Macbeth Pre-reading Work

Macbeth Anticipation Guide

Directions: Read the following statements. Write if you agree or disagree. Write two sentences and a personal experience to support your thoughts about each statement. There are no right or wrong answers!

PART UNO

1.     Behind every great man is a great woman (every great man is supported, guided, helped and even pushed by a great woman).

Agree. I agree with this statement because women are more known to be thoughtful and gentler than men, most of the time. I say ‘most of the time’ because not all women are the same, they could be aggressive or gentle, or some could be less thoughtful compared to men.

~I had a friend who played with girls’ minds and feelings, but had a maternal figure to push him into the right direction before it was too late.

2.     Witches, demons, and evil spirits actually exist.

Disagree. I’m sure a whole lot of people believe in evil spirits whether they are Catholic/Christian or not. I’m one of those who neither but still believe that evil spirits do exist. Though I’m not too keen on considering witches and demons actually do exist, unless hell counts as being related to demons.

~I called out “Bloody Mary” three times in my bathroom with the lights off and me towards the mirror at night, nothing happened (i was scared s***less though).

3.     Sometimes it is necessary to do something wrong to get what you want.

Agree. Although, this statement depends on your reasoning, ergo “necessary”. If it’s that important for you to bend the rules/laws for the good, then go for it.

~I drove without receiving my permit from the office because my dad was dog tired to continue driving (to be honest, it was only three miles and i didn’t bang anything).

4.     What goes around comes around (karma).

Agree. If someone did something bad or unnecessary, I believe they should get a taste of their own medicine. I think most find it fair for others to be doing bad, get out clean.

~I tripped my sister in the mall and when we got back to the car, I slammed my middle and ring fingers in the door.

5.     Human beings are easily tempted by things they want, even if it’s wrong.

Agree. Though I hate to say it, it’s true because once you lose your self-control, you’re done for. As much as you don’t want to do it, you either do it or at least let the scenario unfold in your mind.

~I was at the bank opening an account and I just thought of a large amount of money stored in the back or upstairs. Of course I didn’t rob the bank, but I did think about it. I couldn’t help it, I have watched many movies that included robbing a bank.

6.     If someone feels that the ruler/s of his/her country is destroying the country, that person should try to overthrow the ruler/s.

Disagree. I understand that one person doesn’t agree with the way one is running the system, but it’s not only you in the country, there are others as well. And they should have an opinion for disliking the system or not.

~Some people still feel as if Zimmerman was guilty during the trial. And I am one of those people. He murdered an adolescent kid, shouldn’t there be justice for his crime?

7.     There are circumstances or events that justify murdering someone.

Agree. It majorly depends on the events that justifies murdering someone. For example, a use of self-defense perhaps?

~I haven’t murdered someone in my life but I have witnessed trials that related to murder. Some defendants came out guilty and some came out innocent. It all depends on the events or even your lawyer/attorney.

8.     Success is worth any price you have to pay.

Agree. If you want to be successful out there, you need a marvelous job. Hopefully one you enjoy doing. But education comes first. And money is part of the education equation.

~I need money for college. I work at McDonalds. Oh yeahhh, be jealous. Nuff’ said.

9.     Kings are appointed by God, and they rule as His representatives on Earth.

Disagree. Kings come on their own free will. They should first get a choice, then get voted in.

~King William is or will be the King of his country due to ancestry, God didn’t choose him.

10.  Your astrological forecast (your horoscope) is a good indicator of how your day will go.

Disagree. I do read them, I just don’t want to believe them. What if it’s great but gives me false hope during the week/day?

11.  Traitors should be executed.

Disagree. It depends on the events and reasoning’s as to why. Not an automatic punishment that doesn’t give them a chance to explain him/herself.

~I went against my parents will and unintentionally got a C instead of an A for my grades. They didn’t execute me, they did ground me though. (*AHEM*JK you’re a cool guy)

 

PART DOS

Partner: Chelsea.

Once you are done with a partner look at the following questions and answer them together. Your answers need to be in complete sentences and you need to provide what you and your partner discussed. PROVIDE AT LEAST A PARAGRAPH PER ANSWER. Please list who your partner is.

1. Is evil inherent in human nature? That is, are some people just “born evil,” or is evil caused by circumstance or environment?

No. Evil is not inherent in human nature. It is merely caused by the environment that one is raised in or the circumstances they undergo. A person has a choice to whether or not they want to be evil unless they are forced to under certain conditions by another. For example, scientists did studies on twins that were in different environments to observe their environmental influences. And after a certain amount of time, they found that even though they were twins, they were the complete opposite. This shows that whatever surroundings one is in, the effects they have in the area affects the person growing up. And even though they are once evil, you still can believe the fact that a person can change if someone is there with them to help them throughout their recovering journey.

2. Are our lives determined by fate, or by the acts of our free will?

Some people believe that God or fate determines our future and lives. But it’s based on the acts of our free will. What we do affects us in both the present and future. High school teachers say that whatever you do in high school will affect you in the future. They’ve been young before so they obviously know what they’re talking about. That’s why they push you to do best you can do in your classes because it will also reflect the person you will be. Regardless if you are already lazy or give up, you can still change.  You can still be that person you’ve been dreaming of but it’s the actions you will take to get there, hence “acts of our free will”.

3. Is redemption truly possible? That is, is it possible to commit an act of genuine evil and truly recover from it?

Redemption is nearly impossible. As said before, it depends on your future actions, motives, and the effect it will have on others. To redeem yourself, it works in a very slow but gradual process. Take each step little by little each day until you’ve taken the further step possible. Then just do those little things here and thereafter. You don’t need to continue to redeem yourself to everyone you stirred wrong because they didn’t believe that your third or fourth try wasn’t enough, as long as you believe that you yourself has become a better person from before, you’re fine. You can be your own clean slate if no one else sees the better in you.

4. Is it possible to admire or respect a person whom you know has committed acts of genuine evil?

Everyone has a brain and a heart. They control what they think and feel. Not anyone else. You can force them to change and stop the admiration and respect they have for a person unless they genuinely feel that him or her self doesn’t deserve their respect. You could try and manipulate the person but your chances are a slim 50/50. So yes, it is possible.

5. Do “the ends justify the means”? That is, if one uses morally evil methods to acquire a goal, is that goal forever tainted or polluted by the actions one has taken to achieve it?

Yes, because that person was willing to go to the extremes to achieve that goal. If it’s a goal that one will stop at nothing to achieve, then they will go to drastic measures just to satisfy him or her self. And in this case, evil methods will come into mind because they want it so bad. It’s not a simple “I want that so I will do the things to get it without being morally wrong in life”. If it was, then we wouldn’t have such strict laws and rules as well as people helping them to enforce it. For example, if a nerdy tech geek wanted all A’s on his transcripts but couldn’t because it was too late for him, then he will use his tech skills to hack into the school’s system and somehow change all of his grades to A’s. And that is a goal he has achieved, but went about it in ways that would require his process tainted.  A forever tainted goal.