1. Macbeth
Act One

2. Act One
Scene One
Setting: Deserted Heath
Three witches—Thunder and lightening foreshadow possibility of evil to come
Planning to meet again
Meet Macbeth—after the battle is lost and won
Paradox—FAIR IS FOUL AND FOUL IS FAIR—
#20Paradox lit terms booklet: A statement that while apparently self-contradictory is nonetheless essentially true.

3. Scene Two
A Camp Near Forres: King Duncan asks who the “bloody man”
Sergeant fought to free Malcolm
Sergeant tells his story:
Macbeth saves the day!! He fights valiantly, kills Macdonwald

4. “As sparrows eagles, or the hare the lion” Simile: comparing sparrows to Macbeth and eagle to Norwegians Banquo to the hare, lion Norwegians
Macbeth and Banquo essentially win the war for King Duncan and Scotland
Macbeth is going to get the title of THANE OF CAWDOR (he doesn’t yet know this)
Key themes: Fair is Foul
Nature and the supernatural

5. Scene Three
The witches meet Macbeth
The witches spend their time killing pigs and killing the husbands of chestnut eating women
Chops off a sailor’s thumb and carries it around in her pocket
HEAR A DRUM (WAR, END OF WAR, MARCHING, VICTORY, ROYALTY)—Macbeth enters at this point
Macbeth and Banquo meet the witches—WEIRD SISTERS=FATE

6. The Predictions
The witches give Macbeth and Banquo three predictions each:
Macbeth’s predictions:
Thane of Glamis (already that)
Thane of Cawdor
King of Scotland
Banquo’s predictions (riddle)
Lesser than Macbeth but greater
Not so happy yet much happier
Thou shalt get kings, though thou be none

7. Ross tells Macbeth that he is now Thane of Cawdor
Macbeth makes his first soliloquy of the play
SOLILOQUY (lit terms booklet) #34
A monologue or speech that reveals the innermost thoughts, feelings, and plans of the speaker. It is meant to be overheard by the audience only.
-Aside (only the audience hears)

8. #20 PARADOX: A statement that, while apparently contradictory, actually holds profound truth.
Line —Macbeth reflects on the situation “Cannot be ill, cannot be good…..”Line 143 “If chance will have me king, why chance may crown me”
It is key that Macbeth is NOT going to take action to become king—he’s worried, though, that such a prediction came from supernatural beings.

9. Macbeth Act One Scene 4
-Duncan’s castle
-Malcolm, Duncan’s son tells Duncan that the Thane of Cawdor has been killed
-Macbeth, Ross, Banquo and Angus enter
-Duncan thanks the men graciously for winning the battle
-Macbeth responds by saying that service and loyalty are payment enough
-metaphor—King Duncan regards his subjects as plants that he nourishes (line 27-33)

10. -Malcolm is named heir to the throne (named Prince of Cumberland)
-IMAGERY: associating Malcolm, Duncan, Banquo with stars and light (goodness)
-In this play, light and dark will be KEY images
-Line * Macbeth asks that his desires be hidden from others because they are black and evil (personification/metaphor)
-AMBITION (Macbeth’s ambition—not yet acting upon it)

11. Scene 5
-Lady Macbeth receives a letter from Macbeth—tells what has happened and about the witches (predictions about being king/Cawdor)
-L Macbeth says that Macbeth is “too full of the milk of human kindness” line * metaphor
-L. Macbeth (controlling) wants to influence Macbeth so that he becomes king
-L. Macbeth learns that Duncan is coming
-L. Macbeth “unsex me here!!!!!” * line 40—associates the masculine with power and control
-“Make thick my blood” = give me courage ling 42*
-Macbeth enters—L.Macbeth tells him to stop wearing his thoughts on his face *line 60-69* “Look like the innocent flower, but be the serpent under it” Be two-faced—evil inside, good outside. SIMILE

12. Scene Six
-Duncan arrives at Inverness
-L.Macbeth greets him, but Macbeth is absent

13. -Macbeth’s soliloquy line 1-27*
Scene Seven:
-Macbeth’s soliloquy line 1-27*
-Thinking about his options for becoming king
WHAT TO DO????
-Decides not to murder Duncan…until L. Macbeth starts talking to him…
-Macbeth acknowledges that King Duncan stays at his castle with DOUBLE TRUST (Duncan is a relation and Macbeth is his subject—plus Duncan is his guest)
- Decides not to murder Duncan
-L.Macbeth says that she would kill her own baby if Macbeth asked her to
—L. Macbeth manipulates Macbeth into killing Duncan
—they will frame Duncan’s own guards by killing the guards, using the guards swords to kill Duncan, then plant the swords back on the guards