When Ross gives him the new title (Thane of Cawdor), Macbeth tells himself “the greatest is behind” (1.17) Now he has two titles. He makes it sound like the third, being a king, would be an easy step.
Banquo rejects the Witches. “What! can the devil speak true?” (l.108). He knows there’s a trick somewhere. He tells Macbeth that if his own offspring are to be kings, then, logically, “That, thrusted home, / Might yet enkindle you unto the crown” (ll.120-121), i.e. Macbeth might aggressively seize the crown. Banquo knows “to win us to our harm, / The instruments of darkness tell us truths” (ll.123-124).
Macbeth ponders the Witches’ words. He believes it will all come true. His two titles are “As happy prologues to…the imperial theme” (ll.128-129). Read his speech between l.130-141. He is in two minds. The promises “Cannot be ill, cannot be good” (l.131). Yet, already he thinks of murder!
Macbeth: …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? (ll.134-137)
Macbeth also realises that “chance” (l.143) may crown him without his having to do anything.
2
Act I, scene iv
To Forres Castle, Duncan’s home. Cawdor has been executed. Duncan greets and praises Macbeth and Banquo. He creates Malcolm, his elder son “Prince of Cumberland” and the heir to the throne. This really upsets Macbeth.
Macbeth: …that is a step
On which I must fall down, or else o’er leap,
For in my way it lies. Stars, hide your fires!
Let not light see my black and deep desires; (ll.148-51)
He is plotting his future. The King invites himself to Inverness Castle, Macbeth’s seat.
Act I, scene v
Lady Macbeth reads her husband’s letter. Her first words are united with her husband’s. In this way, Shakespeare literally unites their ambition. Macbeth tells her of the Witches and their “perfectess report” (l.2). From her very first words, she shows her own driving ambition. Yet she fears her husband: he is too nice! “It is too full o’ the milk of human kindness / To catch the nearest way” (ll.16-17). He’s ambitious, yes, but without a certain “illness” (l.19) which should go with it. She wants him there so she can “chastise (him) with the valour of my tongue” (l.26). She sees the crown within their grasp! (So far, only 26 lines have been uttered by her.)
A messenger arrives: Duncan is coming to stay. It seems too good to be true! It will be the “fatal entrance of Duncan” (l.38).
She prays a black prayer to the “murdering ministers” (l.47) of the spirit world. She wants them to “unsex” her (l.40) - i.e. remove her female compassion - in order to “fill me from the crown to the toe top full / Of direst cruelty” (ll.41-42).
When she sees Macbeth in the flesh, she greets him like he’s the king already.
In l.60, she tells him Duncan will never wake up the next day. This troubles Macbeth. She tells him to change his worried face (which can be read like a book) and to look innocent. At this point, she will do the murder – it’s “this night’s great business” (l.67).
Act I, scene vi
The King arrives at Inverness Castle, as does Banquo. Referring to Macbeth, the King says “we love him highly” (l.29) and will continue to reward him. Lady Macbeth is all smiles.
Act I, scene vii
Inverness Castle. A major soliloquy (i.e. a speech given to the audience which reveals his inner mind). Slipping away from the banquet, Macbeth ponders on the benefits of murder. He fears that having killed he would have to go on killing. He knows there are solid reasons against regicide. 1) He is his “kinsman and his subject” (l.13). 2) He is his host, too, a person who should defend his guest, “Not bear the knife myself” (l.16). 3) Duncan has been a good ruler. Macbeth knows full well that Duncan’s death would be a “deep damnation” (l.20) for the killer. He has no “spur to prick the sides of my intent” (ll.25-26) except that his “Vaulting ambition” (l.27) keeps getting in the way.
Just as his will is flagging, Lady Macbeth spurs him on. She hates to hear the words “We will proceed no further in this business” (l.31). She rips into him, accusing him of being a coward! He is “afeard” (l.39) and a “coward in thine own esteem” (l.43). Furious, Macbeth responds by saying “I dare do all that may become a man” (l.46). She keeps on attacking his manliness, using graphic and cold-blooded images of dashing out her own babies’ brains rather than go back on her word.
He cracks. He comes round. We see it in the words “If we should fail-” (l.58). She has her plan. They will drug the guards and now, instead of just her doing the deed, she says “What cannot you and I perform upon / The unguarded Duncan?” (ll.70-71). He is horrified by her ruthlessness. She is made of “undaunted mettle” (l.73).
The Act ends with Macbeth stating “I am settled” (l.79) to kill the king. Learning the lesson his wife taught him, “False face must hide what the false heart doth know” (l.82). (End of Act 1)
3
Act II, scene i
Banquo chats with his son, Fleance. “The moon is down” (l.2) - darkness covers the earth, as though ready for murder. (Macbeth had asked the stars to “hide” earlier on.) Strangely, although tired, Banquo cannot sleep. Macbeth nervously awaits a signal, a bell, to commit the murder. Greeting Banquo in the dark, Macbeth ironically identifies himself as a “friend” (l.11). From their speech, we learn that the King gave Lady Macbeth a diamond and showered more praise on Macbeth.
We catch Macbeth in a lie. He says he has not thought of the Weird Sisters. “I think not of them” (l.21).
Once alone, Macbeth speaks in soliloquy. He thinks he sees a dagger in the air, pointing the way to Duncan’s chamber. But he cannot grasp it! He’s confused, asking “art thou but / A dagger of the mind, a false creation” (ll.37-38). He thinks his brain might suffer from a fever. Note: the dagger points “the way that I was going” (l.42). It doesn’t make him kill. He hears the bell and goes to the King’s chamber. (The murder happens off-stage.)
Act II, scene ii
Lady Macbeth waits. She is very jumpy with nervousness. She’s drugged the grooms (guards) outside the room. She tells us she would have killed the King then but he reminded her of her sleeping father! When Macbeth enters, he too is very nervous. Every little noise startles them. Seeing blood on his hands he exclaims, “This is a sorry sight” (l.23). He’s regretting his deed. Her advice is not to think on it or “it will make us mad” (l.35). In her case, it will.
Macbeth thinks he hears voices. These voices say he also has murdered sleep - “the innocent sleep” (l.37) and he will never rest again. His repentant words anger his wife. He refuses to return to leave the bloody daggers by the grooms. Hypocritically, she tells him he’s “Infirm of purpose!” (l.53). She’ll go back and do it. Now “every noise appals” (l.59) him. Returning, she suggests they wash the blood (and so the guilt) from their hands. Someone knocks on the castle gates. They retire quickly. Still repentant, Macbeth says “To know my deed ’twere best not know myself” (l.74).
Act II, scene iii
At first, only briefly, a comic scene. The porter makes jokes about the feast and being drunk. He refers to these gates as the gates of hell. (That would make Macbeth the Devil.) Opening the gates, Macduff and Lennox enter. They have come for the King. Macduff discovers the King’s body: he says “the lord’s anointed temple” has been broken into (l.50). All is confusion.
Lady Macbeth pretends she’s just awoken. Malcolm and Donaldbain, the King’s sons, soon arrive. Macbeth puts on a great act. He relates how he saw the grooms, the (his!) bloody daggers by them, and so killed them in a fit of rage. The others are both perplexed stunned by his gruesome, hasty deed. It truly shocks Lady Macbeth. She faints and is carried out. (Perhaps the spirits answered her ‘unsex me here’ speech by not listening to her. Note: From this moment on, her importance both in the play and in the life of her husband diminishes.)
Following Banquo’s advice, the lords agree to meet to discuss what should be done next. Malcolm and Donaldbain are scared. They smell treachery. Whoever killed their father could and probably would do it to them. “There’s daggers in men’s smiles” (l.125). Malcolm flees to England. Donaldbain goes to Ireland, hopefully safer going in separate journeys. One should survive.
Act II, scene iv
Ross discusses recent events with an old man. After the regicide, the heavens seem troubled with men’s acts: “darkness does the face of the earth entomb” (l.8). We learn that a big falcon was killed by a smaller bird (like Duncan by Macbeth). The King’s horses turned savage, even eating each other. Nature itself, affected by the terrible crime, is greatly disturbed.
Macduff speaks cautiously with Ross. Ross says that suspicion has fallen on the two princes who have fled. However, you can tell Macduff suspects Macbeth since Macbeth has got the crown. Macduff will not go to the coronation. (Macbeth will remember this slight.) (End of Act II)
