1. Do you feel sorry for Lady Macbeth? Why or why not?
To be honest, I do not feel sorry for Lady Macbeth at all. It may seem cruel and cold to say that it is Lady Macbeth who that led herself into such tragedy and catastrophic ending. However, I believe that it is her consequence and punishment that she received for being drunk over greed and power. Lady Macbeth stepped over the line of “ethics” and “morality” when she planned the assassination of King Duncan for Macbeth; because she wanted to sit on the throne of Scotland, she spilled the blood over her hands that cannot be erased. Lady Macbeth’s actions are, to some extent, understandable in the way that it is human nature to possess strong greed and jealousy and lust over authority and power. However, for me, Lady Macbeth’s hamartia went beyond the point where she cannot even receive my pathos. She destroyed herself which does not allow me to give pity.
2. What do you think about the character of Macbeth? Was he a good guy before he met the witches, or do his actions imply that he was always capable of dark deeds? Is he blame for his actions? Or are the witches really to blame?
I think Macbeth is a mild person who is easily persuaded and pulled around by other people. Although Macbeth is described in the first Act of the play as a manly and strong character, I think he is a simple-minded person. It was his surrounding that caused him to become capable of dark deeds; especially Lady Macbeth and the three witches. The innocent and the white heart that Macbeth holds can be seen when the three witches prophesize to Macbeth in front of Banquo that the Thane of Cawdor will soon belong to Macbeth. Although Macbeth at first was very intrigued because the witches opened his ambition and wished that he can start a reign, at the last moment, he believed and came to decision that it is not right to plan a scheme and commit a crime for his own good and interest.
However, does this mean Macbeth is a smart guy? I do not think so. Although others might have influenced him a lot and tried to convince him to do what he does not intend to do, he had his authority and choice in decision-makings that could have take him out of such situation.
3. Is there a personal incident in your life you wish could erase? Envision Lady Macbeth wringing her hands, unable to get the imagery blood off of them. She is haunted by her participation in the grisly deed. Do you think her response is plausible? Do you think you would be consumed with guilt yourself if you found yourself wrapped up in such heinous crime?
There are numerous incidents in my life that I wish I could erase. As a young child who did not receive much of parents’ care and love due to their ‘all-day-long-working’, I have done some pretty bad things that people cannot imagine (I won’t go into details). However, one incident that I would like to share way back when I was about five years old. Every day when kindergarten was over, I stayed at aunt’s house until a phone call came from my mother saying that she was now back at home. Then I was able to go home. Until that time, I had to spend the most boring time of my life. So, one day as I was looking around aunt’s house to find something that would kill my time, I found a small purse lying inside a small drawer of a living room. I realized that aunt was in the kitchen cooking for nephew. I do not know what motivated me to, but I took out a 500 won, my eyes still on aunt and slowly placed the coin inside my pocket. When I came back home, I believe I placed that coin right into the piggybank that has been empty for a quite a long time. The very next day, I felt so guilty I told my mother about the stealing and she scold me for it but when I cried to death, she told me that it was okay because she gave back 500 won back to aunt. When I think back at it right now, I do not think of it as seriously because 500 won seems very small to me. However, as a small kid who possessed no money at all at the time, must have felt guilt like a man who robbed a bank.
Lady Macbeth, on the other hand, had a motivation to the crimes that she has committed: Her greed to power and strong ambition. However, I would not say that it was plausible of what she have done. Whatever caused her to commit such a selfish and hideous felony, I believe that they should be feeling guilty throughout the time until they themselves realize that what they have done is not restorable since it have affected many people negatively. Also, they must take some kind of consequence to at least be punished for what they have done. Lady Macbeth, however, chose a very egotistical way to end her crime; committing a suicide. There is now no one to blame and the crime ends without a proper settlement. This is why I believe that Lady Macbeth was not feeling as guilty as she must have. If she did, I am sure that she would have done something to restore for the chaos and the changes she have created.
4. Have you ever experienced a predicted dream? Has anyone ever suggested something about your future that actually came true? Did their comments influence your actions and the results that followed?
Unfortunately, I did not have any predicted dream during my life. However, there was a time when somebody told me that I will catch a bad cold when I woke up in the morning: it was my mother. When I first moved to China, I did not realize that China would have such a freezing weather compared to that of Korea. Therefore, I woke up, did not listen to my mother’s comment on the weather and the “prophecy” she made about me catching cold. I wore a t-shirt and jeans and went out to play in the mid-December. I did not feel cold at all when I took the first step out. However, as I got sweaty and the sweat started to evaporate, the coldness that surrounded my body was unbearable. I was literally freezing to death and was not able to move an inch. The next day, I caught a very deadly cold that did not heal for about a month. My mother’s prediction influenced me in the way that I wished it did not happen and did the opposite of what she told me to do and the result was AWFUL AWFUL!
