Change: William Shakespeare and Lady Macbeth Essay

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Change is an inevitable aspect in every individual’s lives. It is imperative for humans to encounter the complex nature of change regardless of the ambiguity of its upcoming repercussions. In William Shakespeare’s theatrical work ‘Macbeth’, the notion of change is conveyed through the alteration of the protagonist’s state of mind initiating a destructive influence towards Macbeth and the people around him during the Jacobean Epoch. Meanwhile, Miroslav Holub’s poetry ‘The Door’ abodes its emphasis on the optimistic facet of change as an individual chooses to initiate it at one instance of their life. Change is necessary as it can cause the influx of something new and different, it can however, entice both the favorable and unfavorable consequences.

The vital importance of change encompasses its capacity to draw in the unfamiliar and the new. Shakespeare’s ‘Macbeth’ showcases the transformation that developed within the two main characters, Macbeth and his wife as they become enthralled by the deceptive prophecy of the three odd witches. The existence of supernatural power in the Jacobean society in which the tragedy is situated in transformed the former ‘noble kinsman’ into an ambitious, power-hungry character. The Three odd sisters characterize the unnatural power that served as a way for Macbeth to approach the new and unfamiliar. A trochaic tetrameter is applied to the language used by the witches to emphasize their supernatural ‘otherness’, which sets them apart from other characters. This peculiar rhythm creates a sinister, incant-like effect fortifying the witches’ vicious nature and their capability to bring out the unknown. The beginning of the play composed of the three repetitively chanting the antithesis, ‘Fair is foul and foul is fair’ evoking an ominous and bewitching influence. The use of the paradoxical line stresses the ambivalence presented in the existence of the witches and their prophecies regarding Macbeth and Banquo’s upcoming. Furthermore, the juxtaposing idea of fair and foul emphasizes the discrepancy between appearance and reality implying the potential danger as the main theme ‘nothing is what it seems’ unfold throughout the play. Macbeth successfully demonstrates this theme as the brave exterior of an adored ‘worthy nobleman’ transformed into a murderous but cowardly man as soon as he was prophesied as the future king, something that caused the change within him. Likewise, Lady Macbeth is first portrayed as a ‘gentle lady’ to later being a ruthless and determined wife as she perceived the prophecy as a chance for a good change for both of them. Excitement and ambition were shown by Lady Macbeth as the sudden alteration of what their future may hold for her family transpired through the witches’ insight.

In relation to Lady Macbeth’s attitude towards change, the poetry ‘The Door’ also conveys the concept as a chance for something new and unfamiliar. The door is a metaphoric representation of a barrier or anything that may impede us from going beyond our limits. Similarly, Lady Macbeth and her husband perceived the life of the present king as a barrier to positive transformation that was prophesied by the odd sisters as well as the breathe of those whom Macbeth murdered in the end. In opening the door, we are introduced to an array of possibilities varying from optimistic opportunities to the unfavorable. Each verse in the poem begins with the line, ‘Go and open the door’ making it seem imperative and strong in contrast with the next line which starts with the word ‘Maybe’. This juxtaposition between the imperative and tentative verses emphasizes the uncertainty of the possible results that follows after the change as well as highlights the essence of transformation. The first and second stanza incorporates lines that express the different potential results of the act of unlocking the door. They both begin with an imperative line followed by the speculative word ‘Maybe’ and proceed to the
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