Scene 1
The witches’ purpose is to create disturbances in nature and society
Note the foul weather, disorder, and violence
The speak of a battle that is in progress and they will meet with Macbeth when it is
over. The witches’ interest to tempt Macbeth show that they believe he can be
tempted (flaw in his character)
Graymalkin and Paddock= spirits or demons liking them to the devil
Fair is foul and foul is fair= the witches’ motto, The moral order is turned around.
Good is evil and evil is good
o Appearance vs Reality
o Disorder
o Supernatural
The witches command their motto to stay in the air even after they themselves have
disappeared.
Scene 2
Duncan is in his military camp about a day’s march from the battlefield
He is too old to fight and is eager for news from the battlefield
Wounded captain and the Thane of Ross bring news
The king of Norway has landed in the north-east of Scotland
The rebel Macdonwald and the secret traitor Cawdor assist him
Macbeth and Banquo fight against Macdonwald and Irish mercenaries (paid soldiers)
Macbeth (Ballona’s bridegroom) (a mighty, brave soldier) kills Macdonwald
The King of Norway sees his chance to attack
Macbeth and Banquo recognize their army, fight heroically, and defeat the
Norwegian army
The Norwegian king begs for peace
Scene 3
The witches’ power:
o They kill animals by putting spells on them
o They have power over the winds
o They can sail in sieves
o They can take the form of any animal (but without its tail)
They can make a person suffer cruelly. (The captain of the Tiger but as long as he
keeps his faith in God and does not give in to despair, the witches have no power
over him)
The witches cannot kill a person
Macbeth uses the words of the witches “So foul and fair a day I have not seen”
The day is foul because of the weather but fair because of his victory
o This suggests he is already under their spell
Banquo notices Macbeth reacts like a person with a guilty secret to the prophecy of
the witches
Scene 3
Capital treason: to think of acting, or plotting against the King
It seems likely that Macbeth has had such thoughts and discussed them with
somebody
Banquo has a clear conscience and does not fear the witches
Banquo warns Macbeth. Evil forces will try to capture your soul by telling you minor
truths to win your trust
o So, you will be tempted to commit acts that will damn you utterly
Banquo says to Ross and Angus that Macbeth is carried away by being made Thane
of Cawdor
Banquo knows the third prophecy has affected Macbeth deeply
Banquo intends to keep the meeting with the witches a secret. He is ready to protect
Macbeth
Macbeth says he is just lost in thought, but we know the achievement of his ambition
is based on deception and lies
Scene 4
Cawdor (the traitor) asked for Duncan’s forgiveness so he could de with a clear
conscience (not to pass the death penalty but for his own eternity)
“There’s no art to find the mind’s construction in the face”
o The deception of appearances (a key theme in the play)
o The power of evil to put on a mask of seeming good
Malcolm is given the title of Prince of Cumberland (he is to become king after
Duncan)
“The eye wink at the hand”- The eye should be closed for a second not to see
Macbeth’s hand striking the murderous blow
Macbeth realizes the horror of the crime he plans to commit
He would like to hide the deed from himself (tormenting conflict of good and evil in
him)
Banquo is praising Macbeth to Duncan
Banquo keeps quiet about the witches
Banquo should have warned Duncan that Macbeth is a potentially dangerous man
Scene 5
Lady Macbeth reacts to the letter without hesitation
The prophecy of the witches is a call to action according to Lady Macbeth. Macbeth
must murder Duncan and seize the throne
But Macbeth is “too full of the milk of human kindness”
He is ambitious but he has moral scruples which might make him indecisive
Lady Macbeth will overcome this and make Macbeth ruthless
“Thou art mad to say it”- Lady Macbeth means that Duncan’s visit is the perfect
opportunity to commit the murder. It seems too “mad” to be true (too perfect of an
opportunity)
The raven is croaking, foretelling the death of Duncan. (Lady Macbeth compares the
servant to the raven)
Lady Macbeth calls upon the evil spirits to help her in her wicked plans by
strengthening her determination to remove any human kindness from herself
Scene 6
Duncan and Banquo are excited about the pleasant atmosphere at Inverness
(Macbeth’s Castle)
Theme = Appearance vs reality
Duncan’s host and hostess are planning his murder (dramatic irony)
Duncan has ruled with love and trust and therefor he greets Lady Macbeth kindly
Kings spoke of themselves in the royal plural (using “we”)
Scene 7
Macbeth wishes the murder of Duncan could lead automatically to him becoming
king
Macbeth wishes that he could avoid what might happen to him in the next world
However, he realizes that the forces of justice and revenge also operate in this world
and that punishment follows a crime
Macbeth compares life to a sandbank in the huge sea of eternity: You experience
consequences in the eternal life of your actions in your current life
Macbeth imagines the news of the king’s murder being carried out to the people of
Scotland by pity
The imagery of pity makes people feel sadness and sympathy, something helpless,
innocent and in need of protection
Macbeth refers to his reputation as being a golden robe
He decides not to go on with the murder plan and then Lad Macbeth reminds him of
the other robe he dressed himself with the hope of becoming king
Lady Macbeth challenges Macbeth’s manhood and he becomes the heroic warrior
that did not have the courage to resist his wife
Lady Macbeth’s speech confirms that Macbeth had spoken to Lady Macbeth about
becoming king
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