Macbeth’s Brief Candle

Life’s Brief Candle
To-morrow, and to-morrow, and to-morrow,
Creeps in this petty pace from day to day
To the last syllable of recorded time,
And all our yesterdays have lighted fools
The way to dusty death. Out, out brief candle!
Life’s but a walking shadow, a poor player,
That struts and frets his hour upon the stage,
And then is heard no more; it is a tale
Told by an idiot, full of sound and fury,
Signifying nothing.

Watching Macbeth is terrifying. From the beginning, where the three witches bury a hand until the end of the film. This film is not suitable for those under eighteen years old and those who are afraid of blood and violence.
Almost many people know about Macbeth (or at least have heard about it). What I want to talk about here is the symbolism used in this play. The first scene, where the three witches bury a hand symbolises sins done by Macbeth and his wife, Lady Macbeth. It is also foreshadow the later scene where we will see Macbeth kills the King, who is also his cousin. His envy towards the King’s son made him become a murderer. Here, the role of Lady Macbeth reflects the ability of a woman to make a man at his peak of stardom or at the lowest level. I am not trying to say that all female are bad (because I am a girl too).
Now, the issue about hand, which symbolises Macbeth and his wife sins also parallel to another play, A Streetcar Named Desire by Tennessee Williams. Blanche DuBois is always taking bath or washing her hair. Like Lady Macbeth who always wash her hand.
These action is reflecting their desire to wash off their past sins, but unable to do so because they always been haunted by it.
So, the end of Macbeth’s life is very terrifying. I do not want to write here how he died, because all of us had watched it. One important message that I got after watching this film is, do not be too arrogant. One day, you will be defeat by someone who seems inferior to you.

Teaching a Mad King

A mad king? How can a madman become a king? Well that is what happened in King Lear, a play wrote by William Shakespeare. Well everybody knows that it is not easy to learn Shakespeare text.
Who actually the mad king? Of course Lear himself. The tragic hero of the play. He went mad when his daughter whom he valued based on their flattery. When the turn their back and against him, he couldn’t accept it and become mad in the middle of the storm.
Who taught this mad king? A FOOL. Not an ordinary fool, but a thinking fool. Unlike any ordinary fool, Fool educates Lear in different ways. Through his songs and riddles, Fool actually is trying to tell and teach something to his master. A thinking fool, I could say.
Well, although this play turn to be tragic at the end and the fate of Fool is never known (he disappear after the storm), we should value Fool for his attempt to teach Lear to be a wise ruler of a kingdom. Instead of being “a foolish, old man”.

The Privilege of Being Blind

You are born as male. You grow up as normal. One fine day, you saw two snakes mating. Cursed. Turn into woman. You got married, have a child. Saw another snakes mating. Turn back as male. When Zeus and Hera asked, who enjoy sexual intercourse more, the answer is woman. Cursed again. Now, you are blind. Zeus cannot help you to undo the curse, so you are given a prophecy. And become a BLIND PROPHET. (This is just a version of many versions about Tiresias). Are you happy?
That’s the life of Tiresias. A blind prophet. Is it a gift or a curse? You are blind, yet you have extra ability. You can predict what will happen. Plus, you are a prophet. Are you happy?
Actually, it is not a matter of being happy or not. Although Tiresias is blind, yet he is still a prophet. He enjoyed and had experiences being male and female. This what make him different from the others. And maybe that’s why he was sent to Oedipus and Creon.
In ‘Antigone’, Tiresias came at his own will, warns Creon for what Creon has done.
He is devoted in his job. There is no doubt that he is the perfect man to be a prophet, due to what he had gone true. Although both Oedipus and Creon does not like him and rejected him, he had done his job to tell the truth.
That’s it. Life of a blind prophet. Colourful and fancy. Rejected. TIRESIAS, THE BLIND PROPHET. :)