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dramaofdestiny · 4 years ago

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Lady Philosophy plays an exceptionally important role in this work. She diagnoses the disease from which Boethius suffers; that of turning to ‘false goods’ such as material goods. She then proposes the means of deliverance from this affliction; that of turning towards the true good. The true good is a love of wisdom, reminiscent of the Socratic and Platonic argument that the good we truly seek is Truth and all other goods are in service to this one true good, or derivatives of it.

The personification of Lady Philosophy as a woman is interesting. Lady Philosophy is a healer and a nurturer – but not in a soft or passive manner. If we recall that Philo-sophia literally means ‘the Love of Wisdom’ and that the Ancient Greek word for wisdom here is the word ‘sophia’ – which is feminine – we see the idea that perhaps wisdom is akin to the intuition. This intuition of the mind would usually be understood as our rational intellect. This wisdom, then, is something internal that one may turn to when seeking truth.

Lady Philosophy begins by gently chiding Boethius for ‘flaring up against’ his fate. She reminds him, as Stoic philosophers had constantly stressed, that human beings are not in control of most of what happens to them. Our destiny is in large measure in the hands of a devilishly powerful seductive goddess whom the Romans knew as Fortuna, the Goddess of Fortune. This figure was a central deity in the Roman pantheon and was represented across the Roman world on coins and statues. She was typically depicted holding a cornucopia in one hand, overflowing with fruit and luxuries, and on the other, leaning on a tiller, a marker of her capacity to direct people’s fates. Depending on her mood, Fortune might either shower us with gifts or, with a blithe smile, steer us towards catastrophe.

To be a philosopher means to understand all that Fortune controls, to resist her blandishments, to know never to put complete faith in the things that are, ultimately, always in the hands of an immoral and reckless force – and to prepare for the day when we may have to surrender her gifts at a stroke. These gifts comprise most of what we would today think of as the fundamental ingredients of happiness: love, family, children, prosperity, reputation and career. But, for a Stoic philosopher, none of them should be things that the wise should ever really trust – for all of them can be lost in horrific circumstances at any moment.

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dramaofdestiny · 5 years ago

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Analysis of the Three Witches by David Nealon

The three witches play an obvious role in Macbeth, and are introduced in the very first scene. The witches are sly and devious, using riddles to give Macbeth a false sense of security. It becomes clear that they have insight into the future, and have fun while pushing Macbeth towards his downfall.

Shakespeare sets forth a description of witches that still exists today in literature, Halloween costumes, and in movies. The three witches are portrayed as evil, gross, old hags that brew potions. The three witches are described as having beards and warts, and put odd ingredients in their cauldron. For example, they put baboon blood in to help cool the potion. They also have magical powers, like vanishing into thin air, which is still a common stereotype.

When Macbeth and Banquo first meet the witches, they quickly sensed that the witches were odd and had supernatural powers. The witches told Macbeth that he is soon to be Thane of Cawdor, and will eventually be king. Once Macbeth becomes Thane of Cawdor, he sets it in his mind that he is supposed to be king as well. Therefore, the witches were able to plant that idea in his mind, manipulating his actions. The witches also tell Banquo that his son will one day sit upon the throne, but he doesn’t act because of this.

In another encounter, Macbeth is given three prophecies by the witches. These three prophecies show that they are not just trying to manipulate Macbeth, but they can also see into his future. In the first prophecy about Macbeth becoming king, that could potentially happen. However, the Weird Sisters are able to predict that Birnam Wood will come to Dunsinane Hill, and that Macbeth will be killed by someone not born of woman. Not only does this demonstrate that the Weird Sisters aren’t just guessing Macbeth’s fate, but they already know what is going to happen. Therefore, they are not pushing Macbeth towards his downfall; they are just teasing him along the way with riddles.

These riddles give Macbeth a false sense of security. If someone was told that they cannot be slain by someone born of woman, they would be feeling good about themselves. But, most people would not interpret that as meaning just the standard way of birth. As a result, Macbeth walks into a battle with Macduff lacking a needed sense of fear, and gets slain.

The three witches represent The Fates from Greek mythology. The Fates, Clotho, Lachesis, and Atropos, determine the length of life for an individual, as well as their fate, from the moment of birth. No action can be done to change that fate, so it is set in stone. The three witches know the fate of Macbeth, and play around with him until he meets his demise.

The witches in Macbeth play a large part in giving Macbeth a false sense of security, as well as guiding him towards his fate. The destruction of Macbeth brings a smile to the witches faces.

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