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Abhisara - the Tryst Notes

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Upagupta, the disciple of Buddha, lay asleep in the dust by thr city wall of Mathura. Lamps were all out, doors were all shut, ans stars were all hidden by the murky sky of August. Whose feet were those tinkling with anklets, touching his breast of a sudden? He woke up startled, and the light from a woman's lamp fell on his forgiving eyes. It was Vasavadatta the dancing girl, starred with jewels, Clouded with a pale blue mantle, drunk with the wine of her youth. She lowered her lamp and saw the young face, austerely beautiful. 'Forgive me, young ascetic,' said the woman, 'Graciously come to my house. The dusty earth is not a fit bed for you.' The young ascetic answered, 'Woman, go on your way; When the time is ripe I will come to you.' Suddenly the black night showed its teeth in a flash of lightning.  The storm growled from the corner of the sky, and the woman trembled in fear. A year had not yet passed. It was eveing of a day in April, in the Spring. The b...

Macbeth Personal Notes: Act 1 Scene 3 (Part 2/2)

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Macbeth Personal Notes: Act 1 Scene 3 (Part 2/2)   "Lesser than Macbeth, and greater. Not so happy, yet much happier. Thou shalt get kings, though thou be none." The witches mean that though Banquo will be lesser in rank than Macbeth, he will be morally higher. Banquo will be less successful than Macbeth, but he will be satisfied with his life and do not have to worry about someone taking his position. Banquo will be the father of the kings though he himself will not get the chance to be one. Witches vanish When Macbeth hears the witches predict about his future of becoming the Thane of Cawdor and eventually king, and Banquo's prediction of becoming the father of kings, he asks the witches how these predictions will come true and how the witches have come to know about their future. He also asks them that why had they chose them to stop on the way to the Foress and talk about their futures.  The witches chose not to answer Macbeth's questions and vanish into the air. ...

Macbeth Personal Notes: Act 1 Scene 3 (Part 1)

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Macbeth Personal Notes: Act 1 Scene 3 (Part 1) Setting: The scene takes place on a heath near Forres. Heath: A heath is a barren wasteland.  Forres: A city in Scotland where the castle of King Duncan is located.  Weather: The scene starts with the witches meeting with each other on a barren wasteland. The weather is one that is according to the preferences of the witches. It is lightning through the sky. The lightning symbolizes the unbalance in nature that the witches cause with their supernatural powers, and it also foreshadows the turbulence in Macbeth's heart a little bit ahead in scene that the witches' prophecies will cause. Witches' favorite pastime activity:  The scene showcases that the favorite pastime activity for the witches is to kill swine (old English word for pigs) and cause trouble for the normal human beings. The scene starts with the First Witch asking where the other witches were. The Second Witch answers that she had been killing swine as a leisure ac...

Macbeth Personal Notes: Act 1 Scene 2

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Macbeth Personal Notes: Act 1 Scene 2 Setting: The scene is set in a camp near Forres "As seemeth by his plight" An injured sergeant is standing in front of the King Duncan. Duncan asks from his servants who the bleeding man is and concludes from his condition that he is in condition to report the latest developments of the revolt. "Who like a good and hardy soldier fought 'gainst my captivity" Malcolm, the elder son of the king, answers his father and tells him that the bleeding man is a sergeant, who fought to prevent him from being taken as a war prisoner.  "Doubtful it stood" The battlefield stood doubtful. It was difficult to say which side was winning as the soldiers from both sides were tired and as two swimmers who were exhausted holds onto each other so that neither can swim, the soldiers held each other making it impossible for either of them to win. Macdonwald => the name of the rebel. "Worthy to be a rebel" Macdonwald is worthy...

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