Witch-slapped

"There are those who say fate is something beyond our command. That destiny is not our own, but I know better. Our fate lives within us, you only have to be brave enough to see it." ( Merida, Disney Pixar Brave) 

I believe that fate has something to do with our lives but only in  a small doses. i think that fate shows us possibilities of the future that could potentially happen, whether we act on it is a choice we make. Macbeth had a choice on to either act on what the Wyrd sisters said or just let it happen on its own. Shakespeare clearly also believes in fate has some part in your life, he uses "Divine Intervention" or the interjection of the supernatural beings to help push Macbeth forward. 


obviously i could say that Macbeth and Banquo talking to the Wyrd sisters could be one example of Shakespeare using "fate" to determine your future However the use of the third murderer and Banquo's ghost are a much better representation of how fate plays a part in our lives. Firstly nobody tells Macbeth to kill Banquo but since it was an action that would "secure" his right to wear the crown, the use of the Murderer and Banquo's Ghost show that Macbeth is following the path that Fate has shown him. This shows that Macbeth also could chose his actions. So in a sense Macbeths future was both predestined but he also had a say in his actions. Shakespeare did that to give the play a sort of surrealism, so that the story line would stick around in the back of your mind.

Ewer, 16th century (ca.1585)
Porcelain, silver-gilt
Height; 13 5/8 in

during this time period it was normal for chinese porcelain to travel go Europe, well semi-normal anyways. chinese porcelain is very rare once it arrived in London only the most esteemed blacksmiths were allowed to even look at it. the most gifted blacksmiths were the ones that branded the porcelain with the gilt finish. Ewer was made specifically during the Wanli period.

seen on the Ewer is a type of scenery, most chinese porcelain shows sceneries using complex shapes and stylistic brush strokes. the scene seen on the Ewer is one of birds in what looks like a  fruit(?) tree or a kind of tropical tree. the handle of the vase is a statue of a mermaid/merman which was a symbol of good-luck back then.

some of the porcelain are given to royal families as gifts or sold as furniture for families that could afford to buy them. merchants that sold it to citizens in Londan for gold. these pieces were so prized that only the most prestigious blacksmiths were commissioned to make mounts and brands for them. this shows how pricey and prestige porcelain was, they had great value in the London culture.