Doe 1
Jane Doe
Ms. Reeve
English 12, Period __
18 October 2013
Act I , Sc I
The Scottish Play
Reaction/ Analysis / Connections
Synopsis: Three witches plan to meet Macbeth
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“Fair is Foul, and foul is fair. Hover
through the fog and filthy air” Witches:
pg. 255
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Act I, Sc 2 A camp
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“Doubtful it stood, As two spent
swimmers that do cling together And
choke their art.” Captain: Line 8-10, pg.
256
 “And Fortune, on his damned quarrel
smilng, Showed like a rebel’s whore”
Captain: line 14-15, pg. 256
 “For brave Macbeth…Disdaining
Fortune…Like a valor’s minion carved out
his passage.” Captain :Lines 16-19, pg.
256
 “O valiant cousin! Worthy gentleman”
King : line 24, pg. 256
 The Thane of Cawdor is found to be a
traitor and working with Norway himself.
Lines 50-55, pg. 257
 Macbeth beats the Thane and the king
stated to give Macbeth his title…“go
pronounce the present death [of the
Thane] And with his former title greet
Macbeth.”
Act I, Scene III A heath
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“Though his bark cannot be lost, Yet it
shall be tempest-tossed” First Witch:
Lines 24-25, pg. 258
“The weird sisters, hand in hand”
Witches: line 32, pg. 258
Witches hail Macbeth as King, Macbeth is
flustered. Lines 50- 51, pg. 260
“Lesser than Macbeth, and greater” Line
65, pg. 260
“Though shall get [beget] kings, though
thou be none.” Witches take about
This play probably was set up where it was thundering and
lightening. The elements foreshadow events in
Shakespeare’s time.
Shakespeare reminds us that the witches talk with double
talk and we may want to pay attention to this at a later
date.
Synopsis: Duncan, King of Scotland, hears an account of the success in battle of his
noblemen Macbeth and Banquo. Duncan orders the execution of the rebel Thane of
Cawdor and sends messengers to announce to Macbeth that he has been given Cawdor’s
title (FL Library 8).
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This simile compares two fighters to two weary, struggling
swimmers clinging to each other in exhaustion.
Fortune is personified as a prostitute, a woman who sells
her favors. Perhaps following Macdonwald.
Macbeth is described as a tremendously brave soldier.
Valor is personified as a person, perhaps of a woman and
Macbeth is in her favor.
Macbeth is a relative of the King.
Once the king sees that the Thane is a traitor, he gives the
Dukeship *Thane* to Macbeth.
By giving the title to Macbeth, the King has confirmed one
prediction of the witches.
Synopsis: The three witches greet Macbeth as “Thane of Glamis” (as he is), “Thane of
Cawdor”, and “King hereafter”. Then they promise Banquo that he will father kings, and
then they disappear. Almost as soon as they are gone, Ross and Angus arrive with news that
the King has named Macbeth “Thane of Cawdor.” Macbeth contemplates killing Duncan in
order to become “king hereafter” as the witches have called him (FL Library edition 12).
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This shows the witches power to be limited. They can
make a man’s life miserable, but his life remains his own. - Perhaps this helps answer the question that is man in
charge of his own destiny or fate.
Weird derives from the Old English word “wyrd”, meaning
“fate” or “destiny” – perhaps this means the witches are
able to show Macbeth his fate. He is aware of this and
becomes affected by the knowledge.
Macbeth seems to be a little overwhelmed with the idea
of being king, but the idea also intrigues him – showing
him to have
Doe 2
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Banquo: Line 67, pg 260
“If chance will have me king, why, chance
may crown me, Without my stir.” Line
144 page 262
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Act I, Scene IV, Forres, The Palace
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“There is no art to find the mind’s
construction in the face: He was a
gentleman on whom I built an absolute
trust.” King, lines 12-15, pg. 263
(aside) “Stars, hide your fires; let not light
see my black and deep desires: The eye
wink at the hand; yet let that be which
the eye fears, when it is done, to see.”
Macbeth, lines 50-54, pg. 264
Act I, Scene V, Inverness. Macbeth’s castle
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“Yet I do fear thy nature; It is too full
O’th’milk of human kindness to catch the
nearest way.” Lady M., lines 16-18,pg.
265
 Lines 40 – 54 pg. 266 Lady M. asks to
become a man, “unsex me here” so she
will have the heart to kill the king since
she thinks her husband will not be able
to.
 “Oh never Shall sun that morrow see!”
Lady M. referring to King Duncan, line 6061, pg. 266
 “look like th’ innocent flower, but be the
serpent under’t.” Lady M. , line 65-66, pg.
266
Act I, Scene VI, Before Macbeth’s castle
 “This castle hath a pleasant seat; the air
Nimbly and sweetly recommend itself
Unto our gentle senses.” King, lines 1-3,
pg. 266
 Lady Macbeth’s welcome
Banquo is under Macbeth but somehow he is greater… is
this a paradox? Just like when they say foul is fair and fair
is foul?
Banquo will not be king, but his lineage will be that of
kings…
Macbeth attributes his Thaneship to the witches, and says
that he will be king IF chance allows it – he will NOT have
to do anything to be king…. It will just happen!
Synopsis: King Duncan demands and receives assurances that the former thane of Cawdor
has been executed. When Macbeth, Banquo, Ross and Angus join Duncan, he offers thanks
to Macbeth and Banquo. He then announces his intention to have his son Malcom succeed
him as king and his plan to visit Macbeth at Inverness. Macbeth sets out ahead of him to
prepare for the royal visit. Now that Malcom has been named Duncan’s successor, Macbeth
is convinced that he can become king only by killing Duncan.
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Here is where fair is foul and foul is fair comes into play.
The traitor wore an honest face, but things are not always
what they seem. This is almost ironic as the king replaces
one traitor for another soon to be (Macbeth).
Macbeth reveals his truest reaction to news that Duncan is
naming Malcom heir. He now is in a panic and realizes
that Duncan must die in order for him to be king.
Synopsis: Lady Macbeth reads her husband’s letter about his meeting the witches. She
fears that Macbeth lacks the ruthlessness he needs to kill Duncan and fulfill the witches’
second prophecy (to become king). When she learns that Duncan is coming to visit, she calls
upon supernatural agents to fill her with cruelty. Macbeth arrives, and Lady Macbeth tells
him that she will take charge of the preparations for Duncan’s visit and for his murder.
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Lady M. is afraid that Macbeth is too kind and will not be
able to kill.
This scene addresses the idea that Lady M. questions her
husband’s manhood. She thinks he is a little weak. This
shows that she is the one who “wears the pants” in the
family.
We see Lady M’s plan to kill the king THAT night. He shall
never see tomorrow’s sun!
Macbeth is too transparent. He can’t lie. She tells him to
look that way but be evil inside… what is fair is foul…
Synopsis: Duncan and his attendants arrive at Inverness. Lady Macbeth welcomes them.
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Here, again, is the irony that the king sees Inverness as a
sweet, peaceful and pleasant place – which will be the
place of his death.
The Lady shows us through her political savvy that she
does indeed wear the pants in the family. Macbeth is no
where in this scene to welcome the king to their home.
Examining, Scene 4, lines 44-47 where Macbeth is short
with the king through his double entendre where
Macbeth is saying that he is delighted to go and tell his
Doe 3
wife that the King is coming to their home, but he really
means that he is excited to get him under his roof so he
can kill him and take his title just as the Weird Sisters had
said.
Act I, Scene VII, Macbeth’s castle
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“screw your courage to the sticking
place” line 60, pg 270
“False face must hide what the false heart
doth know.” Macbeth, line 82, pg. 270
Synopsis: Macbeth contemplates the reasons why it is a terrible thing to kill Duncan. Lady
Macbeth mocks his fears and offers a plan for Duncan’s murder, which Macbeth accepts.
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A metaphor: this line refers to the act of tuning a lute.
Tightening the screw until the string holds – she tells him to
gather his courage until he can proceed with the plan.
The idea of false face is that of being untrue – and he must hide
his feelings as the false heart , the untrue heart, is feeling. He
must watch his facial expressions to not give himself away.
Summary: Looking at the scenes above, tell us what just happened – IN YOUR OWN WORDS (make sure to explain
the main event of each scene):