- Speaker:
- Context (Where in the novel/play does this take place?):
- Content (What’s being said?)
- Themes expressed:
- Motifs:
- Literary devices present:
- What does this passage tell you about the speaker/narrator?
- Why is this significant to the novel/play?
Wednesday, December 12, 2012
Let's Review
Complete each of the following for each passage. With your group members, please post the correct answers.
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Speaker: MacBeth
Context: After the Banquet
Content: Needs to know fate-but also control it.
Themes: Being at the point of no return. Fate controlling life/ forcing fate
Motif: Witches, Blood.
Literary devices: “I am in blood/Stepp’d in so far that should I wade no more” metaphor.
What this passage shows about Macbeth: He is starting to become more and more paranoid. Shows how he begins to lose it (everything).
Why it is significant: He goes from sane to crazy. MacBeth starts to think that he is a suspect of the murders, slowly gaining guilt.
3.4.130-140
Passage Three
Speaker: Lennox
Context: The banquet happened, Macbeth’s mental wellness is declining. People are beginning to become suspicious of the Macbeths.
Content: Lennox and another lord are speakething about events that have transpired, and what is to come in the future. Lennox is testing the waters with the other lord, and trying to get a consensus of what people think of current events.
Themes Expressed: Caution, suspicion, conspiracy, moral relations.
Motifs: Walking dead, keys in general, Heaven.
Literary devices: Personification, irony
What does this passage reveal about the speaker/narrator: The passage shows that Lennox is not super-opinionated about current events, and that he is choosing his words carefully to get an overall consensus about what other people think. He is trying to observe his environment and adapt accordingly. He is an animal!
Why this is important to the play: This scene is important to the development of the story line because it shows what people are expected to say and gives a slightly different perspective of the events that have occurred. It also shows the effect/opinions of people not directly involved in the murders. It foreshadows what is to come and allows the reader to think about that as well.
Passage 5
Speaker: Lady Macbeth
Context: Right after Lady Macbeth receives Macbeth’s letter detailing his encounter with the witches and promotions to Thane of Cawdor.
The time to murder Duncan is upon us. Make me a man and make me cruel. Remove my ability to feel guilt or regret. So that nothing will derail me from my purpose. I am not an innocent woman, but an equal threat. Let evil reign and block heaven from the treacherous deeds that I will commit. Blind me from my actions so that my destiny will be fulfilled.
Metaphor 38-40 the raven is a metaphor saying that the time to murder Duncan is now. The raven, an ill omen, has croaked signifying Duncan’s death much like the Church bell.
Metaphor 47-49 the milk from her breasts being compared to bile is a metaphor from her perceived self and actual self. With her actual self having malicious intentions.
This passage symbolizes the beginning of the end, as this marks the first literal mention of murder. It also introduces Lady Macbeth as an crazy and cold character.
Themes/Motifs: murder, fate, ambition, disregard of consequences, witchcraft, raven, gender (neutrality)
This passage reveals the craziness and malicious intent of Lady Macbeth. Leaves an ominous aftertaste on the tongues of the readers. Segues into her future treatment of Macbeth.
Passage #6
Speaker: Banquo
Context: Macbeth has been crowned king and Banquo is speaking to him
Content: Banquo is now considering Macbeth a suspect in the murder, which you can decipher from the text when he says that “you have played most foully for it.”
Motifs: Oracles= a sign or object that represents something holy or supernatural, truth,
Themes: Suspicion, lust for power, fate, mistrust,
What the speech reveals about the speaker: Banquo is perceptive, wise, and does not place anybody above suspicion. Banquo is very direct, doesn’t use very flowery language.
Literary Devices: alliterations (weird women), list (King, Cawdor, Glamis, all), reference to earlier scene with the word “foully” (fair is foul and foul is fair),
Why this is significant: Banquo’s suspicions motivate Macbeth to murder him, thus furthering his madness.
Passage 7
Macbeth is the speaker
Context- After he talks to the three witches for the first time, the witches tell him prophecies and what they say to him scare him, then Ross and ANgus tell him something that was one of the prophecies the witches told him would happen.That sparks the thought of murder in his mind that he is trying to reject those thoughts.
Themes- Moral, Murder, fear and fate
Motifs- None in this passage
Literary Devices- Characterization, Internal Conflict, Motivation
What it reveals- Macbeth is really thinking about what this could bring him and it can’t be that wrong if its in fate. He is also confused because he is having an internal battle with what his mind is telling him and what his body is telling him.
How it is significant- Fist time he started to think about actually murdering someone and Murder is a very important theme in the Play. The start of his descent into madness and the series of internal battles and questions.
Passage # 1
Speaker: Macbeth
Context: Lady Macbeth has been killed, but Macbeth is distracted and busy so it appears that he doesn't really care that much.
Content: Life is brief, he comes to the realization that he will die soon. He realizes that life is very insignificant and its like an actor that makes a huge deal when he is on stage, but when he is off stage he doesn't matter at all.
Themes expressed: Life is nothing but an illusion; its really important to the person when its happening, but when the end is near he sees that each day comes after another and life is very meaningless to his whole existence.
Motifs: "brief" candle, "poor player"/ actor, Stage (life)
Literary Devices: Alliteration, Personification, Symbolism, Metaphor, Repetition
What does this passage reveal about the speaker?: he has become hardened and cold to the world around him, he solely cares about remaining king. He justifies killing people by saying that life is insignificant. He has an epiphany that helps him put things in perspective about how he doesn't actually matter as much as he thought.
Why is this significant to the novel/ play?: Macbeth realizes that he is going to die, and this passage sheds light on who Macbeth has become.
Passage 14
Speaker- Frankenstein.
Content - Considering his responsibility to keep mankind safe/weighing the risk of things going wrong/deciding the creatures trustworthiness
Context - He is contemplating the creatures request to create a second creature.
motifs - savagery of animals/beauty of mankind, daemons/devils
literary devices-alliteration, metaphors (neighborhood of man)
characterization - more thoughtful of risk/consequence, has learned from mistakes. being selfless, takes responsibility. has been damaged by creature before
story importance - decision will effect storyline...
themes - caution, consequence, responsibility, rejection, beauty of man
Speaker: Victor Frankenstein
Literary Devices: Simile Metaphor Symbolism/Theme
Context: Victor is starting to create his creation and is explaining what it was like in this passage.
Theme: Life vs. Death, search for knowledge, science and technology, selfless vs selfish, Allusion, recreating life.
Content: Victor thinks of himself as God and he believes that he has the right and the power to bestow life upon the dead. He claims that he deserves recognition from his "kids"/ his creations as well as the public.
Motifs: Light, children/ creations, the Creator
Literary Devices: Simile, Metaphor, Symbolism/ Theme
What does this passage tell us about the narrator? This passage is a bridge into Victor's craziness. Shows how Victor justifies giving life to a dead thing.
Why is this significant to the novel? It is really important for the reader to know why victor does what he does, because without an understanding, the reader couldn't grasp the reasons behind Victors actions.
Passage #9
Speaker: Macduff
Context: Malcom and Macduff are speaking in England and they are testing each other’s loyalty and dedication
Content: Macduff denounces Macbeth in very dramatic language.
Themes: loyalty, power, inhuman,
Motifs: tyrant, evils, king (position), bloody, breed,
Literary Devices: alliteration, personification,
What it reveals about the character: He HATES Macbeth with a passion and is totally willing to show it. He has been taken temporarily by madness borne by hate. He’s also showing his loyalty to Duncan.
Why it’s significant: Macduff has almost nothing to lose. This will make him a dangerous foe to Macbeth.
Passage 8
3.2.13-26
Speaker: Macbeth
Context (Where in the novel/play does this take place?): Macbeth has become suspicious of Banquo and has hired murderers to kill him because he poses a threat to Macbeth. Talking to Lady Macbeth.
Content (What’s being said?): Killing Duncan will always haunt them and leave them with guilt.
Themes expressed: Regret vs. commitment, masculinity, living vs. being dead-> peace vs. corruption, boundaries, disregard for his personal responsibility
Motifs: Snake (Duncan), tooth, poison
Literary devices present: imagery, foreshadow, personification
What does this passage tell you about the speaker/narrator? The beginning of the end for Macbeth, and he is fully aware of the consequences of killing Duncan. Has to finish what he started.
Why is this significant to the novel/play? When Macbeth first realizes he is falling into a deep pit that he will not be able to get out of. Foreshadowing the future. Setting him up to follow throw with his plan.
Speaker: creature
Context: telling Victor about life and cottagers
Content: realizes how different he is from humans and how much it separates him and furthers his loneliness
Themes: identity, loneliness, self-loathing, human weakness
Motifs: none
Literary Devices: repetition, alliteration
What it says about the creature: he is lonely, disgusted with himself, wise, and depressed.
Significance: This is truly the start of his self-loathing and hate of mankind, as he realizes he is not the only one going through these experiences. This leads to him sympathizing with poor people and anyone who has been ostracized. He realizes that humans are the same as him: they all hate and fear anything that is different, especially appearances. this is the beginning of his depression as well; he enjoyed the world when he was alone in nature and no one judged by looks, everyone accepted, everyone/thing has a purpose/connected/dependent on each other
Passage #11
Speaker—the creature
Context—the creature has just been born and we are hearing it from his point of view
Themes—identity, going against nature, abandonment, discovery
Motifs-- dark and light
Importance to the story—this passage is important to the novel because we are now hearing the same story from the opposite point of view.
Literary devices— extensive imagery
Passage 16 Page 103
Speaker: creature
Context: The forest during the winter
Content: The creature tells Victor the hardships that he has endured. He hopes to convince Victor to hear his story through guilt.
Themes: guilt, desperation, discrimination, anger, abandonment, Justice.
Motif: Nature
Literary Device: Imagery, Personification.
What it tells us about speaker: Shows how the creature has abandonment issues. It also shows how he is deceitful in convincing Victor that Victor is the monster and should listen to his tale.
What is the significance: Reveals how manipulative the creature can be in controlling Victor through devices such as guilt.
Speaker- The Creature
Context- Clerval had passed away and theCreature returns to Switzerland, He fells bad for Frankenstien but also hates him at the same time. The creature is telling us how he follows his instinct and that is how he became what he is now, he swears that Elizabeth will be the last person to die at his hand even though he really wants vengeance against Victor.
Theme- Vengeance, Sorrow,Self pity
Literary devices- Metaphor
Motifs-
What does this passage tell you about the speaker/Narrator- The creature is aware of what he has done and is ready and willing to change
Why is this significant to the novel or play- It is significant because if he hadn't gone to this mental stated and decided this there could be a high chance that several more people would die.
12. (Shelly 29) Volume 1 letter IV
Speaker: Robert Walton
Context: Robert Walton is about to hear about Victor’s life, beginning of life story of Victor
Themes: Fate, inception, life and death, pursuit of knowledge
Literary Devices: Metaphor
What it means: This is the original comparison of RW and Victor, RW has found his friend, and Victor is in many ways the same type of person. This also sets up the fact that the rest of the book is from the first person of Victor and so the story may be twisted (this is true up until part 3)
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