of the truth in order to cause trouble - this prediction as we know is spot on, but it is strange that Banquo makes this judgement especially since he makes such an almost impartial part in the play. Also in Scene 6, immediately Lady Macbeth doubts Macbeth's character 'Yet I do fear thy nature, it is too full o'th' milk of human kindness', in scene 7, this prophetical dialogue is proven true by Macbeth's immediate doubts of the murder of Duncan, ‘bloody instructions which being taught, return to plague th’inventor’.

An interesting gothic element of Act 1 which stands out to me is the idea of darkness/lack of light and goodness; both Lady Macbeth and Macbeth make a reference to this. In Scene 4 Macbeth in a soliloquy says ‘Stars, hide your fires, let not light see my black and deep desires’ (L50-51). This suggests that Macbeth doesn’t want the stars to shine their light so that his evil deeds can be concealed in darkness, however I also interpreted this in a different way, that the ‘light’ of the stars refers to the good within people, and Macbeth does not want this good to shine on his evil deeds, as he knows he will be influenced, possible reference to Banquo? Or his own conscience? I feel this quote displays the dark, sinister torment that is going on inside Macbeth’s head. Also, Lady Macbeth creates similar imagery in scene 5 (L 48-52) ‘come, thick night, and pall thee in the dunnest smoke of hell..nor heaven peep through the blanket of the dark to cry, ‘hold, hold.’ The last part of this in particular reiterates the sense of fear of influence that Macbeth displays in the previous act, Lady Macbeth knows she is doing wrong, and desires darkness so dark that not even God can shine through and tell her what she is doing is wrong. Does this suggest that she would be influenced by God if the night was not so dark? Does she really fear influence? Is she just as weak as Macbeth? The idea of darkness as a cover emphasises the gothic theme of the play, as darkness in itself is an ominous and sinister factor, yet the way in which they both desire darkness could suggest how dark they have become or even how they are trying to convince themselves that they are dark and capable of the deed that they are going to commit.

Other gothic elements:

* violent imagery used by Lady Macbeth 'i would...have plcuked my nipple from his boneless gums and dashed the brains out, had i so sworn'. 'unsex me here and fill me...of direst cruelty'

*scene 6, Banquo talks of the 'martlet' ( a bird nesting in the 'pleasant' castle', refers to it's residence as a 'temple haunting' - word 'haunting' ominous - supernatural - ghosts.

What is Literature?

Literature in the plainest sense is of course the art of written works, on a much deeper level however literature to me is how those written works make you feel. Any piece of writing has the ability to make you empathise with the author or characters, make you think or feel differently than you did before, but what makes good literature is when you can read something and really feel the affect and influence of it, when it changes the way you live and see the world. The greats such as Shakespeare or Dickens of course embody literature, in the sense that behind the dated dialogue and long winded narrative there is always a message that rings true, it is this which makes me appreciate such works as good literature when there is a strong ideology behind everything on the surface.

Coursework progress.

So far, I have read 3 out of 4 books in an attempt to pick the best one to go with 'Lolita' by Vladimir Nabokov, my first choice; I am currently reading 'Crime and Punishment' by Dostoevsky. My other choices of book were 'The Collector' by John Fowles and 'Enduring Love' by John Mcewain. At the moment I am thinking of using Crime and Punishment and Lolita for my coursework, as they are both interesting novels following a similar theme of obsession and corruption. I am interested in exploring the theme of corruption within the mind and a kind of self inflicted destruction in my question.

Crime and Punishment; Part 1; Chapter 5. A Marxist approach.

In a short extract of this chapter, Raskolnikov (the main character) falls asleep in a bush, feeling the effects of a tiring journey, a glass of vodka and life. In this deep sleep, under a ‘morbid condition’, which is in fact the poor quality of his life, Raskolnikov dreams vividly of a scene in which a old horse is being forced to pull a cart full of people whilst being whipped and abused, in his dream he witnesses this as a little boy walking past with his father and feels especially moved by this scene. I chose this extract because it too moved me and highlighted this helpless feeling that Raskolnikov is experiencing at this point in the novel.
The fundamental idea of Marxism is that the way we think and act is conditioned by society and our status within that society. ‘It is not the consciousness of men that determines their existence but their social existence that determines their consciousnesses. This point rings true in this part of the novel, in the sense that Raskolnikov, as a small boy and his father make the conscious decision not to intervene in the horrific abuse inflicted upon the horse, his father even claiming ‘They’re drunk. They’re playing pranks, it’s none of our business…’ This response to the dramatic scene before them is what is determined by their status within society; coming from a poor background and also lacking in privileges and respect from other members of society, Raskolnikov and his father do not expect anything of themselves because that is what society expects, nothing. Therefore they choose not to intervene.
Moreover, the idea of power in this extract is debateable, the character Mikolka (owner of the horse and cart, who is openly whipping and beating his horse) seems to hold the power here, he is the one exerting the physical power and mentally has no remorse, during or afterwards. ‘He stands there as if he regretted having nothing else to beat’. Also he is portrayed to be the most powerful character, wielding his whip, shouting and coercing others to join in and also the fact that he owns a cart and a horse puts him above the others in society in terms of class and possessions. Mikolka constantly claims, ‘It’s my goods’, as if that is a justification for his actions, as if he has the complete freedom and power to do as he pleases and the others do not object merely follow.
The Marxist view of society is represented quite clearly in this small, seemingly unimportant part of the novel; it not only reiterates Raskolnikov’s position within the novel and society in his helplessness, but also illuminates the importance of social status not only in 19th century Russia, but also today.