Macbeth
Act 1:
Play moves to military camp; Scottish king Duncan hears that his generals;
Macbeth and Banquo have defeated two separate invading armies. Than they
meet the witches
Prophecies act 1:
Macbeth will become Thane of Cawdor
Macbeth will become king
Banquo’s descendants (kids) will become kings
They treat their prophecies sceptically until some of Duncan’s men come to
thank the two generals for their victories in battle and to tell Macbeth he has
indeed been named Thane of Cawdor, previous thane died. Macbeth thinks that
it may be possible that the witches’ prophecy (become King) might come true.
Macbeth writes about it to his wife.
People who lies very well includes always the truth a little, so that’s why Macbeth is
interested in the witches’ prophecies, but he is also careful.
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.
In scene 4, Macbeth says That is a step on which I must fall down, or
else o'erleap, for in my way it lies (p. 28). Why does he say this and what do
you think he means?
Once he learns that King Duncan has named Malcolm the Prince of
Cumberland and heir to the crown of Scotland, Macbeth isn't content to wait
around for "chance" to intervene. He decides that he must take action, or
"o'erleap" the obstacles in his path to the throne. By murder.
Describe Lady Macbeth’s character in keywords?
When we first see her, she is already plotting Duncan's murder, and she is
stronger, more ruthless, and more ambitious than her husband.
What does Lady Macbeth fear about Macbeth?
She fears that Macbeth lacks the ruthlessness he needs to kill Duncan and
fulfill the witches' second prophecy.
What considerations about killing Duncan go through Macbeth’s mind?
he hestitates to kill Duncan because he begins thinking about the fact that
Duncan has recently honored him by promoting him to the position of Thane of
Cawdor but then he believes he needs to kill Duncan because he sees the
King’s son, Malcolm, as a treat to the throne.
What plan does Lady Macbeth come up with at the end of Act I?
while Duncan sleeps, she will give his chamberlains wine to make them drunk,
and then she and Macbeth can slip in and murder Duncan. They will smear
the blood of Duncan on the sleeping chamberlains to cast the guilt upon them.
Describe how Macbeth and Banquo react after the witches’ prophecies.
(Are there any events that influence their opinions?)
Banquo laughs at the prophecies but Macbeth is excited, especially as soon
after their meeting with the witches Macbeth is made Thane of Cawdor by
King Duncan, in return for his bravery in the battle. He writes to his wife, Lady
Macbeth, who is as excited as he is.
In scene iv, lines 34 – 53, Duncan names his son “The Prince
of Cumberland.” What consequences does this have for Macbeth and how
does he react to this?
, When Duncan declares his son Malcolm his heir and successor to his throne,
Macbeth reacts with resentment towards Malcolm, and Macbeth succumbs to
his ambition to be king, which was first aroused by the witches who
prophecized to him that "thou shalt be King hereafter!" Macbeth tells the stars
to "hide your fires" so that they won't be able to see what he does in order to
pursue his ambition to be king.
Act 2
Lady Macbeth desires the kingship for Macbeth and wants him to murder
Duncan. When Macbeth arrives at Inverness, she overrides all of the husband’s
objections and persuades him to kill the king that night. They plan to get
Duncan’s two chamberlains drunk, black out; the next morning they will blame
the murder on the chamberlains, who will be defenseless because they will
remember nothing. Macbeth kills Duncan in his sleep, despite his doubts and a
number of supernatural portents; vision of a bloody dagger. When Duncan’s
death is discovered the next morning, Macbeth kills the chamberlains ‘out of
rage at their crime’; he becomes king. Duncan’s sons (Malcolm and Donalbain)
flee to England and Ireland because they fear that whoever killed Duncan
desires their demise as well.
2 examples Macbeth the liar:
1) he says that Banquo is a friend. 2) he says that he didn’t think about the
witches
the meaning/importance of ‘the dragger speech’
Macbeth has a vision of a bloody dragger that seems to be pointing in the
direction of Duncan’s room. He sees this as a confirmation of the murder he is
about to commit
two reasons why Lady Macbeth can’t kill Duncan
1) he looks like her father who died. 2) she is a women and killing someone is
not what a women does.
the difference between Macbeth and Lady Macbeth’s reactions after the mu
rder
Macbeth is troubled by what he
has just done and doesn’t dare to think about it. Lady Macbeth thinks he is
a coward and deals with the servants’ daggers. And
Macbeth thinks that there isn’t enough water in the world to wash the blood off
his hands, while Lady
Macbeth feels that a little water will be enough to clean their hands.
Blood symbolizes guilt.
how does Macbeth react after the dead of Duncan
Following Duncan's murder, Macbeth becomes overwhelmed with guilt and
anxiety. Macbeth immediately begins to experience auditory hallucinations
following the murder and has difficulty concealing his emotions.
what does Macbeth hear after killing Duncan?
Macbeth hears the guards praying and a voice saying " sleep no
more, Macbeth murders sleep.
Reactions after Duncan’s dead:
Macbeth: drama; ‘the king is dead, there’s nothing left worth living for’.
Macbeth also killed the guards because according to him, his emotions took
over when he saw Duncan’s dead body and the guard covered in blood.
Lady Macbeth: she expresses her horror that this murder has happened in
