Order within the play

Order

What do we know about the concept of order within the play?

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The events of the play are underpinned by the idea that disrupting the natural order (e.g. the murder of Duncan) has significant consequences

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The disruption of the natural order is shown through the impact on weather, animals, etc

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There is an underpinning idea throughout the play that there exists a rightful order

o

i.e. Duncan is the rightful king, Malcolm is the rightful heir. Macbeth’s actions disrupt this order

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There is an embedded value throughout the play that messing with the political order results in negativeconsequences (natural environment)

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The concept of order is integral to the events of the play. This is because all elements of the play are underpinned by the natural order’s stability/instability

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Throughout the play we are exposed to the significant differences between a society operating under order and one that operates under disorder. Clearly order is privileged

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When disorder reigns, those characters who value the sanctity of order do whatever they can to restore it

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All through the play we are told about how order/disorder are underpinned by attitudes towards what is considered normal/abnormal

o

This allows us to discover what is considered normal/abnormal and what the parameters might be

How does Shakespeare help us understand order?

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Motifs

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Weather

o

Fair is foul and foul is fair

o

Blood

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Binary opposition

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Language choice

o

Natural

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Unnatural

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(These signpost the theme for us)

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Imagery playing on the senses

Masculinity in Shakespeare's "Macbeth"

Thanks again to Courtney, here are the notes that we took today in class regarding masculinity. From here, you should also be able to consider how Shakespeare positions us to consider femininity.

Masculinity in Macbeth

What is considered masculine?

-          Strength

o   Physical

o   Mental

o   Emotional

-          power

o   titles (King, Prince, Thane, etc)

-          Aggression

o   Pride

-           Wealth

-          Revenge (desire)

-          Lineage/Heirs

-          Ambition

-          Ability to use reason over emotion

-          Ability to deal with violence, gore, battle, etc

-          Fighting spirit

o   Loyalty to King

o   Loyalty to country

-          Protector

o   Of children

o   Of women

-          Bravery

What is not considered masculine?

-          Guilt

-          Fear

-          Cowardice

-          Any weaknesses

o   Physical, mental, emotional

-          Deception

-          Betrayal 

How Shakespeare achieves representation of masculinity?

Within the play, Shakespeare positions us to understand that while characters of either gender may embody masculine or feminine traits, there is an embedded attitude within the play that privileges masculinity in men and femininity in women. We clearly see this through the characterization of Lady Macbeth. Here is a woman who invariably projects masculine qualities in how she conducts herself. However, this is ultimately punished signifying to us that her adoption of these characteristics generally associated with men disrupts the natural order of the society. 

-          Language choices

o   Lady Macbeth’s descriptions when challenging Macbeths’s masculinity

o   Duncan’s descriptions of Macbeth and Banquo

o   The difference between dialogue from masculine/feminine characters – assertive vs. submissive

-          Binary Opposition

o   Masculinity is seen to be privileged over femininity within the play – so long as the masculine character is able to reflect the values, attitudes, beliefs, etc

-          Imagery

o   A number of clear/vivid metaphors, similes and symbols associated with masculinity within the play. These help identify/explore various values underpinning the play and/or identifying the characters

Power in Shakespeare's "Macbeth"

Thanks to Courtney, here are the notes that we took in class on Thursday last week regarding power:

Power in Macbeth

What does Shakespeare tell us about power?

-          There is an embedded value within the play that suggests men are more powerful than women

-          Power is only viewed as a good/positive thing if in the hands of the rightful person (link to natural order)

-          Men’s power is represented within the play through acts of aggression/violence à i.e. Macbeth’s acts of power on the battlefield. Also his acts of violence as king – this underpinned by the idea that Macbeth’s power is unnatural and therefore a negative form of power

-          In contrast, Duncan’s power is viewed as natural and while he condemns the original Thane of Cawdor to death, his power is not viewed as violent/aggressive

-          Macbeth influenced by supernatural power. This is viewed as a negative

-          We are often positioned to see power as something that can poison the mind of the person who hold in – again, this links to the natural order

-          Lady Macbeth’s desire for power (along with the witches) challenge the embedded values of the play regarding who should hold power

-          The power that these women hold is based on their abilities to manipulate ad deceive others. This can be challenging Macbeth’s masculinity (L.M.) or stretching the truth (Witches)

-          For order to be restored, power must be in the hands of the rightful person

How does he achieve this representation?

-          Characterization

·         Witches, Macbeth, Lady Macbeth à negative power/abuse of power

·         Duncan, Malcolm, Macduff à rightful power, positive

-          Imagery

·         The various images help emphasise certain values, etc, and characters traits that link directly to the representation of power

-          The constant imagery that relates to the natural world helps reinforce the negative style of power held by Macbeth

-          Soliloquy/monologues

·         Give clear insight into the style of power/desire from various characters

-          Foreshadowing

·         Can help rein force what audience is beginning to learn about characters and themes

-          Binary opposition

·         Constant play on light and dark

-          Motifs

·         “fair is foul and foul is fair” etc

Reflective Practice Task

Imagine you are a Year 12 English teacher who is teaching Macbeth for the first time. Before delivering a lesson focusing on the theme of guilt, you spend time reflecting on how this theme is represented within the play, taking into consideration not just the theme itself but also the way Shakespeare has positioned audiences to understand guilt.

Some things to consider as you plan your response:

1. There needs to be a clear structure to your response, as per the sample we looked at in class. You should have a clear introduction with a concise thesis statement (Hint: this thesis statement should identify what you want to say about the theme). You should also have a clear main body that is made up of paragraphs that begin with topics sentences that link back to your thesis. Finally, you should have a strong conclusion that provides closure to the reflections that you have made.

2. Within your discussion, you should be able to demonstrate your ability to clearly articulate your points. You should also be ensuring that for every claim you make, you are able to support your point with strong, relevant evidence. This evidence must be synthesised in order to be most effective.

3. Use the vernacular that we have been teaching you over the past few years. I.e. "He positions...", "This embedded value..." "Underpinning this concept...", etc. This is also where you should be able to demonstrate your understanding of the specific positioning techniques that are being used. Mention the techniques by name. I.e. Binary Opposition, Motifs, Foreshadowing, Symbolism, Metaphor, Imagery, Characterisation, Language Choice, etc.

4. Use reflective language. Remember our mantra: First person, past tense.

5. Integrate your quotations and make sure that you reference them correctly (Act, Scene, Line).

6. Take the time to proof-read and edit your work!


If you submit this piece by Monday of Week 8, I will provide written feedback by the time you return to class after completing the Core Skills Tests.

"The Tables Turned" by William Wordsworth

Image taken from www.google.com on 14/07/11

Utilising both "The Critical Reading Process" that we learnt about today in class and SPECS and SLIMS I would like you to read and analyse the following poem by William Wordsworth.

Your analysis should revolve around the poem as you see it and your summary should aim to highlight why this poem is still relevant to readers today.

Rather than simply listing your points in a dot-point manner, try to articulate your findings into coherent sentences and paragraphs.

Your response needs to be posted onto your blog by no later than 8.20am Tuesday Week 2A.

The Tables Turned - A Poem by William Wordsworth

The Tables Turned
(An Evening Scene on the Same Subject)

Up! up! my Friend, and quit your books;
Or surely you'll grow double:
Up! up! my Friend, and clear your looks;
Why all this toil and trouble?

The sun, above the mountain's head,
A freshening lustre mellow
Through all the long green fields has spread,
His first sweet evening yellow.

Books! 'tis a dull and endless strife:
Come, hear the woodland linnet,
How sweet his music! on my life,
There's more of wisdom in it.

And hark! how blithe the throstle sings!
He, too, is no mean preacher:
Come forth into the light of things,
Let Nature be your Teacher.

She has a world of ready wealth,
Our minds and hearts to bless
Spontaneous wisdom breathed by health,
Truth breathed by cheerfulness.

One impulse from a vernal wood
May teach you more of man,
Of moral evil and of good,
Than all the sages can.

Sweet is the lore which Nature brings;
Our meddling intellect
Mis-shapes the beauteous forms of things:
We murder to dissect.

Enough of Science and of Art;
Close up those barren leaves;
Come forth, and bring with you a heart
That watches and receives.

'My Daddy's a Diver'

Following on from today's lesson, you need to complete the paragraph on 'My Daddy's a Diver' and post your response on your blog. The second part of the homework is to go into at least two other people's blog, read their response and leave them some constructive feedback.

You should also use the weekend to catch up on any incomplete work and to finish, if possible, the novel.

Consequences for incomplete homework

Image taken from Google images on 28/04/11

Over this long weekend, please ensure that everything from this term is up to date and published on your blog.

If you are not up to date by the first lesson back next week you will be spending lunch times in the Library until your work is completed.

If you are having trouble with your Blog account, you may need to consider starting a new one. However, I would advise you to try logging in through iGoogle first and then opening up blogger.com before you decide to scrap your old blog.