Wednesday, May 6, 2015

Building a Body (ironically, we’re studying Frankenstein)

Comparing - A = B and there has to be a reason for that comparison - observation/conclusion

Point

Cersei is an modern example of a Lady Macbeth character

There are shared characteristics - what are they? 

Explaining/Exploring/Giving Detail/Scope

Describe the sims and diffs, show how they fit into the same category - define the elements of a female character in that milieu (environment)

Show through research how there is something that those characters are suffering from in a similar way

Example/Reference/Quotation

You find these to show the above. Explain how these things link them together and their motivations are the same. 

Why, How, Connection/Linkage

Show how these similarities are a natural by-product of the environment hurting women of power and ambition who are smart enough to know what they don’t have

How to link the witches and the three prophecies back to the main thesis

He is given a way of pushing himself forward more foolishly - the three prophecies are designed to trick him into taking extra chances and not preparing properly, which are themselves signs of impulsive, foolish and self-harming behaviour 

More stuff like that above

Supernatural effects pushed Macbeth into his horrible crimes and therefore, he is not fully responsible

AoD 1 - Lady Macbeth - first - establish her supernaturality - i.e. the spell she “casts” at the start, the opening of herself to “dark spirits, murdering ministers” may not be enough. 

What else can we say? the use of indirect power to control and manipulate Macbeth is kind of “magical” - sexuality and love = charm of some sort or mind control of some sort - this could be a problem to prove - you have to PROVE this before you make your points

Maybe Lady Macbeth exercises some other “magical” element? the sleepwalking could be construed as acting under the power of some unseen forces - 

POSSESSION

AoD2 - witches - you’re really talking about only TWO incidents - the initial prophecy and the apparition conjuration

• we need to talk about something else - therefore, you need to focus also on the spells they cast that may have created a “state of inversion” in the area, in the country, with the characters, etc. - again, this has to be proven first, then it can be discussed

LM 

-   establish as magical

• discuss the manipulation as indirect, sneaky, more powerful than “normalcy” - Macbeth’s reaction to the manipulation is key to helping prove this
• show how that manipulation changed him from his path and forced/tricked/whatever’d him to do things against his nature and therefore make him somehow “less guilty” 
• you will have to demonstrate that Mac is not acting normal, that he is under enormous stress, he is damaged from the effects of the supernatural energies against him