The Corruption of Macbeth and Duddy Essay Example for Free

The Corruption of Macbeth and Duddy Essay Everyone should follow their dreams, but sometimes when you get too caught up in your dreams; you begin to forget about reality. Throughout the play Macbeth, written by William Shakespeare and the novel The Apprenticeship of Duddy Kravitz, written by Mordecai Richler, protagonists Macbeth and Duddy become corrupted as they on the pursuit of their dream. Throughout the novel The Apprenticeship of Duddy Kravitz and the play Macbeth, both protagonists have characters in their life that influence them into becoming corrupt. Both characters, Duddy and Macbeth have such a strong ambition that it leads to the corruption of themselves. Duddy and Macbeth’s pursuit of their dreams leads them to be greedy which leads to their corruption. In the play Macbeth, and novel The Apprenticeship of Duddy Kravitz, external forces influence Macbeth and Duddy’s decisions, Macbeth and Duddy’s ambition controls their actions and the greed that Macbeth and Duddy possess, all lead to their corruption while they are both on the pursuit of their dreams. Throughout the play Macbeth and the novel The Apprenticeship of Duddy Kravitz we begin to see that external forces in these characters’ lives help lead to their corruption. In both books we see that some characters attempt to show Macbeth and Duddy that they must commit crimes to accomplish their goals in life. An example from Macbeth is when Lady Macbeth attempts to persuade Macbeth into committing evil acts and tries to explain to him that he cannot change what has already been done. In the play Lady Macbeth says to Macbeth â€Å"Things with all remedy should be done without regard. What’s done is done†. (Macbeth, 2) This shows us that Lady Macbeth tried to show Macbeth that if you want something you need do whatever you can to obtain it and you cannot change what has already been done in the past, which helps lead to his corruption. Similarily, in Duddy, the Boy Wonder tries to have Duddy commit crimes to â€Å"help† Duddy become rich and achieve his go als. One quote from the novel representing this is â€Å"†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬  This quote shows how Boy Wonder tried to have Duddy commit these crimes to try to show him how to accomplish his goals in life, although, it just helps lead to the corruption of Duddy. In both stories external forces have told Macbeth and Duddy what they have to do in order become successful. In Macbeth, the witches inform on how to become king which corrupts him. A quote from the play showing this is â€Å"All hail, Macbeth, that shalt be king hereafter!† (Shakespeare, 10) Another quote showing his reaction to this is â€Å"Stay, you imperfect speakers, tell me more!† (Shakespeare, 11) This shows us how the witches told Macbeth that he could become king and then he gets too caught up in it which finally leads to his corruption. In Duddy we see Simcha tell Duddy that â€Å"A man without land is nothing.†(Richler, ) After Simcha tells Duddy this, Duddy does whatever he can to be a man with  land without truly thinking about what he is doing. This helps leads to the corruption of Duddy. The external forces around Macbeth and Duddy influence their decisions which lead to the corruption of both characters. Macbeth and Duddy are so focused on the pursuit of their dream that their ambition to obtain their dream leads to their corruption. In both stories Macbeth and Duddy’s ambition to pursuit their dream becomes so large that both protagonists are willing to do anything in order to achieve that dream. Throughout Macbeth we see many times where he is willing to do anything in order to become king. A quote from the play showing this is â€Å"The Prince of Cumberland! This is a step on which I must fall down, or else o’erleap; For in my way it lies.† (Shakespeare, 16) Now we see that Macbeth is willing do anything to become king and his ambition to become king has become far too great, and in the end it leads to his corruption and downfall. Just like Macbeth, Duddy is willing to do anything he can in order to obtain his dream and have all his land even if it means hurting others that are close to him. We see this when Duddy steals money from Virgil when it says â€Å"Duddy took a quick look virgil’s bank balance, whistled, noted his account number and ripped out two cheques. He forged the signature by holding the cheque and a letter Virgil had signed up to the window and tracing slowly.† (Richler, 307-308) This shows that Duddy’s ambition to get his land has him doing anything he can to get it which leads to his corruption. Also, throughout both Macbeth and Duddy, their ambition to pursue their dream leads to death or injuries of other characters which leads to their corruption. As Macbeth’s ambition grows and he murders Duncan, we see him feel guilt when he says â€Å"I’ll go no more. I am afraid to think what I have done; Look on ‘t again I dare not.† (Shakespeare, 30) We see Macbeth begin to feel guilty and the more characters that die we see he begins to become more and more corrupt. Similar to Macbeth, we see Duddy’s ambition to pursue his dream lead to a very severe injury of one of his friends. Duddy’s epileptic employee, Virgil, gets injured while driving and we see the corruption of Duddy when he says â€Å"I hope he dies and I never have to see him again.† (Richler, 248) This helps us see that Duddy’s ambition led to the injury of his friend and employee, and we see how corrupt he is becoming. The ambition of Macbeth and Duddy become so great that as they pursue to their dreams, it leads to their own corruption. Macbeth and Duddy’s greed that comes from the pursuit of their dream, leads to their corruption. Both Macbeth and Duddy only care about themselves and it leads to their corruption. An example from Macbeth is when Macbeth hears about being able to be the Thane of Cawdor and the king he wants to know how even though he is already the Thane of Glamis. The witch tells Macbeth, â€Å"All hail, Macbeth! Hail to thee, Thane of Glamis!† (Shakespeare, 10) Even though Macbeth is already the Thane of Glamis and is considered to be a noble and royal man he wants more. As his greed grows Macbeth becomes more and more corrupted. Similar to Macbeth, Duddy’s pursuit of a dream makes him greedy as he gets a truck for free and lies to Virgil about it so he doesn’t have to pay him $1000. Duddy’s greed for money gets in the way as he lies to Virgil by saying â€Å"It’s in beautiful shape and he wants twelve-  fifty for it. But if you were interested, Virgie, and willing to pay cash, I think I could swing it for a thousand.†(Richler, 215) We see that as Duddy pursues his dream he becomes greedy and only cares about himself, which leads to his corruption. In both of the stories, Macbeth and Duddy’s greed grow on the pursuit of their dreams and it leads to their loneliness which leads to their corruption. So many people die because of Macbeth’s greed on his pursuit of his dream that when Lady Macbeth dies he is all alone and he becomes corrupted. As Macbeth hears about the death of Lady Macbeth he says, â€Å"Life’s but a walking shadow, a poor player That struts and frets his hour upon the stage And then is heard no more. It is a tale Told by an idiot, full of sound and fury, Signifying nothing.†(Shakespeare, 87) We see that as Macbeth’s greed grows he does things that make him lonely, and in the end he is all alone with nothing to live for. This helps towards the corruption of Macbeth. Duddy’s greed gets the best of him as he loses Yvette after the injury to Virgil. After Yvette stops seeing Duddy he says, â€Å"Without Yvette the office was a bore. Going out on the road, doing Virgil’s job, was the only peace he knew those days, and heading back for Montreal at two in the morning he always drove as fast he could, sure that Yvette would be home when he got there. Often he woke in the middle of the night, thinking he had heard her on the stairs, but he did not go down to her apartment, and he waited for more than two weeks before he phoned her.† (Richler, 250) We see that as Duddy becomes more selfish, he only focuses on the pursuit of his dream and as he loses Yvette, we see how corrupt he has truly become. Macbeth and Duddy become so greedy because of the pursuit of their dream, in the end it helps corrupt them. Throughout Macbeth and The Apprenticeship of Duddy Kravitz, characters in the lives of Macbeth and Duddy help lead to their corruption, Macbeth and Duddy’s ambition towards their goals help lead to their corruption and the greed they both get from the pursuit of their dreams leads to their corruptions. Characters that are in the lives of both protagonists control the decisions the protagonists make which leads to their corruption. The ambition both Macbeth and Duddy achieve while pursuing their dreams leads to their corruption. The greed both characters obtain on the pursuit of their dream has them feeling all alone and it leads to their corruption. In conclusion, on the way to pursuing their dreams, both protagonists Macbeth and Duddy let characters influence their decisions, which helped Macbeth and Duddy’s ambition grow, which made both protagonists greedy, and in the end, both characters Macbeth and Duddy, become corrupt.

The Scarlet Sharer :: essays research papers

The Secret Sharer written by Joseph Conrad, centers around a character of a sea captain. Its title and opening paragraphs forecast a story of mystery, isolation, duality, darkness and silence. The novel proves true these predictions reveling thematic and image patterns directly proportional to them. The opening of the novel further reveals dialectics in the novel. The clash between the private and the public world or man versus society, in other words is the primary dialectic. The journey theme or the rite of passage theme also reveal themselves. We see a young and inexperienced captain grow and explore himself and the world around him, and in the process becoming a functional member of a society. The novella may be only fifty pages long but its words speak volumes.The first indication of a course that a novel may take is its title. The three little words contained in the title give rise to many interpretations. An image generated by the title could be that of a gossip. Since a gossip is someone who tells people's secrets, or in other words is a secret sharer if the word secret is taken for a noun, it is a possibility that this image might come to mind. Another image is that of a person who shares in secrecy, therefore becoming a secret sharer, if the word secret is taken for an adjective. This could be an image of a miser, who generally does not share his wealth, but does so only in secrecy. A secret sharer could also be an imaginary friend. It would be a person who is secretive, and you share your thoughts with them. A Biblical interpretation of the secret sharer could be that of the snake in the garden of Eden. Since the snake shares the ultimate secret of knowledge with Adam and Eve, it could be considered a secret sharer.The connotations of the two main words in the title show a contradiction. A secret has a mysterious somewhat evil connotation, while a sharer has a benevolent and good connotation. This gives rise to a possibility of a good and evil dialectic. The denotation of secret is something kept private, sharing is, however, a public act. This brings to light the dialectic of the public versus the private world.The opening paragraphs bring to life the world of the work. The place where the characters move and have their being is a sail ship in this novel.

Examine the Role of Rawiri in the Whale Rider Essay

Rawiri plays an important role in the novel which helped unfolding the events, ranging from minor to significant ones. He relates the events in the ‘Whale Rider’ as the role of the narrator, allowing the readers to form judgements and learn about things such as the Maori way of life and the characters through his eyes. He also give us his insights as he highlights themes and issues mentioned, like racial discrimination. Besides that, he is the one who sees the many signs of Kahu’s destiny as the leader of the tribe, piecing up a complete picture of her eventual rise as the leader. Additionally, he is her guardian, always protecting and looking out for her. With his carefree personality, he often provides comic relief especially in times of tension. As the narrator, Rawiri relates the events through his personal experience and conversations. This allows us to have a deeper understanding of what had happened that lead to the progress of the story. For example, we know what the relationship between Koro and Nanny is unusual yet endearing as they often quarrel in a chidish manner, like during the time Nanny rowed out to sea to get him back when he was out sulking about Kahu’s birth. We also know that Nanny’s headstrong personality is partially influenced by the fact that her ancestor, Muriwai, inspires her to champion the rights of women. All these enable us to know more about the characters and thus understand the reasons behind certain actions these characters make. He also highlights the theme of gender discrimination through Koro’s steadfast opposition to Kahu as he ‘virtually hurled’ her out of the meetinghouse, a place not for females, and told her to ‘go away’ many times, not even considering her as a potential leader even though she displays many outstanding qualities like leadership skills. During his time at Papua New Guinea, he also highlighted the issue of racial discrimination as he himself with the other natives are discriminated and marginalised. Rawiri is referred to as ‘home dogs and strays’ by Clara and that Jeff’s family did not care to even send Bernard to the hospital when they knocked him down because he is ‘only a native’. Through his insights, we get to know the harsh reality of class distinctions that is existent among different races, leading to ostracism. Besides that, Rawiri witnesses the signs foreshadowing Kahu’s future as the leader of the Maori tribe. Kahu is multi-talented, is the ‘leader of the culture group’ and ‘love to sing the Maori songs’ and even gave her speech at the end-of-year ceremony entirely in Maori. At such a young age, Kahu unusually displays many outstanding qualities that is required for a leader, and this suggest to the readers that she has what it takes and will eventually take up the leadership position as well. She ‘cried’ during the whale-beaching movie, ‘not even a lollipop would satisfy her’ and even ‘make a mewling sound at her throat’ when she witnessed the scene of whale-hunting on the beach. This shows that she is able to empathise and relate to the whales and there is a sense of communion between them, an ability that not even Koro possessed. He also saw her retrieving the stone from the deep waters, when all the other boys could not even do it. His narration of these events tells us that Kahu is unique and extraordinary, her astounding feats outshines the rest and thus hints to us that Kahu will do something great and lead her tribe. In addition, Rawiri is also Kahu’s guardian and protector as he is always seen to be trying his best to ensure her safety and well-being. During the whale-beaching movie, he felt ‘protective’ ‘like a father’ and felt that should look after her till the world ended’. Rawiri regards himself as a fatherly figure to her and feels the need to look after her, protecting her from all the rain and storm. Also, when Kahu went out to sea in an attempt to save the whales, ‘instantly I (he) ran through the waves’, ‘plunged into the sea’ and ‘yelled to her, a despairing cry’. Even though he was ‘frightened by the heavy seas’, he bravely ploughs on for her as he does not want to lose Kahu and felt a strong responsibility to get her back to safety, even if he ‘would just have to go down this whale’s throat and pull Kahu right out’. This shows the extent of his guardianship of Kahu as he takes pains to protect this mentally strong yet fragile girl of eight. Lastly, he also provides humour in different moments in the novel, especially in times of tension. For example, when Nanny felt indignant and unfair regarding the exclusion of women during school sessions, Rawiri managed to lighten the tense atmosphere through his comical phone conversation with Cheryl and bringing Kahu to the movies instead, with the girls ‘assessing whether I (he) had now become marrying material’. By inserting comic relief, there is a variation in the mood throughout the novel and thus the readers do not feel perpetually a sense of pressure and tension, and are able to feel relaxed. Also, the way Nanny wanted to look her best despite her failure as she wears a hat that ‘must have looked wonderful in the 1930s’ and ‘added a bit of this and a bit of that until it looked just like something out of her vegetable garden’ is a comic element which enables us to find her as an endearing character even though she is old-fashioned. By providing humour, it lightens the overall atmosphere and learn more about the characters. In conclusion, Rawiri narrates the events in the novel through his point of view and highlights certain themes and issues presented by the author. He is also he guardian of Kahu and takes care of her, assuming a fatherly position. Furthermore, he is the one who consistently sees the signs of Kahu’s fate to rise up as the next leader of the tribe. Lastly, he also provides comic relief which help to lighten the mood of the novel, especially during times of tension. He is definitely an important character which helps the story to progress efficiently.

The Importance of Greek Mythology - 1650 Words

The importance of Greek mythology Today, the ancient Greek myths still fascinate readers throughout the world. There are thousands of books written about the importance of Greek mythology in the formation of modern-time societies. There are hundreds of movies created about the adventures of Greek heroes. Apparently, the events, creatures, and people described in the ancient Greek myths were not real; however, their mythical nature does not undermine the importance of Greek mythology in defining the world of fantasies and in everyday life of people today. Rose argues that myths were the tales which meant simply ‘words’ (1). It indicates that the purpose of the myths was to create the fantastic presentation of the life of ancient Greeks.†¦show more content†¦Moreover, the importance of Greek myths is not limited to just their cultural elements. In particular, the Greeks created a detailed account of the universe, the way it was created; they were the first to set the basic foundation for many sciences such as mathematics, physics, chemistry and astrology (Hard and Rose 22). Today, the scientists may often be skeptical about getting ideas for their scientific researchers from Greek mythology; nevertheless, it cannot be denied that it was through those myths that many scientists started to question the validity of previous views on the world and universe. For example, the ancient myths include creatures with flying abilities, people able to live much longer lives, and gods able to guide destiny of mankind. The myths about creatures with flying abilities encouraged engineers to consider possible opportunities for humans to rise into the air. Thus, the first airplanes and helicopters were designed. The ability of people to live longer lives led to the significant progress in medicine and the healthcare field. 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