I think that the most commonly recurring theme in MacBeth is the inevitability of fate. Everything that the witches said comes true, often in the most gruesome way. MacBeth becomes Thane of Glamis after the old thane is beheaded. He then becomes king after stabbing Duncan in his sleep. Banquo is also prevented from getting the throne violently. After the assassination of his father and attempted murder on him, Fleance flees and presumably survives to become king. Even MacBeth never gets to father a line of kings and ends up getting beheaded after the forest moves and he is slain by a man born of knife. No one seems to avoid their fate, and I wonder if a better outcome would have occurred had MacBeth reacted differently.
This brings me to another argument, but it involves circular logic. Would everything that the witches foretold come true had the characters reacted differently? I wonder if MacBeth would have come to the throne in a more honorable way. I also wonder if he would have died so horrifically. Maybe that would have negated the story completely. I guess the world will never know, but knowing Shakespeare, of course everything would be awful. I had a fun year. Good luck everyone on exams!
Tues: 45 mins drafting cover letter
Wed: 20 mins Writing Center
15 mins Hits and Misses
Thurs: 30 mins revising cover letter
Fri: 2 hours revision
Monday, May 12, 2014
Monday, May 5, 2014
MacBeth Quote
"Fair is foul and foul is fair/Hover through the fog and filthy air."
Act 1 Sc1 l. 12
This quotation is probably going to turn into the most overused example in the entire book. That is for good reason. The Weird Sisters are saying that bad things are going to happen to good things and that foul play will be involved. This foreshadows the killing of Duncan and the unrighteous MacBeth becoming king. Duncan is a fair man and very kind, and the foul MacBeth decides to kill him for personal gain. He is practically rewarded with the high position of king, which would be considered fair. "Foul is fair" can also be thought to mean that doing bad things for personal gain isn't necessarily that awful.
The fog and filthy air are an ominous symbol for the horrible things that are about to happen. The fog symbolizes moral ambiguity and clouded judgement. The filthy air is the stench of wrongdoing and the cruelty that lingers. MacBeth is told that he will become king, and his desire for power fogs his judgement and makes him commit treason. The hovering is a symbol for MacBeth trying to cover his tracks and making sure that no one finds out that he committed regicide. He hovers through thicker and thicker fog as he kills Banquo and attempts to murder Banquo's son. He doesn't know what to do anymore, and his judgement is completely clouded by his desire for power and terrible deeds.
Reading Times
Glass, Ellen Hopkins
Tues- 45 mins
Wed-30 mins
Thurs- 15 mins
MacBeth Review
Sun- 15 mins
Mon- 30 mins
Act 1 Sc1 l. 12
This quotation is probably going to turn into the most overused example in the entire book. That is for good reason. The Weird Sisters are saying that bad things are going to happen to good things and that foul play will be involved. This foreshadows the killing of Duncan and the unrighteous MacBeth becoming king. Duncan is a fair man and very kind, and the foul MacBeth decides to kill him for personal gain. He is practically rewarded with the high position of king, which would be considered fair. "Foul is fair" can also be thought to mean that doing bad things for personal gain isn't necessarily that awful.
The fog and filthy air are an ominous symbol for the horrible things that are about to happen. The fog symbolizes moral ambiguity and clouded judgement. The filthy air is the stench of wrongdoing and the cruelty that lingers. MacBeth is told that he will become king, and his desire for power fogs his judgement and makes him commit treason. The hovering is a symbol for MacBeth trying to cover his tracks and making sure that no one finds out that he committed regicide. He hovers through thicker and thicker fog as he kills Banquo and attempts to murder Banquo's son. He doesn't know what to do anymore, and his judgement is completely clouded by his desire for power and terrible deeds.
Reading Times
Glass, Ellen Hopkins
Tues- 45 mins
Wed-30 mins
Thurs- 15 mins
MacBeth Review
Sun- 15 mins
Mon- 30 mins
Monday, April 28, 2014
How to Lose all Your Friends in 5 Easy Steps!
Have you ever been bothered by those pesky people? Is your popularity tearing you and your Netflix account apart? You'll no longer drown in your overwhelming social life if you follow these quick tips from the social experts!
Step one:
Repeat everything anyone says in an annoyingly high pitched voice, especially if they're trying to tell you something important or personal. As they pour their hearts out, roll your eyes and mock everything they tell you. Tell them that their tears are "dampening the mood". Smile in satisfaction as they leave.
Step two:
Make sure to Tweet everything personal that your friends tell you*. From embarrassing stories to heart wrenching tales of woe; let the world know.
Step three:
Always point and laugh at the disabled. People may not appreciate this and may think that you are a horrible person. You may begin to feel like a terrible human being. Do not be alarmed. The tactic is working!
Step four:
When invited to those never-ending horrors known as sleepovers, make sure to fully take advantage of the host's efforts. Put your feet up on the furniture and refuse to use coasters. As soon as you arrive, lock your host out of their house and unpack all of your things into the drawers, moving their clothes out as necessary to make room for yours. Squat there for weeks until you are escorted out by the police. You'll never talk to those friends again!
Step five:
If you still happen to have a few stragglers hanging around, you have to take extreme measures. Move out into the woods, change your name, and use your wits to survive. Learn which berries are poisonous through trial and error. Maybe start a tribe of 12 year olds and hunt a pig or two. Then get rid of all of the children as soon as they start to want to be your friends. Success! You are now a hermit.
After sending others away in droves, you'll be as maladjusted as ever!
*You may see that these people come back to you, thanking you for taking a weight off their shoulders by putting them out in the open. You have failed.
Looking For Alaska:
2h 30mins on the bus ride back from Disney
Step one:
Repeat everything anyone says in an annoyingly high pitched voice, especially if they're trying to tell you something important or personal. As they pour their hearts out, roll your eyes and mock everything they tell you. Tell them that their tears are "dampening the mood". Smile in satisfaction as they leave.
Step two:
Make sure to Tweet everything personal that your friends tell you*. From embarrassing stories to heart wrenching tales of woe; let the world know.
Step three:
Always point and laugh at the disabled. People may not appreciate this and may think that you are a horrible person. You may begin to feel like a terrible human being. Do not be alarmed. The tactic is working!
Step four:
When invited to those never-ending horrors known as sleepovers, make sure to fully take advantage of the host's efforts. Put your feet up on the furniture and refuse to use coasters. As soon as you arrive, lock your host out of their house and unpack all of your things into the drawers, moving their clothes out as necessary to make room for yours. Squat there for weeks until you are escorted out by the police. You'll never talk to those friends again!
Step five:
If you still happen to have a few stragglers hanging around, you have to take extreme measures. Move out into the woods, change your name, and use your wits to survive. Learn which berries are poisonous through trial and error. Maybe start a tribe of 12 year olds and hunt a pig or two. Then get rid of all of the children as soon as they start to want to be your friends. Success! You are now a hermit.
After sending others away in droves, you'll be as maladjusted as ever!
*You may see that these people come back to you, thanking you for taking a weight off their shoulders by putting them out in the open. You have failed.
Looking For Alaska:
2h 30mins on the bus ride back from Disney
Monday, April 14, 2014
Statement Assessment
2. If you are in a position of power, you are happy.
I disagree because most extremely rich people are miserable. They want more and more, and they will never be satisfied. Desire is never satisfied, and no matter how much a person has, they will want more. Macbeth is a Thane and he still wants more power so that he can be the king. Even kings want more power over more land.
6. Sometimes you have to do things other people consider wrong to get ahead.
I agree because most nice people get stepped on, and the most ruthless of people get rewarded. A thief who gets away with stealing receives what he took, but the kind person who didn't report him has his stuff stolen. All of the richest people have the slimiest reputations (think the Kennedy's) as fortune comes as a result for being a horrible person. Macbeth has to kill the king to get power, and he will be rewarded with power.
Things Fall Apart:
20 mins, Thursday
45 mins, Sunday
Nervous Conditions project:
30 mins Tuesday
30 mins Thursday
1h 30 mins, Friday
Monday, February 24, 2014
Reading/Work Times 02/24
Poetry Test:
20 mins, Poetry vocabulary, Sunday
20 mins, Reviewing previous annotations, Sunday
10 mins, meter, Sunday
30 mins, Revising, Monday
Reading Time:
15 mins, Life of Pi, Tuesday
15 mins, Life of Pi, Wednesday
20 mins, Life of Pi, Thursday
Monday, February 17, 2014
An Intensely Personal Poem for Future Embarrassment
It's not my fault that this happens to me.
You can't seem to be quiet,
Just let me be.
All you want to do is lie in negativity,
Everything you say is:
"Oh, please pity me."
It's not my fault that we're tied together.
Whenever I move away,
You tighten the tether.
Making me miserable is your job.
Well, nobody hired you,
Don't get involved.
It's not my fault that you won't go away.
I like to forget about you,
But you wan't to stay.
But unfortunately, I can't get rid of you.
I know that you aren't fond of me,
Trust me, I hate you too.
It is my fault that I let you control me.
Push the good things out, pull the bad things in...
You might be here, but I don't have to listen to you.
Reading/Work Times
Tues: 30 mins LOP
Wed: 10 mins in class LOP
Thurs:10 mins in class LOP
20 mins COB
Fri: 15 mins LOP
Mon: 15 mins analyzing song
20 mins COB
Currently reading: Life of Pi (LOP)
Mortal Instruments: City of Bones (COB)
(taking a hiatus from Secret Life of Marilyn Monroe)
You can't seem to be quiet,
Just let me be.
All you want to do is lie in negativity,
Everything you say is:
"Oh, please pity me."
It's not my fault that we're tied together.
Whenever I move away,
You tighten the tether.
Making me miserable is your job.
Well, nobody hired you,
Don't get involved.
It's not my fault that you won't go away.
I like to forget about you,
But you wan't to stay.
But unfortunately, I can't get rid of you.
I know that you aren't fond of me,
Trust me, I hate you too.
It is my fault that I let you control me.
Push the good things out, pull the bad things in...
You might be here, but I don't have to listen to you.
Reading/Work Times
Tues: 30 mins LOP
Wed: 10 mins in class LOP
Thurs:10 mins in class LOP
20 mins COB
Fri: 15 mins LOP
Mon: 15 mins analyzing song
20 mins COB
Currently reading: Life of Pi (LOP)
Mortal Instruments: City of Bones (COB)
(taking a hiatus from Secret Life of Marilyn Monroe)
Analysis of "Everything Must Belong Somewhere"
I will be analyzing "Everything Must Belong Somewhere" by Bright Eyes
http://www.sing365.com/music/lyric.nsf/Everything-Must-Belong-Somewhere-lyrics-Bright-Eyes/E31E0631960282B548256F98000E8F23
Immediately noticeable is the end rhyme within the song. Rhyming words are grouped together, and the ends of three lines happen to rhyme. There is then a line break and three more rhyming lines. This is consistent throughout the song. The artist rhymes "wall", "hall", and "ball" in the first three lines. He also rhymes "sheet", "feet", and "street" in the next three lines. Later, the artist switches to slant rhyme, "Leave the horse's hair on the slanted bow/Leave the slot machines on the riverboat/Leave the cauliflower in the casserole today." None of those words rhyme, but the author uses pronunciation techniques to make them sound as if they do. The artist also tries to rhyme "kennel", "pedestal", and "fishbowl". This also adds emphasis on those particular words.
These schemes make the song more interesting to listen to as rhyme is naturally appealing to the human ear. It also makes listeners more tuned into hearing certain words, especially those that rhyme. This adds to the interpretation because the emphasis forces a listener to create a mental image of what's going on within the song. I can't help but to picture a miserable child or a cooling casserole. The song sort of falls apart at the end. The beginning has triplets that rhyme perfectly. When the listener gets to the last four triplets, they notice that the words don't rhyme so smoothly. I personally consider this to be a lesson that things tend to fall apart if we intervene too much.
http://www.sing365.com/music/lyric.nsf/Everything-Must-Belong-Somewhere-lyrics-Bright-Eyes/E31E0631960282B548256F98000E8F23
Immediately noticeable is the end rhyme within the song. Rhyming words are grouped together, and the ends of three lines happen to rhyme. There is then a line break and three more rhyming lines. This is consistent throughout the song. The artist rhymes "wall", "hall", and "ball" in the first three lines. He also rhymes "sheet", "feet", and "street" in the next three lines. Later, the artist switches to slant rhyme, "Leave the horse's hair on the slanted bow/Leave the slot machines on the riverboat/Leave the cauliflower in the casserole today." None of those words rhyme, but the author uses pronunciation techniques to make them sound as if they do. The artist also tries to rhyme "kennel", "pedestal", and "fishbowl". This also adds emphasis on those particular words.
These schemes make the song more interesting to listen to as rhyme is naturally appealing to the human ear. It also makes listeners more tuned into hearing certain words, especially those that rhyme. This adds to the interpretation because the emphasis forces a listener to create a mental image of what's going on within the song. I can't help but to picture a miserable child or a cooling casserole. The song sort of falls apart at the end. The beginning has triplets that rhyme perfectly. When the listener gets to the last four triplets, they notice that the words don't rhyme so smoothly. I personally consider this to be a lesson that things tend to fall apart if we intervene too much.
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