The eNotes Blog eNotes Teachers Corner To Teach or Not to Teachâ€That is theQuestion

Teachers Corner To Teach or Not to Teach- That is theQuestion Teachers Corner is a monthly newsletter from just for teachers. In it, experienced educator and contributor Susan Hurn shares her tips, tricks, and insight into  the world of teaching. Check out this months Teachers Corner column below, or sign up to receive the complete newsletter in your inbox at . Recently over lunch, a dedicated career teacher told me that she could no longer advise anyone to go into teaching; the joy is gone, she said, with teachers now locked into regimented lesson plans and required to spend all their time chasing test scores. She also worried about what we’re doing to kids in the classroom- demanding more and more of them at younger and younger ages. There’s no time now to let them be kids, she said, or color outside the lines, if they get to color at all. It was a depressing lunch. I drove home with a lot to think about, especially since I had encouraged my own daughter when she decided several years ago to change careers, earn a second college degree, and go into the classroom. Had I steered her wrong? Remembering our animated conversations after she began teaching, however, I don’t think so. Teaching may be different today- the demands greater and the stressors more intense, but it still engages the heart and the mind in ways unlike those of any other profession. No two days are alike, and every day is a fresh opportunity to achieve something glorious, even for one unforgettable moment. Students aside- and that’s a big aside- it’s true that our profession is less respected in some quarters than it once was, for reasons that seem to be bound up in politics and publicity. If a teacher is arrested for some terrible offense in any part of the country, it becomes national news; a steady drumbeat of these stories erodes confidence, creating the impression that teachers somehow have degenerated into an immoral lot, not to be trusted. On the positive side, however, every time teachers risk their lives or lose them trying to protect their students, which seems to be happening more and more frequently, their actions make the news, too. Ask the parents of those students if teachers can be trusted. There’s also a lot of discussion these days about â€Å"bad teachers†; judging from what the public hears daily on the airwaves and reads online or in press releases, our schools are about to crumble under the cumulative weight of lazy incompetents in the classroom. Teacher tenure is under attack, with tenure laws represented to the public as guaranteeing lifetime employment for bad teachers; tenure, its foes allege, makes it impossible to fire all those bad teachers doing little while collecting large monthly checks. The term â€Å"due process† is rarely mentioned. Most recently, teachers have been stripped of tenure and the right to due process in California and in Kansas. Teachers in those states can now be fired not just for cause but for any reason at all, and stating a reason isn’t required. You can read about the California ruling at  cta.org  and about the Kansas legislation at  washingtonpost.com. Tenure aside- and that’s another big aside- teacher evaluations have become central in renewing or not renewing contracts, which brings us back to bad teachers. Supposedly, everybody can spot one a mile away. Defining what constitutes a bad teacher, however, is another matter.  This article at  teaching.about.com  boils it down to seven deficiencies, six of which would apply generally to people in any line of work. Being able to relate to students and to inspire them is not mentioned, suggesting that it is often overlooked as a characteristic of a good teacher, even though it is essential in educating kids. Another discussion of good vs. bad teachers, which touches as well on the California tenure case, can be found here at  sfgate.com. Currently, districts around the country, feeling political heat and racing for funds, are scrambling to rewrite evaluation instruments and practices to better sort out who’s doing what in the classroom, effectively or ineffective ly. According to Dr. B. R. Jones, author of  The Focus Model, the increasing emphasis on teacher evaluations, combined with new academic standards and â€Å"next-generation† assessments (think CCSS), is setting the stage for a â€Å"perfect storm† in education. He contends that an â€Å"evaluation fix† is needed in many of the instruments now being written to assess teacher performance. Jones identifies four â€Å"distinct ‘potholes’† that could result in â€Å"serious damage† in evaluating teachers effectively:   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Using inappropriate evidence of a teacher’s quality   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Improperly weighting appropriate evidence of a teacher’s quality   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Failing to adjust evidence weights for a given teacher’s instructional setting   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Confounding the functions of formative and summative teacher evaluation Everyone agrees we don’t want bad teachers in the classroom, but how to evaluate teachers, it seems, is also an area of contention in education. You can read Jones’s article at  corwin-connect.com. Our vocation, more than ever, is rife with conflict and controversy and voices raised in promoting personal, professional, and political agendas. Why would anyone want to be a teacher? Why would I encourage my daughter in her desire to leave a successful career and join the ranks? Obviously, I wouldn’t- unless I knew in my heart she would be a great teacher and would find in teaching the kind of fulfillment that only other dedicated teachers can really understand. She has asked for lots of advice along the way, and giving my children advice has never been a problem! Ultimately, I told her this: Close your door, do your job, and focus on your students; give them your best because it will make a difference in their lives, and don’t forget to enjoy them every day. So, to teach or not to teach? Regardless of whatever winds are blowing outside the classroom door, I say yes! I’m not sure how it can be July already, but here it is. Have some fun in the sun! Susan

How to Study History Terms for a Test

How to Study History Terms for a Test When you study terms and definitions for a history exam, the best way to make the information stick is to understand your terms in context or understand how each new vocabulary word relates to other new words and facts. In high school, your teachers will cover what happened in history. As you move on to college history courses, you will be expected to know why an event happened and the reasons each event is important. This is why history tests contain so many essays or long-answer questions. You have a lot of explaining to do! Gather History Terms Sometimes a teacher will give students a study guide that contains a list of possible terms for the test. More often than not, the list will be long and intimidating. Some of the words may seem brand new to you! If the teacher doesnt provide a list, you should come up with one yourself. Go through your notes and the chapters to come up with a comprehensive list. Dont be overwhelmed by a long list of terms. Youll see that they quickly become familiar once you start to review your notes. The list will seem shorter and shorter as you study. First, youll need to locate the terms in your class notes. Underline them or circle them, but dont use a colored highlighter just yet. Review your notes and see which terms appeared on the same day or lecture. Establish relationships between the terms. How are they connected?Pretend that you are writing a news report on the event or topic  and write a paragraph that contains three or four of those terms. Your paragraph should contain a date and the names of any important person who might be related to the significance of the events or terms (like a president).Keep writing paragraphs until you use up your terms. You can re-use a term if one term fits well with two or more clumps. This is a good thing! The more you repeat a term, the more youll understand its significance. Once you have finished making and reading over your paragraphs, find a way to utilize your best learning style. Study Tips Visual: Go back to your notes and use a highlighter to connect your terms. For example, highlight each term in one paragraph green, highlight terms from another paragraph yellow, etc. Make a list of significant people and places for each event situated on the timeline. Then  draw a blank timeline and fill in the details without looking at your original. See how much material you retained. Also, try  putting the timeline on post-it notes and paste them around your room. Walk around and actively note each event. Keep in mind that its not useful to memorize a large catalog of notes on a topic. Rather, its more effective to  establish a  connection between the facts.  Think about events in a  logical order to help you understand them, and consider the use of mind maps, a hierarchical diagram used to visually organize information. Auditory: Find a recording device to record yourself as you read over each paragraph slowly. Listen to your recording several times. Tactile: Make flashcards by putting all the terms on one side of a card and the entire paragraph on the flip side. Or  put a question on one side (eg, What year did the Civil War take place?) and then the answer on the other side to test yourself. Repeat your process until every term seems completely familiar to you. Youll be ready to answer individual definitions, long and short answer questions, and essay questions!

Finance Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words - 1

Finance - Essay Example In addition to positioning its luxury brands, it has also targeted international diversity, which resulted in the company’s achievement of constant growth without any barrier. Company maintains a good relationship with its stakeholders as well as employees by establishing important policies and procedures for their development. It is LVMH’s responsibility to ensure that labor standards and company’s supplier code of conduct are respected by the suppliers. Whenever improvements are required, supplier audits are conducted and corrective actions are taken. The company has advantage in supply chain that entails lower risk, which is a result of good vertical integration. Through a well-strategized system of advertising, it has remained to maintain its lead in fashion. The company strongly believes in maintaining quality and creating brand image through innovation. II Company Strengths and Weaknesses: 1. LVMH’s financial performance from 2009 to 2011: Return on Common Equity Ratio: This ratio measures the achievement of an organization in generating profit for the advantage of common stockholders. It is calculated by dividing the net income obtainable for common stockholders by their common equity. It is calculated as follows: â€Å"Return on Common equity = (net profit - preferred share dividends) / (shareholders equity- preferred shares)† (Return on Common Equity Ratio n.d.). Solution: Year 2009 2010 2011 Net income 1,755 3,032 3,065 Note: Data’s taken from the 2009 to 2011 financial statement of LVMH. Net Income available for common stockholders: 1,755-21=1734 (2009) 3,032-20=3012 (2010) 3,065-61=3004 (2011) Average Common Stockholders’ Equity: 2009= (100) + 1,186/2 =543 2010= 1,186+ 1,679/2 = 1432.5 2011= 1,679+33/2 = 856 Therefore, Return on Common equity = 1734/543*100=319.34% (2009) 3012/1432.5*100=210.26 % (2010) 3004/856*100=350.93 % (2011) Dividend Payout Ratio: This is the amount of dividends paid to stockho lders in relation to the amount of total net profit of an organization. The amount that is left after paying dividends to stockholders is kept aside by the firm for development. This amount that is reserved by the firm is called retained earnings. It is calculated as follows: â€Å"Dividend Payout Ratio = Dividend per Share / Earnings per Share (EPS) x 100%† (Dividend Payout Ratio n.d.). Solution: 1.65/ 3.71*100 =44.5% (2009) 2.10/ 6.36*100 = 33% (2010) 2.60/ 6.27*100=41.47% (2011) Ratio 2009 2010 2011 Return on Common Equity 319.34% 210.26% 350.93% Dividend Payout Ratio 44.5% 33% 41.47% Note: Data’s taken from the 2009 to 2011 financial statement of LVMH. Interpretation: Return on equity shows the company’s profitability in terms of how much the company has earned from the investment made by common stock owners. It is a measurement of efficiency more than a measurement of profit. In 2011, return on equity for LVMH was 350.93%, which is a higher percentage than it was in the year 2009 and 2010, as shown in the table. Payout ratio here is 41.47% which is below 100% and it means that the business has grown rapidly and that it has a lot of opportunities for expansion, thus the reason for payout ratio to be low. Both

Inflation Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words - 1

Inflation - Essay Example Economists have defined inflation as the sustained general increase in the price of goods and services (Hart, 2010 p.10). When the prices goes up more money can only pay for fewer goods and services and the currency is said to have lost its purchasing power as the medium of exchange as well as the unit of account in an economy. when the prices goes up the situation is said to be price inflation while the money is in large supply the situation is referred to as monetary inflation((Hart, 2010 p.12). Several other concepts are related to inflation such as deflation which refers to a fall in the price levels generally while disinflation refers to a rate decrease in inflation. Hyperinflation is when the price increase is beyond control (Dwivedi, 2010 p.447). A general belief among economist is that inflation is caused by excess money supply in the economy which pushes demand for both goods and services. The measure of inflation is done through rating the increase in prices over a specified period of time. Inflation rate is expressed as a percentage and is calculated by working out the change in the price index and more so the consumer price index (Frisch, 1983 pg 9). The price index on itself cannot give the rate of inflation but it becomes useful when calculating the inflation rate. This rate is the percentage change rate of price index over a period of time. To calculate the inflation rate the formula below is used The widely used examples of indices to calculated inflation include consumer price index (CPI) which measures change in prices of goods and services(in a fixed basket) purchased by a consumer( Frisch, 1983 pg 12). This fixed basket has goods and services put together and are representative of the economy. The producer price index that measures price change in average as received by domestic producers. It measures the price paid by producers. It differs from the CPIs in that subsidizes in price, tax and profit may cause change in amount

An Examination of Racism in the Deep South of America Essay Example for Free

An Examination of Racism in the Deep South of America Essay An Examination of Racism in the Deep South of America From the1930s to the 1960s through a variety of texts. Race: a group of persons having a common ancestor family, kindred people, genus, species, breed, variety, or class of persons That is what the dictionary says, so why so much hatred, politics and fuss The Anglo American slave trade, started in the 16th century when the first Hispanic people settled in Mexico and the Caribbean. From there, the other Europeans who migrated took black Africans to work on their cotton and tobacco plantations. This started the very wealthy Slave Triangle in which many Captains sought profit. The ships would sail empty from England, Spain, France or Portugal to the African countries to catch slaves. After filling their holds with human cargo they would set sail for the Caribbean. Once there, the Captains sold the slaves to the dealers in return for cotton or tobacco, which they would sell for a large profit back at home. These slaves were then the full property of their masters and he or she could do anything they liked to them and treat them in anyway they wanted to. One example of this is an advertisement in the Royal Gazette (Kingston Jamaica) saying; Runaway, about 15 months ago a Negro man of the Mungola country named Jamaica also about two months ago, two Negro men named James and Sambo a reward of i 10 for Jamaica and a Half Joe each for James and Sambo Also stolen or strayed a Bright Bay Northward HORSE also a small JACK ASS a reward of a pistole will be given for each This shows that their masters treated the slaves with about as much respect and sense of belonging as a horse or donkey. Such disregard upset many Americans and so some spoke out against it. In 1861, because they would not agree to abolish slavery, the Southern States left the Union of American States. This created even more outcry until Abraham Lincoln , the then President of America declared war on the Southern States. The American Civil War was fought between 1861 and 1865. It destroyed most of the agricultural land in the South and drained it of its wealth. After the Civil War the United States of America was formed. During the next 5 10 years the Northerners set in place a number of laws giving back human and civil rights to the black people. Initially this idea worked, but due to the hostility of the Southern confederacy these changes eventually failed. The Yankees that is the Northern Army and Governors called the changes they made reconstruction, but after they left, using a number of loopholes in the Law, the Southern Governors set in place many new rules. These were called the Jim Crow Laws and they segregated the black former slaves from the white people completely, thereby undoing all the good work done by the Northerners. The following time of white supremacy was called redemption This time of redemption and segregation was a hard time for the blacks; 1) Their voting rights were taken away 2) The money for black schools was diverted to white education. 3) There were separate buses for coloured and white people, or no bus at all. An example of this is given in the Novel Roll of Thunder where the Logan children have to dive into a ditch up to their chests, or in the case of Little Man- swim, to avoid the oncoming Jefferson Davies school bus and its ruthless driver. It was around this time when the Depression hit America. The South was hit especially hard and the price of cotton fell dramatically. This downturn in the economy created serious hardship for the majority of people, both black and white. The arrival of new technology added to the hardship as cotton looms and ploughs cut work loads, making one person and one tractor able to do the work of eight men and eight mules. Publicity of the suffering of the South created Aid and money from Northern Citizens, but due to the amount of corruption the blacks did not benefit from this. Some workers, both black and white, joined together to fight for more money and better working conditions, and as a result the rich landowners and vigilantly race hate groups like the Ku Klux Klan used violence to break up their protests and demonstrations. Racism comes in three forms Verbal, Physical and Institutional Verbal Why did the white people feel that they could say something offensive and why did they even say it in the first place? In the Novel Roll of Thunder, Little Man receives a book from his teacher for the new term. He eagerly thumbs through it but to his horror finds a form that reads: Date Condition Owner Sept 1922 Good White Sept 1928 Good White Sept 1930 Average White Sept 1933 Very Poor Nigra The term nigra is very offensive and as a result the naive boy protests and gives the book back. His teacher, Mrs Crocker simply replies Well, thats what you are! . This shows that even teachers can happily pass off insulting words just because a coloured child had owned a book. A further insult was that the book was damaged, which was untrue. Another form of verbal abuse is when in the same book, a mob attempts to lynch TJ, and they decide to try and hang Pa Logan and Mr. Morrison, the human giant I say, what we oughtta do is take him down the road an take care of that big black giant of a nigger at the same time! And why not that boy he working for too? The boy they are referring to Pa Logan, a fully-grown, independent man. This is from the time of slavery, where the masters could speak to their slaves as they wished.

Symbols and Symbolism in Nathaniel Hawthornes The Scarlet Letter Essa

Symbolism   in The Scarlet Letter Nathaniel Hawthorne isn't noted for perfecting any famous literary style, for writing multiple best sellers, or even for contributing largely to classic American literature.   His only real claim to fame is The Scarlet Letter: a novel that was originally only meant to be yet another Hawthorne short story.   Because of this, it actually possesses many short story characteristics.   "It is simpler and more complete than his other novels." (James 285)   It also has an excellent plot backed by an expert use of literary techniques.   One technique Hawthorne used was borrowed solely from drama: the use of the aside.   Reverend Arthur Dimmesdale delivers an aside in the midst of the action in chapter three, incorporating the reader into his personal thoughts and feelings directly.   Many other things in The Scarlet Letter weren't so direct, though.   Typically, Hawthorne left the reader implying events by being vague and not answering posed questions.   An example of this technique is through the women's discussion about Hester Prynne in chapter one.   But, among all of his techniques used in The Scarlet Letter, Hawthorne truly mastered only one.   He refined the art of symbolism.   Symbolism is found throughout all of The Scarlet Letter.   Nearly every person or object is symbolic of some other thing or idea.   The scarlet letter, the black glove Dimmesdale leaves on the scaffold, and the scaffold itself all have deeper significance.   This makes the theme of The Scarlet Letter even more ever-present.   It aids in illustrating the true intolerance and hypocrisy of Puritan customs. At first reading, one might safely say that the scarlet letter means "Adulteress."   Although this is partially correct, it lacks in-... ...tely mastered. Works Cited Bruckner, Sally.   "The Scarlet Letter."   Masterplots.   Vol. 10 Ed. Frank N. Magill. Pasadena, California: Salem, Press, 1996.   5849-51. Feidelson, Jr., Charles.   "Hawthorne as Symbolist."   Hawthorne.   Ed. A.N. Kaul. Englewood Cliffs, New Jersey:   Prentice-Hall, Inc., 1996.   64-71. James, Henry.   "Densely Dark, with a Spot of Vivid Color."   The Scarlet Letter.   Ed. Norton Critical.   1978.   287-91. Van Doren, Mark.   "The Scarlet Letter."   Hawthorne.   Ed. A.N. Kaul.   Englewood Cliffs, New Jersey: Prentice-Hall, Inc., 1966.   129-40. Winters, Yvor.   "Maule's Curse, or Hawthorne and the Problem of Allegory."   Hawthorne. Ed. A.N. Kaul.   Englewood Cliffs, New Jersey: Prentice-Hall, Inc., 1966. 11-24. Ziff, Larzer.   "The Ethical Dimension of 'The Custom House.'"   Hawthorne.   Ed. A.N. Kaul.   Englewood Cliffs, New Jersey: P2 Symbols and Symbolism in Nathaniel Hawthorne's The Scarlet Letter Essa Symbolism   in The Scarlet Letter Nathaniel Hawthorne isn't noted for perfecting any famous literary style, for writing multiple best sellers, or even for contributing largely to classic American literature.   His only real claim to fame is The Scarlet Letter: a novel that was originally only meant to be yet another Hawthorne short story.   Because of this, it actually possesses many short story characteristics.   "It is simpler and more complete than his other novels." (James 285)   It also has an excellent plot backed by an expert use of literary techniques.   One technique Hawthorne used was borrowed solely from drama: the use of the aside.   Reverend Arthur Dimmesdale delivers an aside in the midst of the action in chapter three, incorporating the reader into his personal thoughts and feelings directly.   Many other things in The Scarlet Letter weren't so direct, though.   Typically, Hawthorne left the reader implying events by being vague and not answering posed questions.   An example of this technique is through the women's discussion about Hester Prynne in chapter one.   But, among all of his techniques used in The Scarlet Letter, Hawthorne truly mastered only one.   He refined the art of symbolism.   Symbolism is found throughout all of The Scarlet Letter.   Nearly every person or object is symbolic of some other thing or idea.   The scarlet letter, the black glove Dimmesdale leaves on the scaffold, and the scaffold itself all have deeper significance.   This makes the theme of The Scarlet Letter even more ever-present.   It aids in illustrating the true intolerance and hypocrisy of Puritan customs. At first reading, one might safely say that the scarlet letter means "Adulteress."   Although this is partially correct, it lacks in-... ...tely mastered. Works Cited Bruckner, Sally.   "The Scarlet Letter."   Masterplots.   Vol. 10 Ed. Frank N. Magill. Pasadena, California: Salem, Press, 1996.   5849-51. Feidelson, Jr., Charles.   "Hawthorne as Symbolist."   Hawthorne.   Ed. A.N. Kaul. Englewood Cliffs, New Jersey:   Prentice-Hall, Inc., 1996.   64-71. James, Henry.   "Densely Dark, with a Spot of Vivid Color."   The Scarlet Letter.   Ed. Norton Critical.   1978.   287-91. Van Doren, Mark.   "The Scarlet Letter."   Hawthorne.   Ed. A.N. Kaul.   Englewood Cliffs, New Jersey: Prentice-Hall, Inc., 1966.   129-40. Winters, Yvor.   "Maule's Curse, or Hawthorne and the Problem of Allegory."   Hawthorne. Ed. A.N. Kaul.   Englewood Cliffs, New Jersey: Prentice-Hall, Inc., 1966. 11-24. Ziff, Larzer.   "The Ethical Dimension of 'The Custom House.'"   Hawthorne.   Ed. A.N. Kaul.   Englewood Cliffs, New Jersey: P2

Macbeth †Discuss the ways in which the play presents to us the picture Essay

Discuss the ways in which the play presents to us the picture of a man caught between the promptings of his worldly ambition and an acute awareness of moral and religious values. The tragedy of Macbeth is that we watch the downfall of a great man because of a flaw in his character. The play begins with the description of the battle between the Scottish forces led by Macbeth and Banquo, and the rebels led by Macdonald and the traitor Cawdor, and the Norwegian forces. The captain says, â€Å"brave Macbeth – well he deserves that name†, and describes how he mercilessly beat of the rebels and the Norwegians against the odds. He is a hero among the king’s court, and as he later says, he â€Å"hath brought golden opinions from all sorts of people†. However, even at this early stage, we see an undesirable side of the character, as described by the bloody captain; he says that Macbeth and Banquo fought so viciously that they â€Å"meant to bathe in reeking wounds, or memorise another Golgotha†. This reference to Golgotha would have had a much greater impact on the deeply Christian audience of the early 17th Century, when everyone would have known that this was the name of the hill on which Jesus was crucified. Therefore, with this reference Shakespeare must be aiming to show that Macbeth is not all good, and that although he is a brilliant general, and the hero of Scotland, he is also ruthless, and bloody. However, this is not the main flaw that is what brings about Macbeth’s destruction, his greatest flaw is â€Å"vaulting ambition which o’erleaps itself, and falls on th’other†, and Shakespeare introduces this in Act 1, scene 3. The witches have already declared in scene 1, that they will next come together Upon the Heath. There, to meet Macbeth. so when they appear in thunder (rather then lightening or rain), on the heath we know that they are there to meet Macbeth. We also know from their conversation that precedes Macbeth’s entrance that they are very malicious; the first witch has vowed to sail to out to a ship called the Tiger to stop its captain from sleeping, and to keep the ship almost wrecked for 567 days, all because the captain’s wife wouldn’t give her a chestnut, while the second witch has been â€Å"killing swine†, presumably for fun. This gives a sense of dramatic irony when the witches tell Macbeth of his future, and he assumes that these predictions are going to be to his benefit, but we know that the witches are malicious, and are out to destroy Macbeth. He does not realise this until Act 5 scene 5, when he â€Å"begin(s) to doubt th’equivocation of the fiend, that lies like truth†. The ambition that I was talking about is introduced when the witches greet Macbeth first with a title that everyone knows he has, then with a title that the audience knows he has, but he does not, and finally with the greatest title of all. To this, Macbeth â€Å"start(s), and seem(s) to fear†, and so shows us that he had a guilty conscience, and suggests that he had long been harbouring a deep desire to become king, even before he met the witches. This means that the predictions have a huge effect on him, and begin to take over his mind. Therefore, over the next few scenes, we see the conflict in himself between his ambition, and his conscience. His personality becomes divided, and becomes very confused. He is spurred on by his wife, but then he didn’t have to tell her about the witch’s predictions, as he must have known that she would encourage him to do something rash. And the fact that he did shows that much of him wants her to encourage him towards a terrible deed, Whose horrid image doth unfix (his) hair And make (his) seated heart knock at his ribs Against the use of nature but yet he is â€Å"too full o’th’milk of human kindness† to be able to decide for himself whether or not to kill Duncan. You may note that he says that this image is â€Å"against the use of nature† this refers to the idea of there being a natural order of things, which would be totally upset, and turned on its head by regicide. The aside in Act 1 scene 3 shows how his feelings are in turmoil, and how he has become confused; each line of thought ends with a paradox, such as â€Å"nothing is, but what is not†. He then moves on to hope that â€Å"chance may crown him without (his) stir†, and concludes that he will let whatever happens happen. However, only a scene after this, moments after declaring his allegiance to Duncan, he hears that Malcolm is to be the heir to the throne, and says that this â€Å"is a step on which (he) must fall down, or else o’erleap†. However he is partly so horrified at his own thoughts, that he asks the stars not to let light see his â€Å"black and deep desires†, but he also wants this because he wants to get away with the deed that is lurking at the back of his mind. He obviously realises that his ideas about regicide are very wrong, and he judges himself severely. However, the next scene involves Macbeth and his wife, and in it, we see how with very little persuasion, only a few hints and double meanings, she is able to quickly persuade him to kill Duncan. She tells him to â€Å"look like th’innocent flower, but be the serpent under’t†, as if he needed tips in how to deceive and equivocate. I say this because in scene 4, he publicly declared his loyalty to Duncan, and then a few lines later (in an aside) begins to show signs that the idea of murder is building up inside his head. Shakespeare deliberately puts these lines close together to mark the contrast between his outward appearance, and his inner feelings. It is ironic that Macbeth’s appearance, and feelings should be so different, and so treacherous, when Duncan is on stage, and in the same scene as he claimed â€Å"there’s no art to find the mind’s construction in the face.† However, his inner conflict is shown in scene 7, when he debates with himself, and identifies what is stopping him, and what is driving him on. This soliloquy has a great dramatic importance, because it shows just how tormented Macbeth is by the predictions of the witches and his ambition, in contrast to the awareness of how wrong the murder would be. He begins by saying that he would skip the afterlife if only it meant that he could succeed in becoming king. This is a measure of just how ambitious he is; he is a man who is always aware of the afterlife, he mentions it so often, yet says here that he would rather be successful in this one act, than live for ever at God’s side. He then begins to state the arguments against murder, beginning with the knowledge that the murderer will have justice eventually. He says that he shouldn’t kill him because he is his relation, king and host. He then uses very vivid and apocalyptic imagery to describe how Duncan’s virtues will â€Å"plead like angels against† his own lesser virtues, in heaven, because Duncan is such a saintly king. This implies that Macbeth does not think that highly of himself, because he recognises that Duncan is a far better king than he ever could be, and is a far better person than he. The image of the â€Å"naked newborn babe striding the blast† is another example of how vivid Macbeth’s imagination is, while giving another reason not to carry out the murder; the pity that he should feel for the old man. This is the most powerful reason for me, because of the way it is explained, and because I know how the murder will torment Macbeth and his wife for the rest of their lives. Therefore, Macbeth undergoes the change from a larger-than-life general, who is the hero of Scotland, to the guiltily ambitious thane, to the morally self-critical host, and then finally, in the rest of this scene, he turns into a poodle of his wife, and lets all his good sense be knocked down a combination of their ambition, and decides to kill Duncan. Act 2 sees Macbeth carrying out the murder of Duncan (offstage). This alienates him from the audience, so that whereas in Act 1 we saw everything about him, including all of his inner conflict, he is now distanced from the audience. This idea is also present scene when the murderers come on; he mentions that they have already spoken on the subject of Banquo’s murder, and so that what the audience may have thought was just another dark thought in the back of his mind, suddenly is a reality. Thus, Shakespeare creates a sort of tension between the audience and Macbeth, because they no longer respect him. This process of alienation continues, and worsens as the play continues, and reaches its peak in Act 4, scene 2, in which Macduff’s â€Å"castle is surprised, his wife and babes savagely slaughtered. This happens on stage, and the horror of infanticide would shock any audience, and so make them hate and recoil from Macbeth. I think that to a modern day audience, this murder condemns Macbeth, because child killings for their parent’s â€Å"crimes† is a terrible thing, and in modern society there is little worse. However, in the early 17th Century, there had been no Civil War, or French Revolution, so people still believed that kings were sacred, and had been put there by God. This meant that regicide was not only murder, but also treason, and an act against God, and the natural order, so was a deeply sacrilegious thing to do. The relationship between Macbeth and his wife deteriorates in a similar way to the relationship between him and the audience; in Act 1, they were â€Å"partners in greatness†, with her spurring him on to further achievements, but by Act 3, scene 2, she asks, â€Å"why do you keep alone?† but it is too late, and they continue to drift apart, and do not speak to each other after Act 3, scene 4. This deterioration of all of Macbeth’s relationships characterises his descent form the â€Å"most worthy thane† that we see at the beginning of the play, into the â€Å"abhorred tyrant† at the end. He cuts himself off from everything worthwhile in life because of his selfishness. In Act 4, scene 1, he seeks out the witches because he longs know what more lies in store for him. Now that all three of their original predictions have come true, he has nothing left to hang on to, and his ambition is restless. We already know how great his ambition is, so this may explain why he is so desperate to know more. However, when he goes to the witches this time, their predictions are not about his future successes, but instead are about his downfall. The speech in which he begs them for answers shows just how low he has sunk: His first words are â€Å"I conjure† this shows that he is using the language of witchcraft, and so is evil. There was another reference of this sort, when he said, â€Å"so foul and fair a day I have not seen†, as opposed to the witches, who said â€Å"fair is foul, and foul is fair†, but he wasn’t dabbling in witchcraft then, and perhaps that speech was only intended to reinforce the idea that throughout this play, all is not as it seems. He then says that if he gets his way, he is prepared for corn and trees to be blown down, so that there would be famine and destruction in nature. For castles, which were then the definition of stability, and strength, especially for kings, to fall down killing their warders, and for palaces and pyramids, which were more splendid side of being a monarch, to fall down. Finally, he says that the seeds of all life can cease to live, and destruction can continue until it grows tired of destroying, if it means he can find out about his future. This shows that he has completely lost his earlier sense of right and wrong and of his importance in the world, because of his terrible solipsism. In Act 1, he was able to realise that he shouldn’t kill Duncan, because Duncan was a better person than him, and a better king. But by this stage, he has lost all sense of proportion, and is just desperate. He says, â€Å"for mine own good all causes shall give way†, and seems to be so much engrossed in solipsism, that he refuses to acknowledge that other people exist. Soon after this, he revisits the witches, and then goes on to murder all Macduff’s children. This is a good example of how he changes through the play, and how his ambition has got the better of his awareness of right and wrong. However, this does not meant that his awareness of moral and spiritual values is dead; we can see that his imagination is still very active, and that is why his murder of Duncan affects him so deeply. In Act 1 Lady Macbeth told him to â€Å"consider it not so deeply† after he was terrified by his inability to say â€Å"amen†, but yet this is the type of thing that haunts him to the end of his life, and drives him to isolate himself from everything that he holds dear. Once he knows that he has â€Å"forsaken the life to come†, he cuts himself off from all moral and spiritual values, and though he is still very aware of these values, he just ignores them. As Macbeth himself said, I am in blood Stepped in so far that should I wade no more, Returning were as tedious as going o’er. In this horrific and apocalyptic imagery, he conveys that he might as well continue to be bad, rather than admit his mistakes, and try to be forgiven. This idea is repeated, when the doctor says that the patient must help itself to be healed from a disease of the mind, and he basically says that he can’t be bothered with this. He has a deeply troubled mind, but yet his pride stops him from admitting that he ever made a mistake. By Act 5, scene 3, he knows that it is over, and begins to mourn himself. He says, again with imaginative imagery, that his way of life is slowly dying, And that which should accompany old age, As honour, love, obedience, troops of friends, I must not look to have.