>I don't think Macbeth is a Jhereg, I think he's a Dragon. The play is a >cautionary tale about what happens when a Dragon lets ambition for the >trappings of honor overwhelm his scruples about the actuality of >it. Very small FYA spoiler that is frankly mentioned in Vlad books but should be brought to the attention of anyone reading this just in case they haven't read FYA. Oh yeah, there are also Macbeth spoilers (though I don't think there's too much a requirement to mention spoilers 500 years after the works were written): But would a Dragon allow himself to be manipulated and ruled by his wife (remember Lady Macbeth = huge, huge, huge part of what motivates Macbeth into making the choices he makes)? By the premonition of oracles? Would a Dragon feel such intense guilt over his accumulation of power and the manner he seized it that it would drive him mad? And, would a Dragon act in such an ignoble, dishonorable manner that he would kill his own king in order to seize power (Oh, yeah, FYA, Adron and Aliera emmm, strike that)? I don't know, I'm just asking and speaking/typing aloud of course. :) On the note of Jhereg, one also has to remember that Macbeth is genuinely good, he is deceived and manipulated and has a weak heart and mind to the point that he acts without thinking, reasoning or question. He convinces himself that what he is doing is right even though he understands this not to be the case (or at least that's how I have read Macbeth the several times I've read it). After acting in manners his conscience disagrees with, his mind cannot handle the deeds he has consummated and he is driven to incompetence... hummm, rethinking this, maybe he's a Dragon after all :) Okay, well, here's another question: If, Macbeth is a Dragon, what is Lady Macbeth? I would think she might be a Jhereg (manipulative, deceiving, murderous, power and wealth hungry -- "but look you only need to this, and you My Lord will be king. Allow me to use my feminine wiles on you in an effort to convince you. I know, let us throw a party." ~ paraphrasing of course) but then there's the guilt thing again, she also goes insane because of her "unclean hands". _________________________________________________________________ MSN 8 with e-mail virus protection service: 2 months FREE* http://join.msn.com/?page=features/virus