Book Review Julius Ceasar

8/3/2019 Book Review Julius Ceasar

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William Shakespeare was born April 23, 1564.At the age of eighteen, Shakespeare marriedAnn Hathaway, a woman eight years older thanhe. Shakespeare made a break into the actingand play-writing world in 1592 with the firstthree parts of Henry VI, he became a success.Shakespeare also published two poems, Venusand Adonis (1593) and The Rape of Lucrece(1594), that made him known as a poet inaddition to his mounting theatrical success.

"Macbeth survives only in the Folio collectionof Shakespeare's work," which suggests that itwasn't one of the more popular plays duringShakespeare's time.


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His works include The Taming of theShrew(1593-1594), Richard II (1595),AMidsummer Night's Dream (1595-1596),

Romeo and Juliet (1595-1596),JuliusCaesar(1599), Hamlet (1600-1601),Othello (1604), King Lear(1605),Antonyand Cleopatra (1606-1607), as well asmany other historical plays and otherminor comedies.

Shakespeare died on April 23, 1616 and isburied in the chancel of Trinity Church inStratford.


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The Witches: The witches are the instigators ofthe play because their prophecies promptMacbeth to action. They are three sisters whotrick Macbeth into believing that he is invincible,

which leads to his downfall. Macbeth: Macbeth is a general of Duncan's army

before he gets greedy and wants the crown forhimself. He murders the king and Banquo, theother general, as well as having Macduff's entire

family killed, all so that he can protect thecrown. Despite his ruthlessness to keep hisposition, he is plagued by guilt for his crimes andas a result sees ghosts of his victims. Macbeth iskilled by Macduff in battle.


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Duncan: Duncan is the king of Scotland who isbetrayed in the beginning of the play by theThane of Cawdor. Duncan gives the traitor's titleto Macbeth and foreshadows the general's

betrayal. Macbeth murders Duncan and framesDuncan's guards for the murder.

Malcolm: Malcolm is Duncan's oldest son and heirto the Scottish throne. When his father ismurdered, Malcolm and his brother flee

Macbeth's castle. Malcolm goes to England toseek English help to regain the throne that isrightfully his. In the end, he is pronounced king,and order is restored.


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Banquo: Banquo is a general of Duncan's army,and the witches prophesy that his descendantswill rule Scotland after Macbeth is king. Thisprophecy makes Banquo an enemy to Macbeth,

so Macbeth has Banquo murdered. Banquo'sghost haunts Macbeth at a banquet, and thisvision makes the Scottish lords suspicious of theirnew king.

LadyMacbeth: Lady Macbeth is Macbeth's wife.

She insists that he murder Duncan and take thethrone for himself. She is the driving forcebehind Macbeth's plays for power, but in the endshe drives herself mad because of her guilt overthe murders. She kills herself.


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Macduff: Macduff is a Scottish noble who

suspects that Macbeth has murdered Duncan

from the very beginning. When Macduff goes

to England to support Malcolm, Macbeth hasMacduff's entire family killed at their home.

Macduff is the man who finally kills Macbeth

in battle.


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Summary: Macbeth, a Scottish baron, and his

wife plot regicide after witches predict

that Macbeth is to become king. Macbeth is of

two minds about the whole affair, but does thedeed with the help of Lady Macbeth. They frame

the kings guards, who Macbeth then kills in his

supposed outrage at the kings murder. The

kings sons doubt that the guards are to blame

and flee in the fear that they will be next on themurderers list. Macbeth uses their escape to

spread the story that the kings sons paid the

guard to murder their father and, thus, Macbeth

takes over the throne.


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Banquo, who was with Macbeth during the conversation

with the witches, received a prediction as well: that it

would be his progeny, not Macbeths that hold the throne

in the future. Macbeth fears Banquos suspicion and

realizes that if all the witches predictions come true,

Macbeth has committed murder to benefit Banquos

son.Macbeth kills Banquo but his son escapes

Macbeth visits the witches again, with visions, they offer

some advice (beware Macduff) and assurances (none of

woman born shall harm Macbeth and Macbeth shall

never vanquished be, until Great Birnam Wood to high

Dunisnane hill shall come against him) but they alsocontinue to predict that it will be Banquos descendants,

not Macbeths, who inherit the throne.


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Macbeth receives word that Macduff has gone to

England to help Malcolm, King Duncans son,

regain the throne. He sends troops to Macduffs

home where they kill his wife and children.

Lady Macbeth, attended by a maid and

physician, is witnessed sleepwalking and

obsessively rubbing her hands .

Macduff and Malcolm, the prince, march towardMacbeths stronghold at Dunsinane with a force

of English and Scottish soldiers. They gather in

Birnam Wood and order everyone to cut down

branches and use them to disguise theirpresence and number as they proceed across the

field to Dunsinane, thus fulfilling the prophecy

that Birnam Wood will move against Dunsinane.


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The battle commences. The castle is lost,but Macbeth fights on, believing that he can

not be killed because all men are of womenborn. Macduff, who demanded of his fellowfighters that he be allowed to kill Macbeth inretaliation for the deaths of his wife andchildren, seeks out Macbeth and fights him

declaring, Macduff was from his motherswomb untimely ripped. Macbeth is slain,fulfilling the last of the witches propheciesabout him.

The battle ends. Macduff presents Macbethshead to Malcolm with the greeting Hail,King of Scotland, a cry that is taken upthroughout the castle.


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In Macbeth, ambition is presented as a

dangerous quality. It causes the downfall of

both Macbeth and Lady Macbeth and triggers

a series of deaths in Macbeth. Ambition istherefore the driving force of the play.


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Macbeth is the most understandable of all theSharkespares I have read. However, reading this book islike watching a horror movie and tempted to turn offthe television but can not do it, because you want tosee what happens next. I believe the witches have allthe influence in the book. They trigger the bad andconfussing aspects of the book. The book speaks ofman's attempt to aquire power by the most unfairways,which do not work out in the end. It brings death,

diseases, lies etc. It speaks of unfair competition forgain and the negative consequence of it : - you can loseyour friends. Overall, Macbeth is a good book becauseit has ,in it a message of the importance of fairness,trusting in God and not familiar spirits as well as

teachings of the results of chaos.


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PRESENTED BY: ANIRUDH

MEHROTRA

DIVISION:A

B.B.A L.L.B

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Book Review Julius Ceasar