Macbeth Act II Analysis Response Questions

Questions & Answers:

1.) Why does Lady Macbeth faint? Is it a distraction, or is it real? What does this say about her character?

Lady Macbeth faints to get the attention off of people wondering who killed Duncan but rather that her husband had killed the gaurds but she already knew, she just did it on purpose. It shows how she is a dedicated liar and I guess also a good wife for defending her husband.  

2.) What do Malcolm and Donalbain decide to do after they discover their father has been murdered? Why?

They flee the country and go their own ways. Malcom goes to England and Donaldbain goes to Ireland. They leave the country because they are Duncans kids and they feel unsafe knowing that someone killed their father, making them possibly be the next target since they don't know who the murderer is.

3.) What is the mood or atmosphere of Act II? What images or details in characters' speeches help to create this mood?

The mood of act II is mysterious because for others (in the play that are obviously unaware of what is occurring) they don't know who is guilty of killing Duncan but they know it was someone from inside the place so it makes them wonder and makes them paranoid. Details such as Lady Macbeth fainting, Malcom and Donaldbain fleeing the country, and Macbeth acting innocent.

4.) Do we see the witches' prophecies or predictions about Macbeth and Banquo coming true? Why or why not?

We do see the witches predictions about Macbeth coming true, not because of what they said but because he is trying to do everything within his power to make it come true and have it happen. Banquo's is not because there is not enough evidence yet but we know he will hold no higher position because that's Macbeth but for him the rest is uncertain of.  

5.) Select one of the following 4-corners statements and decide whether you agree, strongly agree, disagree, or strongly disagree with the statement, based on how it connects to Acts I and II of Macbeth and what has occurred in the text so far. Use evidence from the text to support your answer and explain your response.

The four corners statement I chose is that "Sometimes it's necessary to do something wrong to get what you want." I agree with this statement.  Macbeth wants to be King and he's willing to do anything to hold that position, so does Lady Macbeth because she wants her husband to be King and she helped him kill Duncan to get what they both wanted. They both helped and got what they wanted even if it was wrong.

Post #4: Visiting a classmate's blog

I visited my close-friend Jennifer's blog. Her posts were interesting but the one that caught my eye was the one about the significance of a certain event in the book Looking For Alaska by John Green. I have read that book in the past so I was interested to see what her thoughts about it were since many people seem to have mixed thoughts about the book (including me.) I enjoyed reading her thoughts about it, it seems that she has an understanding of one of the main ideas of the book, so I'm excited to see what comes from her after reading the entire book. 

Check out her blog! 

http://jennydominguezeng2.blogspot.com

IR Blog Post #3 - Questions

Four questions for the author of the current book I am reading: 

• Why was it necessary to bring a girl into Craig's life? Would the story have chaned without her, because she is not really brought up and as important as one would think, in my opinion. 

• Does Craig's perfect family symbolize something? He mentions often that he should be okay and that he feels as though he's over reacting so with his family why is it that he portrays them as perfect. 

• Do you believe Craig's bestfriend was the cause of his problems? Before he met him he never did the things he does now, such as smoke and drink. 

• Why did you make Craig have such common mental disorders yet not make his situation that he's in as relatable to a lot of people? Does this have a purpose? 

IR Blog Post #2 - Significant Section

The most important part of my book that I have so far read is the main character (Craig) being admitted into a mental hospital because of his suicide attempt. Craig was diagnosed with depression and he started taking medication but since he felt that he could live without them because he felt better, he stopped taking them. Craig was under a lot of pressure coming from friends and school and he felt like ending his life would resolve everything. He knew that it was not the right thing to do so he called a suicide hotline number to get help but ended up going to the hospital himself since it was a block away from his house, and there he gets moved to the floor for adults with mental health problems for atlas 5 days. He meets new people and experiences a lot with his family and friends from within the hospital. That's up to where I've read so far.
Now, while this is a great book, I really hate the fact that make the suicidal episode so cookie-cutter and an ideal situation. It's not romanticized but it's kind of like touching upon the tip of the iceberg when theres so much more to suicidal episodes. Craig is privileged to the max and of course that does not invalidate his illness or his situation but sometimes I wish that there'd be a better portrayal of mental illnesses other than "I'm stressed from school so I'm going to commit suicide."
On another note, this scene is significant because I personally believe that going to the hospital for something as serious as suicide attempts is something that'll change someone's life, I say it from experience. Craig has to obviously get better in a way that'll allow him to go home. He makes friends within the hospital he's in and loses some friendships which essentially has the power to change someones life, but in all honestly I can't decide that since 1) I didn't write the book and 2) I haven't finished reading the book. I look forward to continue reading it though.

It's Kind Of A Funny Story

Part One: 
The book I'm currently reading is It's Kind of A Funny Story by Ned Vizzini. I did not necessarily choose this book for this exact project. Unlike most of the people I know, I enjoy reading. This book was recommended to me by one of my friends and despite the fact that I was already reading 1,953 other books at the time, I still choose to read it. I checked the book out from the best teacher (Ms.Moore) library in class and stuck to it because that's right when we started doing SSR in our class. The main character of this book is Craig Gilner. He has anxiety and depression, which hits him hard when he gets accepted into a prestigious high school. He tends to overthink and at one point he has suicidal thoughts and he ends up in a mental hospital, that's all that I've read so far. I believe that the theme of this book is teenage mental disorders/ introduction to adolescence. It discusses mental disorders and how anything can trigger them or cause them.

Part Two:
This book relates to me in several ways. I can connect to the main character and empathize the feeling of loneliness even when being surrounded by people. Being a person who has anxiety and depression, I can confirm that it is no walk in the park living with any kind of mental disorders. The constant feeling of not ever being enough and wanting to have your life together even if you're just a teenager. When you have all the reasons to be happy but at the same time nothing is making you happy. It's a tiresome feeling, and the way Craig experiences it all is similar to me. I know what he is going through, just on a different level. The mental disorders affecting a major part of our lives is something I can deeply relate to and I believe it helps me connect even more with not only the book but the main character.
In another sense, this book relates to the world and how mental illnesses within the teen/preteen community is viewed. Anxiety and depression are amongst the most common mental disorders that adolescents are diagnosed with and also some of the most stigmatized. There is this radical belief that everyone has to be happy just because they are privileged in some areas more than others, but forget the part where mental disorders are not something people choose to get, but more like they are the chosen ones. Craig mentions how his dad tries to help him but yet is also putting him down at times. He mentions how he has everything and how he should be happy and sort of dismisses his feelings, just like people in todays society.

 Hello all! 
My name is Samantha Garcia and I'm excited to be sharing this blog with you all and to have you follow me on this journey in my English II class for the rest of the school year. I have created this blog to show you all my weekly readings and thoughts on what I read.
I enjoy reading, and I hope you do too.
Some of my favorite books at the moment (even though not all have been completely read, I tend to read 10 books at the same time- sorry in advance) are The Mixquiahuala Letters by Ana Castillo, Bad Feminist by Roxane Gay, Caramelo by Sandra Cisneros, It's Kind of a Funny Story by Ned Vizzini, and Small Memories by Jose Saramago. I think these books say a lot about me and who I am as a person.
I don't exactly have a favorite genre, but I read books that catch my interest (obviously) and books that I can relate to or talk about things I am passionate about. I'm always open to new recommendations though! Hopefully you will learn a bit more about me. I'm glad to be able to share this experience with you.
Until my next post! 
Samantha G.