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MACBETH
Act I
1608 –LONDON
 Globe Theatre is a circular and half covered
structure that used natural light to enhance
performances.
 Most Shakespearean plays were performed at
14h00, so they received the best lighting.
 Macbeth, however, because of its dark tone
and ominous motifs was performed at night with
the use of candle light. The first of this kind of
play.
 Shakespeare used the dark to enhance the
supernatural.
HISTORY OF MACBETH
 Chronicles of England Scotland
and Ireland – Historical ties
between King James and Banquo.
 1605 assassination attempt –
bon fire night –anxiety in England.
 Macbeth was written about this
assassination attempt and how
horrible it is to wrongly kill the
king and put an imposter in his
place.
ACT 1 SCENE 1
 Significance of the number 3
• Three men who betray Duncan, three witches. Everything in Macbeth comes in
three’s. The appear three times throughout the play. This is important because it is a
significant and supernatural number.
 Pathetic Fallacy - n. The attribution of human emotions or characteristics to
inanimate objects or to nature;
for example, angry clouds; a cruel wind.
• Nature has pathos feelings for
the actions of characters and
reflects what they do– pathetic
fallacy –conveys messages to the
audience
ACT 1 SCENE 1
“Fair is foul and foul is fair” – Reflects the
first thing that Macbeth says on stage.
Shows that he already has a sympathy with
the witches.
 Protestantism – if your soul is weak
spirits from hell ascend to meet you.
 Tetrameter – When shall / we three /
Meet a/gain
• Special Rhythm/Rhyme for the
witches speak. The rest of the play is
in Iambic Pentameter with 5 stresses
Rhyming lines and couplet at the end.
ACT 1 SCENE 2
• King of Vikings has
attacked Scottish forces.
1040 and a bloody final
battle is raging.
• King Duncan is concerned
about the Vikings. Blood
soaked friend arrives and is
labeled such by Malcolm,
the Prince.
• Macdonwald – first to
betrayed king, Brave
Macbeth saved the day.
• Violent image of Macbeth.
ACT 1 SCENE 2
 Norwegian Lord wants to take
Northern Scotland and started a fresh
assault after McDonawald. New troops
attacked
• Golgatha –alludes to Bible and
place of death in the new
testament where romans
murdered Jews.
 Image of Macbeth – violent killer
savage but noble in the sphere of
battle.
ACT 1 SCENE 2
Macbeth is given a Pagan comparison not a Christian one.
Interesting for later on in the play.
The victory belongs to the scots. It was not King Duncan but
Macbeth who won the battle. This will be important later on.
Echo of the witches: “What the thane of Cawdor hath lost,
Macbeth hath won.”
ACT 1 SCENE 3
 Pathetic Fallacy again -> Stormy compared to the tent when the battle was declared won.
 Witches there were many during king James’ time.
 Old Fat women – witch wants a chestnut and the lady denies her. Tiger is name of the
vessel and her husband is a merchant mariner. Witch curses the mariner with insomnia for
the sins of his wife. – Macbeth is later persuaded by his wife to commit a crime and is unable
to sleep. context specific reference.
Macbeth echoes the first scene “Fair is foul and foul is fair,” Witches said. Macbeth’s first
words are “So foul and fair a day I have not seen”
 All hail Macbeth Thane of Glamis - He knew that he was the Thane of Glamis – Father
had died and left him the thanedom
 All hail Macbeth Thane of Cawdor – He does not yet know that Duncan has given him
this title.
ACT 1 SCENE 3
 All hail Macbeth That shall be king thereafter – He wants to be king who has been
the warrior, 35 years old he feels that he should be king so he jumps. No prima
geniture. They chose the strongest man to be king. The witches chose him because they
knew he was weakened by ambition.
 He seems overwhelmed and Banquo asks what will happen to him. Lesser than
Macbeth and Greater Not so happy but yet much happier. Thou shalt get kings though
thou be none. His line will be kings. King James I was the great great-great-greatgreat-great grandson of Flance, Banquo’s son. Banquo is untempt by the
witches and a noble character is a shout out to James I.
ACT 1 SCENE 3
 Have we eaten sometime that made us hallucinate?
 Ross and Angus – Ross is a talker – long winded.
 As foretold by the witches. Thane of Cawdor
 Clothing reference appearance verses Reality. Dress someone as a king but that doesn’t
make him one. Appearance and reality are not the same.
 Two of the three promises from the witches are true!
• Banquo shows that he is more perceptive than Macbeth he sees that the witches used
Macbeth’s desire to get in his head but instead of dealing with it he goes to the cousins.
 Aside. Why does the thought make his hair curl? If this is good why do I feel bad?
 Clothing reference.
ACT 1 SCENE 4
 Malcolm’s speech – Dramatic Irony
 You can never tell a murder by the face. “trust” and Enter Macbeth. Duncan was saying
I trusted him and then enters Macbeth who will betray him. But he now trusts
 Malcolm has been assigned to be the next king.
 Shakespeare shows us what is in Macbeth’s mind. Duncan has to die and now Malcolm
has to too.
ACT 1 SCENE 5
 Reading aloud a letter. You’ll be what was promised. It occurs to her that he might not be able
to kill him. This shows for the first time that she doesn’t know her husband. She misjudges him and
gives herself the responsibility to kill Duncan.

Milk of human kindness – ref to this play.
 First bird image is eagle. Regal and Nobel. “My” first of three she will kill him.
 Un-sex me here. Take away womanhood and make her hard and cruel. She wants her femininity
replaced. Macbeth sees a future where he alone is in power and the future vanishes. First reference
to womanhood and destruction of fertility and having children.
ACT 1 SCENE 5
 Second “my” reference in her speech.
 She asks for the darkest smoke of hell to fill the castle but later on in the play she is so frightened
of the dark she needs a candle with her at all times. She talks big but when the time comes she does
not have the gall. Cannot un-sex herself.
 Macbeth returns – never shall that morrow see. Looks at his face sees guilt embarrassment and
disturbance. Watch your face! I can read it like a book! Now it is important to focus on appearance
instead of reality. Look innocent although your intentions are deadly. Powerful serpent image. Satanic
side of what Macbeth is up to. She beats around the bush when it comes to murdering people. She
uses phrases like “providing for; dispatching them” never talks directly about murder. SHE is
determined to do it. Third “my”- Don’t lose her courage. He is surprised by this new demon wife.
ACT 1 SCENE 6
 Duncan Dramatic Irony – after lady Macbeth just asked for the darkest smoke of hell to
fill the castle , he says the air nimbly and sweetly recommends itself. Shakespeare contrasts
two bird images a Raven – evil bird and a Martin building nests everywhere.
 Air is delicate – enter lady Macbeth Irony because she is not delicate.
 Macbeth is hiding because of his guilty face. Not there to greet the King so Lady Macbeth
does it. Hypocritical.
 Classic Tragic Hero – Macbeth – its his own Character Flaws that bring about his demise.
But he’s not all bad. What is good in him is his intelligence, his poetry.
ACT 1 SCENE 7
 Soliloquy – Solos =“to be alone” and Loqous = “to speak”
 Macbeth’s first soliloquy – He wants to make sure he gets away with it… “be all
and end all” phrase comes from this line in the play. But things always don’t go the
way you want. His reason if he kills he may end up being killed himself. King killing.
He doesn’t care about the soul afterlife. He shouldn’t kill the king because its just
wrong. Cousin, Subject and his host. Duncan is a great king. With strong qualities.
He realizes he has no reason to kill him except for his own ambition.
ACT 1 SCENE 7
 Lady Macbeth enters. Clothing image. Wearing good opinion. Macbeth tries to
back out of the plot to kill him.
 Lady Macbeth attacks him very carefully. “if you pull out now then obviously you
don’t love me and we are doomed as a couple.”
 Attacks his masculinity and tries to get him riled up. NOW you’ve got both the
time and the place. Grabs her bosom and uses a reference to child abuse.
 Crossbow image – was forbidden in many countries by the catholic church
because it was a sign of the crucifix, wasn’t dependent on your strength but on
mechanical devices. Seen as unfair in warfare. Using this image is a reminder of her
readiness to accept the unconventional and the evil.
ACT 1 SCENE 7
 Her plan: Seduce and Get chamberlains drunk and put poison in their gin so
they won’t remember.
 They will kill the king (use of “we” here instead of “my” in her speech) and pin
the murder on the chamberlains.
 Lady Macbeth – strong woman in a man’s world. False face must hide what the
false heart must know.