Romantic and Victorian Poetry

To complete this project you will research both the Romantic and Victorian periods of British poetry, and then provide a collection of representative poetry.STEP ONE: THE ROMANTIC PERIOD – You can find answers to these questions in a textbook or on the Internet. You will use this research to support what you find in the poetry, so doing a thorough job here will help you in the long run. I would recommend using the purple anthology, though you can find this information on the Internet as well.

Post the following on your weblog:

1. List and describe at least two historical events that occurred during or right before the Romantic Period (2 paragraphs).

One historical event that occurred right before the Romantic Period was the French Revolution. It began with the storming of Bastille in 1789 and ended in 1799. During the revolution the people of France rebelled and got rid of the absolute monarchy. This was a crucial event in the context of Western history. It was also important to British people because it showed them that an absolute monarchy could be overthrown. For the ruling classes in England this was their worst fear because it was an overthrow of a king by a democratic rabble.

Another historical event that occurred right before The Romantic Period was The American Revolution. The American Revolution was a political movement in 1776, which resulted in the United States of America being created thus ending the British control there. Britain lost its thirteen colonies in America. This was a huge economic loss for Britain. Not only that but there was a loss of prestige and confidence.

2. After reading about these events, what do you think life was like for normal people during this time? (1 paragraph)

After reading about these events I think that life was radically changing for the people of England. Political upheaval in France and in the United States touched England. People started questioning governmental policies that ignored the problems of normal people. Four years after the French Revolution France declared war on England. Conservative economic and political measures along with the war with France radically affected English life.

3. What did the Romantic poets want to express in their work? You should be able to list three or four qualities of Romantic poetry. These will be the things you will need to find examples of later. The purple anthology can help you here. (3-4 sentences for each quality you find)

Some things that Romantic poets wanted to express in their work were their thoughts on social and economic changes caused by rapid industrialization as well as governmental policies that ignored the problems of the poor. Three qualities of Romantic poetry are its fascination with youth and innocence, its questioning authority and tradition for idealistic purposes, and its awareness of adapting to change. Another important quality of Romantic Poetry is imagination. Romantic poets turned to past or an inner dream world that they felt was prettier than the industrial age they lived in. They also were fascinated with nature and the ways that the human mind and nature mirrored each other’s creative properties.

Show me your responses to these questions before moving on.

STEP TWO: ROMANTIC POETRY:

Read a poem from each of the following poets, and then write a short review of each poem that: 1) Summarizes its content; 2) Analyzes how it is a good example of Romantic poetry; and 3) Uses direct evidence from the poem to support the claims you make in #3. Each of these reviews should be two paragraphs. Check to be sure each response includes the information for which I am asking. This will save you time. You can find many examples on the Internet by searching these poets' names. It would be helpful to create links to the poems you are describing. You can do with the link button above. I can show you how.

William Blake – The Lamb

In the beginning of the poem the speaker talks about a little lamb and asks the lamb if he knows who made him. He then says that the person who made him gave him life, food, clothing and a tender voice. At the end of the first stanza he asks again "Little Lamb, who made thee? Dost thou know who made thee?"(Line 9-10). In the second stanza the speaker tells the lamb Jesus is the one who made him and that he too has your name. He then says that Jesus is meek and mild and that the lamb and the speaker himself can be called by that name too. At the end the speaker says god bless thee.

This is a good example of Romantic Poetry because the poem explores the significance of commonplace subjects and in this case the subject is religion. The lamb in the poem is supposed to represent Jesus. The speaker who asks and answers the question is a child. The child can also be seen as a representation of Jesus. This can be shown when the child says "I a child, and thou a lamb, we are called by his name." (Line 17-18). It can also be said that this poem represents childhood innocence.

William Wordsworth – A Poison Tree

In this poem the speaker starts off by saying, "I was angry with my friend" (line 1). He told his friend about his wrath and it was resolved. Then he says he was angry at a foe and by not telling him his "wrath only grew" (line 4). In the next two stanzas the speaker uses a tree to represent his anger. He explains how the tree grew because he was holding in his anger. The tree grows t to the point where an apple comes out. In the last stanza he says that his foe stole the apple and ate it. In the morning the speaker sees his foe dead on the ground.

This is a good example of Romantic Poetry because the speaker uses imagination. To represent his anger he uses a tree. The apple is also used to represent what can happen if someone holds in their anger. In this case the apple kills his foe and the anger is destructive.

George Gordon, Lord Byron – She walks in Beauty

In this poem Lord Byron compares a lady’s beauty to night. He tells how the "best of dark and bright" (Line 2) can be seen in her face and her eyes. This means that the beauty of night is like the woman’s beauty. At first I thought how could a beautiful woman be compared to night, but then I remembered that nighttime could be very beautiful. He goes on to say how the woman is eloquent and innocent and explains how her outer beauty represents her inner beauty.

This is a good example of romantic poetry because the poem claims that the woman’s outer appearance is a sign of her inner beauty and purity. This was a popular theme during that time so you could say that this poem is exploring the significance of commonplace subjects. In this case the subject is beauty.

Percy Bysshe Shelley – Ozymandias

"Ozymandias" is one of the few sonnets written by Percy Bysshe Shelley. In this sonnet the speaker says that he met a traveler from an antique land. He then writes what the traveler told him. The traveler tells of a broken monument in Egypt and describes the face of it that’s shattered on the ground. The face still had the "sneer of cold command" (Line 5) that the sculptor created. Then it says that the sculptor who created it and the ruler who ordered it to be made left their mark on the sculptor. On line ten it quotes what was written on the monument. It says "My name is Ozymandias, king of kings: Look on my works, ye mighty, and despair!" (Line 10-11) After this quote the speaker says that nothing beside remains except the far stretch of sands surrounding it.

How is this a good example of Romantic Poetry? This is a good example of Romantic Poetry because it explores the power of human imagination. In the sonnet the speaker talks about how the sculptor was able to capture Ozymandias passion in monument and how this passion can still be seen up to now. This relates to the power of human imagination because it shows how someone can create something that will leave their mark and survive beyond them.

John Keats – On First Looking into Chapman’s Homer

John Keats wrote this poem in 1816. The poem is about his experience with reading a translation of Homers Iliad by George Chapman. In the first lines he tells the reader that he has been to many beautiful places. Then he says he was often told about one place but he never "breathe its pure serene" (line 7). That is until he read Chapmans poetry. In the last lines he describes how great the experience was. He says it was like an astronomer seeing a new planet or an explorer finding a new land.

It’s easy to see that this is an example of romantic poetry because it shows how imagination can be very powerful. After reading Homer, Keats uses two famous similes (lines 9-14) to describe how it made him felt. In the first one he says it made him feel like "some watcher of the skies" (line 9) when a new planet comes into view. In the second one he says it made him feel like Cortez when he first saw the Pacific. Both of these similes show the authors use of imagination in the poem.

STEP THREE: THE VICTORIAN PERIOD – You can find answers to these questions in a textbook or on the Internet. You will use this research to support what you find in the poetry, so doing a thorough job here will help you in the long-run. I would reccomend using the purple anthology, though you can find this information on the Internet as well.

List and describe at least two historical events that occurred during or right before the Victorian Period. (2 paragraphs)

One event that occurred during the Victorian Period was the reign of Queen Victoria. She ruled between 1837 and 1901. Her reign over Britain was the longest in British history. During her reign some of the most remarkable changes occurred, but these changes didn’t come easy. In the beginning of her rule there were a series of epidemics, crop failures and economic collapses. Though, by the time Queen Victoria died, the country was highly industrialized.

Another event that occurred during the Victorian Period was the Industrial Revolution. The Industrial Revolution started in Britain and eventually spread throughout the world. During this time there were a lot of technological changes and advancements that caused manual labor to be replaced by factory and machinery labor. The Victorian Period also marked the height of the British Industrial Revolution.

After reading about these events, what do you think life was like for normal people during this time? (1 paragraph)

After reading about these events I think that life was very hard for normal people during this time. Because of industrialization there was an increase in factory jobs and pretty much all of the factory workers were normal people. Factory workers did long shifts and working conditions were sometimes unsafe. The factories also brought widespread disease from contaminated air and water. All of these factors made life very hard for people but at the same time these problems led to change and improvements.

What is the biggest difference between the Victorian Period and the Romantic Period? What caused this change? This is one of the things you will need to prove with examples from the poetry you will read. It is important to create a good response here. The purple anthology can help you. (1-2 paragraphs).

The biggest difference between the Victorian Period and the Romantic Period was that during the Romantic Period ideas were more wild and radical. Victorians didn’t want this so they softened it up a little bit. This change was brought about because Victorians believed that life would be improved if it became more refined, more rationally organized, better policed, and therefore safer.

4. What did Victorian poets want to express with their work? You should be able to identify three or four qualities of Victorian poetry. Once again, you will be searching for these qualities in the poems you read, so a thorough job here will help you in the long-run. (3-4 sentences for each quality you find)

Victorian poets wanted to express in their work ideas that would alter, reinforce, challenge, enlarge, or temper the ideas and feelings with which their contemporaries managed their lives. They did this by making readers hope or wonder if reality was really like that and by demonstrating that, however bleak and chaotic reality seemed to be the writer and reader could make a pleasing order in it. These Victorian poets also reflected the dangers and benefits of rapid industrialization, while encouraging readers to examine closely their own understanding of their period’s progress.

Show me your answers to this section before moving on.

STEP FOUR: VICTORIAN POETRYRead a poem from each of the following poets, and then write a short review of each poem that: 1) Summarizes its content; 2) Analyzes how it is a good example of Victorian poetry; and 3) Uses direct evidence from the poem to support the claims you make in #3 and 4. Each of these reviews should be two paragraphs. Check to be sure each response includes the information for which I am asking. This will save you time. You can find many examples on the Internet by searching these poets' names. It would be helpful to create links to the poems you are describing. You can do with the link button above. I can show you how.

Alfred, Lord Tennyson - The Eagle: A Fragment

"The Eagle" a fragment is a poem written by Alfred Lord Tennyson. There are two stanzas and each stanza is a tercet that has three lines with one rhyme. In the first stanza the speaker describes an eagle. The eagle is holding onto a crag with his claws. He stands "close to the sun in lonely lands, ringed with the azure world" (line 2-3). In the second stanza the speaker describes the sea below and the mountains surrounding the eagle. The eagle is scoping out the scene "and like a thunderbolt he falls (line 6).

I think this poem is a good example of Victorian poetry because believe that Lord Tennyson is talking about how nature can be overcome by human forces. The author doesn’t really say this but there are clues that the reader can use to make their own inferences. In the first stanza the eagle is "close to the sun" (line 2). This line makes me think that the eagle is very majestic but at the end my thoughts change. In the last line it says, "like a thunderbolt he falls" (line 6). When they say the eagle falls it makes me think he dies. Maybe it’s a human force that makes him fall. I think the quality of nature that this poem evokes is that nature is susceptible to human forces.

Robert Browning – Porphyria’s Lover

In this poem the speaker tells the story of what happened to him and his lover Porphyria. The speaker strangles the woman he loves, Porphyria, to death. The reason he did this is because he was afraid she would lose the love she had for him. After he made sure that she loved him purely he strangles her with her hair. Now that she is dead her feelings can’t be changed. Its weird that the speakers love caused him to do this. After she dies we continue to hear the man out. In the end the reader wonders if the speaker is lovesick or genuinely disturbed.

I think that this poem is a good example of Victorian Poetry because the author provokes some moral or emotional reaction in his audience. After the reader finds out that Porphyria’s lover "strangled her" (line 41) we are left to question whether the speaker was lovesick or genuinely disturbed. It is left to the reader to find the answer.

Matthew Arnold – Dover Beach

The poem begins with the description of a nightly scene at the seaside. Then the speaker draws attention to the "grating roar of pebbles" (line 9-11) where the waves draw back. He describes how it brings an "eternal note of sadness" (line 14). In the next stanza the speaker introduces the Greek author Sophocles idea of "the turbid ebb and flow of human misery" (line 17). Sophocles also heard the roar from the pebbles. The third stanza describes the "Sea of Faith" (line 21). The speaker compares the religions past and present state. In The fourth and final the speaker asks his lover to be "true" (line 29), meaning faithful, to him. He tells her that the world does not contain any basic human values because they have disappeared.

I think that this is a good example of Victorian Poetry because the poem expresses the crisis of conscience brought about by the dwindling of religion and the rise of science. Science has changed human life through industrialization and through the mass warfare that scientific inventions made possible. Overall I think that this poem reflects the dangers of science and rapid industrialization.

Thomas Hardy – Channel Firing

The poem starts off with the speaker saying "that night your great guns, unawares, shook all our coffins as we lay" (line 1-2). This tells us that the speaker is dead. The speaker goes on to say that they thought it was judgement day. The second stanza has the speaker saying that they sat upright when they heard this. In the third stanza god tells them that it is not judgement day but only a gunnery practice out at sea just like before they died. He then tells how nations are having war and that he thinks its doing nothing for Christ’s sake. In the seventh stanza the speaker says that they laid down again because it wasn’t judgement day. The speaker also wonders if the world would ever be saner than when they died. The skeletons shook their heads. The guns go off again and it is heard from three different towers.

I think that this is a good example of Victorian poetry because the speaker gives another speakers perspective on war in order to make the reader examine closely their own understanding of it. He uses the dead to imagine what they would say about the violence in the land of the living. I think he does this in order to get a perspective from someone who’s been in war and who can speak freely about it.

My Product

Before and After

This picture shows the items I needed for the initial setup of my reef tank. It also shows the steps for setup in the order I did it.

A. Picotope Reef Tank(tank,light, and powerfilter
B. 3 Gallon Pico Tank
C. Pico Power Filter
D. Live Aragonite Reef Sand
E. Live Rock
F. Nutri Seawater Saltwater
G. 1st hermit crab (name: Herby)
H. 10watt Reef Light

Here are the before and after pics. The first one was taken on 8/23/2006 and the second was taken on 11/15/2006.

Heres a collection of pictures I have taken over the past three months. Yes, these are actual photos that I took on my own and all of the creatures pictured are still alive.

The Restoration

(from Encyclopedia Britannica)

1. Research The Glorious Revolution (sometimes called the Bloodless Revolution) online or in one of the textbooks. Write a paragraph summarizing what happened, and then another that explains why you think the event was so important.

After Charles II of England died in 1685, his brother James II succeeded him. James II was a Roman Catholic and many English people opposed Roman Catholics. One reason was because it was widely believed that Roman Catholics started a fire in London and caused other disasters. Another reason is because English people were worried that James II would hand over power to the pope. When James had a son (a catholic heir) the Royal family thought it wasn’t safe and fled to France. King James II was forced into exile. His Protestant daughter, Mary, and her husband, William of Orange took the throne. This accomplished the Glorious Revolution of 1688.

The main reason why I think this event was important is because after this the monarchy in England would never again hold absolute power. In turn, the Kings powers were greatly restricted and Parliament became more powerful. The overthrow of James II finally established Protestantism in England.

2. Define "satire". Don't just copy and paste a definition from another source. Read the definition, and then explain it in your own words. Once you have done that, provide a few modern-day examples of satire (television shows, movies, magazines, etc.).

Satire is a type of writing or art in which irony or sarcasm may be used to expose something wrong or unexpected. The use of satire in TV shows, movies, and magazines is very common. One example of a TV show that uses satire is Family Guy. Another more popular show that uses satire is The Simpsons.

3. Read "A Modest Proposal", which may be difficult at first, but if you stick with it, the message will become more clear. Once you are finished reading, you should write a short response to what you read (4-5 sentences), and explain how this is a work of satire.

After reading this I have to say that Johnathan Swift is a sick man. He first talks about how the streets are filled with woman beggars and their children. He makes it seem like the children are burdens to their mothers and that they are the ones responsible for their situation. Then he goes on to say that beggars are also hurting the commonwealth. This is probably true. What he proposes next shocked me.

He explains how a baby can be kept well on his/her mother’s milk for the first year. Breast milk is free so there are no expenses to the mother. He then proposes that the after the first year the babies can be sold for food. This is one of the sickest ideas I have heard of. Swift actually goes on telling the readers why he believes this will be a good way to fix the problem. I thought most of his ideas were absolutely ridiculous or just flat out sick.

When I realized that Swift was using satire I felt relieved. It turns out he’s not really serious. "A Modest Proposal" is a work of satire because what is normally expected was turned upside down. Instead of proposing something like a place for the poor children to go Swift proposes that the children be sold for human consumption. This was not what I expected he would propose and this is what makes it a work of satire.

4. Read either "from the Diary of Samuel Pepys" or "from A Journal of the Plague Year" by Daniel Defoe, both of which can be found in the purple anthology. Once you have finished reading, write a 1-2 paragraph response to what you have read. Please be sure to include some direct evidence from the text to help show what you are responding to.

The piece of literature I chose to read is "A Journal of the Plague Year" by Daniel Defoe. In this work Defoe writes his accounts of the plague that struck London in the form of a journal. The only problem is that Defoe was only five years old when it happened. By using his childhood memories, city records, and accounts from other people he manages to create this journal. He uses the initials H.F. to serve as the narrator. After reading this I have to say that Defoe was successful in making the reader believe that this was written by an eyewitness when the plague occured.

My favorite exert from "A Journal of the Plague Year" was the one about the poor piper. The poor piper was "an ignorant, weak, poor man" that usually walked around 10 o’ clock at night and went piping from door to door. People usually took him in and gave him food and drinks. When the plague came he couldn’t do this anymore. He started to get skinny and this made it seem like he was dead. One day when the death carts came by they thought the poor piper was dead from the plague so they lifted him into the cart with the dead bodies. It turned out he was only sleeping. Luckily he woke up right before being thrown into the pit with the bodies. I thought this was hilarious. Even though this was a really sad time Defoe was still able to add some comedy into his exerts. I think he is able to do this because he wasn’t writing a first hand account and he didn’t really suffer from all the grief. He was too young to really know what was happening at the time.

5. What do you think was most important to people living in this time? Write a 1-2 paragraph response to this question in which you use direct evidence from the texts you read to support whatever arguments you make.

During the Restoration and the Eighteenth Century England was going through some hard times. Civil War, disease, and even poverty were draining the country. People would actually leave the country just to get away from all the problems. If I were living in England during this time I would want changes for the better more than anything else. This is why I believe that change was the most important thing to most of the people at the time. The only people I could think of that wouldn’t find changes for the better important would be the upper class because they were living well. But even the upper class would want changes for the better when plague or religious and political persecution came.

Response 5: Macbeth, Act IV & V

In the beginning of Act IV the three witches are shown in a dark cavern surrounding a bubbling cauldron. Macbeth wants to know more about the prophecies. The witches do some magic and three apparitions appear.The first apparation told Macbeth to beware Macduff but he alreadfy knew this. The second apparation is a bloody child that’s tells Macbeth that "none of woman born / shall harm Macbeth" (IV.i.96–97). This was important because it made Macbeth feel more confident in a way. The third apparitiion was also something he already knew since he didnt kill Fleance. After the apparations Lennox tells Macbeth that Macduff has fled. Macbeth then tells murderers to kill Macduffs family. After this we see Lady Macduff at her place. She wants to know why her husband left. Then her son comes in and starts asking about his father. He is worried about his dad. His mom tries explain that his father has done something bad. After this murderers come in and kill them. After seeing this I have to say that Macbeth is purely evil. Macduff finds out about this at the end of Act IV. The murder of Macduffs family showed the audience the truth about Macbeth and I think it also helped to make everyone realize that Macbeth has to be stopped.

Act V is the final act in Macbeth where everything comes to an end. The first scene starts out with a doctor and a gentlewoman. The doctor is there because Lady Macbeth has been acting ill. Lady Macbeth starts sleepwalking and starts talking about the murders the doctor hears it and says that he should be quiet. It seems to me that Lady Macbeth is now feeling guilty and going crazy because of this guilt. Meanwhile Macbeth hears about the army coming. He says he is ready for battle. The way he says it makes it seem like Macbeth thinks he is invincible. In the next scene Malcolm tells the army to get branches from the forest of Dirmham and tells them to use it as camaflouge. This scene represents the woods moving up to the castle. When Macbeth learns this he realizes he might be in trouble. He suits up and goes to battle. First Macbeth kills Lord Siwards son. Macbeth then encounters Macduff. They battle and Macbeth telss him that he cant be killed by him. Macduff then says that he was untimely ripped from his mother meaning he didn’t come out of the womb. When Macbeth finds out he say he wont battle and tries to quit. Macduff shows no mercy and kills Macbeth. That’s pretty much the end.

Response 4: Macbeth, Act III

Act 3 scene 1 starts out with banquo talking about his worries. He knows that its dangerous for him and his son since Macbeth heard what the witches told him too. Macbeth comes and invites him to dinner. Banquo say he has to ride somewhere. Macbeth asks where he is going to go and if his son Fleance is going to be with him. At this point, if I was in Banquos position I would be suspicious of Macbeth. Why does Macbeth want to know where Banquo is going to be and the time he will be there? Next we find out why. Macbeth is plotting to kill Banquo. He gets some murderers to do the job by questioning their manhood. They agree to do it.

In scene 2 Lady Macbeth has a servant call Macbeth. She is worried about her husband. Macbeth says that "We have scorched the snake, not killed it" (Act3.2.13). This means that they still have something to worry about. He tells Lady Macbeth that he is worried about Banquo being alive. Lady Macbeth tries to tell him not to worry but it doesnt help. Then Macbeth tells her about his plan to murder Banquo and his son. He also tells her not to show any sign of whats going to happen. Now it seems like Macbeth is the one giving the orders and coming up with the plans. This makes me believe that Macbeth has really become an evil person.

In scene 3 Banquo is murdered. The murderers waited for him on the trail and ambushed him. The lights were put out and Banquo was able to tell Fleance to flee. Fleance gets away. It turns out one of the murderers thought it would be better to put out the lights. It treally wasnt. With Fleance still alive Macbeth is still at risk.

In scene 4 Macbeth and Lady Macbeth are having supper with their guests at the palace. The murderers enter and tell Macbeth aside that Banquo has been killed but Fleance got away. Macbeths says his fit has come again. The murderers leave. What happens next leads to the climax of the story. At the dinner table Macbeth sees Banquos ghost sitting on his seat. He freaks out and thinks someone is playing tricks on him. Since nobody else could see it they thought Macbeth was loosing it. Then Macbeth really starts freaking out and says "Though canst not say I did it. Never shake thy gory locks at me". This line right here is important because Macbeth has just incriminated himself. Ross tells everyone to leave but Lady Macbeth tells them not to worry. Macbeth freeks out more and then the ghost leaves. He then notices that no one else saw it. He asks them to excuse his behavior. The ghost comes back and then he mentions Banquos absence. Lady Macbeth again tries to tell the guests not to worry. When the ghost leaves Ross asks him what sights hes talking about. Lady Macbeth then says that Macbeth is getting worse and that he shouldnt be questioned. The guests leave. After this scene, we see that people are now suspicious of Macbeth. He has self-incriminated himself by saying that he cant say he didnt commit murder. From this point in the story it seems like everything will be going downhill for Macbeth.

Response 3: Macbeth, Act II

At the end of Act I Macbeth agrees to go along with his wife’s plan to kill Duncan. Act II starts out at night with Banquo and his son Fleance up late at night. Banquo says hes been having "cursed thoughts" (II.i.8) and that he cant sleep. Macbeth enters and has a brief conversation with them. Banquo mentions the witches and Macbeth says he hasn’t been thinking about it. Macbeth then says "when we can entreat an hour to serve, we would spend it in some words upon that business" (II.i.22-23). I think that this makes it seem like Macbeth has something planned for the night. Once they leave Macbeth starts hallucinating. He sees a dagger floating in the air and pointing to Duncans room. Then it turns bloody. Macbeth wonders if it is real but decides its just his imagination. Then the signal goes off. This ends sene 1.

In scene 2 Lady Macbeth enters and says that she has done everything in the plan except murder the king. She couldnt do it because he resembled her father. All of sudden they skip what happens and Macbeth enters and says that hehas killed Duncan but he left the dagger. He also mentions that he couldnt say amen. His wife gets mad then goes to get the dagger. After that we get some comical relief in scene 3 with the porter and his part. Then the others find out that the king has been murdered. When Malcom and Donalbain find out that their father has been murdered they do what they think is best, and flee the scene. In scene 4 we see that overall the plan went well for the Macbeth's since the chamberlaigns were the ones blamed for the murder. Since the two sons fled the scene people also become suspicious of them. All of this helps Macbeth because less eyes are on him now but he still has to worry about Malcolm and Donalbain.

Response 2: Macbeth, Act I

In Act 1 a lot of stuff goes down. The witches tell Macbeth that he will become Thane of Cawdor and then king. After this encounter with the witches he learns that King Duncan has appointed him Thane of Cawdor making half of the witches prophecy true. Macbeth is worried now. If the first prediction came true then the second one will to, but Macbeth is scared of how it might happen. Once we see his wifes reaction to the prediction we all know how Macbeth will become King. Lady Mabeth decides that the King has to be killed so Macbeth can become king and she can become queen. Then she hears that the king will be visiting them. Once she knows this she decides to execute the plan. At first Macbeth tells her "We will proceed no further in this business" (Act 1 Scene 7 Line 3). This tells me that Macbeth didnt want to do it and it also shows me that he isnt a bad person. Lady Macbeth reacts to this by making it seem like it was his idea all along. Somehow she finally convinces Macbeth to go along with the plan. She also says that she will be the one to kill the king and Macbeth won't have to be involved. In my opinion, Lady Macbeth is the bad guy.