A Spotify Curated Playlist for Witch #1 (@iamabadwitch101)

Every year Spotify allows users to delve into their past listening history by compiling a playlist of 100 songs that you played the most that year.  In this special 2018 Spotify playlist curation, Spotify has created playlists for your fav Shakespeare characters! These are the music compilations I have been needing.  

1. Magic by Coldplay

This is the kind of song I was expecting when I opened up the playlist for Witch #1.  Just hearing the word “witch” invokes the idea of magic and potions and spells, oh my!  In the text when the witches are delivering their prophecy and casting their magical spells Shakespeare writes, “Foul is fair, and fair is foul”.  This representation of the dichotomy of appearance vs. reality is also presented within the Coldplay song. For example, in the opening lines of the song it says, “Call it magic, call it true”.  It is of the common conception that magic is not real and so here again there is a dichotomy representing what is reality and what is fantastical. From this song we can understand that the Spotify playlist curators believe in the idea that the witches and their supernatural powers are not to be taken at face value, they are hiding secrets and mysterious events are to come in the future.  

2. No Pressure by Justin Bieber

I applaud Spotify’s choice of this song, number one because it is by Justin Bieber, but number 2 because in the song Bieber talks about how a girl he likes, doesn’t have to make her mind up (regarding potentially dating him) at the moment.  In his song he sings, “You ain't gotta make your mind up, You ain't gotta make your mind up right now”.  This connects to how the witches deal with Macbeth.  The witches present their prophecy to Macbeth (in a somewhat creepy way I might add) but yet Shakespeare is careful to ensure that the witches do not exert any physical force upon Macbeth.  They didn’t peer pressure him into killing the king….and all the other people Macbeth has murdered, they simply planted the idea into his mind. And this is exactly what Justin Bieber is doing- planting the idea of dating him (*insert heart eyes here*) but not forcing anything that the girl doesn’t want.  

3. Beware by Big Sean (the clean version of course)
   Megan if you’re reading this blog post please know that I am sending you this entire playlist that Spotify made for Witch #1, solely because it includes this song.  With this song Spotify kind of took an indirect blow at the witches, it’s almost as if the compilers of this playlist were indirectly warning the people of Scotland and England about the events that were to unfold- BEWARE CITIZENS OF SCOTLAND AND ENGLAND.  This relates to the idea that the witches were responsible for the outcome of the events in Macbeth- i.e. Macbeth going on a killing rampage and trying to fulfill the prophecy that they presented.  Now I cannot speak on the background of the witches because I am not entirely sure what happened to them or why they possess supernatural powers, but in the song Big Sean sings, “You should beware, beware, beware, of a woman with a broken heart.”  This relates to when the witches tell Macbeth, “The power of man, for none of woman born shall harm Macbeth,” This is an indirect warning saying hey Macbeth, you should BEWARE of a man born from a c-section.

4. Something Big by Shawn Mendes

The high beat and tempo of this song helps to develop the feeling of unease and anxiety that made the audience feel on the edge of their seat during the presentation of the witches’ prophecies.  And, as Shawn Mendes sings and as the prophecy foretold…”Something big I (the witches or Shawn Mendes) feel it happening”. Mendes’s song also brings up the idea of the “something” being out of his control.  This is interesting to think about as different perspectives can be taken regarding whether or not the outcome of events of Macbeth was in or out of Macbeth’s control.  

5. Controlla by Drake (again, the clean version of course)

This song once again helps to display the idea of the controlling of actions and emotions.  In this song Drake presents the idea of controlling a girl’s actions by essentially making her fall in love with him.  This parallels ideas presented in Macbeth.  Basically, the witches have controlled Macbeth’s actions by making him believe (and this up for debate whether or not they wanted the events in the prophecy to be fulfilled) that this prophecy was going to come true and he was going to be the King.  Overall another good song choice for this playlist as the slower and methodic tempo helps to reflect the methodic and deliberate presentation of what is going to happen in Macbeth.  For example Shakespeare writes in the stage directions, “Thunder.  First Apparition…” and does this same thing for the consecutive second and third apparitions within the first act of the fourth scene.  

Fate vs. Chance

FATE vs. CHANCE

Ok first things first, I am a very firm believer that everything that happens in our lives was meant to happen and that you are exactly where you are meant to be at this moment.  It may not be where you want to be, but you are here and it is up to you to make the most of your current situation. Having been raised with a strong religious background, I was always taught that God has a plan for you and everything in your life that happens will happen for a reason….now I can’t say I understand why God let me spill my coffee all over my shirt on the way to school last week but that's a conversation for another time…

Therefore, when addressing the question of, “Do you believe events in your life have been guided by fate or chance?” I tend to lean toward the idea that events in my life have been guided by fate and specifically that my life has been shaped by God’s hand and His purpose.  However, I also acknowledge that some trivial events in my life that may not be as significant as others (and it is difficult to determine an event’s significance when you’re in the moment) may not have been controlled by a higher power, that they were just going to happen as either a result of my own actions or being in the wrong place at the wrong time.  

Before I go any further with this conversation regarding the scary words of FATE and CHANCE, I would like to acknowledge that this is how I am defining these words (thank you Mr. Merriam Webster...or Ms….I’m not sure):

• Fate: “an inevitable and often adverse outcome, condition, or end” (specifically regarding some sort of divine intervention)
• Chance: : “something that happens unpredictably without discernible human intention or observable cause”

Ok, these definitions are somewhat confusing but I have interpreted them so that fate is something that a higher power (such as a God or other supernatural force) controls and determines whereas chance is just something that happens (not necessarily the result of an outside force).

I think that because I am a strong believer in God that I want to say that a lot of the events that have occurred in my life can be traced back to fate.  For example, God chose to have a little baby girl (but unfortunately everyone thought I was a little baby boy until I was about 3 because I had no hair- see reference image below) that was born in Cincinnati, Ohio to parents Ed and Kelly Walsh and then the family moved to Raleigh, North Carolina.  However, I think that chance was the stronger force in determining the people that I’ve met along the way. But then going back to the idea of fate, I think that God has shaped a lot of the decisions I have made which result in the outcomes and events I have experienced throughout my life.

(lol Merry Christmas)

Ok now going back to Macbeth (woooo!!!), when dealing with the question, “Based on the text what do you think Shakespeare’s attitude was towards fate?” it is important that we examine how the author (Shakespeare) portrayed Macbeth’s actions/decisions as well as how the outcomes of these actions/decisions are portrayed.  I believe that Shakespeare believed in the idea of fate but was unhappy with how people use it as a justification of actions.

For example, Macbeth can be considered a commentary on the ruling of King James I in the early 17th century.  King James VI and I was supposed to be more religiously tolerant, however, he enforced strict penalties against practicing Catholics.  This angered people and they were unhappy with his ruling. Shakespeare may have viewed this as betrayal as it is speculated that he was a secretly practicing Catholic at the time.  This reflects the idea of fate and chance because Shakespeare may have believed in the optimism that the initial ruling of King James VI and I brought (that God had brought this man to allow Catholics to practice openly) but he was betrayed when the king ended up reinforcing strict Catholic penalties.  

This idea can be seen within Macbeth and the play as a whole could be deemed a commentary on King James VI and I’s ruling.  Macbeth initially gains power and seems like a great leader until he starts going crazy and his actions become irrational and uncontrollable.  This can be seen in the text when it says, “Prithee, see there. Behold, look! Lo, how say you?” (Macbeth, 3.4. 82-83) This quote shows that Macbeth is quite literally going insane after he kills HIS OWN BEST FRIEND (what the heck?!?!) and Banquo’s ghost appears at his dinner table.  

I believe that Macbeth had always had the choice to determine what was going to happen to him, but he let fate and the supernatural influence him into making decisions leading to consequences that may have never come to fruition without Macbeth’s initiative.  This reminds me of an old saying my grandma used to say- and quite honestly I’m not sure why she said this because she didn’t even own a horse but oh well. She would say that “You can lead a horse to water but you can’t make him drink,” This phrase means that you can do everything you can to try and invoke an outcome but if it’s not meant to happen it will not happen.  However, in this case, Macbeth has been told where the water is (the prophecy that he will soon become King) and he has chosen to lead the horse (himself) to this water and force the horse to drink with the killing of King Duncan.

This is evidenced by Shakespeare’s writing when it says, “Thou shalt get kings, though thou be none.” (Macbeth, 1.3. 70).  This quote from the witches shows that the witches have done nothing but state the prophecy that Macbeth is destined to fulfill.  They did not convince him to kill King Duncan, they did not give his a dagger to stab the king, they did not even mention how the prophecy would come true.  All the witches did was implant the idea in Macbeth’s head that he was destined to become king and Macbeth was alone in his actions when he killed King Duncan.  Therefore, he was influenced by the supernatural (FATE) but his own actions led to the outcome of events.

Citations:

“Fate.” Merriam-Webster.com. 2018. https://www.merriam-webster.com (2 December 2018).  

“Chance.” Merriam-Webster.com. 2018. https://www.merriam-webster.com (2 December 2018).  

Seaward, Paul. “Charles II (1630–1685), King of England, Scotland, and Ireland.” Oxford Dictionary of National Biography, 2004, doi:10.1093/ref:odnb/5144.

Shakespeare, William. “Macbeth.” Folger Shakespeare Library, 31 Jan. 2018, www.folger.edu/macbeth.