Gan Shiau Yin (154568) - 10th post
I love the Five Weird Sister!!!!
After 3 years of doing group works with different people in our batch, I have to say that until now this is the best group ever!....We support each other all through the first meeting towards the last. We work as a team. While we are doing our meeting, we play together, joke together, eat together and bully together. There is no back stabs, no finger pointing, and no fighting. Only good steady support all the way.
I have no idea why we are so sync together. But it is amazing that we would all have the same idea (or slightly the same idea) and are able to think alike in so many ways.
Even when we had to do a video, the first thing we agreed on is to do the witches scene.
Thank you, Ms Dzelfa for giving me this opportunity to be with my wonderful weird sisters and thank you to my weird sisters for backing me up when I am drowning because of some other matters.
It's the best group work member that I ever have!
Love you guys sooooo much!...Weird Witches all the way!!!
Showing posts with label GAN SHIAU YIN. Show all posts
Showing posts with label GAN SHIAU YIN. Show all posts
Sunday, 3 June 2012
Girls, We Run the World!!!
Gan Shiau Yin (154568) - 9th post
A translated Chinese saying : "A Hero cannot pass through the obstacles in the form of a beautiful woman"
Think of Cleopatra, Elizabeth I, Queen Victoria etc... All those wonderful, powerful and influential women. I think Lady Macbeth should be one of them.
Woman is such a wonderful creation. Old Chinese aunty always say that woman should follow the men or that a woman's place is in the kitchen. In this age, people are slowly discarding this thinking, but there are still some Chinese aunty that hold true to this thinking. It does make me wonder why.
In the KL life, I think that this thinking should not exist. In KL, both the husband and wife will work to support their family, but why is it that woman should still clean the house and do the laundry when they are now working side by side with their husbands.
Look at Act 1 Scene 7, where Lady Macbeth has to push Macbeth to stay with the plan. If it was not because of Lady Macbeth, I believe that Macbeth might not be able to achieve greatness as the King of Scotland.
A translated Chinese saying : "A Hero cannot pass through the obstacles in the form of a beautiful woman"
Think of Cleopatra, Elizabeth I, Queen Victoria etc... All those wonderful, powerful and influential women. I think Lady Macbeth should be one of them.
Woman is such a wonderful creation. Old Chinese aunty always say that woman should follow the men or that a woman's place is in the kitchen. In this age, people are slowly discarding this thinking, but there are still some Chinese aunty that hold true to this thinking. It does make me wonder why.
In the KL life, I think that this thinking should not exist. In KL, both the husband and wife will work to support their family, but why is it that woman should still clean the house and do the laundry when they are now working side by side with their husbands.
Look at Act 1 Scene 7, where Lady Macbeth has to push Macbeth to stay with the plan. If it was not because of Lady Macbeth, I believe that Macbeth might not be able to achieve greatness as the King of Scotland.
An Everyday Masquarade Ball
Gan Shiau Yin (154568) - 8th post
I would like to continue with Fatin's post about the above phrase. I am able to relate to this after I came to study in UPM.
When I was going into my form 4 years, I remembered my mother's advice, "Be careful when choosing your friend". During that time, I was going to study in the Art class, so I thought she meant that I should not befriend those who have discipline problem.
But after coming to study in UPM, I finally understood what those words meant. I am able to relate it to Macbeth's line above. This is because in this world everyone wears a mask. Everyone wears a different mask with a different person and for a different purpose.
I myself learn to create a mask for a different occasion. I am childish when I am with my parents. I am flirty when I am with Sharmila, Faizah and Nisa (from the Hats). I am bossy when I am with the other four weird sister. I am professional when I am doing my micro teaching. I am polite when I talk to my elders and my educators. I am unsure how many masks do I wear throughout my life, but I am sure that I will continue to create more mask for every new situation and new individuals that I would meet in the future.
Everyone wears a mask. I wear a different mask so that I can blend into others' life. I have met some people that wears a mask to hide the ugliness underneath. Only now did I realized that my mom's advice meant and the phrase "False face must hide what the false heart doth know". It meant that I should be careful when looking for a friend because there a some who will stab you and use you and leave you when you have no value to them.
I have met a few people like that and I think it is actually a necessity for all that we wear a different mask because :
1. we are a collective culture so we cannot live alone
2. it is impossible for everyone to like you and you to like everyone
So I have compared our life with an ongoing masquerade ball t
False face must hide what the false heart doth know
I would like to continue with Fatin's post about the above phrase. I am able to relate to this after I came to study in UPM.
When I was going into my form 4 years, I remembered my mother's advice, "Be careful when choosing your friend". During that time, I was going to study in the Art class, so I thought she meant that I should not befriend those who have discipline problem.
But after coming to study in UPM, I finally understood what those words meant. I am able to relate it to Macbeth's line above. This is because in this world everyone wears a mask. Everyone wears a different mask with a different person and for a different purpose.
I myself learn to create a mask for a different occasion. I am childish when I am with my parents. I am flirty when I am with Sharmila, Faizah and Nisa (from the Hats). I am bossy when I am with the other four weird sister. I am professional when I am doing my micro teaching. I am polite when I talk to my elders and my educators. I am unsure how many masks do I wear throughout my life, but I am sure that I will continue to create more mask for every new situation and new individuals that I would meet in the future.
Everyone wears a mask. I wear a different mask so that I can blend into others' life. I have met some people that wears a mask to hide the ugliness underneath. Only now did I realized that my mom's advice meant and the phrase "False face must hide what the false heart doth know". It meant that I should be careful when looking for a friend because there a some who will stab you and use you and leave you when you have no value to them.
I have met a few people like that and I think it is actually a necessity for all that we wear a different mask because :
1. we are a collective culture so we cannot live alone
2. it is impossible for everyone to like you and you to like everyone
So I have compared our life with an ongoing masquerade ball t
Woman....Born or made to be such a b****?
Gan Shiau Yin (154568) - 7th Post
Before I continue, I would like to say sorry for the "B" word....But I couldn't think of a word that would make it sound "right"....Today I had a female friend (A) who had some problem with another of her female friend (B)....They started fighting because B started using not very good language to talk to her, and A got angry and reply with the same attitude....and they had a really really big big fight about it.....
This A's problem started to make me think about woman and some of their B-ness attitude.
Then, I remembered about Queen Ravenna from "Snow White and the Huntsman".
After that I started thinking if there was a reason that Lady Macbeth was sooooooo evil (others opinion but not mine) in the play. I believe that every human are born with a pure heart, but along the way of growing up, something must have happen that made them turn evil.
For example, Queen Ravenna had a really bad experience when she was young. Her family was killed when she was young, and her previous husband treated her like trash....so as a result, she values her beauty because it is also a source of her magic...but even if she is evil to her subjects, she still values her brother.
This makes me wonder if there was a history behind Lady Macbeth's past that made her the way she is.
It also leads me to wonder about the B-ness attitude....I wonder about the different purpose that woman would use it for....For example, I think some might use it as a defense for their fragile heart,
others might use it to show their power or to express their anger....
Personally, I love it when a woman shows a B-ness attitude in life because it shows that they are confident with themselves and they are true to themselves. This is an attitude that I as slowly accepting into my life because of some emotional pain that was inflicted on me. I learned that I cannot please everyone and that some people are just flat out weird (and not in a good way). They might just not like you for no particular reason. Therefore, I learn to not always care too much about what people might say about me. Because three out of three times that I met someone I had a problem with, I learned from others that it was not because by me. A big majority of everyone else had the same problem with their attitude. So I learn to not always second guess myself.
But my friend's, A, cause me to rethink about the B-ness attitude that I am slowly accepting into my life. It reminded me when I was at the receiving end of such an attitude.
I was made to accept the B-ness attitude because of what I had experience....But I wonder if Lady Macbeth whom I adore is a born B or is she made into one?
Bottom line, I believe that she is made into one, because at the end of the play, she felt guilty about all the bad things that she had done. If she was a born B, then she would definitely not feel any hint of remorse nor guilt. But that's just my thought on the matter.
Before I continue, I would like to say sorry for the "B" word....But I couldn't think of a word that would make it sound "right"....Today I had a female friend (A) who had some problem with another of her female friend (B)....They started fighting because B started using not very good language to talk to her, and A got angry and reply with the same attitude....and they had a really really big big fight about it.....
This A's problem started to make me think about woman and some of their B-ness attitude.
Then, I remembered about Queen Ravenna from "Snow White and the Huntsman".
After that I started thinking if there was a reason that Lady Macbeth was sooooooo evil (others opinion but not mine) in the play. I believe that every human are born with a pure heart, but along the way of growing up, something must have happen that made them turn evil.
For example, Queen Ravenna had a really bad experience when she was young. Her family was killed when she was young, and her previous husband treated her like trash....so as a result, she values her beauty because it is also a source of her magic...but even if she is evil to her subjects, she still values her brother.
This makes me wonder if there was a history behind Lady Macbeth's past that made her the way she is.
It also leads me to wonder about the B-ness attitude....I wonder about the different purpose that woman would use it for....For example, I think some might use it as a defense for their fragile heart,
others might use it to show their power or to express their anger....
Personally, I love it when a woman shows a B-ness attitude in life because it shows that they are confident with themselves and they are true to themselves. This is an attitude that I as slowly accepting into my life because of some emotional pain that was inflicted on me. I learned that I cannot please everyone and that some people are just flat out weird (and not in a good way). They might just not like you for no particular reason. Therefore, I learn to not always care too much about what people might say about me. Because three out of three times that I met someone I had a problem with, I learned from others that it was not because by me. A big majority of everyone else had the same problem with their attitude. So I learn to not always second guess myself.
But my friend's, A, cause me to rethink about the B-ness attitude that I am slowly accepting into my life. It reminded me when I was at the receiving end of such an attitude.
I was made to accept the B-ness attitude because of what I had experience....But I wonder if Lady Macbeth whom I adore is a born B or is she made into one?
Bottom line, I believe that she is made into one, because at the end of the play, she felt guilty about all the bad things that she had done. If she was a born B, then she would definitely not feel any hint of remorse nor guilt. But that's just my thought on the matter.
1st Video vs 2nd Video
Gan Shiau Yin - 154568 (6th post)
Hmmmm.....understanding the video......I would guess that both times I have different understanding of the video....For the first video, it was a bit longer so definitely I was able to understand some part of the story...I know that there are three witches that is describe as ugly that Banquo was not able to recognize them as women.....I know that the witches' master is Hecat and that the witches fear her...I know that Macbeth is very demanding when asking for his own prophecy...For the second video, the scene was very short, so I was not able to understand as much as the first video...But I was able to realize that it was in a way a premonition about the whole story of Macbeth....and I also learn that Graymalkin and Paddot were actually the familiar animals of the witches....So all in all, I did learn something different about the video process.
Hmmmm.....understanding the video......I would guess that both times I have different understanding of the video....For the first video, it was a bit longer so definitely I was able to understand some part of the story...I know that there are three witches that is describe as ugly that Banquo was not able to recognize them as women.....I know that the witches' master is Hecat and that the witches fear her...I know that Macbeth is very demanding when asking for his own prophecy...For the second video, the scene was very short, so I was not able to understand as much as the first video...But I was able to realize that it was in a way a premonition about the whole story of Macbeth....and I also learn that Graymalkin and Paddot were actually the familiar animals of the witches....So all in all, I did learn something different about the video process.
Persona Poem
Gan Shiau Yin (154568) - 5th post
This dedicate this poem to Lady Macbeth. She is one the character that I like (at the beginning of the story). The other characters that I like is the Three weird witches. My final decision to go with Lady Macbeth for this poem is because of Queen Ravenna in the movie "Snow White and the Huntsman". She was so evil that I was reminded again of Lady Macbeth when she was in her evil glory. So here goes:
This dedicate this poem to Lady Macbeth. She is one the character that I like (at the beginning of the story). The other characters that I like is the Three weird witches. My final decision to go with Lady Macbeth for this poem is because of Queen Ravenna in the movie "Snow White and the Huntsman". She was so evil that I was reminded again of Lady Macbeth when she was in her evil glory. So here goes:
Lady Macbeth,
Strong, Beautiful, Manipulative and Brilliant
A inspiration to all feminist female,
Who loves power, the feeling of achievement and being acknowledge for the strength
Who hates Macbeth's kindness, weak will and strange behavior,
Who wants her husband to achieve greatness, achieve her own acknowledgement and the greatness of Scotland
Resident in Shakespeare's Tragedy Play, "Macbeth"
Lady Macbeth.
Sunday, 27 May 2012
Fate and Prophecy
Gan Shiau Yin (154568) --- (4th entry)
Prophecy. Fate.
These words have been crossing my mind for the last two days. I have related them to the two stories I have read. I have also compared them with my own culture.
In "Macbeth", the witches told Macbeth his fortune. As a result, he fought hard to achieve it. In "Oedipus Rex", Oedipus's father was told by a fortune teller that his son would kill him and marry the mother. As a result, he tried to fight against it. But in both stories, the prophecy came true.
I remembered last semester (while we were doing 'Oedipus' with Dr Habsah) about the different views I have heard on the topic of prophecy and fate. Some believe that we can escape our own fate. Others believe that we can change it.
Before I continue further, I would like to explain a bit about my culture as well as my experience in fortune telling. In Kelantan, there is still the practice of fortune telling. The way to read our fortune differs; some through reading our palms, some through tarot cards and some through our birth date. It is common that we hear people suggesting to others who are facing hard times to go seek a fortune teller. A fortune teller could be a human or they could also be a higher being. I am not sure where to find a human fortune teller, but I do know of where you can go to seek some advice from a higher being. Normal humans cannot see nor can they talk to any higher beings. This can only happen when there is a medium present. I can only explain a "medium" as a person that is chosen by the higher beings to be temporarily possessed so that they may give guidance to the normal human beings.
Since I was young, I did not like the idea of fortune telling. I was afraid that my future might not very bright. Or that if I know my future, it might never come true; like the Chinese saying "the secret of the heaven cannot be told/known" (A rough translation. This saying means that we are not suppose to know the secrets of heaven. If it is known, then it might not come true.)
But last semester break, my good friend, who was facing some trouble with her life, asked if I was interested to go see a fortune teller. And I said yes. The fortune teller was an old man. He asked for our birth date, month and year. Next, he flipped through an old looking book with Siamese writing. After that, he asked what we wanted to know.
My friend was first. The old man was very good. He told my friend what her problem was and told her not to worry as she will meet a person who will help her with her problem in a month time. A month later, what he said come true.
I was next. I had no idea what to ask, as I was not facing any trouble in my life. So my friend suggested that he told me about my general fortune/future. After a few seconds, he told me that my life was good. That "the god is looking after me" (His exact words). So until today, I still hold true to his words and believe that life is good to me and I can achieve whatever I want to achieve.
In a way, I do understand why Macbeth held on to the witches' prophecy and did whatever he thinks is necessary to make it happen. I also understand why Oedipus's father was trying very hard to make sure his fate never came true. I believe that humans need reassurance in their life. Human wants security in their life. Macbeth wanted the reassurance that he will be king and he got it from the witches' prophecy. As a result, Macbeth and Lady Macbeth took some brave steps to make their dream came true. In "Oedipus Rex". Oedipus' father wanted to be sure that he would not be killed by his son, therefore, he tried to kill Oedipus when he was just a baby.
Today, if a person ask my opinion on fate and fortune telling, I would tell them that I do believe in them. I believe that we can change our fate for the better or worse. If we ever did anything bad in this life time, we will definitely pay for it. We might not suffer the consequences in this life time, but we will definitely suffer during our next life time. Also, if a fortune teller tells me that my future might be dark, I will definitely take the necessary steps to make it a bit brighter. Although I am not sure if I would take the same drastic steps that Macbeth and his wife took in the novel.
Prophecy. Fate.
These words have been crossing my mind for the last two days. I have related them to the two stories I have read. I have also compared them with my own culture.
In "Macbeth", the witches told Macbeth his fortune. As a result, he fought hard to achieve it. In "Oedipus Rex", Oedipus's father was told by a fortune teller that his son would kill him and marry the mother. As a result, he tried to fight against it. But in both stories, the prophecy came true.
I remembered last semester (while we were doing 'Oedipus' with Dr Habsah) about the different views I have heard on the topic of prophecy and fate. Some believe that we can escape our own fate. Others believe that we can change it.
Before I continue further, I would like to explain a bit about my culture as well as my experience in fortune telling. In Kelantan, there is still the practice of fortune telling. The way to read our fortune differs; some through reading our palms, some through tarot cards and some through our birth date. It is common that we hear people suggesting to others who are facing hard times to go seek a fortune teller. A fortune teller could be a human or they could also be a higher being. I am not sure where to find a human fortune teller, but I do know of where you can go to seek some advice from a higher being. Normal humans cannot see nor can they talk to any higher beings. This can only happen when there is a medium present. I can only explain a "medium" as a person that is chosen by the higher beings to be temporarily possessed so that they may give guidance to the normal human beings.
Since I was young, I did not like the idea of fortune telling. I was afraid that my future might not very bright. Or that if I know my future, it might never come true; like the Chinese saying "the secret of the heaven cannot be told/known" (A rough translation. This saying means that we are not suppose to know the secrets of heaven. If it is known, then it might not come true.)
But last semester break, my good friend, who was facing some trouble with her life, asked if I was interested to go see a fortune teller. And I said yes. The fortune teller was an old man. He asked for our birth date, month and year. Next, he flipped through an old looking book with Siamese writing. After that, he asked what we wanted to know.
My friend was first. The old man was very good. He told my friend what her problem was and told her not to worry as she will meet a person who will help her with her problem in a month time. A month later, what he said come true.
I was next. I had no idea what to ask, as I was not facing any trouble in my life. So my friend suggested that he told me about my general fortune/future. After a few seconds, he told me that my life was good. That "the god is looking after me" (His exact words). So until today, I still hold true to his words and believe that life is good to me and I can achieve whatever I want to achieve.
In a way, I do understand why Macbeth held on to the witches' prophecy and did whatever he thinks is necessary to make it happen. I also understand why Oedipus's father was trying very hard to make sure his fate never came true. I believe that humans need reassurance in their life. Human wants security in their life. Macbeth wanted the reassurance that he will be king and he got it from the witches' prophecy. As a result, Macbeth and Lady Macbeth took some brave steps to make their dream came true. In "Oedipus Rex". Oedipus' father wanted to be sure that he would not be killed by his son, therefore, he tried to kill Oedipus when he was just a baby.
Today, if a person ask my opinion on fate and fortune telling, I would tell them that I do believe in them. I believe that we can change our fate for the better or worse. If we ever did anything bad in this life time, we will definitely pay for it. We might not suffer the consequences in this life time, but we will definitely suffer during our next life time. Also, if a fortune teller tells me that my future might be dark, I will definitely take the necessary steps to make it a bit brighter. Although I am not sure if I would take the same drastic steps that Macbeth and his wife took in the novel.
Friday, 25 May 2012
A Good Day for the Witches' outing.
Gan Shiau Yin (154568) -- (3rd entry)
As my group members have named ourselves the "Five Weird Sisters", there is no surprise that we have only chose make our video on the three witches in Macbeth.
It was fun shooting the video. The most memorable thing for me would be the first day of shooting, when all five weird sisters were walking from our kolej to the Kompleks Mahasiswa to shoot our video.
Along the way, we picked up some dried leaves, some short tree branches that looks like wands in Harry Potter as well as the ones that looks like the staff from Lord of the Rings, which was as tall as Zara. Everyone was looking at us, everyone including the people in cars that was just driving through as well as the students who were sitting on both sides of the Kompleks Mahasiswa and FBMK's bus stations.
It was very very funny scene. It was a pity we could not stop and take a picture of it, because all our members were embarrassed about it. I remembered Fatin saying to all of us that we should show our matrix card in case the security people thought that we were a group of psychos and should be arrested.
We chose the empty area between the DKAP and the Kompleks Mahasiswa because it was such a big place and there will be a less possibility of getting any modern vehicles in our scenes. While the 3 witches (Zara, Fatin and Nik) were preparing themselves, Nadiya (the victim) and I (the camera woman) decided to take some scenes of the victim trying to escape the witches. I think Nadiya was addicted to the idea of being a victim because she was suggesting to me that we go deeper into the trees as it look gloomy and scary. Also, she would always fall down for the scene where she was facing the witches before I had the chance to say "action".
It was definitely a good day. At the end of day, all of us have rashes on our body, especially Nadiya as she was the victim and had to roll around on the grasses. We even had a security guide telling us to leave the place at 7pm because the place was said to be very haunted.
It was truly an experience that have made the weird sisters closer than ever.
Ps; This memo was left for Zara, Nik and Nadiya because Fatin and I went to buy our dinner. The Five Weird sisters is no longer a nickname, but who we are. cheers!!! ^-^
As my group members have named ourselves the "Five Weird Sisters", there is no surprise that we have only chose make our video on the three witches in Macbeth.
It was fun shooting the video. The most memorable thing for me would be the first day of shooting, when all five weird sisters were walking from our kolej to the Kompleks Mahasiswa to shoot our video.
Along the way, we picked up some dried leaves, some short tree branches that looks like wands in Harry Potter as well as the ones that looks like the staff from Lord of the Rings, which was as tall as Zara. Everyone was looking at us, everyone including the people in cars that was just driving through as well as the students who were sitting on both sides of the Kompleks Mahasiswa and FBMK's bus stations.
It was very very funny scene. It was a pity we could not stop and take a picture of it, because all our members were embarrassed about it. I remembered Fatin saying to all of us that we should show our matrix card in case the security people thought that we were a group of psychos and should be arrested.
We chose the empty area between the DKAP and the Kompleks Mahasiswa because it was such a big place and there will be a less possibility of getting any modern vehicles in our scenes. While the 3 witches (Zara, Fatin and Nik) were preparing themselves, Nadiya (the victim) and I (the camera woman) decided to take some scenes of the victim trying to escape the witches. I think Nadiya was addicted to the idea of being a victim because she was suggesting to me that we go deeper into the trees as it look gloomy and scary. Also, she would always fall down for the scene where she was facing the witches before I had the chance to say "action".
It was definitely a good day. At the end of day, all of us have rashes on our body, especially Nadiya as she was the victim and had to roll around on the grasses. We even had a security guide telling us to leave the place at 7pm because the place was said to be very haunted.
It was truly an experience that have made the weird sisters closer than ever.
Ps; This memo was left for Zara, Nik and Nadiya because Fatin and I went to buy our dinner. The Five Weird sisters is no longer a nickname, but who we are. cheers!!! ^-^
Lady Macbeth : Such an Inspiration!
By : Gan Shiau Yin (154568) ---- (2nd entry)
Today, we went through Macbeth Act 1, Scene 4 to seven as well as Act 2 Scene 1.
While we were discussing about these scenes, I found myself falling in love with Lady Macbeth. I love that she knows what she wants in life. I love her feisty attitude. But most importantly, I love that she is a woman.
While we were discussing Lady Macbeth, we agree that she is cruel and ambitious character. The things she said, for example,
"I have given suck, and know
How tender 'tis to love the babe that milks me;
I would, while it was smiling in my face,
Have pluck'd my nipple from his boneless gums,
And dash'd the brains out, have I so sworn"
I agree that what she said is very, very, very, cruel. But when I look at it from another perspective, I see her as determined person. Lady Macbeth knows what what she wants in life and she goes all out to achieve her goals.
The more we read and discuss about Lady Macbeth in class in the early Acts and Scenes, the more I found myself thinking of how she brave and dangerous she is. While we were reading, I started to remember the reasons that made me feel in love with the Hong Kong dramas that focuses on the life of the emperor's concubines. Usually in these dramas, the concubines are cruel for killing their servants, bribing the royal doctors to cause miscarriages to other concubines etc etc.
But at the beginning of these dramas, the concubines are usually innocent, which is why i love them even more. In my own weird ways, I always root for the concubine who started off innocent but had to be cruel to survive in the palace. Whenever I watch these dramas I would always remember a phrase, "Hell have no fury like a woman's scorn".
These women who are cruel and dangerous and that makes me feel proud to be woman. It reminds me that even though people might see me as patient and weak, that they might be able to push me around; but if I was one day push to the corner, I believe that I can be more cruel that what they have ever did to me. In a weird way, these women gives me strength to believe that I am not someone they can push around whenever they like. It also gives me strength to believe that it is worth being patient in life and not cause trouble.
Which is way I love the way how Lady Macbeth is portrayed in these early Acts.
ps: It also reminds that I have to find fictitious novels on Anne Boleyn (Thanks to Fatin Nabila for introducing her to me.)
Today, we went through Macbeth Act 1, Scene 4 to seven as well as Act 2 Scene 1.
While we were discussing about these scenes, I found myself falling in love with Lady Macbeth. I love that she knows what she wants in life. I love her feisty attitude. But most importantly, I love that she is a woman.
While we were discussing Lady Macbeth, we agree that she is cruel and ambitious character. The things she said, for example,
"I have given suck, and know
How tender 'tis to love the babe that milks me;
I would, while it was smiling in my face,
Have pluck'd my nipple from his boneless gums,
And dash'd the brains out, have I so sworn"
I agree that what she said is very, very, very, cruel. But when I look at it from another perspective, I see her as determined person. Lady Macbeth knows what what she wants in life and she goes all out to achieve her goals.
The more we read and discuss about Lady Macbeth in class in the early Acts and Scenes, the more I found myself thinking of how she brave and dangerous she is. While we were reading, I started to remember the reasons that made me feel in love with the Hong Kong dramas that focuses on the life of the emperor's concubines. Usually in these dramas, the concubines are cruel for killing their servants, bribing the royal doctors to cause miscarriages to other concubines etc etc.
But at the beginning of these dramas, the concubines are usually innocent, which is why i love them even more. In my own weird ways, I always root for the concubine who started off innocent but had to be cruel to survive in the palace. Whenever I watch these dramas I would always remember a phrase, "Hell have no fury like a woman's scorn".
These women who are cruel and dangerous and that makes me feel proud to be woman. It reminds me that even though people might see me as patient and weak, that they might be able to push me around; but if I was one day push to the corner, I believe that I can be more cruel that what they have ever did to me. In a weird way, these women gives me strength to believe that I am not someone they can push around whenever they like. It also gives me strength to believe that it is worth being patient in life and not cause trouble.
Which is way I love the way how Lady Macbeth is portrayed in these early Acts.
ps: It also reminds that I have to find fictitious novels on Anne Boleyn (Thanks to Fatin Nabila for introducing her to me.)
Monday, 7 May 2012
Witches, Witches....Interesting Creatures
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…^-^
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