Acciarino Teresa, Cancellieri Lorenzo, Fracaros Savario, Virgolin Marco
ACT 1
Act 1 has an introductory function, it
introduces characters and presents a
node of the play: the witches’ prediction
that will influence Macbeth’s actions
Characters
Features
Credits
ACT 1 - Characters
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Primary characters:
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Macbeth: the main character of the play, he is a proud and
brave noble, he has an ambitious and passionate nature
Banquo: according to the prophecy Loyal Macbeth’s mate
‘s son will become king
Duncan: King of Scotland relies on Macbeth and gives him
the Cawdor county
Lady Macbeth: very ambitious, she will influence
Macbeth’s behaviour considerably
The Three Witches: ghostly and supernatural characters,
they predict Macbeth and Banquo’s future but their
intentions are not clear
ACT 1 - Characters
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Secondary characters:
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Ross: Scottish Nobleman
Angus: Scottish Nobleman
Malcolm: King Duncan’s son
Donalbain: King Duncan’s son
Lennox: Scottish Nobleman
Macduff: Scottish Nobleman
ACT 1 - Characters
The Main Characters are King Duncan, Macbeth, Banquo, Lady Macbeth and
the 3 witches.
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The first one is the king of Scotland and is murdered by Macbeth
because he is what Macbeth wants to become.
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Macbeth must be considered a main character because he is the hero
and the protagonist of the tragedy. Further more he is presented as a
very proud nobleman fighting with all his strong enemies.
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Banquo is a brave nobleman too, moreover he is present on the moment
ot the prophecy and as the witches say, his son will become the king.
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Lady Macbeth plays a fundamental role because she reinforces
Macbeth’s ambitions and really wants to become someone. In Scene 5
Macbeth writes her a letter to look for her moral support because he
knows about her strong nature.
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The witches’ prophecy is the drop that has Macbeth’s most hidden
ambitions burst out.
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The three witches
Fair is foul, and foul is fair: Hover through the
fog and filthy air.
Where hast thou been, sister? Killing swine.
'Aroint thee, witch!' the rump-fed ronyon cries.
I'll give thee a wind. I myself have all the other,
And the very ports they blow,
I will drain him dry as hay:
Here I have a pilot's thumb, Wreck'd as
homeward he did come.
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?
you should be women, And yet your beards
forbid me to interpret That you are so.
All hail, Macbeth! hail to thee, thane of Glamis!
All hail, Macbeth, hail to thee, thane of
Cawdor! All hail, Macbeth, thou shalt be king
hereafter!
The three witches
The three witches have
something "more than human" in
them: they have special powers
on t nature. They often talk about
bad acts , and bad purposes for
the future: that's just to outline
their devilish bent. The language
they use is dirty and simple. The
fact that they greet Macbeth with
three different titles, suggests the
reader they represent the past,
the present and the future. What
you were, what you are and what
you COULD be.
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Macbeth
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; Which ne'er shook
hands, nor bade farewell to him, Till he
unseam'd him from the nave to the chaps,
And fix'd his head upon our battlements.
O valiant cousin! worthy gentleman!
Dismay'd not this Our captains, Macbeth and
Banquo? Yes; As sparrows eagles, or the
hare the lion.
And make my seated heart knock at my ribs,
Against the use of nature? Look, how our
partner's rapt.
If chance will have me king, why, chance may
crown me, Without my stir. Come what come
may, Time and the hour runs through the
roughest day.
Till then, enough. Come, friends.
Macbeth
The Prince of Cumberland! that is a step On which I must fall down, or else o'erleap, For
in my way it lies. 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.
I burned in desire to question them further 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.' Hie thee hither, That I may pour my spirits in thine ear; And chastise with the
valour of my tongue All that impedes thee from the golden round, Which fate and
metaphysical aid doth seem To have thee crown'd withal.
Only look up clear; To alter favour ever is to fear: Leave all the rest to me.
But here, upon this bank and shoal of time, We'ld jump the life to come. But in these
cases We still have judgment here; that we but teach Bloody instructions, which, being
taught, return To plague the inventor:
this Duncan Hath borne his faculties so meek, hath been So clear in his great office, that
his virtues Will plead like angels, trumpet-tongued, against The deep damnation of his
taking-off;
Macbeth
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Macbeth has the role of the brave hero who
with a sword in his hand can destroy an army
alone for his king.
Shakespeare hints at his wickedness telling
about such pitiless warrior. Macbeth doesn't
know fear and when the enemy is stronger,
the challenge gets more interesting. However
Shakespeare wants to preserve a human
side in him by referring to his body language.
He gets rapt in the desire of becoming king
The use of the verb "to burn“ explains the
intention to better express he is such a
passionate person. With the passing time
Macbeth starts taking out his dark side, he
plots. We also know that he believed in
angels, devil, superstitions and other things
related to religion.
King Duncan
God save the king!
No more that thane of Cawdor shall
deceive Our bosom interest: go
pronounce his present death, And
with his former title greet Macbeth.
There's no art To find the mind's
construction in the face: He was a
gentleman on whom I built An
absolute trust.
Noble Banquo, That hast no less
deserved, nor must be known No
less to have done so, let me enfold
thee And hold thee to my heart.
The negative figure of Macbeth is
enhanced by the good figure of
his victim. As a matter of fact the
king is a good character,
esteemed by his subjects and
knows the way to be equal and
right. He is a trusty person.
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Lady Macbeth
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!
make thick my blood;
Stop up the access and passage to remorse,
That no compunctious visitings of nature
Shake my fell purpose, nor keep peace
between The effect and it!
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!'
Only look up clear; To alter favour ever is to
fear: Leave all the rest to me.
I dare do all that may become a man; Who
dares do more is none.
then you were a man;
Lady Macbeth
Lady Macbeth is a very ambitious
person who doesn't mind killing
some innocents to earn the crown.
She is more decided in murdering
people than the same Macbeth and
she plots really cleverly. She
Plays also on Macbeth's selfesteem of man. She shows to know
Macbeth’s weak points.
In a medieval contest, where the
woman was seen like something
devilish and people were frightened
by her, there couldn't be a better
expressive character.
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Banquo
Good sir.
And say which
grain will grow and
which will not,
Speak then to me,
who neither beg
nor fear Your
favours nor your
hate.
What, can the
devil speak true?
He is a good subject of the
king and of his thane. He
believes in the supernatural
and he is curios enough to ask
about his future.
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Act 1 -Settings
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The scene of gloom and mystery dominates the opening of the play,
as a matter of fact a series of storms, supernatural figures and night
scenes help create the background of the tragedy.
The play starts with the three witches (Scene 1), in a desolate place
with thunder and lightning. The weather really reflects the mood of
the play. Whenever the witches are around it is rainy. So the
weather is connected to the witches’ appearance. However stage
directions have a very important role in the play because it
introduces the setting and creates the atmosphere of “the set of sun”
(night that is coming).
The health (medieval symbol of danger and fear) is near Forres.
Stage direction suggest “Thunder” a weather condition connected to
the witches appearing to Macbeth. In addition to this sounds
(“drum”) introduce a tense atmosphere where a fearful rhythm
reigns.
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Act 1 – Associations
Act 1 creates associations with the
following acts because it has an
introductory function and it is provides the
foundation of the play. It introduces the
characters and creates interest for what is
going to happen.
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Act 1 - Audience expectations
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At the beginning of the Act the audience
obviously expect characters to be
presented. In front of Act 1 a possible
audience’s reaction is to side against
Macbeth and most of all his wife,
because of their fool thirst of power.
It seems as if Shakespeare wanted to
create a connection between Macbeth,
his Lady and the protagonists of
Genesis: Eva pushes Adam towards sin,
the witches have the same role of the
bible snake and the apple is the title of
King.
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Macbeth Today
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Nowadays multinational
societies can be considered
sort of Macbeth’s desires’
satisfaction because they own
power gained to the detriment
of the poorest people, without
minding ethics.
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Act 1 – Features of the act
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Settings
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Associations
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Audience expectations
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Macbeth Today
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Credits
Workgroup Act 1:
Special Thanks to:
Mrs. Lea di Leo
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Acciarino Teresa
Cancellieri Lorenzo
Fracaros Savario
Virgolin Marco
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