Macbeth Act 1 By: Steven Duffy, Eric Bohn, Kelly Willner, Stephen Randle, Noah Habeeb

Summary Macbeth and Banquo (Scottish generals) fought against the invading Norwegian armies and rescued King Duncan’s son MacDonald The traitor Thane of Cawdor was executed and his title given to Macbeth. Macbeth and Banquo encounter the three witches in the forest; they tell him he’ll be Thane of Cawdor and eventually King.

Macbeth and Banquo appear before King Duncan. Duncan then visits Macbeth’s home. Macbeth tells his wife (Lady Macbeth) about the witches prophecy and the King’s arrival: she decides they must kill the king King Duncan arrives and the Macbeth’s talk about framing his servants as responsible for his death.

Themes The influence of others can lead one to perform actions previously unthinkable. Ambition leads to moral failure. Perception can alter reality.

Important Characters

Macbeth: The main character of the play and Act 1. Within the act we learn of his military skill, in that he has arrived back from war incredibly successful and honored by his king, implying his prowess as a warrior and strategist. However, once his wife enters we learn that he is less strong than this might suggest, and while he has an admirable skill-set he is more a follower than a leader. This becomes more and more obvious as he is effected by the idea the witches present and succumbs to the temptation his wife forces upon him. Although he has ideas and even decides not to kill Duncan late in the act, the will of others is what he goes by.

Act 1 Scene 4, Lines [Duncan speaking to Macbeth] O worthiest cousin, The sin of my ingratitude even now Was heavy on me. Thou art so far before That swiftest wing of recompense is slow To overtake thee. Would thou hadst less deserved, That the proportion both of thanks and payment Might have been mine! Only I have left to say, More is thy due than more than all can pay. MACBETH The service and the loyalty I owe In doing it pays itself. MACBETH Act 1 Scene 7, Lines I am settled, and bend up Each corporal agent to this terrible feat. Away, and mock the time with fairest show. False face must hide what the false heart doth know.

Banquo: Banquo acts as the foil to Macbeth, a man who has similar military strength and even given a fantastic fortune by the witches as well. He is presented as that alternative, if Macbeth had gone is own course and not been as heavily effected by others. In this act he gets the aforementioned prophecy that his children will be king, though he will not, a fate he accepts skeptically but excitedly. The fact that he does not act very heavily upon this new information, as opposed to Macbeth’s drastic action to ensure it, Banquo shines as that contrast. He is the more level-headed and pure of the two, marked especially when his death becomes part of the signifying factor later in the play that all has become chaos.

Act 1 Scene 4, Lines DUNCAN (to BANQUO) Noble Banquo, That hast no less deserved, nor must be known No less to have done so, let me infold thee And hold thee to my heart. BANQUO There, if I grow, The harvest is your own. Act 1 Scene 4, Lines DUNCAN True, worthy Banquo. He is full so valiant, And in his commendations I am fed; It is a banquet to me.—Let’s after him, Whose care is gone before to bid us welcome: It is a peerless kinsman.

Lady Macbeth: Lady Macbeth acts as temptation. Almost as another part of Macbeth, she latches on to the idea of the witches and forces him to kill Duncan to gain power. She lets herself become corrupt, and in fact begs to be, because she seeks power and this idea of Macbeth having great power consumes her. She ends up trying to transcend her gender and become the more manly of the two, empowering herself and her motives while attacking Macbeth’s own manhood, in order to convince him to follow through with the murder. Overall, she embodies the temptation and strive for power and respect presented to Macbeth with the witches prophecy, and her continued efforts only serve to stir that temptation to take the throne even more.

Act 1 Scene 5, Lines LADY MACBETH Glamis thou art, and Cawdor; and shalt be What thou art promised. Yet do I fear thy nature; It is too full o' th' milk of human kindness To catch the nearest way: thou wouldst be great, Art not without ambition, but without The illness should attend it. Scene 7, Lines LADY MACBETH What beast was ’t, then, That made you break this enterprise to me? When you durst do it, then you were a man;

The Witches: Essentially the fates: they present the idea to Macbeth and instigate the reasoning for the events that follow. They speak in rhyme and with more poetic elements than the other characters, making their language match the mystic elements they try to be. They appear in the act almost as though they are figments of Macbeth’s imagination in that sense, as symbols of his fate and mind rather than real people. Scene 3, Lines MACBETH Stay, you imperfect speakers, tell me more. By Sinel’s death I know I am thane of Glamis. But how of Cawdor? The thane of Cawdor lives, A prosperous gentleman, and to be king Stands not within the prospect of belief, No more than to be Cawdor. Say from whence You owe this strange intelligence, or why Upon this blasted heath you stop our way With such prophetic greeting. Speak, I charge you.

Scene 3, Lines BANQUO The earth hath bubbles, as the water has, And these are of them. Whither are they vanished? MACBETH Into the air, and what seemed corporal Melted, as breath into the wind. Would they had stayed. BANQUO Were such things here as we do speak about? Or have we eaten on the insane root That takes the reason prisoner?

Duncan: The King of Scotland at the time of Act 1. He acts as the status quo and embodiment of the “loyalty to state” theme. He is overly trustful of his men, referenced in his first appearance and the mention of the traitor, and the fact that he has no fear or paranoia of any sort in the Macbeth household. His traits as king are confirmed to be a good and strong force in the kingdom, heavily evidenced by his interactions with his fellow men and even Macbeth’s hesitance to follow through with the murder later in act. Overall his character and his rule as king serve as the contrast for later events, as once he is struck down chaos ensues until the end of the play.

Scene 4, Lines DUNCAN There’s no way to read a man’s mind by looking at his face. I trusted Cawdor completely. Scene 7, Lines MACBETH Besides, this Duncan Hath borne his faculties so meek, hath been So clear in his great office, that his virtues Will plead like angels, trumpet-tongued, against The deep damnation of his taking-off;

Imagery/Word Study

“Against the use of nature? Present fears Are less than horrible imaginings: My thought, whose murder yet is but fantastical, Shakes so my single state of man that function Is smother'd in surmise, and nothing is But what is not.”(Act 1, sc. 3, ln ) “The Prince of Cumberland! that is a step On which I must fall down, or else o'erleap, For in my way it lies. Stars, hide your fires; Let not light see my black and deep desires: The eye wink at the hand; yet let that be, Which the eye fears, when it is done, to see.”(Act 1, sc. 4, ln 55-60) “Only look up clear; To alter favour ever is to fear: Leave all the rest to me.”( Act 1, sc. 5, ln. 85) Fear

“Was the hope drunk Wherein you dress'd yourself? hath it slept since? And wakes it now, to look so green and pale At what it did so freely? From this time Such I account thy love. Art thou afeard To be the same in thine own act and valour As thou art in desire? Wouldst thou have that Which thou esteem'st the ornament of life, And live a coward in thine own esteem, Letting 'I dare not' wait upon 'I would,' Like the poor cat i' the adage?”(Act 1, sc. 7, ln ) “Only look up clear; To alter favour ever is to fear: Leave all the rest to me.”( Act 1, sc. 5, ln. 85)

“Cannot be ill, cannot be good: if ill, Why hath it given me earnest of success, Commencing in a truth? I am thane of Cawdor: If good, why do I yield to that suggestion Whose horrid image doth unfix my hair And make my seated heart knock at my ribs, Against the use of nature? Present fears Are less than horrible imaginings: My thought, whose murder yet is but fantastical, Shakes so my single state of man that function Is smother'd in surmise, and nothing is But what is not.”(Act 1, sc. 3, ln ) Heart

“Welcome hither: I have begun to plant thee, and will labour To make thee full of growing. Noble Banquo, That hast no less deserved, nor must be known No less to have done so, let me enfold thee And hold thee to my heart.”(Act 1, sc. 4, ln ) “I am settled, and bend up Each corporal agent to this terrible feat. Away, and mock the time with fairest show: False face must hide what the false heart doth know.” (Act 1, sc. 7, ln )

“We fail! But screw your courage to the sticking-place, And we'll not fail. When Duncan is asleep-- Whereto the rather shall his day's hard journey Soundly invite him--his two chamberlains Will I with wine and wassail so convince That memory, the warder of the brain, Shall be a fume, and the receipt of reason A limbeck only: when in swinish sleep Their drenched natures lie as in a death, What cannot you and I perform upon The unguarded Duncan? what not put upon His spongy officers, who shall bear the guilt Of our great quell?” (Act 1, sc. 7, ln ) Death/Dead

“No more that the Thane of Cawdor shall deceive Our bosom interest. Go, pronounce his present death, And with his former title meet Macbeth.”(Act 1, sc. 3, ln ) “Stay, you imperfect speakers, tell me more: By Sinel's death I know I am thane of Glamis; But how of Cawdor? the thane of Cawdor lives, A prosperous gentleman; and to be king Stands not within the prospect of belief, No more than to be Cawdor. Say from whence You owe this strange intelligence? or why Upon this blasted heath you stop our way With such prophetic greeting? Speak, I charge you.” (Act 1, sc. 3, ln )

Symbols and Motifs

Prophecies The simple prophecy given to MacBeth by the Weird Sisters (“Thou shalt get kings, though thou be none.”) sparks his ambition to become king. The prophecy serves as a motivation as well as a justification for MacBeth’s action. The Weird Sisters raise the question of whether MacBeth must take action to fulfill the prophecy or whether the prophecy will be fulfilled simply by fate. The prophecy of the Weird Sisters also evokes the idea of fantasy and reality. The witches simply fade into the air making Banquo wonder “Were such things here as we do speak about? Or have we eaten on the insane root which takes the reason prisoner?” Was the prophecy given by three witches or the voice inside MacBeth’s head?

Birds Lady MacBeth observes a raven on the battlements of the castle as King Duncan appears. She remarks that “The raven himself is hoarse That croaks the fatal entrance of Duncan.” The raven is an omen which foreshadows the demise of King Duncan King Duncan and Banquo looking upon the same battlements see a martlet (“sparrow”) instead. As Banquo observes “The temple-haunting martlet does approve, By his loved mansionry that the heaven’s breath Smells wooingly here.”

Weather When the Witches appear in Scene One and Scene Three “Thunder and lightning” sound, establishing the Weird Sisters as dark, mysterious, and evil. The Witches themselves are represented by Wind. “I’ll give thee a wind.” “I myself have all the other/and the very ports they blow/all the quarters that they know/ i the shipman’s card.” “Upon the slightest couriers of the air/shall blow the horrid deed in every eye/ that tears shall drown the wind.”

Important Speeches

Duality “Fair is foul, and foul is fair” (1.1.12) “So foul and fair a day I have not seen” (1.3.39) “Lesser than Macbeth and greater. Not so happy, yet happier. Thou shalt get kings, though thou be none. So all hail, Macbeth and Banquo” ( )

Fantasy v. Reality “Good sir, why do you start and seem to fear Things that sound so fair-I’ th’ name of truth, Are you fantastical...” ( ) “Into the air, and what seemed corporal melted, As breath into the wind. Would they had stayed!” ( )

“This supernatural soliciting Cannot be ill, cannot be good. If ill, Why hath it given me earnest of success Commencing in a truth? I am Thane of Cawdor If good, why do I yield to that suggestion Whose horrid image doth unfix my hair And make my seated heart knock at my ribs Against the use of nature? Present fears Are less than horrible imaginings. My thought, whose murder yet is but fantastical, Shakes so my single state of man That function is smothered in surmise, And nothing is but what is not.” ( )

“...Yet do I fear thy nature It is too full o’ th’ milk of human kindness To catch the nearest way. Thou wouldst be great Art not without ambition, but without The illness should attend it.” ( ) “The raven himself is hoarse That croaks the fatal entrance of Duncan Under my battlements. Come, you spirits That tend on mortal thoughts, unsex me here, And fill me from the crown to the toe top-full Of direst cruelty. Make thick my blood, Stop up th’access and passage to remorse, That no compunctious visitings of nature Shake my fell purpose, nor keep peace between Th’ effect and it. Come to my woman’s breasts, And take my milk for gall, you murd’ring ministers, Wherever in your sightless substances You wait on nature’s mischief. Come, thick night, And pall thee in the dunnest smoke of hell, That my keen knife see not the wound it makes, Nor heaven peep through the blanket of the dark, To cry ‘Hold, hold!’” ( ) Femininity

Consequences “If it were done when 'tis done, then 'twere well It were done quickly: if the assassination Could trammel up the consequence, and catch With his surcease success; that but this blow Might be the be-all and the end-all here, But here, upon this bank and shoal of time, We'ld jump the life to come. But in these cases We still have judgment here; that we but teach Bloody instructions, which, being taught, return To plague the inventor: this even-handed justice Commends the ingredients of our poison'd chalice To our own lips. He's here in double trust;

First, as I am his kinsman and his subject, Strong both against the deed; then, as his host, Who should against his murderer shut the door, Not bear the knife myself. Besides, this Duncan Hath borne his faculties so meek, hath been So clear in his great office, that his virtues Will plead like angels, trumpet-tongued, against The deep damnation of his taking-off; And pity, like a naked new-born babe, Striding the blast, or heaven's cherubim, horsed Upon the sightless couriers of the air, Shall blow the horrid deed in every eye, That tears shall drown the wind. I have no spur To prick the sides of my intent, but only Vaulting ambition, which o'erleaps itself And falls on the other.”( )