Tuesday, September 15, 2009

"Devil Hath Power..." Now that I have your attention...

“The devil hath power to assume a pleasing shape.” (Shakespeare Hamlet)

1. How do you interpret the above quote? In other words, how would you explain its message to someone else?


2. Who is playing the role of the devil in Macbeth? Are there several devils in this play? Briefly explain and support your answer.


3. Describe the evil that has occurred in the play so far. What is the pleasing shape it has taken on?


4. Is there any good or decency in this play so far? Which do you think will triumph at the end of the play-good or evil? Briefly explain your response.

54 comments:

  1. I think the quote means that the devil can come in any form, and usually in some form that would look appealing to us. For example, one may find an innapropriate act to look appealing, when really it just destroys us mentally or physically.

    In Macbeth, the witches and Lady Macbeth are playing the role of the devil. The witches proclaim that Macbeth will become powerfull and this prophecy causes him to kill Duncan so he can be Thane of Cawdor. Also, Lady Macbeth temps him into the murderous act by physically luring him to kill. That is a great example of the devil appearing in a pleasing shape.

    The good in macbeth appears in Macbeht himself. He may not seem good at first, but then you realize that he doesn't want to kill Duncan. At the end of the play, I think evil will triumph at the end because I have heard that Shakespeare's stories usually end in death.

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  2. I think this quote means, like Kate, that the devil can be in any form, no matter the outward appearance. Too often, we think as the devil as a little man walking around in a red suit with horns, but Shakespeare is saying that the devil can be incognito. The outward appearance of something does not determine its true identity. If you have an apple and start to bite into it, you may never know that there is a worm on the inside until you seem it. The devil is the same way. You may never notice it until it is too late.
    Several people in Macbeth play the role of the devil. Lady Macbeth is one of those characters. Her actions push Macbeth to kill Duncan, an evil act. She pushes people to do bad things. She is not very discreet about it, putting it out there in the open that Macbeth is not a man if he does not kill. Other devils in Macbeth could be the witches. Their prophecy aids Lady Macbeth to urge Macbeth to kill Duncan. Their inner-devil is more discreet, using an outwardly pleasing act to turn someone to do evil deeds.
    The evil that has occurred in the play so far is the murder of Duncan. It took on several pleasing images. One was manliness. Lady Macbeth told Macbeth that to be a man he had to kill. This manly image is a pleasing site, but when looked at deeper is evil. The other pleasing image is power. Lady Macbeth tells Macbeth to kill Duncan, so that he can have the throne. She is so power-hungry as to drive her husband to murder the King of Scotland.
    The only good in Macbeth so far is Macbeth’s attitude towards killing Duncan. At first he does not want to do it, resisting Lady Macbeth’s temptation. Eventually though he does give in to evil and commits the act. His first attitude gives hope to the viewer that good may eventually win out. Though the end result might be evil, good can still make its mark.

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  3. I agree with Kate A. This quote means that the devil can take on any shape, even if we may not know it. He is so powerful that he can turn into anything that is appealing to humans.
    There are several devils in Macbeth. Macbeth, Lady Macbeth, and the three witches all play the role of the devil in this play. The devil is in Macbeth because he chose to go through with the murder of King Duncan. Lady Macbeth also portrays the devil because she encouraged Macbeth to kill the king, and she also had no guilt about her husband murdering him. The witches play the role of the devil as well because they are the ones who started all of this disorder in the first place. Their entire role is to confuse and to cause chaos.
    The evil that has occurred in the play so far is the murder of King Duncan. The pleasing shape it has taken on is the fact that Macbeth would become king if he committed the act. Macbeth is a perfect example of a tragic hero because he sought after the pleasing shape of the devil. This will eventually lead to his downfall.
    I have to disagree with Kate A. about Macbeth being decent. The only decency present in this play so far is not truly decency. Macbeth was about to abstain from killing him, but then he was abetted to do it by his wife. If he had not killed the king, there would be some decency in his character; however, he murdered Duncan, therefore no decency can be found in Macbeth. Banquo is the only good character so far. He was skeptical about the witch’s prophecies and did not help Macbeth with the murder. He is the only honest and good character in the play. Evil will triumph at the end because Macbeth is a tragic hero; possessing the devil inside of him will ultimately lead to his defeat.

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  4. 1. I would say that the quote means that the devil, something evil and ugly beyond belief has godly power to change himself to become a more accepting person, animal, thing, etc.

    2. Lady Macbeth has the role of the devil because she talks Macbeth into killing another human.

    3. I do not quite understand this point. The evil, although it is not pleasing, is the dagger that Macbeth uses to kill Duncan.

    4. I feel that Duncan showed good in the play, also, I feel that good with triumph over evil partially because that always happens, and also because Macbeth is being questioned for Duncan's death. Soon, Macbeth will experience karma for killing as well as cheating fate.

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  5. I've always enjoyed how Shakespearean language can make everything seem so complicated even when it is not. My translation of "The devil hath power to assume a pleasing shape" is simply, "bad things don't always seem bad." The devil is a broad term, meaning all things evil - this can be actions, people, thoughts, feelings, all of it. Evil is a strong thing when it takes any of these forms. So strong, that it has the power to seem not so evil. Evil's "pleasing shape" can be a reward from the action, a mask hiding the person, or not knowing the consequences when it's just the thought or feeling. Whatever evil really is, it's also conniving and deceptive, and that is what Shakespeare is saying here.

    In Macbeth, I think it's safe to say that the devil is Lady Macbeth. Being a woman, she isn't a very suspicious character within the play, but the audience knows that she is up to no good. She convinces Macbeth that it's a good idea to murder his cousin, Duncan, who is the king, just so he can become king. That's the pure definition of deceptive! I hadn't thought of this initially but I suppose I have to agree with Kate as well and say that the witches take the roles of the devils too. They did give Macbeth the prophecy that set everything in motion, and it has been shown that they aren't exactly the nicest people. Their prophecy itself was the pleasing shape, it's just what had to happen to make it come true that was evil.

    So far, Macbeth has killed the king. He feels guilt and remorse for it, but the pleasing shape this devil takes is that it means that he becomes king since Duncan's sons fled the country. Everything fit into place, it's just now, Macbeth can never take back what he did, and he regrets it.

    I think the way Macbeth reacts to what he did is good. He obviously has some mortality, and I sympathize with him. But seeing how this is a tragedy, I definitely think evil will win. Shakespeare wouldn't quite be Shakespeare if everyone lived "happily ever after!"

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  6. I think the quote “The devil hath power to assume a pleasing shape” means that the devil has the power to come into your life as any way, shape, or form. It can come into your life as something pleasing to yourself personally, and it comes in this pleasing form to trick you .I think the role of the devil in this story is played both by Lady Macbeth and the three witches. The witches try to put the idea of murdering of King Duncan in Macbeth’s mind, so he can’t stop thinking about it. Lady Macbeth plays the devil because she urges Macbeth to kill King Duncan and eventually gets him to kill him. The evil that has gone on in Macbeth is the tempting of Macbeth. It was made pleasing because the thought of killing of Duncan was automatically associated with becoming King himself. The only good that I have seen in Macbeth so far is Macbeth at first resisting the idea of killing the king, but that is soon over-shadowed by Macbeth actually killing Macbeth. In the end I believe that evil will defiantly triumph over evil. It will triumph because this is a tragedy so something bad usually causes the downfall.

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  7. I think that this quote means that the devil takes shape into things that please people making people "side" with the devil.
    I think there are serveral devils in Macbeth. For instance, Lady Macbeth is a devil. She is a devil because she convinces Macbeth to kill another human (or humans.) Contrary to what all the other people say, I don't think the witches are devils because what did they do? We have only seen them once or twice so far and all they did was tell Macbeth that his sons would be king. Maybe they meant that his sons would be king because all of King Duncan's heirs would die. They never told Macbeth to kill Duncan. It was Lady Macbeth that did that. Another devil in Macbeth is, in my opinion, Duncan. It seems to me that he is a devil because he makes Macbeth want to kill him. He names his son the heir to the throne and this brings upon his own death.
    The evil that has taken place in this play is the killing of King Duncan. I don't think it has taken a pleasing shape. It seems as if everybody is abhorred by the murder.
    I don't think there has been good in this play up to this point. And in the end, I think good will triumph because if Macbeth is the tragic hero, his downfall is impending. That means no matter what, his demise will happen in the end.

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  8. This is another version of the classic saying don't judge a book by it's cover. You can't presume someone is good because they are pretty and visa versa. I think that this quote points to Lady Macbeth directly. She is kind to the king and her looks are nothing tht would suggest hostile, yet she is more of a devil than Macbeth by far! There is no good in this play so far with the exception of the role model Banqoue. I beleive that there will continue to be no good and that the evil of Macbeth's murder will prompt other evils much greater than this one.

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  9. I think what this quote means is that a devil or any evil can take form of what is most pleasing to people. For example what you think would be a nice and friendly person could actually be someone who is planning your doom without you realizing. In Macbeth, the devil took the form of loyalty to King Duncan. In other words Macbeth and Lady Macbeth were the evils that took the shape of loyal subjects to the king, but underneath were the murderous thoughts that planned his downfall.
    I believe that there are several devils in Macbeth. For one, Macbeth and Lady Macbeth together are devils, pretending to be loyal to the king when they are actually planning his murder right under his nose. Another evil would be the three witches. They are the driving force for Macbeth’s ambition of taking the throne. When speaking to Banquo they speak in riddles and enjoy making the world full of chaos and confusion. Lady Macbeth however is an evil all on her own for persuading Macbeth to kill the king when hearing of his second thoughts.
    The evil, as said before has taken one primary “shape”, for King Duncan that would be loyalty. He has basically entrusted his life with Macbeth, but Macbeth abused his trust and this resulted in King Duncan’s Murder. Another shape evil has taken would be love. Lady Macbeth is Macbeth’s wife and she is one thing he cares deeply about. Lady Macbeth though, saw this as an advantage and played this to her best.
    I do think that there is some good in this play. Macbeth having second thoughts would mean that he possesses some good in himself it is just weaker than the evil that resides in him. Ultimately, though I hope that good will triumph over evil in some way or another. But I aslo agree with MelanieA, Shakepeare wouldn't add a happily ever after lust for the heck of it.Also because King Duncan has been murdered and various things, evil will always leave a mark on this play.

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  10. I would explain the "devil hath power to assume a pleasing shape." by saying that not everything that someone thinks is good is really good. It could be something extremley horrible, but just wearing a mask. There are several devils in Macbeth such as Lady Amcbeth, Macbeth, and the witches. Lady Macbeth could is one devil because she comes in the shape of a sweet, innocent mother, when really she is partly responsible for the murder of Duncan. Macbeth is another devil because he looks like Duncans best friend, when really he actually is his worst enemy, because he ends up murdering Duncan. The Witches are certainly another devil, however, they do not put on a mask. They are evil beacuse they tricked Macbeth into thinking that he will be king. By saying that they unlocked a completley new person within Macbeth. One that would kill in order to have it their way.

    In the play so far, Macbeth showed one good trait. That trait is loyalty. He hesitates about killing Duncan. He wasn't fully willing to kill his best friend because of his greediness. In the end I think that evil with triumph over good because in all tradgic plays evil triumphs over good.

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  11. I would interpret this quote to mean that the devil can take shape of whatever is tempting you at the time, weather it be money or video games he can "appear" through those.
    The devils in Macbeth are the witches, these whitches lead Macbeth through the killing of Duncan and then play tricks on him with voices in his head.
    The evil that I see in the play is want or greed. Macbeth wants to be king so bad that he kills for it. The evil has taken the shape of the throne, which leads Macbeth to lust and greed.
    Banquo says, "So I lose none In seeking to augment it but still keep My bosom franchised and allegiance clear, I shall be counseled." This quote shows taht Banquo is a decent man. He is willing to honor Macbeth when Macbeth becomes king, and in the present, just as long as he does not do anything stupid and out of line. For instence killing Duncan.

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  12. 1. This quote could be saying that the devil takes the shapes of things that would most likely lure you into doing what he wants. It might appear perfect and without a defect, but in truth all that lies behind outside perfection is the inside of a devil. I would explain it as you should think things through before you just do it. If you only scan things you would see only the beautiful outside shell while in the inside a demon lurks.


    2. I think there are more than one things playing the devil right now. One is the throne. It appears so appeasing at the moment, a lure for a deadly trap. Also Lady Macbeth has some demon in her. Her incredible lust for the throne and power has taken over her better judgment and she lures and pressures Macbeth into murder. She sounds like a demon that is doing the devil's bidding.

    3. One evil that has occurred in the play is the lust for the throne. The lust for the throne has both blinded Macbeth and Lady Macbeth from seeing the real problem. Not only will they probably be caught, but they will live with the deed of killing someone who was loyal to them, betraying possibly the one person who trusted them the most. But because the throne is sitting there in front of their faces, shining like a copper penny in gloomy waters.


    4. I think that Macbeth still has a conscience so that is the good. He regrets what he did to Duncan once he went through with murdering him. I do think that Macbeth should suffer for his wrong doing though. I think that real justice, Banqou, might possibly be the one to discover Macbeth as the real murderer. I think that in the end justice will triumph because it is a Tragic Hero story.

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  13. To me the quote means that the devil can appear in any form and always disquises itself very well. The key to the devil's disquise is it knows our weaknesses. That's how I interpret the quote.
    In my opinion there are several devils in Macbeth because he is just being pushed to do wrong all the time. I think the first time the devil appeared as the three witches to plant the thought of murder in his Macbeths head. The form the devil holds now is Lady Macbeth because she just kept pushing and pushing to murder Duncan and now she thinks of the murder as nothing to be ashamed of.
    The pleasing shape the devil has taken is power and lust. When it took the form of power was when the witches fore told him to be Thane of Cawdor and then to be king. Now it is in the form of Lady Macbeth taunting him and questioning how much of a man he really is.
    The only decency I have seen is in Malcom, Banquo, and Donalbain. It seems to me that Macbeth can't keep his secret much longer and someone will find out and soon so I beleive that good will triumph

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  14. 1. To me this quote means that evil can be a very compelling thing. It can come in the form of what you truly desire and sway you to do evil things to get what you want. Evil can cloud your judgement. It means that though sometimes things look flawless, sometimes they are not what they seem.

    2. I think that one of the devils in Macbeth is Lady Macbeth because she is persuading Macbeth to commit a terrible crime. Her lust for power has taken over her and she will do anything no matter how terrible to get what she wants. Another shape the devil takes is the throne because it is what is compelling both Lady Macbeth and Macbeth to commit murder.


    3. Describe the evil that has occurred in the play so far. What is the pleasing shape it has taken on?
    The pleasing shape that evil has taken on is power. Power is often an evil thing. It compels the characters to take another's life. The idea of power takes over Macbeth and entices him to do things he would never do under other circumstances. It is the temptation and promise of power that is the true form of evil in the play so far.

    4. I think that the decency in the play so far is in Macbeth's conscience. I think that his conscience will take over and it will lead to his down fall. I believe that in the end justice will triumph because Macbeth's secret will be uncovered and the truth will be revealed.

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  15. I think the quote is saying that evil can come from the least expected places. That could be a small child with bad behavior or ice cream giving you a brain freeze. In Macbeth, evil takes many pleasent shapes. Lady Macbeth is a pretty woman, and Macbeth is a hero of war. The evil comes from underneath the surface. We see a woman and her husband when truly they are plotting for personal gain. In the end the evil will overcome the heroic aspects of these characters. This will happen because the characters themselves do not fully understand their evil and therefore can't control it.

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  16. 1. I believe this quote means that the devil has the power to appear in any shape or form. He can appear in any way to tempt people to follow him or do wrong things.
    2. In Macbeth, the devil is portrayed through the witches and Lady Macbeth. The three witches tempted Macbeth into killing Duncan so that he could be king. Even though it would be Macbeth that would reccieve the throne, Lady Macbeth was more obsessed with following through with the murder. She was the one who was more tempted by the witches which resulted in her going crazy and wanting to kill Duncan even more.
    3. I agree with Jessica when she said that power is the source of evil in Macbeth. The reason that Macbeth and mainly Lady Macbeth wanted to kill Duncan was so that Macbeth could be king and have all the power. With the thought of having all the power, Lady Macbeth and Macbeth will go through with just about anything to get what they want. So far, Macbeth has killed Duncan and everybody is starting to find out.
    4. The only decency in this play so far is the hesitation of Macbeth when planning to kill Duncan. His concience is telling him otherwise and after murdering Duncan, he regrets it. Lady Macbeth has been more of a vicious character in this play because she has been swallowed up by the evil. However, Macbeth has not, even though he killed the king.
    I think that in the end justice will triumph. Since this is a play about a trajic hero, Macbeth will be called for the murder and he will downfall. Macbeth will most likely have to pay for his actions, which will end in justice.

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  17. The quote above means that evil can appear, or be disguised in all forms. I can compare this idea to the concept of The Guilded Age, studied in History. The Guilded Age explains the sugar coated industry of the United States during the 1900s, i believe. From a non- U.S. citizen's viewpoint, the United States industry looked to be successful and thriving, but on the inside, the system was corrupt and slowly failing.

    There are several devils in the play. Lady Macbeth plays the main devil role because she appears normal to everyone, but really, she has a devious and secretive plot to assist Macbeth in the murder of King Duncan. The Witches are the other devils in the play. They represent an alliance with the devil because they practice magic, which is considered evil and unholy.

    The evil that has occured in the play so far was the murder of King Duncan by Macbeth. Macbeth took the pleasing shape of an innocent man when he was confronted by officials about the death. He appeared to be dumb - founded when he was informed of the death because he had already practiced what he was going to say. His reaction seemed to be logical enough to officials to believe, so they went on with the investigation.

    The only decency in the play so far has been Macbeth's regret and remorse over killing the king. I believe that evil will eventually win over good in this play because it is the story of a tragic hero, and a tradgedy usually ends with evil beating out good. In this case, Macbeth was the evil, but the good has not necessarily been determined yet.

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  18. 1) “The devil hath power to assume a pleasing shape.” (Shakespeare Hamlet) Is a quote that I seem to interpret into the meaning that, the devil, generally evil has a way to transform into shapes and things that please us as human; as something we enjoy and like. Like for example, a evil force such as smoking, is concealed under the ‘good feeling’ and ‘relaxing feel’ that comes from smoking, as human we enjoy good feelings and feeling calm.

    2) Currently in the play, Macbeth, many devils have appeared through out the first couple acts. The first set of ‘devils’ were the witches. Their ‘assumed pleasing state’, were their words, their prophecies. They drove Macbeth to have the ambition to have the throne. Another form of evil includes Lady Macbeth. She as a devil has assumed the shape of a woman. Woman at this time were considered to be innocent. From recent scenes, we can assume that Lady Macbeth is not innocent. Macbeth himself is not exactly a devil, but he can be considered evil. He is hidden under a mask; the mask that holds his loyalty to his king and kingdom.

    3) When describing the evil in the play so far, I would have to agree with Ruthie. The evil has taken on the shape of loyalty. The king, entrusted his life to Macbeth, because he believed that Macbeth was loyal to him. This as we have seen resulted with his death. Even so, I believe that evil has also taken on another shape, power for instance. Power appeals to all of us, as we are human. The lust for power is what drives people like Macbeth and Lady Macbeth to commit crimes.

    4) Currently in the play I have only seen decency within the character Banquo. Much like Bailey I do agree with him being skeptical and wary of the witches. As well he remained loyal to the king and did not participate in his murder. Decency for Macbeth cannot be really said, he did commit the murder of King Duncan. It was not like he was forced to and it was life or death. He chose to commit regicide for his ambitious dream for the throne. However if Macbeth was need to be labled with decency some way, it would mostly concern his regret of killing the king.

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  19. I think that this quote means that the devil comes in the appearance of the person the devil is trying to tempt. The devil can be anything that makes you or helps you do an act of evil or something you’re not supposed to do.
    I believe the role of evil in Macbeth is the three witch’s prophecy because that becoming King is something Macbeth wishes to become and the fact that he is destined to attain this position is Macbeth's "pleasing shape." This pleasing shape tempts Macbeth to murder King Duncan.
    In this play I think that good has come up as Banquo. He unlike Macbeth decided against dwelling on the witch's prophecy. I think that at the end of this play good will triumph over evil, because evil cannot hide forever and it will eventually be uncovered.

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  20. I would interpret the quote saying that, “The devil has power and could assume and type of person could be the devil, they may just be wearing what we have been calling and mask.” I would say that Lady Macbeth is playing the role of the devil in Macbeth, this is because I think without her they would have never gone through with the murder, and she really is in disguise from who everyone else thinks that she is. The evil that has occurred would be the murders of King Duncan and the other people Macbeth murdered, Lady Macbeth was trying to explain to Macbeth that this is a good thing because it will benefit him. I think the decency in this play would be the thoughts that Macbeth is thinking how his self-conscience is now getting to him and maybe even making him regret what he did. I also think the end of the play is going to be good, because I think there are starting to become hints now that Macbeth is really a good person, maybe just “hanging with the wrong crowd of people”.

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  21. I interpret this quote as being a temtation. This is saying that the devil has the power to trick you as best as it can. It can be something that is pleasing to you, or something that you would be afraid of. It can shapeshift and try to trick you to falling into a false sense of security. I think that Macbeth's "Devil" has come in the form of Lady Macbeth or the crown. The throne and the power were pleasing to him. He wanted that an dwent after it. This is a temptation. Also, Lady Macbeth is pleasing to him and he wants to do what she says. The only decency in this play so far is the king. Duncan has tried to please Macbeth by giving him the Thane of Cawdor but Macbeth wanted it all.

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  22. The quote “The devil hath power to assume a pleasing shape.” (Shakespeare Hamlet) means that the devil can take any shape or form and it can tempt us. The three witches and Lady Macbeth are playing the role of the devil as the witches tell Macbeth that he will be king, which tempted him. Lady Macbeth told him to kill Duncan and tempted him with a kiss. The evil that has occurred in the play is the murder of Duncan and it has taken the form of power for Macbeth. The good in the play is the doubt Macbeth has about killing Duncan. I think that good will triumph over evil as Macbeth is a tragic hero and Macbeth will most likely die.

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  23. I think that this quote mean that the devil, or the presence of evil, can come from where ever, whom ever, and how ever it sees fit. Now I'm not saying that the devil, or even evilness for that matter, is a thing that can actually control something as if it is alive, but more so I am saying that anything and anyone can be evil and their evilness can be sparked by anything in the world. I am a believer that in all evil their is some good and in all good their is some evil and this belief also backs up my point to evil being able to be anywhere and everywhere.

    In the Macbeth I think that right now multiple characters are playing the role of evil. One of these characters is Lady Macbeth. She is the most relevant motivation for Macbeth to kill King Duncan in the last days before the actual crime is committed. Another place where evil has found a dwelling place is in the characters of the three witches or other whys known as the three sisters. The witches are the ones who started Macbeth on this tirade for power, this sudden longing for control, and his sudden immorality to be able to go to extreme lengths to get it. Without the influential foundation that the witches contributed to the plot ''The Tragedy of Macbeth'' would be a completely different play. Now even though Macbeth was driven to commit this crime by the wrongful influence of other characters he can not be let off the hook. There is a plethora of evil lying within this character. The action alone of murder itself, no matter the reason, is evil to one of the highest levels. By Macbeth doing this and this alone-so without all the evil thoughts, pre-meditation of the crime, and allowing himself to be peer pressured by evil itself-he has himself to being one of the most evil characters of the plot so far.

    So far in this play the presence of decency or any form of goodness has been hard to identify but I do think that there has been some. I think that there was a little bit of goodness when Macbeth was remorseful of his wrong-doing after he killed Duncan. This does not by any means excuse his actions but that fact that he was conscience-stricken does give way for a little bit of decency in his character to shine through. In the end of the play whether good or evil will win is still a little unknown to me so I will have to read a little further to figure out the answer.

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  24. By the way, did anyone else pick up on the way that King Duncan opening himself up and giving his trust to certain people only ends up hurting him in the end. Like, when he gave his trust to the Thane of Cawdor, the Thane ended up being a traitor and he was sentenced to death. After his death Duncan even speaks of how he cannot believe that he put this much trust into someone that could be so unloyal. Then when he opens himself up to Macbeth he ends up getting murdered by someone in whom he trusted the most. In this play I think that loyalty is a motif but a motif in many forms. Showing us how some people have no fear and will give everyone the benefit of the doubt and also that loyalty and trust can come back and be the worst things that we ever did. Why would Shakespeare be telling us this??

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  25. This quote says that something very bad can be disguised to look like a good thing. For example, you might meet a person who is very kind and generous, but they turn out to be a serial killer. A couple examples of devils in Macbeth are Lady Macbeth and the Witches. The witches are devils because they tempt Macbeth to do bad things by telling him his prophesy. Lady Macbeth is a devil because she convinces Macbeth to do something he would not normally do (kill the king). So far in the play, evil has taken the shape of being a good host. It has also taken the shape of fate, by making it seem like it is fate that the king died, not Macbeth’s evil. Some good in the play is the fact that Macbeth feels guilt over the murders. I think in the end though, that evil will prevail and Macbeth will end up dying as a result, because this play is a tragedy.

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  26. The quote from Shakespeare’s Hamlet, “The Devil Hath power to assume a pleasing shape” refers to temptation. In the Bible, Satan, or the devil is said to be able to appeal to each and every person uniquely. In some cases, Satan is said to display what is wanted most by a person, but places it just out of reach. He takes the form of whatever is wanted most by an individual, and causes them to go through “hell” to reach it. Consequently, many will abandon their conscience, morals, principals, or ethics to obtain what pleases them, performing evil or immoral acts along the way.

    In another Shakespeare play, Macbeth, there are several devils according to this definition. Three witches plant the seeds of temptation in Macbeth’s head through alluring prophecies in act one. They “assume a pleasing shape” by worshiping him, and foretelling that he will become king. At first Macbeth is only curious about the meaning of the prophecy. However another “devil” in the play, Lady Macbeth, nourishes the witches’ seeds by persuading Macbeth to kill the current king in order to fulfill the prophecy, or obtain what Macbeth most wants. Macbeth gives in to the temptation and kills his king, Duncan. By committing this evil, he has only started a chain reaction of events that will drag him further away from what is good for him. Macbeth believes he has taken control of this evil, in the shape of the thrown, and completed his task to become king. In reality, the evil consumes him as long as he is tempted by mundane objects.

    There are several hints that evil is not the only aspect of the play. Macbeth is often haunted by his conscience which has continually told him not to be tempted or perform evil deeds. There are also several characters that have not been corrupted by the evil temptation, or greed, but have not yet been fully exposed to it. In the end good will win out as it usually does, but many will have to pay the ultimate price for their actions.

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  27. This quote means that the devil has the power to become something very pleasant and happy on the surface even though it is something evil inside. I think the devil is mainly disguised as Lady Macbeth. She can be very pleasant and welcoming and ladylike on the outside and in public. In private and with her husband she is very evil and plotting. She pressures her husband into killing the king when he tried to resist. Macbeth also has much evil inside him as well even though he has remorse. He did go through with killing Duncan and the plan was originally his. So far evil has occurred in the killing of King Duncan and the betrayal of trust. It has taken on the form of Lady Macbeth and Macbeth. I haven't seen very much good or decency thus far in the play, but I know that good wil overcome at the end. That is how a tragic hero's story works. They fall from greatness and royalty due to flaws and good prevails in the end. Macbeth is a classic tragic hero, so his story will end as all other stories do.

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  28. 1. I think that the above quote means simply that what is worst for us sometimes appears good or appealing, like the murder of King Duncan. It was shown to Macbeth by his wife as being good because he would get the throne.

    2. In Macbeth so far, I believe that there are many forms of the devil. One is the witches. They first planted the idea of the throne in Macbeth's head. Also, Lady Macbeth. She showed no mercy when she suggested that Macbeth kill the king. She summoned spirits to draw all womanly feelings out of her. This is not a nice, sweet lady, she is psychotic.

    3.The evil in the story appears as good when it takes the form of power and ambition. Lady Macbeth excuses murder because she was ambitious to have Macbeth on the throne. The murder is glorified in Macbeth's mind because it has the consequence of recieving the throne. Of course, murder is horrible, but it is disguised as being purely profitable.

    4. I think that the good and decency in the story is represented by Duncan and Banquo. Even Macbeth admits that Duncan was a good king for the people. I think that Banquo could also be used to symbolize good. He is Macbeth's right hand man, and he does not trust the witches' prophecies. I think that he might try to sway Macbeth in some way once he finds out what he has done.
    I think that eventually, the evil will trump goodness. Duncan was portrayed as being a good king, and in the first film we watched, he was wearing white, a symbol sometimes used to portray good. This early on, he has already been murdered, taken out of the picture. I think this foreshadows that evil will take over.

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  29. I think that this quote means that the devil has the power to appear in any form that it chooses to. It appears wherever it thinks is the most suitable, or the most unsuspected place. In Macbeth this occurs in Lady Macbeth. I personally do not think she seems like she would be an evil character at all, however she told Macbeth to kill Duncan. I think that the witches show evil somewhat because they did provoke Macbeth to become king, and they got his hopes up, but I don’t think they are the greatest form of evil in the play. The evil mainly has taken shape by taking over peoples common sense and judgment. Obviously it is a common sense thing that people aren’t supposed to kill other people. That’s where Macbeth first went wrong. Then what makes it even worse is that Duncan is his cousin, and has never done anything to upset him to badly. There is little decency so far, however one example is how after Macbeth killed Duncan he began to get very nervous. This shows that he knows that he did something wrong. I think that the evil will surpass the good, because like in the example of decency it is obvious that even though he realizes it was bad, it is much worse that he killed him in the first place.

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  30. I uderstood this quote to mean that the devil can take many different forms depending on the person. It will be whatever is best suitable for each individual. The most obvious devilish character is Lady Macbeth because of her desire to kill Duncan. The witches are also evil in the way that they are always trying to make things harder on other people and cause problems in their lives. Macbeth is the most "good" character. He feels terribly guilty for all his wrongdoings(killing Duncan). At the end of the play I think viewers will look at this in more of an evil approach because it is a tragedy.

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  31. I think the above quote means that the devil can appear as anything that pleases a human. That is why people can be blinded by evil; like Lady Macbeth for example. She is so hungry for power that she doesn't realize the consequences that may come of it. I'm not really sure if she even understands how horrible her act is. There are several characters that could be considered devils, for example, Macbeth, when he murders Duncan, Lady Macbeth, when she is convinced to murder Duncan, and the three witches. I think the main evil in this play so far is murder. It has taken the shape of power. Therefore, people will do whatever it takes to obtain this power. Greed is also in this play. Macbeth was lucky to become Thane of Cawdor, but that wasn't enough for him. He had to be King. I personally think that good will triumph over evil. I think that Macbeth and Lady Macbeth are the sources of evil in this play, and I know that Macbeth dies at the end, so overall, good will triumph over evil.

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  32. 1. To me “The devil hath power to assume a pleasing shape.” (Shakespeare Hamlet) refers to evil’s power to appear as success, wealth, and happiness. This quote warns to beware of what one seeks for who knows what devils lay beneath it, like a camouflaged tiger or deadly snake. As Meredith explained, the devil can take any form. It does not have to be some person walking around wearing a red suit and horns. I like Meredith’s analogy of the apple that one may not be able to tell if there is a worm inside.
    2. There are many characters taking on the role of the devil in Shakespeare’s Macbeth. Three such characters are the witches. They appear to be semi-genial in their first encounter with Macbeth, respectfully hailing him as Thane of Glamis, Thane of Cawdor, and finally as a future king. These seemingly hopeful and harmless predictions were not granted to Macbeth out of kindness. Instead, the witches share these prophesies with Macbeth with evil intent, driving him to murder Duncan and join the forces of darkness. This intent is hidden behind a veil of fortune and power. Lady Macbeth also plays the role of a devil. On the outside, she seems like a fragile, devoted wife and kind hostess. However, the reader comes to perceive that Lady Macbeth’s interior is much darker than meets the eye. Using the devil’s power to “…assume a pleasing shape,” she persuades Macbeth to murder Duncan. One could even view Macbeth as a sort of devil, hiding his ambitions to claim the throne behind a veil of loyalty, bravery, and love for Duncan.
    3. The evil that has occurred so far is the murder of King Duncan and the slaughter of his guards. To Lady Macbeth, Duncan’s murder appears pleasing, as it will bring Macbeth to the throne. Then she and Macbeth will be wealthy and revered. They will have power over all of Ireland. She is completely blinded by the glamour of wealth and status that she fails to realize just how evil the murder of the innocent is. She does not realize her crime is one that will haunt her for the rest of her life. Macbeth was correct by saying that the blood of his crime would never wash off. Then there is the murder of the guards. This act appears pleasing to Malcolm, Donalbain, Macduff, Lennox, and Banquo as it would appear that this action was done purely out of love, loyalty, and grief over the loss of beloved Duncan and anger at the “evil” guards. Therefore, Macbeth’s action looks pleasing. How could they know that this act was not out of loyalty or grief, but instead to keep the secret of a terrible crime hidden from justice?
    4. So far, I see good in Banquo. He is truly noble and loyal to king Duncan. Though fortune was also predicted for Banquo’s children, he wishes nothing more than to keep a clean conscience. For this reason I see Macbeth as the opposite of Banquo, for he chose to act violently to make the prophesy come true while innocent Banquo did not. I think it is even more impressive that Banquo should stay so true when Duncan gave less to Banquo then he did to Macbeth. I also see good in Duncan, who is generous and kind to his people. He was incredibly humble, appreciative, and trusting toward Macbeth. It is no wonder that he was so beloved. Still, I find it said that the ones on which he laid his trust betrayed him. There is still a bit of good visible in Macbeth, for despite the witches’ prophesy he did not actually want to kill Duncan. He wanted to remain loyal. He would have too, had it not for Lady Macbeth.
    I believe that good will triumph at the end of Macbeth. Macbeth’s conscience is already eating away at him. I believe that, in the end, Macbeth and his wife will be swallowed by guilt and prove unable to go on. As katiea wrote, Shakespeare’s plays usually end in death. However, I believe that Macbeth, hating himself for all he has done, will die. More support for this theory occurs in the other half of the prophesy stating that Banquo’s children will be kings. This tells the reader that Macbeth’s reign of terror will have to end and good can come with Banquo’s sons.

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  33. To me the quote means that the devil has the power to seem tempting to us, resulting in our stumbling and falling. The devil acts as a stumbling block, so that we can become strong enough to pick ourselves up. Hamlet however, was speaking about the desire to murder his uncle, whom had become king, whom he believed to have murdered his father.

    Much like Hamlet, Macbeth’s devil was murder. His devils came in the form of “vaulting ambition” and Lady Macbeth. The Weird Sisters “prophesied” to Macbeth that he would become king and the greed for power planted the idea of murder in his head. When he wrote to Lady Macbeth about this strange occurrence she devised a plan that would pass the throne on to them and shift the blame. As she was his wife, Lady Macbeth was very persuasive in convincing Macbeth to do the dirty deed. It pleased them both that they could obtain the throne without being blamed for it.

    In the beginning Macbeth resisted, and Banquo warned him of the dangers of listening to the devil because one thing has gone right. Macbeth shows extreme regret for his murder of his king and even briefly wishes that the knocking at his gate would wake Duncan despite the fact that Duncan would never wake again. This shows the decency of the human conscience and the logic of the human brain. However, Shakespeare does seem to imply that if you ignore your conscience long enough than it would disappear.

    I think that in a way good will win out during this play. Even though the tragic hero dies, a more “righteous” king is installed and it supports that “devils”don’t support you all the way through.

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  34. The devil hath power to assume a pleasing shape.” (Shakespeare Hamlet)

    I think the it means that the devil can take any form. Lady Macbeth takes on this role in a way when she tempts her husband to kill Duncan. This act ends up killing Macbeth in the long run. The Witches are also like this, as they put ideas in Macbeth's head that he will be king and he carries out that destiny for himself. To me, I find little good in this play. Macbeth is mostly full of death, destruction and rise to power through evil deeds. I think good will prevail in the end, even thoguh it means Macbeth will die because of what he has done.

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  35. This quote seems to send the idea that the devil can change into anything that is pleasing. Like in Macbeth the death of the king looks so good on the outside, because all the rewards look great. Who wouldn't want to be king? So then the devil dresses it up so it looks pleasing. You get all these great things in return, but in truth it's still wrong and it will still do bad.
    In Macbeth the witches could easily be demons, or play the role of the devil. All they mean to do is cause terror, but they also dress it up so people will go through with it. I also think that Lady Macbeth could very well play the role of Satan. She prays to demons to "unsex her" (pretty wacky to begin with, she's already lost her marbles) and then she is dso gung-ho on Macbeth killing Duncan that she will do anything to get that.
    The evil in the play is apparent. The three toe stealing witches (who have momentarily dissapeared. Yes!)have taken a poor sailors toes and wrecked havoc. Macbeth killed the king (if you don't think this is evil, something is desperately wrong) and then he lies about it. The pleaseing shape that it poses is that Macbeth gets to be king, and the witches get their self-esteem bumped up a few notches by ruining a young sailors life. I don't like this play, and I think in the end evil will win.

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  37. The quote above means that the devil can turn into anything and he usually makes it appealing to you in some kind of way. Like if you like sports, he may come up as someone or something that you have always wanted to have or see.


    I think Lady Macbeth plays the devil in Macbeth because she wants power and she is appealing to Macbeth and can make him do anthing with that. She teased him with one thing to make him do another.


    The evil that has happened so far is Macbeth killing Duncan and the pleasing shape is of evil is power.


    Yes there has been good in the play so far because there was Macbeth deciding whether to kill Duncan or not. I think good will come out at the end because Macbeth is going to make everything better because he is a great and noble person.

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  38. To me, i think that this quote means that the devil can "change its shape" to make itself seem appealing to each person in different ways. Every person is different so the "shape" of the devil for you will depend on what appeals to you.
    i think that there are many different "devils" in Macbeth. So far, the ones that i have seen are Lady Macbeth, the three witches, and the throne. Lady Macbeth is so obsessed with gaining power that will do anything to get it including forcing Macbeth to kill Duncan. The three witches in this play have only one purpose. This is to cause chaos. If it wasn't for them, Macbeth would have never gotten the idea to become king and kill Duncan. Finally, the throne is evil because Macbeth and Lady Macbeth become so obsessed with the throne that they end up killing their own king.
    The evil that has happen so far in this play is Macbeth murdering his king for the sake of power. Although Murder is completely wrong, it is viewed as beneficial, therefore seeming a good thing.
    The only good that has come out so far in this play is that Macbeth is unsure about murdering King Duncan. Although he goes through with Lady Macbeth's plan to kill Duncan, Macbeth is ashamed of doing so. Macbeth's conscience is the only good so far. Like in all of Shakespeare's tragedies, i think that evil will end up winning and almost everyone will end up dieing.

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  39. The quote basically states that evil will be present, but at the time you may not realize that it is in fact evil. Or, you may realize that the action is evil, but mask it over with a good action or duty.
    Lady Macbeth is definitely a devil in Macbeth. She influences him in a way that most men cannot resist. She insults his ‘manliness’ and claims he’s a baby for not wanting to kill the king. Because Macbeth falls into this peer pressure like situation, it also makes him evil, too. When you’re supposed to be a loyal subject, acclaimed war hero, and faithful relative, killing your king is one of the most evil things out there.
    The evil that Macbeth chose was to kill the king. It masked itself in the form of destiny. The witches provided Macbeth with the opportunity to be able to see what was going to happen in his life, but because he was impatient and pressured, he was almost forced into taking it over himself.
    The only good so far in the play is the friendship between Macbeth and Banquo. It seems like they are very well acquainted with each other and would never betray one another. They interact well and feed off of each other’s actions. I believe that evil will triumph at the end, because I think that Macbeth’s actions will come back and bring him down.

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  40. This means to me the devil has the power to make himself pleasing to anyone. Ine the play Macbeth the devils are the three wiches and lady Macbeth. The three wiches told Macbeth that he would become king and to him this meant he had to kill the king. This made him very uncomfterable. Lady Macbeth pushed him to kill the king the entire time even though it was wrong and it made him feel bad about himself. The evil that has taken place so far is Macbeth killing the king even though he didnt want to. The pleasing form it has taken is Macbeth becoming king. In the begining Macbeth fought we honor and courage and I think that is the only good that has taken place so far.

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  41. In the Bible the Devil is a tempest. He would make you fall prey to the most horrible things by luring you there. Such as with lust and adultery or even things like in the book of Genesis where the Devil lures Adam and Eve in to eating the fruit from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil.
    I would say the Three Witches are the most obvious ones, but there is also Lady Macbeth who is a tempest as well. The Witches are the Devil because they are always causing disorder and chaos. Lady Macbeth was because she kept urging Macbeth to kill King Duncan.
    The evil in this play took shape as the corruption that comes with power. If Macbeth had never heard he would become king he would have never thought to kill Duncan but the idea of power itself is so pleasing we often get caught up in it.
    I believe Banquo is good and decent. I think good will triumph over evil… it always does.

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  42. The quote “The devil hath power to assume a pleasing shape,” can be seen in many ways, but I see it as meaning this: evil can come to a person in many different forms. It can be in the shape of what they want, whether it be money, love, power, etc. or it could be that it doesn’t appear to be evil, but merely a slight wrong that turns into a major sin.
    In Macbeth, the devil is represented by many characters. Lady Macbeth for her ambition and willingness to stop at nothing to get what she wants; Macbeth for his weakness in giving in to her; the war during which this all takes place is in itself an act of evil.
    So far, the pleasing shape comes as power, with what seems like no consequences, despite the fact that murder is an ultimate crime.
    The good in the play comes from Macbeth, and his remorse over what he has done. And, to agree with Melanie A., I think that, in the end, due to the tragic features that have taken place thus far in the play, that evil will triumph in the end, and nobody gets their “happily ever after.”

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  43. 1) I think that the devil comes in beauty. What are we most drawn to? When it says pleasing shape, what do you think of? The way its worded suggest loveliness and beauty. I can’t help but picture something beautiful when I see that quote.
    2) In this play, there are several devils. There is Lady Macbeth, the three witches, and then Macbeth himself when he kills Duncan. Lady Macbeth pretty much just goes crazy on everyone and would have killed him herself. The witches are well just that. Witches. In addition, Macbeth is evil when he plunges the dagger into the chest of his own kin and king.
    3) The evils shape is not a human body but a promising future. Like being king. That is the evil. That is the reason the Macbeth goes and does his deed in the first place.
    4) Well in the end I have a feeling all will fall. The worst has been done so it can only go down hill from here. If any revenge is given then Macbeth will go insane and then I think good will have backed some of its place.

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  44. "The devil hath power to assume a pleasing shape." I think Shakespeare refers that evil is always the easier road which will always look more fun or pleasant. The devil i agree can take place as anything.
    In Macbeth the devil happens to take form as the witches and in Lady Mabeth. Al these characters persuade Macbeth to do an awful deed because the prize is so valuable, and instead of waiting for this prize through patience, the easier road is to kill the king immediately for a sooner authority.

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  45. “Devil Hath Power…” I think this quote means that the Devil has many appearances and abilities that we look past. Some of the devil’s appearances may appeal to us and become tempting. In Macbeth I think that the witches and Lady Macbeth are playing the roles of the devil.
    The witches tell this wild prophecy that Macbeth will be Thane of Cowder; it turns out to be true. Then they tell him he will be king, which drives him to the decision to kill the king. Lady Macbeth physically tempts Macbeth into actually committing the crime of killing Duncan. Lady Macbeth is a great example of the devil appearing in a pleasing form.
    Macbeth is the good in the play so far. In the beginning Macbeth seems good, then he seems to turn evil; but I think you realize Macbeth really isn’t bad, he didn’t want to kill Duncan and he feels guilty. In the end I think evil will triumph over good because Shakespeare plays are tragedies so the play will most likely end in death and evil.

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  46. I think that this quote means that the devil can come in any way, shape, or form, pleasing or otherwise. I think that the devil can show up in many ways, and even people, whether they know it or not.
    In Macbeth, I think that Lady Macbeth is playing the role of the devil. It could also easily be interpreted as Macbeth, but he wouldn't have murdered Duncan if Lady Macbeth hadn't pushed him so hard. She saw something that she wanted, so she was ready to do whatever it took to get it, even if it means turning her husband into a murderer. I don't think Macbeth is really as evil as his wife, because of the guilt he feels for killing the king- his own cousin.
    So far, the evil in this play is fairly obvious- the murdering of Duncan. To Macbeth and Lady Macbeth, it looks like a pretty good way to go- Macbeth becomes king, they get riches and power, all for just one murder! However, after it's done, Macbeth seems to realize that killing was not the best route to take. You can see even before he kills Duncan that it's not something he truly wants; Lady Macbeth is just pushing him so hard that he feels like he has no choice.
    I'm not quite sure if there is decency or good in this play yet. There is the king (before he's murdered), who was a good cousin to Macbeth and a good ruler of the kingdom; however, in this case, the evil triumphed. I think that in the end, evil will triumph, because what's done is done- Macbeth murdered the king and there's no going back. If he stays the king, evil will triumph, because he never really earned the title and didn't deserve it. If he dies, evil still triumphs because, well, he's dead. I think that there is a possibilty that good will triumph in the end, though.

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  47. The devil is very sneaky and tricky. He can assume whatever form you desire the most. Never deal with the devil; he will stab you in the back once he is finished. The devil has the power to influence things and people; and, he runs the world for now without God.
    The witches seem to have some sort of devilish power. They are coming in dreams and showing him his prophecy. Lady Macbeth is very evil/devilish. She really wants to kill the king and have his power. Macbeth quotes, “Your dark deed is done.” It seems that she is controlling him here. Lady Macbeth says water will clear it maybe the blood but never the memory of the murder.
    Macbeth has killed the king which was destructive. He has had thoughts of killing other people, which was bad. Power and honor were prevalent here as forms of evil.
    Banquo is very kind and good. Macbeth seems to have some good in him, but he is also close to Lady Macbeth. Macbeth is somewhat good because he had fears of killing Duncan. I think good will triumph at the end of the play, because good always wins in the end. Macbeth still seems to have some good in him for not wanting to kill Duncan.

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  48. To me "the devil hath power to assume pleasing shape," means that the devil can change into any form of enticement. The devil knows what will make the object of its desire snap and come to its bidding. It knows what will work and it will change to meet that requirement.

    The role of the devil in Macbeth is Lady Macbeth. She knew how to tempt her husband into killing Duncan. Other devils are the witches for putting these new thoughts into Macbeth's head and for giving him the ambition to want to be king.

    The evil that has occurred in the play so far is that Duncan has been murdered. The shape the evil took was power. Macbeth saw the power and it looked good to him so he did anything to get his hand on the power.

    There is so good in the play so far. Macduff is questioning the murder which shows that he is not finding the evil interesting and he is not seeing the good like the others. I think that good will triumph in the end by having justice done on behalf of Duncan, and Duncan being avenged.

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  49. I'd say that it means that the devil is powerful and has the power to appear good but really isn't. Just like when Lady Macbeth tells Macbeth to,"look good but be the serpent underneath."
    I think that the person that plays the devil in Macbeth is Lady Macbeth. If you notice, after the murder, Macbeth feels guilt and feels bad but Lady Macbeth doesn't feel any different than she does on a normal basis.
    The best example of evil that has occured in the play so far is the murder. I really don't know what the pleasing shape that it has taken on but I can guess that it (in Lady Macbeths eyes) is her new position of being queen.
    I think that good will trimuph because back in the 14th century, there was no such thing as an unhappy ending (or maybe there was...). I think that good will win also because Macbeth is a tragic hero and since that fact is true and Macbeth did kill Duncan, then you could say that he is the evil and that everyone else, except Lacy Macbeth, is the good; and if Macbeth is a tragic hero, then he must have a downfall and if he has a downfall and he is the evil, then you can say nothing else than to say that the good won. :)

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  50. I think that it means that the devil has the power to take the shape of something you like. like he could be a video game that you are so addicted to that it is keeping you from your studies.
    The devil in Macbeth has to be Lady Macbeth because she is the one who gets Macbeth to kill Duncan and tempts him with all the supposed good stuff that will come out of it.
    I agree with Andy2013 on how the best example of evil that has occurred so far has been the murder. The pleasing shape has to be the power that Lady Macbeth thought that she would obtain.
    I also think that good will win because as Andy2013 said Macbeth is a tragic hero and will have to have a downfall, when that happens the good people will win.

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  51. It seems like this quote is saying bad things sometimes appear to be good. The devil could be Macbeth, since he killed Duncan, and the devil could be Lady Macbeth, since she persuaded him to do it. The pleasing shape of the evil that is murder is becoming a king. Macbeth thinks that killing the king is okay since he will become king. The good in the play so far is when the war was won. In the end, I think good will triumph, since this is a tragedy, and the main character, who inherits the evil look during the play, always falls in the end.

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  52. I agree with what everyone has said about the devil is always there, but we really have to look carefully to see him. As the devil represents evil, we see him in Lady Macbeth and her devotion to becoming Queen of Scotland. We clearly realize that the evil in the Macbeth was the killing of King Duncan. What makes Lady Macbeth the evil, not Macbeth is that he feels remorse for kill the king, as Lady Macbeth does not. As in most plays, I believe that good will triumph in the end, and Lady Macbeth's evil will be destroyed by someone, or herself.

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  53. I think this means that the devil can take the shape of something pleasurable or good to trick people. Some of the devils in this play are the witches and Lady Macbeth. Some non-human devils can be greed, power and fame. The main evil in this play was Macbeth killing Duncan. The pleasing shape it took was power, fame, money and Lady Macbeth. I thinks that good will triumph in the end of the play because of the guilt that Macbeth feels about killing Duncan and his sons.

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  54. 1. I think that the quote means that people doing evil things can warp their reasoning to make the action seem justifiable. Therefore in a sense the devil itself is morphing shapes to make himself seem more righteous.

    2.Macbeth and lady Macbeth seem to be playing the devil in a tandem way. Macbeth kills Duncan and has Banquo killed. But he only did this because of lady Macbeth. I think that the witches are also devil figures in the story. If it weren't for them and their prophecies none of this would have happened at all.

    3. there have been murders, framings and lying galore so far. Most of these done by Macbeth. He killed Duncan framed the guards and of course lied about it to save himself from getting hung or killed. the evil has taken the form of the justification of the quest for all power.

    4. there hasn't been much decency in the play so far. As to which one i think will win, I defiantly think that in this case evil will triumph over good.

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