Mac Beth Act 1 questions

I-1
1) Beginning the play with a dialogue between the witches sets the mood to be dark, evil, and mysterious. This foreshadows the plot, theme, and mood for the future of the story in the same manner. In comparison of Shakespeare's other plays, Macbeth requires more ambiguity and the syntax and diction used needs to be more bleak. For example, Hamlet highlighted the themes of betrayal and complexity of relationships and power. Even though, the theme falls in the same ballpark with Macbeth, the gloominess of the plot of Macbeth overpowers that of Hamlet. In the beginning of the play, the witches were going to meet Macbeth at the "ere of sunset." Line 10 was "Paddock calls" and line 11 was "Anon." The phrase paddock class means a toad, which symbolizes transformation. The word anon means soon or shortly. The "toad" and it's transformation could metaphorically be compared to Macbeth and his evolving and transforming to be a completely different person or even having a transformation in his status and power. The witch's response as anon signifies how Macbeth will shortly have a transformation - to be declared a thane.
I-2
1. The bloody seargent indirectly characterizes Macbeth by glorifying his actions towards Macdonwald. Macdonwald is a rebel who was executed. He tried to attack them. Macbeth executed macdonwald with his sword. This did not end the fight with the rebels, the Norwegians are still attacking.
2. The traitor was the Thane of Cawdor, as we learn from Ross. Duncan says that its a relief the thane of cawdor was executed and that Macbeth now owns his previous title.
I-3
1. The witches speech gives a first look at Macbeth and his wife without saying who they are. Indirect characterization of the two. Similar to Hamlet where he gives a mini synopsis early in the story. "Weird" in Shakespeare's day meant future seers not weird as we know it, prophecy and destiny. Shakespeare means that Macbeth's wife has him by the balls. They  cast a spell to control his destiny.
2. Macbeth says something very similar to what the witches said at the beginning of the play. This could be him falling into the destiny the witches set up. Dried, chapped fingers, gender ambiguity, hairy, old, they have literal beards. The witches tell Macbeth that he will thane of Candor and eventually King, right then he finds out he is thane of Cawdor. Banquo asked the witch why they had nothing for him, they told him he is lesser but greater than Macbeth. We knew he was thane before he was thane.
3. Banquo says the witches were a figment of their imagination that they lie or that they are hallucinating. Macbeth learns that he is thane of Cawdor from Ross and Angus. During lines 114-156 he was going over his plan in his head and how everything had just happened to him. He acts very happy and shows no incredulity at being thane. Macbeth's aside shows him rationalizing what happened to him and he begins to think that he is going to be King soon. Macbeth tells Banquo that he is happy and excited and nothing more he explains his behavior by saying he is confused.
I-4
1.Cawdor was executed after openly confessing his treason and pleading for mercy. Malcolm tried to stick up for the thane, but the king responds by basically saying that you can't trust a man according to his face. He doesn't believe the thane was truly repentant.
2.The king greets them by saying that he can never repay them enough for their good deeds, but announces he will leave all his estate and names his son, Malcolm, prince of Cumberland. He then proposes that they go to Macbeth's castle at Inverness. Macbeth tells himself that the only way to be king is to get rid of Malcolm, and even though he'll be appalled at his action, he must do it.
I-5
1. Macbeth was honest with his wife when he informs her of his new title as "Thane of Cawdor." He refers to the witches as "weird sisters" probably because he doesn't want her know that he is associated with the "evil servants."
Lady Macbeth responds by saying that she thinks Macbeth is playng things off as if everything is fine. By saying "but be the serpent under't", she describes him as someone that lies to make everything appear under control. This doesn't really match the characterization of Macbeth so far in the story which implies that there is something the audience doesn't know about him.
2. The wife was confident about the guests visit. She also seemed prepared and a little cocky about the way her and her husband would handle it.
3. Lady Macbeth. Yes she wants to kill Duncan. No, he isn't sure whether he wants to follow through with Lady Macbeths orders or not. She tells him not to let Duncan see tomorrow.
4. The question appears to answer itself.
I-6
1. The opening speeches (1.6.1-10) describe how the surroundings of the castle are "pleasant" and the air is sweet-maybe even too sweet. From the outside, the castle appears to be paradise.
Lady Macbeth's welcome is formal. Her language is totally different from her language in the previous scene which shows how fake and dishonest her welcome was.
I-7
1. "If it were done when 'tis done then 'twere well." If it were done when it was done it was done well. (Meaning if he completed the death quickly and efficiently and with no complications then he did the job well.) Macbeth is determined to kill the king and be done with him but in lines 1-12 he is fearful of how the "inventor" will judge his actions. He's violating the hospitality of his kinship and responsibilities as a host towards his guest by trying to kill his guest instead of protecting them. The motivation that Macbeth attributes to himself in lines 25-28 is the attribute of an Arabic heaven-like God. He will be seen as a "God" and that is his source of motivation to get the job done.
2. In lines 28-30 she is complaining about him leaving the chamber because it was  almost time for dinner. Macbeth responds to her complaining by saying did he ask for me? And lady Macbeth says don't you know he did? The positions are lady Macbeth is ready for the King to be killed while Macbeth is still hesitant and on the fence about it. Macbeth convinced Lady Macbeth by explaining that he is an respected person and doesn't want to lose his honor while Lady Macbeth convinces Macbeth by convincing him to gain the power and kill the king. The stronger person in the scene is Lady Macbeth because  she's more verbally confident in her argument while convincing Macbeth to kill the King.

Masterpiece update

So my masterpiece is to explore music songwriting and write my own song. I have been receiving help from Jess from Chichester U in vocal control and songwriting tips. 

I am planning go on to the Yosemite trip to collaborate on their album and have my song recorded on it. I have. Rough draft of my song already written however it is very rough and needs some editting

Poetry dissection

Title: Out, out

Immediately I think the poem is called out, out because the boy at the beginning is trying to save himself work and get done early. This rushing causes him to get his hand cut off and later the loss of blood kills him.

Paraphrase: the beginning goes on with a personification of the saw.

Then it transitions to describe the youth of the boy and his inexperience, yet this adult role he must play.

Connotation: this is a reflection of how the boys immaturity but forced to be in the position causes a tragity.it is a reflection of the time period.

Attitude,tone: the author uses an innocent and nonjudgmental tone when describing the saw and personifying it, this tone changes to a more critical and empathetic tone when describing the child. The end of the poem uses a neutral tone when describing the tragity with a bit of sorrow and empathy.

Shift: the big shift happens when the sister calls the boy for dinner.

Title: the title explains how the character wants out of a job and out of a position but is probably forced by the circumstances, his youth and immaturity however gives him out in the unexpected form of death.

Tobermory

The theme of the short story was that you can't play god. The advancement in science was unnatural and against laws of nature. So how did nature react, it killed everything related to the unnatural experiment as if though it never happened.

Challenge Accepted

My sister in Mrs. Byrne's English said it was too difficult to come up with a good non-rhyming poem that answers why people hide behind masks. The only rule was that it had to be two stanzas maximum and this is what I came up with in 5 minutes.

Fragile

Vibrant colors, lights with joy,
Deep holes with sorrow,
Curious critters, and loyal, bold souls.

They are fragile like glass,
And exposed limb from limb.
They fear taking off their mask
and being attacked and broken.

Getting Back In Motion

Sadly another break ends and the school year once again begins. this isn't necessary bad though because I was getting bored not learning. It was time to wake  up and begin again.
As you may have guessed I didn't do anything towards my masterpiece over the break and feel overwhelmed once again but better late then never. I am in the middle of picking a book to use toward my masterpiece however I am postponing that for a couple of days until I finish this book about tennis I am reading.
Even though we weren't on break I wasn't lazy. I did do exercise and even picked up tennis for the first time. This book I am reading really interests me and i even thinking about trying to find a relationship that i can argue about the psychology of tennis and micro-evolution.

Lit Analysis #3 The House on Mango Street by Sandra Cisneros

1. Briefly summarize the plot of the novel you read according to the elements of plot you've learned in past courses (exposition, inciting incident, etc.).  Explain how the narrative fulfills the author's purpose (based on your well-informed interpretation of same).

Exposition:
Ezperanza and her family move to Mango street after making several moves. We meet the family members through a creative analogy of hair. We also learn about the the gender roles in their culture as well as Ezperanza'a hope to change what her situation.

Inciting Incident: 
Moving to the house on Mango Street. 

Rising Action:  
We see the struggles of Ezperanza because of the financial situation her family is in as well as the struggles she faces as she tries to improve her future. We also see her determination to change.

Conflict:
Ezperanza notices the conflicts of the people on mango Street as well as her own and the story shows us how people have to live with them and overcome them. It is mainly through the perspective of women in the neighborhood. The main antagonist seem to be the males in society.

Climax:
After watching all the hardships of the people around her, up until she watches her friend Sally get married at a young age, Ezperanza makes up her mind to leave Mango Street. At a funeral she meets fortune tellers that tell her she will leave Mango Street but she would come back to help her roots.

Falling Action: 
Years later Esperanza realizes that the fortune tellers were right and that mango Street and its people becam a part of her.

Resolution: Ezperanza hopes to help mango Street through her writing.

2. Succinctly describe the theme of the novel. Avoid cliches.
The novel is an autobiography of Sandra Cisneros's life in her neighborhood, and it's message is that you can do anything with Hope.

3. Describe the author's tone. Include a minimum of three excerpts that illustrate your point(s).
The tone of the book is reflective, you can really tell how the author reflects on the situation the other women were in and about her life, however the tone was also hopeful and reassuring as she already knew that the outcome of the story would be positive because of Ezperanza's hope. (Ezperanza in spanish means hope)

"They always told us that one day we would move into a house, a real house that would be ours for always so we wouldn't have to move each year... Our house would be white with trees around it, a great big yard and grass growing without a fence. This was the house Papa talked about when he held a lottery ticket and this was the house Mama dreamed up in the stories she told us before we went to bed."

"When I am too sad and too skinny to keep keeping, when I am a tiny thing against so many bricks, then it is I look at the trees. When there is nothing left to look at on this street. Four who grew despite concrete. Four who reach and do not forget to reach. Four whose only reason is to be and be."

"In English my name means hope."

4. Describe a minimum of ten literary elements/techniques you observed that strengthened your understanding of the author's purpose, the text's theme and/or your sense of the tone. For each, please include textual support to help illustrate the point for your readers. (Please include edition and page numbers for easy reference.)

Personification: "It's small and red with tight steps in front and windows so small you'd think they were holding there breath." vignette 1

Characterization: "In English my name means hope."
Symbolism: Mango Street symbolizes Mexican neighborhoods.

Simile: "It's like drops of water. Or like marimbas only with a funny little plucked sound to it like if you were running your fingers across the teeth of a metal comb." vignette 8
Hyperbole: "The Eskimos got thirty different kinds of snow, I say. I read it in a book. ... There are a million zillion kinds, says Nenny. No two are exactly alike." vignette 17
Synesthesia: "The yellow pillow, the yellow smell, the bottles and the spoons. Her head thrown back like a thirsty lady. My aunt, the swimmer." vignette 22
Allusion: "I took my library books to her house. I read her stories. I liked the book The Waterbabies. She liked it too." vignette 34 The Walrus and the Carpenter of Alice in Wonderland.
Metaphor: "When I am too sad and too skinny to keep keeping, when I am a tiny thing against so many bricks, then it is I look at the trees. When there is nothing left to look at on this street. Four who grew despite concrete. Four who reach and do not forget to reach. Four whose only reason is to be and be."
Alliteration: "Cathy who is queen of cats has cats and cats and cats. Baby cats, big cats, skinny cats, sick cats. Cats asleep like little donuts. Cats on top of the refrigerator. Cats taking a walk on the dinner table. Her house is like cat heaven." vignette 5
Flashback: "We didn't always live on Mango Street. Before that we lived on Loomis on the third floor, and before that we lived on Keeler. Before Keeler it was Paulina, and before that I cant remember. But what I remember most is moving a lot." vignette 1
Repetition: "Where do you live? she asked. There, I said pointing up to the third floor. You live there? There. I had to look to where she pointed- the third floor, the paint peeling, wooden bars Papa had nailed on the windows so we wouldn't fall out. You live there? The way she said it made me feel like nothing. There. I lived there. I nodded." vignette 1

 CHARACTERIZATION
1. Describe two examples of direct characterization and two examples of indirect characterization.  Why does the author use both approaches, and to what end (i.e., what is your lasting impression of the character as a result)?
INDIRECT 
"We didn't always live on Mango Street. Before that we lived on Loomis on the third floor, and before that we lived on Keeler. Before Keeler it was Paulina, and before that I cant remember. But what I remember most is moving a lot."
we learned about Ezperanza's family the the kind of financial situation they are is and that they work very hard to keep there family in a home as well as want there kids to do better than they do.
"My Papa's Hair is like a broom, all up in the air."
The Hair in the vignette is a symbolism for the family member's personalities. The father probably doesn't spent to much time on appearence because he is working and busy. 

DIRECT
"Her name was Guadalupe and she was pretty like my mother. Dark. Good to look at. In her Joan Crawford dress and swimmer's legs. Aunt Lupe of the photographs."
"Sally is the girl with eyes like Egypt and nylons the color of smoke. The boys think she's beautiful because her hair is shiny black like raven feathers and when she laughs, she flicks her hair back like a satin shawl over her shoulder and laughs."
"Ruthie, tall skinny lady with red lipstick and blue babushka, one blue sock and one green because she forgot, is the only grown-up we know who likes to play."


2. Does the author's syntax and/or diction change when s/he focuses on character?  How?  Example(s)?
The diction of the author stays mostly the same as the book is reflective and tells the story through the future Esperanza's eyes.  She doesn't really play around with the syntax all that much.

3. Is the protagonist static or dynamic?  Flat or round?  Explain.
Esperanza is dynamic and round. We see her growth throughout the story and we see the many sides of her from a more serious side to a more immature side. 

 4. After reading the book did you come away feeling like you'd met a person or read a character?  Analyze one textual example that illustrates your reaction. 
Ezperanza is very real she is Sandra Cisneros and I really felt I understood her especially because I have met many other people like her throughout my life and she doesn't seem like a stranger.