Good Day. Shiau Yin here. (154568) --- (1st entry)
Our group members, whole-heartedly, decided to focus on the scene of the witches. I myself have always loved the elements of the supernatural.
As I was not able to buy the novel (cause coincidently it was out of stock in both Borders and MPH); Therefore, I decided to just flip through and read about the scenes of the witches from the online sources.
After the initial stage of hating the novel for being long-winded, I notice that I really like the way Shakespeare has written how the witches speak....
For example: (ACT IV, SCENE I.)
Round about the cauldron go
In the poison'd entrails throw.
Toad, that under cold stone
Days and nights has thirty-one
Swelter'd venom sleeping got,
Boil thou first i' the charmed pot.
In the poison'd entrails throw.
Toad, that under cold stone
Days and nights has thirty-one
Swelter'd venom sleeping got,
Boil thou first i' the charmed pot.
Fillet of a fenny snake,
In the cauldron boil and bake;
Eye of newt and toe of frog,
Wool of bat and tongue of dog,
Adder's fork and blind-worm's sting,
Lizard's leg and owlet's wing,
For a charm of powerful trouble,
Like a hell-broth boil and bubble.
In the cauldron boil and bake;
Eye of newt and toe of frog,
Wool of bat and tongue of dog,
Adder's fork and blind-worm's sting,
Lizard's leg and owlet's wing,
For a charm of powerful trouble,
Like a hell-broth boil and bubble.
Scale of dragon, tooth of wolf,
Witches' mummy, maw and gulf
Of the ravin'd salt-sea shark,
Root of hemlock digg'd i' the dark,
Liver of blaspheming Jew,
Gall of goat, and slips of yew
Silver'd in the moon's eclipse,
Nose of Turk and Tartar's lips,
Finger of birth-strangled babe
Ditch-deliver'd by a drab,
Make the gruel thick and slab:
Add thereto a tiger's chaudron,
For the ingredients of our cauldron.
Witches' mummy, maw and gulf
Of the ravin'd salt-sea shark,
Root of hemlock digg'd i' the dark,
Liver of blaspheming Jew,
Gall of goat, and slips of yew
Silver'd in the moon's eclipse,
Nose of Turk and Tartar's lips,
Finger of birth-strangled babe
Ditch-deliver'd by a drab,
Make the gruel thick and slab:
Add thereto a tiger's chaudron,
For the ingredients of our cauldron.
When I read through them, I have a lot of problem pronouncing a lot of the words. (For the first time in my life, I was pronouncing the text with a very Chinese accent.)
But I like how the script is written like an incantation, like a lyric to a song that we can song to. It takes a really creative mind to create such a wonderful creation. Although I might not enjoy some parts of how the way Shakespeare has written this novel, but for the witches’ scene, I think he did such wonderful justice towards it. Although I might understand the incantation, but still, I feel that it is itself a piece of wonderful poem or song.
In Act 1, Scene 3, I am very curious as to why Banquo says the witches were portrayed as hideous creature.
By each at once her chappy finger laying
Upon her skinny lips: you should be women,
And yet your beards forbid me to interpret
That you are so
Upon her skinny lips: you should be women,
And yet your beards forbid me to interpret
That you are so
I makes me wonder why witches can’t be pretty and sexy yet dangerous but instead to be portrayed by Shakespeare to be such ugly creature. Even the videos that Nik Musaini was able to find in Youtube also features creepy, ugly looking witches. I wonder if there is a reason why people portray them as so. But that’s just me.
P.s:
Today, I will be able to receive the novel from a friend. Therefore, I promise to brush up on my reading with the speed of light…^-^
I have mentioned to a classmate of yours that Shakespeare is a genius for starting the play with the witches scene. Supernatural elements never fail to attract mere mortals like us into getting to know more.
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