The Concept of Fate and Free Will in Elizabethan Worldview
The Elizabethan worldview, shaped by the Great Chain of Being, believed in a predetermined order where everything had a fixed place. This belief in divine hierarchy influenced societal structure and interactions, emphasizing responsibilities and consequences. The idea of disrupting this order leading to chaos was deeply ingrained. This historical context prompts contemplation on the balance between fate and free will, questioning whether the future is predetermined or subject to change.
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JOURNAL *Do you believe that the future is set and pre-determined? Or can we change it? Explain your answer in a HALF- PAGE journal.
*Macbeth William Shakespeare
Elizabethan World View the Great Chain of Being *During Elizabethan times, people believed that everyone and everything was arranged in a certain order a hierarchy *It was this order, known as the Great Chain of Being, that was threatened by new and exciting discoveries in science and astronomy.
*According to this idea, everything in the world had its position fixed by God: *The Earth was the center of the universe and the stars moved around it in fixed routes. *At the top, God in heaven ruled over the archangels and angels. *On earth society reflected this order with its fixed classes from the highest to the lowest kings, churchmen, nobles, merchants, and peasants. *The animals had order, the lion being the king . *Plant life had order too. Among the trees, the most superior was the oak; among flowers, the rose. *Among minerals, gold was the most superior.
God Archangels Angels Outside of chain: Nothingness/chaos Star controllers of Destiny Moon King Church Princes Nobles Man Lion Other Animals Oak and Rose Other Plants Gold Other Minerals
*The Chain of Being served to create social stability everyone knew their place on the chain and interacted with the other levels: *The people higher up on the chain were responsible to provide for or care/protect those below them *The people lower down had a responsibility to obey and serve those above them http://1.media.collegehumor.cvcdn.com/45/24/299e63b553a59bf726307c36be10ab29.jpg
*The Chain of Being world view created the beliefs and values for individuals and the society of Shakespeare s time *The chain was a transactional sort of system I do this for you if you do this for me . If someone in the chain doesn t fulfill their responsibility they are considered to be breaking the chain *Any attempt to break the Chain of Being would upset the established order and bring about universal disorder
*Nothingness, chaos, madness, evil all of these things are outside the chain and are not considered to be made by God. https://5eb4225edc-custmedia.vresp.com/5b70c06f49/cat%20devil%20costume.jpg *If the chain, made by God, is broken the order in the world is broken, and it can descend into chaos. EVIL CAT IS NOT AMUSED
*Everything within the chain is created by God. *Therefore everything within the chain is good. *Therefore there is no evil in the chain. *As evil doesn t exist within the chain, it can only enter if the chain is broken. Understanding the Chain of Being is essential to understanding the play Macbeth.
*The Divine Right of Kings *It was believed that the King was divinely chosen by God. *As God s chosen representative on earth, the King was the supreme upholder of order on earth. *If his position was violated it would destroy the perfect order in the universe and bring strife and chaos to the world. *Any act of treason or treachery against the King was considered indirectly to be a mortal sin against God. The penalty was death.
Background *Written in 1607 for King James who was Scottish *King James (author of Demonology) feared assassination *Shakespeare wrote it for King James and it shows the negative consequences of assassinating the king *Shakespeare s shortest tragedy *Set in Scotland *Based on real events in Scottish history *Shakespeare s Macbeth = villian *Real Macbeth = good & just King *Because Shakespeare used real witch spells in the play, it is believed to be a cursed play, and has been associated with murder and misfortune. Called the Scottish play by actors who fear the curse.
JOURNAL The Chain of Being *Is there any truth to the Chain of Being worldview in your opinion? If not, why? If so, what parts? Defend your answer in a HALF-PAGE journal assignment.
PLOT SUMMARY *Three witches predict that Macbeth will take the Scottish throne. *They also predict that the descendants of his friend Banquo will have many Scottish Kings. *Macbeth, urged on by his ambitious wife Lady Macbeth, kills King Duncan and takes the throne. http://dreamordouche.files.wordpress.com/2012/10/killer-cat.jpg%3Fw%3D870
King Duncans Assassination *Shakespeare reinforces the Chain of Being world view by ensuring Macbeth is punished by the end of the text. *As soon as the audience knows Macbeth has killed the King, they also know that he will ultimately fall, as the punishment for killing a king was death.
Plot Summary Continued *Macbeth kills Banquo because he feared his offspring taking the throne, but Banquo s son Fleance escapes. *Next Macbeth slaughters the family of Macduff after the witches warn him to be afraid of Macduff, a Scottish noble who opposed Macbeth. *Macduff supports the forces of Malcolm, the slain King Duncan s son. Together they attack Macbeth s castle. *Lady Macbeth, who has gone mad, commits suicide. *Macduff slays Macbeth, allowing prince Malcolm to take the throne.
The Witches *Witches were considered to be the agents of Satan, doing his business. *Witches were believed to be able to see into the future; that they could create storms, hail, thunder and lightning; that they could sink ships; dry up springs; stop the sun and change night into day and day into night. *Witches and witchcraft were believed to be evil they were associated with darkness and death.
http://img0001.popscreencdn.com/134880568_harry-potter-professor-mcgonagall-deluxe-wizard-hat-ebay.jpghttp://img0001.popscreencdn.com/134880568_harry-potter-professor-mcgonagall-deluxe-wizard-hat-ebay.jpg *As the witches are introduced in the opening scene, Shakespeare s audience are immediately aware that the Chain of Being has been disrupted, as evil is present. *The audience then looks for why the chain has been broken. * When shall we three meet again? In thunder, lightning, or in rain? (Act 1, scene 1) Foreshadowing
*Within the Chain of Being, within the hierarchy of people, there is another hierarchy: *Men *Women Lady Macbeth being ambitious and influencing her husband is outside of the chain *Children
Main Characters: Macbeth Breaks the Chain of Being by killing his superior, the king, and also being weaker and more cautious than his wife. Lady Macbeth Breaks the Chain of Being by being more assertive, decisive, ruthless, and ambitious than her husband. Duncan King of Scotland who Macbeth kills Malcolm Duncan s son, becomes king at the end Macduff after Macbeth slaughter s his wife and children, he gains revenge by supporting Malcolm and killing Macbeth Three Witches make several prophecies that all come true, delight in torturing and manipulating Macbeth
*Key Themes/Imagery *Fate vs. Free Will can you escape destiny? *The Nature of Evil supernatural or human nature? *Effect of guilt on the human mind can it cause madness? *Nature of kingship - should a king be virtuous (Malcolm) or powerful (Macbeth)? *The Chain of Being *Blood *Darkness/night *Hell *Sorcery/supernatural forces *Opposites Lady Macbeth vs. Lady Macduff, Lady Macbeth vs. Macbeth, Order in the Great Chain of Being vs. Chaos
*Journal *Are you superstitious about anything? Do you believe in magic or curses? Why or why not? *If yes, how do you explain the existence of these forces? *If no, how do you explain the millions of people who claim to have experienced these things? Answer in a HALF-PAGE journal entry.
*JOURNAL Ambition *Macbeth knows his ambition is evil, but he pursues it anyway. *What is the origin or cause of all or most ambition? *Keeping this motivation in mind, is ambition inherently evil or good? Why? RESPOND IN A HALF-PAGE JOURNAL ASSIGNMENT
JOURNAL Masculine vs. Feminine Lady Macbeth is portrayed as hungry for power, strong, ambitious, ruthless, forceful, assertive, and decisive as opposed to nurturing, weak, compassionate, and submissive. To the Elizabethans this made her more masculine than her indecisive husband, which upset the Chain of Being. *Do you agree that ambition, strength, power, ruthlessness etc. are masculine qualities and that the opposite is feminine? Why or why not? Respond in a HALF-PAGE journal.
JOURNAL Lady Macbeth *From what you ve seen of Lady Macbeth so far she could be best described as: *Supportive or Manipulative? *Ambitious or Selfish? *Decisive or Evil? *Please explain each answer, using evidence from the play in a HALF- PAGE journal entry.
JOURNAL - Macbeth *Analyze the protagonist, Macbeth. Is he the villain of the play because of his murderous actions? Or is he just a victim of destiny and manipulation by his wife? *Support your answer with evidence from the play. Answer in a HALF-PAGE journal entry.
JOURNAL - Theme Choose and write about one of these themes in the context of Macbeth. *Fate vs. Free Will *The Nature of Evil *Appearance vs. Reality *Effect of Guilt on the Human Mind Write about it in a HALF-PAGE journal.
*Lady Macbeth *Consider Lady Macbeth at the start of the play she shows masculine traits such as a hunger for power, strength, ambition, a ruthlessness and forcefulness. She is assertive and decisive *This upsets the chain in the sense that she in fulfilling her proper role as a wife and woman (and mother): * I know how tender tis to love the babe that milks me. I would, while it was smiling in my face, have plucked my nipple from his boneless gums and dashed the brains out, had I so sworn as you have done to this. (Act 1, scene 7)
*Macbeth suggests that she should not bear children that are not males because of her fearless, masculine spirit. She does not deny this: * Bring forth men-children only, for thy undaunted mettle should compose nothing but males (Act 1, scene 7) *Lady Macbeth
*Also consider Lady Macbeths soliloquy in Act 1 scene 5, where she deliberately calls upon the power of evil to help her: * 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 1, scene 5) *This disrupts the chain again as Lady Macbeth asks for chaos so she can become a man (or at least not a woman) to take charge of the situation. This creates a role reversal between Lady Macbeth and Macbeth which can only come about in a world of chaos where the chain is broken *Lady Macbeth
*Now consider Macbeth at the start of the play he is weak and shows nurturing, feminine qualities, such as when he has doubts about killing King Duncan: * I m afraid to think what I have done to know my deed, twere best not know myself (Act 2, scene 2) *This upsets the Chain of Being as Macbeth is not fulfilling his role as a man as he is not the strong, ambitious person his wife is and wants him to be (at least not yet) and she is the dominant, powerful person in their relationship *Macbeth
*Also remember that Lady Macbeth constantly questions her husband s masculinity: * When you durst do it, then you were a man; and to be more than what you were, you would be so much more the man (Act 1, scene 7) *And he has to defend his masculinity later in the text: * What man dare, I dare. Approach thou like the rugged Russian bear Take any shape but that, and my firm nerves shall never tremble. Or be alive again, And dare me to the desert with thy sword. If trembling I inhabit then, protest me the baby of a girl. Why so, being gone, I am a man again. (Act 3, scene 4) *Macbeth
