Macbeth

The Tragedy of Macbeth

Scene notes

Act I Scene I

Setting: 11^th century Scotland. An open place. There is thunder and lightning.

Events: Three witches met and discussed that they will be meeting with Macbeth when the killing and the rain is done.

Quotes: "When the hurlyburly’s done, when the battle’s lost and won" (3,4).

"Fair is foul and foul is fair" (10).

Act I Scene II

Setting: An army camp near Forres, Scotland.

Events: The Thane of Cawdor loses his title because he turns on Scotland in the war. His title is given to Macbeth.

Quotes: "What he hath lost, noble Macbeth hath won" (67, King).

Act I Scene III

Setting: A heath near Forres.

Events: The witches share their predictions (toward Macbeth):

That Macbeth will be Thane of Glamis.

That Macbeth will be Thane of Cawdor.

That Macbeth will be king.

Predictions toward Banquo:

First witch: "You will be lesser than Macbeth and greater" (66).

(This predicts that Banquo’s future has "ups" and "downs.")

Second witch: "You will be not so fortunate, and much more fortunate" (67).

(This emphasizes what the first witch said).

Third witch: "You will give birth to kings, although you will never become one yourself" (68).

Banquo notices that Macbeth is uneasy about the predictions.

This is because Macbeth automatically thinks that he has to kill King Duncan to become king. (126-142)

Quotes: "So foul and fair a day I have not seen."

Act I Scene IV

Setting: Forres, the palace.

Events: Malcom, the king’s son, is named Prince of Cumberland. The king asks if the traitor, the Thane of Cawdor, was executed. He died and confessed his treason’s, begged forgiveness, and repented his sins.

Lines 48-54: Macbeth represents an obstruction, or hurdle that stands in the way of earning the king’s title.

King say’s about Macbeth:

"It [he] is a peerless kinsman" (58). Meaning he thinks Macbeth is a kinsman on his own rank.

Quotes: "the Prince of Cumberland; which honor must Not unaccompanied invest him only" (39,40).

Act I Scene V

Setting: Inverness, Macbeth’s castle.

Events:

Lady Macbeth reads a letter from Macbeth that explains how he met the witches and how they praised him as the Thane of Cawdor and then hailed him as king, to be.

Lady Macbeth doesn’t think Macbeth has the ruthlessness to kill Duncan- "Hurry up and come here so that I can pour my spirits into your ear" (23-27).

Lady Macbeth conjures evil spirits symbolized by the raven and the serpent.

She phrophecized that the king will arrive tonight, but will not see tomorrow.

Act I Scene VI

Setting: Before Macbeth’s castle.

Events:

The king arrives, admires the castle, and accepts Lady Macbeth’s hospitality.

N.B. Lady Macbeth’s change in character.

Act I Scene VII

Setting: A room near the banqueting hall of Macbeth’s castle.

Events:

Macbeth discusses why he should not kill the king (i.e. he is trusted by him, he is his kinsman, he earns awards.) But he also states his own flaw- AMBITION. "….but only/vaulting ambition which o’er leaps/itself and falls on the other side" (26-28).

Lady Macbeth talks to Macbeth into committing murder by tapping on his weakness of pride and ego….she reminds him that only a man would mention, then commit the deed….if he doesn’t do it, she will call him a coward.

The plan is to get the guards drunk and use their daggers to kill Duncan.

ACT II

Banquo and Fleance set the mood; eerie, evil, mysterious. Banquo tells Macbeth that he dreamt of the witches. Macbeth denies thinking about the witches.

Irony- Banquo speaks of loyalty, Macbeth goes on to Kill Duncan.

The dagger, to Macbeth, looked like an illusion. He saw drops of blood on it. The handle was pointed toward his hand and the blade toward Duncan’s room. This is ironic because MB is about to murder Duncan.

After Macbeth commits the murder, he is scared and regretful.

Lady Macbeth faints because she thinks MB has been discovered as Duncan’s murderer, or maybe perhaps she was scared she and MB would get caught or because of her own guilt.

Macbeth wishes he was dead because he now feels that there is no serious meaning to life. If he had not of murdered Duncan, he would have lived a happy life.

When Duncan’s sons learned of the murder, they decide to flee Scotland. Donalbain is off to Ireland, and Malcom is off to England.

ACT III

Banquo notes that all things predicted for MB have come true, but he thinks MB played a crooked hand to earn it.
Banquo also hopes he will be the founder of a royal line (just as the witches said).
MB is angry because he has killed Duncan to become king BUT his sons may not be kings according to the witches-his anger is directed at Banquo and his son.
MB convinces the murderers to kill Banquo because he sets him up as their enemy. (MB confesses his murder of Duncan to the murderers).
The murders kill Banquo and Fleance that night they return to the palace.
MB sees Banquo’s ghost and therefore is feeling guilty about the murder.
In the end, MB states that he would go and visit with the witches.

ACT IV

While with the witches MB sees 3 illusions:

A helmet head: "Beware Macduff."
A bloody child: "For none of women born/shall harm Macbeth"
A crowned child with a branch: "Macbeth shall never vanquished be until Great Birham Wood to high Dunsinane Hill Shall come against him (92-94).

The last vision is of 8 kings related to Banquo.
Later MB learns that Macduff has fled to England to meet with Malcolm.
Macbeth plans to kill Macduff’s family because Macduff was a traitor.

"Double, double, toil and trouble;

Fire burn and cauldron bubble."

BY THE END OF THE PLAY:

Lady MB has committed suicide.
Macduff and Malcolm lead army against MB who does try to fight BUT MB is killed by Macduff.
Malcolm is crowned King of Scotland.
Order is restored to Scotland, but the mood of mystery continues with uncertainty of Malcolm and Donalbain’s future.

IDENTIFY AND STATE THE SIGNIFICANCE OF:

Macbeth: At first a nobleman whose greatest flaw is AMBITION. He eventually becomes king. MB is the main character and the whole play is about him becoming king and his tragic flaw that brings him down in the end. He kills King Duncan to become the king and Banquo because of the witch’s predictions that his sons would be kings.

Banquo: A nobleman, and MB’s friend. He is important because the witches predicted his future as well as MB’s. He later becomes MB’s enemy à murdered.

King Duncan: King of Scotland. He admires MB for his brave battles, BUT MB kills him because of his ambition to be king. This action of murder triggers all other events in the play.

Fleance: Banquo’s son. MB wanted him dead because he was to be king (by the witches predictions).

Macduff: A nobleman. Once Duncan and Banquo were murdered, he fled to England to join Malcolm. He kills MB in the end because MB had his family killed.

Malcolm: Duncan’s son who was given the title Prince of Cumberland which guaranteed him the throne. He fled Scotland once his father was murdered. He led the army that attacked MB and in the end he regains the throne.

Lady Macbeth: Macbeth’s wife who is evil, selfish and ruling. She enticed MB to murder Duncan. She later commits suicide because she cannot handle the guilt.

Macbeth’s tragic flaw: AMBITION. He wanted to be king, and to achieve this, he thought that if he killed that king he could. He also killed others to achieve his goals. His ambition eventually lead to his death.

The mood of the play: The mood was dark, gloomy, eerie and suspenseful.

The dagger: The dagger is an illusion MB sees before he murders Duncan. It is ironic because the blade is pointing towards Duncan’s room and it looks just like his own dagger. He sees large drops of blood on the blade. It is a symbol of his state of mind- he is unsure of killing the king.