Why is act 1 scene 3 important to our understanding of Macbeth?

Stephen Graham 10E

Act 1 scene 3 of Macbeth gives us understanding of the play and insight into the plot.

The play starts with three witches talking together in a heath. This bad weather echoes act 1 scene 1 were the witches say ‘in thunder lightning or rain.’ It is this inclement weather which helps to set the tone for the play. The audience understands the play will be a tragedy and they can tell this because of macrocosm and microcosm. This means they understand something bad will happen because of the bad weather. The witches at the start of the scene are talking amongst themselves, plotting to avenge on a woman. We really see how evil these witches are when they discuss a plan to take revenge on a person, which also gives us an insight into how they manage to corrupt Macbeth later in the play. The first witch says ‘But in a sieve I’ll thither sail, and like a rat without a tail, I’ll do, I’ll do and I’ll do.’ The simile, ‘like a rat without a tail’ shows what the witch will transform into and because a rat is an unpleasant creature the witch is thought of as unpleasant. This shows the time of the play as witches were seen not to have enough power to fully transform therefore the animals they transformed into had missing body parts, like a tail. The witches then go on to plot and scheme some more, describing the evil deeds they will take part in. The witches create an atmosphere for when Macbeth comes and the audience builds expectations for the play.

In Shakespeare’s time people were very superstitious and believed in witchcraft. King James 1 believed strongly in witches and witchcraft so Shakespeare included the three witches to his favour. The audience also would have been excited at the prospect of witches, as it was an issue of the time.

Shakespeare incorporates stage direction in this play through the character’s speech. The third witch says ‘ A drum, a drum, Macbeth doth come!’ This indicates the arrival of Macbeth. The weird sisters then begin to chant a charm. The most important part of this spell, cleverly included by Shakespeare is when it says ‘Thrice to thine, and thrice to mine, and thrice again to make up nine. Peace, the charm’s wound up.’ This form of verse is like tetrametre and emphasises the impact of the spell. There are no other characters in the scene that talk in verse like the witches. This spell the three witches have chanted includes the number three, three times as in Shakespeare’s time 3 was seen as a magical number which supports the views of the time. This gives us insight into the magic behind the corruption of Macbeth.

As Macbeth enters he says ‘So foul and fair a day I have not seen.’ This is the first time we see Macbeth in the play and what he says is a method Shakespeare uses to set the scene and include description in the play. It also links the witches to Macbeth, as the belief of the time was that events in nature reflected events on earth and the witches said in act 1 that ‘in thunder, lightening or rain’ they would meet Macbeth. Macbeth’s companion Banquo realises the witches have appeared. He says ‘What are ...

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As Macbeth enters he says ‘So foul and fair a day I have not seen.’ This is the first time we see Macbeth in the play and what he says is a method Shakespeare uses to set the scene and include description in the play. It also links the witches to Macbeth, as the belief of the time was that events in nature reflected events on earth and the witches said in act 1 that ‘in thunder, lightening or rain’ they would meet Macbeth. Macbeth’s companion Banquo realises the witches have appeared. He says ‘What are these so withered, and so wild in their attire, that look not like Th’ inhabitants o’ th’ earth, and yet are on’t.’ This imagery paints a picture of the witches, and we imagine them as disgusting, vile creatures. Banquos comments on the witches suggest the unknown, he says things like ‘What are these? Live you or are you dead? Man may question? Should be women? Are you?’ The keywords such as ‘Withered and wild’ and ‘are you dead’ add to the expectancy of the audience and their understanding of the witches. Nowadays witches are not taken very seriously, so Shakespeare did a good job as even today the witches are taken seriously in the play.

The witches make their prophecies. The first witch says ‘All hail Macbeth, hail to thee thane of Glamis. The second witch says ‘All hail Macbeth, hail to thee thane of Cawdor.’ The third witch says ‘All hail Macbeth, that shalt be king hereafter.’ This repetition is effective to the mystery behind the witches as they say this almost like another spell. These magical powers to see into the future add to the views on witches in Shakespeare’s time. King James will have enjoyed this and that is why Shakespeare included it. Macbeth is immediately stunned and when Banquo asks the question ‘ Good sir why do you start, and seem to fear?’ Which is also a stage direction, we ask ourselves the question ‘Have the witches struck a cord in Macbeth? We know from the real Macbeth of Scotland the he was entitled to the thrown. Had Macbeth had thoughts of being king, murdering the king?’ Macbeth thinks to himself. This is a main point in the scene to our understanding of the play as maybe Macbeth had these thoughts of being King but blocked them from his mind, but now the witches have foretold it Macbeth might come to accept it and make plans to kill the king. This gives us a great understanding of the play and what is going to happen.

Macbeth and Banquo’s reactions to the witches differ quite a lot. They both seem suprised but Macbeth ‘seems to fear’ the predictions of the witches whereas Banquo greets them and is happy to hear them. He says ‘You greet with present grace and great prediction.’ The words ‘grace’ and ‘great’ prove how Banquo sees the prophecies as a good thing. Macbeth is anxious to here more and is worried whether the witches had read his. He says ‘Stay you imperfect speakers, tell me more!’ Then he says ‘to be king stands not within the prospect of belief.’ He asks ‘how of Cawdor?’ The witches left the prophecies unspoken which adds to their mystery and leaves the audience in suspense to make their own decisions on what happens next. Because Macbeth seems so anxious we assume he is worried and unsettled with what the witches have said. He was desperate to find out more, in the hope of settling his mind. This is especially shown when the witches vanish. Macbeth yells imperatives at them which prove his anxiousness, such as ‘stay you imperfect speakers, speak I charge you!’

Banquo’s reaction is very different to Macbeth’s, he wants to hear more from the witches but not because he is unsettled by what they have said but because he is so excited at the prophecies. He says to the witches, ‘speak then to me.’ This indicates that maybe he is jealous. This helps the audience understand that the friendship between Banquo and Macbeth might not stay throughout the play. We are yet again shown that the outcome of the play may not be a happy one. When the witches disappear, Banquo questions whether the witches were actually there, he says ‘were such things here that we do speak about? When he tells Macbeth again that he is to be king we can tell by the tone that he is excited with the prophecies. However will his attitude towards the prophecies change as the play develops? This could maybe bring tension between Macbeth and Banquo to the play.

When the witches say ‘lesser than Macbeth, and Greater, Not so happy, yet much Happier.’ This is contradicting Macbeth and Banquos fortunes, but a contradiction could lead to jealousy and a corruption of the friendship.

The prophecies in act 1 scene 3 and reactions of Macbeth and Banquo are significant to our insight of the play. Macbeth’s initial reaction suggests that perhaps the prophecies, which seem to be a good thing, will lead to corruption later in the play. So far the scene is telling us the rest of the play.

When Ross and Angus enter the scene the second prophecy is fulfilled as Ross has a message from the king saying ‘And for an earnest of a greater honour, He bade me, from him, call thee Thane of Cawdor.’ Immediately Banquo, aside from all the other characters says as if he is talking to himself and only the audience can hear, ‘what can the devil speak true?’ This shows how the prophecies have an instant reaction on the minds of Banquo, and Macbeth when he says aside, to himself and the audience ‘ The greatest is behind.’ Banquo and Macbeth then speak aside to each other, as they are both shocked to as the prophecies being made true. Macbeth is then having a conflict between his conscious as the evil side of Macbeth drawn out by the witch’s trys to seduce the good side of Macbeth. He says ‘This supernatural soliciting cannot be ill’ which is the evil Macbeth justifying his thoughts on becoming king. It is replied with the good Macbeth saying ‘cannot be good.’ The audience can see already that the witches have corrupted his mind and Macbeth now has a split personality. We know all this is happening, however the other characters do not. This is called dramatic irony. The dramatic importance of these asides in this part of the scene is very important as they prove the corruption of Macbeth’s mind.

In the times Macbeth was set in it would have been justified for Macbeth to become king as he was next in line but he could not murder the king.

Banquo sees how Macbeth is lost in his own world and covers for him. This suggests that Banquo is aware of Macbeth’s darker thoughts. He makes out that Macbeth’s new honours are just too much for him. However both the audience and Banquo know that it is the prophecies becoming true that is too much for Macbeth. Banquo says ‘look how our partner is rapt withal...new honours come upon him.’

Macbeth is still aside thinking to himself when he says ‘If chance will have me king, why chance may crown me, without my stir.’ This is hopeful thinking from Macbeth as because he was made Thane of Cawdor without doing anything; he could be made King without doing anything. The audience however, already knows that it will not be that easy for Macbeth.

After Banquo interrupts Macbeth and hurries him along, Macbeth says to Banquo ‘let us speak our free hearts to each other’ which shows Macbeth needs to talk about what has happened and hopefully settle his mind. So at the end of the scene Macbeth is anxious and hopeful but the audience can see the evil in his mind and it is easy to see that the play is going to be a dark story for Macbeth and not very likely to end well.