I hope you are all having a wonderful long weekend. Please enjoy your Victoria Day festivities with the same personal restraint and diplomacy as Queen Victoria would have done in her time.
Speaking of whom, Victoria was Queen of Great Britain and Empress of India longer than any other monarch, at over 63 years. After her grandfather George III and her father the Duke of Kent died in 1820, she was crowned as Queen at the age of eighteen. Then again, what else could she have grown up to become? A doctor? A police officer? A lawyer? No, she had to be Queen; that was her role in life.
On Tuesday and Wednesday, we discussed the idea of destiny. English monarchs are traditionally crowned on the Stone of Scone (pronounced Scooooone) as a sign of their authority over the people, and Scotland especially. It represented the culmination of their very existence, as they were born to become ruler of England; even if they did not want to, it was their destiny to rule.
The Scotland of Macbeth's time (around 1000 CE) was different: rulers were chosen by merit, not by birth. On their coronation, the king or queen stood on the Stone of Destiny and raised up by their peers, indicating their newly earned status and distinction. Anyone could be ruler, as long as they were worthy of the job. Very rarely were children of rulers appointed as Duke of Cumberland, a title that often went to allies of the king to cement bonds. Malcolm's appointment as heir apparent probably caused a lot of mumbles and grumbles beyond Macbeth's that day.
For this posting, answer the following question: Is it Macbeth's destiny to be king? Or is he unworthy of the title? What qualities does he have that would make him a suitable leader, and what deficits does he suffer from that would hinder his leadership? Or are these qualities insignificant when compared to his destiny as prophesied by the witches?
Please begin your comment with your student number, and Happy Victoria Day!
Monday, 21 May 2012
Thursday, 17 May 2012
Post 4: Ambition
Ambition is a desire for some type of achievement or desire, such as power, wealth, fame, or honour. A person who is ambitious is driven to succeed, and reach their goal. This sounds like a good character trait to have; you are always trying to do your best, and get what you want. But what lengths are you willing to go to in order to reach your goal?
SPOILER ALERT! If you are one of the eight people who care about the Transformers movies but have not yet seen the last film, read on with caution.
In Transformers: Dark of the Moon (2011), Sentinel Prime, the previous leader of the Autobots, is charged with restoring his home planet of Cybertron, but in order to do so, must work with the treacherous Decepticons against humanity. He is ambitious, but is willing to betray even his closest friends and work with his enemies to achieve his goal. Similarly, Patrick Dempsey's character, Dylan, works with the Decepticons because they can provide him with technology which will continue to make him wealthy. He does not care that their goal is to enslave humanity; all he cares about is his ambition for wealth and power.
Macbeth states that he has "no spur / To prick the sides of my intent, but only / Vaulting ambition which o'erleaps itself / and falls on th'other" (I, vii, 25-27). He has ambition, he has desire, but he does not have the drive to achieve his destiny and become king. Then again, his wife seems to have that drive he lacks in spades.
For this post, think of another fictional character, historical figure, celebrity, or even something from your own experiences, where ambition was the reason for action. Explain what action or actions was or were taken, and what the results were. Did the ends justify the means? What lessons could Macbeth learn from your example of ambition? Please do not use Transformers: Dark of the Moon as your example. I did not like that film.
Please begin your post with your student number.
SPOILER ALERT! If you are one of the eight people who care about the Transformers movies but have not yet seen the last film, read on with caution.
In Transformers: Dark of the Moon (2011), Sentinel Prime, the previous leader of the Autobots, is charged with restoring his home planet of Cybertron, but in order to do so, must work with the treacherous Decepticons against humanity. He is ambitious, but is willing to betray even his closest friends and work with his enemies to achieve his goal. Similarly, Patrick Dempsey's character, Dylan, works with the Decepticons because they can provide him with technology which will continue to make him wealthy. He does not care that their goal is to enslave humanity; all he cares about is his ambition for wealth and power.
Macbeth states that he has "no spur / To prick the sides of my intent, but only / Vaulting ambition which o'erleaps itself / and falls on th'other" (I, vii, 25-27). He has ambition, he has desire, but he does not have the drive to achieve his destiny and become king. Then again, his wife seems to have that drive he lacks in spades.
For this post, think of another fictional character, historical figure, celebrity, or even something from your own experiences, where ambition was the reason for action. Explain what action or actions was or were taken, and what the results were. Did the ends justify the means? What lessons could Macbeth learn from your example of ambition? Please do not use Transformers: Dark of the Moon as your example. I did not like that film.
Please begin your post with your student number.
Wednesday, 16 May 2012
Post 3: Masculinity and femininity
Thanks again to the students who are on top of their postings. I am still figuring out ways to reveal comments without giving away all the answers as well. And I'm getting my homework done before I leave the school!
In every relationship, there is a dominant and a submissive part: parent and child; teacher and pupil; yin and yang. Balance should be achieved between them, but one will always be just a little higher. Traditionally, this was seen as a masculine and feminine conflict, though this is not as much the case today. In fact, masculine and feminine roles are much more flexible today than they were even fifty years ago. But when talking about 400 years ago, gender roles were much more rigid and unchanging. A woman was a woman and a man was a man; if one were to break away from that idea, it could be disastrous. Imagine: a man who likes baking cakes, or a woman who fixes car engines! Preposterous!
Examine the relationship between Macbeth and Lady Macbeth. Who in this relationship is more masculine, who is more feminine, and why? Include at least one quote from the play that supports your position. Feel free to discuss behaviour, actions, or lack thereof, of these characters. Remember: we are not asking who is the man, and who is the woman, but rather, who is the most masculine.
Please begin your post with your student number.
In every relationship, there is a dominant and a submissive part: parent and child; teacher and pupil; yin and yang. Balance should be achieved between them, but one will always be just a little higher. Traditionally, this was seen as a masculine and feminine conflict, though this is not as much the case today. In fact, masculine and feminine roles are much more flexible today than they were even fifty years ago. But when talking about 400 years ago, gender roles were much more rigid and unchanging. A woman was a woman and a man was a man; if one were to break away from that idea, it could be disastrous. Imagine: a man who likes baking cakes, or a woman who fixes car engines! Preposterous!
Examine the relationship between Macbeth and Lady Macbeth. Who in this relationship is more masculine, who is more feminine, and why? Include at least one quote from the play that supports your position. Feel free to discuss behaviour, actions, or lack thereof, of these characters. Remember: we are not asking who is the man, and who is the woman, but rather, who is the most masculine.
Please begin your post with your student number.
Tuesday, 15 May 2012
Post 2: Macbeth and the Witches
I just got out of the staff meeting. I will try to make posts in advance, so questions for the rest of the act should be up within a few days.
Thanks to the students who have responded to the first posting. I am still working out the bugs of this blog, but it seems to be working so far. Keep posting anonymously, and begin each with your student number.
Today in class we were reading Act I, scene ii and iii. Duncan bestowed on Macbeth a new title (Thane of Cawdor) for his heroic efforts to defend Scotland against internal and external foes. The witches, hideous creatures with beards, scraggly voices, and an unhealthy sexual appetite, greet Macbeth with his new title, as if they have a knowledge that he does not.
Should Macbeth trust these witches, and the prophesies they make to him? Why or why not? What would you do in a similar situation? Answer using complete sentences.
Thanks to the students who have responded to the first posting. I am still working out the bugs of this blog, but it seems to be working so far. Keep posting anonymously, and begin each with your student number.
Today in class we were reading Act I, scene ii and iii. Duncan bestowed on Macbeth a new title (Thane of Cawdor) for his heroic efforts to defend Scotland against internal and external foes. The witches, hideous creatures with beards, scraggly voices, and an unhealthy sexual appetite, greet Macbeth with his new title, as if they have a knowledge that he does not.
Should Macbeth trust these witches, and the prophesies they make to him? Why or why not? What would you do in a similar situation? Answer using complete sentences.
Sunday, 13 May 2012
The Very First Post
This is the very first posting for The Indomitable Mr. Allilomis. As this is my first time with blogging, I am putting my effort into our class reading of Shakespeare's Macbeth. Every day, and hopefully a few days in advance, I will post questions based on class readings. Responses will usually be a paragraph or so in length, unless otherwise stated. Reply to every post as soon as possible; I may close postings after a few days.
When replying to a prompt, you MUST select "Anonymous" from the "Comment As" drop-down menu beneath the posting. The very first thing in your post MUST be your student ID number. Please DO NOT INCLUDE YOUR REAL NAME.
For your first task, please respond to this post with a greeting and a line from I,i. I should have around forty or so by Tuesday.
When replying to a prompt, you MUST select "Anonymous" from the "Comment As" drop-down menu beneath the posting. The very first thing in your post MUST be your student ID number. Please DO NOT INCLUDE YOUR REAL NAME.
For your first task, please respond to this post with a greeting and a line from I,i. I should have around forty or so by Tuesday.
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