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Koopaleon, #1 in the Toad Wood Forest Set
The unrelenting Wife of Bath in Geoffrey Chaucer’s The Canterbury Tales is one of the most memorable and groundbreaking women in literary history. Her views and actions stunned the audiences of the fourteenth century and continue to raise eyebrows to this day. In the prologue to The Wife of Bath’s Tale, Dame Alice (the Wife of Bath’s name) expresses several strong sentiments. She believes that the views of society on virginity and chastity are unreasonable. She is critical of the typical woman of her time. Most importantly, she believes that women must gain mastery over men.
To begin with, Dame Alice is highly critical of the standards of morality in fourteenth-century England. During this time virginity was considered the mark of chastity. Dame Alice argues that people can still be good and virtuous without the constraints of celibacy. She asks what the purpose of genitals is if not procreation. She also believes that marriage in no way tarnishes the virtuousness of a person. She cites Scripture in support of her argument but disregards any verses that contradict her. She has been married five times and is currently looking for another husband when the tale begins. She feels no shame in this at all, believing that having had more husbands makes her wiser. Considering how uncommon divorce was in those days, Dame Alice no doubt came across as quite the sensationalist. She candidly admits that she would not refuse sex to her husband if he should desire it. Virginity is for those wanting to lead a perfect life; Dame Alice proclaims that she is certainly not perfect.
Dame Alice’s opinions also extend to those of her own gender. She makes mention of the stereotypical “chatty” nature of females, admitting that she herself is also guilty of this. She chastises women for allowing men to walk all over them. It is a woman’s job, she says, to keep men in their place. Though men are the heads, they cannot be allowed to lord it over their wives.
Lastly, Dame Alice tells us that women must gain mastery over their husbands. She reveals that she has done this in each of her marriages. Every man required a different tactic. The Wife of Bath was quick to discover each man’s weakness, however. If a husband disrespected her in some way; Dame Alice would ruin him emotionally, physically, and financially. She found all kinds of ways to get into each husband’s money and head. She tells that she enjoyed this sport as it taught men of the power of women. All of her former husbands are dead. Is Dame Alice responsible? It’s possible. She contends that whatever befalls those husbands who cross her path is deserved. Her methods are insidious, yet she would argue that they are necessary. Faking death and infidelity are not beneath her. Anything that lets her get inside her husband’s head is sufficient because it is in this way that she masters him. Once she controls him psychologically, he is as good as gone.
In conclusion, the Wife of Bath is a striking portrait of feminism and determination. Dame Alice broke the mold by advocating looser standards of morality. She criticized the women of her time for their frailty. She even tells of her many methods for mastering her husbands, keeping them in her control. She exposes this last idea as the very thing that women desire most. In her tale she relates the story of a convicted knight who is forced to answer the question of what women want most. The knight finally comes upon an old hag who tells him the secret after he marries her: women want to have mastery over their husbands. Dame Alice’s character and life certainly embody this idea. Her rugged determination and individuality would not allow her to do otherwise.
My grandparents' house is a magical place that I never want to change. Many of my memories are tied to the old place. Its quaint location in West Nashville is picturesque. The table in the kitchen has been a forum for great discussions for many years. In the living room my grandmother would tell me stories I could hear again and again.
My grandparents live in the Sylvan Park neighborhood of West Nashville. After leaving the magnificent Interstate 440 behind, I take a right and head down Murphy Road until I reach The Produce Place, the tiny grocery store my dad had worked at during his teenage years. I turn down a cramped little alley and descend a small hill. The ancient building is there on the right in all its glory. The carport is large; the house is surrounded by grand trees. The place is in bad shape; however, I never seem to care. As the birds sing and the smell of a leaky air conditioner enters my nose, I run up to the front door and knock.
The kitchen is directly inside the house. Those entering the house take their seat at a table in this kitchen. More chairs are retrieved from about the house if needed. My grandfather begins the conversation, though not without first offering everyone a cup of coffee. I always take him up on the coffee, usually drinking three cups. The house is usually dark; I like it that way. All is quiet except for the lively interchange going on between those at the table.
The living room lies at the other end of the house. This is the place I normally sleep when staying the night. My bed consists of blankets spread out on the floor in front of the TV. I would not have it any other way. In this room I would stay awake into the early hours of the morning, watching television and listening to whatever stories my grandmother would tell me. The room gives off a dark purple and brown aura: it reminds me of a haunted mansion. Adding to this feeling were the spine-tingling tales my grandmother would tell me. I would ask her repeatedly about the time when she was robbed at work. I never got tired of hearing about it. Also in the room were various pictures, some frightening to me in my younger years. The living room is an exciting place.
My grandparents' house is perfect the way it is. It has a beautiful urban location. It fosters some of the strongest bonds through the deep conversations held over the kitchen table. Its living room has courted my sense of mystery and danger my entire life. Many precious memories are bound to this house. Though it has fallen into disrepair, changing anything about it would be very hard for me. It is important to realize, however, that the place would be nothing if it were not for the two special people that live there, my grandparents.
Shakespeare’s Macbeth is known as a cursed play. Its subject matter is dark and brooding. It is steeped in the occult. The play follows the path of Macbeth as his ambition leads him from honor to treachery. In the beginning Macbeth is one guided by others. As the play progresses, he begins to act on his own. Eventually, he is doing things unspeakable to his former self.
To begin with, Macbeth takes his orders from king and country. He puts his life on the line in battle; his own concerns matter little. When Macbeth first meets the three witches, they utter a prophecy to him. The third witch says, “All hail, Macbeth, that shalt be King hereafter!” (1.2.49-50) For the remainder of the play, this prophecy becomes the basis for many of his actions. At this point the witches become his new master. The witches plant a seed of discontent in him that his wife, Lady Macbeth, waters when he returns home. There, with the influence of the witches and his wife, he and she formulate a plan to take the kingship: they will kill King Duncan.
After Macbeth carries out the murder, he is stricken with guilt. He has not acted on his own. Early in the morning the body is found. The guards that Macbeth and Lady Macbeth framed with the murder are promptly executed by Macbeth. He confesses, “O, yet I do repent me of m fury, That I did kill them” (2.3.107). For the first time in the play, Macbeth begins to act on his own misguided ambition. Formerly, he was ambitious to do the work of others. Now, his worsening paranoia is leading him to make rash decisions.
Macbeth’s transformation is complete when he orders the murder of Banquo. Banquo is a virtuous and wise man. He would not forsake his country as Macbeth so readily has. Macbeth knows that Banquo is a danger to his illegitimate kingship. Macbeth’s words to Lady Macbeth are particularly telling of his disposition:
We have scotched the snake, not killed it:
She’ll close and be herself, whilst our poor malice
Remains in danger of her former tooth.
But let the frame of things disjoint, both the worlds suffer. (3.2.13-16)
Macbeth orders Banquo dead. He then dispatches three murderers to slay Banquo and his son, Fleance. Macbeth has ended the life of his former best friend.
In conclusion, Macbeth’s driving ambition has completely transformed his character. At first he is a humble servant of the King. Then, he allows the three witches and his wife to influence him. When he finally stands on his own two feet, Macbeth’s actions are motivated by paranoia. He ultimately kills his best friend to preserve his undeserved power. Macbeth’s ambitions, when not molded by other people, are used to give him a false sense of security. His misguided ambition, first misguided by those close to him and then by him himself, leads him to terrible actions and dire consequences.
Works Cited
Bradley, A. C. Shakespearean Tragedy: Lectures on Hamlet, Othello, King Lear, Macbeth. 2nd ed. London: Macmillan, 1905.
Hammersmith, James P. "Shakespeare and the Tragic Virtue." Southern Humanities Review. 26 April 2007 .
Rosenfield, Eric. An Analysis of Aristotelian Tragedy as Defined in the Poetics. (2003). 26 April 2007 .
Shakespeare, William. Macbeth. Literature: The British Tradition. Englewood Cliffs, New Jersey: Prentice Hall, 1994. 245-324.
“Tragedy and Comedy.” Perrine’s Literature. Ed. Thomas R. Arp. 7th ed. Fort Worth: Harcourt Brace College Publishers, 1998. 1032-33.
Aristotle was one of the greatest Athenian philosophers. He lived in the fourth century BC and wrote on a variety of subjects. His work deeply influenced Western thought. Among his many important writings is The Poetics, which can be used to evaluate classical tragedy. In The Poetics Aristotle identifies elements that he believes work best in tragic drama (Rosenfield). William Shakespeare’s Macbeth conforms to the guidelines for classical tragedy set out by Aristotle in The Poetics. Three key elements of tragedy listed by Aristotle, namely that “the tragic hero is pre-eminently great but not perfect,” that “the hero’s downfall is partially his own fault,” and that “the tragic fall is not pure loss,” are clearly demonstrated in Macbeth (“Tragedy and Comedy” 1032-33).
One of Aristotle’s guidelines states, “Though the tragic hero is pre-eminently great, he is not perfect. Combined with his strength, there is usually a weakness. His fall results from ‘some error in judgment.’ The tragic hero usually is afflicted with some fault of character such as inordinate ambition, quickness to anger, a tendency to jealousy, or overweening pride. This flaw in his character leads to his downfall” (“Tragedy and Comedy” 1032). Macbeth is initially presented as a hero. He is called “brave Macbeth,” and it is said that “he well deserves that name” (1.2.16). Much of the first act is devoted to telling of Macbeth’s virtues (Hammersmith 249).The first notion of evil he gets originates from the three witches: the third one tells him that he “shalt be King hereafter!” (1.3.50) This prospect is too great for even a man as noble as Macbeth to ignore. His wife serves to further entice him to usurp the throne. A.C. Bradley explains in his Shakespearean Tragedy: Lectures on Hamlet, Othello, King Lear, Macbeth that “she knows her husband's weakness, how he scruples 'to catch the nearest way' to the object he desires; and she sets herself without a trace of doubt or conflict to counteract this weakness” (366). With these two influences and his own misguided ambition, Macbeth decides to murder King Duncan. This error in judgment and action eventually cost Macbeth his life.
Aristotle’s list goes on to say that “the hero’s downfall is partially his own fault, the result of his own free choice, not the result of pure accident or villainy or some overriding malignant fate. Accident, villainy, or fate may contribute to the downfall but only as cooperating agents: they are not alone responsible” (“Tragedy and Comedy” 1032-33). Obviously Macbeth is not being coerced to murder Duncan; it is his own desire for power that finally lets him carry out the deed. While it is true that the idea of kingship is presented to him by an outside force, it is his weakness that allows the notion to fester and lead to action. Later in the play Macbeth truly earns full blame for his wrongdoings because he begins to make evil decisions on his own. He uses lies and psychological manipulation to achieve his bloody goals; he tells the murderers he summons to him, “Both of you / Know Banquo was your enemy” (3.1.114). He has made the choice by himself to deceive and destroy.
Another rule of Aristotle’s offers this comfort, though: “The tragic fall is not pure loss. Though it may result in the protagonist’s death, it involves, before his death, some increase in awareness, some gain in self-knowledge—some ‘discovery,’ a change from ignorance to knowledge” (“Tragedy and Comedy” 1033). Macbeth does die, as the tragic hero must. Before he dies, however, he learns something about life. When it is announced to him that his queen is dead, he states that life goes out like a
brief candle!
Life’s but a walking shadow, a poor player
That struts and frets his hour upon the stage
And then is heard no more. It is a tale
Told by an idiot, full of sound and fury
Signifying nothing. (5.5.23-28)
Macbeth realizes that life has no underlying point or reason. He knows that he has repeated the mistakes of those before him; those after him will continue to repeat these same mistakes. Man is doomed to run the race of life and get nowhere. Macbeth seems to be stepping back from the madness that has been his life recently and examining what his existence means. What he discovers is sobering. It is this moment of recognition, just before his death, that makes Macbeth a tragic hero. If he could only have realized this earlier, he would not have to die. His imminent death is almost saddening now.
In conclusion, Macbeth is a classical tragedy that fulfills the criteria set out by Aristotle’s The Poetics. Aristotle says that the hero must be flawed, that he must be somewhat responsible for his actions, and that he must come to some profound conclusion during the course of his fall. Macbeth is the embodiment of these rules. Aristotle wrote his how-to on tragedy to show what works and what doesn’t work. His rules may seem rigid; however, they are inherent in tragedy itself. Macbeth was likely written without The Poetics handy. If this is true, it serves to further demonstrate how universal the formula for a good tragedy is.
A mysterious specter is stalking the castle grounds at night in William Shakespeare’s Hamlet. This apparition is in the form of the dead King Hamlet. Prince Hamlet’s attitude toward the ghost resembling King Hamlet changes from one of wonder and duty to one of spite in the first act of Shakespeare’s Hamlet. Initially, Prince Hamlet is eager to know this ghost and then to do its bidding. After he accepts his mission, however, he begins to have second thoughts.
The haunting figure is first discovered by the sentinels Francisco and Barnardo. Marcellus and Horatio soon join the sentinels at the battlements and wait for the ghost. It appears, slowly lumbering about without speaking. Before a confrontation can unfold, however, dawn arrives. As the spirit looks like the former king, Horatio figures that the Prince, Hamlet, will be able to provoke a response from it. He tells Hamlet of the sighting later: Hamlet, who is obsessed with his dead father, is very interested. His mood is one of impatience. He is intrigued by what he has heard and suspects that it will lead to the discovery of “some foul play” (1.2.278). “Foul deeds will rise,” says Hamlet, no matter what men do to try to conceal them. When the fellows are assembled and the ghost appears, Hamlet shows a willing spirit to cooperate with the ghost, asking such questions as “What should we do?” (1.4.62) The ghost merely beckons him forth. The two head off together, leaving the rest out of earshot. Once alone, the ghost speaks: it insists that Hamlet listen closely. When Hamlet affirms that he is “bound to hear,” the ghost adds, “So thou art to revenge, when thou shalt hear” (1.5.11-12). The ghost is implying that Hamlet will be obliged to carry out its will once he has listened to it. Hamlet still has no qualms with this, leading the ghost to approvingly state, “I find thee apt” (1.5.38). When the ghost departs, Hamlet swears to enact its revenge. He is emotionally distraught, though; the shocking nature of the murder just revealed to him coupled with the realization of the task he has been charged with weigh heavy on his shoulders. He will not tell his friends the nature of his ghostly encounter. He only makes them swear on his sword that they will keep quiet about what has gone on. They also must swear to tell no one of Hamlet’s plan to feign insanity. After they agree, the impact of what has just happened hits Hamlet once again: he laments, “The time is out of joint. O cursed spite / That ever I was born to set it right!” (1.5.210-211) Events are amiss and need fixing. Hamlet wonders why a man of inaction such as himself must rectify them.
In conclusion, Hamlet’s attitude toward his strange encounter changes as things progress. He first faces the spirit with determination and willingness. Later, after being given the job of taking bloody revenge, Hamlet is less enthusiastic. His indecisive nature sets in. In addition, he does not know for sure whether this specter is truly his father’s soul or an evil spirit impersonator. Nevertheless, he is bound to his pledge of support. Hamlet must aid the mysterious ghost in its quest for vengeance regardless of any misgivings he might have now.
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