Critical analysis on the novel Of Mice and Men Essay

Critical analysis on the novel Of Mice and Men - Essay Example In the 18th and 19th centuries, the frontier of the United States of America was expanded westwards as European immigrants swarmed to the ports of the eastern seaboard. Many of these immigrants were members of persecuted minorities, such as Russian Jews escaping the 19th-century pogroms, or Irish Catholics fleeing the poverty and discrimination of British imperial rule. They were attracted by dreams of a better life, and regardless of whether or not they achieved this life in reality, Steinbeck’s characters still dream of a better life, even in the depths of the 1930s Great Depression. George and Lennie, as Stephen emphasises, dream of owning a small farm which they can work themselves – surely a dream shared by thousands of rootless young men during that era of mass unemployment and economic uncertainty. (Stephen 37). Their dream is introduced towards the beginning of the novel. It is recited by George to comfort Lennie, although it is clear that the recitation offers comfort to them both. George states that ‘we’re gonna have a little house and a couple of acres an’ a cow and some pigs...’, and Lennie that they’ll ‘live off the fatta the lan’’ (Steinbeck 16). Their dream of independence strengthens them both, and even attracts Candy and Crooks for a time. For Attell, this dream ‘responds directly to the limitations placed on their lives’. As nomadic labourers, they lack independence and security. They are dependent on odd jobs on the ranches they come across, which are highly seasonal and temporary. Living from hand to mouth in this way, and in rough accommodation shared with other workers, their dream involves a permanent residence, where they must work for no one but themselves to earn their keep. The itinerant and uncertain nature of George and Lennie’s lifestyle is thus emphasised from the beginning, and Attell justifiably sees their portrayal as Steinbeck’s critique of

Do Not Learn as a Machine Essay Example for Free

Do Not Learn as a Machine Essay It’s twelve at night. Tons of papers and a cup of coffee on the desk prepared for pulling an all-nighter. Studying for the exam tomorrow, cramming tons of class-notes and materials. Students are fighting for an A. However, what do we expect them to learn from it? Is it even beneficial to them? After all, most students forget almost everything as soon as they finish the exam. Apparently, there are some fundamental problems in our current educational system. In the three essays, â€Å"The ‘Banking’ Concept of Education† by Paulo Freire, â€Å"Against School† by John Taylor Gatto and â€Å"The Achievement of Desire† by Richard Rodriguez, the authors realize different problems of the educational system and have different opinions about it. In my point of view, the main problem in the current educational system is that it encourages students to receive information meekly, without doubting, questioning or even understanding the material. As a result, these students resemble machines which acquire many facts but can barely develop their own critical thinking. The three aforementioned authors have differing opinions on the current educational system, but they all describe it as a system where students merely receive information but do not undergo critical thinking. In â€Å"Against School,† Gatto states that the educational system is a scheme the government uses to make people more â€Å"manageable† by reducing their critical judgment. To achieve this, school provide answers of every question to the students. It works because â€Å"Easy answers have removed the need to ask questions† (Gatto 155). It is true. Since students were taught in their early life that teachers are absolutely right, and that they should obey the authorities, as a result, most of them do not judge the teachers’ explanations. As they grow up, students tend to find the answers from books or teachers instead of figuring the answer out by themselves. Thus, their critical and original thinking have been obliterated completely under this educational system. Moreover, the boredom of schooling successfully removes the students’ curiosity which drive them to ask questions. A similar idea appears in â€Å"The ‘Banking’ Concept of Education. Freire uses the term â€Å"banking system† to describe the educational system where the teachers deposit a large amount of knowledge on the students. Students soon become receptacles which â€Å"extend only as far as receiving, filling, and storing the deposits† (Freire 1). These students do not understand how the information related to the real world, and can neither apply the knowledge to the real world problem nor develop their own critical thinking. In â€Å"The Achievement of Desire†, Rodriguez mainly describes his early life as a successful student. It gives a concrete example to support Gatto and Freire’s opinion. As he describes himself as a â€Å"great mimic; a collector of thoughts, not a thinker† (203), it fits Gatto and Freire’s description about the educational system, that even a considerably â€Å"successful† student could not perform critical and original thinking. Under this type of educational system, students try to find their way to achieve high scores. However, it turns out that the best way to be successful in this system isn’t the best way to learn. In the essays, the authors describe how the â€Å"successful† student is like. According to Freire, â€Å"The more meekly the receptacles permit themselves to be filled, the better students they are† (1). In order to be considered â€Å"good† under this system, students need to receive a large amount of facts on a superficial level. The best strategy is not to think, not to question, just believe and memorize it. Freire observes a phenomena in which teachers talk about contents â€Å"which are detached from reality, disconnected from the totality that engendered them† (1). In this way, students acquire tons of facts and maybe enhance their memorization ability, but fail to understand how these facts are connected to the daily life. In â€Å"The Achievement of Desire,† Rodriguez realizes that he was the â€Å"worst student,† even though he was considered â€Å"successful† in the system. â€Å"He becomes in every obvious way the worst student, a dummy mouthing the opinions of others. But he would not be so bad—nor would he become so successful, a scholarship boy—if he did not accurately perceive that the best synonym for primary ‘education’ is ‘imitation’† (203). The scholarship boy noticed that the best way to succeed in this system is to borrow and copy the ideas of others. Clearly we know that this is not the way to learn, as learning requires original processes. Therefore, it can be concluded that being successful in the educational system is not the same as being successful in learning. My experience supports this. Some teachers in my high school ask students to memorize all the model answers to every possible question that might be asked on the standardized test, but do not give explanations or have activities which could actually help students understand. The aim of teaching would then become merely the test scores. My physics teacher kept reminding us how many students got an A in a standardized test under his training, which emphasized becoming â€Å"machines for solving problems. † Being these machines could improve our performance on a test; however, we did not retain any substantial knowledge throughout the class, some even losing the motivation to learn afterwards. Solutions to a problem can be simple once we understand the cause of it. In the essays, the authors suggest their individual solutions. Freire suggests to oppose the â€Å"banking system,† by implementing a â€Å"problem-posing system. † In a problem-posing system, teachers pose some problems related to the world and ask the students to attempt to solve them without a straight forward answer (Freire 7). Students would then have the chance to explore the respective topic by themselves, think about every possible solution creatively. It takes time for all students to figure out the answer, and some of them may even fail to do it, but at least each student has tried to think about the problem. In this way, students are learning the material cognitively, and hence they will understand it more deeply and be able to apply the knowledge to the real world. Moreover, this system can motivate students to learn. According to Freire, â€Å"Students, as they are increasingly posed with problems relating to themselves in the world and with the world, will feel increasingly challenged and obliged to respond to that challenge† (8). When students try solving the problem, they are not being narrated by the boring materials and instead use their creative brainpower. They will find it fun to learn in this way and grow an enthusiasm to continue learning. In â€Å"Against School,† Gatto suggests to do the retrograde of the school’s mediocre influence on children. â€Å"School trains children to be employees and consumers; teach your own to be leaders and adventurers. School trains children to obey reflexively teach your own to think critically and independently† (155). To do this, we can educate children not only by books, but also encourage them to join different kinds of extra-curriculum activities such that they can grow interest in all areas. As an international student, I always compare the educational systems in America and Macau. I found that the educational system in America is relatively more â€Å"problem-posing† than my early education in Macau. Professors always give us chance to discuss and have more in-class activities. I fit in this problem-posing system and thus I can learn better and understand concepts more clearer. In conclusion, in order to learn cognitively and acquire the true knowledge, students should try to understand the materials before they decide to believe and cram it. Doxa means common beliefs and facts, while logos means the principle of knowledge. When students deeply understand it, they will attain the level of logos, not only doxa. It gives the students knowledge as well as the skill to derive other truths. To avoid being a machine, we should have our own thought and creativity. In the ideal problem-posing system, students can explore it in their way but not copying others’ ideas because they do not need to worry about their grades. They would then have their original opinion and thought, instead of meekly receiving information, being a mindless machine.

Skinhead Subculture History

Skinhead Subculture History Here is a definition of what is a skinhead: It is a young man of a subculture characterized by close-cropped hair and heavy boots, often perceived as aggressive, violent, and racist. Skinheads are not the evil fascist (Nazis) (as youve probably heard of many times on the news and so on). Indeed, one has to mention that theyre not all white or they dont even all have their heads shaved, although the majority do. Initially, the skinhead style emerged in 1966 from different elements which eventually gave one definite style by 1967. This continued, developed and matured until 1972, and then the real origins and reasons for the emergence of the cult get lost in outrage, acts of violence (and so far) to become for most people who grew up before the sixties and still nowadays, another unpleasant aspect of modern youth. This presentation is intended to try to understand the several issues in this subject, how the movement came about, how we could describe the archetypal skinhead of 1967-1972 period, how this subculture seemed to represent the multiculturalism and also to show the drifts towards extremism, focusing on the fact that it was only mainly excesses. The Skinheads, during this period, show such a pride and passion for their style that it seems as well very meaningful to tie this subculture to the notion Britishness. To what extent the skinhead subculture is linked to British values and traditions? ORIGINS To better apprehend where does it all comes from, it is impossible not to evoke the Mods movement. In Britain, in the late 1960s there existed a youth sub-culture known as Mods (cf. Swinging London). Mod (from modernist) is a subculture as well that originated in London, England in the 1950s and was at its height in the early-to-mid 1960s. The significant elements frequently associated to the subculture are fashion for example, music and motor scooters (Vespa). Youve probably all already seen their well-known symbol, which was originally The Royal Air Force roundel (cf. picture). After 1964, mods split up. (a lot of) hard mods or tough Mods (those who enjoyed most the fighting with Rockers in Brighton or Eastbourne) began to cut their hair close to the scalp (cuir chevelu), first as a fashion statement. But it was also due to the fact that it kept their hair out of their faces and on the other hand, made it impossible to grab during a fight. Moreover it was a way to be distinct from their enemies, the Rockers, who had long hairs and a quiff slicked back (=banane). So they soon evolved into Skinheads. Carnaby Street was no longer the symbolic place of the Swinging London it used to be, known nowadays for its awfully high number of touristsà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦) and the fashion scene, and mods were simply swept away. Skinheads could be really identified as a separate group in 1968 because of their distinctive dress and appearance, the type of music which they liked and the tough, aggressive behaviour they displayed. The emergence of the skinhead style represented a counter-revolution. This revolution took place amongst the working class youth of London and other cities. The movement was non-political and gave off the impression of an aspiring white working class The skinhead style is smart, clean and tough. It is a precise uniform which proclaims identity. They rejected the finery and the slightly effeminate characteristics of the mods and the hippies for clothes that represented more their working class background. They needed clothes that would not get torn in a fight, which would stay neat. So, the famous skinhead itself is typically closely-shaved head for men and a Mod-style short feather cut for girls. The Ben Sherman trend prevailed from mod fashion with button-down, gingham (=vichy) shirts. The size of the check of the shirt (=carreaux) denoted your place in the gang the larger the check the more authority you had in the group. Sta-Prest (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sta-Prest) slack (=pants, falzar) and (tough working jeans were the choice of trousers. As a matter of interest it is said that there are many skinheads who would sit in a bath of water with their shrink-to-fit Levi 501 jeans to get the extreme skinny-legged look. Jeans were inevitably tucked into a pair of Dr Martens boots or industrial boots. The look was completed with a pair of braces (=bretelles) a trilby or pork pie hat and even donkey jackets, army greens. To give you a fuller description of their style, it is to be said that if daytime clothes were loose and hard wearing, clothes worn in the evening were well tailored and expensive. That is a feature which is less known. The aim was to outflash/impress/not to get unnoticed (everyone) at the dance hall. Hard Mods as well as the skinheads often lived in the same economically depressed areas of South London as West Indian immigrants and began to emulate (=imitate, follow the example of) what is known as the rude boy (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rude_boy) look of pork pie hats (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pork_pie_hat) and short Levi jeans; which is in fact a way to describe the black youths of the time. This leads us to emphasize some features (often forgotten/left out) that strongly prove the multiculturalism of the skinhead style. MULTICULTURALISM In establishing their own style, the younger brothers of the mods adopted certain elements of the mod style, combined them with items from traditional working clothes, borrowed some influences from the West Indian blacks and became skinheads. As weve just mentioned it, the other source of the skinhead style was the hip young West Indians of the inner city areas, such as Lambeth of Brixton (south of London). Their cool, disdainful attitude to strangers and their style and exuberance in the dance hall made them respected and admired by their white contemporaries. Indeed, the whites and the blacks mixed freely at dance halls and clubs, both indulging a common love of dancing and music. About their haircut for their example, one has to mention that again, this feature was copied from the West Indians who used it as part of their own hairstyles. Skinhead was not about colour, race, religion, national origin, or anything of the sort. It is a kind of brotherhood of individuals who share the same passions. Regarding the music now, and that is almost the most important feature of this subculture as any youth cult needs its own type of music. Music serves to identify and unify members of the group, as well as to entertain. The mods had soul, the Motown sound and beat music. It was necessary for the early skins to obtain a separate musical identity. They adopted the Jamaican music which the black communities in South East London had brought from their homeland and which was the popular music of the Rude Boys. The bouncy, jumpy beat in reggae was chosen by the skins and later, some specific skinhead records were even published. Because of the extrovert character of the West Indian blacks and of the music they played, there was no antagonism between skins and blacks. Indeed, many blacks were skinheads or formed their own crews, such as the Kilburn Blacks and the Kilburn Whites. Another import from Jamaica was Rastafarianism (To make a long story short, mystical cult based on and concerning the downfall of the white colonial races). As its popularity grew, the association of skins and blacks in a common form of music had come to an end. So, at the beginning, skinheads were not racist and more than this, the subculture was strongly rooted in the British values accepting and even taking part in the integration of different cultures such as the Jamaicans. VIOLENCE IN THE SKINHEAD SUBCULTURE AND DRIFTS TOWARDS EXTREMISM So how things turned bad? The escapism from the Skinheads gritty (=rough) industrial reality then took a darker turn (to the football terraces where) as these kids were also a major part of football hooliganism, which is an unfortunate tradition that still exists in Britain today. Once again, a deeply rooted tradition in British society. The aggressive football hooliganism against rival teams became their new entertainment. Each week fans donned (=revà ªtir) the colours of their team and rooted and cheered. (until their faces turned blue.) They also consumed a tremendous amount of alcohol. The highlight of every match was the brawl (=rixe, bagarre). The fights often would pour out into the streets and would involve chains, boots, fists, and anything else they could get their hands on (couteaux, tessons de bouteilles). What is weird is that they were these same thugs who we were talking about earlier. To relax after the fight (aprà ¨s la rencontre et les rixes), they would dress in the best threads (=fringues) that their blue-collar pay cheques could get them, and go and dance, party, and drink all night with the relatively large Jamaican immigrant population and the music they brought with them ska. Paradoxically, Ska and Reggae music often (influenced/associated by/to Rastafarian beliefs, support to the poor and unprivileged) was fashionable among this minor but violent subculture known as skinheads who were known for their racism and violence. Anyway, it is quite sad but football violence at the time was common and there was an increased policing of the fans. Also skins were extremely defensive of their own territory for example, and each gang, called a crew, had its own area which it defended. Contrary to black communities, Asian immigrants had a different, closed way of life and did not blend with traditional working class or East End ways of living. There was a threat of settlement by immigrants and a demolition or removal to overspill/overpopulated area. Skinhead violence may be seen as one response to such changes in society. They looked like an army and, went into action like one. That is one of the description of skinheads you could find. Also, generally, short hair is associated in the public mind with convicts, prison camp inmates and the military (that is to say violence). It was exactly this mean look which the skins wished to cultivate. This made them easy recruits for an ultra-right wing organisation, the National Front. They quickly earned a reputation for attacking blacks and Asians, as well as other minority groups such as hippies and gays. The sadly known Paki bashing appeared and was combined with queer bashing and even student bashing. This led to skinheads being both hated and feared. As the media caught on to this aspect of the cult, it caused some skins to leave the movement and in parallel more violent people to joint it. Eventually, this was one of the reasons which led to its decline in 1971/1972. There was no point in being a skin if you simply got caught by the police wherever you went. This also led to even more diversification among the skinhead ranks. An example in culture is the movie This Is England by the English director Shane Meadows. Not many directors are brave enough to out themselves as a teen racist, but for three weeks, at the age of 12, Shane Meadows fell in with the wrong crowd. He witnessed a horrific beating, which to this day fills him with shame. The event inspired this film, which documents the moment skinhead culture became ugly. It is a coming-of-age story set in a seaside town, in 1983, at the height of Thatcherism. Twelve-year-old Shaun Fields (the name is deliberately autobiographical) joins a gang of skinheads, but camaraderie gives way to tension as the National Front stir up (=remuer) racial hatred. Meadows says/testimonies/witnesses he understands how gangs fill a vacuum for youngsters with little hope. When youre 13 and youve got long, straggly hair and people are taking the piss out of your trousers, and you see this charismatic group of guys in smart Ben Shermans walking down the street, you want to be like them. CONCLUSION Skinheads created one of the most iconic youth movements ever to emerge in Britain. The sub genre known as Skinhead is of purely British origin, it is deeply rooted in a British tradition, for example through football and also connecting the British Isles to Jamaica and that what is interesting. But Skinheads crude political message of racism, hooliganism and street violence was much louder than its artistic one and, as a musical force, it quickly disappeared. It quickly became defined by terror, menace and racism. But beneath the shaved heads and steel-capped boots lay a more complex reality. In the early 1980s, skinheads of all types began to appear throughout the rest of Europe and the United States. Around this same time, many leftist skins began to organise in an effort to throw out the boneheads (cf.2). In 1986, a New York skinhead named Marcus, formed SHARP, which quickly spread throughout the rest of North America and Europe. The AFSA (cf.3) was formed specifically to expel boneheads from the scene. Example: In Toronto, a group of anti-fascist skins formed by a man named David Cheater consists almost completely of Jews. Skin Heads Against Racial Prejudice. Their term for the racist, fascist, Nazi, and other right-wing skinhead groups who were, in the eyes of the traditional skins, stealing their culture. Anti-Fascist Skinhead Alliance. I wanted to do them justice. Also what interested me were the differences between the prejudices and what is the reality behind this. A crew was predominantly a male group, like any other city gang, yet skinhead girls eventually became an accepted part of the scene. Moreover since only a policewoman can search a girl and there are fewer women police than men, girls became useful carriers of weapons or pills. The clothes of skinhead girls made them look superficially like the boys. Cant tell boys from girls from reporters.

Book Report on A Modern Utopia by H. G. Wells Essay -- Modern Utopia W

Book Report on A Modern Utopia by H. G. Wells H. G. Wells’ book, A Modern Utopia was published in 1905. This book seems to be unique for two reasons. As Wells tells us, it is told from the point of view of "a whitish plump man" that he calls the "Voice" (1). This allows the book to be what Wells calls, "a sort of shot-silk texture between philosophical discussion on the one hand and imaginative narrative on the other" because the Utopia that we visit in the story is the one inside the mind of the "Voice" or the narrator (ix). He (the Voice) is talking to a friend, a botanist that continues with him on his journeys, about utopian thought when suddenly these two men have been transported past Sirius to Utopia, the Voice’s ideal planet that is exactly the mirror of Earth, from geology to each individual person. Sometimes the narrator describes what is actually going on around them, what they are actually doing in Utopia, but more often he talks about what he thinks Utopia should be like, and the reader must interpret this as how this Utopia is, since this Utopia itself is in his imagination. The plot is this: the two men find themselves on this new planet by a feat of imagination. They find a coin on the ground, which pays for the inn at which they stay for a few nights. They speak to a man who dislikes the government and prefers Nature and simplicity. Because they are running out of money, the two men go to the Public Office to try and find work, where they are fingerprinted. The fingerprints surprisingly identify an existing citizen of Utopia, the record of the men’s duplicate. Because of the confusion, the men are shipped to a toy-carving factory in Lucerne, where, because the authorities figure out that they have doubles... ...es not appear in any utopian visions of the ancients, and thus marks this world different from those of antiquity. This brings up an interesting question; since this world is based on capitalism, is it attainable from our present capitalist society? Why or Why not? Is it possible to have a capitalist utopia? The Voice’s double argues that wealth is not power. Is this true? Could it be true under different circumstances? This Utopia is also a global, World State. Is this feasible? Is this necessary? This Utopia proclaims itself imperfect. Is this an oxymoron? Is a society that admits room for improvement a Utopia? The ruling class of this Utopia, the Samurai, is a voluntary ruling class. What problems would this involve? What problems would it solve? Works Cited Wells, H. G. A Modern Utopia. Lincoln: University of Nebraska Press, 1967.

Familiaris Consortio Essay

Familiaris Consortio means â€Å"On the Role of the Christian Family in the Modern World†. It is an Apostolic Exhortation given by Pope John-Paul II on the 22nd of November, 1981 and is mainly about the family, the married couple, the children, parenting. In today’s society it is easy to lose sight of what marriage is, it is often rushed and have been based on materialistic things and the social stature an individual such as wealth, appearance and job. One thing that it made me realizes is that it is important that we understand that marriage is not just a union of two people but it is a sacred bond that helps us achieve true happiness and fulfillment in life therefore it must not be rushed, we must choose our partners wisely and whole heartedly before commiting into marriage. This document also tells us that humans were created by God from love and that it is instilled in us and we have the responsibility to promote this through marriage and building a family. I realized that in order to achieve this kind of love, it is important that in marriage, both individuals are willing to give themselves completely to one another and at the same time have a strong faith in God because it is in God’s blessing that this bond will be strengthened. The document also points out the general tasks of the family which is to form a community of persons ready to serve life, participate in its development, and share amongst others the life and mission of the Church. I have realized that having a happy family must be based on love, understanding, communication and care. It is important that husband and wife respect one another no matter what. I also realized that children in the family have many rights some of these rights being the right to grow up properly in a home with a mother and a father that will guide them throughout their lives and the right to discover their true identity, dignity and potential in life. Every parent has a duty to promote and defend these rights for their children and be a good example that they can follow and look up to. The Familiaris Consortio for me is like a guide for all people about marriage. It tells us its importance and sacredness and helps us use this marriage to have a happy life. It guides and makes us understand all the responsibilities we are engaging and are expected to have in committing into marriage. Lastly, it strengthens our relationship with God and with our family by giving us certain realizations and ideas about taking care of one another treating one another equally.

Suggest reasons why the memberships of trade blocs, such as the EU, has changed over time

Memberships of trade blocs changed over time because countries realized that there are a huge amount of benefits to joining a trade bloc union. Benefits such as Free trade within the bloc which means that they have free access to each other’s markets, members of the trade bloc are encouraged to specialize. This means that at the regional level there is a wider application on ability to carry out a particular economic activity e. g. making a specific product more efficiently than another activity.In addition countries have Market access and trade creation which is when countries have easier access to each other's markets meaning that trade between members is likely to increase. Trade creation exists when free trade enables high cost domestic producers to be replaced by low cost and also allow more efficient imports. Because low cost imports lead to lower priced imports, there is a ‘consumption effect', with increased demand resulting from lower prices.Also Producers from the member country can benefit from the application of scale economies, which will lead to lower costs and lower prices for consumers. Jobs may be created as a consequence of increased trade between member economies. There is increased protection. Firms inside the bloc are protected from cheaper imports from outside, such as the protection of the EU shoe industry from cheap imports from China and Vietnam. There are other long-term political and social benefits to trade blocs.The countries’ economies become more intertwined also the political reasons for close cooperation within the bloc increases. Countries understand that they have a stake in each other and make greater efforts to get along. In that same way, increased business contacts usually mean that people must learn the culture of their trading partners. Many must learn new languages and different business practices. In short, more people will come into contact with each other and will need to learn more about each oth er. This breeds increased understanding amongst people.Another reason for the change is as for consumers are that there is often a greater variety of goods and services available in free trade blocs. Products like beer, detergent, clothing, and machine tools are often produced in all the countries after the free trade agreement they are often stocked in many stores. Products like satellite hook ups for televisions, computers and telephones are usually made more available to developing countries. Internet service providers are now able to sell to larger markets and more consumers have opportunities to purchase or use these services.

Macbeth as tragic hero Essay

The play Macbeth, by William Shakespeare, is a tragedy about a Scottish lord, Macbeth, who becomes too ambitious. He starts off as a brave, loyal and noble man, but his ambition and thirst for power lead him onto a path of ruthlessness and self-destruction, and ultimately his own death. While Macbeth is manipulated by various people and occurrences, the main ones being the witches, Lady Macbeth and Fate, one theme that remains constant throughout the play is the power of choice. Macbeth does have the ability to choose, and it is this ability that makes him a tragic hero, not a victim. There are certain characteristics that someone must have in order to be considered a full tragic hero. One of the main ones is that the character must have a fatal flaw. In Macbeth’s case, it is his ‘vaulting ambition’ (1:VII:27). Ambition can be a good thing, but when in large doses as Macbeth’s was, it can be dangerous, and, as Macbeth proved, even fatal. Another important characteristic of a tragic hero is the conflict between good and evil, and the choice between these two things. Macbeth consciously chooses evil over good. A victim, on the other hand, has no power over what happens to them. Macbeth did have some control over the situation, which means that he was not a victim. However, Macbeth himself can’t be entirely to blame. He was influenced and manipulated, particularly by the witches. If the three ‘Weird Sisters’ (1:V:7) had not said anything to Macbeth in the first place then none of it would have happened. The ‘Weird Sisters’ put the idea of becoming ‘king hereafter’ (1:III:49) into Macbeth’s head, and, consequently, the idea of murdering King Duncan. The witches knew that this would happen, they wanted it to happen. They also manipulated Macbeth later on in the play, with the three apparitions. They gave him false confidence, and, once again, they knew and wanted this to happen. They created ‘toil and trouble’ (1:IV:10), and they created it on purpose, to lead Macbeth to his demise. However, Banquo was also present at the first meeting with the ‘Weird Sisters’, and they made a prophesy for him, too. But Banquo chooses to ignore what they say. Macbeth could have made th is choice as well, but he didn’t. Although the witches did manipulate Macbeth, he wanted to believe their prophesies, and he chose to believe them. Another person who was a big influence on Macbeth was his wife, Lady Macbeth. He was going to let ‘chance crown me king’ (1:III:43), but Lady Macbeth knew that this wouldn’t lead to anything. She also knew that Macbeth’s sense of loyalty and honour could stop him from killing Duncan and therefore becoming king and fulfilling his ambitions. She urges him to ‘look like the innocent flower, but be the serpent under’t’ (1:V:63-64). She also questions Macbeth’s manliness, another weak spot of his. She knows that he doesn’t like her doing this, and she knows that it’s a good way of persuading Macbeth to do what she wants him to do – that it’s a good way of manipulating him. But Macbeth wanted to be manipulated. He let his wife influence him. If he really didn’t want to murder Duncan then he wouldn’t have. Even before he spoke to Lady Macbeth he was having ‘horrible imaginings’ (1:II I:37). Even though Lady Macbeth helped turn these into realities, she did not physically force her husband to commit murder. Once again, Macbeth had the freedom, power and ability to choose. Another important role in the Macbeth is the role of Fate and destiny. Being a tragic hero, Macbeth was destined to die from the beginning. It could have even been Fate that Macbeth made the wrong choices. However Fate can’t manipulate, Fate just is. Macbeth says that he is going to leave everything up to chance, but he doesn’t. He chose not to. Perhaps this was also due to Fate, but what would have happened if Macbeth had chosen not to kill Duncan? This is another thing that makes Macbeth a tragic hero – the audience is left feeling sympathetic about what might have been. No matter how manipulated, everybody has the power of free will. The fact is that Macbeth chose his path himself, and although Fate may have played some part in his downfall, the power of choice played and even bigger part. The ability to choose overrides Fate and destiny. The entire play could just be put down to human nature. Greed, power, ambition; greed for power and ambition is a part of human nature. However human nature is a bit like Fate, in that it cannot manipulate, it just is. Nearly everyone would like to believe that they can be great, and if they are told so would want to believe it. Macbeth just takes it one step further  by making it happen. In a way Macbeth is taking Fate into his own hands. His ‘vaulting ambition’ drives him to do this. It is Macbeth’s ambition that leads him to murder people, as well as leading to his own death. His ambition ultimately becomes his nemesis, which makes him a full tragic hero. Macbeth’s ambition and his greed for power is like a fire. The witches, Lady Macbeth and Fate did manipulate him and add fuel to the fire, but the spark had to be there first in order for them to do this. Although Macbeth was influenced and manipulated a great deal, he still had the power and the freedom to choose. It is the choices he made that make Macbeth not a victim, but a full tragic hero.