Number Two And Three In Shakespeare's 'Macbeth'

Words: 1955
Pages: 8
Open Document
Journal 5
“Please investigate the use of the numbers two and three in Macbeth. Determine the overall associations Shakespeare wants the reader/viewer to make with both numbers.”

The numbers two and three are carefully placed all throughout Shakespeare’s play, Macbeth. They might be difficult to notice initially, but once a reader finds the trend, they will discover that the numbers are more than just a theme, they are symbols; the number two represents the duality of Macbeth’s personality and the number three represents motivation for Macbeth’s inner evil. The first occurrence of duplicity is in the first scene, when the witches say “Fair is foul, and foul is fair,” (1.1.13). This quote has been used for centuries to mean that external beauty …show more content…
Like many teenagers, he has trouble embracing parts of adulthood and leaving childhood behind. But unlike many teenagers, the solution to Holden’s problem is not to “grow up” or “play by the game,” but instead it is to leave society because Holden’s main problem is not with himself, but with the world around him.
In the very beginning of the book, Holden is standing up on a hill, looking down on a school football game. He is introduced to the novel as someone who is distant from the lives of other teenagers, literally and figuratively. When he goes to visit Mr. Spencer, he is told that life is a game. Immediately rejecting the idea of playing that game, much like rejecting participation in the football game, he attempts to move the conversation along. The reader is then first introduced to the idea of phoniness, a quality that Holden points out in almost everyone he interacts with. Through Holden Caulfield’s eyes, anyone can be a phony, whether the reasoning be because they use a word too much, the way they smile, the fact that they tell students to pray, etc. Holden believes that being phony is being insincere, but really, for him, a phony is someone who embraces, or at least interacts with, the world around them. He constantly uses words to generalize groups of people and distance himself from them. For example, when he leaves Pencey, he screams, “Sleep tight, ya morons!” (Salinger 59). Running away from Pencey is a way for Holden to try to escape the morons and the phoniness around him, but he finds it all still exists when he gets to New York
Show More

Related Documents: Number Two And Three In Shakespeare's 'Macbeth'

Examples Of Sympathy For Macbeth

William Shakespeare’s “Macbeth,” is a play which shows a flawed character worthy of the audience’s sympathy. The play follows the titular character Macbeth’s path of treachery after being informed by three witches that he would be the King in the future. Macbeth and his wife, Lady Macbeth, turn to means of murder and violence in order to achieve the titles of King and Queen of Scotland, by slaughtering anyone who stands in their path to the throne, including friends and innocent women and children…

Words 537 - Pages 3

Macbeth: Macbeth and Macbeth Shakespeare Essay

Use of Night and Darkness in Macbeth Shakespeare is known for his descriptively rich plays. He also ways does an excellent job of describing both the characters as well as the setting. One specific area of the play MacBeth is the use of night and darkness to show evil or happening that are not right. Examples of this are the many appearances of the witches, the murders that occur, and the conflicts that MacBeth faces with his mental health. The following three paragraphs will further discuss…

Words 760 - Pages 4

Macbeth Gender Roles Essay

convince Macbeth to murder Duncan, Lady Macbeth questions his manhood and this is one of the factors that eventually pushes Macbeth over the edge. Macbeth also mentions how it would be terrible for his wife to have any daughters because her fiery spirit is too masculine. The idea that only men could be ambitious and powerful is an idea that was common during this time in Elizabethan England. There is also the question about what is truly “real” in the physical world. The bloody dagger Macbeth sees outside…

Words 1797 - Pages 8

How Is Lady Macbeth A Complex Character

William Shakespeare's play Macbeth, written in just five acts, is the shortest of his tragedies written. The hero suffers from many conflicts within himself that will have tremendous impact on how the play will unravel. Although we will not see Macbeth until the third scene of Act 1, we will find that his character is put together with many different character traits. They are very complex and range from bravery, ambition, logic, and compassion, but as the play progresses he will deteriorate and…

Words 1419 - Pages 6

Examples Of Natural And Unnatural Events In Macbeth

in all of William Shakespeare’s writings, expanding from his dramas to his typically joyful comedies. In Macbeth however, they are a constant contretemp which must be avoided unless a character wishes to fall to certain ruin. They take a number of forms, from the obvious and vile witches, to the slight subtlety of the birds. Despite this, they all do well to juxtapose reality’s depictions of natural and unnatural events. In Act one of Macbeth, the devious nuances of Shakespeare’s writing is completely…

Words 1242 - Pages 5

Shakespeare Christian Beliefs

honorable rather than the Christian belief that suicide is a sin. Macbeth contains several references to the Christian belief. Macbeth asks a murderer, “Are you so gospeled?” (3.1.90) which Paul Cantor, a renowned professor, translates to, “Are you so Christian that you won’t kill this guy now?” Hamlet and Macbeth are provided with two sets of beliefs and have to choose which one to follow. Upon seeing the ghost of Banquo, Macbeth remarks, “when the brains were out, the man would die, And there an…

Words 1408 - Pages 6

Essay Macbeth: Soviet Union and Macbeth

similarities have been found between historical figures and fictional characters. The character “Macbeth” created by William Shakespeare for the play “Macbeth. One of the most easily explainable examples of this would be with previous soviet ruler, Joseph Stalin. Stalin got to power by creating a platform of trust while being the General Secretary. He was extremely close to Lenin and his supporters. As Macbeth was to King Duncan, loyalty and trust to the previous head of power, he eliminated the threats…

Words 1206 - Pages 5

Essay Macbeth: Macbeth and Macbeth Play Macbeth

English Macbeth Notes PLOT At the banquet, a murderer arrives and reports to Macbeth just as the dinner guests begin to arrive. He informs Macbeth that Banquo is dead but Fleance has escaped. Shaken, Macbeth thanks him for what he has done and arranges another meeting on the following day. The murderer leaves and Macbeth returns to the feast. Looking over the table, Macbeth declares that the banquet would be perfect if only Banquo were present. At this point Banquo's ghost appears unobserved and…

Words 2200 - Pages 9

TO WHAT EXTENT DOES SHAKESPEARE PRESENT MACBETH AS A VILLAIN? Essay

EXTENT DOES SHAKESPEARE PRESENT MACBETH AS A VILLAIN? Shakespeare presents Macbeth more extensively as a villain using methods which would be more understood in the era the play was composed, which was the Jacobean period, but influenced by the reign of Elizabeth. During the Elizabethan period people were preoccupied with the supernatural, which is one of the main topics in Shakespeare’s play. In my opinion Shakespeare structures the play to make the audience see Macbeth transforming from a hero into…

Words 3940 - Pages 16

William Shakespeare Research Paper

William Shakespeare was an English poet, playwright, and actor. He is considered to be the greatest writer in the English language and his work such as Macbeth, Hamlet, and Romeo and Juliet are still studied and performed to this day. William was born in Stratford-Upon-Avon Warwickshire, West Midlands England to parents John Shakespeare an alderman and bailiff and Mary Arden. His actual birthdate is unknown, but the date of his baptism which people usually go by is April 26, 1565. William was the…

Words 2337 - Pages 10