Leah Schultz
Ms. Higgins
English 11, Period 4
21 January 2016
The Conclusion of “Macbeth” by William Shakespeare
In “Macbeth” by William Shakespeare, the witches’ prophecies came true in a metaphorical sense. The first apparition said “Beware Macduff!” and therefore it was the only literal prophecy of the three (Shakespeare 4.1). The second apparition said to him that none born of woman would be able to kill him (Shakespeare 4.1). The third and final apparition prophesized that Macbeth would not die until Birnam Wood came to Dunsinane (Shakespeare 4.1). These prophecies implied that Macbeth could not die because all humans are born of woman, and trees cannot walk. In the end of the play, it is revealed that Macduff was born by c-section …show more content…
At that point in time Macbeth was aware that Macduff was raising an army with the English to defeat him. After being told the second and third prophecy, Macbeth seemingly dismissed the first prophecy and decided that he was safe. He did not take the time to think about each prophecy and analyze what they meant. Macbeth already knew that the witches’ prophecies could be somewhat confusing, like when they said Banquo would be “not so happy, yet much happier,” and “lesser than Macbeth and greater,” (Shakespeare 1.3). Unfortunately for Macbeth, his trust that the prophecies were literal and straightforward caused his …show more content…
Macbeth interpreted in the literal sense, leading him to believe that no human could kill him. However, nearing the conclusion of the play, Macduff said that he “was from his mother’s womb untimely ripped,” meaning that Macduff was born by c-section (Shakespeare 5.8). In the present time, there is much debate on whether people born by c-section were technically born. When the average person thinks of birth, he or she thinks of a baby being pushed out of the birth canal by the strength of its mother. While the current definitions for birth, born, and childbirth do not mention the means of birth at all, simply referring to the child coming out of the mother, if one used the common definition of the word, one could be persuaded to believe that a c-section was not the same as a traditional vaginal birth (Dictionary.com). This clever word play made for an interesting twist at the end of
Ms. Higgins
English 11, Period 4
21 January 2016
The Conclusion of “Macbeth” by William Shakespeare
In “Macbeth” by William Shakespeare, the witches’ prophecies came true in a metaphorical sense. The first apparition said “Beware Macduff!” and therefore it was the only literal prophecy of the three (Shakespeare 4.1). The second apparition said to him that none born of woman would be able to kill him (Shakespeare 4.1). The third and final apparition prophesized that Macbeth would not die until Birnam Wood came to Dunsinane (Shakespeare 4.1). These prophecies implied that Macbeth could not die because all humans are born of woman, and trees cannot walk. In the end of the play, it is revealed that Macduff was born by c-section …show more content…
At that point in time Macbeth was aware that Macduff was raising an army with the English to defeat him. After being told the second and third prophecy, Macbeth seemingly dismissed the first prophecy and decided that he was safe. He did not take the time to think about each prophecy and analyze what they meant. Macbeth already knew that the witches’ prophecies could be somewhat confusing, like when they said Banquo would be “not so happy, yet much happier,” and “lesser than Macbeth and greater,” (Shakespeare 1.3). Unfortunately for Macbeth, his trust that the prophecies were literal and straightforward caused his …show more content…
Macbeth interpreted in the literal sense, leading him to believe that no human could kill him. However, nearing the conclusion of the play, Macduff said that he “was from his mother’s womb untimely ripped,” meaning that Macduff was born by c-section (Shakespeare 5.8). In the present time, there is much debate on whether people born by c-section were technically born. When the average person thinks of birth, he or she thinks of a baby being pushed out of the birth canal by the strength of its mother. While the current definitions for birth, born, and childbirth do not mention the means of birth at all, simply referring to the child coming out of the mother, if one used the common definition of the word, one could be persuaded to believe that a c-section was not the same as a traditional vaginal birth (Dictionary.com). This clever word play made for an interesting twist at the end of