Macbeth - Act 1 & 2

Macbeth - Act 1 & 2

1. Act One

   • Scene 1 - Witches make a first prophecy - "fair is foul, and foul is fair"
     • Witches speak in only rhyming couplets
     • Themes - reality and appearance (nothing is as it seems)
   • Scene 2 - King Duncan hears reports of the battle
     • Shakespeare contrasts the eerie opening scenes from brutality
     • Duncan and the Captain describe Macbeth as "brave" and "valiant"
     • Theme - reality and appearance
     • Macbeth cuts of the traitors head which foreshadows his own death later on
   • Scene 3 - Wiches make 3 predictions
     • " so foul and fair a day I have not seen" - links to the witches prophecy
       • Banquo and Macbeth react differently to the predictions - banquo is suspicious and Macbeth is spellbound and is scared by the powerful ambition that the witches have awakened in him
   • Scene 4 - Macbeth is made Thane of Cawdor
     • Duncan uses an extended metaphor of plants eg. "plant thee" to show that he nurtures people who are loyal to him.
     • Theme - Kingship and reality and appearance
     • Macbeth is confused in this scene - "black and deep desires"
   • Scene 5 - Lady Macbeth decides Duncan must die
     • opens with LM reading a letter alone from Macbeth about the witches prophecies - audience hears her inner thoughts
     • She has no doubts about killing Duncan and sees that she'll have to force Macbeth to do it because he's "too full o'th' milk of human kindness"
     • LM soliloquy uses evil imagery - "smoke of hell" showing the evil
     • her speech links to the witches - she uses imperatives
   • Scene 6 - Duncan and the lords arrive at Macbeths castle
     • Duncan is grateful for his hospitality and everything M has done for him
     • LM appears to be the perfect hostess, Shakespeare contrasts this scene with the previous one to show how false LM is.
     • Dramatic irony is used all the way through this scene.
   • Scene 7 - Opens with Macbeths soliloquy and the Macbeths agree to kill Duncan
     • Gives a list of reason why he shouldn't kill Duncan
     • LM is forceful and bullie/persuades Macbeth too go through with the killing
       • She questions his masculinity, and says killing Duncan will be "so much more the man"
         • Double meaning - he'll be more of a man and he'll also be king
     • Rejects her femininity by telling Macbeth that shed kill her own child, trying to prove how remorseless and evil she is.

2. Act 2

   • Banquo and his son, Fleance, go for walk at night. Fleance is a reminder to the audience about the withes prophecy that Banquos sons will be kings
   • Scene 1 - the famous 'dagger' bit
   • there aren't any stars: "their candles are all out" - darkness symbolises the evil Macbeth are going to do.
   • Theme - the supernatural - he starts seeing visions of a dagger
   • Scene 2 - The deed is done
     • Turning point in the action - Macbeth commits his first murder
     • LM is waiting for Macbeth and she is startled by every noise. She couldn't kill Duncan because he reminded her of her father, suggesting she is not as merciless as she seems.
     • Murder takes place offstage - increasing the suspense making the audience imagine the killing
       • A lot of foreshadowing takes place in this scene
         • "Neptunes ocean" - will clean the blood off his hands, he feels guilty
           • Macbeth has "murdered sleep", sleep symbolises peace so it shows he wracked with guilt.
     • Stage directions add to the tension
   • Scene 3 - Duncan's body is discovered
     • Porters comic monologue relieves the tension, but also builds suspense
       • Macbeth confesses to killing Duncans servants out of rage, when LM hears this she faints
         • This could be to distract the other characters from Macbeths suspicious behaviour or may actually be horrified by Macbeths violence
     • Shakespeare uses dramatic irony to increase the audiences anticipation
     • Macduff finds Duncans body
     • Malcolm and Donaldbain run away making them look guilty and allows Macbeth to take the throne.
   • Scene 4 - Macbeth is about to be made king
     • A bridge between act 2 and act 3, to create a sense of fear and uncertainty
     • Strange events have happened since Duncans death to show how the natural order has been disrupted
       • Macduff tells Rosse that Macbeth will be king, Macduff isn't at the coronation suggesting he is suspicious of Macbeths and sets himself up as Macbeths main enemy.
       • Its dark during the day "dark night strangles the travelling lamp"
         • A falcon has been savagely killed by an owl - falcon symbolises Duncan and the owl is Macbeth
         • Horses eat each other which is unnatural