Brianna's Online Journal

“Describe at least one idea that changed your perspective in the film”  

“We are more than our genetics”

In the film ‘Gattaca’ by Andrew Niccol the idea that your genetics define what your life will hold is prominent and in this futuristic dystopia, genetic selection rules society to a point where you are more socially elite if you are a “valid”. Right from birth, your genetics are chosen and your identity is your genetic makeup, a sequence of letters that predict your life. Using this idea, Andrew Niccol creates a character that right from the time of conception,  is battling against his own genes to achieve his dreams for the future. The idea that we are nothing more than what our genetics tell us, is forced upon Vincent, who is an invalid and disadvantaged in the society run by eugenics. He has to hide behind Jerome, a genetically engineered humans DNA to achieve his dreams. Niccol uses symbolism in the form of a helix spiral staircase that is at the core of their modernist apartment to show how Vincent and Jerome’s lives are built around DNA but more notably, that we are more than our genes. 

he idea that we are more than our genetics is found nowhere more clearly than in the scene when Jerome climbs up the Helix staircase in order to maintain Vincent’s dream to get to Titan.

Scene starts at 1:19:15

In Shakespeare’s tragedy ‘Macbeth’, ambition is the driving force behind the downfall of the main character, Macbeth. Macbeth is given the knowledge from supernatural creatures that he will be Thane of Cawdor, King and that Banquo will be the father to future Kings. This information acts like a pebble and creates a ripple effect that fuels Macbeth’s burning desire for power and to be King, whatever the cost. But as we have seen countless times in history, too much power can corrupt a man and become the thing that ruins them.  ” All power tends to corrupt, and absolute power corrupts absolutely” – Lord Acton.  This quote does well to explain the capabilities of power, able to corrupt a man, like in Shakespeare’s play. This essay will be about the language conventions that Shakespeare uses to show Macbeth’s degenerating mind and corrupted mental state as a result from his ambition.

Dramatic Irony is when the audience knows something the character does not, this gives them the knowledge but not the power to act on it. It is often used to make the audience feel involved in the play. In Macbeth, Shakespeare uses dramatic irony to show Macbeth’s mental deterioration, he cannot recognize the tricks his mind is playing, but the audience can. An example of this is when Macbeth is on his way to murder Duncan, the current King in his sleep. He believes he can see a dagger, floating in the air before him. It reaches towards him but he cannot touch it or feel it. Macbeth questions his sense of sight, perhaps the only time in the play where he may believe he is imagining things and he questions his morals.        “To feeling as to sight? Or art thou but A dagger of the mind, a false creation”.      I’ve interpreted that the audience cannot see the dagger and knows Macbeth is not mentally stable. The audience doesn’t want Macbeth to kill Duncan but we cannot stop him or warn Duncan.   Macbeth says     “There’s no such thing ,It is the bloody business which informs Thus to mine eyes”.    which means there is no such thing, he is imagining the dagger, and he says the murder he was about to commit has deceived his sight. His mental state and conscience at this time is stable enough to realize the truth behind his visions, but he is so succumbed to the idea of becoming King that he follows through on the dreadful act, that will, along with other things, plague his mind.

In Shakespeare’s works, metaphors are used to convey an idea that isn’t literal or possible, that the audience will understand. Shakespeare likes to use this convention to imply that one thing is another. In Act 3, Scene 2, Shakespeare makes reference to Banquo being a snake that is scorched. Macbeth says: “We have scorched the snake, not killed it.” This is said to Lady Macbeth about Banquo’s murder and Fleance’s escape. By comparing Banquo to a snake he is letting the audience imagine a snake that has been wounded, but not killed, Banquo is dead but the threat of Fleance becoming King is still there. In Greek Mythology, there is a figure, Hydra, that is often represented as a snake, and if one head is cut off, three more will grow in its place. I believe this idea of a mythological figure like Hydra links to how Fleance is a threat amongst others that will only grow stronger as Macbeth’s ambition grows. Shakespeare used this metaphor to invoke the imagination of the audience. Shakespeare also makes another comparison in Act 3, Scene 2 that implies his mind is full of scorpions. “Oh, full of scorpions is my mind, dear wife! Thou know’st that Banquo, and his son Fleance, lives”. Macbeth is stating that his mind is full of evilness, he has killed Duncan and Banquo and will continue to kill to maintain his throne. “Thou know’st that Banquo, and his son Fleance, lives” implies that as long as Fleance lives he will have a mind full of scorpions which represents his evil thoughts. This line can be seen as a way for Macbeth to show how he himself feels like his mind is failing him and degenerating, full of thoughts that he would once not think, but now are normal to him.

In Act 3 Scene 4, dramatic irony is used to show Macbeth’s unstable mental state. Shakespeare has skillfully used dramatic irony here to compel the audience to question whether a ghost is truly at the banquet like Macbeth says, or whether Macbeth has truly lost his mind and is hallucinating the bloody apparition of Banquo.  Macbeth says ” Thou canst not say I did it/ Never shake thy gory locks at me……Prithee, see there! behold! Look!”     Here, Macbeth sees the ghost of Banquo sitting in the seat his friends gesture for Macbeth to sit in and he shouts to Banquo that he cannot say he did it (murdered Banquo).  The ghost is only seen by Macbeth, isolating him, which would strike fear in any man and cause you to question the stability of your own mind. Macbeth tries to show Lady Macbeth where Banquo is but it is a futile attempt. He then says “Avaunt, and quit my sight!”, meaning go away and leave my sight (directed at Banquo).   Banquo is only targeting Macbeth because they were once good friends and there was no honor in his murder, he wants Macbeth to be filled with guilt for the crime he has committed and the consequences because of it. Ghosts are often depicted as people who have died with unfinished business or of foul play and Banquo is a clear accusation at Macbeth’s evil actions. The audience and characters surrounding Macbeth will both be thinking Macbeth has lost his mind, but to him, he truly believes that he can see this ghost and is not crazy. Shakespeare has used the idea of Banquo reappearing shortly after being murdered to suggest that Macbeth has lost or is losing his sanity, thus making him imagine and see things that aren’t possible.  Macbeth then goes on to say, ” When now I think you can behold such sight/ And keep the natural ruby of your cheeks/ When mine is blanched with fear”. He is questioning the people at the banquet on how they can look so normal ( not afraid) at the sight of Banquo’s blood covered ghost when Macbeth is full of fear, and we as the audience know it is because Banquos ghost is only visible to the guilty Macbeth, and not to the guests or audience

In the last Act of Macbeth, Macbeth’s mind has truly become corrupt by the ambition he had to secure his position as King. He has sacrificed his mind whilst trying to eliminate certain ‘threats’. This is shown by the iambic pentameter of his speech being interrupted by a weak foot and the language choice Shakespeare uses. An iamb is an unstressed syllable followed by a stressed syllable. The iambic rhythm is the rhythm that the English language naturally follows, and was the way of speaking in the Elizabeathen era, when Shakespeare was writing plays, thus it was adopted into plays in a pentameter with five iambs in a line. This is called iambic pentameter. In Shakespeare’s plays, iambic pentameter was predominant in the noble and high-class people to symbolize their high culture, education and their status in society, whereas commoners speech in ‘ plays is not in iambic pentameter to signify their low status in society, because they don’t have the literacy skills of a noble. Often, In Shakespeare’s plays,  when nobles speak without iambic pentameter it is because they are either drunk or losing their minds. In our case, for Macbeth, it is the latter. In Macbeth’s soliloquy ‘Tomorrow, Tomorrow, Tomorrow’ it is noticeable when a weak foot is present. For example in the line ‘To the last syllable of recorded time’  the ending is a weak foot, which interrupts the natural flow of his speech. This is because his mind is faltering and the simplest of things like speaking in iambic pentameter is failing him.

Show how Shakespeare uses language techniques to convey the degeneration of Macbeth’s mental state and how this links to the universal meaning of the play that power corrupts

Key Idea:  ambition causes mental deterioration  & destruction to humans. Power Corrupts humans 

In the famous tragedy Macbeth, we see how Shakespeare manipulates language and dramatic conventions to show the audience Macbeth’s mental deterioration over the course of his reign as King because of his desire for power and security.  One technique commonly used by Shakespeare is the use of Dramatic Irony ( metaphor?).  When Macbeth sees an imaginary dagger floating in the air and reaching towards his hand,  he takes it as a sign that the murder he is about to commit is the right thing to do. Dramatic Irony is used to show the audience how Macbeth’s mind is imagining things that aren’t truly there.

Floating dagger: Act 2 Scene 1

Seeing Banquo’s ghost:  Act 3 Scene 4

Scene 1:

Characters: Lady Macbeth, Doctor, Gentlewoman

Location: A room in Dunsinane

Events:  A doctor and a gentlewoman discuss Lady Macbeth’s sleepwalking that has begun after Macbeth left to go to war.  Lady Macbeth enters, in a trance. She holds a candle and her eyes are open but do now see. She rubs her hands as if washing them of blood and says ‘ Yet here’s a spot, out damned spot”.  She seems to be reliving the night that Duncan was murdered, and she washes her hands of his blood. She cannot get the stain or smell of blood gone. Lady Macbeth exits and the doctor and woman agree to not speak of what they have heard or seen. She talks to imaginary ‘Macbeth’ and says that he should not look frightened because Banquo is dead and cannot leave is grave. This information that Lady Macbeth has spilled is very incriminating towards her and Macbeth, it basically tells the doctor that they killed Banquo.

Important Quotes:

Lady Macbeth- Out, damned spot! Out, I say!—One, two. Why, then, ’tis time to do ’t. Hell is murky!—Fie, my lord, fie! A soldier, and afeard? What need we fear who knows it, when none can call our power to account?—Yet who would have thought the old man to have had so much blood in him.

“The Thane of Fife had a wife. Where is she now?—What, will these hands ne’er be clean?—No more o’ that, my lord, no more o’ that. You mar all with this starting”

“Wash your hands. Put on your nightgown. Don’t look so frightened. I tell you again, Banquo is buried. He cannot come out of his grave.”

This act of Lady Macbeth desperately trying to wash off Duncan’s blood in her sleep is similar to Macbeth’s actions after he killed Duncan. He thought the whole sea couldn’t wash off the blood.  The two have both had a moment where they realize their actions can never be undone/forgiven. Their sins will stay with them forever and stain their hands. 

Scene 2: 

Characters: Menteith, Angus, Caithness, Lenox

Location: Country near Dunsinane

Events:  The 4 thanes march to Birnam wood with their soldiers to meet Malcolm who is leading the English army toward Scotland to fight Macbeth and take the throne back. They speak of rumors are Macbeth is mad and his army is fighting in fear, not in loyalty to him, I think because his mental state is worsening, he’s making rash reckless decisions. The thanes decide to purge Scotland of Macbeth’s sickness like he is a disease.

Important Quotes: 

Angus- ” Now does he feel, His secret murders sticking on his hands; Now minutely revolts upbraid his faith-breach: Those he commands move only in command, Nothing in love: now does he feel his title, Hang loose about him, like a giants robe upon a dwarfish body”

To me, this quote means that Macbeth is feeling the heaviness of his murders and his followers are revolting against him and rebelling because he is craaaaazzyyyyyyyyyyy. 

Scene 3:

Characters:  Macbeth, Doctors, Attendants

Location:  A room inside Dunsinane castle

Events:   In this scene, Macbeth is so full of himself that he refuses to hear any more reports on the upcoming battle because he is so sure that he will not and can not be harmed because no man of woman borne can kill him, and Birnam wood has not come to Dunsinane. He hears that Malcolm’s army has 10,000  soldiers and he prepares to fight until the flesh is hacked off his bones.

Important Quotes: 

Scene 4:

Characters:

Events:

Quotes:

Scene 5:

Scene 1: 

Characters: 3 witches, Hecate, Macbeth, 3 Apparitions, Lenox

Events:

This is a very BIG scene… In the beginning, the 3 witches are creating an evil potion in a cauldron.  Hecate enters and commends the witches for their efforts. Macbeth enters and immediately starts demanding answers from the witches.   The witches tell Macbeth to listen and not ask of them They send an apparition ( a armed head) appeared saying to beware of Macduff. Macbeth demands more and a second apparition emerges, this one a bloody child. This apparition said that no man of woman borne shall harm Macbeth. This is a very dangerous prophecy because knowing no one can kill you gives you too much security, and for Macbeth, if he thinks no one can kill him, he is basically invincible.  Macbeth decides to kill Macduff anyway even if he knows no man from woman borne can kill him. A third apparition appears and says that Macbeth will never be vanquished until Great Birnam woods move to Dunsinane hill ( that is impossible). Too much security AGAIN. Macbeth asks if Banquo’s son will ever be King and he is presented with a vision of 8 Kings along with Banquo’s ghost.  The witches and apparitions disappear and Lenox arrives to tell Macbeth that Macduff has fled to England. Macbeth instantly decides to kill all his family and castle, including any poor souls that work for him.

Important Quotes:

1st Apparition: ‘Macbeth! Macbeth! Macbeth! beware of Macduff; Beware the Thane of Fife!’

2nd Apparition: ‘Be bloody, bold and resolute: laugh to scorn// The power of man, for none of woman born// Shall harm Macbeth!

3rd Apparition: ‘ Be lion-mettled, proud, and take no care// Who chafes, who frets, or where conspirers are: Macbeth shall never be vanquished until Great Birnam wood to high Dunsinane Hill// Shall come against him”

Macbeth: “The castle of Macduff I will surprise, Seize upon Fife, give to the edge of the sword// His wife, his babes, and all unfortunate souls that trace him in his line”

Macbeth is heavily reliant on the prophecies he has been told, to the point where he will kill Macduff’s family,  even though they and Macduff pose no real threat ( the 2nd apparitions prophecy).  Macbeth has WAYYYYY too much security about being King.

Scene 2:

Characters: Lady Macduff, Rosse, Son, Messenger, Murderer

Location: In Fife, Macduff’s castle.

Events: Rosse tells Lady Macduff that she is in danger of Macbeth, she is angry her husband left his own son fatherless, he is dead to her.  Rosse leaves and she talks with he son about traitors and Macduff being a traitor. A messenger rushes to tell her to flee immediately but they are too late. A murderer enters and kills Macduff’s family.

Important Quotes:

Lady Macduff: “ Wisdom! to leave his wife, to leave his babes, His mansion, and his titles, in a place, From whence himself does fly? He loves us not”

Scene 3:

Characters: Macduff, Malcolm

Events:

Macduff has arrived in England and wants Malcolm to return to Scotland to overthrow Macbeth, but Malcolm is suspicious so he tests Macduff by pretending if he were to be King that he would be worse than Macbeth. Initially, Macduff argues that this doesn’t matter, but as Malcolm keeps speaking of his sins, Macduff is in despair. He has an outburst and says that Malcolm is not fit to be King, or to live! This is exactly what Malcolm needed to hear, and he reassures Macduff he was lying to test his loyalty.  Malcolm has an army ready to invade Macbeth.

Rosse arrives and reports rumors that the Sottish people are wanting to rise against Macbeth. He tells Macduff that his ALL of his family and servants etc.. were slaughtered. They prepare to invade Scotland !!!

Important Quotes:

Scene 1:

Characters:  Banquo, Macbeth, Lady Macbeth, Lenox, Rosse, Attendant

What happened:  Banquo talks about his concern that Macbeth has now got everything the witches had promised, King, Cawdor, and  Glamis, but he thinks Macbeth has played foully to get them. Macbeth hosts a banquet  to celebrate his coronation and during it he asks Banquo a series of questions about his rider with Fleance the next day, as if he is planning something. During the banquet, two murderers come to speak to Macbeth and he organizes for Banquo and Fleance to be murdered when they ride. He does this because Banquo has reason to suspect Macbeth’s crimes and he doesn’t want Fleance to one day be King and not his own heirs.

Quotes:

“There is none but he/ Whose being I do fear” – about Banquo

“For Banquo’s issue have I filed my mind/ For them gracious Duncan have I murdered”

“Rather than so, come, fate, into the list/ And champion me to the utterance”

Scene 2:

Characters: Macbeth, Lady Macbeth, Servant

What happened: In Scene 2, Lady M and Macbeth discuss how the murder of King Duncan is troubling Macbeth because the problem is not over yet (referring to Banquo & Fleance). Lady M says that they cannot live forever and Macbeth keeps his plan to murder Banquo and Fleance a secret from her.

Quotes:  ‘Oh, full of scorpions is my mind, dear wife! Thou know’st that Banquo, and his Fleance, lives.’

Macbeth has said that his mind is full of scorpions, because while Banquo and Fleance live he cannot rest.

Scene 3:

Characters: 3 murderers, Banquo, Fleance

What happened: The three murderers ambush Banquo and Fleance. Banquo says ” O treachery, Fly, good Fleance, fly, fly,fly! Thou mayest revenge!”. This is an important line from Macbeth because Fleance is supposed to be King one day, threatening Macbeth’s future heirs.

Scene 4: 

Characters:  Macbeth, Lady M, Rosse, Lenox, Lords, and Attendants

What happened: 

The banquet is in play and Macbeth sees the first murderer at the door, he is covered in Banquo’s blood but Macbeth is appalled because Fleance escaped. Although Banquo is dead, there is still a major threat to Macbeth’s crown. He goes back to the banquet, Macbeth shouts out because he can see Banquo’s ghost in the room. He shouts like a madman at Banquo’s ghost whilst his friends watch on not being able to see the ghost. Lady Macbeth is playing it off as if this happens all the time and to not worry about Macbeth, because she’s afraid he will say something of the murders he has committed.  Banquo disappears and Lady M orders everyone to leave.  Whether or not Banquo’s ghost is truly present in the scene Macbeth’s mind is being consumed by his guilt and he is seeing ghosts, real or insane?

Quotes: Macbeth- “I am in blood, Stepped in so far, that, Should I wade no more, Returning were as tedious as go o’er.”

Scene 5: 

Characters:  3 witches, Hecate (Goddess of Magic + Witchcraft)

Location: On a Heath (a barren scrubby wasteland)

Events:  the 3 Witchesmeet with Hecate, goddess of Magic and she/he is angry that the witches gave Macbeth propehecies when he acts like a’ wayward son’ who doesn’t care of magic and witchcraft. Hecate told the witches to go and meet in the morning and Hecate will raise artifiical sprites to confuse Macbeth with their illusions. Hecate also says that security is a mortals biggest enemy.

Quotes: 

“And you all know, security/ Is mortals chiefest enemy” – Hecate.  Overconfidence can destroy a man if greed for power overcomes him.

This is avery strong important quote from Hecate, because  having too much security/over confidence will ruin a man and cause him to wild unruly things.

Scene 6:

Characters: Lenox and Lord

Events:  In Scene 6, Lenox talks to the Lord about the three murders that have taken place, how the guards were killed, Malcolm and ODnalbain blamed, Fleance blamed and all in favour of macbeth. He does this in a sarcastic way, this sequence of events makes Lenox think that Macbeth has committed all of these crimes in order to be King. He wants to warn Macduff that Macbeth is dangerous to him.

Quotes:

STATE OF MIND (MACBETH)

Scene 1:

Present: Banquo, Fleance, Macbeth

Banquo and Fleance are awake at night, as is Macbeth. Banquo cannot sleep because he dreams of the witches, but Macbeth is quick to tell him he hasn’t thought anything of them and they aren’t serious, they wish goodnight.

Macbeth is alone and he ‘sees’ an imaginary dagger, coming toward him.

Quote: “Is this a dagger which I see before me,  the handle toward my hand? Come, let me clutch thee, I have thee not, and yet I still see thee still….. A dagger of the mind”.   

Macbeth is seeing this dagger that represents killing Duncan,  but he cannot touch it, therefore it is in his mind. If this is true, Macbeth has let his mind convince him he must kill Duncan, but it is just him hallucinating. He could be hallucinating seeing the witches BUT Banquo also witnessed the witches so the witches must be real. Macbeth’s mental state is affecting what he sees or doesn’t see ( this will happen later on in the play too).

Scene 2:

Location: In a room in the castle

Characters: Lady Macbeth and Macbeth

What happened:

Macbeth comes back from murdering Duncan and is shaken because he heard a voice talking to him, and he brought the daggers back instead of leaving them at the scene. Lady Macbeth is angry he won’t take them back so she will do it herself. Macbeth is feeling regretful and disgusted with his actions ” He says “Wake Duncan with thy knocking; I would thou couldst!”. He wishes that the knocking would wake Duncan as if he is asleep, even though he just killed him.

Quote:   ‘Methought I heard a voice cry, “sleep no more! Macbeth does murder sleep”, ……

 “Sleep no more!” to all the house: “Glamis hath murdered sleep, and therefore Cawdor/ Shall sleep no more, Macbeth shall sleep no more!”

This quote is adding to the development of Macbeth’s possible mental instability because it is a similar situation to when Macbeth “saw” a dagger reaching to him, but now he is “hearing” a voice saying he will not sleep due to his heinous actions.

Scene 3:

Characters:  Macduff, Lenox, Porter,  Macbeth, Lady Macbeth, Banquo, Donalbain, Malcolm.

What happened:   The porter is drunk and hears knocking at the gates. He opens the gates for Macduff and Lenox and speaks of the effects of drunkenness. Macduff asks if the King has woken yet. Macbeth enters and acts the innocent part,  when Macduff goes to wake the King he sees him dead and the guards covered in blood with the daggers on their pillows. There is chaos and everyone is distraught. Macbeth acts like everyone else, except he kills the guards in his rage for ‘murdering’ the King. He also says life isn’t worth living if the King is dead, the wine of life poured out. Lady Macbeth faints, and they all go their separate ways, to then meet again in the corridor and decide what to do.

Malcolm and Donalbain make plans to leave early because they suspect that their closest relatives are the murderers, not the guards.

Quotes:

   Macbeth:  ‘Had I but died an hour before this chance, I had but lived a blessed time; for, from this instant, There’s nothing serious in mortality; All is but toys: renown, and grace, is dead; The wine of life is drawn, and the mere lees Is left this  vault to brag of’.

Macbeth: ‘O! yet I do repent me of my fury, That I did kill them’

Donalbain and Malcolm:  ‘To Ireland, I: our separated fortune, Shall keep us both the safer; where we are, There’s daggers in men’s smiles; the near in blood, The nearer the bloody’ ‘This murderous shaft that’s shot hath not yet lighted’

Donalbain and Malcolm think that the people who appear friendly are dangerous and the murderous arrow has not hit its target ( more evil is yet to come, most likely to Malcolm and Donalbain, the sons of the now dead king.)

Scene 4:

Characters: Old man, Rosse, Macduff

Location: Outside the castle

What happened:  The old man and Rosse talk about the supernatural events that occurred following King Duncan’s murder. A falcon killed an owl, and Duncan’s horses turned crazy, and they ate each other. Macduff enters the scene and he says that Malcolm and Donalbain have fled, making them suspicious of the murder,  they think they bribed the guards to kill Duncan.  Macduff leaves for Fife and says that Macbeth has been chosen to be King and he travels to Scone, a sacred place where Kings are crowned, Duncan’s body was taken to Colme-kill.

Quotes: 

Macduff: ‘They were suborned/ Malcolm and Donalbain, the king’s two sons, Are stol’n away and fled; which p[uts upon them /Suspicion of the deed.’ 

Rosse:  ‘Gainst nature still: Thriftless ambition, that wilt ravin up/ Thine own life’s means!-Then t’is most like /The sovereignty will fall upon Macbeth’

The importance of Rosse’s quote is the line ‘thriftless ambition’.  It means that the deed is profitless of the Kings sons (who didn’t actually do it )because they have destroyed the system that could have crowned them.

Ambition is a recurring idea in the play, Macbeth and Lady Macbeth’s ambition to gain the crown has made them commit treason.

Macbeth will now be King because no one suspects him asa murderer and the town songs are in hiding.  The only person that shoudle expect Macbeth is Banquo, because he knows of the witches prophecies for Macbeth.  I suspect Banquo will be murdered to keep quiet.