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Macbeth
Act I
Jennifer Jaquez
E7TP-01

Scene I:
How does Shakespeare develop the setting, themes and supernatural mood in scene I of Macbeth?
Shakespeare developed the setting by trying to relate with Macbeth.  The settings are mostly outside and are very gloomy and strange so that it can help illustrate the super-natural mood of Macbeth.  He made Macbeth have a supernatural mood because in those times everyone believed in sorcery and witchcraft.  So he knew that when he choose this theme it would be popular and appealing to the public and king.

Scene II:
What's your understanding of reputation and character?
My understanding of a character and the association of their reputation are that every character has or is given a reputation.  The reputation that is given to them consists of all the actions they've expressed and what kind of situations they've been through.  Your character is basically who you are and what are you beliefs.  Your character may be unique and you may have different opinions about certain ideas.  So when combined your reputation and character both collide with each other to form your personality.

Scene III:
How does character influence one's reaction to a promise of power?
The character of someone influences him or her in many ways.  If their character is very honest and noble then they will react to a promise of power very subtle and pay no atten-tion to this prophesy.  If their character is very aggressive and dominant then they will react to the prophecy in an eager and destructive ways.

Write a reflection journal- my first impression on Macbeth and Banquo.
My first impression of Macbeth was that he was a strong and noble man.  He was de-scribed the same way by the other characters in the story.  He seemed to be very inter-ested in having high authority and being at the top.  Over all he seems to be a nice and kindhearted man who always chooses right from wrong.  My first impression of Banquo was that he takes everything as a joke and doesn't take anyone in a higher authority
seriously.  When he heard the prophecy he took it as a joke and made no big deal over it.  He seemed interested at first when the witches only prophesied for Macbeth.  He wanted to know about his future and was curious.  I think he doesn't believe the prophecies and doesn't pay any attention to three old witches.

Scene IV:
Write a letter from Banquo's point of view to his wife Lady Banquo, and retell the un-usual experience he had that day.

Dear Lady Banquo,

 Hello my love!  How has thee been since I've left thou for war?  Is thee alone and sad?  Well the news that I have will make thee happy and confused.  Macbeth and I were on our way to camp when out of no where three witches appeared.  They were chanting a prophecy about Macbeth's future.  They said that he would first become Thane of Cawdor and then hereafter he will become king.  Macbeth and I stood in amusement.  How could this be if the Thane of Cawdor lives and so the king.  Well since I didn't believe this prophecy I asked them what would be my future.  They chanted again and said that I would father future kings and not are king myself.  Macbeth and I took these prophecies to be false.  Now that Macbeth has become Thane Cawdor then it must be coming true, but how shall I be father to future kings?  Well my dear lady I bid you well and will see you in a short time.
 

         Love,
         Banquo

Scene V:
In your view, what is the wife's role in helping her husband fulfill his ambition?
A wife's role in a relationship is to love and support her husband.  She has to try and agree to his ideas and try to help him fulfill his needs.  If her husband has an ambition, like to run for mayor, then she will help him with his campaigns and support his views on certain topics.  She has to encourage him to reach for his goals and accomplish them.  She should be there at all times and help him with any problems that he encounters in or-der to fulfill his ambition.

Prepare for the "Who is the real Macbeth and Lady Macbeth" activity. Prepare questions that you will ask a group people that can help you identify the real Lady Macbeth and Macbeth.
For the "Who is the real Macbeth and Lady Macbeth" I would make questions that can help me find what readers think about these two characters.  My questions are:
Macbeth
1. When Macbeth was first introduced how did you picture him to act like?
2. What was everyone saying about Macbeth in the beginning of the story?
3. How did Macbeth react when he heard the prophecy from the witches?
4. What do you think he was thinking about?
5. How did Macbeth react when he was crown Thane of Cawdor?
6. Do you think he wanted to become Thane or was he afraid of the prophecy?
Lady Macbeth
1. What kind of reputation do you think Lady Macbeth has?
2. How do you think she slept that night after reading Macbeth’s letter?
3. Do you think she loves Macbeth?
4. What was her feeling’s toward the letter?
Scene VI:
What does Banquo reveal about his character in his observations about the nesting habits of birds?
Banquo reveals that his character is like the birds of Macbeth’s castle.  He has stay there and make it become his home for him and his future child.  Like the birds he will make this his nest and his cradle.  He will also breed and haunt because there lies secrets in the castle, which he will have to keep.

Do you consider it strange that Lady Macbeth greets the King along? Although it is not mentioned in the scene, but what do you think is the reason that Lady Macbeth gives Duncan to excuse his absence?
Lady Macbeth greeted the King with joy because she did not want anyone to suspect her of the crime that will happen at night.  She is very sincere and offers her entire staff to serve the King.  He now thinks of her as a loyal wife and good servant to her majesty.  Duncan gives Lady Macbeth a diamond ring to repay his gratitude for her hostess man-ners.  She is given this gift as a sign of the Kings approval of her being Macbeth’s wife.

Scene VII:
When a wife argues with her husband, what kind of argument she may use to win if she is determined enough?
Usually when a couple is arguing and the wife wants to win she will say that he doesn’t love her.  She will say this and make a big scene so that her husband will feel sorry and let her win in order to make her feel better.  He will not try to figure out another way to resolve this since she will only continue using this line.  The wife will use this line only if she really wants to win but can’t use the line to much or else the husband won’t believe her anymore and know that she’s lying.

Scene 7: IMAGINE yourself as Macbeth, and in your WordProces-sor...(modern diary...), you write:
Dear Diary,
Hello good companion! I’m in a very disturbing situation and can’t figure out what to do.  You see my beloved wife wants me to kill the king in order to become king myself.  She wants me to blame the murder on the kings guards.  I don’t want to become king if it forces me to kill an innocent man.  I should have never told my wife the proph-ecy and maybe this would have never happened.  I thought she would not believe the prophecy and only confide me by telling me that it was impossible.  I guess greed and anxiety took over her.  She must want to be queen very much.  She has even revised this tragic plan.  I never knew she was capable of such horror.  I think I got married to a dif-ferent person and made the wrong assumption when I first met her.  She has changed a lot because of some false prophecy, in which I don’t want to believe in.  She has driven me to agree with her since I don’t want to make her think that I don’t love her and that I’m not a coward.  When I begin a new entry I will have already completed the hideous task and have made my wife happy.
       Scared and alone,
       Macbeth
       Thane of Cawdor