Tuesday, May 5, 2020

African Instruments free essay sample

The history of African musical instruments is rich and diverse as the people that populate the African continent. Because music Is so deeply rooted in African culture, knowing about African instruments helps you understand the continent as well as the people. Apart from Africans themselves, this knowledge Is usually restricted to ethnomusicology and historians. The roots of African-American Instruments are burled deep within the music of the African continent. The history and evolution of African-Americans instruments are as rich and complex as the history of AfricanAmericans themselves. The essence of African-American Instruments Lies In Its expression of the human experience. Although the different styles vary widely In their tone, topic and the tools used to produce them, African-American Instruments have the ability to cross all color and culture lines. Styles such as the blues, country, jazz, gospel and hip hop have spread their Influence all over the world. Drums, banjo, and shakers have been a important key to making beautiful, inspiring music. We will write a custom essay sample on African Instruments or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page Drumming was an important part of many African musical and religious radiation.The drum heads at either end of the drums wooden body are made from hide, fish-skin or other membranes which are wrapped around a wooden hoop. Leather cords or thongs run the length of the drums body and are wrapped around both hoops; when you squeeze these cords under your arm, the drum heads tighten, changing the instruments pitch. Drums served as an early form of long distance communication, and were used during ceremonial and religious functions. Ceremonial functions could include dance, rituals, story-telling and communication of points of order.The traditional drumming found in Africa is actually of three different types. Firstly, a rhythm can represent an idea (or signal). Secondly it can repeat the profile of a spoken utterance or thirdly it can simply be subject to musical laws. Drum Communication were based on actual natural languages. The sounds produced are conventionalism or idiomatic signals based on speech patterns. The messages are normally very stereotyped and context-dependent. By playing the drums the slaves would send warnings such as, the king is approaching or the enemy is attacking.After the work day was over, slaves would get together and sing out affirmations, pledges and prayers that they eventually lengthened out with repetitive choruses. At first, they accompany their vocals with handmade drums, but slave owners soon grew worrisome that this may be some sort of signal being made from one set of slaves to another that would ultimately lead to a revolt so the use of drums was abolished. African Instruments By Serenading populate the African continent. Because music is so deeply rooted in African culture, the people.Apart from Africans themselves, this knowledge is usually restricted to ethnomusicology and historians. The roots of African-American instruments are buried deep within the music of the African continent. The history and evolution of Americans themselves. The essence of African-American instruments lies in its expression of the human experience. Although the different styles vary widely in their tone, topic and the tools used to produce them, African-American instruments jazz, gospel and hip hop have spread their influence all over the world.

Tuesday, April 14, 2020

The Philosophy Of Life Is A Great Part Of Classroom Discussion

The Philosophy Of Life Is A Great Part Of Classroom DiscussionA sample essay that has a personal philosophy of life can be a great way to get students thinking about what it means to live life to the fullest. Rather than just writing something like, 'I want to share my philosophy of life with you,' students will also get to think about what kind of life they are trying to live and why they should live it to the fullest.A sample essay that has a personal philosophy of life is a very important part of a successful classroom conversation. Students will be able to see how people think about their lives and what it really means to go out and live it to the fullest. Whether the student is thinking about how they were raised or how they are living their life today, there is something that the student can learn from the essay.One reason that the sample essay is so important is because it provides students with a great idea about how the world works. A student can learn about the philosophy o f life from the sample essay by thinking about how people are raised. If the student is raised in a home where religion is important, then they will get a good idea about how to live their life and what the principles of living are.The values of the family are an important part of how people do things. For example, if parents have values that are inconsistent or are not completely consistent with each other, then they might not be able to live up to their own personal philosophies of life. By reading the sample essay, students will be able to learn about how this can happen and get a better understanding of how it can affect their own values.If parents are not open and honest about their philosophy of life, then the children will likely understand this and follow in their footsteps. If their parents are unaware of what their children are thinking or feeling, then they are likely not going to be open to communicating these thoughts with them. It can cause problems in a home, as paren ts are not providing the child with the opportunity to learn the principles of living the life of the greatest people in the world.If a student writes about a philosophy of life, then they are probably going to have a good idea about how they could apply this philosophy to their life. Students can also learn about the philosophy of life from asking questions to see if the student understands the philosophy of life. If the student knows about the principles of living and feels as though they are missing something, then the student might be able to go out and find it and live it to the fullest.After the student has learned about the philosophy of life, they can make some decisions about what they would like to live for. If the student is raised in a Christian home, then they might want to live for God and follow his teachings and values. If the student is raised in a non-religious home, then they might want to live for themselves and make their own beliefs and values as part of their philosophy of life.By reading a sample essay about philosophy of life, students can understand the principles of living, including what their own values might be. By reading a sample essay, they can decide which kind of philosophy of life they want to live and then go out and do it.

Friday, April 10, 2020

Positive Effects of Television on the way People Understand Themselves

Television helps in building child cognition. Several studies have assessed children’s programs such as Sesame Street. All these studies find that young children who view Sesame Street often have more developed cognition in identifying shapes, numbers and letter than those who do not view the program (Fisch 2004). Besides, these children do extremely well in academics when they join high school.Advertising We will write a custom critical writing sample on Positive Effects of Television on the way People Understand Themselves specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More Conversely, watching television may impair cognition in children. Williams (1986) evaluated cognition in children using a test called alternate uses. He found that the scores of the test dropped after children watched television. Although these findings might have been true, some factors that had no relationship with watching television could have influenced the findings of this study. Some of these factors could have been tiredness or boredom due to repeating the same test. The work of Williams (1986) is also disputable because children, who like watching, usually follow scenes keenly so that they can recall all the events that crop from week to week. Rather than impairing a child’s cognitive ability, such an activity should help in developing a child’s cognitive ability. This point can also be supported by the work of McLuhan (1964), who argues that television requires high levels of audience participation. Hence, watching television builds cognition as a child takes part by thinking actively in the entire program. Television acts as a valuable resource through providing viewers with the latest information about what is happening around them. For instance, a person gets to know when calamities such as Hurricanes strike some parts of the world, or when Iraq is fighting with America. Such information helps people to understand themsel ves more as they are able to tell why some leaders of the world may concentrate so much on some issues that other leaders, in other parts, may not consider. For instance, people can get to understand why the American government has to budget for so much money in security and disaster management as opposed to other governments. However, television does not act as a valuable resource in all topics. Essential topics such as employment openings receive little address from televisions despite the fact that most people are jobless. Hence, we can argue that televisions allow people to understand others, but it offers little when it comes to economic and personal development.Advertising Looking for critical writing on communications media? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More Television helps people to understand and appreciate their gender roles. Men dominate most programs on television because few women have jobs. In efforts to investig ate the role that television has on making people understand gender, Williams (1986) conducted a study on how children classified men and women after watching some television shows. All children received a list of traits, and they had to classify these traits depending on whether they were common in boys or girls. After the study, Williams (1986) concluded that television influenced the understanding of men and women roles among children. Understanding gender roles is essential, but it can lead to gender stereotyping. For instance, girls may refuse to take up subjects that will develop them into media workers because they associate such jobs with men. Also, dividing jobs according to gender orientation promotes gender inequality as organizations place men on leadership positions that pay well while women work as their subordinates with little pay. Some television programs have made people realize that they can find pleasure in reading books as well as using different methods of inst ruction in learning. Most people move from one bookshop to the other searching for books that have life stories of characters that they admire in television shows. Also, some television programs like Discovery and History Channels contain lots of educational content. These channels show some events that took place long ago including wars, as well as evolution of human beings. People get to understand where they came from and why they relate with some societies in certain ways, through watching historical events. For instance, through watching about Germany armament on history channels, people can understand the roots of the tension between European and American countries. On the other hand, television shows may hamper the habit of reading books in children. Most children tend to concentrate on watching cartoons and other fun shows, rather than educational programs. Thus, televisions can influence reading and performance in schools, unless parents check what they watch.Advertising We will write a custom critical writing sample on Positive Effects of Television on the way People Understand Themselves specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More Television shows enhance interaction among different people, thus enabling them to understand each other better. This is because television shows offer a platform from where office mates, who have little in common, can start a dialogue. People commonly watch television series like the Sopranos and sport channels and thus, they always have much to talk about them. Cartoon shows, also, form a ground for interaction as people from all demographic groups, including children watch them (Datta 2007). In fact, most grownups refer to cartoons when they want to start a dialogue with children, or when they want to cheer up sickly children. Some cartoon channels, which people watch commonly, are Disney Channel, Nickelodeon and Toon Disney. Television shows, which have characters with admirab le values, may impact the relationship between children and other people positively. On the other hand, some television shows may have negative impacts on society. Some examples of such shows are violent games and pornographic shows (Williams 1986). Both violent games and pornographic shows may have an effect on the moral values of children (Datta 2007). However, the issue of children watching unsuitable content is solvable through screening. For instance, parents can use technology to watch and control programs and content watched by their children (Hobart Schiffman 2000). Some programs that parents should restrict children from viewing are those that have rapid scenes, or those that show violent behavior. Monitoring what a child watches enables him to build a healthy relationship with the television (Hobart Schiffman 2000). Parents can as well choose shows that are rich in educational content, or children to view. Some shows for young children have no educational value, and pare nts should restrict such programs for school going children (Datta, A 2007). Weather channels make people understand the needs of their bodies since they offer guidance on what to wear. Most people watch television channels that forecast weather before deciding on what to wear. On the other hand, watching television often may harm the body through causing eye sight problems and malnutrition, in children who are frequent television viewers. Lastly, television helps people in a certain part of the world to understand how people in other countries live. There are people who like to know about others in oversea countries, but they cannot afford the money for travel. Television programs that focus on other countries help to bridge this gap.Advertising Looking for critical writing on communications media? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More Such programs focus on people from different cultures and through watching them a person can realize how others behave. However, television shows may exaggerate, or give false information about lifestyles of people in other countries, thus creating false images among viewers. References Datta, A 2007, Effects of television and the viewers, Mittal Publications, New Delhi. Fisch, S 2004, Children’s learning from educational television: sesame street and beyond, Erlbaum Associates, Mahwah. Hobart, M Schiffman, Z 2000, Information ages: literacy, numeracy, and the computer revolution, Johns Hopkins University Press, Baltimore. McLuhan, M 1964, Television â€Å"the timid giant†: understanding media, Routledge Kegan Paul, London. Williams, TM 1986, The impact of television: a natural experiment in three communities, Academic Press, Orlando. This critical writing on Positive Effects of Television on the way People Understand Themselves was written and submitted by user Georgia Schultz to help you with your own studies. You are free to use it for research and reference purposes in order to write your own paper; however, you must cite it accordingly. You can donate your paper here.

Monday, March 9, 2020

Mobile Phone Communication and Development of Intimacy

Mobile Phone Communication and Development of Intimacy Introduction Intimacy entails development of feelings of closeness and belonging between two individuals involved in an intimate relationship. The closeness, which develops over some time, involves the two people having knowledge and experience of each other thereby giving room for the development of awareness and affective behaviors (Morris 2002, par. 3).Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on Mobile Phone Communication and Development of Intimacy specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More On the other hand, the intimate interactions are the interpersonal associations, which develop out of repeated interactions between two individuals and fulfillment of the emotional needs of each other. Social psychologists indicate that the late adolescence and premature adulthood stages of life-span development are the most important stages for development of interpersonal associations in an individual. This also involves the period when most ind ividuals are occupied with the urge of experiencing romantic and intimate relationships. Research studies indicate that development of intimate relationships follows the development of self-experience and self-formation. In this case, self-formation entails the way in which an individual presents oneself to others and to him/herself in the society. The social environment plays a major role in shaping the development of oneself in that an individual’s characteristics are attributable to the way that individual presents oneself to the society (Goffman 1973, par. 2). In the theory, Front and Back regions, it is indicated that, in the day-to-day interpersonal interactions, a social meaning is attached to how one individual’s roles or appearances are perceived by others and the society at large. This then implies that for two individuals to develop a connection, they must be engaged in a physical interaction, which will then lead to development of an emotional connection an d thus intimate relationships. However, with the emergence of technological changes, the perception of intimacy and thus development of intimate relationships has changed to a great extent. Besides the society playing a major role in the development of self-experience and self-formation, the mediated interactions such as mobile phone communications has added to the options an individual explores when undergoing self-differentiation. This essay is aimed at evaluating the impact of using the mobile phone as a medium for development of intimate relationships on the current perceived meaning of intimacy. The essay further compares the perception of intimacy in an ordinary society and in a mediated environment in order to acknowledge the major changes that have occurred in the contemporary society as a result of technological changes. Intimacy in the Contemporary Society The above discussions indicate that development of intimacy follows the development of self-experience and self-format ion. In the ancient society, the two processes were mainly dependent on social factors, which determine their formation and appropriation.Advertising Looking for essay on social sciences? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More In the contemporary society, which is characterized by new methods of telecommunication and visual technology, the process of self actualization has changed largely affecting most intimate relationships. In this case, self-formation is more spontaneous and undefined in that a person will always rely on various resources within his/her reach, which are perceived to be important in the process of self-identity (Thompson 1995, p. 207). This individual enjoys the freedom of exploring a variety of media resources such as the television, the internet, films, and movies, which provide figurative materials that guide a person through self actualization. Thompson (1995, p. 208), states that when the process of self-formation is guided by the media, its connection to the society or the social factors that govern the process is slackened but not obliterated. The connection between the social factors or milieu and self-formation can remain loose for as long as the mediated interaction between two individuals is sustained. The situation further offers an individual non-local familiarity of the other person (Miller et al. 2007, par. 14). On the other hand, social psychological studies indicate that development of intimacy is pegged on the development of familiarity and closeness between two individuals in a social setting. Through expressions better known as the front, an individual is able to display the expected impression to others. The front will therefore influence self-formation in the sense that when an individual interacts with others in the society, chances are that this individual will tend to act in such a way to impress others. In addition, a person who realizes self-formation thr ough his/her physical interaction with others in the society will be better placed in terms of understanding what other individuals and the society at large expects of someone. The Front and Back theory posits that the front can be anticipated through a variety of expressions and signs. Through these expressions, an individual displays certain characteristics such as appearances and manners, which can tell others about his/her status in society. On the other hand, the back or the secondary presentations displayed by an individual are observed in mediated interactions such as through a mobile phone conversation (Thompson 1995, p. 209). In such a situation, it is hard to feel or create an impression of what the other person displays. Research studies indicate that relationships built on the foundation of mediated interactions are characterized by contradicted truths behind expressions and they are bound to face many conflicts and differences. This is because the two individuals involv ed in such a relationships feel less bound by the social norms or responsibilities defining them.Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on Mobile Phone Communication and Development of Intimacy specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More It is worth noting that mediated communication and interaction between two individuals in a relationship brings with it a new form of intimacy, which differs in certain aspects with what has been regarded as intimacy for decades. In the ancient society, intimacy was characterized by reciprocity whereby one positive action is met with an equivalent positive response. Therefore, utterances and actions are exchanged between the two individuals in such a way that conflicts are resolved easily and thus intimacy rules. Meanwhile, a relationship founded on the basis of mobile phone conversations can also experience reciprocity of some kind but fail to display the fundamental characteristics of the intimate re lationships existing between individuals sharing the same milieu (Fehr Gachter 2000, par. 1). Looking at the characteristics of intimacy in the context of mediated environments, it is thus evident that media has brought with it a new form of non-reciprocal intimacy free of any formal commitments associated with reciprocity. This is a form of intimacy that can exist between a wide range of individuals sharing divergent views, social backgrounds, and localities over a long period of time. Conclusions This essay explores the various ways in which the perception of intimacy in the modern society varies from that held over the decades in the ancient society. This is achieved through critically analyzing the principles of two theories, the front and back theory and the theory of self-formation and experience. From the discussions above, it can be noted that intimacy is a poignant or bodily connection that exists between two individuals sharing the same locale or different locales. In the ancient society, intimacy was known to develop when two individuals sharing the same locale came together to share actions and utterances in a reciprocal manner. However, with the emergence of modern technology, new forms of intimacy arose in the contemporary society. These forms are characterized by non-reciprocity and wide geographical distances between the two partners. Reference List Fehr, E, Gachter, S 2000, ‘Fairness and retaliation: the economics of reciprocity,’  Journal of Economic Perspectives, vol.14, no. 3, pp. 159-181. Goffman, E 1973, The presentation of self in everyday life, The Overlook Press, New York.Advertising Looking for essay on social sciences? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More Miller, RS, Perlin, D Brehm, SS 2007, Intimate relationships, 4th edn, McGraw-Hill, Toronto. Morris, D 2002, People watching: the Desmond Morris Guide to body language,  Vintage, New York. Thompson, MB 1995, The media and modernity: a social theory of the media, Polity Press, Cambridge.

Saturday, February 22, 2020

Violent Video Games Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Violent Video Games - Essay Example It is important to note that besides social networking sites, violence video games have the greatest following among the youth. However, critical consideration of the facts surrounding the act is important to establish ways of managing it so that the future society is saved of devastating socio-economic results. There is a raging debate on the issue of violence video games on the young minds but a lot of focus is evidently put on the negative side. It is important to carry out investigative research that explores the advantages as this equally provides measures of dealing with it. The young generation is subjected to unstable emotional behavior and most of their actions are rarely guided by logics (Kassin, et al. 97). They lack good understanding between reality and fiction which is important when it comes to dealing with the violence video games. This is an age bracket with a lot of energy where physical might and battle for social supremacy reigns and playing such violence video ga mes holds a lot of impact. In-depth analysis of merits and demerits of this popular entertainment is the best avenue to establish it effect on the structural and functional concept relating parents to children. There are observed advantages from the video games which have set its industry bursting with young clients. It is important that the positive side of such a game is also taken into consideration. It would be important to highlight such advantages. Violence video games improve the ability of an individual to concentrate. The mental engagement required while playing such games boosts the focus of the young people and this helps them to learn how to capture detail and master concepts in other social aspects of life like class work. There is a sense of accomplishment when the young people take the game. It is common to come across children saying how they enjoyed the game and this is a pathway to internal spirit of achieving goals in the society (Kassin, et al. 57). Most of the y oung people in the contemporary society have several issues to deal with due to the pressure of changing socio-economic and political environment. This means that they need some form of stress relief which such violence video game with the fantasies in them provide. Some of the content of the violence video games is composed of historical activities and this offers lessons to kids about some significant facts which sum up to sharpen their overall cognitive skills. Research indicates that cognitive ability of the young people improves as they engage their mental and physical efforts towards achieving specific goals. Language development is equally derived partially from the communication experienced by the players of such violence video games. Tactics of winning requires repeated trials by the young players and this boosts their overall learning process. The increasing exposure of the young children to such violence video games has several disadvantages to the society at large. The c ontent of the violence video games includes uncensored sexual acts which intoxicates the children’s morals and may affect their overall productivity in the society. There is an observed increase in childhood aggression which may outplay the emotional stability of the young people. This is worsened by increasing addiction which deepens the defilement of the young people’s mind and lack of concentration on more important issues (Kassin, et al. 37). Much time for learning especially homework and household chores

Thursday, February 6, 2020

Experiment on Prisoner and Prison Guard Psychology Movie Review

Experiment on Prisoner and Prison Guard Psychology - Movie Review Example The two works illustrate that the negative quality of the surrounding environment has a big role to play in creating violent people. There are similarities between the Experiment movie and the actual experiment that Zimbardo conducted. First, both consist of volunteers that take part in a psychological study, who act as guards and prisoners. The Experiment movie and the actual experiment involve making prison life as real as possible. In the actual exercise, the police arrested prisoners without a warning from their homes and drove them to a nearby police station. Within a short time, the guards in the actual experiment began treating them like any other criminal  (Zimbardo). They fingerprinted, photographed, and blindfolded them before driving them to prison rooms. The rooms have bare walls, small cells, barred doors, and windows. Within no time, every participant settles into his role. Secondly, both The Experiment and the actual exercise involves taunting of prisoners with insults, pointless tasks and dehumanizing actions. For example, in The Experiment movie, Barris leads a group of other guards to abduct, shave and urinate upon Travis, a hard-headed prisoner that plots a strike. In the actual Zimbardo’s experiment, prisoners were also humiliated to a point of starting to develop some mental disorders. Evidently, the two movies depict violence since participants go through emotional and psychological discomforts, stay in a poor environment, and are physically insulted. According to psychology, violence is an extreme form of aggression such as rape, murder or assault (Gerdes  142). It results from frustration, violence in homes, tendency to view other people’s behavior as hostile, and exposure to violent media. Psychologists also agree that some situations such as insults, drinking, provocations, drinking, and unsuitable environmental factors may also increase the risk of aggression. Sociologists define violence as harmful actions of people

Tuesday, January 28, 2020

Macbeth Essay Essay Example for Free

Macbeth Essay Essay Shakespeare uses ghosts and witches into many of his plays and work. But in no other play did he make them so horrible and demon like as he did the witches in Macbeth. The way in which they were described, made Macbeth a popular play. Superstition is a very shrewd belief in the supernatural. Supernatural is an attribute to some force beyond scientific understanding or the laws of nature. When it is referred to as the supernatural, then it means supernatural appearances or events. Both of the two terms that I have just explained, superstition and supernatural, are present a lot of the time during the play Macbeth, and many of the supernatural events which occur during the play tend to lead into other happenings. The witches are actually an important part of the play and the supernatural, because they start the play along with the supernatural. At the beginning of the play, Shakespeare sets the scene for the witches by using thunder and lightening and naming location of the scene A Desolate Place. Upon the heath and there to meet Macbeth The witches announce that they will meet with Macbeth upon a heath. They then disappear into filthy air as mysteriously as they arrived. Later in the play, Banquo refers to the witches exit as the earth hath bubbles, as the water has, and these are of them what he means by this is that the witches can disappear in the same way as bubbles do. In the first scene the supernatural theme is present due to the witches being there. They speak of Macbeth and involve him in supernatural matters, and we can tell that they influence him, and this also blooms as the play develops. The words that the witches use are also of a supernatural nature. Some link together sometimes in a chant like way, such as Fair is foul, and foul is fair, and this sounds rather unpleasant and evil. We can also blame them for some of the things that happen later on in the play which are involved in the downfall of Macbeth. Later in the play Macbeth is found echoing some of the phrases that the witches have used. This occurs just before the witches give their predictions to Macbeth and Banquo. This could be coincidence, but could also be because they have influenced him. Therefore, they could have influenced him in what to do, and what he does is evil. This is a good example of how the supernatural leads to his downfall. The main turning point in the play is when Macbeth meets with the witches when he is with Banquo and when the predictions are made. Macbeth is told that he shall be the thane of Glamis, then the than of Cawdor and shall then go on to be King. We can tell that he is interested as the first thing that he says after these predictions have been made is Stay, you imperfect speakers. Tell me more, which is meant to make Banquo and the audience to think that he does not believe them, but tells the witches to carry on as he is curious as to what they have to say, but they vanish and we know that he has taken them seriously as he desperate for them to come back. Banquo has a different view and says The instruments tell us truths; win us with honest trifles, to betray in deepest consequence. What Banquo means by this is that the witches may have only told them their possible future so that they act on what they have been told. By saying this, Banquo is implying that the witches have evil intentions. Banquo advises Macbeth to steer clear o the witches and what they have said, but he ignores him as he is greedy and over ambitious. This is where we know that the supernatural has influenced Macbeth and has begun to change him. At the time of the predictions Macbeth was already Thane of Glamis, and was shortly made the Thane of cawdor. This made him believe that the predictions were true. Macbeth believed that if the first two predictions were correct, the third prediction would also be correct. Lady Macbeth also helped Macbeth become a victim of his own destiny. She was behind him during the murder of King Duncan and was the reason for Macbeth doing it because she continued to assure that all would turn out in their favour. She also made him feel guilty and like a wimp by saying Art thou afeard and live a coward in thane own esteem. This is quite an important thing as she is questioning his masculinity. Macbeth is at this time known as a warrior, and when he is faced with this comment he is going to try and prove it wrong. She can also be found using witchcraft when she asks the spirits to change her into a fearless, ruthless human being making her able to help Macbeth in killing Duncan. She says Unsex me here and Come you spirits which shows that she would be able to influence what Macbeth does, like the witches can. As the play continues we can see that they grow apart and Macbeth decides to make more important decisions on his own and does not include her. As I have already said, the witches build up a large part of the supernatural in the play, but other elements add to this, so we can not put it all down to the witches. Although they were responsible for directing Macbeth in the killing, and the hallucinations may have encouraged him, a character who was close to him was also involved, Lady Macbeth. However, when Macbeth murdered Banquo, and Macduffs family, they were his own decisions. I think that he went solo because all of the predictions had been achieved, and now the supernatural has abandoned him. Before he could have blamed it on the supernatural but when he took matters into his own hands he was to blame. Macbeth starts to arouse suspicion as soon as he starts making decisions for himself and so, this is why he ends up dead because Banquo suspects him. You could say that all of the deaths in Macbeth were caused by the supernatural, because the witches had quite a lot to do with Macbeth, and the Murder of Duncan was directed by witchcraft. Macbeth was provoked by the witches and pressurised by his wife, who we know used witchcraft at some time during the play, and did carry out the actions herself, but we could say that it is not his fault. However, the witches may have just been making suggestions and so; Macbeth never had to follow them. After this of course, the murders are down to one man, Macbeth. I think that the supernatural does indeed lead to Macbeths downfall, but really, he is to blame, and becomes a monster. I think that the main reason is his own ambition.