Entitlement was a longstanding tradition in the Tudor dynasty, which began after the War of the Roses. Its effects on society are evident in the social interplay in As You Like It. For example, primogeniture as a social norm serves as a catalyst in the initial stages of the play. In Act I, Scene I, Orlando is arguing with Oliver about his right to a share of the family inheritance. In saying “Wilt thou lay hands on me, villain?” (Act 1, Scene 1, Line 52), Orlando not only shows his disdain towards those who are unjustly privileged, but also manifests the attitude of those who were not benefitting from primogeniture in 16^th century England. In terms of the play, Orlando’s declaration is one of many successive maxims that represent the invective spirit of the underprivileged. (Shakespeare, 2000)

In Act I, Scene III, of Troilus and Cressida, Ulysses makes a soliloquy about Troy and its history. He says:

“Commotion in the winds! Frights, changes, horrors,
Divert and crack, rend and deracinate,
The unity and married calm of states
Quite from their fixture! O, when degree is shak’d
Which is the ladder of all high designs,
The enterprise is sick! How could communities,
Degrees in schools, and brotherhoods in cities,
Peaceful commerce from dividable shores,
The primogenity and due of birth,
Prerogative of age, crowns, sceptres, laurels,
But by degree, stand in authentic place?”

Ulysses seems to assume that primogeniture is an essential element of the contemporary society. By calling this system of entitlement “the ladder of all high designs,” Shakespeare is making a commentary on not only the social norms of Troy, but also those of England. Shakespeare’s Additionally, Orlando’s confrontation of Oliver in Act I, Scene I, is comparable to the final question of Ulysses: “How could a society built solely on rules of decree remain solid from a sociopolitical standpoint?” (Shakespeare, 1958)

In As You Like It, Duke Frederick usurps the throne from his older brother, Duke Senior. This is somewhat of a role reversal in terms of primogeniture and could intuitively be interpreted as a vindication for the rights of the underprivileged and those who are at a loss by virtue of birthright. On the other hand, by birthright Oliver was granted the wealth of his deceased father, Sir Rowland de Boys, and Orlando was left with nothing. The contrasting scenarios that result from primogeniture in As You Like It are one of the many sets of contradictions that have given Shakespeare’s works the endurance to attract droves of literary scholars for centuries.

In Act I, Scene I, of Henry VI Part II, the Duke of York proclaims that:

“For that’s the golden mark I seek to hit.
Nor shall proud Lancaster usurp my right.
Nor hold the sceptre in his childish fist,
Nor wear the diadem upon his head,
Whose churchlike humors fit not for a crown.”

York’s hostility towards Lancaster is parallel to that of Oliver towards Orlando. Using the phrase “childish fist,” York communicates a strong sense of privilege based on age. Shakespeare’s portrayal of primogeniture in Henry VI Part II, specifically in York’s speech, is similar to his portrayal of primogeniture in As You Like It in that there are many contradicting elements that collide and initiate the plot. The idea of privilege based on age serves as a central theme in As You Like It and a catalyst in many of Shakespeare’s other works. (Shakespeare, 1923)

In an essay about crimes and accountability as Shakespearean themes and issues, Theodor Meron argues that times have changed and problems must be addressed in a different way today than they would have been in Elizabethan England. While, in 16^th century England, conventional wisdom might have been drawn from Shakespeare’s portrayal of royalty in Macbeth, such caricatures have run past their prime and must be reassessed. This would, by a similar argument, indicate that entitlement is not longer valid as a social norm, or if it is then it must be reevaluated. (Meron, 1998)

Entitlement functions as a catalyst by using an exiting conflict as a spark for plot development and character interplay. Without the norm of primogeniture, there may have never been a conflict between Oliver and Orlando, and thus Oliver may never have hated Orlando or converted after Orlando saved his life. Entitlement is both a part of the exposition and a part of the plot. It drives the characters to have the views they have and to act the way they do.

While many Shakespearean scholars may see the idea of entitlement from a sociopolitical point-of-view, it is notable that some of the characters in As You Like It may see themselves as entitled to love, rather than power. For instance, based on a contextual interpretation of his actions, one might also conclude that Orlando feels that he not only wants love, but deserves love. It is also notable that Orlando feels that he deserves Rosalind, a woman who is fairer and possibly taller than her counterpart, Celia. This sense of entitlement drives Orlando to post the poems on the trees in order to win what is rightfully his, love.

Jaques, in contrast, may feel a different sort of entitlement. While Orlando feels that he has a right to find joy in life, Jaques may feel that he has a right to find melancholy in life. In Act IV, Scene I, Jaques says that “I am so [melancholy]; I do love it better than laughing.” While this may be seen as a characterization of the ascetic Jaques, it must also be considered that he may see his morbid state as an expression of his god-given rights. The contrasting responses to and interpretations of the idea of entitlement drive the plot of As You Like It by creating a battleground between those who are priveleged and those who are not. (Shakespeare, 2000)

Touchstone may feel a sense of entitlement to love which is similar to that of Orlando. However, while Orlando feels entitled to the cream of the crop, in terms of women, Touchstone admits that he would be happy to have Audrey, a woman that he calls unpoetic (Act III, Scene 3, Lines 15-16) and foul (Act III, Scene 3, Line 37). This may be reflective of the role that he takes in the court; as the jester he may not feel that he is entitled to such treasures as Rosalind and Celia. (Shakespeare, 2000)

There is a subtle transition between concrete characters and abstract themes in the As You Like It. While the characters are clever in their dialogues and interchanges, it must be considered that every statement represents a part of the idea that they represent. Every phrase that leaves Touchstone’s lips must be taken to heart in contemplating the meaning of entitlement from both a literary and a sociopolitical standpoint. Every melancholy cry that Jaques proclaims must be analyzed for meaning and relevance to deeper themes that are portrayed through other characters in other areas of the text. Entitlement is a dominant theme in As You Like It and it serves as an important bridge between the characters and the meaning of the play.

In modern politics, the Democratic Party has endorsed certain entitlements that the Republican Party has condemned and vowed to abolish. These benefits would include benefits such as social security and health care. This raises the argument of whether or not success should be influenced by birthrights and privileges. This is a perfect example of how the basic contradictions portrayed in Shakespeare’s works have come into play centuries after his death. Entitlement has been a widely debated issue ever since birth-given privileges have influenced success.

Entitlement, from both a sociopolitical and a interpersonal perspective, is a key theme in Shakespeare’s As You Like It. It is important to realize the role that entitlement plays not only as a literary element, but also as an indicator of contemporary political views in contemporary Elizabethan society. For example, the variety in forms of expression and interpretation in terms of entitlement in As You Like It is indicative of a wide range of sociopolitical beliefs during the period. Through subliminal themes in the text and demonstrative dialogues between the characters, entitlement plays a vital role in the development and confirmation of As You Like It as a work of epic proportions.

The most basic organic compound is the alkane, which is comprised solely of carbon atoms that have single bonds to hydrogen atoms. Because it is completely surrounded by hydrogens, it can be said that the alkane is hydrated. The alkene, the dehydrated brother of the alkane, has the same basic structure except that double bonds may exist as well.  Below are some examples of alkanes and alkenes.

CH₃ – CH₂ – CH₂ – CH₂ – CH₃                                 CH₃ – CH = CH – CH₂ – CH₃

Pentane, C₅H₁₂                                                          2-Pentene, C₅H₁₀

The significance of the double bond in alkenes is the fact that an excess of electrons allows for increased bonding potential. Conversely, this means that the alkanes are fairly nonreactive, owing to the fact that no double bonds exist. Knowing this, it seems reasonable to deduce that Shakespeare may have treated Jaques the same way that modern chemists treat alkanes. The most important fact about analyzing chemicals from a literary standpoint is that both reactive and nonreactive compounds exist. Shakespeare realized that the small imitates the large and was thusly able to construct highly complex plot structures in many plays. (McMurry, 2003)

Reactivity and the double bond play a significant role in many of Shakespeare’s works, most notably As You Like It. Many of the characters are dealt the role of the catalytic electron attached to the double-bonded carbon pair. Touchstone, for instance, is often provocative in his claims and is commonly seen as a social “whetstone.” Through exemplary digressive stories and capriciously interesting claims, Shakespeare uses Touchstone to communicate certain isomorphisms between the microscopic and the macroscopic world. By way of context and social interactions, it becomes clear that he is also a symbol of the human condition, a vividly characterized avatar of Shakespeare’s metaphysical meanderings, and a manifestation of the curious wandering that has driven mankind to where it is today.

In addition to the physical representation of reactivity, there is a more abstract side to the coin. In As You Like It, the idea of desire drives the plot from beginning to end. The reactivity that results from desire causes Duke Frederick to usurp the throne from his brother, Duke Senior, and it causes Oliver to hold the inheritance over the head of Orlando. While all these types of desire stem from the seed of greed, there is also the desire that stems from the seed of love and lust. For example, the reactivity of lusty desire leads Rosalind to develop an impulsive crush on Orlando, Silvius to fall victim to the harsh Phebe, and Touchstone to grow to love Audrey.

In more thematic terms, hydration and dehydration often play large roles in the development of characters. Isomorphically, or in terms of information-preserving comparisons, this means that characters commonly undergo changes between states of reactivity and dormancy. Although Oliver is a highly reactive and volatile character in the beginning of As You Like It, he changes into a more dormant character that wants to settle down by the end of the play. This change is caused by a reaction that he undergoes with another reactive character, Orlando, who also gives up some of his catalytic potential by eliminating the divisive tension between himself and his brother. By this comparison, both characters are portrayed as metaphysical alkenes that react and yield products which are far different from their origins.

The aromatic ring is another atomic formation which has a particular metaphysical representation in Elizabethan literature. An example of a basic aromatic ring is benzene, a stack-based network that exists in the graphite of the pencil used to sign the pledge on this paper. The metaphysical representation of benzene and other aromatic compounds might be discovered upon considering both the structure and functionality of the unit. Below are diagrams of benzene.

                                                                     C – C

                                                                 //             

                                                            C                     C

                                                                               /

                                                                   C = C

            Benzene, C₆H₆                                 C = C

                                                               /                

                                                            C                     C

                                                                               //

                                                                   C – C

In considering the significance of the structure of benzene and its relation to Shakespeare’s works, it becomes clear that the circular nature of aromatic compounds is similar to the connected nature of all social interactions. The reactions that take place between Duke Frederick and Duke Senior become increasingly connected to the reactions that take place between Rosalind and Duke Frederick, and as well as those between Rosalind and Celia. Different functional groups, such as alcohols, ketones, or carboxylic acids, may attach to different bonding sites on the benzene ring to change the basic nature of the molecule. In this same manner, a variety of social interactions may take place Shakespeare’s works, and for that matter in reality, and their results may change the entire picture in terms of the friends and family of the reactants. (McMurry, 2003)

In addition to considering the significance of metaphysical isomorphisms, it is important to take into account the contemporary scientific beliefs, because they may have shaped Shakespeare’s works just as much as the aforementioned alchemical connections. Shakespeare lived at the end of the 16^th century, which means that the revolution in astronomy may have greatly affected his work. The heliocentric beliefs of Copernicus may have inspired Shakespeare in the same way that quantum mechanics inspires the budding minds of pseudo-scientists today. Evidence of this connection might be found in the egocentric personality of Hamlet, and his reactions with Ophelia. Additionally, Galileo was developing the telescope and proving heliocentrism in the same period that Shakespeare was writing his greatest works. The macroscopic revelations that were striking Europe at the end of the 16^th century had a strong influence in Shakespeare’s works. (Viault, 1990)

Concurrent with the revolution in astronomy was the development of the scientific method. Francis Bacon’s work emphasized the process of collecting data to interpret broader generalizations. Shakespeare adopted this as a theme by forcing the reader or audience of his plays to interpret the complex actions of the characters. Without gathering evidence from different areas of the plot, the audience is unable to comprehend the overall themes and messages in many of Shakespeare’s works. In 1600, William Gilbert completed his work titled De magnete, which was a geological study of magnetism in nature. This could have influenced the theme of reactivity which Shakespeare commonly utilized in his plays.  In fact, Robert Mayhew, a Shakespearian scholar from the Royal Geographic Society, asserted that Shakespeare utilized a great deal of information from the developing field of geography in his works. In the opening lines of Measure for Measure, Shakespeare seems to believe in the solidity of contemporary science when the Duke says

“Since I am put to know that your own science exceeds, in that, the lists of all advice my strength can give you.” (Act I, Scene 1, Lines 5-7)

Additionally, in Henry V, Shakespeare communicates the promise that science offers when the Duke of Burgundy says

“Even so our houses and ourselves and children have lost, or do not learn for want of time, the sciences that should become our country.” (Act V, Scene 2, Lines 56-58)

It is important to realize that Shakespeare did not solely draw inspiration from contemporary literary critics and writers; he fused interdisciplinary themes together in his plays in order to draw in people from all walks of life and create a universal feeling of monistic optimism. (Mayhew, 1998; Viault, 1990)

In 1869, long after the bones of Shakespeare had decomposed in the ground, been eaten a furry caterpillar, broken down by amylase enzymes, and redistributed into the natural world, a Russian chemist named Vladimir Markovnikov developed a theory regarding atomic bonding. This theory, called Markovnikov’s rule, stated that when a molecule with a hydrogen atom attached bonds with an alkene, the hydrogen atom bonds to the carbon with the greatest amount of hydrogen atoms and the rest of the molecule bonds to the other carbon. For instance, in the reaction of 2-Methyl-1-propene with hydrogen bromide (shown below), the hydrogen atom will bond with the rightmost carbon, because it has two other hydrogen atoms attached to it, while the double-bonded carbon on the left has no hydrogen atoms attached to it. (McMurry, 2003)

            H₃C                                                                                                   CH_{3  } H

                                                                                                                       l       l   

                           C = CH₂                     +   HBr             à                 CH₃ – C – CH₂          

                        /                                                                                               l      

            H₃C                                                                                                    Br                                

 2-Methyl-1-propene, C₄H₈     Hydrogen bromide, HBr     2-Bromo-2-Methylpropane, C₄H₉Br     

Although Markovnikov lived and developed his theory roughly two hundred years after Shakespeare, the influence of reactivity as a theme is clear. Markovnikov might have been no more eloquent than the Jonas Brothers, but his fundamental ideas regarding molecular reactions were similar to Shakespeare’s fundamental ideas regarding human interactions. “What does it metaphysically mean that the hydrogen ion, the smallest of all positive and perfect things, goes to the carbon that already has so many?” One interpretation is the idea of elitism and the foundation for the political right. By already being so wealthy with hydrogen atoms, the semi-hydrated carbon becomes the ideal candidate for additional hydration. In many of Shakespeare’s works, the wealthy get wealthier and the poor get poorer. In As You Like It, Oliver secures his fortune by driving Orlando away to the Forest of Arden, which supports elitist themes. Conversely, Celia and Rosalind’s dialogue regarding Fortune and Nature supports the idea that the virtues and skills dealt to one at birth are not related to the hand that is dealt over the course of one’s life. Cyril Bryner argued that the Slavs misinterpreted Shakespeare’s works based on their prejudices, which may be the case in this sociopolitical scenario, but it is nevertheless true that the interdisciplinary contradictions that exist in Shakespeare’s works drive the plots and are evidence of the metaphysical plus and minus that exist on both the atomic and visual levels. (McMurry, 2003)

In simple terms, an atom is composed of a nucleus with electrons orbiting around it. In every level of study, the Bohr model, which can be recognized by a dot in the middle of a series of expanding circles, is utilized to create a clearer picture of the structure of an atom. While this may be ideal from an anatomical standpoint, it is not correct. The electron does not exist as an orbiting entity, but rather as a probability field of where it may exist. There a four different orbitals, or probability fields, which are called s, p, d, and f. An s-orbital is essentially a sphere, the p-orbital is like two balloons connected at a node, and the other two are more complicated. The oddity of the p-orbital is that the electron can never be observed in the node, only in the two balloons. Electrons in the p-orbitals jump from one balloon to the other without crossing through the node. This then begs the question: “What is the metaphysical representation of this on the visual level?”

Shakespeare portrays many of his characters as electrons, orbiting around the town, flirtatiously interacting with everyone they meet. For instance, in Troilus and Cressida, Shakespeare draws a metaphysical parallel between the interactions of men and the interactions of butterflies when Achilles says

“For men, like butterflies, shew not their mealy wings but to the summer.” (Act III, Scene 3, Lines 81-82)

 This may seem simple, but there is also a deeper significance to the probability field and the wave nature of matter. Shakespeare often portrays love in the same way that electrons randomly jump from one balloon of the p-orbital to the other. In Romeo and Juliet, love is depicted as an entity that capriciously decides when to strike, irrespective of what previous state the reactants were in. Shakespeare understood the metaphysical isopmorphisms that exist between the small and the large, and he demonstrated his comprehension through his plays.

“If, then, the observer of the electron or the audience of the play is allowed to call all interactions ‘random,’ what is free will?” If the Bohr model is accurate, every interaction that takes place would affect another one and everything would be decided based on something else. This would not allow for the idea of free will, but hence we have the wave nature of matter. It is odd that in some ways Shakespeare adopts the Bohr model in his plays by showing the plot as simply a chain of events. The argument then arises over whether or not one event forcibly occurs based on the events that came before it. “Does Romeo choose to love Juliet or is it forced by his chemical composition and the events that influenced him leading up to their first meeting?” Shakespeare takes a dualistic and evenhanded approach by adopting both; he portrays love as both capricious and forced, he shows that the universe is both random and ordered.

In closing, it seems that Shakespeare’s works are appreciable from both a literary and a scientific standpoint. Through his incorporations of contemporary and developing scientific theories, Shakespeare was able to ring in a broader understanding of reactions as a whole. The great monistic feel that his works delegate might be seen as a commentary on free will and determinism, on love and hate, and on God and man. The metaphysical isomorphisms which exist within the works of William Shakespeare are proof that an interdisciplinary broadening of the mind leads to greatness and that the connections between mysteries of different fields induce meaning in the universe.

Hamlet throughout the play had difficulties with other characters. In Act V, Scene I, Hamlet becomes enraged with Laertes because of Laertes’ excessive grief over the death of Ophelia. This reaction is hardly acceptable behavior and Hamlet even realizes this later on and apologizes to Laertes. The inability to properly construct emotional responses to situations is a key symptom of complex post-traumatic stress disorder. Hamlet is unable to properly construct his thoughts and actions so he lashes out at people. He does this not only in the instance with Laertes but also with his beloved girlfriend Ophelia. In addition to rage being a result of Hamlet’s crude emotional responses, thoughts of suicide were prevalent throughout the play. This is another symptom of C-PTSD. Furthermore, symptoms of C-PTSD include changes in self-perception, alterations in relations with others, and an obsession with revenge against whomever the “perpetrator” was that brought on all their stress. Hamlet’s perception of himself certainly changes in that he feels increasingly helpless and inept as the play goes on. He compares himself with others around him such as Fortinbras and Horatio and finds that he is worthless in his attempts to kill Claudius. Hamlet also ruins his relationships with others in his life by isolating himself and becoming increasingly mistrustful of everyone around him. Although Hamlet was right to distrust most of those who were around him, it still does not excuse his behavior. His madness was just coincidentally well founded. Finally, revenge consumed Hamlet after he was charged by his father’s ghost to avenge him (another hallucination which will be discussed hereafter). C-PTSD destroyed Hamlet’s sanity and his world; however, what was the stressful event which caused C-PTSD in the first place? It was a combination of three events: the death of his father, the incestuous marriage between his uncle and his mother, and the discovery of his father’s murder by the hands of Claudius. This trio of events drove Hamlet to his first mental disorder, though this was not the only disorder that he would come to suffer from.

As Hamlet was assaulting his mother with the accusations of her betrayal to his father he stopped and began addressing an invisible specter. “What would your gracious figure? / [QUEEN] Alas, he’s mad!”            (Act III, Scene IV, Line 116-117). Hamlet has visions of his dead father’s ghost and no one else has ever seen this ghost and heard its conversation with Hamlet. The ghost was seen by Horatio and his fellow guards at the start of the play, however they did not ever hear the ghost converse with Hamlet, only the ghost’s command to swear on Hamlet’s sword. The first appearance of the ghost may have been reality or a mix of reality and psychotic vision. However, the second ghost, which only Hamlet could see and hear, was most certainly the result of Hamlet’s insanity. These visions that Hamlet saw were a result of his schizophrenia. Symptoms of schizophrenia include hallucinations, isolation from others, and paranoia. Once again, Hamlet’s paranoia of those around him turned out to be well founded, as Guildenstern, Rosencrantz, and Claudius were all scheming against him in some way. However, this doesn’t mean that Hamlet’s thoughts were rational. They were those of a madman brought on by the hallucination of his father’s ghost. Everything was just coincidental. Finally, following the death of his father, Hamlet began to withdraw from all his activities and turn into a recluse of sorts. He agreed with no objections to remain at home rather than return to school. He stopped spending time as much with his girlfriend and felt very alone, as if there was no one in the world who could connect to him. His schizophrenia was not so developed that it would cause him to go into catatonia or become unable to think but it could have, had Hamlet lived long enough for this condition to grow. Schizophrenia also explains Hamlet’s supposedly feigned mad wit when he spoke with Polonius. The condition has caused his thoughts to become disjointed, but still just as witty as they ever were. Polonius spoke the truth when he said, “How pregnant sometimes his replies are – a happiness that often madness hits on” (Act II, Scene II, Lines 213-215).

Throughout the play, Hamlet is either in a state of excitement and great activity or a state of absolute misery and idleness. This has been seen as simple procrastination by many who have examined the play. Procrastination is but a mask which hides Hamlet’s true condition, that of manic depression. Some with manic depression is characterized as one who slips between periods of severe depression and mania. Hamlet’s depression is evident, as almost all of his soliloquies contain the theme of suicide and hopelessness. Uncovering the mania in Hamlet’s life is more difficult. It is best shown at two points in the play. The first is when Hamlet organizes the play to prove Claudius’s guilt and justify his own revenge. As soon as Hamlet finds out that the players are coming to the castle, his entire personality almost flips as he becomes excited and happy. He becomes so productive in such a short amount of time that he nearly fulfills his goal of killing Claudius when he comes upon Claudius praying. But then he slips back into depression as he questions his actions and himself and spares Claudius. The second example is when Hamlet is on the boat to England. Hamlet not only directly influenced the execution of Rosencrantz and Guildenstern, but he also attacked a pirate ship and decided that as soon as he returned home he would get his revenge. These abrupt mood swings show Hamlet’s manic depression. At the conclusion of the play we see Hamlet as a tragic hero, overcoming his procrastination. This is not the case whatsoever. Hamlet was still just a hopeless mental case. He was only suffering from mania at that time so he appeared to have overcome his depression and procrastination. In reality, he was still suffering and was no better off than when the play began.

The steady decay of Hamlet’s mind throughout this tragic Shakespearean play drove him to madness. His supposedly fake mental afflictions were actually very real. Through his manic depression, C-PTSD, and schizophrenia, Hamlet lost all grips with reality and his life spiraled out of control.

Nietzsche’s theory states that, “A living thing seeks above all to discharge its strength — life itself is will to power; self-preservation is only one of the indirect and most frequent results” (Beyond Good and Evil, Part I, XIII). Macbeth stands as a testament to this very idea. Macbeth’s motive for his usurpation of King Duncan was that of ambition. Ambition is of course the drive to be successful or to dominate. Macbeth seeks to dominate and control the people of Scotland by increasing his position in society. Therefore, by becoming king and thus gaining the means to exert his will over the people, he becomes an example of “the will to power”. However, Macbeth is not content with just having the means to control the Scottish people. Macbeth wants to have complete control over his world so that nothing can have power over him. He begins exterminating everyone who knew about the prophecies which spurred on his assassination of King Duncan. Then, after he has slain all those who were threats to his innocence, he begins seeking out those who are suspicious of him or appear treacherous. These actions could be seen as an antithesis to Nietzsche’s idea of “the will to power”, since self-preservation appears to be the cardinal instinct in Macbeth’s actions. However, Macbeth is not acting to save his life or defend it even; he acts because of his inborn need to exert his power over others. Had Macbeth not been killed by Macduff later on in the play, Macbeth would no doubt have tried to expand his empire into neighboring England and then to other countries as well. Nietzsche’s theory accurately describe Macbeth’s apparent madness. What appears to be insanity is actually nothing more than “the will to power”.

The Thane of Fife, Macduff, is s stark contrast to Nietzsche’s “will to power”. In Macbeth, Macduff is seen as the selfless savior of Scotland. He sacrifices his own family in an attempt to bring aid to Scotland and usurp the horrible Macbeth. This behavior is known as altruism, a term first coined by Auguste Comte. Comte believed that “We are born under a load of obligations of every kind, to our predecessors, to our successors, to our contemporaries. After our birth these obligations increase or accumulate, for it is some time before we can return any service.... This ["to live for others"], the definitive formula of human morality, gives a direct sanction exclusively to our instincts of benevolence, the common source of happiness and duty. [Man must serve] Humanity, who we are entirely.” Altruism is based off of the principle that people have a moral obligation to help others to improve the quality of the world. Good acts that are committed with the goal of some personal achievement in mind are not considered altruistic, and Macduff acts only with selflessness. There could be dissent from critics that after Macduff’s family was murdered by Macbeth, Macduff became vengeful and therefore was no longer acting for the good of others, but rather for personal satisfaction. However, Macduff was not consumed with thoughts of revenge. He was only concerned with the well being of his country and his fellow countrymen. It should be noted that Macduff snuck into England to try to get military support from King Duncan’s outcast son Malcolm. The murder of his family occurred after Macduff had already reached England and spoke with Malcolm, so Macduff was already acting out of selflessness. Macduff’s willingness to help others and serve his country is shown when he responds to Malcolm in Act IV. Malcolm tells lies to Macduff concerning his ability to lead Scotland and to take the throne from Macbeth. Macduff cries out in desperation, “Fit to govern! / No, not to live. O nation miserable, / With an untitled tyrant bloody-scepter'd, / When shalt thou see thy wholesome days again, / Since that the truest issue of thy throne/ By his own interdiction stands accursed, / And does blaspheme his breed” (Act IV, Scene III). Macduff’s passion for his country proved not only to Malcolm, but also to the readers that Macduff was a selfless soldier who truly wanted to change Scotland for the better which coincides with the altruistic beliefs.

These two theories, “the will to power” representing selfishness and altruism representing selflessness, are antitheses to one another. Shakespeare set these two characters’ attributes so opposite to one another for one simple purpose. He wanted dramatic emphasis to be placed on Macbeth’s wickedness. With Macbeth’s atrocious crimes being committed solely for the purpose of his own self-interest, Macbeth appears to be the most wicked soul ever to rule. None of his crimes benefit anyone else in the slightest. When you pit a character of such self-indulgence against Macduff, a righteous soldier fighting for the good of his country, Macbeth is put in an even more wicked light. Shakespeare intended to make Macbeth out to be the worst villain of all literary history in this work. By having Macduff exist as a foil to Macbeth, it only doubles the power of Shakespeare’s vilification of Macbeth.

Although “the will to power” and the idea of altruism were not around during Shakespeare’s day, it does not mean that they did not exist. These theories were conceived centuries later but have existed since the dawn of man. Shakespeare picked up on these inborn human qualities and used them in his work Macbeth to help convey his intent.

The fact that she likens herself to the witches using supernatural imagery “Come you spirits” would symbolise treachery and treason to an Elizabethan audience, backs up the opinion that she is truly evil. She renounces her femininity and thus becomes asexual. “Unsex me here”, she tries to suppress her true nature and here filial affection by denying her instinct , all for her husbands “vaulting ambition”, “come to my woman's breast and take my milk for gall, you murdering ministers”. It is immediately as if she has become a fourth witch. The tremendous use of gory and paranormal imagery “make thick my blood” disgusts even a modern audience making her appear more like a monster parallel with “the secret black midnight hags” than a woman.

Lady Macbeth probes her husbands weaknesses by questioning his manhood “Are you a man?” , order to coerce him into killing Duncan. She is a rhetorical device, a verbal force that inspires her dithering husband, “But screw your courage to the sticking plate”. Manipulating her husband through taunts of unmanliness “ when you durst do it, then you are a man” shows her cruel nature, if we consider Macbeths bitterness to the fact that he cannot have children and so has accomplished nothing but a “barren sceptre”.

Perhaps the popular hatred of Lady Macbeth rests on her travesty of the Madonna ideal. She is characterised in terms of a few fundamental qualities, courage, determination and an extraordinary ability to deny all moral instinct by focusing her heart and mind on the matter at hand. “infirm of purpose”. She shows her steely resolve and her willingness to achieve the “ornament of life” by claiming “I would while it was smiling in my face/have plucked the nipple from it's boneless gums and dashed it's brains out”. These words offend the universal taboo, although they are only words, they still have the same effect of inspiring and impressing her husband who refers to her as “undaunted metal”. Each corporal agent to this terrible feat, by her monstrous and hideous claims of devotion to him.

Although Lady Macbeth goads him and taunts her husband “live a coward”, in reality she admires him. “thou wouldst be great art not without ambition, but the illness should attend it”. It is ironic that she views his virtues as his faults, which demonstrates how her morale judgement is distorted “too full o'th' milk of human kindness”. She sneers at his morality but praises his ambition. Lady Macbeth urges Macbeth who is unable to equivocate “look like the innocent flower but be the serpent under it”. The play has a fugal quality because of the counterpoint running through it and the fact that Macbeth is so influenced by his wife. Macbeth echoes his wife “false face must hide what the false heart doth know”. Lady Macbeth may have taught Macbeth the art of equivocation but it is he who became the master.

Lady Macbeth hides her true feelings of fear and depression from her husband. Only through the use of soliloquy do we find out about her inner turmoil brought on by her continual suppression of her guilt. “here's the smell of blood still”. Perhaps Macbeth has never seen this sentiment in his wife. She always plays a supporting role. The dynamic of their relationship depends on her strength and his need for this strength to fuel is “vaulting ambition”. She does not reveal her maternal instincts such as the inability to kill Duncan “had he not resembled my father as he slept, I had done it”. This undermines her appearance as a woman of “undaunted metal”, as it portrays her human side.

It is ironic that Lady Macbeth is originally a realist, unlike her husband, and lacks the philosophical dimensions which should have deterred her from the murder of Duncan. She mitigates the consequences of the “sacrilegious” deed “a little water clears us of this deed”. She orders Macbeth three times to “consider it not so deeply”. It is also ironic that she develops an overactive compulsive disorder or cleaning her hands which proves her inability to continue equivocating and living with her guilt after trying to look after her husbands mentally frail state above her own. “those deeds must not be thought after those ways, so it will make us mad”. She sacrifices everything for her husband “vaulting ambition” but in the end her blood stained hands haunt her and drive her to distraction. “All the perfumes of Arabia will not sweeten this little hand”. She is by now wallowing in her guilt, but note she never communicates this to her husband. Yet alone she expresses her real feelings. She feels no triumph “our desire is got without content”. She would rather be dead then “by the distraction dwell in doubtful joy.”

But still she supports Macbeth, listens to his woes about his troubled mind “full of scorpions”, always playing the subordinate role. The murder of Duncan alienates Macbeth from heaven and created a rift between himself and his wife. It is she who feels the most isolated. “how my lord! Why do you keep alone?”. She invests heavily in her husband who never seems to support her. She is no longer his “dearest partner in greatness”, or his confidante and she is obliged to ask for an audience with him. “say to the king I would like to attend his leisure”. She is distraught by the fact their former intimacy is a thing of the past which again undermines the myth of the maligned woman and reveals a character both frightening and pathetic. After playing a subordinate role she takes control in the banquet scene which mentally exhausts her fragile mental state and marks the end of her active role in the play.

Although like her husband, it is insecurity that is her undoing, there is no question that guilt and remorse are what untimely destroy Lady Macbeth. Her total absence from Act 4 is Shakespeare's way of registering her discarded statues and her utter irreverence to Macbeth. The character that now emerges is vulnerable, guilt ridden and a pathetic shadow of her former dominant self. The doctor diagnoses her a “sickness of the heart, a mind diseased”.

Her subconscious now takes over, and it is filled with the feelings she refused to address when there was still time. She begins to show some moral shame and bears responsibility for Duncan “who would have thought the old man to have had so much blood in him?”. She also shows remorse for the death of Banquo and Macduff's family. “the thane of Fife had a wife”. When Malcolm later refers to her as a “fiend-like queen”, he is inaccurate. The fiend in Lady Macbeth was expunged before she became queen. The piteous waif who unwillingly broadcasts her own guilt is a far cry from the screaming harridan of the earlier acts.

Only by committing her sin does Lady Macbeth discover her true nature which became “sorely charged”. Maybe the monster in her was always artificial and it was Macbeth who loved and needed her strength which forced her to extinguish her maternal instincts. Her suicide is simply declared “the Queen is dead my Lord”. Her small stature in his mind and in the closing act is a poetic counterpoint to her striding power in earlier acts. She is ultimately redeemed by the degree of her guilt, she passed from woman, through monster and back again.

Theme: Essential ideas to the book, or a unifying idea

Motif: A motif is a structure or literary device used to keep the plot moving, or inform readers of something

Symbol: A symbol is a real-life, concrete version of an abstract idea

Themes: Unchecked ambition: Macbeth starts out as a good fellow, but once the witches prophesy he will be king and his wife starts telling him Macbeth becomes deluded, and once he is king he has no legal system to stop him committing more crimes ; Absolute power corrupts absolutely: Macbeth commits a heinous crime to become king, but once he is in that position he commits many more terrible acts that add to his conscience, he runs Macduff out of the country and kills his family so that Macduff cannot speak or act against him, he kills his once close friend Banquo and tries to kill Banquo’s son so that Macbeth’s line will rule and not Banquo’s.

Motifs: Hallucinations: Macbeth’s hallucinations show the readers that he is not cut out to be a murderer and that he is slowly losing his sanity, they also reveal things that could not be revealed otherwise; Violence, Macbeth is one of the most violent plays (books for that matter, too) that I have read, Macbeth kills everyone, women and children and friends and family.

Symbols: The environment: when Macbeth does something bad storms brew, and when Hecate and the witches are around the weather acts up too, Duncan’s star horses ate each other and attacked their handlers.; Guilt and Blood: the blood symbolizes their guilt, with Lady Macbeth constantly washing her hands and Macbeth seeing bloody things.

Connecting Theme, Motif, and Symbol

Theme: Absolute Power

Motif: Violence

Symbol: Guilt/Blood

Relation between the three:

These all relate to each other because they all cause each other. When Macbeth becomes king he kills more and more thus: absolute power à violence, but the more Lady Macbeth and Macbeth kill the guiltier they get and the more insane and blood-ridden their lives become, leading to Absolute Power à Violence à Blood (Insanity and Guilt).

Motif exemplifying the theme and symbol:

As stated earlier in the relation section they are all interconnected. Violence leads to absolute power at the beginning and starts the whole cycle it is also this violence that creates Lady Macbeth syndrome. So, basically it all stems from this violence.

            The description of the time as midnight raises the association with mystery and darkness that is essential to the passage. As Francisco mentions the hour and the foreboding silence in the sense that “not a mouse is stirring.” the imagery of uneasiness is automatically evoked. The audience is unaware of what will occur but is sure that whatever does happen will be eerie. The repetition of “Who’s there?” adds to the building tension and pulls the audience in, revealing nothing. The second “Who is there?” keeps the audience intrigued, still maintaining that the audience is not informed of what is going on, or what is making the characters remain on edge. “…Bid them make haste.” Simply adds to the element of the unknown and intensifies it. The audience now speculates why Bernardo is in such a rush to leave. The short sentence structure increases the tension of the scene and exaggerates the apprehension felt by the characters.

Shakespeare proposes a list of qualities required for kingship. "The king becoming graces". He includes "justice, vertity, temperance, stableness, bounty, perseverance, mercy, lowliness, devotion, patience, courage, fortitude". Although it is an extensive list Duncan possesses them all. He is just by punishing the traitor Cawdor and rewarding Macbeth and Banquo. He is humble, offering to be Macbeth's guest in return for his bravery. He is compassionate in sending the injured captain to have his wounds bathed. In fact Duncan's "Virtues  will plea like angels trumpet tongu'd". Macbeth on the other hand doesn't possess any of these.

Duncan has some faults. He isn't sufficiently brave or capable to lead his armies on the battlefield. Secondly he is gullible and easily deceived. Cawdor betrayed him when Duncan put his "absolute trust" in him and so did Macbeth. But throughout the play an emphasis is placed on Duncan's good qualities. He is compared to Edward the Confessor, King of England, whose "Sundry blessings hang about his throne that speak him fall of grace". He uses God-given healing powers to cure his subjects of "the evil". Both kings are models of the just and benevolent exercise of power.

Macbeth wants Duncans power due to his " Vaulting ambition". He takes the throne by murdering, against his own conscience, and better judgement, a good man who is his guest, subject and Kinsmen. Regicide is unatural and he knows Duncan was a fine king. Malcolm, Duncan's son, was the named successor and was a "step on which I must fall down else o'er leap for in my way it lies". Yet Malcom was weak and did not contest Macbeth's right to the throne after the death of his father. Instead he fled to England and his brother Donalblaine fled to Ireland.

Macbeth aquires his power illegally and immorally, he become "an untitled tyrant bloddy sceptered". He has usurped the throne, a position that should only be held by Macolm the rightful successor to Duncan. Once in power he abuses it. He is tormented by insecurity and angered by the fact he cannot impose his lineage due to Lady Macbeth's infertility. He murders Banquo but Fleance's escape goads him. He recognises that kingship will only be temporary and that even the "seeds of Banquo" have more of a future than he.

Ironically Macbeth doesn't even enjoy his kingship "to be thus is nothing", the chores of rule irritate him and he begins to envy Duncan's peace. Macbeth the "tyrant" soon become demonic in his rule. He murders Lady Macduff and her children, by hiring assassins. The murder is commited on stage and is the most harrowing moment in the play, as it attacks the family unit, which is the basis of society. Macbeth lacks all the virtues that Duncan and Edward embody.

A king's duty to his country must be above his own interests, hence Macbeth's rule is sailed. Macbeth brings only chaos to Scotland, this is symbolized in the darkness that coverd the land  "tis day and yet dark night stangles the travelling lamp". Nature becomes disturbed " a mousing owl hawked at and killed a falcon" horses "broke their stalls and started eating each other". Ross laments that Scotland "cannot be called our mother  but our grave". Royal power corrupts Macbeth and his tyrannical rule is imposed upon the country for which he fought so many battles to protect.

"Each new morn, new widoes howl, new orphans cry, new sorrows strike heaven on the face", these are the effects of Macbeths rule. He broke open the Lords "annointed temple" and stole power for himself. He is in total contrast to Duncan and Edwards kingly virtues. Order and peace are only restored to Scotland when Malcom, the "soverign flower" and Duncan's rightful successor, takes up the crown. For Macbeth kingship was abstract, it was dipping through his fingers at any moment.

If it is legal I shall go and find his grave and spit upon that as well. My friend Miranda has recently informed me her high school class is putting on this production and I am highly angered. If something like grease isn't permitted because of content such as sex and pregnancy I see no reason why "The Taming of the Shrew" should be allowed. It makes a very offensive statement about women compared to men and I am set out to voice my opinion.

"The Taming of the Shrew" is a play about a girl who has a sister who is the most beautiful in the land. All men wish to woo her. Alas, the "shrew" by order of her father must be married off first and n man wishes to wed her. The "shrew" is merely an opinionated and independent girl who despises being looked down upon for being a lady. But one day a man comes to wed her. He takes her home despite her reluctance and starves and sleep depraves the poor girl claiming it's out of his love for her and that no food or bed is good enough for her.

Eventually he puts her on donkey back and they head through the dessert back to her father .Along the way they run into a poor old man who he forces the "shrew" to call a beautiful young lady until she appears to be a nut case. Upon arriving back at her home the girl is broken in spirit, mind, body and pride. Her father and this man get drunk and they decide to make a little bet.

The bet is on their wives, of which one is most obedient. Each man calls his wife to the room, each man commands that of his wife he bring her a beer with no delay just the way he wants it. The girl's father's wife dallies and meanders. The poor broken girl, who used to be an individual, does her abusive husband's will and he goes home rich. The supposedly happy ending is that the most independent women in the world has been tamed to be the most obedient wife in all the land and her sister is finally allowed her marriage which as opposed to her sisters goes well.

The moral of this story is a sickening one that says women shall obedient of men. True this fits the time period, but I find the way he goes about stating and setting the matter to be sexist even for his generation. Let's not forget also that Shakespeare performed mostly for the Queen, yes Queen, of England at this time. This detests me all the more that her highness and royal majesty had nothing done about such a derogatory play. It shames me and humiliates me.

"The Taming of the Shrew" should not be recognized as a classic and should be banned from schools. It sends out a very inappropriate message about the place of women in the world, says that abuse is right, and furthermore has a moral of evil. Girls should not be forced to put on such a play in high school that mocks and sucks pride from their gender. Nor should they have to watch boy's put on such a play. Women have earned their place and respect on this earth as well as any person of a different religion or race has and should not be subjected to such.

"The Taming of the Shrew" should be removed from circular activities. I do not propose an all out ban as am against such things, but it should not be forced to be read and preformed at the risk of a child's grade.