setting mood/ characters

Stage directions in italics. First

atmosphere
scene is ominous & foreboding
(evil mood). We are introduced
to the first characters of the
play, the three witches.

Witches are arranging to meet

again when the battle is over

They plan to meet in an open

field (wasteland/infertile soil)

They plan to meet with the main

character of the play, Macbeth.

The witches each have a familiar

(a spirit in the form of an
animal).

Graymalkin = grey cat

Paddock = toad
Harpier = owl

Theme: appearance versus

reality
What seems good & true is not
as it appears. It is foreboding
(feeling that something bad will
happen) & serves as a warning.
setting characters
New setting & characters

Duncan is the King of Scotland

Duncan’s son an heir to the throne

Captain, who bleeds from fighting

in the Rebel’s war, comes to report
the latest news to his King.

Not a character, only mentioned.

He is the leader of the rebel forces
fighting against Scotland.

Western Isles: Ireland & Hebrides

(islands near Scotland)
Kerns: footsoldiers
Galloglasses: elite warriors who
fought with battle-axes

Only mentions Macbeth, we still

haven’t been introduced to him. He
is a brave warrior.

Cut him open from the belly button

to the jaws
Scotland is fighting against
Norway. Sweno, is the King of
Norway. He wanted to invade
Scotland and was assisted by the
Thane of Cawdor, a Scottish
traitor.

Asking about Macbeth & Banquo.

Both loyal warriors.

Reports that they fought valiantly.

Thane: a man who held land

granted by the king. Often the chief
of a clan.

Ross & Angus come from Fife

(Macduff’s land) where a battle
against the Thane of Cawdor took
place.

Thane of Cawdor: Scottish traitor

(not named in the play)
 Duncan states he will no longer be
deceived by the Thane of Cawdor
as he is executed and his new title
will be given to Macbeth.

mood/
characters
atmosphere
setting
The witches are evil. The one cut off
a pilot’s thumb.

They sense that Macbeth is close.

Foul because of the weather.
Fair because they have won the war.

Also alludes to the witches chant in

scene 1.

Banquo describes the witches

appearance.

The witches give Macbeth his

prophecy.
1. He is the Thane of Glamis.
2. He will be Thane of Cawdor.
3. He will be King.

Banquo asks Macbeth why he seems

confused/worried by these revelations.

Banquo points out that witches have

given Macbeth a great prophecy.

Banquo asks the witches if they could

provide him with a prophecy as well. He
isn’t afraid unlike Macbeth.
The witches give Banquo his
prophecy.
1. He will have less than Macbeth.
2. He will not be as fortunate as
Macbeth.
3. He will be the father of future
Kings.

He can’t accept the news. Questions it.

He wants more answers from the
witches.

He is unaware of the traitors death

and that King Duncan has given him
the title of Thane of Cawdor.

This is known as ‘dramatic irony’;

that is when the audience knows
something before it is revealed to
the characters.

Also thinks the prophecies are

unbelievable.
Ross & Angus have come to tell
Macbeth that he is now the Thane of
Cawdor.

King Duncan has given this title to

Macbeth as a reward for defending
Scotland against the rebels.

Shocked by this news. What the witches

predicted happened.

He doesn’t understand how this is

possible since he still thinks that the
Thane of Cawdor is alive.

‘borrow’d robes’ → symbol

The treacherous Thane of Cawdor is to

be executed.
Talking to himself (whispering/in
thought). He states that the last
prophecy, the greatest one, still has to
come true.

Asks Banquo if he doesn’t want his

prophecies to happen.

Asks Banquo if he doesn’t want his

prophecies to happen.

‘Cannot be ill, cannot be good’ → fair

is foul, foul is fair theme

Why are these prophecies bad if they

have given me good fortune?

If good, then why do I think of

murdering King Duncan?

His thoughts are much more

dangerous than the present worries he
has over the propecies.

Points out that Macbeth is enchanted

by these prophecies.

Claims that he will allow fate to take its

course.
Points out that Macbeth is not used
to this new title. He has to break them
in.

‘garments’, ‘mould’ → symbol

What happens, happens.

He was distracted by his thoughts and

asks for forgiveness.

Tells Banquo to consider what they

have been told by the witches & that
they will discuss it again.
Asks if the Thane of Cawdor has been
executed yet.

Says that he spoke to someone who

saw him die & that he confessed to
treason.

His life was rehearsed as if he wanted

to throw his life away.
Cannot read a man’s mind by looking
at his face.

Appearance versus reality theme.

Foreshadowing of the rest of the play.
Duncan trusts too easily.

Duncan says to Macbeth that he

wishes he could compensate him with
more than a title.

Macbeth says that to serve King

Duncan is its own reward. It is his duty
to protect the King.

‘plant’ / ‘growth’ / ‘seed’ → symbol

Planted the seeds for a great future.

He is so happy that he announces his

son, Malcolm, will be his successor.
They will go to Macbeth’s castle
(Inverness) where they will host the
King.

He will notify Lady Macbeth to make

preparations for the King.

Upset about Malcom being next in

line to the thrown. Realises that he
will have to shape his own fate if he
wants to become King.

Says he needs to hide his desires →

appearance versus reality theme

Lady Macbeth reads the letter from

her husband. He tells her about the
prophecy from the witches.
Lady Macbeth reads the letter from
her husband. He tells her about the
prophecy from the witches.

You are thane of Glamis and Cawdor,

and you’re going to be king, just like
you were promised.

Worried that Macbeth is too kind and

will not have what it takes to seize the
crown. She says that he has ambition
but he is not ruthless.

If you want to be king you can’t expect

that without doing horrible things.

Come home quickly so that I can

persuade to take the crown.

Both fate and witchcraft want you to

be King.

Servant notifies Lady Macbeth that

Macbeth and Duncan is on the way.
 Duncan will die at this catle.

Asking the spirits to make her less of a

woman and more like a man. She wants
to be filled with deadly cruelty.

Make her blood thick, clog up her veins

so that she doesn’t feel remorse. She
doesn’t want any human compassion.

Make her mother’s milk poisionous.

Make the night dark with the smoke of

hell so that heaven can’t peep through
it.

Greets her husband and says that he

will soon be greater than both those
titles.

Asks when Duncan will leave.

That day will never come (he won’t live

to see the next day)

Tells Macbeth that his face can’t be an

open book for people to read. He
needs to hide his desires.

Appearance versus reality theme.

You should look like an innocent
flower, but be like the snake that
hides underneath the flower.

Appearance verus reality theme.

Be cheerful so as not to raise

suspicion.

The bird preparing the nest is an

inviting image → ‘nesting’
Dramatic irony → we know that
MCB & Lady MCB have plans to
murder Duncan but the characters
are unaware of this
Duncan says that the admiration
his subjects bring him is
inconvenient, but he still accepts it
as love. He feels like an
inconvenience for all the effort
they go through.

Lady MCB says that all that they do

is not enough in comparison to all
that Duncan does for the people of
Scotland.
MCB wishes for this murderous act to
be over and done with.
Refers to the murder/killing as ‘it’. This
shows us that he is hesitant/reluctant.

MCB wishes for this murderous act to

be over and done with.

Punishment will come for those who

commit murder. By committing
violent crimes we only teach other
people to commit violence, and the
violence of our students will come
back to plague us teachers.

The king trusts MCB in two ways.

1st → loyal warrior and his subject
2nd → host & guest

Both aspects offering security

Duncan doesn’t deserve this fate he is

a humble leader & awarded MCB
greatly. If he is murdered everyone will
mourn for him in great magnitude.

The only thing motivating me is

ambition, which makes people rush
ahead of themselves toward disaster.
She is upset that MCB left the
dinner. It looks suspicious.

Macbeth decides that they will not

go ahead with their plans to
murder King Duncan, based on all
the recognition he has received.

Insulting/manipulating MCB →
asks him whether he was in a state
of drunkenness before when he
agreed to murder Duncan.

Are you afraid to act the way you

desire?

Do you want the crown or do you

wish to remain a coward? Saying “I
can’t” after you say “I want to”

Macbeth says that he only does

what any other man would do. He
who dares to do more is not a man
at all.

If you weren’t a man, then what

kind of animal were you when you
first told me you wanted to do
this? When you dared to do it,
that’s when you were a man.
Find your courage and act on it then we
will not fail!

I’ll get his two servants so drunk that

their memory will go up in smoke.

We can lay all the blame on the drunken

servants.

Once we have covered the two servants

with blood, and used their daggers to
kill, won’t people believe that they were
the culprits?
They’ll be grieving loudly. They’ill
put on a show so as to deceive
everyone and be free of suspicion.

Be cheerful so as not to raise

suspicion.
 Three witches appear out of a storm. They make plans to meet after the
Scene 1
battle to confront Macbeth.

Macbeth and Banquo fought with great courage in recent battles. King
Scne 2 Duncan of Scotland receives a report that the traitorous Thane of Cawdor has
been defeated, and decides to give Cawdor's title to Macbeth.
The three witches prophesize that Macbeth will become Thane of Cawdor and
Scene 3 King of Scotland, and that Banquo will have sons who are kings. Shortly after,
Macbeth is indeed given the title Thane of Cawdor.
Duncan welcomes Macbeth and Banquo and tells them that he plans to make
Scene 4 Malcolm his heir to the throne. Macbeth realises he cannot become king as
long as Malcolm is around.
Lady Macbeth learns of the witches' prophecies, and she worries Macbeth
Scene 5 won't take the steps necessary to make himself king. Duncan is coming to
spend the night at the castle, so she plots Duncan's death.
Scene 6 Lady Macbeth welcomes Duncan to the castle.
Macbeth has second thoughts about murdering Duncan. Lady Macbeth berates
Scene 7 Macbeth for his cowardice, and convinces him to go through with the plan,
which is to frame Duncan's chamberlains for his murder.