Quotes of the Week Macbeth will have Macbeth
#Quotes of the Week: ____ Macbeth ‘_____ will have _____’ (Macbeth, 3. 4) # J&H ‘my _____ was changed into something exquisitely thin and _____’ (Jekyll, ch. 10) # AIC ‘they will be taught it in ________ and anguish’ (Goole, A. 3) # Poem 1 ‘his ______ life in my ______ hands’ (Remains) # Poem 2 ‘the ______ stained into foreign dust’ (_________) #
#Quotes of the Week: _____ Macbeth ‘The _____ wink at the hand: yet let that be which the _____ fears’(Macbeth, 1. 4) # J&H ‘something eminently human _____ from his _____’ (Utterson, Ch. 1) # AIC ‘those hard-_____ doughfaced _____’ (Gerald, A. 2) # Poem 1 ‘_____ their _____ are ice’ (Exposure) # Poem 2 ‘Open _____, its _____ standing out’ (Bayonet Charge) #
#Quotes of the Week: ____ Macbeth ‘all the _____ of Arabia will not sweeten this little _____ ’ (Lady Macbeth, 5. 1) # J&H ‘the _____ of Henry Jekyll… was large, _____ , white and comely’ (ch. 10) # AIC ‘_____ holds up a _____ ’ (Stage Direction, A. 2) # Poem 1 ‘The _____ that mocked them and the _____ that fed’ (Ozymandias) # Poem 2 ‘_____ bandaged around my _____ ’ (Poppies) #
#Quotes of the Week: ____ Macbeth ‘stars hide your fires, let not _____ see my deep and _____ desires’ (Macbeth, 1. 4) # J&H ‘the lane… was brilliantly _____ by the _____ moon’ (ch. 4) # AIC ‘the _____ should be pink and intimate’ (_____ , A. 1) # Poem 1 ‘the only _____ is red and _____ glows’ (War Photographer) # Poem 2 ‘_____ that lets the _____ shine through’ (Tissue) #
#Quotes of the Week: ____ Macbeth ‘life… is a tale told by an_____ , full of sound and fury, signifying _____ ’ (Macbeth, 5. 5) # J&H ‘That child of Hell had _____ human; _____ lived in him but fear and hatred’ (Ch. 10) # AIC ‘I did _____ I'm _____ of’ (Mrs Birling, A. 3) # Poem 1 ‘But _____ happens’ (_____ ) # Poem 2 ‘Strange, it is a _________ that we fear’ (Storm on the Island) #
#Quotes of the Week: ____ Macbeth ‘I bear a charmed _____ ’ (Macbeth, _____ ) # J&H ‘My _____ is _____ to its roots’ (ch. 9) # AIC ‘this _____ -school-and-varsity _____ ’ (Arthur Birling, A. 1) # Poem 1 ‘I _____ every round as it rips through his _____ ’ (Remains) # Poem 2 ‘stamped on these _____ things’ (_____ ) #
#Quotes of the Week: ____ Macbeth ‘She _____ have _____ hereafter’ (Macbeth, 5. 5) # J&H ‘I feel that my _____ are numbered, and that I must _____ ’ (ch. 9) # AIC ‘This girl _____ herself – and died a horrible _____ ’ (Inspector, A. 2) # Poem 1 ‘theirs but to _____ and _____ ’ (COTLB) # Poem 2 ‘he _____ have wondered / which had been the better way to _____ ’ (Kamikaze) #
#Quotes of the Week: Blood Macbeth ‘blood will have blood’ (Macbeth, 3. 4) #motif #paranoia #metamorphosis Motif of ‘blood’ symbolises M’s declining guilt / recognition that bloodshed leads to more bloodshed. Represents paranoia about revenge from ‘blood’ relatives of victims (Fleance & Malcom). Hints at insecurities about lack of lineage - Ovid’s Metamorphosis - nothing dies, only changes form (form of offspring? ) - M desperate for self-preservation and absolute power as no ‘blood’ to live through. Explains obsession with Fleance & killing Macduff’s ‘line’. J&H ‘my blood was changed into something exquisitely thin and icy’ (ch. 10) #metamorphosis #parallel #oxymoronicphrase ‘blood’ here marks J’s moment of self-actualisation - his metamorphosis is biological and emotional - evokes fear and disgust in him like with other characters (parallel quote about Utterson/Enfield in ch. 7: ‘froze the very blood of the two gentlemen below’) – heightens J’s humanity and creates sympathy. However, oxymoronic phrase ‘exquisitely thin’ complicates this by suggesting change was thrilling for J. Motif of ‘blood’ and ‘ice’ therefore distinguish him from other characters. ‘blood’ symbolises life, ice symbolises death – combination suggests Hyde is morbid, yet ironically alive. AIC ‘they will be taught it in fire and blood anguish’ (Goole, A. 3) Inspector = prophetic figure forewarning about consequences of selfish individualism. Dramatic irony heightens impact as audience have already lived through said consequences in WW 2 and may live through them again. Thus, ‘blood’ here alludes to bloodshed during war and creates cyclical, inescapable structure. ‘Blood’ could also symbolise the ‘blood’ of the victims of capitalism - literally and metaphorically spilled through continued disregard. ‘Fire’ therefore could be metaphor for hell fire, hinting the resulting ‘anguish’ will be like divine justice on earth. #prophetic #allusion #divinejustice Poem 1 ‘his bloody life in my bloody hands’ (Remains) #repetition #pun #guiltyconscience Poem 2 ‘the blood stained into foreign dust’ (War Photographer) #synecdoche #alienated #disillusionment Repetition reminds readers that ‘blood’ is the single most reoccurring and perhaps even defining characteristic in a soldier’s ‘life’. Repetition also creates a cyclical structure suggesting there is no escape from the bloodshed. Present tense and pun on ‘bloody’ supports this - makes statement read like an insult expressing soldier’s frustration and inability to communicate his emotions - links to trauma theory (constantly reliving traumatic event, losing ability to speak etc. ). ‘Hands’ symbolise speakers guilty conscience ‘bloodied’ by his actions – implies self-blame/self-loathing. ‘Blood’ here literally represents lives of war victims. The synecdoche strips away their individual identities - perhaps a coping mechanism for the photographer. Hence, ‘foreign dust’ metaphorically could emblemise how his guilty conscience is ‘stained’ by the ‘blood’ of the victims. Could also imply he feels alienated from his ‘home’ – suggestive of trauma/disillusionment and explains resentful tone. As such, ‘stain’ could hint he recognises the sense of impurity and stigma his occupation warrants and is trying to remove/remedy it through publishing the photographs.
#Quotes of the Week: Eyes Macbeth ‘The eye wink at the hand: yet let that be which the eye fears’(Macbeth, 1. 4) #conscience #hamartia #aside J&H ‘something eminently human beaconed from his eye’ (Utterson, Ch. 1) #ambiguous #Victoriancompromise #evolutionaryscale AIC ‘those hard-eyed dough-faced women’ (Gerald, A. 2) #alienatingtone #inhumane #shallow Poem 1 ‘all their eyes are ice’ (Exposure) #conscience #universallyapplicable #indifference Poem 2 ‘Open silent, its eyes standing out’ (Bayonet Charge) #oxymoronicphrase #metaphor #dehumanised ‘Eye’ symbolises M’s moral conscience whilst ‘hand’ represents immoral actions fuelled by immoral ambitions. M commanding ‘eye’ to ‘wink’ exposes him as a morally complex character- capable of recognising ‘yet’ ignoring inner conscience – perhaps makes him more guilty than Lady M as she lacks this? Conjunctive clause ‘yet let that be…’ reads like a plea (to himself? witches? ) showing early signs of ambition being hamartia (opposite of Hamlet). Structure of play heightens M’s autonomy - no manipulation from Lady M here. Supports theory he previously conspired/contemplated regicide. Staging as an aside also creates privacy, revealing his duplicity. Ambiguous pronoun ‘something’ connects U with H (introduced as ‘something displeasing’) - implies there is a inexplainable Hyde-like facet within U - supported by context on Victorian compromise. Reference to ‘his eye’ also connects him to J (ch. 2 - ‘there came a blackness about his eye’). However, in contrast to J & H the ‘something’ inside Utterson is inherently good - ‘beaconed’ connotes light, hope, positivity etc. Perhaps, U, J & H collectively represent evolutionary scale where U is most evolved and therefore ‘eminently human’. J’s regression into H suggests U could also regress into J and then H. Perhaps novella is a warning for him. For more details on this see: https: //litwiteacher. wordpress. com/2020/02/23/eminently-human-an-investigation-into-the-strange-case-of-mr-gabriel-utterson/ Quote presents G as: hypocritical, insensitive, shallow and self-righteous. Plural pronoun ‘those’ strips lower-class ‘women’ of individualism and contrast with ‘I’ creates dismissive, alienating tone. Ironic because despite publicly loathing them, men like G seek/pay for their services. ‘Hard-eyed’ implies G sees ‘women’ as emotionally void and inhuman. Perhaps, Priestley hinting G (and audience) is the ‘Hard-eyed’ one - lacks emotional intelligence /integrity. ‘Dough-faced’ strengthens this – G thinks they are unattractive and allow themselves to be moulded/worked upon – very shallow and derogatory view. Overall, Priestley exposing how ‘women’ had to metaphorically kill their inner humanity/dignity to become ‘hard-eyed’ and secure their survival in society. ‘Eyes’ here symbolise one’s humanity and moral conscience – as ‘ice’ is cold and hard, Owen suggesting that humanity has also become like this through continued indifference. Supported by collective pronoun ‘all’ which makes statement ambiguous and universally applicable. If ‘eyes’ belong to soldiers, the ‘ice’ could be from frozen tears - they died carrying pain and bitterness. If ‘eyes’ belong to ‘burying-party’, ‘ice’ could symbolise the desensitised/inhumane attitude that their role requires – symptomatic of PTSD? This attitude of indifference extends to government officials/general public/ possibly ‘God’ – unlike soldiers, they can choose to be more ‘lov[ing]’ and human. Thus, those alive are metaphorically ‘dying’ too – perhaps the greater loss? Oxymoronic phrase about ‘mouth’ being ‘open silent’ creates a harrowing image whereby the hare can see everything but say nothing. Hare = metaphor for powerless, supressed soldier - witnesses the horrors of war but unable to do anything to change or communicate it (trauma? ). ‘Open silent’ could also signal moment of disillusionment – soldier rendered speechless when realises futility of war, own vulnerability, and status as a prey rather than predator. Emphasised by line break before the quote. Comparison with animal dehumanises soldier strengthened by pronoun ‘it’. ‘Eyes standing out’, dehumanises him further as it invokes morbid, gory image suggests realisation came too late. Ultimately, creates pathos around soldier/hare’s current state.
#Quotes of the Week: Hands Macbeth ‘all the perfumes of Arabia will not sweeten this little hand’ (Lady Macbeth, 5. 1) #lexicalparallelism #divinejustice #rolereversal Motif of ‘hand[s]’ and lexical parallelism to M’s speech in A 2 connects these characters’ deeds to their rightful consequences and results in a cyclical structure signifying the impossibility of escaping justice. LM’s mentioning of ‘perfumes of Arabia’ is deliberately ironic - derives from Latin word for generating smoke for disinfectant (fūmigāge) and was typically made from frankincense and myrrh which are sacred – hints at her newfound knowledge of divine justice for duplicitous equivocators. This role-reversal/redemption somewhat mitigates her guilt – emphasised by S pre-modifying ‘hand’ with ‘little’ evoking fragility – S also gives her the more honourable death. LM’s guilt/suicide thus becomes penultimate warning for future ‘traitors’ - final warning = M’s execution. J&H ‘the hand of Henry Jekyll… was large, firm, white and comely’ (ch. 10) #atavism #guiltyconscience #poeticjustice Motif of hand appears 45 times in J&H – linked to guilt, justice, civility & friendship. In line with atavism, here the overly positive description of J’s ‘hand’, in contrast to H’s ‘lean, corded, knuckly… hand’, distinguishes him as the more evolved and less guilty character (Carew’s murder – H ‘had in his hand a heavy cane’). However, by positioning this quote in J’s confession after ‘the two hands are [found to be] identical’ and U discovers them dead with a ‘phial in the hand’, Stevenson emphasises naivety of trying to evade guilt through physical detachment. Confessional form solidifies this as it exposes J’s guilty conscience: after becoming H, J ‘lifted his clasped hands to God’ – shows moral detachment is impossible and will eventually lead to ‘self-destr[uction]’– poetic justice? AIC ‘Inspector holds up a hand’ (Stage Direction, A. 2) #denouement #redemption #mouthpiece This powerful gesture puts an abrupt stop to the intense action/dialogue on stage creating an eerie silence which marks a pivotal moment where the guilt of every character has been exposed. It is the start of the play’s denouement, so indicates a reversal of fortune for Birlings - allows audience to fantasize about what justice for Eva will look like. The ‘hand’ implies that it is futile for any character (particularly Mrs Birling) to retract/justify their statements. Could also symbolise Inspector (and Priestley/audience’) growing frustration with their lack of redemption. Ultimately, singles out Inspector as authoritative figure - as Priestley’s mouthpiece, he is also ‘hold[ing] a hand up’ to society – it’s time for them to stop and consider their own actions too – ‘hand’ like mirror. Poem 1 ‘The hand that mocked them and the heart that fed’ (Ozymandias) #framenarrative #internalrhyme #personification Frame-narrative results in ‘hand’, ‘mocked’ and ‘fed’ having dual meaning. ‘Hand’ could be Ramesses’ ‘hand’ ‘mock[ing]’ (i. e. manipulating) his people into believing he is benevolent. Pun on ‘mocked’ makes him appear sadistic enjoying power attained through the lies he ‘fed’. Contrastingly, ‘hand’ could belong to sculptor ‘mock[ing]’ statue to parody/critique Ramesses’ arrogant personality. Ambiguity reflects how time distorts history – so history itself is ‘mocked’. Internal rhyme between ‘hand’ and ‘heart’ connects them - ‘hand’ is mechanical whereas ‘heart’ is emotional - so connection should provoke kind actions. Ironically, personification of ‘heart that fed’ invokes image of a gluttonous creature which only takes rather than gives. Dismantled statue = justified end? Poem 2 ‘Sellotape bandaged around my hand’ (Poppies) #semanticfield #catharsis #ironiccontrast ‘Sellotape bandaged’ fits in with wider semantic field of mending and injuries within poem – could be metaphor for mother trying to mend broken relationship with child. Use of everyday household item captures the innocence, simplicity and affection behind her actions – heightens pathos and catharsis at the end when she accepts his loss – creates a bitter-sweet tone. ‘Bandaged hand’ indicative of emotional injuries families of soldiers experience – projects their helplessness at being unable to act/protect their loved ones. Also creates an ironic contrast to actual injuries experienced by soldiers, placing them on a similar trajectory. This shows resilience of all those involved in war – carrying on despite the obvious pain. ‘Hand’ therefore simultaneously symbolises power and fragility.
#Quotes of the Week: Light Macbeth ‘stars hide your fires, let not light see my deep and dark desires’ (Macbeth, 1. 4) #tragicfall #motif #intertextual M commanding ‘stars’ to ‘hide’ reveals understanding of the deception required to secure his ‘desires’ – increases culpability. Echoes D’s earlier simile comparing ‘nobleness’ to ‘stars’, implying M knows he must lose this trait – marks beginning of his tragic fall and opposition to D. Motif of ‘light’ used throughout to distinguish ‘fair’ from ‘foul’ – particularly associated with B/F: B calls witches ‘instruments of darkness’, F twice enters ‘bearing a torch’, B’s murderers ‘strike out the light’ – B/F symbolise hope within a ‘dark’ world - ‘stars’ used for navigation – B/F direct audience onto ‘fair’ path. ‘Stars’ also linked to astrology/fatality – intertextual link to Julius Caesar – Cassius says: ‘the fault… is not in our stars / But in ourselves’ – perhaps ‘fault’ also lies ‘deep’ in M rather than his ‘stars’? J&H ‘the lane… was brilliantly lit by the full moon’ (ch. 4) #juxtaposes #illusion #perspective Initially, moonlight juxtaposes C with H, suggesting C is intrinsically good and brightening dark setting. Supported by ‘Full moon’ - common gothic trope foreboding oncoming evil and mystery – in this case H as he’s linked to this motif (ch. 2 U meets H under ‘foggy moon’; ch. 8 - ‘pale moon’ present during hunt for H). Interestingly, ‘moon’ is a dark object which is ‘lit’ by starlight – idea that it is the source of light is illusion – representative of C’s goodness being an illusion. Thus, ‘moon’ could signal awakening of H and C’s inhuman/bestial nature – wolves hunt at this time. Adverb ‘brilliantly’ intensifies brightness of light making it appear artificial and dreamlike. Compliments Maid being ‘romantically given’, which altogether raises questions about reliability of her perspective on C’s goodness. AIC ‘the lighting should be pink and intimate’ (Stage Direction, A. 1) #dramaticdevice #contrast #enlightenment ‘Pink’ ‘lighting’ is powerful dramatic device used to introduce Birling family’s social outlook – they see the world through rose-tinted glasses, failing to register the reality of inequality. Artificiality of ‘lighting’ and use of it in their homes implies it is self-imposed view – they hold responsibility. ‘Pink’ carries a tenderness and sense of naivety suggests they are optimistic about the future – Priestley setting them for failure. Creates a dramatic contrast with arrival of Inspector where lighting becomes ‘brighter and harder’. On surface, signals he is important character and should not be ignored – on deeper level symbolises he is a source of enlightenment for them. Intensity of light suggests they must adjust their vision of the world in light of the epiphany he will deliver. It is harsh but necessary. Poem 1 ‘the only light is red and softly glows’ (War Photographer) #microcosm #allusion #pathos Adverb ‘only’ suggests photographer recognises s/he is encompassed by darkness – represents sombre mood – photo studio = microcosm of photographer’s mind. ‘Light’ typically symbolises hope and direction, yet here is it ‘red’ invoking a sense of turmoil and pain. ‘Red’ ‘light’ could be allusion to ‘church’ tabernacle lamp, likening development of photographs to a funeral where respects are being paid to the dead. Fitting as ‘red’ has connotations of blood, reflecting bloodshed in war. ‘Red’ could also allude to transubstantiation, where red wine represents the blood of Christ – hints victims are like martyrs taken before their time. Sacred/religious imagery heightens pathos. Assonance in ‘softly glows’ intensifies this further, suggests innocent victims going unnoticed. Poem 2 ‘Paper that lets the light shine through’ (Tissue) #extendedmetaphor #synonymously #immortal ‘Light’ used as an extended metaphor for knowledge in this poem. Dharker suggests this knowledge comes from a divine source and is primarily transmitted through ‘paper’ from ‘books’, particularly those of a historical or religious nature – mentions ‘Koran’ perhaps because in Islam ‘light’ often used synonymously with divine knowledge. Material ‘Paper’ is fragile, however knowledge it ‘lets’ through is indestructible – suggests ‘paper’ is medium rather than source and thus does not need to be powerful in itself. Humans are also like ‘paper’ – vessels capable of holding/transmitting knowledge. Positive message - ignites desire to learn - suggests aging should not
#Quotes of the Week: Nothing Macbeth ‘life… is a tale told by an idiot, full of sound and fury, signifying nothing’ (Macbeth, 5. 5) #absolute #nihilism #fallacy Culminating Macbeth’s final soliloquy, these lines poignantly remind us that power corrupts and absolute power corrupts absolutely. Extended metaphor of life being ‘a tale’ encapsulates Macbeth’s nihilism – suggests his ‘life’ must and will end, he was living a fallacy, he is not special - contrasts earlier hubris and makes death seem welcoming to him. His ‘tale’ being ‘told by an Idiot’ implies powerlessness - foolish to think he had control, always someone else holding strings: witches, Lady M, God, Shakespeare even. Echoes Jaques ‘seven stages of man’ speech* – universally applicable – ‘life’ is essentially ‘noise’ - will end in ‘nothing’ i. e. emptiness, isolation, death. J&H ‘That child of Hell had nothing human; nothing lived in him but fear and hatred’ (Ch. 10) #degenerate #satanicimagery #absolute Comparison of H to a ‘child’ not unusual (ch. 3 ‘young Hyde’; ch. 4 ‘small gentlemen’), suggests he is degenerate, unkempt, unsocialised. Children do however have potential to grow – metaphor of ‘hell’ implicates that H can only grow in evil - echoes previous satanic imagery (ch. 1 ‘like Satan’; ch. 2 ‘Satan's signature’; ch. 10 ‘my devil’/ ‘devilish fury’). Reoccurrence cements impression of H’s callous nature and ability to tempt others (J/U/C/P) into sin. Repetition of ‘nothing’ emphasises J’s absolute surety of this – hints ‘fear’ at possibility of accepting H is ‘human’ would require him to also accept that ‘human[s]’ are capable of evil. Reference to both ‘fear and hatred’ exhibits J’s deep understanding of H’s character – suggests H’s actions are motivated by base (yet very human? ) emotions. AIC ‘I did nothing I'm ashamed of’ (Mrs Birling, A. 3) #declarative #absolute #stigma Declarative sentence reveals Mrs B’s stubborn, remorseless attitude – ‘nothing’ is an absolute term – suggests there is zero scope for her to feel any responsibility for Eva’s life and death. Her very surety implies an underlying insecurity – she is creating an impenetrable shield around her actions, deflecting all questions. Reason behind this explained by adjective ‘ashamed’. Theoretically, shame is private emotion, but if expressed could result in public ‘scandal’/stigma affecting all family members. Also as seen with Eva’s situation, shame for a woman is very different from shame for a man. Mrs B’s shame will invite judgement on her character, dignity and morality whereas Mr B’s is on his authority. Makes audience question whether she should be more blameworthy. Poem 1 ‘But nothing happens’ (Exposure) #refrain #futility #absolute Repeated four times in the poem, this line acts like a refrain, framing and reiterating Owen’s central message about the reality/futility of warfare and his dissatisfaction at the attitude/actions of authorial figures. Structurally, conjunction ‘but’ emphasises the hostility/indifference towards soldier’s suffering in earlier lines. Irony of ‘nothing’ fuels this because in reality ‘something’ is ‘happen[ing]’ – the soldiers ‘are dying’. Greater irony is that they are not being killed by a physical enemy, but by the ‘iced east winds’, their ‘brains ach[ing]’ and perhaps even ‘God’. As such, ‘nothing happens’ becomes an expression of absolute powerlessness, helplessness and most tragically defeat. Tone is bitter yet monotonous throughout signalling futility of trying to create change – pathos. Poem 2 ‘Strange, it is a huge nothing that we fear’ (Storm on the Island) #trivialise #oxymoron #assonance As the final line to the poem, this line reads as a reflection on the human condition and its reaction to adversity. ‘strange’ suggests the speaker is confused, almost bemused, by humanity’s attempt to trivialise catastrophic events as a way of comprehending and dealing with them. Emphasised by oxymoron ‘huge nothing’ which simultaneously intensifies the ‘fear’ because it creates an invisible, untouchable enemy that is not only intangible but also unintelligible. This means it cannot be contained or destroyed, making the danger it poses ‘huge’. There is also a simplicity and comforting tone to the line which is projected by the assonance - captures a sense of respect for the Islanders who ‘prepare’ despite the futility of their efforts. Suggests there is dignity to fighting.
#Quotes of the Week: Life Macbeth ‘I bear a charmed life’ (Macbeth, 5. 6 ) #falseconciousness #equivocation #tragicconvention J&H ‘My life is shaken to its roots’ (ch. 9) #hyperbolicmetaphor #evolution #paradigmshift This hyperbolic metaphor captures L’s shock, horror and despair at learning J’s truth. When L expresses that his ‘life is shaken’, he is not only referring to his mortality, but also the values and principles he constructed that life on. ‘Shaken’ implies that his beliefs are in a state of disarray and confusion and he is struggling to reconcile with what he has witnessed. L’s reaction here could reflect how Victorians reacted to emerging theories on evolution. Interestingly, he uses the term ‘roots’ to suggest the very foundations of his knowledge has come into question. ‘Roots’ is a fitting, considering he is indeed learning about H’s roots. Stevenson perhaps arguing that ‘shaken… roots’ necessary for a paradigm shift to occur, leading to a better understanding of humanity , crime and deviance. AIC ‘this public-school-and-varsity life’ (Arthur Birling, A. 1) #alignment #capitalist #socialexperience In the early C 20 th, ‘public-schools’ prepared affluent, white males for ‘varsity life’ (i. e. university)/ elite roles in the public sector, by focussing on classics and including team sports. Here, Mr B ‘rather angrily’ and surprisingly undermines Eric’s privileged schooling by suggesting it has inadequately prepared him for real life. This marks a rare alignment in Priestley and Mr B’s views. It suggests that a true understanding of the world can only come from living within it – or witnessing it on stage. However, the connection ends there as Mr B’s comment comes in retaliation to Eric’s defence of Eva, which implies that his anger is a result of Eric failing to adopt his capitalist mindset. This reveals how Mr B’s social experience has tainted his views just as he thinks Eric’s schooling has. Poem 1 ‘I see every round as it rips through his life’ (Remains) #presenttense #elongatedvowelsound #abruptness The present tense verbs ‘see’ and ‘rips’ are poignant here as it hints that in remembering the shooting, the soldier is re-living it. It indicates that he is unable to separate his past from his present and therefore captures the long term effects of a traumatic experience. The adverb ‘every’ in ‘every round’, sheds further light on the profundity of this – it suggests multiple shots were fired and therefore was carried out in full consciousness and with maximum brutality. The elongated vowel sounds in ‘ever’ also slows the reading, creating a slow motion effect in his memory – perhaps revealing his desperation/search for preventing it. The abruptness of ‘rips’ contrasts this, giving the impression that it is too late. His recognition of this fact is what haunts ‘his life’. Poem 2 ‘stamped on these lifeless things’ (Ozymandias) #volta #metaphor #romantic Appearing just before the volta, this line marks a pivotal moment where Shelley cements the power of the artist above that of the politician. As a metaphor for Ramesses, the statue reminds readers that he is indeed a ‘lifeless thing’ – he is now dead and very little is remembered about him. Whatever is remembered has been ‘stamped on’ the statue by the sculptor. This puts the sculptor in a position of control as he ordains how Ramesses is viewed. ‘Stamped’ is also a harsh-sounding verb – it captures how the supposedly invincible Ramesses can also be subjected to violence. This is fitting for a Romantic poem, which celebrates art and nature. Indeed, ‘lifeless’ gives the impression that the sculptor is a giver of life – which increases his status further. See notes for further detail. Spoken to Macduff during their final fight, this line reveals the extent of M’s false consciousness. Even at swordpoint, he believes his ‘life’ is protected by the witches' ‘charm’. M clearly doesn’t recognise the Witches' equivocation – creates a degree of empathy for him as he was arguably misled by them. M’s expression that he must ‘bear’ this ‘charmed life’ hints at a slight decline in his morale – suggests that although indestructible, his ‘life’ and the prophecies have become burdensome – he is like a puppet having to live out a life that he did not choose. Reminds readers of fatality being a key tragic convention emphasising human powerlessness.
#Quotes of the Week: Death Macbeth ‘She should have died hereafter’ (Macbeth, 5. 5) #modalverb #nihilism #tragic fall The ambiguity of this line leads to two contrasting readings of Macbeth’s character. Firstly, modal verb ‘should’ implies Lady M’s death is untimely, unwarranted and significantly unanticipated. Sense of lament here, indicating M has underlying guilt for how their relationship has diverged - explains M’s decline in morale and nihilism. Also, forces M to confront his own mortality, emphasised by metrical irregularity created by ‘hereafter’. However, ‘hereafter’ could also suggests Lady M’s death is an inconvenience for M. Could translate as: ‘she should have died later’ or ‘she would have died anyway’. Makes M appear sadistic and reflects tragic fall of his character. J&H ‘I feel that my days are numbered, and that I must die’ (ch. 9) #declarative #emotionally #anticlimatic The declarative nature of this line emphasises impossibility of Lanyon ever coming to terms with his newfound knowledge. Choice of modal verb ‘must’ instead of ‘will’ implies his death has come prematurely - whilst unanticipated, he is obliged to ‘die’ as the alternative is forsaking his scientific beliefs. However, verb ‘feel’ indicates that he is reacting emotionally rather than rationally – shows just how troubled he is, as unable to draw comfort from reason. This makes his use of the expression ‘my days are numbered’ appear desperate – he cannot quantify how much time he has left and is therefore acting hastily. This rises tension of the novella, bringing the preliminary narrative to anti-climatic end. It tempts readers to delve into the confession to tie loose ends. AIC ‘This girl killed herself – and died a horrible death’ (Inspector, A. 3) #matter-of-facttone #trivialising #equalweighting The matter-of-fact tone used by the Inspector gives the impression that he is being completely serious, objective, and instead of reacting emotionally is simply stating facts. It reduces opportunity for characters and audience to question his authority and subsequent judgment that they ‘are all to blame’. This also prohibits characters from shirking responsibility and trivialising Eva’s death. The simple adjective ‘horrible’ consolidates this. Although initially it seems unusually emotive, the dash separating the two clauses in this line gives them equal weighting. As such, Eva’s death being ‘horrible’ is just as true as the fact that she ‘killed herself’ - it should not be seen as anything less. Thus, this helps directs audience on how they should react to Eva’s suicide. Poem 1 ‘theirs but to do and die’ (COTLB) #monosyllabic #syntacticparallelism #alliteration This line simultaneously presents the soldiers as heroic/powerful and cowardly/powerless. They are heroic in that they do not falter in their principles and are willing to ‘die’ in the line of duty – their strength of will is emphasised by the monosyllabic words and stress on ‘do’ and ‘die’. However, this simplicity is also indicative of a naivety or perhaps even deliberate ignorance. The syntactic parallelism with the previous two lines reminds readers that they do not have the power to ‘question’ orders and instead ‘die’ without reason - emphasised by vagueness of ‘Do’, which could cover any action, logical or illogical. Likewise, alliteration of /d/ sound in ‘do’ and ‘die’ connects both words together, suggesting that death is an inevitable outcome. Ambiguity captures complexity of war. Poem 2 ‘he must have wondered / which had been the better way to die’ (Kamikaze) #third person #speculative #pathos The third person perspective, together with the phrase ‘must have wondered’, makes these lines appear speculative and consequently reminds readers of how powerless the Kamikaze was – reduced to his identity being controlled and constructed by those who failed to understand him in the first place. It seems therefore that even dying didn’t allow him to escape the stigma he faced whilst alive. The lines are also layered with pathos - according to his child, the Kamikaze died twice: once metaphorically after being boycotted by society and then again when physically. Each death was dishonourable. There is also a sense of guilt/uncertainty from the speaker – comparative ‘better’ implies she is not convinced by his choices and feels a similar social pressure.
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