Macbeth: Themes, witches and Act One
Themes we will trace through the play:
a.
unnatural vs. natural
b. The Great Chain of Being, both on a earthly and cosmic level
c.
the role of women, especially Lady Macbeth & the Witches
d. appearance vs. reality
e.
Power & Justice
f.
Fate vs. Free Will
The Witches in Macbeth
1. Their role grew as play was revised:
a.
1606 edition has witches to influence plot and serve themes.
b. By 1614, songs from Thomas Middleton’s play The Witch had been added to the performance. These songs are only alluded to in the First
Folio edition of 1623 (see pages 113 and 121 of our edition to see what I mean. By 1664, some versions of the play had the entire songs
written out.
c.
Why augment the roles of the witches only a decade or so after it was written?
i. By 1610, witchcraft, magic, and the diabolical were good theatre business. Ben Jonson’s Masque of the Queens, from 1609,
focused on witch coven and inaugurated a decade of sorcery plays including The Tempest, The Alchemist, Dr. Faustus.
ii. King James dug witchcraft. He attended witch trials when he could and considered himself an expert on the theory and practice
of sorcery. He even wrote a book about the subject (Daemonology) in 1603. He reissued it three times!
iii. We need with fancy bells and whistles now, but this was not the case in Shakespeare’s time. The sisters’ mystification is built
into their appearances. They are women with a propensity for evil and an apparent masculinity.
Macbeth Act One Discussion
1. Why does the play need Act 1, scene 1? What is the image of womanhood presented by the witches?
2. Sequence of line to consider:
a.
1.5.15-33 (kindness?)
b. 1.5.45-61 (unsexing? night and darkness?) c.f., 1.4.55-60
c.
1.7.34-96 (manly? womanly? bring forth men children only?)
3. Act One tells us much about the kingdom under Duncan. What has his reign been like recently? How does the plot of the Macbeths fit into the recent
history of Scotland under Duncan? Why is this important to consider? How does Shakespeare present the history and behavior of the Scots with
regard to their kings throughout the play so far?
Macbeth: Themes, witches and Act One
Themes we will trace through the play:
g. unnatural vs. natural
h. The Great Chain of Being, both on a earthly and cosmic level
i.
the role of women, especially Lady Macbeth & the Witches
j.
appearance vs. reality
k. Power & Justice
l.
Fate vs. Free Will
The Witches in Macbeth
2. Their role grew as play was revised:
a.
1606 edition has witches to influence plot and serve themes.
b. By 1614, songs from Thomas Middleton’s play The Witch had been added to the performance. These songs are only alluded to in the First
Folio edition of 1623 (see pages 113 and 121 of our edition to see what I mean. By 1664, some versions of the play had the entire songs
written out.
c.
Why augment the roles of the witches only a decade or so after it was written?
i. By 1610, witchcraft, magic, and the diabolical were good theatre business. Ben Jonson’s Masque of the Queens, from 1609,
focused on witch coven and inaugurated a decade of sorcery plays including The Tempest, The Alchemist, Dr. Faustus.
ii. King James dug witchcraft. He attended witch trials when he could and considered himself an expert on the theory and practice
of sorcery. He even wrote a book about the subject (Daemonology) in 1603. He reissued it three times!
iii. We need with fancy bells and whistles now, but this was not the case in Shakespeare’s time. The sisters’ mystification is built
into their appearances. They are women with a propensity for evil and an apparent masculinity.
Macbeth Act One Discussion
4. Why does the play need Act 1, scene 1? What is the image of womanhood presented by the witches?
5. Sequence of line to consider:
a.
1.5.15-33 (kindness?)
b. 1.5.45-61 (unsexing? night and darkness?) c.f., 1.4.55-60
c.
1.7.34-96 (manly? womanly? bring forth men children only?)
6. Act One tells us much about the kingdom under Duncan. What has his reign been like recently? How does the plot of the Macbeths fit into the recent
history of Scotland under Duncan? Why is this important to consider? How does Shakespeare present the history and behavior of the Scots with
regard to their kings throughout the play so far?