To be, or Not to be.....EVIL

By: Jasmine Flowers

http://disneyxd.disney.com.au/

Evil: Profoundly immoral and malevolent 

It has been asked how someone so righteous and morally cognizant, like that of Macbeth, could begin to step into the realm of evil. The notion that someone's ideals could travel from one side of the spectrum to the other in such a short period of time is both mind boggling as well as frightening. This question of morality can be answered through an analysis of the character Macbeth in a play written by Shakespeare entitled Macbeth. Based on this character, there are two forces that cause someone to take the first step into evil, or "down the primrose path to the everlasting bonfire": Curiosity and peer pressure (Macbeth, 2.3).     

1. Curiosity: This natural human characteristic acts as a double edged sword as it can cause the rise or the fall of a person. In Macbeth, when the three witches were informing Macbeth of the prophecy, he became extremely curious. This foretelling of events excited Macbeth as the thought of being King sparked an entirely different outlook. Macbeth's newly formed curiosity could be seen following the witches informing him of his new position,"Stay, you imperfect speakers, tell me more" (Macbeth 1.3). Just by knowing this little piece of information, Macbeth longed for the witches to stay, however, moments later, they vanished. Following their disappearance, Macbeth constantly thought about what they had said which ultimately led him to killing the King, thus stepping into evil. 
2. Peer pressure: This is definitely one of the most obvious, yet strong forces that cause someone to venture into the world of evil. Having people that seemingly love and care about you telling you to do certain things, is much more convincing than that of a stranger. In Macbeth, after finding out about Macbeth's possible fate, Lady Macbeth is determined to have to husband in power no matter the cost. She essentially brainwashes him into believing that he must kill the current king in order to fulfill the prophecy. She even tells him things like, "To catch the nearest way: thou wouldst be great, Art not without ambition, but without The illness should attend it" which essentially means he doesn't have what it takes to get the power he desires (Macbeth 1.5). This deeply played with Macbeth's mind, as he not only cared about his wife's opinion, but he also wanted to prove her wrong. 

Following Macbeth's step into evil, there were numerous consequences in response to his negligent and   inexcusable decisions. These consequences can be seen as universal as they are common effects of someone choosing to make the wrong decisions: Paranoia and feelings of guilt/recklessness. 

1. Paranoia: This emotion is often a direct result of guilt as seen in Macbeth. The character of Macbeth has taken part in sever heinous acts which result in these hallucinations of sorts. The most memorable hallucination can be seen in the banquet scene following the ordered killing of Banquo and his son. Macbeth is sitting at the dinner table surrounded by his men exclaiming,"Prithee, see there! Behold! Look! Lo! How say you? Why, what care I? If thou canst nod, speak too"(Macbeth 3.4). Macbeth is completely convinced that the ghost of Banquo is sitting in his usual chair. Ultimately, this causes everyone to question Macbeth's sanity and his ability to be king. 
2. Guilt/Recklessness: It can be said that after someone does so much wrong, they begin to feel as though there is no turning back or no way of ceasing their destructive behaviors. This can be seen when Macbeth states, "I am in blood stepped in so far that should I wade no more, returning were as tedious as go o'er" (Macbeth 3.4). By mentioning "blood" Shakespeare was able to convey the immense guilt felt within Macbeth followed by the phrase, "wade no more", which indicates Macbeth's defeated as well as reckless attitude. 

Overall, curiosity and peer pressure cause people to enter into the realm of evil while paranoia, guilt, and recklessness are the direct effects. It is important to avoid dark curiosity (curiosity killed the cat), as well as negative peer pressure. Being a strong willed individual is so important, as it is so easy to become like Macbeth, to an extent. Stay strong...and definitely "to not be EVIL"! 

The Cloisters Cross

      The Cloisters Cross, an English piece shown on the left, was sculpted by an unknown artist sometime between 1150 to 1160. Very little is known about the artist as well as the origin considering many found out about its existence in 1955 when it placed on sale by its former owner, Ante Topic Mimara. Made of walrus ivory, this piece is 22 5/8 inches tall and 14 1/4 inches wide. 

     Most historians agree that the piece was made somewhere within eastern England prior to the mass destruction of religious artwork in 16th century England as a result of the decrees of Henry VIII followed by the Cromwellian depredations of the 17th century. During the 12th century, King Stephen ruled England followed by Henry II in 1154. Christianity was the dominant religion in this region resulting in the trivialization of    all other religions. Specifically speaking, those of Jewish faith were highly  un-favored by Christians, ultimately resulting in their expulsion from    England following the creation of this piece. 

         As far as the stylistic features of the cross, texture played an integral role in the overall presentation of the work. With the distinctive physio-gnomic features and expressive gestures, the sculptural illusion-ism is truly worth admiring. Through the use of undercutting and layering compositions to create spacial depth, the figures are able to convey a sense of potential movement.     This movement is important as in contributes to the feeling of a story being told within the work instead of a still frame. In addition, color was used  sparingly as the tusks themselves represented luxury and wealth like that of gold today. Superfluous color would have done nothing but take away   from the already exquisitely executed work. While warm golden tones were used to enhance the       natural ivory, the lack of color could represent how society felt at that time about different races, and religions. Thus preferring the  Christian, over the Jew. 

        At first glance, the audience can see an intricately carved crossed with various figures. Instantly, they can assume that there is some type of Christian affiliation since the cross is an iconic Christian symbol. The details seen within the sculpture are like that of no other. With 92 figures and 98 inscriptions, the artist was able to fit a great deal of religious material in just one cross. Overall, Christianity was the main explicit focus, while there can be other messages within this cross when looking on a deeper level. 

          Now, while the cross is alluding to Christianity, there are also more subliminal messages suggesting that the cross contains anti-Semitic language hidden within the scrolls. For example, on one of the edges of the cross there is a Latin couplet that reads, "Cham laughs when he sees the naked private parts of his parent." or translated to "The Jews laughed at the pain of God dying". This is just one example of how the art piece simultaneously censures and vilifies Jews. Thus making the message turn from a positive uplifting Christian piece, to one that throws blows at other religions that England doesn't agree with. In addition, crosses such as these were given to kings and bishops as gifts which directly supports the anti-Semitic notion considering Jews were forced out of the country following the creation of the piece. 

Sketch (Might be hard to tell
the difference)

Original

         

  If interested in the piece, visit the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York.