Differences of the psychodynamic and behavioural approaches

Differences of the psychodynamic and behavioural approaches While psychodynamic and behavioural approaches are the two major approaches to personality, they view personality from different perspective. Psychodynamic approach argues personality is caused by forces in the unconscious but not learnt. Individuals have little control over their behaviour as it is predetermined, and early childhood plays a crucial part in shaping ones personality. Behavioural approach, on the other hand, recognizes personality as learnt and focuses only on present behaviour matters. Given the differences, it has been argued whether, in terms of scientific merit, psychodynamic or behavioural approach is more comprehensive. The strengths of psychodynamic approach are consideration of childhood experiences and recognition of the unconscious part. On the contrary, behavioural approach focuses on behaviour that can be scientifically measured and verified, and recognizes the importance of external environment on personality. From the above arguments, it is finally conclu ded, in term of methodology and testability, behavioural approach is more comprehensive. Introduction The scientific merit of psychodynamic and behavioural approaches to personality is quite different in terms of supporting whether personality is largely inborn or learnt. The term scientific merit here is defined as the methodology employed and testability of the approaches. On one hand, it has been argued psychodynamic approach relies too heavily on unconscious mind whose existence is hard to prove; on the other hand, behavioural approach has also been criticized for being overly environmentally determinist while overlooking mental processes. The following essay is to critically compare and contrast these two approaches from various aspects, and deduce which one is more encompassing. The psychodynamic approach argues experiences in childhood have significant influence on the development of adult personality without their consciousness. Freud (1969), the founder of psychodynamic approach to psychology, suggested the psyche consists of the following three parts: the preconscious, the conscious, and the unconscious. Among these three, individuals are only not aware of the unconscious part, in which there is always conflict between the id and the superego. The id is unconscious basic drives present in the newborn, and the superego represents the conscience developed by living in a community. These two parts of the psyche has to be managed by the ego, which mediates between the impulses of the id and social constraints. Freud argued that every child must undergo the psycho-sexual stages and their experiences play a large part in adult development, particularly the development of personality. (Freud, 1969). According to behavioral approach, personality is viewed as a pattern of learned behaviors developed through either classical or operant conditioning, and then further molded by reinforcement such as punishment or rewards. Classical conditioning, first proposed by Pavlov (1936), is learning through association, which suggested individual learns to connect a neutral stimulus with a reflex response such as anger or delight. Also, operant conditioning, primarily proposed by B. F. Skinner (1974), is learning through the outcomes of behaviour. If ones behaviour is rewarded, then it will be maintained or increased; if it is penalized, it will be weakened and even extinguished. There are several substantial differences between psychodynamic and behavioural approaches. Comparatively, psychodynamic approach recognizes that experiences in childhood have influence throughout our lives without our consciousness. It provides important framework for judging ones personality and behaviour. For example, the reason for a person committing murder may be the fact that his violent father has always physically-punished him since childhood. Nevertheless, behavioural approach argued most human behaviour is mechanical, and ones personality is simply the product of stimuli and responses. Therefore, the psychodynamic approach acknowledges everyone can suffer mental illnesses and conflicts without their faults. Compared with the psychodynamic approach, another weakness of the behavioural approach is that it ignores the part of unconscious. According to Social Learning Theory, Bandura (1989) has suggested cognitive factors cannot be overlooked if learning is needed to be understood. Bandura has also noted that while reward and punishment substantially shape ones personality, cognition has as much impact as they do. Also, the principles of behavioural approach have mainly been tested on animals. It implies some findings may not be applicable to human being, who is much more complex. On the other hand, one of the strengths of behavioural approach over psychodynamic approach, in term of testability, is that it only focuses on behaviour that can be tested and observed, which makes it very useful in experiments under laboratory setting where behaviour can be observed and verified. Therefore, the results derived from behavioural approach have been, and continue to be, objectively and reliably measured. In terms of methodology, the behavioural approach focuses on the present instead of examining ones past or their medical history. In some cases, this can be a kind of strength, especially for those suffering from their abnormal behaviour. For them, instead of knowing the causes, getting rid of the unpleasant behaviour is much more important. For example, a person with an irrational impulse to brush his teeth unnecessarily many times a day is more concerned about ridding himself of this unnatural behaviour. Compared with behavioural approach, the major criticism of psychodynamic approach is that it cannot be scientifically verified or observed. In fact, no one is even able to design an experience which can effectively refute psychodynamic theory. There is no way to prove whether the unconscious really exists, and whether a restrained memory is real or not. Therefore, psychodynamic approach does not have solid scientific evidence underpinning the arguments about personality. Another weakness would be the fact that most of the evidence for psychodynamic theories was taken from Freuds case studies, such as Little Hans. (Freud, 1969). The main problem is that the case studies are based on studying one person in detail, and they tend to be highly subjective. This makes generalisations to the wider population difficult and not representative enough. Conclusion In term of methodology and testability, behavioural approach is more encompassing for the following reason. Firstly, unlike psychodynamic approach which can hardly be scientifically observed or tested, behavioural approach has proved to be useful in scientific experiments under laboratory setting where results can be reliably verified. Secondly, behavioural approach, in terms of methodology, recognizes the influence of the external environment on ones personality. Finally, most of the evidence for psychodynamic theories was taken from Freuds case studies, which is very subjective and it is hard to generalize results to a larger population.

Does your environment shape you? Essay

Does your environment shape your personality and the way you act? I completely agree with the fact that, one’s environment is the main factor of shaping one’s personality. I find that many teenagers including myself are very easily influenced by what they see and hear. For example, some teenagers are different and are more interested in the material they read on the Internet and the newspaper. Television adds for make up or clothes can easily attract our attention. Although many of us teenagers live up to a standard so they can fit into a crowd at school. The newspaper articles and stories we read and hear about can grab our attention very easily. Big titles on articles catch our attention. We don’t try to look at them we just see them. An interesting title for an interesting article about your favorite music group or an even that you attended steals your attention and just be reading the first few lines makes you want to keep on reading and reading. When I flip open the newspaper section, I immediately turn to the entertainment section knowing that there must be an article of amusement that will give me something to think and talk about. Same with the stories that we hear from friends. Gossip. You hear a bit of a story being told to another and you immediately jump in asking the questions â€Å"who? What?† These types of things get our attention and just the way we hear about it changes our thoughts and feelings. What good is a section of a story when you must know the whole thing to spread on the story? Hearing two different stories makes you change your mind back and forth until you are too confused to care or another hot new story arrives to the ears of a fellow friend who will pass it down to you. Even the television affects they way we think about events in life. I know that for a fact because I remember when I had never even heard of the small city of Walkerton, Ontario until the story came on the news. I never really gave a damn about Walkerton before, why should I now? Just because it’s a story to talk about! The interviews they broadcast on television and the facts given to you keep on getting you more and more interested until it becomes a common subject to talk about. T.V. adds are the exact same. The colors and the music provided in the background attract our attention very easily. We’re interested to see what’s hot and what’s not. Since everything  in the media involves sex to attract our attention, a lot of us are very easily. I remember watching my favorite show (The Simpsons) when the commercial came on. A gorgeous young lady planting seeds that tears off the lab coat revealing her bikini suit. Next thing I see, a built, muscular man grows from the ground from the seeds planted. And in the end, what was the commercial trying to sell you? A pair of jeans. Just a fashion statement. The commercials make you want to have that exact same product.

How far does Macbeth deserve the title “Butcher”? Essay

When deciding whether or not Macbeth is deserving of the title â€Å"butcher† it is a hard decision. There were many contributions by other characters which influenced Macbeth’s actions: such as Duncan crowning Malcolm as his successor and giving the title Thane of Cawdor to Macbeth making in which the last one was a traitor: Banquo who kept his suspicions to himself; and Macbeth and Donalbain who fled. Lady Macbeth was the one who encouraged Macbeth to kill Duncan, giving him the confidence and courage to do the deed. The witch’s’ gave Macbeth the idea in the first place that he was to become king with their prophesies. The order in which I will analyse the characters which contributed to Macbeth’s actions, are the least influential characters to the most influential characters. I must also take into consideration the time period in which Macbeth lived in to make my decision whether Macbeth deserves the title â€Å"butcher†. During the time period in which Shakespeare set Macbeth, society in the 11th Century was very different from what it is today. The society in which Macbeth had lived in was very brutal, revolving around violence, as shown by Shakespeare in his play as executions would be a form torture. Little boys in that time period wanted to be seen as great warriors such as Macbeth, but in order to be one you would have to kill many men in battle. In the time period Macbeth lived in the more men you killed the more honored you became and Shakespeare shows the audience this by making Macbeth being seen as a great warrior during his time due to all the men he’d â€Å"slain† in the battlefield. When Shakespeare wrote the play he had to please James I, who was king at the time as he was his royal play right. Throughout his play he had to convey messages to the audience that James I would approve of. Such a message occurs during the beginning of the play, as the â€Å"disloyal traitor† Macdonald the Thane of Cawdor is killed and the title is then given to Macbeth. The divine right of Kings was very important during Shakespeare’s time period. Society in the 16th Century believed that the whole universe had an order in was decided by God. The King, was believed to be chosen by God, and so any action against the King would be an action against God. Anything unnatural was against this divine order, such as evil, in which society heavily believed in at the time. Shakespeare relates his play to what was happening at the time, as there were many threats to the monarchy such as foreign invaders. At the beginning of the play there is an invasion from the â€Å"Norweyan lord† against Scotland. Not only were there plots by foreign invaders but also insider within the country, such an example is looking back at history during the reign of Queen Elizabeth I. During Queen Elizabeths reign, her half sister Mary Queen of Scots plotted to get rid of her. This is seen in the play as Macbeth plots against King Duncan. It was believed that if any harm was brought to the king it would anger God: â€Å"Thou seest the heavens, as troubled with man’s act, threatens his bloody stage† and the portrayer would be punished by god himself. In the play everything is brought back into place, as normal order is back in place as the thrown goes to the rightful heir Malcolm. It was a message to the audience at the time not to plot against the king as the consequences would fall upon you. The society in which Macbeth lived in also believed in God. They believed that if there was good there had to be evil known as Satan who rebelled directly against God and was responsible through witch’s and evil spirits for all attacks on the divine order. Through history during the time society was increasingly preoccupied with witchcraft. Laws came into order so that anyone who was suspected of witchcraft could be executed. At that time Shakespeare wrote the play the people were of a very superstitious culture as James I published a book on â€Å"Demonology† in 1597. Shakespeare relates his play to society at the time as he incorporates three witch’s that are â€Å"So withered, and so wild in their attire,† as they were sources of the supernatural. Throughout the play of ‘Macbeth’ Shakespeare relates his play to what was going on at the time. By using this play as a source of evidence and my own knowledge I am able to conclude that they lived in a very harsh and brutal society where innocent people weren’t put on trial but hanged by accusations. In the time period we live in today, Macbeth’s action would make him a butcher, yet in the context of the time period Macbeth was living in, I think he would be more acceptable in the community due to the harsh realities of life they lived in. I must also take into consideration the actions of the other characters, which influence Macbeth to become a â€Å"butcher† even though they might have unwillingly contributed towards Macbeth’s actions. Such a character is Duncan who had given Macbeth the title â€Å"The Thane of Cawdor† after the previous one was a â€Å"disloyal traitor†. The title ultimately makes Macbeth the most powerful thane. To a certain extent, Duncan is to blame due to naming the heir to the throne as Malcolm, even after all the loyalty and bravery Macbeth expressed towards the king. What furthered Mabeth’s slaughterous actions is fact that Malcolm, Donalbain and Macduff â€Å"fled† from the â€Å"tyrants rule† as they betrayed Macbeth by building an army to fight against him. The character that could have stopped Macbeth from the start was Banquo, as he’s suspicious that Macbeth â€Å"play’dst mosy foully for’t† yet he thinks abou t the witch’s prophesies and what it’d hold for his future, in which he would be the â€Å"root and father of many kings† so he keeps his suspicions to himself. Lady Macbeth had a strong influence over Macbeth in his decision to kill the king. Macbeth contemplates over whether or not to kill the king yet his final decision is that he’ll â€Å"proceed no further in this business† unlike Lady Macbeth who decides to kill the king: â€Å"The raven himself is hoarse that croaks the fatal entrance of Duncan under my battlements† after reading the letter written from her husband. Yet Lady Macbeth believes Macbeth is too kind to kill the king as he is â€Å"too full o’th’ milk of human kindness† in order to fulfill his ambition in becoming king. She is determined for her husband to become the future king of Scotland as when the couple meet, Lady Macbeth speaks her mind and persuades her husband into doing what she thinks will benefit them the most. Lady Macbeth encourages him with comments such as â€Å"so much more the man† if he becomes the king. Lady Macbeth manipulates her husband as she convinces him to do the deed to prove his love for her, as she says she’d be willing to do anything for Macbeth by saying: â€Å"I would†¦have plucked my nipple from his boneless gums, and dashed the brains out.† At first Macbeth doesn’t want to kill the king as he’s been â€Å"honoured† lately by the King with the title Thane of Cawdor but Lady Macbeth’s skill works as Macbeth is â€Å"settled† to do the â€Å"terrible feat† which ultimately is to kill the king. It is Lady Macbeth, who plans and organizes the murder, as she is impatient and wants the â€Å"future in the instant†. Without Lady Macbeth’s meticulous planning Macbeth may have never been able to go and kill Duncan. Lady Macbeth herself is the one that that calls upon supernatural spirits (â€Å"Come you spirits†) in order to become like a man, and fulfill the dreadful deed, which would take place. Yet Lady Macbeth contradicts herself as she can’t kill the king herself as Duncan resembles the face of her â€Å"father†. What furthers Macbeth’s murderous thoughts is the fact that when Macbeth didn’t want to kill Duncan she called him a â€Å"coward† and so Macbeth now wants to impress his wife when she finds out his great plans which leads to more killing. The second biggest thing that Lady Macbeth does which contributes to Macbeth becoming a butcher is the fact she is very deceitful. When the King arrives she plays the role of a humble hostess welcoming Duncan with many compliments, and offering â€Å"All their service† to him. It leads Duncan to believe nothing is wrong as he’s not suspicious of what a dark realm he is entering. Lady Macbeth is the one who makes sure the procedure of the plan is precise as she goes over it with Macbeth. She knows Macbeth must not show his guilt and so tells him â€Å"look like th’ innocent flower, but be serpent under’t†. Once Macbeth has killed the King he feels â€Å"sorry† and feels guilty about what he’d done, which is a contrast to how Lady Macbeth is feeling, as she tells Macbeth off for such a â€Å"foolish thought†. Lady Macbeth mocks her husband for being such a coward and to get over it, as he’s weak, feeble and overcome by the grief that shadows him. After the murder of King Duncan has taken place, Lady Macbeth is the one that takes charge and is in control as she knows that they must cover up their crime and blame it on others. Such an instance is when Lady Macbeth goes to sort things out as she says: â€Å"Give me the daggers† as she then goes off to â€Å"†¦smear the sleeply grooms with blood†. Once everything is in place Lady Macbeth once again orders Macbeth to retire back to their chamber in order to look innocent as â€Å"a little water clears us of this deed† which is ironic as she then does this as she goes crazy. A minor crime which Lady Macbeth committed, which may have contributed to Macbeth becoming a butcher is before Macbeth kills the king is when Lady Macbeth prepares to get the King’s guards drunk. Lady Macbeth sneakily served excessive amounts of alcohol to the kings guard â€Å"which hath made them drunk†. It served to put the King’s guards to sleep as they no longer had a watchful eye in order to protect Duncan from the dreadful deed that would have to take place in front of them without them knowing. Not only that but also when the lords find Duncan no longer lives and they announce the dreadful news, Lady Macbeth plays the role of a good actress as she pretends she doesn’t know a thing: â€Å"Woe, alas! What, in our house?† When the lords question Macbeth about the murder of king Duncan, Lady Macbeth suddenly faints. Whether this faint was on purpose or not, it diverts all the attention that was on Macbeth onto Lady Macbeth. Lady Macbeth’s plan worked well, as there is no suspicion that has fallen upon them, for the death of King Duncan has fallen upon others, such as the guards. The three â€Å"hags† are a representation of trouble and evil, being â€Å"withered† and â€Å"wild† in their attire. They influenced Macbeth in the process of becoming a butcher with their prophecies. Before Macbeth even knows anything about the witch’s, they plan â€Å"to meet with Macbeth† to try tempt him with their riddles and use him as a tool towards the destruction of the natural world order. They knew Macbeth’s weakness, unlike Banquo who is good and could resist the witch’s prophecies. They are malicious and crude in their nature and seek to cause chaos, mischief and misery in the world because they see evil as good, and good as evil â€Å"Fair is foul, and foul is fair†. Whenever the witch’s are present they bring along their omens of evil such as thunder, lightning and rain. Just before the witch’s are about to meet Macbeth a witch chants † A drum, a drum! Macbeth doth come†. This is very portentous and a warning that bad things are to come. The witch’s tell Macbeth about his future with their prophecies. Once they have spoken their riddles Macbeth is desperate to know more about his future as he becomes intrigued by what he has been told: â€Å"Stay you imperfect speaker, tell me more.† Macbeth doesn’t think what he is told by the witch’s is true but wants to believe that it is. The first prophecies the witch’s predicted which Macbeth did not know of yet is that he would become the Thane of Cawdor. Ironically, after the witch’s had told him this he was then given the title that the witch’s had foreseen. The second prophecies the witch’s tell Macbeth may have greatly influenced Macbeth in his future actions in becoming a butcher. The second prophecy claims that Macbeth would become King. As â€Å"two truths are told† with what the witch’s told him being Thane of Glamis and now Thane of Cawdor, it made Macbeth believe that he â€Å"shalt be king hereafter!† The witch’s have framed Macbeth into a state of mind that this is a â€Å"happy prologue† and that his power can only grow from Thane of Cawdor. The prophecy gets Macbeth to think of a â€Å"horrid image doth unfix my hair† that he may have to take action of his own, in order to secure his own future in becoming king. Then on a second thought Macbeth thinks that if the prophecy is true it will happen without him having to interfere as he thinks: â€Å"chance may crown me without my stir†. The influence of the witch’s prophecies has changed Macbeth in his line of thought, as all he wants to do now is contemplate and discuss with Banquo the witch’s prophecies. It triggers Macbeth to get Lady Macbeth involved as he’s fascinated by what he thinks is good fortune, which ultimately leads him working for the evil causing pain and havoc which is exactly as the witch’s wanted. Macbeth was a puppet used by the witch’s, which he naively was unable to see. Since seeing the witch’s, Macbeth changes from a â€Å"noble man† to a â€Å"tyrant† due to trying to accomplish the prophecy that he wants so very much. After Macbeth killed Duncan there is a reversal of the normal order as a â€Å"falcon† was â€Å"hawked at, and killed† by a â€Å"mousing owl†. The events that occurred are very ominous as it is a dark day. Everything has been affected by Macbeth’s actions, therefore it has turned the world â €Å"wild in nature† as it has been disrupted. God shows his anger as the one he chose as the ruler of Scotland is now dead. This is exactly the way the witch’s wanted it to be. A minor crime by which the witch’s influence Macbeth into becoming a butcher is when they decide to trick Macbeth by using apparitions. Hecate herself blames the witch’s for the starting of chaos in Scotland: â€Å"To trade and traffic with Macbeth, in riddles and affairs of death†. This proves Macbeth can’t be fully held responsible. They cast a spell where there is a great influence of evil supernatural powers, changing the way Macbeth thinks and sees things. The witch’s trick Macbeth as they deliberately allow him to think that he’s learning the truth from a superior power when it’s all a faà ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½ade. Part of Hecate’s plan is that the sprites will confuse Macbeth so much he’ll make mistakes: â€Å"strength of their illusion, shall draw him on to his confusion.† The witch’s suggest who he should be careful of, such a case being Macduff â€Å"Beware the Thane of Fife† suggesting to Macbeth that he should eliminate anyone that may cause him any harm. Part of the witch’s trick is to make Macbeth feel invincible by using the apparitions that tell Macbeth â€Å"none of woman born shall harm Macbeth† and that he would be safe for his entire life as â€Å"Macbeth shall never vanquished be†. The consequences of Macbeth meeting with the witch’s make him become unaware of the trick that being played on him as he is happy and re-assured with the news, becoming over beamingly confident with his reign. The witch’s have corrupted Macbeth by using spells for him to do bad, as he is now greedy wanting more, such as passing the crown down to his descendants rather than Banquo’s. The witch’s purposely infuriate Macbeth to make him behave rationally as they taunt him. Hecate planned to make Macbeth more of a butcher than he really is â€Å"he shall†¦scorn death†. The witch’s molded Macbeth into a butcher by using his weaknesses. Concerning how far Macbeth deserves the title â€Å"butcher† much of time Macbeth’s actions were influenced by a certain individuals such as Lady Macbeth and the three witch’s. Such a case is when Macbeth killed King Duncan. To a certain extent, those certain individuals cannot be blamed and Macbeth must be held responsible. Macbeth didn’t have to do anything he didn’t want to, such as killing Duncan. When the witch’s told Macbeth of the second prophecy they never mentioned the fact that he should actually go and kill King Duncan. Yet like Lady Macbeth he became impatient to know about the future. Lady Macbeth isn’t the only one that can be labeled deceitful as Macbeth told Duncan his only role is to be loyal towards him and â€Å"towards your love and honour†. Macbeth had the â€Å"absolute trust† and respect of the king, as he had fought brutally in the war like a warrior killing many of Duncan’s enemies. Due to his bravery was given the title Thane of Cawdor officially being the most powerful Thane, yet it wasn’t enough for Macbeth as he still wanted more power which shows his greed. When the witch’s first prophecy comes true, all Macbeth wants to hear is Banquo to confirm the second prophecy and say â€Å"You shall be king†. This is due to the fact that Macbeth is very keen on the subject, yet Banquo warns him about the â€Å"instruments of darkness† yet out of excitement and pride he take no notice. Once Duncan names his successor as Malcolm Macbeth starts his murderous thoughts who unlike Banquo accepts it and is happy for Malcolm. While to Macbeth Malcolm is seen as an obstacle, which needs to be got rid of. If Macbeth had never written the letter to his wife about the witch’s prophecies, she would have never encouraged him to kill the king. Even though Lady Macbeth seems to be the mastermind behind all the planning, Macbeth never dismisses the idea of killing Duncan. Macbeth at the end of the discussion with Lady Macbeth he makes up his own mind â€Å"I am settled.† When it comes to killing Duncan, Macbeth is only worried about the consequences of â€Å"If we should fail† and not the moral. The visions of the dagger that Macbeth has were created by his thoughts. When Macbeth does kill the king and he couldn’t say â€Å"amen† it shows that Macbeth is worried, as he has now gone against god and will be punished for his actions. Macbeth in contrast is very different once the lords arrive as he’s calm and collected unlike the nervous wreck he was before. Macbeth is now able to control himself and lie well, as he acts innocent to his actions â€Å"loyal and neutral† as he defends himself against accusations. I believe that when Macbeth decides to kill his best friend Banquo, he in modern day society would be seen a â€Å"butcher†. One bad deed of Macbeth’s lead to another â€Å"Things bad begun make strong themselves by ill†, as Banquo was suspicious of Macbeth that he â€Å"play’dst most foully for’t†. Even though Macbeth has got the thrown he is still not content with his present situation as he doesn’t feel safe: â€Å"To be thus is nothing, But to be safely thus.† Lady Macbeth tells Macbeth to accept the past â€Å"what’s done is done† yet Macbeth is unable too. Macbeth is devious as he tries to find out Banquo’s and Fleance’s movements in light conversation â€Å"Ride you this afternoon?† so he may ambush him. Even though he’s plotting Banquo’s murder Macbeth is two faced as he pretends to be nice to him. Macbeth and Banquo were always seen as equals, yet Banquo is loyal to Macbeth as he is king unlike Macbeth. Instead of Lady Macbeth arranging things now, Macbeth is the one planning. Macbeth is now misleading his wife as she knows nothing. In order for Macbeth to get the murderers to kill Banquo and Fleance he lies to them by telling them it was Banquo â€Å"which held you so under fortune†. Macbeth is glad about Banquo’s violent death. Macbeth is starting to talk like the witch’s as he uses inverted meanings such as â€Å"Banquo’s safe?† after being killed. By now Macbeth is able to hide anything and is a good liar as he pretends to miss Banquo and blames him for not attending, when Macbeth is the reason he isn’t there. Macbeth thinks that he’s done so many bad things that it’s to late to stop and isn’t giving up as â€Å"We are yet but young in deed.† Macbeth by this point has involved himself with evil â€Å"I conjure you† and is now evil himself and is doomed with the title â€Å"butcher†. Macbeth has resorted to killing innocent women and children â€Å"Each new mourn, new widows howl, new orphans cry, new sorrows strike heaven on the face†. Macbeth now resides to act without delay and will kill without hesitating: â€Å"From this moment firstlings of my heart shall be firstlings of my hand.† When Macbeth decides to attempt and kill Macduff, he targets his family who haven’t done anything wrong and are undeserving of their fate. Macbeth’s evil and cruelty shows through the suffering throughout the country of Scotland. Lady Macbeth feels guilty as she feels she started Macbeth on his evil path to destruction but didn’t know about any of her husband’s actions after the murder of Duncan. Macbeth has now become a â€Å"tyrant† and his â€Å"murders sticking on his hands†. Macbeth is determined to fight to the end till his â€Å"bones† and â€Å"flesh be hacked†. As he now knows that he is a butcher and no longer has a conscious, as when he finds out he was lied to by the witch’s, he’d rather â€Å"die with the harness on our back†. Macbeth wants to inflict as much pain on others before he dies, in which he fails to do so.

The Cask Of Amontillado By Edgar Allan Poe - 926 Words

The Cask of Amontillado, by Edgar Allan Poe, is a deliciously ironic story about guilty conscience. The central character, Montresor, has been insulted by his rival, Fortunato, and vows revenge. He plans to entomb Fortunato in the catacombs below his house, and he establishes a set of guidelines for a successful revenge. As the plan progresses, however, Montresor loses his determination. Though Montresor does entomb Fortunato, he cannot savor the revenge because a guilty conscience consumes him for the next fifty years. Poe, a master of human nature, suggests with his story that one’s conscience cannot even ruin the perfect crime. Poe uses irony to reveal Montresor s internal conflict and dynamic character. At first, Montresor is a man full of determination and spite. He has borne the brunt of Fortunato s arrogance for years. Finally, some unnamed insult drives him over the edge, and he vows to punish with impunity (1149). In fact, impunity is one of the conditions that Montr esor has established; the other is that the avenger must make himself known as such to the victim. With those conditions in place, Montresor proceeds with determination and a sense of justice. Indeed, Montresor s sense of self-righteousness is his beginning key trait. Fortunato volunteers to help Montresor verify the authenticity of the Amontillado that Montresor claims he has purchased. By doing so, Fortunato furthers the surface conflict of man vs. man, Montresor v. Fortunato, but theShow MoreRelatedThe Cask of Amontillado by Edgar Allan Poe888 Words   |  4 PagesThe Cask of Amontillado by Edgar Allan Poe In ?The Cask of Amontillado?, Edgar Allan Poe takes us on a trip into the mind of a mad man. Poe uses certain elements to convey an emotional impact. He utilizes irony, descriptive detail of setting, and dark character traits to create the search of sinful deceit. Poe also uses first person, where the narrator is the protagonist who is deeply involved. The purpose is to get the reader to no longer be the observer. He wants them to see with MontressorRead MoreThe Cask of Amontillado by Edgar Allan Poe836 Words   |  3 Pagesqualities in the story. In the story many things are used as symbols such as the actual cask of amontillado, the trowel, the jester costume and the setting in which there is two in the story. Another literary technique used significantly in the story is irony. Irony is the expression of ones meaning by using language that normally signifies the opposite. In the short story â€Å"The Cask of Amontillado,† Montresor a very troubled man who plans to seek revenge on another man named FortunatoRead MoreEdgar Allan Poe And The Cask Of Amontillado1384 Words   |  6 PagesWhat makes Edgar Allan Poe work unique? Other than being a strange individual, Poe has become a remarkable literature writer. The Raven, Annabel Lee, and The Cask of Amontillado are just a few of Poe’s work that staples the theme of gothic literature. This essay will allow you to see the gothic elements Edgar Allan Poe uses through his most common poems. Gothic literature has many elements which play into its definition. The actual definition is a style of writing that is characterized by elementsRead MoreThe Cask Of Amontillado By Edgar Allan Poe906 Words   |  4 Pages â€Å"The Cask of Amontillado† â€Å"The Cask of Amontillado† was written in 1846, by Edgar Allan Poe. Born in 1809, Poe never knew any of his parents. At the age of three, his mother died of tuberculosis, and his father deserted the family before he was born. Taking care of him was his foster parents in Richmond, Virginia. They loved Poe, but were not supportive of his decisions and kept Poe poor. Having debt and not being able to provide food and clothes for himself caused Poe to quit school. Later, heRead MoreThe Cask Of Amontillado By Edgar Allan Poe920 Words   |  4 Pageswhen that trust no longer exists? In â€Å"The Cask of Amontillado† written by Edgar Allan Poe, Fortunato is about to find the answer to this question. On the surface, Montresor seems friendly with Fortunato, but deep down he feels nothing but hate for him. Could this hatred have an irrationality that only Montresor understands? In different ways, both of these men are proud and affluent, yet both have downfalls that will l ead to a tragic ending. Edgar Allan Poe’s use of language contributes to the understandingRead MoreThe Cask Of Amontillado By Edgar Allan Poe1555 Words   |  7 PagesIn his writing, Edgar Allan Poe has multiple uses of direct and indirect characterization. In The Cask of Amontillado, Montresor had rules such as â€Å"I must not only punish but punish with impunity. A wrong is unredressed when retribution overtakes its redresser. It is equally unredressed when the avenger fails to make himself felt as such to him who has done the wrong† (Poe, 2). Poe used indirect characterization to show the reader that Montresor is an unreliable narrator because he justified hisRead MoreThe Cask Of Amontillado By Edgar Allan Poe1303 Words   |  6 PagesIn Edgar Allan Poe’s â€Å"The Cask of Amontillado,† the narrator recalls an extremely significant time in his life, and takes the reader along with him. Throughout the story, one experiences a perfectly planned murder which took place over fifty years ago, and still no one has discovered what truly happened to poor Fortunato as he was chained to a wall in a room that was then closed off, and torched to death due to all the nitre in the walls. As the story goes on, the reader can see some of Poe’s unfortunateRead MoreThe Cask Of Amontillado By Edgar Allan Poe1076 Words   |  5 PagesThe short story, The Cask of Amontillado, written by Edgar Allan Poe is a story of terror and betrayal. Like many of Poe’s literary works, the story has a dark undertone with a theme of terror and depression. More than half a century ago, Marshall McLuhan argued that though Poe was fascinated by evil, the evil that he had in mind was not that of Calvinism, but that of the split man and the split civilization. In general, McLuhan was right, but in this instance Calvinism, and its God, provided a darkRead MoreThe Cask Of Amontillado By Edgar Allan Poe707 Words   |  3 PagesIn the short story of The Ca sk of Amontillado, Edgar Allan Poe writes in first person point of view from the perspective of Montresor who seeks revenge against Fortunato. Montresor began to develop the perfect plan for revenge. During the carnival season, Montresor meets with Fortunato and decides to implement his plan carefully through irony. Poe s story describes the murderer s mind which has lived as a memory of Fortunato s death for fifty years. Poe uses different types of irony and symbolismRead MoreThe Cask Of Amontillado By Edgar Allan Poe985 Words   |  4 PagesEdgar Allen Poe is a well known author of short stories and poetry from the 19th century. He is known especially for his stories of horror and suspense. The Cask of Amontillado is one of his more famous pieces. The story follows the narrator, Montresor, as he exacts revenge on Fortunato. Montressor draws Fortunato into the wine cellar where eventually he chains Fortunato to the wall and encloses him inside it. Throughout the story the narrator continually proves that he is not the most reliable source