In Macbeth, what happened in act 1? What are the main events?
In act 1 of Macbeth, there are a number of key events to be aware of. We learn of the battle
between the forces of King Duncan and the traitor Macdonwald, who is supported by the
Thane of Cawdor and the Norwegian army. This battle is notable for Macbeth's bravery, and
as a reward, Duncan makes him the new Thane of Cawdor.
Secondly, in scene 3, Macbeth and Banquo meet with three witches who make a number of
prophecies about the future: firstly, that Macbeth will be Thane of Cawdor and, later, king
of Scotland; and that Banquo's sons will be kings.
In scene 4, Macbeth learns that Duncan has named him Thane of Cawdor and, more
importantly, that he has named Malcolm as his successor to the throne. Duncan also
announces that he will come and stay at Macbeth's castle.
Finally, in scene 5, Macbeth writes to his wife, Lady Macbeth, and tells her all about the
prophecies. She becomes obsessed with the idea that Macbeth will be king and begins
plotting Duncan's murder.
Act 1 Scene 1: The audience is introduced to the witches. They do some cool rhyming, but
only one thing of importance is said. They will meet again in front of Macbeth after the
battle.
Act 1 Scene 2: Duncan is debriefed on the battle by a wounded captain. Duncan is told how
great Macbeth fought and how instrumental he was at fighting off the Norwegians. The
captain also told Duncan that the Thane of Cawdor committed treason by fighting with the
Norwegians against Duncan. Duncan orders the man executed and the title "Thane of
Cawdor" transferred to Macbeth.
Ace 1 Scene 3: Macbeth and Banquo meet the witches. Some more cool rhyming. The
witches greet Macbeth by his original title, and as the "Thane of Cawdor." They also greet
Macbeth as the future king. Macbeth doesn't understand this and asks for more details, but
the witches start rhyming at Banquo. They tell Banquo that he will never be king, but his
kids will be. Then they vanish.
Ross and Angus show up and tell Macbeth that he is now Thane of Cawdor. He can't believe
it, and he is shocked that the prophecy has come true already. Banquo warns Macbeth the
dangers of half truths. Temptation starts to grab Macbeth, and he wonders if he will have to
murder Duncan to be king, or if it will simply happen.
Act 1 Scene 4: It's at Duncan's palace or castle. Duncan gets a report that the original Thane
of Cawdor is dead. Duncan expresses great thanks to Macbeth and Banquo. Duncan then
invites himself over to Macbeth's castle for dinner. Probably the most important part of this
scene though is Duncan announcing his son, Malcolm, as the heir to the throne. Macbeth
now wonders exactly how he can be king.
Act 1 Scene 5: The main event of this scene is introducing Lady Macbeth as a power hungry,
conniving woman. She tells Macbeth that Duncan cannot be allowed to live another day and
to leave the plans to her.
Act 1 Scene 6: Lady Macbeth and Duncan meet, and Lady Macbeth is the very picture of
hospitality.
Act 1 Scene 7: Macbeth convinces himself that he is not going to kill Duncan. Lady Macbeth
is super angry and calls into question Macbeth's manhood. She explains her plan, and
Macbeth is amazed at its bold simplicity. He agrees to kill Duncan.
What atmosphere is established in act 1, scene 1 of Macbeth?
The characters of this first scene are the three witches, and the tone is ominous and
supernatural, far off from civilization. This first scene is what sets the tone for the rest of the
play.
The first scene of Macbeth takes place on a desolate Scottish moor during a stormy evening
as the Three Witches meet and speak in eerie, chanting tones. The deserted location and
turbulent weather contribute to the ominous, foreboding atmosphere of the play as the
Three Witches discuss when they will meet again. The conversation between the hideous
witches is also filled with supernatural, chaotic imagery. The witches mention "thunder,"
"lightning," "rain," and "filthy air," which are dark, gloomy images. In addition to discussing
the dismal weather, their chanting tones and rhyming couplets imitate the casting of a spell.
By mentioning Macbeth's name, there is a sense of foreshadowing that he will be in danger.
The scene concludes with the witches chanting "Fair is foul, and foul is fair," which is
a paradox and motif that runs throughout the play. The significant phrase "Fair is foul, and
foul is fair" means that appearances can be deceiving and suggests that there is a
discrepancy between appearance and reality. Similar to the dark setting and disturbing
nature of the Three Witches, the phrase is unsettling and perplexing. As the play progresses,
the Three Witches incite Macbeth's ambition through their prophecies and supernatural
elements reoccur throughout the play. Overall, the opening scene of Macbeth establishes a
dark, ominous atmosphere, where supernatural, malevolent forces are very much at play.
Act 1, Scene 1, though very short, accomplishes quite a bit in terms of setting the
mood. The mood is the emotional setting of a literary text. By introducing the play with
these strange witches, Shakespeare establishes an eerie, otherworldy mood; it's a sign that
things which seem impossible will be possible in this play.
Further, the Weird Sisters' speak primarily in rhyming couplets. This makes their speech
seem chant-like, as though they are casting a spell. They are also the characters who first
speak Macbeth's name, and this sets up a sense of foreboding, foreshadowing their danger
to him.
Finally, they conclude the scene with the lines, "Fair is foul, and foul is fair; / Hover through
the fog and filthy air" (1.1.12-13). The first of these lines is a paradox: how can fair be foul
and vice versa? One possible solution to the paradox is that things that are actually fair will
look foul, and things that are actually foul will seem fair. The content of this message is
disturbing and off-putting: how will anyone know who to trust if a character who looks fair
might actually be foul? In addition, the alliteration of the letter "f" sounds faintly snake-like,
and sort of dirty, further adding to the sense of mystery and malice in this scene.
The opening scene establishes a very ominous, dark atmosphere that influences the whole
play. it is set in 'a desert place', far from the trappings of civilization, and there is a storm
raging.
The only characters that appear on this scene are the three witches, or 'weird sisters', and
not ordinary human beings (whether of high social standing or otherwise). The very first
scene gives us a sense of supernatural darkness. This helps to establish the feeling that what
goes on in this play is not just confined to the human realm, that there are evil forces at
work which threaten to overwhelm, to confuse: 'fair is foul, and foul is fair'. This short,
alliterative chant by the witches memorably informs us that things are not necessarily what
they seem, hinting at the overthrow of order, and painting a picture of unnatural
happenings, which will involve the titular character, Macbeth (the witches say that they will
shortly be meeting with him).
The whole play is drenched in this dark atmosphere which is evident right from the
beginning. And Macbeth, who initially appears in a positive light as a dignified nobleman,
mighty warrior and much-loved kinsman, a loyal server of his king, does indeed go on to
overturn all these perceptions as he kills the king and arranges the murder of others in
order to achieve his ambition (although he does suffer from a terribly guilty conscience). It is
a moot point whether there is an actual supernatural force driving him down this dark path,
or whether the evil springs from entirely within himself and is merely confirmed by the
witches.
Act 1 Scene 1 in William Shakespeare’s Macbeth is a very short scene that does a great job
of setting the scene for the rest of the play by creating an atmosphere of deep foreboding.
The only characters are the three witches. The scene is described as “a desert place” with
“thunder and lightning.”
The words the witches use contribute to the negative atmosphere. The second witch says:
When the battle's lost and won.
This implies that things are going to be confused and mixed up.
At the end of the scene, all the witches together say:
Fair is foul, and foul is fair:
Hover through the fog and filthy air.
Again, this emphasizes the idea that events are going to be unpredictable.
They also say that when they meet again, they will also meet with Macbeth. The fact that all
of this negative foreshadowing includes Macbeth makes the audience realize that the main
character is probably in for a lot of trouble.
What are 3 examples of paradox in act 1, scene 1 of Macbeth?
Examples of literary paradoxes in act 1, scene 1 of Macbeth include the appearances of the
witches themselves, who might or might not exist, and the seemingly contradictory
statements that the witches make, including "When the battle's lost and won" (1.1.4) and
the most famous paradox in the play, if not in all dramatic literature, "Fair is foul and foul is
fair" (1.1.11).
A paradox, sometimes also called an antimony, is a statement which seems to contradict
itself by including two (or more) elements which should not logically coexist.
In the opening scene of Macbeth, perhaps one of the best-known and most often quoted
scenes in Shakespeare's works, the witches speak in paradoxes from the moment the
second witch alludes to the idea of a battle being "lost and won." This seems paradoxical on
the face of it: a battle cannot be both lost and won. However, when one pries more deeply,
the reasoning becomes clear. In any battle, of course one side will lose, while the other will
win. By being so cavalier about the outcome of the battle, the Second Witch shows that she
is outside of, and uninterested in, such petty human squabbles. The battle will have been
lost by one side and won by the other, but to the witches, it will only be over.
The witches' chant, "fair is foul and foul is fair," is another example of paradox. This is
echoed later on in the play, forcing us to question how a day can be both foul and fair.
However, as is the case with the battle, a day can easily turn out well for one person and
poorly for another—or even good in one way for someone, while also being terrible in
another way. It could certainly be argued that Macbeth's meeting with the witches led him
into some benefits, but also considerable disaster.
A literary paradox is a seemingly contradictory statement or situation which, upon further
thought or investigation, nevertheless makes sense or contains elements of truth in the
context in which the statement or situation occurs.
The first paradox in act 1, scene 1 of Shakespeare's Macbeth is the appearance of witches
themselves, who might or might not exist. In Shakespeare's time, witches and the
supernatural were absolutely believed to exist, so the paradox isn't as pointed or apparent
to the Elizabethan audience as it might be to a modern audience.
In this first scene of the play, in only twelve lines, Shakespeare establishes for the audience
the "world of the play." The world of Macbeth is one which accepts witches and the
supernatural as essential elements of the play. The witches often speak in enigmatic,
contradictory terms, and events and characters in the play are not always as they appear.
SECOND WITCH. When the hurlyburly's done (1.1.3).
In terms of a singular, isolated instance of disorder, noise, confusion, chaos, or, in this frame
of reference, a battle in a war, "hurlyburly" is a self-contained incident, with a beginning and
an end. In terms of the continuing conflict and struggles of life, however—particularly the
daily struggle for existence that most of the population experienced in Elizabethan times—
the "hurlyburly" never seems to end.
In Henry IV, Part 2, Shakespeare uses word "hurly" to describe a storm at sea as
a metaphor for a storm in his mind that won't let him sleep (3.1.25). In the context of the
opening scene of Macbeth, "hurlyburly" can also mean a storm, which contains the
elements of thunder, lightning, and rain to which the First Witch refers in the preceding line.
SECOND WITCH. When the battle's lost and won (1.1.4).
This statement seems contradictory in that a battle cannot be both lost and won, but only if
applied to one or the other of the opposing forces. However, if applied to both forces, one
force can be the winning force, and the other can be the losing force.
Also, one of the forces might win the battle, but the effects of the victory might be
devastating to that force in terms of loss of life, or within the social, economic, or political
context of the battle or the war.
"Fair is foul and foul is fair" (1.1.11) is the most famous paradox, if not the most famous line,
in Macbeth. Many, many books and articles have been written about this single line. This
enigmatic line, like everything else that happens in the first scene of the play, helps establish
the world of the play, in which appearances can be deceiving, and nothing is as it seems.
The opening scene of Macbeth contains these paradoxes, or apparent contradictions that
contain truths:
(1) When shall we three meet again?
In thunder, lightning, or in rain? (1.1.1-2)
This statement indicates that lightning, thunder, and rain are separate natural
phenomenon. However, thunder must always have lightning precede it since thunder is a
result of the bolt of lightning that creates plasma which heats the air to effect the expansion
of air which causes the thunder.
(2) When the battle's lost and won (1.1.4)
This is another part of the witches' predictions that Macbeth will win battles and conquer
others, but the cost of his victories will be terrible loss: Lady Macbeth goes mad and kills
herself.
(3) Fair is foul, and foul is fair.
Hover through the fog and filthy air. (1.1.11-12)
With Macbeth's heart of darkness and "vaulting ambition," a phanstasmagoric realm of
witchcraft along with insomnia and insanity, there will be a confused succession of events,
some of which are real and some imagined. This is the meaning of the witches' apparently
contradictory, but truthful predictions. That which is good will be turned to evil.
In addition to these, there are other paradoxes from Act I:
(4)...and nothing is
But what is not. (1.3.152-153)
These lines come from an aside by Macbeth who attempts to reconcile his "horrible
imaginings" with his "present fears." If he can convince himself that reality and the
phantasmagoric are the same, by his actions he can change what has not happened to
something it should not be, or maybe he does not have to do anything.
(5) Thou shalt get kings, though thou be none. (1.3.68-70)
These paradoxical words from the three witches to Banquo express the contradiction that
Banquo is lesser than Macbeth in terms of power, but greater than Macbeth because his
descendents will be kings after Macbeth is dead.
What poetic device is used in act 1, scene 1 of Macbeth, and what effect does it have?
There are a number of poetic devices used in act 1, scene 1 of Macbeth, and they help to
characterize the Weird Sisters as otherworldly, as well as to establish the play's dark mood.
The witches often speak in rhyming couplets and trochaic tetrameter, a rhythm that sounds
aggressive and even spooky, like someone casting a spell or chanting. They speak in
paradoxes, or seeming impossibilities, and and repeat certain sounds that make them seem
ethereal and, perhaps, evil.
One of the first poetic devices used in the scene is end rhyme. The Weird Sisters often
speak with end rhyme, which makes their speech seem chant-like, as though they are
always casting spells. When First Witch speaks, the words "again" and "rain" rhyme, and
when Second Witch speaks, the words "done" and "won" rhyme (1.1.1-2, 3-4). Further, the
sisters tend to speak in a meter called trochaic tetrameter. Tetrameter means that there
are four metrical feet per line, and the trochee is the kind of foot, consisting of two syllables
(one stressed followed by one unstressed). See the following example:
When shall | we three |meet a | gain
In thun | der light | ning or | in rain
When the | hur ly | bur ly's | done
When the | bat tle's | lost and | won
That will be | ere the | set of | sun. (1.1.1-5)
Lines one, three, and four are in trochaic tetrameter (with a truncated, or shortened, final
foot—the final unstressed syllable is left off); the second line is in iambic tetrameter (an
iamb is one unstressed syllable followed by one stressed), and the fifth line substitutes a
three-syllable foot called an anapest for the initial trochee. Importantly, however, the
trochaic meter is often associated with aggressiveness, even menace, because (most) lines
will begin on the stressed syllable. Moreover, the truncated foot at the end of four of these
lines seems to heighten our sense of anticipation. They are preparing to meet
with Macbeth, anticipating what is to come, and leaving off the final syllable in each line
seems to mirror that sense of foreboding or expectation.
The scene also includes two examples of paradox: when the second witch describes the
future of the battle as "lost and won" and when the three chant altogether "Fair is foul and
foul is fair" (1.1.4, 12). How can anyone both lose and win the same battle? If one wins, then
one cannot also lose, and vice versa. Further, how can something be both "fair" (good) and
"foul" (bad) at the same time? Something is either good or bad but not both. The effect of
these paradoxes is that the Weird Sisters seem strange and even deceptive, perhaps. It's
weird enough that they refer to their animal familiars, Graymalkin and Paddock, but they
also refer to things that should be impossible. Even their use of alliteration, the repetition
of the "f" sound in the final two lines of the scene, makes them sound insubstantial and
almost as though they are hissing. The "f" sound is only made by pushing air out between
the teeth and bottom lip, it doesn't engage the vocal chords, and so it sounds misty and
creepy when repeated again and again. The sound of their speech as well as the content of
what they say all help to create a really dark mood, or emotional atmosphere, for the
beginning of the play. The fact that these creepy ladies are planning a meeting
with Macbethcannot bode well for him.
In addition to the literary devices mentioned above, act I, scene 1 uses dialogue. The
witches impart information—that a battle is going on, where they will meet again, and that
they plan to meet Macbeth—by talking to each other. The witches also speak all at once as
a chorus as they chant the incantation at the end of the scene:
Fair is foul, and foul is fair
Hover through the fog and filthy air.
The incantation uses alliteration. Alliteration is putting words beginning with the same
letter in close proximity. Here, the witches repeatedly use words that begin with "f," such as
"fair," "foul," "fog," and "filthy." The witches also use anaphora, which is repeating the
same word at the beginning of successive lines: in this case, they repeat "when," in
When the hurly-burly’s done,
When the battle’s lost and won.
This creates a sense of rhythm.
Finally, the witches use imagery throughout the scene, which establishes a mood of
darkness and foreboding: they mention thunder, lightning, rain, fog, and "filthy air."
The first example of a poetic device in act I, scene 1 of Shakespeare's Macbeth is identifiable
in the rhymesspoken by the witches to open the drama. The rhymes of these lines introduce
the play and set the tone; the rhymes combine into a song or a chant, and the repetitive
nature of the sounds of the words contribute to a general sense of spookiness. The
atmosphere feels eerie, because humans don't normally speak in rhythmic rhymes; this
manner of speaking is the first indication (besides any visual ones) to the audience that the
witches are otherworldly beings.
The second example of a poetic device is apostrophe, which is a term used to describe the
direct address of a person, being, or idea that is not physically present. Two of the witches
address their familiars by name as the scene closes; this action enhances the creepy effect
of their words, as the audience can't hear the summons to which the witches are
responding.
To be effective, an opening scene must accomplish a variety of purposes. What different
functions are served by act 1, scene 1 of Macbeth?
The opening of Macbeth establishes the magic and supernatural aspects that will play a
major role in the play; by having the Weird Sisters coming together and chanting, the
audience can deduce that they are setting certain events into motion. We also learn that we
are entering Macbeth's world at the end of a battle; from this, we can assume that
Macbeth's world is not a peaceful one and probably won't be for much of the play. The line
"when the battle's lost and won" also lends to the idea that even though the battle is over,
the war is just beginning.
Finally, we know that Macbeth is not significant because of his previous actions, per se, but
because fate chose him to play a part. Yes, we later learn that he is a great warrior, but he
becomes the main character not through his heroic deeds, but through what fate has in
store for him.
There is something about this opening scene that gives the play its overall tone of menacing
evil. The way that the witches chant together, almost as if there words were an incantation
and they were casting a spell, immediately plunges us into the world of evil and witches. We
also need to be aware of the dramatic impact of such a scene on an audience. It is very easy
to dismiss such aspects because we study plays like this rather than trying to visualise what
they would look like. However, let us imagine we are in the audience, watching this opening
scene. Depending on how the director chooses to play it, the opening scene is likely to
involve darkness, thunder and a storm, dramatically introducing the witches but also casting
a shadow over the rest of the play. Note too, the words of the witches and the way that
they seem to represent chaos through the paradoxes of their speech. They refer to a time
"when the battle is lost and one" and "Fair is foul, and foul is fair," indicating the way that
they represent an anarchic state that overturns the normal order of things. Starting this play
in such a fashion clearly emphasises the role of evil in the play and also highlights the
importance of the witches in Macbeth's downfall.
What does the following Shakespeare quote from Macbeth mean? “Life's but a walking
shadow, a poor player, / That struts and frets his hour upon the stage, / And then is heard
no more. It is a tale / Told by an idiot, full of sound and fury, / Signifying nothing.”
This quote, spoken by Macbeth, means that life is brief and meaningless. In comparing life
to an actor who "struts" for only an hour upon the stage and then "is heard no more,"
Macbeth is commenting on the fleeting nature of life. Macbeth then compares life to a story
told by an "idiot," meaning that life has no more significance than an idiot's pointless
rambling. Macbeth speaks these bleak words shortly after learning of his wife's death.
MACBETH. Life's but a walking shadow, a poor player
That struts and frets his hour upon the stage
And then is heard no more.
(act 5, scene 5, lines 26–28)
Macbeth, written about 1605, is the last of Shakespeare's plays in which this theme of
players on a world stage appears. Shakespeare's first reference to the world as a stage
occurs in The Merchant of Venice, written about 1596–1597.
ANTONIO. I hold the world but as the world, Gratiano;
A stage, where every man must play a part,
And mine a sad one.
GRATIANO. Let me play the fool!
(act 1, scene 1, lines 80–83)
The most famous reference to this theme is Jaques's "all the world's a stage" speech, also
known as the "seven ages of man" speech, in As You Like It.
JAQUES. All the world's a stage,
And all the men and women merely players;
They have their exits and their entrances;
And one man in his time plays many parts.
(act 2, scene 7, lines 146–149)
Jaques describes each of the the player's "exits and entrances," until the player's final scene,
after which the player is heard no more.
JAQUES. Last scene of all,
That ends this strange eventful history,
Is second childishness and mere oblivion.
(act 2, scene 7, lines 170–172)
This is a recurring theme to which passing reference is made in King Henry IV, Part 2, written
in 1597:
Let order die!
And let this world no longer be a stage
To feed contention in a ling'ring act.
(act 1, scene 1, lines 170–172)
This reference is also made in King Lear, written in 1605–1606: "When we are born, we cry
that we are come / To this great stage of fools" (act 4, scene 6, lines 197–198).
Macbeth's speech in which he says that "Life's but a walking shadow" isn't the first time that
the theme of players on the world stage is mentioned in Macbeth.
ROSS. Ah, good father,
Thou seest the heavens, as troubled with man's act,
Threaten his bloody stage.
(act 2, scene 4, lines 5–7)
Macbeth also talks about playing "the humble host" at his coronation banquet, at which the
ghost of Banquoappears uninvited, and playing "the Roman fool, and die / On mine own
sword?" a reference to the deaths of Brutus and Cassius in Julius Caesar that Macbeth
makes shortly before his own death.
MACBETH. It is a tale
Told by an idiot, full of sound and fury,
Signifying nothing.
(act 5, scene 5, lines 28–30)
With the death of Lady Macbeth, Macbeth is utterly alone in the world, and he's alone on
the stage on which, until recently, he played the major role of king of Scotland.
At this point in the play, Macbeth is confused, disheartened, and disillusioned. He's also in
disbelief that all of this is truly happening to him. Macbeth comes to the realization that
everything he's done, all of the strutting and fretting and the part he played in the "sound
and fury" that made and kept him king, is essentially meaningless.
In these famous lines, spoken after the discovery of Lady Macbeth's suicide, Macbeth
expresses his nihilistic outlook on life. According to Macbeth, life is inherently meaningless.
Far from its being a source of purpose and meaning, it is nothing more than “a tale / Told by
an idiot, full of sound and fury / Signifying nothing”.
Given everything that's happened to Macbeth since he murdered his way to the Scottish
throne, it's not surprising that he should've come to adopt such an unremittingly grim
outlook on life. With his wife now dead and with his enemies ready to remove him from the
Scottish throne by force, it's no wonder that Macbeth now sees life as bleak and
meaningless.
There's also more than an element of self-justification about Macbeth's remarks. If life, and
everything in it, is meaningless, then that would also include Macbeth's wicked actions such
as murdering Duncan and having Macduff's family wiped out.
That being the case, Macbeth can simply shrug his shoulders and describe the bloody
consequences of his tyranny as an idiot's tale entirely devoid of significance. In any case,
human life, as Macbeth would have it, is just like an actor strutting about on stage; there's
nothing real about it.
In this speech, Macbeth is effectively seeing himself, the world, and everything in it, from a
God's-eye perspective. In becoming a tyrant, he's become like a tyrannical deity, looking
down on the world that he's created and seeing nothing but tiny little specks which, from
the standpoint of eternity, ultimately mean nothing.
In these lines, Macbeth first claims that life is something that really lacks substance; it is
only a "walking shadow." Next, he uses a metaphor to compare life to an actor, "a poor
player," who has but a very short time to be on the stage (because life is so short and passes
so quickly). While on stage, this actor really acts; he stalks around dramatically and emotes
passionately, "strut[ting] and fret[ting]" for the audience. And then, as suddenly as the play
seemed to begin, it ends, and the actor "is heard no more."
Next, Macbeth compares life, via a second metaphor, to a story told by someone who lacks
intelligence and common sense. Therefore, the story is rambling and ridiculous and, again,
seemingly full of drama and passion, but it is ultimately meaningless and has no point, as it
"signif[ies] nothing."
Macbeth utters these words shortly after he is told that his wife, Lady Macbeth, has died.
He is speaking of her life (the life of all humans, really) being fleeting and short. Our life is
but a walking shadow (nothing we really see in substance until perhaps it is too late) a poor
player (we are all bad actors...myself and my wife especially) that struts and frets his hour
upon the stage and then is heard no more (we act upon the stage of life strutting and
fretting and then we are gone--none of us are all that important and we are quickly and
easily forgotten). It is a tale told by an idiot (the story is told by a fool...myself
included...since I was led around by my wife and encouraged by the witches) full of sound
and fury (while it's being told it sounds good--full of passion, full of excitement--but once
the words are uttered there isn't much to it) signifying nothing (there are many words but
in the end, nothing important has been said. It is all for nothing and changes nothing).
In Macbeth, act 1, scene 1, what do the witches symbolize?
When the play begins, the witches enter with thunder and lightning. A storm is coming. This
already foreshadows something dark and ominous. The first witch asks when they will meet
again, "In thunder, lightning, or in rain?" (1.1.2). In Shakespeare's time, witches were
associated with Satan and evil in general. As part of the folkloreabout witches, it was also
believed that they could cause bad weather. So, quite literally, they could change the
landscape and the environment. In other words, they could cause things in the world to
become dark and evil. They set the stage (pun intended) with a general sense of evil.
The first and second witches mention Grimalkin and Paddock. These are called "familiars"
which are attending evil spirits. With the storm and the attending evil spirits, the witches
are imbuing the world with darkness, storms, and evil. The scene ends with all three
chanting:
Fair is foul, and foul is fair,
Hover through the fog and filthy air. (1.1.10-11)
Again we have the repetition that the environment has become filthy and evil. With these
final lines, the witches indicate that what had been good ("fair") will become evil ("foul").
This foreshadows Macbeth's descent from a loyal Thane to a murderous tyrant. He was fair
and will become foul. The witches symbolize this shifting in the world from foul to fair.
There is always debate as to whether they cause Macbeth's downfall or whether they
simply plant the idea in his mind. The latter supports the idea that they put evil in the air
and that they put greed and ambition in his mind, leaving it up to him to act upon these
thoughts.
In act 1, scene 3 of Macbeth, when Macbeth says, "So foul and fair a day I have not seen,"
to what is he referring? What could be the dramatic irony in this line?
In act 1, scene 3 of Macbeth, Macbeth is referring to the "foul" weather and the loss of life
during the hard-fought battle while simultaneously recognizing his impressive victory
against the Irish and Norwegian forces, which also makes the day "fair." This paradoxical
expression is considered dramatic irony because the audience has heard the Three Witches
use this phrase in the opening scene of the play.
Following the fierce battle, Macbeth speaks his first words of the play in act 1, scene 3 by
saying, "So foul and fair a day I have not seen" (1.3.40). Macbeth's comment is considered
a paradox, which is a statement that appears to be self-contradictory but contains a hidden
truth. A paradox is meant to evoke thought, and the audience wonders how a day can be
both "foul" and "fair."
Macbeth considers the day "foul" because of the poor, dreary weather and the loss of life
during the hard-fought battle. Essentially, the gloomy weather and circumstances regarding
their violent conflict are what make the day "foul." However, Macbeth also finds the day
"fair" because they were victorious in battle and defeated the armies of Norway and
Ireland. He is pleased by their victory and happy with his valiant performance on the
battlefield.
Macbeth's quote is also an example of dramatic irony, which parallels the Three Witches'
phrase in the opening scene of the play. Although Macbeth is not aware that the Three
Witches exist and are planning to intervene in his life, the audience has heard this paradox
before. The phrase "Fair is Foul, and Foul is Fair" is a motif that continues to run throughout
the play and reminds the audience that appearances can be deceiving. The motif can also be
applied to perfidious characters like Lady Macbeth and the misleading prophecies that
influence her husband to become overconfident in his abilities.
For Macbeth, the day is a fair one because he has enjoyed enormous success on the
battlefield, and therefore is feeling triumphant as a soldier. His comment simply indicates
that the weather is bad and not reflective of his mood—never before has he experienced
"so foul" a day when also celebrating something so significant.
The line is also laden with dramatic irony because, although Macbeth is unaware of it, his
comment echoes the call of the witches, "Fair is foul and foul is fair," from act 1 scene 1,
when they declared their intention to meet with Macbeth. The audience is aware of this,
having of course seen the witches at the beginning of the play. The eerie similarity between
Macbeth's comment and the witches' call underscores the fact that Macbeth's fate is
tethered to them, whether he likes it or not.
This line from act 1, scene 3 is a paradox. At first glance, it seems contradictory: how can
something be both "fair" and "foul"? Looking deeper, however, we see that this line
contains some truth, because Macbeth is referring to the battle that has just taken place.
The fact that King Duncan's forces were successful has made the day "fair," for example, but
such intense fighting (including the loss of life) has also made the day rather "foul."
In addition, this quote also provides an example of dramatic irony because the reader has
seen this phrase before. Back in act 1, scene 1, for example, the reader observed the
conversation between the witches when they talk about meeting with Macbeth after the
battle is won. As they depart, they all say, "Fair is foul and foul is fair."
Macbeth, of course, has no idea that he is destined to meet with the witches, therefore
creating an example of dramatic irony.
Macbeth refers to the day as "foul" because so many people have died in the battle against
the Norwegians and Scottish rebels and "fair" because the Scottish soldiers won the battle.
He grieves for the loss of life but rejoices in victory.
In the opening scene of the play, the witches use the same words when they say, "Fair is
foul and foul is fair," and set the tone for the play. The audience has heard their words, but
Macbeth doesn't know about them, thus fulfilling the definition of dramatic irony. The
confusion between what is good and what is evil will pervade the play, particularly for
Macbeth.
What are the witches planning at the beginning of act 1, scene 1 of Macbeth?
In the first scene of the play, the Weird Sisters are planning their next meeting, a meeting
with Macbeth. In the first line, one sister asks, "When shall we three meet again?"
(1.1.1). The second sister says, "When the hurly-burly's done, / When the battle's lost and
won" (1.1.3-4). We find out, in the next scene, that Macbethhas been fighting in a battle,
and that he and his forces have won, succeeding in putting down a civil rebellion as well as
defeating the Norwegian king's army.
The sisters say that, after the battle is over, they plan to "meet with Macbeth" on the heath
(1.1.8). A heath is a type of land, rather typical for Scotland, made of mostly rocky and
uncultivated soil, somewhat barren except for hardy, weedy plants like thistle. Such a
meeting cannot bode well for the titular character, as the creepy and sinister mood
established by the setting as well as the Weird Sisters' speech patterns (the meter and end
rhymes) alerts us to the fact that they are not "good" witches. Their final lines provide a
clue as to the sisters' intentions. They say,
Fair is foul, and foul is fair;
Hover through the fog and filthy air. (1.1.12-13)
This makes it sound as though the witches are going to make good, "fair" things seem "foul"
or bad, and "foul" or bad things seem "fair" and good. This seems to indicate that they plan
to deceive Macbeth at this meeting.
It is difficult to know exactly what the witches are planning, but the audience can tell they
are up to no good. They appear amid thunder and lightning, discussing a future meeting
(which is all we know they are actually planning) after a great battle is over, sometime
before the end of the day. They announce that they are to meet with Macbeth at this point,
but the audience does not know, at least from this scene, who Macbeth is, why they want to
meet with him, or what they plan to do with him. But it is clear from their appearance, the
forbidding environment they appear in, and from their assertion that "fair is foul/foul is fair"
that they do not mean well. This scene accomplishes several things. It alerts the audience
that there are evil forces at work in Scotland, and later, along with the other scenes
involving the witches, it raises the question of just who is responsible for Macbeth's foul
deeds. Is he in command of his own actions, or is he led to them by the evil, conniving
witches with their control of supernatural forces?
At the beginning of the play, in Act I, Scene I, the witches are planning a second meeting
when the battle between King Duncan's men and the rebels is finished. The witches say that
the battle will be over at sunset ("the set of sun").
As the witches continue their conversation, it becomes clear that they specifically intend to
meet on a heath with Macbeth. The witches' knowledge of Macbeth's whereabouts helps to
establish the theme of the supernatural early in the play.
In addition, at this stage in the play, the witches' reasons for meeting with Macbeth are not
clear. However, by not revealing their motive for meeting with Macbeth, Shakespeare
creates interest and suspense for the reader or audience member. In fact, the witches'
intentions only become clear when they meet with Macbeth and Banquo in Act I, Scene III
and reveal their prophecies.
What are the thunder and lightning surrounding the witches in act 1, scene 1
in Macbeth meant to represent?
In Shakespeare's Macbeth, the "Thunder and lightning" in the opening stage directions of
the play don't, in themselves, "represent" anything. In other words, they're not symbols in
themselves. They are more indicative of other aspects of the play; they contribute to other
aspects.
Together with the witches, the weather creates an eerie atmosphere that will pervade the
play, and the First Witch, of course, references the weather, and particularly the weather to
come, in her lines that open the play:
When shall we three meet again?
In thunder, lightning, or in rain?
This draws attention to the weather, and the weather is, or at least soon will be, highly
suggestive. The day is stormy, as is the state of affairs in Scotland. The witches close the
opening seen by again referencing the weather, but also by connecting the foul weather
with the political affairs in Scotland, though this is only implied by this point:
Fair is foul, and foul is fair,
Hover through the fog and filthy air.
Macbeth unkowingly mimics the witches, due to the weather, in Act 1.3.39 when he enters
the stage with Banquo:
So foul and fair a day I have not seen.
This connects Macbeth to the witches, and foreshadows things to come.
During the course of the play, foul weather will contribute to the multiple meanings of
the fair and foul statements (thanes that are assumed to be loyal are not, Lady
Macbeth wants to be a man, Malcolm suspects Macduff of being a traitor when he is not,
etc.), and become indicative of the unnatural way in which Macbeth gains power and keeps
it.
The weather, then, sets the stage for things to come. It contributes to theme and is
indicative of the political situation in Scotland. It's difficult to see the witches meeting
Macbeth and serving as catalysts for the murder of a king, the murder of Banquo, and the
slaughter of Macduff's family, in bright, cheery sunshine.
How does Macbeth meet the witches?
In act 1, scene 1, the Three Witches agree to meet Macbeth following the battle "upon the
heath." A heath is defined as an uncultivated piece of land with coarse grass and little
vegetation. In act 1, scene 3, the witchesmeet Macbeth and Banquo on a barren, desolate
landscape while they are traveling to Forres, where King Duncan's castle is located. The
Three Witches then proceed to give Macbeth and Banquo enigmatic prophecies before
vanishing into thin air.
The second time Macbeth meets with the Three Witches takes place in act 4, scene 1.
Macbeth meets with the Weird Sisters in a dark cavern, in which the Three Witches are
standing around a boiling cauldron. Macbeth immediately demands that they give him more
information about his future, and the witches proceed to show him more enigmatic
prophecies in the form of several apparitions.
Macbeth meets twice with the witches; for the first time in Act 1, Scene 3, and the second in
Act 4, Scene 1.
In Act 1, Scene 1, the witches confer and decide when and how to meet Macbeth; they
settle upon "the heath", which is a common environment to find in Scotland, translated as a
place with grass and shrubs, characterized by poor soil and somewhat marshy conditions.
Sometimes translated as a "wasteland", it simply means a place that isn't especially vibrant
and full of life, and it might also be a reference to the way the battlefield will look once the
fighting is done. Later, when Macbeth meets them at the expected place, the meeting is
characterized mostly by Macbeth reacting in curiosity and surprise, with the witches leading
the conversation through their riddles and prophecies.
The second time Macbeth meets the witches is in a cave (although, if you
consider Hecate to be a legitimate aspect of the play, she mentions the "pit of Acheron" as
the intended meeting place at the end of Act 3, Scene 5, which might indicate either that
Macbeth has actually descended into hell, or that the cave is a sort of meeting point
between earth and hell). In this meeting, Macbeth is much more confident and dictating,
but also anxious and indebted to the witches' favor and assistance. Here they act more as
counselors and guides as Macbeth receives further prophecies, although they do nothing to
actually explain their dubious meaning.
What is the purpose for act 1, scene 1 in Macbeth? Is it to establish the mood of the play,
or is it to describe the setting?
The first scene of Macbeth is very short and is not one of the more poetically distinguished
sections of the play, certainly by comparison with the brilliant imagery of the second scene.
It was probably not written by Shakespeare but by Thomas Middleton, his collaborator.
Gary Taylor, in the 2007 Oxford edition of Middleton's Collected Works, has argued that
Middleton was responsible for about eleven percent of the text of Macbeth as it appears in
the First Folio.
The main purpose of this scene is to emphasize the importance of supernatural intervention
in the plot. A large part of the witches' power derives from their prescience. If they
appeared to Macbeth and Banquowithout the audience seeing them first, and
understanding that they planned this meeting, their control of events would not appear so
impressive. As it is, they immediately predict that the battle will be over before sunset and
that they will meet with Macbeth upon the heath, demonstrating their predictive power by
the time they actually do meet him.
Aside from this purpose, the scene establishes the somber mood of the play, full of black
magic and evil. It also goes some way to accomplishing an aim more fully realized in scene 2,
to establish Macbeth as the center of interest before the audience sees him. In scene 2, he
is described principally as an outstanding warrior, but even before this, in scene 1, he
appears to be a man of destiny, the focus of supernatural attention.
Act I scene i of Macbeth establishes the mood, imagery, and themes of the play. Here are
some examples:
The Supernatural: the supernatural witches will juxtapose the natural (loyalty) and
unnatural (murder) later in the play.
Imagery: connected to weather, women (gender), war (blood), and the number 3 (witches,
"thunder, lightning, and rain")
Time (past v. present v. future): the play begins with a question: "When shall we three meet
again?" Do the witches foretell the future or do they simply comment what will inevitably
happen?
Equivocations: the witches reveal the language of confusion; ambiguity; double meanings;
half-truths; paradoxes; riddles
“Foul is fair and fair is foul”
Equivocal Morality: Are the witches good, neutral, or evil? What's the difference? How do
we know what’s good, or who’s good, if there’s overlap between good and evil?
Pathetic Fallacy: the outside weather (storm) reveals and foreshadows the interior weather
(mood) of the play and the Macbeths. They are storming with ambition and cruelty.
The purpose is to set a dark and dramatic mood to the play. This was especially important
in Shakespeare's day because there obviously were no television trailers to tell the audience
what to expect before going to the play. Shakespeare wrote both comedy and tragedy so it
was important to establish which one the audience was watching very quickly.
The witches also act to awaken Macbeth's ambitions. In Macbeth the first scene is also
indicative of the violent weather that always accompanies terrible acts in the play. When
the natural realm is disturbed, you know that the characters in the play are about to be
disturbed too.
Who does Macbeth kill throughout the play?
Throughout the play, Macbeth kills Macdonwald, various unnamed soldiers opposing the
Scottish crown, King Duncan, Duncan's guards, and young Siward. He orders the deaths of
Banquo, Lady Macduff, and her children.
Macbeth kills several people, both directly and indirectly, over the course of the play.
Macdonwald is Macbeth's first casualty in the story, his grisly death recounted by an injured
captain who personally witnessed the event. That Macbeth kills Macdonwald, a traitor, is
interesting, since Macbeth himself will prove disloyal to the crown.
King Duncan is Macbeth's second and most famous victim. Macbeth stabs him to death
while Duncan is a visitor in his house. After the murder, Macbeth and Lady Macbeth plant
the murder weapon on the inebriated guards who were supposed to protect Duncan.
However, Macbeth ends up killing the guards the next morning, scared that they will
somehow give him away when the other guests try to find out who killed Duncan.
During much of his time as king, Macbeth hires others to do his killing for him. Macduff's
family and Banquo are killed by Macbeth's assassins. That Macbeth, so active before, has to
have others do the killing makes him appear all the more pathetic and ill-suited to kingship.
In the final scenes of the play, Macbeth finally takes up his sword again. He ends up killing
young Siward, but this proves Macbeth's final casualty. He is slain by Macduff, his reign now
ended.
Macbeth kills many people in battle, most of them probably before the play begins. The
audience cannot be quite certain of the chronology, because he is presumably still fighting
during the witches' short dialogue in act 1, scene 1. However, by act 1, scene 2, he has
already killed the rebel Macdonwald and many other enemies of King Duncan.
In act 2, Macbeth kills King Duncan. This is the most significant murder in the play and the
only one about which Macbeth deliberates at length. He then kills Duncan's guards,
allegedly in a fit of fury, though really to prevent them from giving evidence.
After killing Duncan, Macbeth becomes king and no longer has to do his own killing until the
battle in act 5, when he kills young Siward in combat and attempts to kill Macduff, who
finally defeats him. However, although he no longer personally kills people in the middle of
the play, Macbeth does hire murderers to kill Banquo, Fleance, and the Macduff family. The
murderers are partially successful, killing Banquo, Lady Macduff, and Macduff's children, but
they fail to kill either Fleance, who escapes, or Macduff, who has gone to England.
Macbeth therefore kills two named men in battle, Macdonwald and Siward, along with
many more unnamed men. He murders Duncan and his two guards and is responsible for
the murders of Banquo, Lady Macduff, Macduff's son (onstage) and Macduff's other
children (offstage).
The first person Macbeth kills is Macdonwald. This was a righteous kill in battle. For this
honor and duty, he was rewarded with Macdonwald’s title, Thane of Cawdor.
Then Macbeth kills King Duncan. Macbeth is greeted by three witches who tell him that he
will become king. He believes them, and when Duncan names his son Malcolmsuccessor
instead of Macbeth, Macbeth gets angry and kills Duncan despite having no right to the
title.
Macbeth is not safe though. He kills Duncan’s servants in order to frame them (though he
also frames Malcolm and Donalbain, the king’s sons, for good measure). He claims to have
done it in a bloody rage.
Who can be wise, amazed, temperate and furious,(120)
Loyal and neutral, in a moment? No man:
The expedition of my violent love
Outrun the pauser reason. (Act 2, Scene 3)
Macbeth does not stop there. He has safely framed Malcolm and Donalbain, and they
flee. The next threat to Macbeth is Banquo.
Macbeth hires three murderers to kill Banquo and his son Fleance. Unfortunately, Fleance
gets away. Macbeth is furious, and Banquo’s ghost visits him at the ball.
Next comes Macduff’s family. Macbeth is angry and suspicious when Macduff leaves the
country, and decides to have his entire household killed. Lady Macduff, Macduff’s son, and
the entire household of servants are slaughtered. Macduff is not there.
Chances are there are various other minions that Macduff killed along the way before the
battle. As the battle draws near, Lady Macbeth kills herself out of guilt. Consider her a
casualty of association.
Finally, the battle begins. Macbeth first kills Young Siward. Young Siward calls Macbeth out
before he is killed in their fight.
Thou liest, abhorred tyrant; with my sword
I'll prove the lie thou speak'st. (Act 5, Scene 7)
At this point, Macbeth continues fighting until he comes toe to toe with Macduff, who
informs him that he was born by caesarian. Macbeth is annoyed that he was deceived, and
basically commits suicide in giving himself up to Macduff.
Accursed be that tongue that tells me so,
For it hath cow'd my better part of man!
… I'll not fight with thee. (Act 5, Scene 8)
Macbeth says he will not yield to Malcolm, but his heart’s basically not in it. Macduff
beheads him, and the bloody tyrant’s rule is over.
A central theme of the play is the reversal of moral order. How does the final couplet of
act 1, scene 1 reflect this theme? What is the purpose of act 1, scene 1?
The witches foretell Macbeth's future and he chooses to act upon their prophecies.
Fair is foul, and foul is fair.
Hover through the fog and filthy air.
The purpose of these lines, spoken by the witches in unison, is to tell the audience that
what seems good is not, and what seems bad is not so either. These lines introduce one of
the main themes of the play –deception and the reversal of the expected moral
order. Macbeth is deceived by the witches into believing that it is his place to be king
‘Thou that shall be king hereafter’
This prophecy goes against what was believed to be the natural order of kingship as chosen
by God. It is noted that in the day of King Duncan’s death the sun does not appear to rise. It
was believed at the time that if the Divine Right of Kings was disrupted, there would be
consequences of great magnitude. It is therefore unsurprising that Macbeth’s accession to
the throne causes civil unrest and the deaths of many.
Macbeth is also deceived into believing he is invincible and that
‘none of woman born can harm Macbeth’
The witches prophesies are revealed to be true, but with costs, caveats and consequences.
In seeking their support, Macbeth has gone against the Christian faith and brings about his
downfall.
The purpose of Act 1 Scene 1 is to connect Macbeth, out protagonist, with evil and
foreboding from the start of the play. He does not appear in the scene, but the witches talk
of their meeting with him which is to come. We can deduce from this that the path Macbeth
embarks on is already laid out for him by these dark forces: he has no real control over the
events which affect him, and the witches are confident that the choices he will make will
draw him in to their evil plot.
The last two lines of act 1, scene 1 of Macbeth appear to be paradoxical. What do you
think they mean?
The two lines of the quote "Fair is foul and foul is fair" are very important in the play. They
could be used to summarise a major theme of Macbeth, as they point out that in this play
there are many things that appear to be one thing, when in fact they are something else.
For example, at first glance Lady Macbeth might seem to be a helpful wife trying to help her
husband, but on further look she might have evil intentions. The appearance vs. reality
theme is also seen in the way that Duncan appears to be an innocent guest for dinner but is
actually about to get killed by Macbeth and his wife.
This quote is very important in terms of the whole play, as it actually could be used to
summarise a major theme of this excellent tragedy. The appearance of the witchesand their
speech points towards the paradoxical nature of what happens in this play and the shocking
reversal of values that this points towards. Also, it points towards the confusing nature of
what happens to Macbeth as he tries to work out how to respond to the prophecy that the
witches give him and work out what his role in achieving it should be. You also might like to
think of how this statement foreshadows various points in the play where what is actually
"foul" is disguised as being "fair" and vice versa. Consider Lady Macbeth's advice to her
husband in Act I scene 5 for an example of this:
...look like th'innocent flower,
But be the serpent under't.
This quote directly relates to the gap between appearance vs. reality, which is something
that Lady Macbeth is able herself to achieve perfectly, as is demonstrated by the way in Act
I scene 6 she is able to present herself as the perfect host to Duncan, whilst secretly plotting
to kill him. The statement of the witches therefore points towards a setting where the
normal values of the world have become dislodged and are replaced with an ever-shifting
moral quagmire of seeming good and hidden evil.
Explore the relationships between Macbeth and the witches in act 1, scenes 1–3
in Macbeth.
The witches are manipulating Macbeth in this scene, which is where he first meets them.
In the beginning of the play, the witches tell Macbeth that they have three prophecies for
him. We have met these particular witches in Act 1, Scene 1 when they discussed how they
would meet Macbeth later. The prophecies tell Macbeth that 1) he will be Thane of
Cawdor, 2) he will be king, and 3) Banquo’s sons will be king.
The interaction between Macbeth and the witches is an interesting one. His friend Banquo,
for example, is suspicious of the witches from the start. Macbeth, on the other hand, is
intrigued by what they have to say because he likes what they have to say. They are
pricking his ambition. Even though Banquo is also told something he would supposedly like
to hear, that his sons will be king, he is not as interested.
Banquo seems disturbed and possibly frightened by the witches from the start.
What are these
So wither'd and so wild in their attire,
That look not like the inhabitants o' the earth,
And yet are on't? Live you? or are you aught
That man may question? (Act 3, Scene 1)
He also makes a comment about their “beards,” questioning whether they are women or
men. Macbeth, on the other hand, just seems curious about the witches and not bothered
by their appearance.
Speak, if you can: what are you? (Act 3, Scene 1)
After listening to the witches, Banquo is even less impressed. He had asked them about
himself, and learned his prophecy, but didn’t like it. It doesn't seem like he is an ambitious
man. He either doesn’t believe the witches or thinks they are unholy.
Macbeth asks the witches where they get this “this strange intelligence,” but they just
leave. Banquo dismisses them as insignificant.
The earth hath bubbles, as the water has,
And these are of them. (Act 3, Scene 1)
Banquo asks Macbeth if they have “eaten on the insane root/That takes the reason
prisoner” and then the two of them review the prophecies musingly, or perhaps jokingly
before they’re interrupted. They are ready to forget the whole thing, but the witches are
apparently on to something.
Banquo and Macbeth are called before King Duncan, and the most amazing thing
happens. The first of the prophecy comes true, and Macbeth is made Thane of
Cawdor. Banquo is surprised that “the devil” could “speak true” (Act 1, Scene 3).
Macbeth, however, is thrilled. He sees all of his dreams coming true. The witches have
ignited his ambition. Suddenly he sees everything laid at his feet, and nothing can stop
him. Where before he was only a loyal solider, not he is a king. The witches did not make
him ambitious, but they awoke this ambition. They were counting on it.
When Macbeth finds out that Malcolm is named king, however, he gets extremely
upset. There is absolutely no reason why he should be named king. The king has two
sons! Macbeth is a distant relative. Yet he wants it now! The witches have planted the idea
in his head with this prophecy. They are toying with him like a cat with a mouse. Now he
wants everything they promised him. They promised him this, and so he wants it, whether
he deserves it or not. So he will take it. They said it was his, so it is his.
From this point on, Macbeth will go on an ambition-charged murder spree to get and keep
what he wants. By the end of the play he will be unrecognizable, even to
himself. Shakespeare's message here with the witches is that sometimes good people,
given the right circumstances, can do very bad things. Ambition can drive people to do
things you never thought they would do. It does not always take supernatural intervention.
What is the dramatic significance of act 1, scene 1 in Macbeth?
Macbeth is generally a happy play--it is full of irony and complexity. The overall tone of the
play is dark and foreboding, with a hint of the supernatural thrown in for good measure.
Shakespeare has done his best to provide us with two opposite ends of a spectrum...good
and evil, light and dark, moral and immoral, etc. Macbeth will eventually find himself at the
wrong end of this spectrum because he was unable to control his ambition.
We also learn that the play will be full of paradoxes. "Fair is foul and foul is fair"--the
witches are planning something funky, and it will be interesting to say the least to se how
things will play out. Macbeth is the hero for now, but will he be for long? What is Banquo's
purpose in this whole paradoxical play? The battle is won for Scotland, but who loses?
The themes and mood of the play are set here. Macbethhas won the battle and the titles,
but in the end he will lose because of his ambition. Banquo is also hero, but not recognized
or rewarded as openly and lucratively as Macbeth. However, he is the real winner in this
situation...he is not as well ranked as Macbeth, but he is happier and living a more pure and
moral life.
The witches add a touch of evil and the supernatural to the play. We know they will be
involved every step of the way. The opening scene is paramount for setting us up for all the
cool stuff that's coming...
The opening scene of the play introduces the theme of the play and lets the audience know
what to expect. In this scene, the three Weird Sisters are conjuring. Immediately they let
the audience know that they will appear again in the play. ("When shall we three meet
again"......."There to meet with Macbeth"). Next, the witches' familiars call to them, letting
the audience know without a doubt that these Weird Sisters are witches. The three end this
very short scene by saying, "Fair is foul, and foul is fair;/ Hovers through the fog and filthy
air." This lets the audience know that appearances will be deceiving (the antithesis in "Fair is
foul...." says this). The audience knows that truth will be obscured (the "fog"), and that bad
things will happen ("...the filthy air."). Macbeth is a play about lies, deceitful appearances,
and evil among other qualities: ambitiousness, lust for power, and manipulation among
those. The opening scene gets the audience hooked immediately with this spooky scene.
Describe the battle in act 1, scene 1 of Macbeth and the reasons why this battle gives
Macbeth the title Thane of Cawdor.
I assume you are referring to act 1, scene 2, as act 1, scene 1 of Macbeth simply features
the the witchesplanning to meet Macbeth as the storm rages around them. In scene 2, we
are given much more gratuitous detail of the battle and Macbeth's part in it.
In this scene, a wounded captain details the events of the battle to Duncan, the king of
Scotland. It paints Macbeth in a very favorable light to say the least. The battle had raged
between the Scottish Generals Macbeth and Banquo against the traitorous MacDonwald
and the Norwegian King. The battle seemed to be headed for defeat until Macbeth, against
impossible odds, fought through the enemy to kill MacDonwald.
The men rave over the bravery of Macbeth. The captain says that the king of Norway then
brought fresh troops to the field, but this frightened the two generals "as sparrows eagles,
or the hare the lion." He reports that Macbeth and Banquo fought back with twice as much
force and won the day. As the Thane of Cowdor had been a traitor in this conflict, Duncan
announces that the thane will be executed, and Macbeth will receive all of his titles.
It is assumed that the battle occurred during Act I, Scene 1. We don’t get the full story of
what happens in the battle until Act 1, Scene 2, 3 and 4. The reason Duncan proclaims
Macbeth the new Thane of Cawdor is because the former Thane of Cawdor performed
some act of treachery or treason during the battle. Duncan promptly orders the Thane of
Cawdor’s execution. Duncan says:
No more that Thane of Cawdor shall deceive
Our bosom interest: go pronounce his death,
And with this former title greet Macbeth (1.1.63-65).
Despite the Thane of Cawdor’s treason, Macbeth led the Scottish forces to victory over
Macdonwald and the Norwegians.
In Act 1, Scene 4, Malcolm informs Duncan that the former Thane of Cawdor has been
executed. Prior to the execution, the Thane confessed and asked forgiveness. Duncan
regrets having ordered the execution. But Duncan is comforted that Macbeth, who up to
this point has been loyal and a worthy soldier, is taking over Cawdor.
Why are Macbeth's first words, "So foul and fair a day I have not seen," important?
This is Macbeth's first line of the play, and it is notable that it echoes the witches' line from
the first scene in which they say, "Fair is foul, and foul is fair." The paradoxical nature of
both these lines sets up the play's theme of duplicity and deceptive appearances, the idea
that not all is as it seems.
In act 1, scene 1, the three witches chant as one:
Fair is foul, and fouls is fair;
Hover through the fog and filthy air.
From the very beginning, Shakespeare essentially sets both the mood and the main theme
of the play; he foreshadows the events that are about to occur and tells or even warns the
readers that nothing is what it seems. Ambition is just another word for blind thirst for
power; beauty is a mask for the ugliness within—a fair face may hide a foul heart.
Appearances can be deceiving.
The quote also represents the characters of the witches—creatures that don't particularly
care for the concepts of good and evil; for them, good and evil coexist together—implying
what's good might actually be evil, and what's evil might actually be good. Nature, be it
actual nature or human nature, is lawless and everything and everyone is corruptible.
Finally, the quote represents Macbeth, the titular character and protagonist of the play, as
well as Lady Macbeth. At first, general Macbeth is a just and trustworthy general and a good
and loyal friend to the king. Soon, however, he becomes a cold-blooded killer; a man who,
despite feeling guilty and even regretful, allows his ambition to overpower his
morality. Lady Macbeth is an intelligent and well-mannered woman—a lovely and respected
lady. Underneath that likely beautiful and intelligent face, however, is a cunning and
unscrupulous soul, someone who will not hesitate to do despicable deeds in order to gain
power and fame.
These words are important since they immediately introduce us to the theme
of paradox and equivocation. Macbeth's statement engenders a clear contrast. Two
conflicting ideas are expressed in the same sentence, 'foul' is the direct opposite of 'fair'.
This is exactly the kinds of situations Macbeth will be confronted with throughout the play.
The evil sisters sisters, though, do not deem the two as contrasting ideas and treat them as
equals. Their paradoxical statement, 'Fair is foul, and foul is fair' is an expression of their
duplicity. They intentionally set out to deceive the gullible Macbeth and drive him to strive
for ambition. In the process, he commits the most heinous of crimes. Ambition is a good
thing and therefore fair. Macbeth's 'overriding ambition,' though, is malevolent and thus
foul. Macbeth's desire to achieve the golden round turns him into a remorseless killer who
spares no one.
It is not only the witches, though, who practice this kind of dastardly deception. Both
Macbeth and Lady Macbeth actually encourage one another to be devious. She for example,
tells her husband to 'look the innocent flower, but be the serpent underneath'. He, likewise,
advises, 'false face must hide what the false heart doth know.' In both instances they urge
one another to appear one way but in actual fact be the exact opposite. The appearance is
fair, but the real intent is foul. They are remorseless in this and commit murder without
batting an eyelid.
Throughout the play Macbeth commits the most heinous deeds which, to him, are fair
measures to protect his position, even though he uses foul means to ensure his security. He
has the innocent Banquo murdered and has Macduff's entire family slain because he sees
the two men as threats to his status.
However, Macbeth soon realises that he had been misled by the witches' seemingly
favourable prophesies. He believed, for example that he was invincible for the witches had
told him that:
none of woman born shall harm Macbeth
and
Macbeth shall never vanquish'd be until
Great Birnam wood to high Dunsinane hill
Shall come against him.
Macbeth realizes his folly in both instances. Firstly, he is told by one of his messengers that
Birnam Wood seems to be marching towards the castle. This was Malcolm's troops who had
each cut a bough off a tree to camouflage their numbers. Secondly, when he is confronted
by Macduff and he commands him to surrender since he is protected by a charm, Macduff
tells him that he was not naturally born since he had been from his mother's womb,
'untimely ripped.'
It is then that Macbeth realizes that the game is up and that he had been a pawn in the
scheming witches' hands. He refuses to surrender and is killed by Macduff. What had been
fair to Macbeth had become foul in the most dramatic and tragic manner.
I agree with the first answer but would add that the words, "so ( foul and fair a day) I have
not seen," are as important as the descriptive words. They let us know that the combination
of 'foul' and 'fair' is noteworthy, not ordinary. Noteworthy to a degree never before
experienced by Macbeth. It is not just an observation. It is an amazement. This lets us know
that we are witnessing strange events, and actions occurring in a heightened, otherworldly,
dark and unpredictable atmosphere. Shakespeare, through his words, gives us, right at the
very start, the tone, texture, and emotional level that we will be spending the next several
hours inhabiting with the characters.
Shakespeare was a MASTER of Stagecraft, or, the art of creating, through the use of the
ingredients of the theatre, exactly the affect he wanted to create in the experience of the
audience.
When Macbeth says "so foul and fair a day I have not seen", he is referring to the battle that
he has recently fought. It is fair because he has won, it is foul because he has lost fellow
soldiers in the battle.
This is important because it ties into the whole "fair is foul" and "foul is fair" motif that is
seen through out the play. Notice that the witches say "fair is foul and foul is fair" in the
first scene of the play. This sets up the whole parodoxical theme of the play in which things
that seem fair (like the prophesy that Macbeth will become king) are also foul(ie he will be
king, but his children will not be king.)
How do the last few lines of act 1, scene 7 echo the last words of act 1, scene 1
in Macbeth?
It is the idea of an inverted reality that encompasses the theme of both the first and last
scene of Act I. The closing lines of the first scene reflect the inversion of moral, political, and
psychological reality that is seen throughout the drama with the notion of "fair is foul, and
foul is fair." These lines help to bring out that what is might not be what should be and
what should be is not what is. The closing lines of the last scene reflect this same inversion
of reality:
Away, and mock the time with fairest show:
False face must hide what the false heart doth know.
The contrast between "false face" is one such image of inversion in that the face conceals
something opposite underneath it. At the same time, the "false heart" also brings to light
that there is an inversion within the soul of the individual. The notion of "mock the time"
and the element of the "show" brings even further credence to the inversion that is such a
part of the closing lines of the scene. Given the fact that Macbeth is the one who speaks the
lines, there is a further inversion in that a good and honorable soldier has succumbed to an
entrance into the abyss of immorality. In both sets of closing lines, the first Act has shown
itself to be one where moral justice and political order is entering a realm of perversion and
a domain where it will become twisted and mangled from its original form.
How does the friendship between Macbeth and Banquo change in act 1, scene 3 and act 3,
scene 1?
The friendship between Macbeth and Banquo changes dramatically from act 1, scene 3 to
act 3, scene 1. In the earlier scene, they are equals: good friends, Scots nobles, and loyal
subjects of their king. By the later scene, Banquo rightly suspects Macbeth of regicide, and
Macbeth plots to murder Banquo and Fleance to prevent Banquo from fathering a line of
kings. Macbeth grows murderous, envious, and paranoid, and the friendship deteriorates as
a result.
In act 1, scene 3, Banquo and Macbeth have just battled a host of foes and emerged
victorious, for Scotland and for their king. Banquo calls Macbeth his "noble partner," and he
asks the Weird Sisters to predict his future as they have seemed to prophesy Macbeth's
(1.3.57). His words and manner suggest that he sees himself and Macbeth as equals. At this
point, they are equals: both are Scots nobles, both are loyal to the crown, and are both
victorious in the battles against those who have risen against that crown. They are casual
and open with one another.
However, by act 3, scene 1, everything has changed. Now, Banquo suspects that his former
friend murdered their king in order to usurp that role. He says to himself,
Thou hast it now—king, Cawdor, Glamis, all
As the Weird Women promised, and I fear
Thou played'st most foully for't. (3.1.1–3)
Banquo also considers that since the titles the Weird Sisters promised to Macbeth have
come to fruition, then perhaps the titles they promised to Banquo's own children will, to.
The Weird Sisters told him that he would father a line of kings, and Banquo does not
concern himself with how his former friend might feel about that.
When Banquo speaks to Macbeth, he calls the king "your Highness," as is appropriate, and
says that Macbeth can "command" him and Banquo will do his duty (3.1.17, 18). He does
not speak of loyalty or love or friendship, but, rather, the duty that any subject owes to his
monarch. Further, Macbeth is plotting to have Banquo killed, and Fleance too, because he
"fears" Banquo's "royalty of nature," as well as his courage and wisdom (3.1.53, 54).
Macbeth is angry and envious that Banquo will father kings when his own reign will remain
"fruitless" and "barren" (3.1.66, 67). Everything is different now between them, and any
friendship or loyalty they once enjoyed with one another is gone.
In Act III the relationship between Banquo and Macbeth has deteriorated since their
encounter with the witches in Act I.
Banquo has demonstrated that he is a cautious man. After the witches have made their
prophecies in Act I, Scene 3, Macbeth is persuaded by the appearance of truth in these
predictions, noting that as the witches have said, he has become the Thane of Glamis and
the Thane of Cawdor. Since these things have come to pass as predicted, Macbeth asks
Banquo if he does not hope that the prediction that his sons will be kings will also come
true. Not so easily swayed, Banquo cautions Macbeth against believing so quickly the words
of the witches:
And, oftentimes, to win us to our harm,
The instruments of darkness tell us truths,
Win us with honest trifles, to betray's
In deepest consequence....(1.3.132-135)
Further, in Act II, Scene 1, Banquo's actions appear to reflect some anxiety. As he walks the
halls of the castle at Inverness with his son Fleance, Banquo has cause to be nervous
because he knows that Macbeth has readily believed in the witches' prediction about his
becoming king without questioning the problematic nature of their other prediction of
Banquo's future as the father of kings.
On the night of their arrival, Banquo asks his son Fleance if the moon is down and when
Fleance tells him that it is, Banquo hands his son the sword he has been carrying, but as
soon as he hears someone coming Banquo immediately takes it back. The person Banquo
hears is Macbeth, who is still walking around even though the guest of honor, King Duncan,
is "a-bed."
It is not long before Macbeth is confronted by Banquo holding his sword, asking "Who goes
there?" Macbeth replies, "A friend" (2.1.10-11). Banquo then gives Macbeth a
diamond necklace that the king has asked him to carry to Lady Macbeth as a gift for her
hospitality. Banquo also tells his host that he dreamed the previous night of the "three
weird sisters," adding, "To you they have showed some truth" (2.1.20). To this, Macbeth
responds:
I think not of them.
Yet, when we can entreat an hour to serve,
We would spend it in some words upon that business,
If you would grant the time (2.1.22-25).
Here Macbeth suggests that he wishes to talk more with Banquo. Continuing, he says that if
Banquo remains with him, there will be some reward for Banquo. Banquo replies that he
will comply with Macbeth as long as nothing goes against his conscience:
MACBETH: If you shall cleave to my consent, when ’tis,
It shall make honor for you.
BANQUO: So I lose none
In seeking to augment it, but still keep
My bosom franchised and allegiance clear,
I shall be counselled. (2.1.24-29)
As a result of this conversation, Banquo realizes that Macbeth intends to be king. Also, if
Macbeth kills King Duncan in order to achieve this goal, then Banquo could be in danger,
especially if he does not, as Macbeth has said, "cleave to [his] consent." (i.e. Remain loyal to
Macbeth when the time comes).
In Act III, Scene 1, Banquo speaks in a soliloquy. He acknowledges that Macbeth is king as
the witches have predicted, but he fears that "Thou [Macbeth] play'dst most foully for 't"
(3.1.2-3). Since he suspects that Macbeth has engaged in a foul deed in order to become
king, Banquo wonders about how the witches' prediction about him may come to be. For
one thing, he realizes that he would have to be dead in order for his sons to become kings.
Consequently, Banquo loses his trust in Macbeth, especially in light of their conversation in
Act II. Their relationship has now deteriorated to one that involves distrust and possible
enmity rather than friendship.
In Act III, Banquo has lost faith in Macbeth. As Macbeth's best friend and fellow general,
Banquo should be his biggest supporter. However, when Macbeth asks him to provide
loyalty, Banquo's response is cold and distant:
MACBETH To-night we hold a solemn supper sir,
And I'll request your presence.
BANQUO Let your highness
Command upon me; to the which my duties
Are with a most indissoluble tie
Forever knit.
Banquo does not offer his kinship freely; Macbeth must "command" him to do it. Macbeth
has become the king and Banquo is now his subject and not his peer. Macbeth actually uses
the royal "we" in referring to Banquo. English custom dictated that a king had two bodies,
an earthly one and a heavenly one. Therefore, kings and queens used the plural "we" to
refer to themselves. By using this pronoun in reference to Banquo, Macbeth is reinforcing
the distance that now exists between them.
How would you describe Macbeth's state of mind in act 1, scenes 1, 3, and 4?
Scene 1 of Macbeth establishes time rather than place as a major motif. For, Macbeth, too,
acts according to time. In Scene 2, for instance, Macbeth is described as an opportunist by
the Captain who lauds Macbeth's bravery at seizing the moment and "disdaining fortune" by
slaying the "merciless" Macdonwald. In Scene 3, Macbeth is unaware that King Duncan has
already made him Thane of Cawdor, and, after listening to the three witches, he deliberates
whether he should wait and let fate take its course or take the leap from being Thane of
Cawdor to "King hereafter" (1.3.52-53):
If chance will have me King, why, chance may crown me,
Without my stir. (1.3.155-156)
And, yet, Macbeth has misgivings after Banquo warns him that the witches may be telling
half-truths. Added to this, Macbeth has twinges of conscience and a sense of foreboding:
This supernatural soliciting
Cannot be ill, cannot be good. If ill,
Why hath it given me earnest of success,
Commencing in a truth? I am Thane of Cawdor.
If good, why do I yield to that suggestion
Whose horrid image doth unfix my hair
And make my seated heart knock at my ribs,
Against the use of nature? Present fears
Are less than horrible imaginings:
My thought, whose murder yet is but fantastical,
Shakes so my single state of man that function
Is smother'd in surmise,and nothing is
But what is not. (1.3.141-153)
For Macbeth there is a blurring of the lines between good and bad. The predictions begin
with truth: Macbeth is Thane of Cawdor, yet the goodness of this truth is mitigated by the
thoughts of murdering Duncan that enter Macbeth's heart. Still, rather than examining his
own conscience thoroughly, Macbeth wishes to place the blame upon chance as he says
those lines mentioned previously,
If chance will have me King, why, chance my crown me,
Without my stir. (1.3.155-156)
In actuality, Macbeth capitalizes upon opportunity, using the predictions of the three sisters
to rationalize his own cupidity as he thinks,
Come what come may,
Time and the hour runs through the roughest day. (1.3.161-162)
Thus, Macbeth, who ponders the good and bad of things, manipulates time to his own
advantage, using the witches predictions to justify his thoughts of murdering Duncan so that
he can be "King herafter."
In Shakespeare's Macbeth, how is Lady Macbeth presented in act 1, scene 5, and act 1,
scene 7?
Lady Macbeth is presented as willing to support Macbeth in killing Duncan to benefit
themselves in act 1, scene 5. She is presented as ruthless and persuasive in act 1, scene 7
when she convinces Macbeth to murder Duncan. In both scenes, Lady Macbeth is portrayed
as intelligent and strong-willed.
Act 1, scene 5:
In this scene, Lady Macbeth first learns of the prophecy of the witches that Macbeth will
become king. She is shown in this scene as carefully thinking through her role as a woman
and wife. On the one hand, as a woman, she needs to be feminine, which in this period
would have meant somewhat passive and subordinate to her husband. She also has a duty
of loyalty to her husband and a duty to help her family and husband succeed. She is
concerned that Macbeth has a weak character and will vacillate rather than seizing the
moment and killing Duncan. Thus even though she knows that killing Duncan is morally
wrong and that strength, determination, and persuading Macbeth to act are unfeminine,
she also sees doing so as part of her duty to her husband and family, and so she steels
herself to act.
Act 1, scene 7:
In this scene, the audience sees Lady Macbeth in dialogue with her husband. As she had
anticipated, he is weak-willed and has scruples about killing Duncan. She berates him for his
unmasculine weakness, in essence switching gender roles with him temporarily in order to
strengthen his resolve. She ultimately persuades him to go ahead with the murder. This act
of stepping outside her essential female nature is portrayed as unnatural and something
that will lead to her ultimate mental disintegration. In both scenes, she is shown as
intelligent and strong-willed.
In both scenes, Lady Macbeth is portrayed as a nefarious, malevolent woman who is
extremely ambitious and willing to become queen at all costs. She is depicted as a cruel,
malicious individual who cunningly plans King Duncan's assassination and persuades her
husband to follow through with the crime. Lady Macbeth shows no signs of remorse or
sympathy in either scene and is portrayed as more of an ambitious, daring person than her
husband.
In act 1, scene 5, Lady Macbeth reads her husband's letter regarding the witches' prophecy
and reveals her ambitious, malevolent nature during her soliloquy. In Lady Macbeth's
soliloquy, she urges wicked spirits to fill her with cruelty and make her callous, murderous,
and evil. Lady Macbeth says,
Come, thick night, And pall thee in the dunnest smoke of hell, That my keen knife see not
the wound it makes, Nor heaven peep through the blanket of the dark To cry “Hold, hold!"
(Shakespeare, 1.5.40-44).
After asking for a cold, unforgiving, murderous heart, she instructs Macbeth to act friendly
to the king while she takes care of planning the assassination.
In act 1, scene 7, Macbeth expresses his reluctance to follow through with the plan, and
Lady Macbeth proceeds to ridicule her husband for being weak. She is portrayed as a
treacherous, cruel woman who criticizes Macbeth for not being courageous and ambitious.
After making Macbeth feel weak and feminine for not wanting to kill the king, Lady Macbeth
confidently tells him their plan will not fail. She is sure that the Scottish lords will not
discover that Macbeth murdered the king and dismisses the idea of being caught.
In act I, scene V, Lady Macbeth is presented as an ambitious woman with a powerful hold
over her husband. When she receives the news of the prophecies from Macbeth, for
example, she notes that he is too full of "kindness" to carry out the murder of King Duncan.
She says that she will "pour" her "spirits" into his ear in order to give him the courage he
needs to make the prophecy come true.
Similarly, in scene VII, her sense of ambition is further reinforced. It is she who encourages
Macbeth to overcome his doubts about murdering Duncan. In fact, she even plans the
murder itself, giving Macbeth clear directions about how they must go about it to ensure
that nobody suspects foul play.
In both of these scenes, Lady Macbeth is presented in a negative light. She is portrayed as
ambitious, ruthless, and conniving. More importantly, it is her influence which contributes
to Macbeth's transformation from loyal thane to ambitious, cold-blooded murderer.
Lady Macbeth appears as nothing less than monstrous in these scenes. Scene 5 features her
soliloquy in which she begins planning the murder of Duncan and invokes all manner of evil
spirits for the purpose. In Scene 7, she appears equally ruthless, urging her husband on to
commit the murder. He is not entirely willing, but she jeers at him for being weak and
declares that she herself would be quite prepared to kill her own baby if required.
In both scenes, Lady Macbeth comes across as not just wicked but grotesque, as she
deliberately renounces humane traits like kindliness and mercy and all her own supposedly
softer, womanly qualities, conjuring up a frightening picture of herself as filled 'from the
crown to the toe top-full/of direst cruelty' (40-41) and with breasts full of 'gall' (46). She
follows this up with the even grimmer image in Scene 7 of herself dashing out her baby's
brains.
Lady Macbeth, then, appears as an utterly pitiless, scheming villain at this early stage, prior
to the murder of Duncan. However, over the course of the play, this picture of her is not
quite borne out. After the murder of Duncan she gradually becomes unhinged with
remorse, as her famous sleepwalking scene, when she desperately tries to wash her hands
free of blood, attests. In the end, she is not really fitted for such villainy. Although she
appears so evil in the scenes discussed above, what she is really doing is trying to work
herself up to the pitch of committing murder, to psyche herself up for the dreadful task. It
doesn't really come naturally to her.
What figure of speech is used by the captain when he says "disdaining fortune" in act 1,
scene 1 of Macbeth?
Macbeth was not worried about what would happen.
The expression used by the captain to describe Macbeth’s actions might be best described
as a metaphor or personification. Personification is giving human traits to something
nonliving. In this case, fortune is described as something that you fight or ignore.
Macbeth was a brave solider before the witches got hold of him. Evidence of this can be
found in the captain’s descriptions of Macbeth’s actions during the battle that preceded the
play. It appears that Macbeth knew no fear, and charged into battle until he defeated the
traitor Macdonwald.
And fortune, on his damned quarrel smiling,
Show'd like a rebel's whore: but all's too weak:
For brave Macbeth--well he deserves that name-Disdaining fortune, with his brandish'd steel,
Which smoked with bloody execution,
Like valour's minion carved out his passage
Till he faced the slave … (Act 1, Scene 2)
In other words, Macbeth had to defy fortune in order to accomplish his task. This is because
there were a lot of enemy soldiers he had to defeat before he could get to
Macdonwald. Macbeth did not care though. He laughs in the face of fortune, so to
speak. (That’s another figure of speech.) Macbeth had luck on his side.
This is actually a very important scene. It is easy to forget that Macbeth was once regarded
as a valiant solider and a good man once the play gets started. Macbeth makes a lot of
terrible choices, and is presented throughout as either aggressively ambitious or just plain
insane. However, aggression and ambition are celebrated on the battlefield. Macbeth was
a hero once.
Fair Is Foul And Foul Is Fair
What does the line "fair is foul, and foul is fair" mean?
“Fair is foul, and foul is fair” means that appearances can be deceiving, a theme that runs
throughout Macbeth. That which seems “fair” and good is actually “foul” and evil. The best
example of this theme is Macbeth himself. Macbeth pretends to be a loyal and good servant
to King Duncan, but he eventually betrays Duncan’s trust and murders him to steal the
throne.
"Fair is foul and foul is fair," first uttered by the witches in Act 1, Scene 1, is a paradox that
sets the stage for the entire play. At its most basic, it means that "good is bad and bad is
good." In the context of the play itself, it means that things that are good are also bad and
vice-versa. For example: Macbeth's murder of King Duncan is good for Macbeth, as it leads
him to become the kind of Scotland, but bad for King Duncan. To continue to explore this
particular example: Macbeth's reign is initially good for him and Lady Macbeth, but bad for
the country. In Act 4, Scene 3, Macduff complains of Macbeth's rule, stating that "Each new
morn / New widows howl, new orphans cry, new sorrows / Strike heaven in the face," thus
revealing that conditions in Scotland grow increasingly worse under Macbeth's rule (57). Even this very scene is representative of another way in which the "fair is foul" motif is
present. In this scene, Macduff is in England, attempting to persuade Malcolm, the rightful
king, to return to Scotland to fight against Macbeth. Some believe that Macduff has "fled"
to England because he is a coward (foul), when in reality he has left because he is willing to
risk his own safety to fight against Macbeth (fair). Further, Malcolm is initially suspicious
that Macduff is working for Macbeth, and has come to England to trick Malcolm into
returning so that Macbeth can kill him (foul). Because of this, he pretends to be worse than
Macbeth (foul) but in reality he is loyal to Scotland (fair) just as Macduff truly is (fair).
Unsurprisingly, Shakespeare does a masterful job of weaving this motif upon itself
throughout Macbeth. Macbeth's act of regicide is initially fair for him and his wife, but
becomes foul as the guilt of the act grows, combining with Macbeth's own paranoia and
eventually leading to his downfall. This is just one of many ways in which it appears, but it is
one of the best examples to demonstrate the intricacy of the "fair is foul" concept.
It could be construed as whatever is "fair" could also be "foul" and whatever may be "foul"
could also be "fair." Think of this in terms of an "eye for an eye." This statement could be
seen as foreshadowing the events to come within the play.
In act 1, scene 1, the Three Witches comment on how they will meet again upon the heath,
where they shall introduce themselves to Macbeth. Before they exit the scene, the witches
recite, "Fair is foul, and foul is fair: Hover through the fog and filthy air" (Shakespeare,
1.1.12–13). The phrase "Fair is foul, and foul is fair" is a paradox and motif that runs
throughout the entire play and essentially means that appearances are deceiving. The
phrase is considered a paradox because it is a statement that seems to contradict itself but
contains a hidden truth. According to the phrase, whatever seems good is really bad, while
the things that appear to be bad are actually good. There are numerous examples of
appearances being deceiving found throughout the play, beginning with Macbeth's
seemingly optimistic prophecy about becoming King of Scotland. While the prophecy seems
positive, it influences Macbeth's ambitious nature, and he develops into a bloodthirsty
tyrant. King Duncan initially believes that Macbeth's castle is pleasant and welcoming, while
it is actually ominous and threatening. Lady Macbeth and Macbeth conceal their true
emotions by acting like gracious hosts while they plot Duncan's murder. The second set of
prophecies also seems positive but makes Macbeth overconfident and leads to his demise.
Overall, the phrase "Fair is foul, and foul is fair" is a motif that runs throughout the play and
means that appearances can be deceiving.
This line comes from Act I, Scene I, and it is chanted by the three witches as they await the
end of the battle. At first glance, this line is a paradox since it is not possible for something
to be "fair" (nice) and "foul" (horrible) at the same time. However, this paradox is central to
understanding what the witches truly mean: by using this line, they are warning the reader
that everything is not quite as it seems in this play. In other words, appearances can be
deceptive, and the reader must not take the play's events and characters at face value.
As the play progresses, the relevance of this line becomes more apparent and is proven true
through the character of Macbeth. On the surface, Macbeth is the ideal thane: he is loyal to
the king and fights bravely in battle. But Macbeth is quickly and easily seduced by the
prophecy that he will become king, and he soon begins planning Duncan's murder.
Therefore, Macbeth seems to be "fair," but he is really quite the opposite.
In act 1, scenes 1–3 of Shakespeare's Macbeth, why is Macbeth so quick to take the
witches’ predictions seriously?
Macbeth is quick to take witches' predictions seriously for a number of
reasons. First, Macbeth is a very ambitious man. Both he and Lady Macbeth mention this in
the play. He wants to get ahead in life.
Another reason why he takes the predictions so seriously is because of the manner in which
they are presented. When the witches first appear to Macbeth, he is returning from the
battle against Norway, Macdonwald, and the treacherous Thane of Cawdor. Macbeth
and Banquo were both captains in the battle, and fought valiantly to defeat their
enemies. They are exhausted, but riding on the adrenaline high of having saved their
homeland. In addition, the weather is strange, which Macbeth references at the start of Act
1, Scene 3. This creates an eerie atmosphere. Then suddenly the witches appear out of
nowhere. When they do, Banquo comments on their appearance, saying they "look not like
th' inhabitants o' th' Earth / And yet are on 't" (42-43). Even before the witches speak, they
appear to be supernatural. Then, the first thing they say is directed at Macbeth. They hail
him "Thane of Glamis [...] Thane of Cawdor," and say he "shalt be king hereafter!" (5153). To summarize: he's tired, he's riding high on the victory, the weather is strange, and
he's taken by surprise by strange-looking creatures who refer to him by titles that his
ambitious nature craves. Further, he's already the Thane of Glamis and Cawdor. He knows
of Glamis; he isn't aware of Cawdor because word has not come
from Duncan yet. However, he has already been given the title, as of Act 1, Scene 2.
When Ross arrives later in this act to tell Macbeth that he is now the Thane of Cawdor,
Macbeth is stunned because he believes that the witches are responsible for the honor. In
reality, his own valor in battle is responsible for the promotion. This belief also contributes
to his willingness to seriously consider the witches' predictions. It seems possible that, if
they were right about one thing, they may be right about another.
I think it is common to take predictions seriously--e.g., horoscope predictions in the
newspapers--if they suggest something we have already been thinking about doing.
Macbeth has probably been toying with the notion of getting the throne by one means or
another. He could have been thinking of leading a coup d'etat or of murdering Duncan.
Evidently he has discussed these matters with his wife and she has been encouraging him to
act. See all of Act 1, Scene 5. The witches frighten him because they seem to be reading his
mind.
In Macbeth, what does "paddock calls" mean?
The witch means that her toad, her familiar, is calling.
A witch’s familiar was an animal that was kind of like her special friend. Witches kept their
familiars close to them. Elizabethans were a superstitious bunch. They believed that
witches often used an animal, often cat or a toad, to help them cast spells. Thus, the
Second Witch here is literally being called by her familiar, a toad or paddock, to help her
cast the spell. First Witch has a cat as her familiar. His name is apparently Graymalkin,
which literally means “gray cat.” This whole exchange makes a bit more sense then.
First Witch
Where the place?
Second Witch
Upon the heath.
Third Witch
There to meet with Macbeth.
First Witch
I come, Graymalkin!
Second Witch
Paddock calls. (Act 1, Scene 1)
In other words, First Witch got called by her familiar, her cat, and then Second Witch got
called by her familiar, a toad.
The witches are here just to mess with Macbeth. They have agreed to meet him after the
“hurlyburly's done,” in other words, after the chaos of the batter is over. Then they will give
him their three prophecies and start messing with his head!
Macbeth is really quite gullible. He falls for the witches, hook, line, and sinker. They are
really a sight. By Banquo’s description he is not sure if they are human, and if they are men
or women.
You seem to understand me,
By each at once her chappy finger laying
Upon her skinny lips: you should be women,
And yet your beards forbid me to interpret
That you are so. (Act 1, Scene 3)
Yet they predict that Macbeth will be first Thane of Cawdor and then king, and he likes
that. Banquo they tell will have sons that are king. He is suspicious. He tells Macbeth not
to listen. Macbeth, however, is overtaken by greed. He decides that he deserves these
honors, and as soon as he learns from Duncan that he is not to be king, the chaos ensues.
The witches really drive the story, meeting up with Macbeth again to tell him more
prophecies before the final battle. They do not take part in any of the violence themselves
though. All they do is light the fire. Macbeth provides the violence. He is the one who kills
Duncan, Banquo, and Macduff’s family. They would not have been able to cause any
trouble if he had not been an ambitious man to begin with. They knew what they were
doing when they chose him.
What is ironic about the speeches of Duncan and Banquo as they approach Macbeth's
castle?
As King Duncan and Banquo arrive at Macbeth's castle in act 1, scene 6, both men comment
on its welcoming, pleasant atmosphere. Duncan mentions that the air is sweet and appeals
to the gentle senses while Banquo comments on how the birds are attracted to the lovely
atmosphere surrounding the castle walls. Banquo uses positive words like "loved,"
"heaven," and "delicate" to describe Inverness. Ironically, King Duncan and Banquo are
entering a dangerous, threatening place, where the king will be brutally assassinated
by Macbeth. Immediately after Macbeth commits regicide, the porter pretends that
Inverness is hell, which is much more accurate than the king's initial perception of the
castle. The fact that Duncan and Banquo naively believe that Inverness is a welcoming,
pleasant place, when it is actually the exact opposite, coincides with the motif that
appearances can be deceiving.
As the approach Macbeth's castle, Duncan and Banquo both remark about what a pleasant
place it is. They gush about its beauty, with Banquo remarking that even the birds, who are
nesting in its crannies, recognize how "delicate" the air is. In particular, they remark that the
air seems very healthy there (a common concern in a time when people still believed that
foul air caused disease.) Of course, it does not turn out to be such a healthy place for
Duncan, who is murdered there, or for Banquo, whose ghost will appear to Macbeth there
after he is murdered while riding with Fleance. The audience, of course, already recognizes
this irony, as they have become aware of Macbeth's ambitions and of Lady's Macbeth's
determination to bring them to fruition. The irony, and the Macbeth's duplicity, is further
underscored in the scene when Lady Macbeth and Duncan warmly greet each other at the
entrance to the castle.
It should be noted that this scene is needed to establish the fact that Duncan and Banquo
are approaching Macbeth's castle. All the audience sees is a bare stage. The stage directions
only call for woodwinds and torches. In the performances of the play there would probably
have been no heavy props to suggest the outside of a big castle. Shakespeare typically relied
on dialogue to establish time and place. Duncan is accompanied by Banquo so that the two
actors will be able to speak to each other, and between them they create the illusion that
they are in front of an imposing castle. No doubt both Duncan and Banquo will be looking
upward as they speak their first lines of dialogue, appearing to be admiring the imposing
architecture and fortifications. Most of what happens throughout the play takes place inside
the walls of this imaginary castle, so it is a good idea for the author to establish its existence.
The dialogue spoken by both Duncan and Banquo is unintentionally ironic, because this
castle is going to become a house of horrors. Shakespeare informs the audience that
Duncan arrives on a warm summer evening, perhaps in order to prepare for the contrasting
storm when Macbeth commits his murder. According to Lennox:
The night has been unruly.Where we lay,
Our chimneys were blown down, and, as they say,
Lamentings heard i’ the air, strange screams of death,
And prophesying with accents terrible
Of dire combustion and confused events
New hatch'd to the woeful time. The obscure bird
Clamor'd the livelong night.Some say the earth
Was feverous and did shake. (Act II Scene III)
Explain how various literary devices are used in Macbeth, act 1, scene 5.
In act 1, scene 5 of Macbeth, Shakespeare employs the literary devices of similes,
metaphors, symbolism, alliteration, diction, imagery, and irony, sometimes all in the same
line. These literary devices strengthen the narrative of the play, emphasize its themes,
enhance characterization, add depth of meaning to the words of the play, and draw the
audience into the "world of the play" through their intellect and emotions.
Act 1, scene 5 of Shakespeare's Macbeth is Lady Macbeth's first appearance in the play, and
it's notable that she first appears entirely alone. All of the major characters in Macbeth—
King Duncan, Macbeth, Banquo, Malcolm, Macduff—first appear with other characters. Few
major characters enter this late in Shakespeare's plays—an exception, Macduff, doesn't
enter Macbeth until act 2, scene 1—and even fewer characters make their first entrance
alone. Richard, Duke of Gloucester—not-so-coincidentally another villain—enters alone in
act 1, scene 1 of Richard III.
Lady Macbeth enters the scene reading a letter from Macbeth about his meeting with the
three witches in which they prophesize that he "shalt be King hereafter!" After a brief
interruption by a messenger with information that King Duncan will soon arrive at her
castle, Lady Macbeth gives her most striking speech in the play. She calls on evil spirits to
remove her humanity from her so that she'll be able to murder Duncan without any pangs
of conscience or any sense of regret or remorse.
Shakespeare usually has highborn characters communicate with one another in verse,
rather than in prose, which Shakespeare assigns to lower-born characters. However,
Macbeth, a Scottish noble, writes his letter to Lady Macbeth in prose.
This give a sense of Macbeth's role in the play up to this point—that of a soldier, albeit a
general, in Duncan's army and therefore subservient to Duncan—and it shows a certain
sense of urgency on Macbeth's part in conveying the information about the witches to Lady
Macbeth as clearly and directly as possible. Macbeth writes in haste, and he's already on his
way back to Lady Macbeth at his castle. He simply doesn't have time to convey his thoughts
in proper, poetic, courtly form.
Lady Macbeth uses repetition to emphasize particular points in her speeches. Referring to
Macbeth, she considers the possibility of his reluctance to kill Duncan.
LADY MACBETH. What thou wouldst highly,
That wouldst thou holily; wouldst not play false,
And yet wouldst wrongly win.
(act 1, scene 5, lines 17–19)
For extra emphasis, Lady Macbeth contrasts "highly" with "holily," uses the
multiple alliteration within those two words, and also concludes the line with three-word
alliteration, "wouldst wrongly win."
Lady Macbeth implores the evil spirits to "make thick[her] blood," and she calls on elements
in nature, and the imagery they bring to mind, to hide her actions: "Come, thick night."
She instructs Macbeth "to beguile the time, / Look like the time," adding the assonance in
"beguile" and "like," the alliteration of "Look like," and a simile, "Look like the time," for
good measure.
LADY MACBETH. [L]ook like the innocent flower,
But be the serpent under't.
(act 1, scene 5, lines 70–71)
In this famous admonition to Macbeth, Shakespeare—through Lady Macbeth—
employs similes, metaphors,alliteration, imagery, symbolism, diction, and irony, all in just
two lines.
The first part of Lady Macbeth's instructions to Macbeth— "Look like the innocent flower"—
is a simile, as well as a metaphor of Macbeth as an "innocent flower." She repeats the
alliteration—"Look like"—that she used just two lines previous and adds the imagery of the
flower. Lady Macbeth wants Macbeth to appear as innocent and harmless as a flower to
Duncan and those around him so that no one suspects his intentions towards Duncan and
the throne.
The second half of Lady Macbeth's admonition to Macbeth is also a simile, a metaphor of
Macbeth as a "serpent," contains alliteration—"But be"—and adds the imagery of the
serpent. Shakespeare's diction, his word choice of "serpent" rather than "snake,"
emphasizes Macbeth's evil intentions.
With his use of "serpent," Shakespeare compares the symbolism of the common negative
perception of a serpent with the pure evil and treachery of the serpent in the biblical story
of Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eden.
The irony of these lines is that in instructing her husband to be a "snake in the grass" with
regard to Duncan and his aspiration to the throne of Scotland, it is actually Lady Macbeth
who takes the role of the serpent in the Garden of Eden, who tempts Macbeth not with
great knowledge but with great power.
The literary devices that William Shakespeare uses in Macbeth act 1, scene 5, include
metaphor, alliteration, and apostrophe. The combination of parallel structure and several
types of repetition is also effectively deployed.
Metaphor is direct comparison of two apparently unlike things for effect. Lady Macbeth
addresses her husband in absentia, describing his nature using a metaphor equating
kindness with milk: "It is too full o' the milk of human kindness."
Alliteration, the repetition of initial consonant sounds, appears in numerous places: "you
murdering ministers, / Wherever in your sightless substances."
When she summons up her courage and resolution to act boldly, she does so using by
calling upon the spirits and to the night using apostrophe—direct address to a person, thing,
or concept—"Come, you spirits/ That tend on mortal thoughts. . . . Come, thick night."
Parallel structure is the use of the same syntax or grammatical construction. Repetition of
the same word, one type of which is anaphora (or a phrase: an epimone), is used here.
These are combined in Lady Macbeth's exhortations to Macbeth about how to behave
("thou wouldst" or "thou wouldst not," "thou shouldst," and then contrasting "thou must"
with the rhyming "thou dost"):
. . . thou wouldst be great;
Art not without ambition, but without
The illness should attend it: what thou wouldst highly,
That wouldst thou holily; wouldst not play false,
And yet wouldst wrongly win: thou'ldst have, great Glamis,
That which cries 'Thus thou must do, if thou have it;
And that which rather thou dost fear to do
Than wishest should be undone.
In this scene, Shakespeare uses a number of metaphors and similes. For example, Lady
Macbeth says that she wants to "pour my spirits in thine ear," referring to her desire to fill
her husband with evil thoughts, comparing them to spirits. Later, she says to Macbeth,
"Your face, my thane, is as a book where men / May read strange matters." In this simile,
she compares Macbeth's face to a book in which people can plainly read that he has strange
thoughts. In other words, his face is far too open and can be read as easily as a book.
This scene also features personification. For example, Lady Macbeth says the following:
"Come, thick night,
And pall thee in the dunnest smoke of hell,
That my keen knife see not the wound it makes,
Nor heaven peep through the blanket of the dark
To cry 'Hold, hold!'"
In this passage, Lady Macbeth implores night to come to cloak her in smoke so that her
knife will not see the wound it causes and that the heavens will not tell her to stop her
murderous deeds. Both night and the heavens are personified, or made human.
There are also many examples of alliteration in this scene. For example, Lady Macbeth says,
"Give solely sovereign sway and masterdom." Alliteration involves the repetition of initial
sounds of words and makes the scene sound more poetic.
In Macbeth Act I, scene 5, Lady Macbeth greets her husband and receives his news that
Duncan is on his way to their castle.
Lady Macbeth uses a strong combination of figurative language to capture her emotional
response to her husband's news.
Personification
Lady Macbeth uses personification in referring to "the raven himself is hoarse that croaks
the fatal entrance of Duncan" (39-40). Besides giving the raven given human qualities, Lady
Macbeth also ascribes to him a prophetic voice; this type of bird was often thought to be a
harbinger of doom. She transfers her own feelings to the bird, such as her desire for
Duncan's death.
She employs personification again later in her speech with the wish that her "keen knife see
not the wound it makes" (51). Her thoughts are of murder. She gives human qualities to the
murder weapon, but she is really speaking to herself in an attempt to stay her resolve to
carry out the foul deed.
Metaphor
Lady Macbeth addresses her husband through the use of metaphor:
Your face, my Thane, is as a book where men
May read strange matters. (67-68)
As she greets her husband, she observes his expression, and compares the open honesty in
his face to reading an open book. Macbeth struggles to conceal his feelings. Lady Macbeth
feels she must correct this, especially with Duncan's impending arrival. She suggests, using
simile that Macbeth "look like th'innocent flower, but be the serpent under't" (64-65). Her
comparison suggests that Macbeth conceal his true purpose, like the serpent
(Biblical allusion), and have all the charm of the flower to his guest.
What are three ways the three witches deceive people in the play Macbeth?
In the opening of the play, it is not clear that the three witches are behaving entirely
malevolently in their prophecies to Macbeth and Banquo. However, their statement that
"fair is foul and foul is fair" alerts us as an audience that their words are likely to be
deceptive.
Later in the play, Hecate gets angry at the other witches for interacting
with Macbeth without her permission. Under her guidance, their intent becomes entirely
deceptive. Hecate wants them to lead Macbeth to destruction because she believes that
men like Macbeth do nothing to help witches.
Therefore, she sets up three misleading prophecies for the other witches to deliver, which
will give Macbeth false hope. The first is to "Beware Macduff." This leads Macbeth to kill
Macduff's family, which offers him no protection and only steels Macduff against him.
The second is that "none of woman born / Shall harm Macbeth." Macduff, born of a
Cesarean section, is technically not "of woman born," so he can kill Macbeth.
In the third prophecy, Macbeth is told that he cannot come to harm unless "Great Birnam
Wood to high Dunsinane Hill / Shall come against him." Malcolm's army uses branches from
Birnam Wood as a disguise as they march on Dunsinane Hill. Therefore, in a sense, Birnam
Wood does come to Dunsinane Hill.
In Act 1, scene 1, the Weird Sisters discuss their future meeting with Macbeth, saying, "Fair
is foul, and foul is fair" (1.1.12). What they mean is that good things are actually going to
look bad, and bad things are going to seem good. Therefore, when they tell Macbeth that
he is going to be king, it seems really good. However, it actually turns out to be quite bad
because it drives Macbeth to find a way to make it come true. Banquo hits the nail on the
head when he says that sometimes "to win us to our harm, / The instruments of darkness
tell us truths, / Win us with honest trifles, to betray ’s / In deepest consequence" (1.5.125129). In other words, the witches have told Macbeth one small truth -- that he will be
named Thane of Cawdor (which has actually already happened; Macbeth just doesn't know
it yet) in order to convince him to believe that the larger prediction is also true. In this way,
they can deceive and manipulate him.
Later, when the witches conjure three apparitions, knowing that Macbeth is returning to
them for information, two of the apparitions are absolutely deceptive. The second one
says, "Be bloody, bold, and resolute. Laugh to scorn / The power of man, for none of woman
born / Shall harm Macbeth" (4.1.81-83). This makes it sound as though Macbeth can never
be harmed by anyone because every person alive was born of a woman. He takes it as an
assurance when, really, it is just a craftily worded statement of fact.
Then, the third apparition says, "Macbeth shall never vanquished be until / Great Birnam
Wood to high Dunsinane Hill / Shall come against him" (4.1.96-98). Again, this statement is
designed to make Macbeth feel invincible because it seems impossible that the trees could
uproot themselves and move of their own volition to Macbeth's castle. Therefore, he takes
it as an assurance of safety when it is really just enigmatically worded. The sisters purposely
deceive him in order to get him to let down his guard.
What are 5 examples of anaphora throughout the play Macbeth?
The Weird Sisters also use anaphora, the repetition of words at the beginning of lines, in
their speeches. In fact, they begin the play with an example of anaphora:
First Witch: When shall we three meet again?
In thunder, lightning, or in rain?
Second Witch: When the hurly-burly's done,
When the battle's lost and won.
The anaphora created by the repetition of the word "when" on lines 1, 3, and 4, of act 1,
scene 1, helps to establish the rhythm of the sisters' speech. Unlike Macbeth, who speaks in
an iambic meter (where each metrical foot begins with an unaccented syllable and ends
with an accented syllable), the Weird Sisters speak in trochaic meter (where each metrical
foot begins with an accented syllable and ends with an unaccented syllable—essentially the
opposite of iambic). Because trochaic meters begin on an accented syllable, they often
seem more aggressive, more menacing and even otherworldly; all of these associations are
appropriate for the sisters. The "when" is always accented in the above, helping to establish
the rhythm of their speech and beginning to give clues as to their character.
Act 4, scene 1, also begins with the Weird Sisters and an example of anaphora:
First Witch: Thrice the brinded cat hath mewed.
Second Witch: Thrice, and once the hedge-pig whined.
The use of anaphora here accomplishes much the same as it did in the previous
example. There is a big difference between this and the way Macbeth and Lady
Macbeth speak. This new act opens with the Weird Sisters' characteristically menacing and
creepy speech patterns, which is especially appropriate considering that they are now
conjuring at their cauldron.
Anaphora is a rhetorical device that involves the repetition of words or phrases at the
beginning of sentences or clauses. Anaphora is used to stress or emphasize an idea.
Shakespeare uses anaphora in Macbethduring the conversation
between Malcolm and Macduff in Act IV, scene iii. Macduff is pleading with Malcolm to
return to Scotland to overthrow Macbeth and claim the throne. Macduff tries to explain the
extent of the suffering the people of Scotland are enduring. He is hoping to elicit some
sympathy from Malcolm. Notice the repition used when Macduff states, "...each new morn
new widows howl, new orphans cry, new sorrows strike heaven on the face." By repeating
the word "new," Macduff is emphasizing that each new days brings about new suffering to
make Malcolm see that the abuse from Macbeth is ongoing and must be stopped.
Malcolm, trying to discern if Macduff is sincere, likewise uses anaphora when explaining
why he is no better a candidate for king than is Macbeth. When he tells Macduff later in the
scene that "your wives, your daughters, your matrons and your maids" will not be safe from
his lust, he is trying to get an emotional response from Macduff to see if he can trust him.
Explore the idea that Macbeth is gradually losing control of himself. Refer to act 2, scene
1.
In act 2, scene 1, Macbeth proves that he is gradually losing control of himself by
hallucinating a bloody dagger while he wrestles with the task of killing Duncan. His mind is
playing tricks on him, and his emotions are manifesting as symbolic visions. His hallucination
shows how stressed and conflicted he is about committing murder.
In act 2, scene 1, Macbeth is preparing to kill King Duncan. The audience sees him wrestling
with complex emotions about his fate, so much so that he begins to hallucinate. Consider
what happens when Banquo leaves Macbeth alone. Macbeth asks himself,
Is this a dagger which I see before me,
The handle toward my hand...
A dagger of the mind, a false creation
Proceeding from the heat-oppressèd brain?
The phrase “a dagger of the mind” tells the audience that the dagger Macbeth thinks he
sees in front of him is imaginary. The phrase “heat-oppressed brain” emphasizes that
Macbeth is seeing this vision because he is wrestling with guilt and apprehension about the
murder he is about to commit.
Macbeth then begins to sees spots of blood appear on the imaginary blade. This detail
reveals that he is grappling with the understanding that killing Duncan will be violent. The
blood also represents the literal and figurative stains that Macbeth knows the murder will
cause. Even if the act is physically cleaned up, he knows that committing murder will leave a
permanent mark on his conscience. This idea is referenced again after the murder
when Lady Macbeth begins to hallucinate having blood on her hands.
At the end of the scene, Macbeth seems to still be conflicted about the weight of murder.
However, he recognizes that words do not have the same impact as actions. He also realizes
that the more he thinks through the consequences and the gravity of murder, the more
confused he gets about wanting to do it. Ultimately he hears the bell, and his determination
and ambition overpower him.
How does Lady Macbeth change from act 1, scene 5 to act 5, scene 1?
Between act 1, scene 5 and act 5, scene 1, Lady Macbeth has changed from the ruthless,
conniving conspirator in Duncan's murder to someone overwhelmed by guilt. These crimes
have gnawed at her, causing her to psychologically unravel by the end of the play.
In the beginning of Macbeth, Lady Macbeth is characterized as ruthless and conniving, not
balking at the thought of murdering Duncan if it will set her husband on the throne. Indeed,
she takes a key role in the planning of Duncan's death, and later, when Macbeth suffers
from an attack of conscience, she asserts herself, shaming and castigating her husband into
carrying through with the plot. When Macbeth brings the daggers back, unsettled after
murdering Duncan, it is Lady Macbeth who takes charge, planting the weapons to frame
others for the crime.
By act 5, scene 1, however, we observe the degree to which her previous actions have
gnawed at her, as she has become overcome by guilt. At this point in the play, she is
presented sleepwalking late at night, fixated on the crimes of her and her husband,
perceiving her hands as bloodstained, impossible to be cleaned. At the same time, it should
be noted, even in the earlier action of the play, Shakespeare effectively foreshadows her
later unraveling: in act 2, scene 2, amid Duncan's murder, she notes that she would have
done it herself, if only the king had not resembled her father as he slept. Even when she is at
her most ruthless, there are still hints of fragility underneath it, and that fragility will grow
over time as she is psychologically unraveled by guilt.
In Act 1, Scene 5, Lady Macbeth is confident, decisive, and ruthless. In this scene,
she receives the letter from Macbeth that acquaints her with the Weird Sisters' statements
that he would become Thane of Cawdor and king, as well as the fact that he was shortly
thereafter named Thane of Cawdor. After she reads his letter, she immediately resolves
that he shall be king: "Glamis, thou art, and Cawdor, and shalt be / What thou art promised"
(1.5.15-18). She initially worries that Macbeth's nature "is too full o' th' milk of human
kindness / To catch the nearest way" (1.5.17-18). In other words, she never doubts for a
moment that Macbeth will be king; she only worries that he may be too gentle to be willing
to kill Duncan in order to hurry the process along.
When she learns from a messenger that Duncan's retinue approaches, she calls his arrival at
her home his "fatal entrance," letting us know that she has already, even at this early stage,
conceived of a plan to have him killed so that Macbeth can take his place (1.5.46). She then
requests the assistance of those supernatural spirits that "That on mortal thoughts," saying
[...] unsex me here,
And fill me from the crown to the toe top-full
Of direst cruelty. Make thick my blood.
Stop up th' access and passage to remorse,
That no compunctious visitings of nature
Shake my fell purpose, nor keep peace between
Th' effect and it. (1.5.48-54)
Lady Macbeth wants any nurturing, compassionate impulse of hers to be removed so that
only her cruel and ruthless tendencies will remain. She wants to make sure that she will feel
no regret so that nothing in her womanly nature might dissuade her from the course of
action on which she has resolved. She requests that she be "unsex[ed]" so that she can be
more like a man (or the way in which she and her society conceive of men to be): hardhearted, implacable, and remorseless.
By Act 5, Scene 1, however, we see a very different Lady Macbeth. It is clear that her earlier
to become immune to "remorse" has not been granted. As she sleepwalks, she is
transported back in time to the night of Duncan's murder. She imagines that his blood is
still on her hands, crying, "Out, damn spot, out, I say!" (5.1.37). Though she said right after
the actual murder that "A little water clears us of this deed," it is clear that she no longer
believes it to be so easy to escape one's guilt (2.2.86). Even the doctor that her servant
brings to watch her recognizes that her "heart is sorely charged" (5.1.56-57). Lady Macbeth
clearly feels the heavy weight of self-reproach, and even the doctor knows he cannot help
her because her ailment is not a physical one, but an emotional/spiritual one.
In this scene, she recalls trying to force Macbeth to quickly move on from the guilt he felt
immediately after the murder, saying, "What's done cannot be undone. To bed, to bed, to
bed" (5.1.70-71). There was no point in regretting what they did then because there was
nothing they could have done to change it. By this time in the play, though, it is clear that
Lady Macbeth has not successfully managed to keep regret away, that her weaker (and, to
her, more feminine) impulses have overcome her desire to be ruthless, and her former
decisiveness -- and unwillingness to consider any other course of action -- can now be
blamed for her current, sad state.
It is notable, too, that in Act 1, Scene 5, Lady Macbeth speaks in blank verse (unrhymed
iambic pentameter). In Act 5, Scene 1, she speaks in prose. Often, in Shakespeare's plays,
when a noble character's speech changes from verse to prose, it is an indication that they
have "gone mad." Such an interpretation certainly seems to fit here given Lady Macbeth's
slipping grasp on reality and her later suicide. Thus, we can also read this change in the way
she speaks as further evidence of her character's transformation.
Why is there a rhymed couplet at the end of most of the scenes in Macbeth? In act 2,
what would be an example of this?
In addition to signaling that the scene is ending and that a new scene is about to begin
(since there were no curtains and no real sets to speak of—more modern ways of alerting
the audience that the scene is changing), the rhyming couplets at the end of the scenes in
Shakespeare's plays often sum up the scene or alert the audience as to what might be
coming next. For example, at the end of Act 1, scene 1, the Weird Sisters say,
Fair is foul, and foul is fair;
Hover through the fog and filthy air. (1.1.12-13)
This clues us in that they are up to something bad: they are going to make fair things seem
foul and foul things seem fair (or good seem bad and bad seem good); further, they plan to
"hover" nearby and, perhaps, wait to learn useful information. Their paradox helps us to
understand that they are tricky and deceptive and not to be trusted. Even the repeated "f"
sound in these lines (called alliteration) makes them sound breathy and snakelike and slick.
At the end of Act 1, scene 7, just after Macbeth has recommitted to the plan to
murder Duncan, he says,
Away, and mock the time with fairest show.
False face must hide what the false heart doth know. (1.7.94-95)
This couplet reinforces Macbeth's renewed promise to his wife regarding their terrible plot.
He is committed, now, to deceiving everyone into believing that he is still a good and loyal
servant of the king when really, his false face hides what is truly in his heart. Notice, too,
that he repeats the alliteration of the "f" sound that the Weird Sisters used previously; this
is a subtle indicator of his own commitment to deception and evil. As the final lines of the
scene, they have a moment longer to resonate with the audience and, perhaps,
subconsciously, allow audience members to note the connection.
Shakespeare's theater had no curtains to close or lights to dim as most modern theaters do
to indicate the end of a scene. His plays in the Globe were performed in daylight on a stage
that jutted out into the audience.
He used rhyming couplets to signal the end of a scene, and his audiences were remarkably
good listeners to hear the rhyme. The remainder of the play was typically written in blank
verse, which is unrhymed; as a result, the rhyme would be more apparent. Even so, we have
to admire the Elizabethans for their acute hearing and concentration.
At the end of Act 2, scene 3, Malcolm says to his brother:
But shift away: there's warrant in that theft
Which steals itself, when there's no mercy left.
The first words we hear from Macbeth are echoes of the witches’ last words in scene 1.
What significance is there in this coincidence?
At the end of act 1, scene 1, the Weird Sisters speak the words,
Fair is foul, and foul is fair;
Hover through the fog and filthy air (1.1.12-13).
This appears to mean that, from here on out, what seems good can actually be bad and
what seems bad can actually be good. In short, appearances can be deceiving (a major
theme of the play). When we first hear from Macbeth, he is on his way home from a terrible
double-battle against the forces of a Scottish rebel as well as the forces sent by the
Norwegian king. Macbeth says to his friend and comrade, Banquo, "So foul and fair a day I
have not seen" (1.3.39). This seems to refer to the battles. War is violent and foul,
but Duncan's army, led by Macbeth and Banquo, has claimed victory, and this makes the
day fair. It might seem foul because so many men have died, but loyalist forces have won.
Macbeth's repetition of the words "foul and fair" let the audience know, early on, that this is
going to be an important motif throughout the play and that we should listen carefully for
further references to it.
What are quotations proving that Macbeth is the victim of the three witches in Macbeth?
In Act 1, scene 1, the Weird Sisters plan to meet with Macbeth as he returns from battle,
and their last two lines are particularly troubling. They say,
Fair is foul, and foul is fair;
Hover through the fog and filthy air. (1.1.12-13)
It seems that they have some plan to make "foul" or bad things seem "fair" or good and to
make "fair" or good things seem "foul" or bad. This seems to imply that they intend to
deceive, and since they've been speaking of meeting Macbeth on the heath, we might infer
that they mean to deceive him specifically. Further, the fact that they are speaking of murky
and "filthy air" seems to have a likewise negative connotation. Happy, benevolent,
wholesome things are not described in such a way.
In Act 4, scene 1, Hecate commends the Weird Sisters for the pains they have taken to
prepare for Macbeth's visit. She says that "everyone shall share i' th' gains" (4.1.40). It is
strange to imagine what the sisters have to gain from their interactions with Macbeth, and I
cannot think of anything other than amusement at his own suffering and the suffering he
causes others. This interaction, at the least, proves that the sisters and Hecate have
prepared some kind of plan for Macbeth, and it certainly doesn't seem positive.
In the rest of the scene, the Weird Sisters seem to intentionally offer Macbeth
enigmatically-worded statements of destiny rather than the assurances of security that he
believes them to be. He believes it is impossible for a man who is not born of woman to
exist and impossible that a forest could move; their statements make him feel invulnerable,
which he is not.
A good place to look for lines which support Macbeth's being a victim of the three witches is
Act 3 Scene 5. In this scene, Hecate scolds the witches for telling Macbeth his fate. Hecate
calls Macbeth a "wayward son" which suggests that he is too easily swayed by his own
ambition and greed to make the right decisions regarding his future. Hecate tells the
witches that they have been "saucy and overbold" in their dealings with Macbeth and that
they must correct the situation. They all know that Macbeth plans to visit the witches for
another foretelling, and Hecate commands the witches to cast a spell. Since Hecate is
scolding the witches for their dealings with Macbeth, the reader assumes that Macbeth is
their victim.
What is the role of paradoxes in Macbeth? How do paradoxes develop a theme? Why are
the paradoxes important, and how do they help develop the plot?
Paradoxes play an important role in Macbeth because they underscore the theme that
leaving the moral path and entering into the world of paradox and deception leads to tragic
ends. The witches' paradoxical prophecies drive the plot by leading Macbeth to kill Duncan
and then, at the end, to falsely believe he can come out of battle with Macduff and Malcolm
alive and undefeated.
Paradoxes are important to Macbeth and the play opens with one in act 1, scene 1. Here the
witches say:
Fair is foul, and foul is fair
This becomes a controlling paradox in the play, calling into question what is fair (good) and
what is foul (evil). What seems fair—being king and queen of Scotland—turns out to be foul
for the Macbeths.
The witches enact the deceptive practices of evil, and their paradoxes show the confusion
that follows when people lose their moral roadmaps. This connects to a main theme of the
play, which is that doing evil deeds leads to evil ends. The Macbeths believe that taking a
shortcut to a throne they think has been promised to them through the witches' prophecy
will work out for them. Even Macbeth, who almost draws back as he foresees that
murdering Duncan will not be the end of the bloodshed, finally decides that the benefits of
becoming king will outweigh the downside of the evil way he obtained the throne.
However, this is not true, and once the Macbeths throw away their moral compass by killing
Duncan, they have no way forward but to trust in violence and the paradoxical words of the
witches.
Paradox helps drive the plot because not only the confusion of fair and foul lead Macbeth to
murder Duncan; near the end of the play, Macbeth, beset by an invading army and the fact
that his own unpopularity is driving away support, turns to the only place he knows for
answers: the witches. The witches answer his questions about his fate with statements that
seem reassuring. They tell him that he is safe from being hurt by anyone born of woman,
which gives him a sense of security about the coming battle with Macduff and Malcolm.
They also tell him he won't be defeated in battle until
Great Birnam Wood to high Dunsinane shall come.
These prophecies drive the plot forward by deceiving both the reader and Macbeth. These
statements turn out to be paradoxical. Macduff, being born by Caesarian section, is
considered not of woman born. He can and does kill Macbeth. Macbeth's army is defeated
because Malcolm's men disguise themselves with branches from Birnam Wood as they
march to Dunsinane.
In the end, Macbeth learns that he should have followed the security of the moral path
rather than heading out into world of paradox and deception.
A paradox is a statement that appears to be self-contradictory but includes a hidden truth.
In Shakespeare's Macbeth, the paradox of "fair is foul, and foul is fair" is a motif that runs
throughout the entire play and corresponds to specific situations and certain characters'
beliefs. Essentially, the paradox means that appearances can be deceiving and that people
can be easily misled by what they see and hear. There are numerous scenes in which
characters, specifically Macbeth, misinterpret prophecies and situations or purposely
deceive other characters. Initially, Macbeth is persuaded to kill King Duncan after listening
to the witches' first prophecy. Both Macbeth and his wife appear to be hospitable and
benevolent toward King Duncan even as they simultaneously plot his assassination. Even
the king is fooled by Lady Macbeth's hospitality; he believes that Macbeth's castle is a
positive, safe place to stay, but it is actually a dangerous environment. After Macbeth
murders King Duncan, he once again deceives others by pretending to be upset over
Duncan's death.
When Macbeth visits the witches for the second time in act four, scene one, they once again
mislead him into believing that their prophecies are favorable. Macbeth is fooled into
believing that he cannot be harmed and becomes overconfident in his ability to defend his
title as king. In act four, scene three, Malcolm also deceives Macduff into believing that he is
unfit to rule Scotland in order to test his loyalty. Later on, Macbeth realizes that the
prophecies the witches offered him are not favorable. Macbeth helplessly watches as
Malcolm's forces disguise themselves by using Birnam Wood to march toward Dunsinane,
and he also learns that Macduff was not born but was "untimely ripped" from his mother's
womb. Overall, the paradox "fair is foul, and foul is fair" correlates to the overall theme of
the play that appearances can be deceiving.
How did Macdonwald behave in battle in Macbeth by William Shakespeare?
Macdonwald is described by the injured Captain in Act I, scene 2, as being "merciless" in
battle and possessing all the villainies of nature that one would expect to find in a person
capable of the evil of rebellion against the throne. He must have been Nasty! He is slit up
the middle and beheaded by Macbeth. Once the rebels are thus defeated, the King of
Norway attacks, aided by the Scottish traitor, the Thane of Cawdor. The Thane of Cawdor
and Macdonwald are two seperate characters. Macbeth fought two separate armies just
before the play begins. Actually, he's still fighting the Norwegians at the play's opening.
Macdonwald was the leader of the rebels fighting against King Duncan's armies, and indeed
was slit down the middle and beheaded by Macbeth. He was not also the Thane of Cawdor.
Once Macbeth defeated Macdonwald, the Thane of Cawdor, in league with the king of
Norway, helped make it possible for Norway to invade Scotland, hoping to take advantage
of Macbeth's weary army, to defeat them. Cawdor was the traitor and the Thane Duncan
had trusted, and it is, of course, brilliantly ironic that the title is next bestowed upon
Macbeth, whom Duncan also trusts.
Macdonwald was a traitor to King Duncan and Scotland.
Macdonwald was the head of the opposing army Macbeth faced in the events that took
place right before the play.
The merciless Macdonwald—
Worthy to be a rebel, for to that
The multiplying villainies of nature
Do swarm upon him—from the western isles
Of kerns and gallowglasses is supplied… (Act 1, Scene 1)
Thane of Cawdor, Macdonwald is supposed to be an honorable gentleman. Instead, he
turns traitor and faces off against Macbeth. Macbeth is able to defeat him, and it is this
brave and honorable feat that earns Macbeth the title of Thane of Cawdor, replacing the
man he defeated.
Macdonwald does not give up easily. He is described as "merciless." He seems to continue
fighting even against Macbeth, his former countryman. This is why Macbeth “unseam'd him
from the nave to the chaps,” or basically sliced him down the middle.
The irony of Macbeth gaining his first title by way of killing a traitor is that Macbeth himself
becomes a traitor. With this act, he proved his loyalty to Duncan, but at the same time he is
soon scheming to replace Duncan because of the witches' prophecy that he will be
king. Macbeth's killing of Macdonwald is significant because it makes the first prophecy
come true, thus setting in motion the rest of the events of the play.
What is the purpose of a riddle in Macbeth?
The first riddle in Macbeth is found in Act 1, Scene 1. The witches meet and the discussion
foreshadows the upcoming events of the play.
Fair is foul, and foul is fair.
Hover through the fog and filthy air. (Act 1, Scene 1, p. 8)
The purpose of this riddle is to tell us that things are not what they seem in this play. Good
is bad, and bad is good. We cannot really know.
This idea of something being so and not so at the same time is repeated throughout. In Act
5, Macbeth is given several warnings that do not seem to make sense. The third apparition
is a child wearing a crown and carrying a small tree. The apparition has a strange message
for Macbeth.
Be lion-mettled, proud, and take no care
Who chafes, who frets, or where conspirers are:
Macbeth shall never vanquish’d be until
Great Birnam Wood to high Dunsinane Hill
Shall come against him. (Act 5, Scene 1, p. 60)
Like the other messages, this one is just plain odd. It seems to contradict itself. It tells
Macbeth that he is safe, and should be proud and not worry. But although it tells him he
won’t be vanquished first, it then tells him that when Birnam Wood comes to Dunsinane he
is doomed. Macbeth assumes he’s safe. After all, how can a forest move? The answer is
actually in the tree the child is holding. Malcolm has his soldiers cut down branches to hide
themselves.
Let every soldier hew him down a bough,
And bear't before him: thereby shall we shadow
The numbers of our host, and make discovery
Err in report of us. (Act 5, Scene 4, p. 83)
Malcolm’s trick is foreseen by the witches, and they warn Macbeth. It is a riddle though,
and he apparently cannot solve it. He assumes he is safe, and in his hubris does not take
precautions. The other riddles similarly predict doom for him and warn him where it’s
coming from.
The use of foreshadowing the future through the witches' riddles allows Shakespeare to
keep the melodramatic mood of the play. The viewer or reader knows that danger is
coming. Can the reader figure out the riddle? Macbeth does not seem to want to.
In Macbeth, what is the effect of the old man's remarks in act 2, scene 4?
Act 2, scene 4 of Macbeth takes place a couple of scenes after Macbeth has murdered
King Duncan. The conversation between the Old Man and Ross reveals how the world has
been reacting to Duncan's murder. It was a belief in Elizabethan England that all spheres of
the world were connected; if a disturbance occurred in one sphere, the other spheres would
react accordingly. Shakespeare illustrates this belief in Macbeth when he shows how the
natural world is thrown out of order by the unnatural death of Duncan. The Old Man's
remarks on the unnatural events in the world has the effect of adding to the dark,
supernatural mood of the play, as well as strongly suggesting that Macbeth's reign is
doomed.
The Old Man begins his remarks with this ominous set of lines:
I can remember the past seventy years pretty well, and in all that time I have seen dreadful
hours and strange things. But last night’s horrors make everything that came before seem
like a joke.
In all his life, he cannot remember a more horrific night than the one during which Duncan
was murdered. Even the things that passed in the "dreadful hours" before "seem like a joke"
compared to what they've just witnessed.
Next, the Old Man provides some more specific examples of "last night's horrors." He says,
"Last Tuesday a falcon was circling high in the sky, and it was caught and killed by an
ordinary owl that usually goes after mice." This, as the Old Man explicitly says in the lines
before, is an instance of the "unnatural" reactions to the unnatural murder of the king. The
falcon is a powerful bird, but this falcon was killed by "an ordinary owl." The natural order is
upset. Ross responds by saying that Duncan's normally "obedient" horses "broke out of
their stalls." What's more, the Old Man adds that "the horses ate each other." This is clearly
an example of how unnaturally the animal world is acting in the wake of Duncan's death.
The remarks add to the already foreboding mood of the play, which was set from act 1,
scene 1 with the appearance of the witches. The Old Man's remarks, along with Ross's
responses, further suggest that Macbeth's reign is doomed. This is not a promising way to
begin one's rule.
The Old Man and Ross discuss events in Act II scene 4 that have been happening since King
Duncan was killed. The Old Man says that he has not seen anything like recent events in his
70 years. For instance, the day is very dark as if it were night. Ross tells of an owl that ate a
falcon. Also, the Old Man recounts how King Duncan's horses ate each other while in a
frenzy. All of these events are symbolic representations of Duncan's murder. The owl, for
instance, typically hunts mice, not falcons. The fact that an owl attacked a falcon is
extraordinary because the falcon is a much more powerful bird. Symbolically, Macbeth (owl)
acted in the same way by attacking a more powerful person (falcon).
Also, when the men discuss the weather, Ross says, "Is't night's predominance, or the day's
shame, / That darkness does the face of earth entomb, / When living light should kiss it?"
Ross is asking if the day is dark because the light is ashamed to show itself or if it is because
darkness is too powerful that the light cannot show itself, referring back to Macbeth's evil
and dark actions. The Old Man responds "'Tis unnatural, / Even like the deed that's done."
The effect is to emphasize how Macbeth's and Lady Macbeth's actions have completely
undone the natural order of nature.
What purpose does act 4, scene 1 serve in the play Macbeth? What does it say about
Macbeth's character and the themes of the play?
This scene's purpose is to set Macbeth up to feel secure, believing that he will be safe no
matter what because of the apparitions' messages. He doesn't realize that feeling so secure
will actually make him more vulnerable. This develops the "fair is foul" motif and conveys
the idea that appearances can be deceiving. Despite his feeling of security, he decides to
murder Lady Macduff and her children, showing how cruel he has become.
In this scene, Macbeth demands that the Weird Sisters "answer [him]" (4.1.52). He wants to
know what is going to happen next. First, the Weird Sisters show him a series of three
apparitions that make him feel more secure because two of them seem to guarantee his
safety. The first apparition tells him to "Beware Macduff!" (4.1.81); it takes the shape of a
disembodied head wearing a helmet, as if ready for war. This makes sense later when
Macduff actually beheads Macbeth during a battle. The second apparition is a bloody child,
and it tells Macbeth that
none of woman born
Shall harm Macbeth (4.1.91-92).
This statement comes to fruition later when Macduff reveals that he was "untimely ripped"
from his mother's womb; in other words, he was delivered via Cesarean-section and was
not, strictly speaking, "born." This is also why the child is bloody, because its mother had to
be cut open.
The third apparition is a crowned child who holds a tree, and it tells Macbeth that
Macbeth shall never vanquished be until
Great Birnam Wood to high Dunsinane Hill
Shall come against him (4.1.105-107).
This crowned child is emblematic of Malcolm, Duncan's son and the rightful king, and its
message comes to fruition when he orders his army to hold boughs in front of them to hide
the size of their ranks.
This scene shows us, in part, how needlessly cruel Macbeth has become. Even though the
second and third apparitions encourage him to believe that he is essentially invulnerable, he
still decides to kill Macduff. Then, when he learns that Macduff has gone to England, he says
that he will attack Macduff's home and
give to th' edge o' th' sword
His wife, his babes, and all unfortunate souls
That trace him in his line (4.1.172-174).
There is no reason to kill a woman and her children other than just to be cruel.
In terms of theme, we see how the Weird Sisters deceive Macbeth here. They make him feel
as though he is going to by safe by offering enigmatically-worded statements of truth rather
than prophecies of his invulnerability, as he believes. This continues the "fair is foul and foul
is fair" motif begun in act 1, scene 1, which conveys the idea that things are not always as
they seem, or, put differently, appearances can be deceiving.
This act and scene introduces the witches, Hecate, the goddess of witches (a direct blessing
from Hell), shows the grubby nature of evil, and serves both to spur MacBeth on to his
murderous scheme to gain the throne of Scotland while simul- taneously prophesying his
doom in such a way as to allay his fears about the success of his plans, thus tempting him
on.
All the ingredients going into the nasty cauldron represent the lowest nature of villanous
behavior. At this point he is still a hero, however brutal. His temptation to murder Duncan
to gain the throne comes from many nasty tendencies which have accumulated during his
lifetime. He never once questions his own loyalty to king and throne, not to mention
Scotland, nor to betrayal of friends. If MacDuff stands in the way, MacDuff and his whole
family will be destroyed without a second thought. MacBeth reveals a basic cowardice in his
obvious satisfaction with the prophecy which he assumes fortells his avoiding all
consequences of his behavior. His satisfaction also reveals his overconfidence and
willingness to accept the witches' prophecy without question. Had he any wisdom, he would
have considered the source and examined the prophecy more closely.
In Act IV, Scene I, Macbeth seeks out the witches, unlike the first encounter, which
was initiated by the witches. This time he is determined to get answers from them
regarding his reign as king.
Macbeth is obsessed with keeping his crown. His personality has been dramatically altered
since the first prophecy was given to him, so now, crowned king, as the witches predicted,
Macbeth struggles with questions and threats that he perceives.
The main theme of the play, unchecked ambition and its consequences is fully expressed in
this scene, as Macbeth demands information about the future.
He is given information that makes him feel very over confident about his reign as king. This
is of course the intention of the witches, to fill Macbeth with such arrogance and confidence
that he will not see his doom coming.
After this scene, Macbeth is even more determined to protect his crown, even though he
feels disgusted when the witches show him the parade of eight kings followed by the ghost
of Banquo, which indicates that his heirs will command the throne for generations. It only
serves to heighten Macbeth's determination to murder anyone who appears to be a threat
to his crown.
After he receives the second prophecy, Macbeth's murderous behavior becomes irrational,
he sends killers to slaughter MacDuff's family, to strike at the absent Macduff.
Act 4, scene i is when Macbeth returns to the witches in order to demand more detailed
information about his own future. The purpose of this scene is to: 1) foreshadow; 2) build
suspense; and 3) demonstrate that Macbeth's ambition has become uncontrollable.
The predicition of the witches in Act I became true. Therefore, the audience (and
Macbeth) believe that these predictions will also come true. The apparitions
are foreshadowing what will happen as the rest of the play unfolds:
1) a man not of woman born will appear
2) Birnam Wood will come to Dunsinane
3) Banquo's sons will be king
However, because these messages are so cryptic - particularly the first 2 - the scene itself
creates more suspense. Macbeth proclaims to be put at ease by the impossibility of the
acts. "Sweet bodements, good!" He says after hearing the first two predictions. But the
sight of Banquo's descendants keeps the fear alive, and causes him to decide that
From this moment
The very firstlings of my heart shall be
The firstlings of my hand.
The first action is to seize Macduff's household, and the scene ends with that plan
announced.
Macbeth is spiraling out of control in this act. He has become so obsessed with power that
he is jumping to conclusions and acting without thinking. Power and ambition, which he
tried to ignore early on, have fully corrupted him at this point.
What is the impression of Macbeth and what do we learn about Duncan's character in Act
1, Scene 2?
In Act 1, Scene 2, the Captain who reports on the battle to Duncan calls Macbeth "brave"
and "Valor's minion" (1.2.18, 21). Despite the fact that the rebellion had fresh soldiers to
replace those who were injured or dead and that Macbeth and Banquo had been fighting
for so long, Macbeth remained steadfast and courageous, fighting until he slew the enemy.
In doing so, Macbeth "unseamed him from the nave to th' chops, / And fixed his head upon
[the] battlements" (1.2.24-25). He stuck his sword into Macdonwald's belly and jerked his
sword upward, cutting him open from stomach to chin, and then he decapitated him,
putting his head on a spike (as a warning to others). Thus, we learn that Macbeth is
incredibly brave, terribly determined, and ruthless when necessary.
About Duncan, we learn that he is a compassionate king and a fair ruler. He commends the
Captain for his service and bravery, saying that his words and wounds "smack of honor
both," and he orders that the Captain be cared for immediately (1.2.48). Next, Duncan gives
orders to execute the traitorous Thane of Cawdor and to give that title to Macbeth. Duncan
rewards those who are loyal to him, just as he punishes those who are not. In contrast,
when Macbeth becomes king, he keeps everything he can for himself, never rewarding
those who cleave to him but all too willing to punish those he believes work against him. His
tyranny is made starker by the contrast to Duncan's much fairer rule.
The scene, Act 1 Scene 2, is where we first learn about how brave and fierce Macbeth is. We
first learn of him as a loyal subject, tireless in battle, courageous, and vicious (he does, after
all, "unseam" a man from the navel to the "chaps"). We are told that even though the battle
seemed to be lost, Macbeth never surrendered, but instead, fought harder than ever to get
to the traitor and kill him. Here is the first reference to Macbeth not paying any mind to
fortune or fate--it says he was "disdaining fortune". What this means is that Macbeth is
already taking fate into his own hands. He is not the type of person to just give up and let
life unfold whatever way it wants to.
In this scene, we learn that Duncan is a generous king who repays loyal service with
honours. He is also a king who is not afraid to order a traitor put to death, so he is a capable
ruler. He gives Macbeth the Cawdor's title because Macbeth has served him well and made
money for his coffers in the process. Later on, we hear Duncan say something even more
revealing about his character. Speaking of the first Cawdor, he says "there's no art to find
the mind's construction in the face." This suggests he takes people as they appear to be on
the surface. He does not know how to tell if someone is actually his ally or not. This proves
to be part of the reason for his downfall.
Explain the quote "Glamis thou art, and Cawdor; and shalt be what thou art promised"
from Macbeth. How does it show Lady Macbeth's ambition?
This quote from act 1, scene 5 of Shakespeare's Macbeth shows Lady Macbeth's reaction to
a letter she received from Macbeth about his meeting with the three witches and their
prophecy to him. According to Shakespeare's source for Macbeth, Holinshed's Chronicles of
England, Scotland, and Ireland, Lady Macbeth had her own ambitions, and she was "burning
in unquenchable desire to bear the name of a Queene."
With the line "Glamis thou art, and Cawdor; and shalt be what thou art promised"
from William Shakespeare's Macbeth, Lady Macbeth reacts to a letter she's just received
from Macbeth. In the letter, Macbeth tells Lady Macbeth about his encounter with the
three witches, and he tells her about the prophecies that they've made to him. Macbeth
writes that one of the prophecies, that he would be thane of Cawdor, has already come true
and that the witches saluted him with "Hail, King that shalt be!" (act 1, scene 5, lines 8–9).
Macbeth's ambitions to be king have been rekindled by the prophecy, and he's already
thinking about how he can make the prophecy come true. Macbeth knows Lady Macbeth's
mind, and he knows that she shares his ambitions. Lady Macbeth's response to the letter,
"and shalt be what thou art promised," means that she fully intends to see that the
prophecy, "Hail, King that shalt be!" is fulfilled.
Because Macbeth is such a short play—the shortest of Shakespeare's tragedies—and the
plot moves very quickly, Shakespeare apparently decided not to spend any time on a
"backstory" that would explain Macbeth and Lady Macbeth's ambitions for Macbeth to be
king.
According to Raphael Holinshed's Chronicles of England, Scotland, and Ireland—a source
that Shakespeare used for many of his historical characters—when King MalcolmII of
Scotland died, Macbeth was one of the prime contenders for the throne because he was
descended from royalty, and he was an accomplished and respected military commander.
Macbeth was considered "somewhat cruel of nature" (Chronicles, 264), however, and he
was passed over in favor of Malcolm's son, Duncan—the King Duncan in
Shakespeare's Macbeth—because the people considered Duncan "soft and gentle of
nature" (Chronicles, 265) and preferred to make Duncan king instead of Macbeth. This
caused Macbeth to harbor considerable resentment against Duncan and increased
Macbeth's ambitions to be king.
In the Chronicles, Holinshed tells the story of the three witches and their prophecies and
how Macbeth came to be thane of Cawdor, in much the same way that Shakespeare tells
the same story in Macbeth.
There's one passage from this section of Holinshed's Chronicles which Shakespeare uses as
the basis of Lady Macbeth's character and which explains Lady Macbeth's powerful reaction
to Macbeth's letter, along with her unceasing efforts in act 1, scene 5 and act 1, scene 7 to
persuade Macbeth to murder Duncan:
The words of the three weird sisters also (of whom before ye have heard) greatly
encouraged him [Macbeth] hereunto, but specially his wifelay sore upon him to attempt the
thing, as she that was very ambitious, burning in unquenchable desire to bear the name of a
Queene.
Lady Macbeth speaks these lines in Act I after reading a message from her husband,
Macbeth. Earlier in Act I, Macbeth and his friend and fellow military leader, Banquo, come
across three witches out on the heath after a battle. The witches give both men prophecies;
Macbeth is told he will become Thane of Cawdor and King of Scotland. Minutes later, some
men sent by the current King, Duncan, inform Macbeth he has been named Thane of
Cawdor after the former thane was found to be a traitor (he will be executed and his
position reassigned by the monarch). Following this encounter, Macbeth sends a message
ahead to his wife back at their castle at Inverness, and in this note, he reveals the
prophecies to her. What we see in this quote is Lady Macbeth's immediate reaction to this
message.
Lady Macbeth first repeats information we already know: that Macbeth is now both Thane
of Glamis (his old title) and Thane of Cawdor (his new title). Lady Macbeth then states that
Macbeth "shalt be/ What thou art promised" (I.v.16-17). This means that Lady Macbeth
takes the prophecy at its word and implies that she is willing to do whatever it takes to
ensure that it does indeed come true. Lady Macbeth's choice of words here - "shalt be" -reflects her belief that either his position as king is guaranteed by fate/destiny or that it will
be because he, she, or both he and she will make it so. This hearkens back to a comment
Macbeth makes in Act I, scene iii, after hearing the prophecies: "the greatest is behind"
(I.iii.123). That statement indicates that Macbeth believes the prediction that he will be
"king hereafter" is actually true.
Lady Macbeth's comment in these lines indicates that she has ambition in the sense that she
wants her husband to be king and she wants to be queen. It is somewhat unclear what her
personal ambitions are, but it is clear that she wants her husband to be in power, and, of
course, she will benefit from that power, as well. Immediately after these lines, Lady
Macbeth continues her famous soliloquy, in which she reveals her fear that Macbeth is too
kind and too meek to actually go through with murdering the king in order to quickly ensure
his own rise to the throne. She also reveals more about her own ambition in the part of the
soliloquy where she laments that she is a woman and wishes to rid herself of her feminine
qualities so she could simply kill Duncan herself. This indicates that her ambition for power
is strong but she also is aware of the limitations placed on her by her gender. The only way
her own ambition can be satisfied is through Macbeth, so she must support his rise to
power to have access to her own.
What does the word "double" signify in Macbeth?
There are a number of words that appear obviously as motifs in Macbeth (blood, sleep,
etc.). The word "double" is also a motif, though it doesn't seem to get quite the amount of
attention that other, more concrete/tangible words get in analysis.
The word "double" appears in both literal and abstract form in the play. It appears literally
when the witchesdescribe their plans: "Double, double toil and trouble" (Act 1, Scene 1),
where they mean to literally double the trouble that is about to happen. First, they use the
word twice (doubling it); the punctuation of the sentence makes the word appear as a
repetitive device. Also, the witches are troublemakers, and they like to cause as much
difficulty for their targets as possible. By doubling, in this case, Macbeth's trouble, they get
to experience double the amount of glee at watching the consequences.
Another literal use is from the Captain as he describes the battle in Act 1, Scene 2. "As
cannons overcharged with double cracks / So they doubly redoubled strokes upon the foe."
This helps to show the force and height of the battle: the cannons were packed with double
the ammunition, and the soldiers "doubly redoubled," meaning they possibly quadrupled
their physical efforts (shots, stabs, etc.) on the opposition.
Beyond the literal meanings, the word "double" has an abstract meaning as well that
contributes to one of the main themes of Macbeth: the idea that things are not as they
seem to be. More specifically, the word suggests that, though Macbeth appears to act with
confidence, he actually spends the entire play becoming weaker and more dependent on
those around him.
"He's here in double trust," Macbeth says to describe King Duncan and his visit to Inverness
in Act 1, Scene 7. This shows that Macbeth is already feeling guilt, though his actions
suggest otherwise. It's impossible to "double trust"; either you trust someone, or you don't.
Though Macbeth tries to use the word, in this case, literally (Duncan sees Macbeth as both a
subject and as a host), the subtext suggests Macbeth is actually feeling twice the guilt over
what he is about to do.
This idea continues toward the conclusion of the play (Act 4, Scene 1) when Macbeth makes
the decision to kill MacDuff. "Then live, Macduff. What need I fear of thee? / But yet I’ll
make assurance double sure, / And take a bond of fate." There is no need to touch MacDuff;
he is not a threat to Macbeth's future. Yet, Macbeth is now mired in the witches' prophecies
so deeply, he's compelled by guilt and dependence on the witches' words to "make double
sure." (Again, like trust, one cannot be "double" sure; you're either sure, or you're not).
Though other words in Macbeth often receive more attention for their literal, concrete
qualities, the word "double" contributes significant meaning to the play; looking for
recurrences of this word can double the reader's enjoyment and understanding of the text.
In what ways does the natural world echo the chaos of the characters in Macbeth?
In Shakespeare's Macbeth, the disruption in the natural world that occurs throughout the
play echoes the chaos within and between the characters in the play. Macbethbegins with
"thunder and lightning," symbolically representing disorder and turmoil in nature, and the
play ends with Birnam Wood coming against Macbeth to defeat him and restore order to
the natural world.
The earliest printed edition of William Shakespeare's Macbeth, the 1623 First Folio, begins
with the stage direction "Thunder and Lightning. Enter Three Witches." Even before a word
is spoken in the play, Shakespeare establishes chaos in nature itself. "Thunder and lighting"
are natural phenomenon but are nevertheless considered disruptions in the natural world.
The "Three Witches" denote supernatural disruptions to the natural world which are
represented by the thunder and lightning.
The first lines of the play, spoken by a witch, reinforce this underlying theme of the play.
FIRST WITCH. When shall we three meet again?
In thunder, lightning, or in rain?
(act 1, scene 1, lines 1–2)
This same stage direction, "Thunder and Lightning. Enter Three Witches," appears in act 1,
scene 3, and thunder accompanies the witches on their other two entrances in the play, in
act 3, scene 5 and act 4, scene 1. Chaos and disruption follow the witches wherever they go.
At his first entrance in the play in act 1, scene 3, Macbethechoes one of the last lines in the
opening scene, "Fair is foul, and foul is fair" (act 1, scene 1, line 11).
MACBETH. So foul and fair a day I have not seen.
(act 1, scene 3, line 39)
Macbeth is instantly aligned with the chaos and disruption to the natural world that the
witches represent. After the witches make their prophecies to Macbeth and Banquo in that
scene, Macbeth and Banquo remark on the unnatural way the witches vanish from the
scene.
BANQUO. The earth hath bubbles as the water has,
And these are of them. Whither are they vanish'd?
MACBETH. Into the air, and what seem'd corporal melted
As breath into the wind.
(act 1, scene 3, lines 82–85)
After Macbeth kills King Duncan, Lennon remarks that "the night has been unruly ... Our
chimneys were blown down ... the earth was feverous and did shake" (act 2, scene 3).
To emphasize the disruption in nature and in the characters' lives, Shakespeare devotes the
first twenty lines of the next scene to descriptions of chaos in the natural world. The Old
Man remarks that in the seventy years of his life he's never seen anything like the "dreadful
and things strange" (act 2, scene 4) that occurred overnight and in the past few
days. Ross notes that even though it's daytime, "darkness does the face of earth entomb."
"'Tis unnatural," responds the Old Man. "A falcon ... Was by a mousing owl hawk'd at and
kill'd," he says, and Lennox adds that Duncan's horses "Turn'd wild ... as they would make /
War with mankind" (act 2, scene 4, lines 16, 20–21).
Near the end of the play, nature makes war with mankind, symbolically, and specifically
with Macbeth. One of the apparitions that the witches conjure up in act 4, scene 1 tells
Macbeth that he cannot be defeated "until / Great Birnam Wood to high Dunsinane Hill /
Shall come against him." Birnam Wood, with the help of soldiers carrying its branches, does,
indeed, come against Macbeth.
With Macbeth's death, Macduff proclaims "the time is free" (act 5, scene 8, line 64). Chaos,
in the person of Macbeth, is defeated, and order is restored in Scotland and in the natural
world.
What is Lady Macbeth's reaction to her husband's letter in act 1, scene 5?
Lady Macbeth's reaction to Macbeth's letter in act 1, scene 5 informing her of the
prophecies of the three witches is powerful in its presentation of Lady Macbeth's character,
profound in its implications, and dramatic in its effect. Lady Macbeth decides almost
immediately to help fulfill the prophecy by murdering King Duncan and putting Macbeth on
the throne.
In act 1, scene 5 of William Shakespeare's Macbeth, Lady Macbeth enters the play reading a
letter that Macbeth wrote to her regarding the prophecies of the three witches. Lady
Macbeth's response to Macbeth's letter is immediate, intense, and unequivocal.
LADY MACBETH. Glamis thou art, and Cawdor, and shalt be
What thou art promised.
By the time she finishes reading the letter, Lady Macbeth decides that Macbeth will be king
and as soon as possible.
Lady Macbeth is concerned, however, that Macbeth's own ambitions to be king aren't as
strong as her ambitions for him, and even if they are, that Macbeth will hesitate to take the
crown by whatever means necessary.
She fears that Macbeth's nature is "too full o’ the milk of human kindness" to do anything
that he might believe is unholy or "false." This echoes Macbeth's remark in act 1, scene 3,
that if fate wants him to be king, "why chance may crown me without my stir."
LADY MACBETH. Hie thee hither,
That I may pour my spirits in thine ear,
And chastise with the valor of my tongue
All that impedes thee from the golden round.
(act 1, scene 5, lines 22–25)
Lady Macbeth can't wait for Macbeth to get to his castle so that she can persuade him to act
decisively to fulfill the third prophecy, "Hail, King that shalt be!"
A messenger arrives with the news, saying, "The King comes here tonight." Lady Macbeth's
reaction—"Thou'rt mad to say it!"—can be interpreted in different ways. Some Shakespeare
scholars believe that Lady Macbeth can hardly believe the opportunity that fate places in
her hands, and she resolves to seize the moment.
Another interpretation is that Lady Macbeth's mind is running so far ahead of herself that
she believes that the messenger's reference to "the King" is to Macbeth. Then she realizes
that she's jumped ahead of the prophecy and might have revealed her evil intentions to the
messenger. She tries to temper her reaction and conceal her intentions by asking the
messenger, "Is not thy master [Macbeth] with him [King Duncan]?"
Lady Macbeth interprets the news of Duncan's arrival "under her battlements," therefore
under her control, as an omen. She realizes that she must steel herself mentally and
emotionally for what she believes needs to be done. She calls on spirits to rid her of her
humanity and fill her with the "direst cruelty."
It appears that Lady Macbeth intends to kill Duncan herself. She calls on the spirits to
darken the night so that not even heaven can interfere with her intentions by crying out,
"Hold, hold!"
By the time Macbeth arrives at his castle, Lady Macbeth has already decided on a course of
action.
MACBETH. My dearest love,
Duncan comes here tonight.
LADY MACBETH. And when goes hence?
MACBETH. Tomorrow, as he purposes.
LADY MACBETH. O, never
Shall sun that morrow see!
(act 1, scene 5, lines 61–66)
In Act I, Scene V, Lady Macbeth reads her husband's letter and immediately displays her
ambition and willingness to assist her husband in murdering King Duncan. After reading
Macbeth's letter, Lady Macbeth says that he will definitely become king but worries that he
will be too kind to follow through with such a brutal act. Lady Macbeth says,
"Yet do I fear thy nature; It is too full o' th' milk of human kindness To catch the nearest
way: thou wouldst be great, Art not without ambition, but without The illness should attend
it" (Shakespeare, 1.5.3-7).
After commenting on her husband's conscientious nature, Lady Macbeth urges him to hurry
home so that she can persuade him into committing regicide.
Lady Macbeth then learns that King Duncan will be arriving tonight and she gives her
famous soliloquy after the servant leaves her room. Throughout the soliloquy, Lady
Macbeth calls on wicked spirits to make her callous, brutal, and cruel. She begs to be void of
compassion and filled with a savage, murdering spirit. Her grotesque intentions are revealed
throughout her soliloquy as she is depicted as a corrupt, evil individual. Lady Macbeth hopes
to have the aggressive, vindictive personality of a man by begging the evil spirits to "unsex"
her and make her "milk for gall." Essentially, Lady Macbeth's response to her husband's
letter illustrates her ambitious nature and wicked influence.
In Act 1, Scene 5, Lady Macbeth reads Macbeth's letter about the prophecies of the three
witches. Look carefully at the two passages spoken by Lady Macbeth after reading the
letter. She expresses her true feelings about the prophecies in these passages.
In the first passage, she shows that she is immediately confident that these prophecies
should come true. However, she has doubts about her husband's ability to help the promise
of becoming king come true. She says,
"Yet do I fear thy nature;
It is too full o' the milk of human kindness
To catch the nearest way..."
Since Lady Macbeth fears that her husband will not be able to achieve greatness on his own,
she feels that she must prepare herself to assist him. In a well-known soliloquy, Lady
Macbeth says,
"Come, you spirits
That tend on mortal thoughts, unsex me here,
And fill me from the crown to the toe top-full
Of direst cruelty!"
When she says "unsex me", we can see that she feels that she must become less womanly
and more manly in order to be ruthlessly ambitious. This brings up the issue of gender
roles. Women seem to be associated with caring and nurturing while men are associated
with toughness and strength. Lady Macbeth's willing abandonment of all that is soft and
comforting in a woman has made her a symbol of feminine deception.