Presentation

http://youtu.be/WKw1l0tz7uk

Act 2 - Twitter

https://twitter.com/macbethws

I have never used Twitter before because I have Facebook already. I think Twitter and Facebook are somewhat similar so I had not registered for a Twitter account. Creating an account is not that easy now because I have to think of a username that is not taken by somebody else while trying to be as creative as I can. Moreover, I have to start updating more statuses on Twitter to fill up my page with content. That will take a long time so I would rather focus on my Facebook account that I have already developed. However, this assignment requires Twitter for it, so I registered for an account. I had a great time using Twitter for the first time. Signing up changed my perception of Twitter completely, because it was so simple to register an account and upload content. Unlike many other social networking sites that require a lot of personal information, Twitter just requires an email address, password, and username. It was simple and fast. It has special layout and unique ways to communicate with others. I can find friends through my Hotmail account and other mail services. I think it would be a lot easier and more convenient if Twitter could actually connect to Facebook to find more friends who are on Twitter. It is my first time using Twitter so it took a few minutes of looking around to find specific functions, after which I found myself getting used to it. Twitter is so easy to use and play around with. I can follow many celebrities and see their latest update on Twitter. I can even change the background of my Twitter. I can personalize many things on Twitter to make it unique unlike Facebook, where many designs are already there for you and you cannot personalize it. Moreover, I can use various tags on my tweets or photos just like Instagram. I find these interesting to play with because I can actually click into these tags and many related tweets, photos, and videos will come up for me to look at. Despite with the problem of finding friends to follow through only a few accounts, I have found Twitter to be another great way of communicating with the world.

Act 1 - Character Profile

Macbeth is a powerful, loyal and brave man in Scotland. He has won a major battle for Scotland, which earns him the title of Thane of Cawdor as an honorable reward by King Duncan. This title gives him a high status in society. His ambition surfaces after the three witches tell him their prophecy that he will be king. He starts to believe in the prophecy when he becomes the Thane of Cawdor. Others easily lead his character, which is revealed when he is easily convinced by Lady Macbeth to kill King Duncan. Although he is a loyal and brave man, he is not a virtuous man. He kills Duncan, who trusted him and treated him well. Macbeth’s ambition makes him do whatever necessary to fulfill it.

I think Macbeth will play very important role in the play. He is the leading point of the play. His decisions can change Scotland easily since he will stop at nothing to fulfill his ambition. Because of his ambition, many people who used to support him will no longer support him. As a result, he can lose the throne to others easily. I think Macbeth had some honour, but ambition makes him blind to it. He will do just anything for his ambition. He lacks the ability to decide on a more virtuous path. He does not think through the consequence before he acts for the sake of his own glory. Because of his actions, it makes him a tyrant. I do not like him because of his actions. He could have had more of his own thought instead of listening to others, like the witches or Lady Macbeth, and just following what others tell him to do. If he had chosen another, more honest, path to the throne, he may have been a really powerful and great king. Macbeth’s characteristics teach us that the consequence of eagerness in fulfilling one’s own ambition can be powerful. It can lead us into the wrong path that can affect many innocent people. Therefore, we should think before we do.


Reference:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/shakespearebt/5780949092/

Act 1 - Destiny

The witches play a significant role in the play because they influence Macbeth’s actions, which then affect other characters throughout the play. The witches’ prophecies awake Macbeth’s ambition, which leads to the plan to murder King Duncan, and then Banquo later on in the play. The witches appear to be letting Macbeth know his fate, but then his interpretation of the witches’ prophecy cause him to act, which is not necessarily truly fate. The play causes the audience to question whether Macbeth was truly meant by destiny to become king, or if solely his actions led him to become king. There is also a sense in the play that Macbeth is truly not meant to be king, at least not for long, because Macbeth tries to get the throne by murdering King Duncan. Macbeth is not supposed to inherit the throne since he is not the rightful heir. In away, Macbeth is tampering with the divine right of the king to rule, and so his eagerness to get the throne is actually fighting against notions of order and fate.

I think we all are not subject to our pre-determined destiny, unless one allows their lives to naturally pass without putting much effort into it, then one will become what their pre-determined destiny wants them to be. Everyone has their destiny in their hands. It is up to us to choose what to do with it. Some will take their lives seriously and make changes to it, and some will let it go and let destiny take them. Destiny is like a guide that will take us to a certain path, but it is up to us to decide which direction we want to go from there. We can influence our future and destiny by making changes in our life. Even one slight change may not seem to have a significant effect, however, when every change accumulates in our life then it can have a momentous impact on our future. If we put effort in changing our destiny then we can influence it. 

Reference:
http://www.bridgemanart.com/en-GB/news-and-features/collection-highlights/2009/july/shakespeare%20in%20the%20park-1

Act 1 - My Thoughts

The play, Macbeth, written by William Shakespeare, starts out with three witches gathering together and deciding where and when is their next union. The witches decide to meet at the heath near Forres, where Macbeth has ended the major battle. The battle ends with a great victory under the command of Macbeth. The great success of the battle is well heard in Scotland and the King of Scotland, King Duncan, is impressed by Macbeth’s abilities, and so rewards Macbeth with the title of Thane of Cawdor. King Duncan then sends a messenger to tell Macbeth about the news. Meanwhile, Macbeth and Banquo, heading back to Scotland after the battle, are interrupted when the witches appear abruptly in front of them. The three witches start to tell their prophecy to Macbeth and Banquo. The three witches greet Macbeth as the Thane of Glamis, and then as the Thane of Cawdor, and finally as the King of Scotland afterward. Whereas Banquo, the witches say, will not become the king; however, Banquo’s offspring will become king. Although at first Macbeth and Banquo doubt the prophecy, it starts to seem true, as shortly after seeing the witches, they receive the news that Macbeth is now Thane of Cawdor. The prophecy arouses Macbeth’s ambition to become King of Scotland. Macbeth takes his ambition into action, whereas Banquo does not. Macbeth writes letter to his wife, Lady Macbeth, to tell her about the prophecies and the battles. Lady Macbeth plans to murder King Duncan at night when Duncan sleeps over at her palace. She calls the evil spirit to take over her so that she can be cruel when it comes to murder. “Come, you spirits  That tend on mortal thoughts, unsex me here, And fill me from the crown to the toe top-full Of direst cruelty” (Act I scene 5) Lady Macbeth wants Macbeth to murder Duncan however, he thinks it is against his nature and he can not do such an act to someone who trusts him and treats him well. “He’s here in double trust:

 First, as I am his kinsman and his subject,

 Strong both against the deed; then, as his host,

 Who should against his murderer shut the door,

 Not bear the knife myself.” (Act I scene 7)

I think Shakespeare is an excellent and brilliant playwright. He had written many masterpieces before Macbeth. His works have had significant impact on English literature. I think the play, Macbeth, is a play of prophecy, ambition, and fate. In Act I, the play begins with mysterious witches meeting together and then meeting with Macbeth. This play talks a lot about prophecy, and also how Macbeth chooses to react to the prophecy with his own ambition. Moreover, it shows how Macbeth decides to attempt to control his fate throughout the play.

Reference:
http://fc09.deviantart.net/fs70/i/2011/197/2/1/macbeth_shoe_2_by_rottenvenom-d3x9oil.jpg