Author: jlyahr

When it comes to one of Willian Shakespeare’s most popular plays, Macbeth, there are many questions that the reader is left wondering. Some of these questions include why does Lady Macbeth not murder Ducan herself, or do the Witches directly control the fate of Macbeth. However, one question many are left with after reading, or viewing, is Macbeth a villain or victim in this story? 

 

Throughout the play Macbeth commits many terrible acts, however, I believe that he was not destined to be a villain, but rather was forced down that path by the information given to him by the Witches, and by his wife Lady Macbeth.

 

Before Macbeth was given the information that he was going to be king in act one scene three when the Witches said, “All hail, Macbeth, that shall be king hereafter”. I believe that this quote, and him telling Lady Macbeth about his encounter, are the two pivotal moments in him being forced down a path of violence.

 

credit – thoughtco.com

After the Witches had given Macbeth this information and Lady Macbeth had started pushing him to take action Macbeth and his wife decided to kill King Duncan. Before they have killed him Macbeth says in act two scene one, “Is this a dagger which I see before me…”. This is a hallucination and tells me that Macbeth is already doubting if this is the right thing to do before he has done it. However, he ends up going through with it regardless and kills King Duncan.

 

After he kills Duncan and returns to Lady Macbeth he is filled with guilt and disgust at what he just did. However, he did not kill Duncan’s servants so they could blame the murder on them, when Lady Macbeth tells him to go back in act two scene two Macbeth says, “I’ll go no more. I am afraid to think what I have done”. This further shows why I think that those around Macbeth and the information he was given is the true reason why many see him as the villain. Even after killing Duncan he still feels immense regret and won’t even continue with the plan as he is too ashamed of what he has done.

 

credit – pintrest.com

When Macbeth tells Lady Macbeth that he will not go back to finish the job, Lady Macbeth in act two scene two says, “Give me the daggers. The sleeping and the dead are but as pictures”. This continues to show that it is those around Macbeth who peer pressure him almost into doing these actions and using fear to make him do what they want him to.

 

Once Lady Macbeth leaves to finish the job that Macbeth wouldn’t, he thinks to himself about what he’s done and why he would have possibly done it. He says to himself in act two scene two, “Will all great Neptune’s ocean wash this blood clean from my hands”. He is already asking for forgiveness for his terrible actions and does not want to go on. These factors all point to him being forced into a villain role while not wanting to be in that role. He doesn’t want to murder these people but is being forced into doing so indirectly by the Witches, and directly by Lady Macbeth.

 

credit – wikipedia.com

When looking at Macbeth, and the many questions left unanswered, figuring out if Macbeth truly is a villain in the story is difficult. However, with the guilt that he faces after killing King Duncan, and the pressure he is under from Lady Macbeth, it does not seem that he is in control of his own actions. With all of those factors and his instant regret, I believe that Macbeth is not a true villain in Macbeth, rather a mule for the actions of others.

During this COVID-19 quarantine, many of us have picked up new hobbies to fill the time. Many people have started reading, working out, or have just started watching more TV. But many have started playing video games. Video games are a great form of interactive media, where you can be engaged and have fun by yourself, or with friends. I am going to list 10 of my favorite games to play to fill the time, in no particular order.

1. Destiny  2 – Destiny 2 is an interactive online multiplayer game where you go through a story, earn new weapons, fight enemies, and play with and against your friends. It’s the perfect game if you want some solo fun or have lots of fun with friends. This is a great game that is addicting to play, as you grind for new loot with friends and experience the new content being released for this game every few months. It’s the perfect game to keep coming back to as new things are released.

   

2. Valorant – Valorant is a multiplayer “tactical shooter” where you play as the attackers or defenders and must plant or defuse the “spike” before it blows up. This is a competitive game with complex weapons, and perfect for playing alone or with a group. This game will be able to scratch your competitive itch. If you lose you will only want to keep playing to try and win. By winning you will earn a rank that gives you something to play for. You will always want to be increasing your rank and prove that you are better than your friends.

   

3. Among Us – Among Us is an online multiplayer game where you and up to 9 friends are on a ship, and two of you are imposters. The goal of the imposter is to kill the crewmates, and the crewmate’s job is to do tasks and vote the imposters off. This is a fun game of deception and detective skills. You and your friends might have major trust issues after playing this game as it is easy to get caught in a lie or deceive your friends so well that they believe you only to find out you have been lying to them all along.

   

4. Subnautica – Subnautica is a single-player story/horror game where your ship has crash-landed on an ocean planet, and you are the last survivor. All you have is a lifepod and a limited amount of tools that you must use to find resources, discover secrets, and get off the planet. This game is perfect if you are looking for a relaxing game to play on your own that has a good story, and at some points can be very terrifying.

   

5. Portal – Although old, the Portal franchise is still insanely fun. In this single-player or CO-OP game, you must find your way through a series of tests, using portals to get around and defeat the robot keeping you trapped. This game requires lots of smarts to think your way through each test, and if you are good enough you can even try to beat each level the fastest and record your time. This allows you to try and beat your own personal best and the personal bests of others.

   

6. Rust – A hardcore survival game, you are started on a beach with nothing but a rock and torch and must survive in the harsh world you are in. In this game, you can play on your own, or with as many friends as you want, as you gather resources, craft weapons, and fight other players in hopes that you don’t get killed.

   

7. Counter-Strike –  A very similar game to Valorant, Counter-Strike, or CSGO, is a tactical shooter, where you buy weapons and attempt to plant or defuse a bomb, the first person to 16 rounds wins. This game, much like Valorant has complex weapons and also scratches the same competitive itch. This game, however, is more realistic and more difficult to master and to get into.

   

8. Pokemon – A classic, Pokemon is a single-player game where a new trainer goes out into the world hunting wild pokemon to catch and train to defeat talented trainers called Gym Leaders. This game is fun as you can train all different kinds of pokemon and become the best. This game is for those who wanted a laid back experience, or even a nostalgic one that brings them back to their childhood.

   

9. Minecraft – In Minecraft, you are dropped into a world made of blocks with nothing and have no clear goal. You can farm resources and make tools but nothing is telling you what to do. In the game, you can choose to build or craft anything you want and can have fun doing so with friends or on your own. This can be a fun, relaxing game, but it can also be difficult by changing the difficulty or mode that you play on.

   

10. Call of Duty – A game that almost everyone knows, Call of Duty is a shooter where you and your team fight against an enemy team to see who can kill each other the most in a small amount of time. You can play with up to 4 friends or alone as you level up guns, and get better at the game. You will keep coming back to Call of Duty to level up weapons, and earn and level up new weapons and acquire nicer looking varients to those weapons.

 

The Yahr family has visited their log cabin in Michigan every year for the last 75 years. However, it is theirs due to a complete coincidence. The Yahr’s never intended to ever find the cabin, but they did and made it into a family tradition.

In the early to mid-1900s, William August Yahr and some of his buddies, Freck, Edson, and Godfrey, were in the upper peninsula of Michigan, on an island called Drummond Island. When, by coincidence, they stumbled upon a cabin, left abandoned by the people who built it. Since nobody lived there anymore and the land was not owned by anyone, they all bought the land and owned it together.

The Yahr’s, Freck’s, Edson’s, and Godfrey’s would all take themselves and their families up to the cabin for years to come after they owned the land. It was perfect for fishing since it was on the water, and with 25.6 acres of land, it was perfect for hunting as well. But over time 3 of the men, Freck, Edson, and Godfrey weren’t going up as much and when Freck and Godfrey both passed away, their wives sold their percentage of the land to William August.

Now owning 75% of the land at the cabin, William August, just like 2 of his friends, passed away giving all his land to William Keith, his son. William then got to work buying off the last of the land from Edson and splitting up his land to Betty Ruth Yahr. While all of this was going on, the Yahr’s still were going up to the cabin multiple times a year, hunting, fishing,  relaxing, and having a getaway from regular life. Then when Betty died, land went to Williams’ son, Ron, and his two sons, Ron and Jeff, and his sister Terry. 

At the cabin, the Yahr’s would take up their children, and other close family members and friends for a trip off the grid. At a cabin with no power, no plumbing, and terrible cell reception, the Yahr’s went there to relax with family, and that is what the Yahr’s have been doing at the cabin for almost 80 years.

Whether it’s going out on the water and hooking some fish, going up when it’s freezing, or driving over the lake and hunting some deer, the Yahr family will continue to go up to the cabin for 80 more years to come doing the same old things they have been doing.