Macbeth

Macbeth

1. Act 1

   • Scene 1: the witches plan to meet Macbeth on the heath after the fighting has finished but before the sun sets.
     • Fair is foul, and foul is fair.
   • Scene 2: Macbeth and Banquo are fighting a norwegian invasion and a rebel army led my Macdonald. Duncan, the king of scotland is impressed with Macbeth's brave fighting and decides to make him Thane of Cawdor.
     • This is important because The thane of Cawdor was a traitor and this is foreshadowing what macbeth is to become.
   • Scene 3: Macbeth and Banquo meet the witches. The witches then predict that Macbeth will be made Thane of Cawdor and then King. They then predict that Banquo's decendandts will become kings too. Macbeth and Banquo meet Rosse and Angus who tell Macbeth that he has been given the tile Thane of Cawdor.
     • This makes Macbeth think that the witches were telling the truth and that he will become king. This helps his drive and ambition to become king, leading to the killing of duncan later on in the play.
   • Scene 4: King Duncan thanks Macbeth and Banquo for defeating the enemy armies. duncam makes Malcom heir to the throne. Macbeht considers murdering Duncan to make the second prophecy come true.
     • Duncan says that people may seem good and trustworthy but they might not be. This is ironic because he misjudges Macbeth
   • Scene 5: lady macbeth reads a letter from her husband telling her about the witches prophecies. she begins to plot King duncan's murder. Macbeth arrives and they decide to kill duncan that evening.
     • After Macbeth and lady Macbeth have spoken about the murder of Duncan that evening, Macbeth becomes less driven and motivated to kill duncan. This leads to lady macbeth blackmailing macbeth into killing the king.
       • I fear thy nature, it is too full o'th'milk of human kindness.
         • look like th'innocent flower, but be the serpent under't
   • Scene 6: King Duncan arrives at Macbeth's castle and is greeted with Macbeth and his wife. Macbeth and Lady Macbeth act politely towards Duncan to disguise the fact they plan to murder him
     • Lady Macbeth is flattering towards Duncan. this shows how false Lady Macbeth is and how deceitful she is.
     • Duncan says how pleasant and welcoming the castle is towards Banquo. This is ironic because the audience knows that the Macbeths are plotting to kill Duncan.
   • Scene 7: at first, Macbeth is against killing Duncan, he is unsure he'll get away with it and he knows that Duncan is a good man. Yet Lady Macbeth persuades Macbeth to go forward wit it to stage the scene
     • this even-handed justice commends th'ingredience of out poisoned chalice to our own lips.