More, more, and more… “Sweat? Pain?” No more. More, more, and more… “Right now?” Yes. While life is never perfect, avarice and sloth tempt human beings to trade their souls for tangible gains. Ironically, drugs, the man-made devil, become the ultimate winner in this compact. Not only are the characters in Shakespeare’s Macbeth and Rhys’ Wide Sargasso Sea enticed by drugs, but also Samuel Coleridge, the author of “Kubla Khan,” indulges himself with drugs. While some of them yield to the great pressure in their life, others simply can not overcome their own lusts. Although substances can induce desirable mental states, they are detrimental in the long run.
Some think that drugs can bring them power that is inaccessible within their physical …show more content…
The porter of Macbeth’s castle drinks for some fun out of his boring routine and innocence of the death of Duncan. Pretending to be the “porter of hell gate” (Shakespeare 2.3.1-2) before opening the gate, he talks to himself in a question and answer format. While speculating the identity of the visitor, he enjoys himself in this role-playing game and imagining trialing the dead. He murmurs that Macbeth’s castle is “too cold for hell” (Shakespeare 2.3.17), demonstrating his knowledge about the murder of Ducan. In order to avoid being suspected of potential involvement in the murder, he chooses to “carouse till the second cock” (Shakespeare 2.3.24-25) and displays an intoxicated state in front of the visitors. Taking opium to soothe his pain, Samuel Coleridge records a vision of the east, barely touched by the Europeans, in his poem “Kubla Khan”. Full of exotic images, the poem portrays not only “the stately pleasure-dome” built by “Kubla Khan” but also the “Alph,” “the sacred river” in Greek mythology. Weaving different time periods and geographic locations into one single picture, the poet completely detaches from a European life and dives into a purely imaginary world. According to the author, only if he can revive the singing of an “Abyssinian maid,” will he be able to rebuild the “pleasure dome”. The fact that opium facilitates the writing of this poem about the “pleasure dome” indicates that …show more content…
Away from West Indies, Antoinette takes rums before bed in order to fall asleep easily. By oppressing her conscious thinking, she eradicates her strong emotions and lives through an isolated life in the dark cubicle. But eventually, drinking deteriorates her intoxicated mental state, leading her to think that “time has no meaning” (Rhys 166) and lose control of her behavior. What’s worse, her memory does not function properly; she forgets Mr. Richard Mason’s visit and her attempt to injure him with a knife. At the end, she opts to jump down the house to escape this zombification state and returns to her root—West Indies. Meanwhile, Lady Macbeth also comes to a tragic ending. After plotting out assassinations of the king and other noblemen with the help of alcohol, she succeeds to put Macbeth onto the throne and become the queen. However, the guilt from serial murder overwhelms her, driving her crazy. Feeling insecure and anxious, she starts to sleep walk at night. While repeating the motion of washing hands, she says “Here’s the smell of the blood still. All the perfumes of Arabia will not sweeten this little hands” (Shakespeare 5.1.53-55). Although she possesses enormous wealth and power, able to use “the perfumes of Arabia,” her sin of killing can not be purified. Afflicted by her murder, her soul is consumed, and she parishes soon. Ultimately, the characters’ choices of alcohol in the first
Some think that drugs can bring them power that is inaccessible within their physical …show more content…
The porter of Macbeth’s castle drinks for some fun out of his boring routine and innocence of the death of Duncan. Pretending to be the “porter of hell gate” (Shakespeare 2.3.1-2) before opening the gate, he talks to himself in a question and answer format. While speculating the identity of the visitor, he enjoys himself in this role-playing game and imagining trialing the dead. He murmurs that Macbeth’s castle is “too cold for hell” (Shakespeare 2.3.17), demonstrating his knowledge about the murder of Ducan. In order to avoid being suspected of potential involvement in the murder, he chooses to “carouse till the second cock” (Shakespeare 2.3.24-25) and displays an intoxicated state in front of the visitors. Taking opium to soothe his pain, Samuel Coleridge records a vision of the east, barely touched by the Europeans, in his poem “Kubla Khan”. Full of exotic images, the poem portrays not only “the stately pleasure-dome” built by “Kubla Khan” but also the “Alph,” “the sacred river” in Greek mythology. Weaving different time periods and geographic locations into one single picture, the poet completely detaches from a European life and dives into a purely imaginary world. According to the author, only if he can revive the singing of an “Abyssinian maid,” will he be able to rebuild the “pleasure dome”. The fact that opium facilitates the writing of this poem about the “pleasure dome” indicates that …show more content…
Away from West Indies, Antoinette takes rums before bed in order to fall asleep easily. By oppressing her conscious thinking, she eradicates her strong emotions and lives through an isolated life in the dark cubicle. But eventually, drinking deteriorates her intoxicated mental state, leading her to think that “time has no meaning” (Rhys 166) and lose control of her behavior. What’s worse, her memory does not function properly; she forgets Mr. Richard Mason’s visit and her attempt to injure him with a knife. At the end, she opts to jump down the house to escape this zombification state and returns to her root—West Indies. Meanwhile, Lady Macbeth also comes to a tragic ending. After plotting out assassinations of the king and other noblemen with the help of alcohol, she succeeds to put Macbeth onto the throne and become the queen. However, the guilt from serial murder overwhelms her, driving her crazy. Feeling insecure and anxious, she starts to sleep walk at night. While repeating the motion of washing hands, she says “Here’s the smell of the blood still. All the perfumes of Arabia will not sweeten this little hands” (Shakespeare 5.1.53-55). Although she possesses enormous wealth and power, able to use “the perfumes of Arabia,” her sin of killing can not be purified. Afflicted by her murder, her soul is consumed, and she parishes soon. Ultimately, the characters’ choices of alcohol in the first