Act 1 Scene 1 and Act 3 Scene 4 Macbeth

Louie Jones Atkins 8/07/2002

GCSE Shakespeare Macbeth Coursework Unit/Essay

The two scenes that the essay will be focusing on are Act 1 Scene 1 and Act 3 Scene 4 of the Shakespeare novel, Macbeth. The first scene Act 1 Scene 1 is the opening scene to the play, it starts with a supernatural theme where the three witches are upon the heath discussing when to meet with Macbeth, Macbeth may be implicated by the three witches. Act 3 Scene 4 starts with Macbeth being told that Banquo’s son Fleance has escaped, this displeases Macbeth. This scene shows signs of the unnatural because Macbeth sees Banquo’s ghost, this startles him and all the guests in his palace. As the scene progresses Macbeths behaviour changes.

My impressions of the witches in Act 1 Scene 1 are that they would be old female women that where very wrinkly and wear very old rags and cloaks. I also thought that they would speak very slowly and croaky and that they would mumble whenever they spoke. I thought that they would walk slowly and stagger because they’re very old and feeble, I thought that they would have walking sticks, as they are old. They probably like each other because they stay together wherever they are. I don’t think that they are that much different to each other because they look and speak the same.

The content of Act 1 Scene 1 is about the three witches speaking to each other upon the heath, what they say is significant because they mention “thunder”, “hurly-burly”, “battle”, “fair is foul”, “fog and filthy air”. These five quotes tell us what it will be like when the witches will meet Macbeth because the witches can predict the future. The most significant quote is when the witches chant “fair is foul and foul is fair” this shows that good and evil are mixed up from the start. The rhythm of these lines would anticipate the audiences by making ...

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The play being set in Scotland would be of significance because it is very hilly, wet and foggy, which are useful to the four quotes in Act 1 Scene 1. People back then thought witches were very frightening and should be killed. The witches refer to their familiars because they are predicting the future and they are letting Macbeth know what is going to happen. A modern director could stage this scene by making it as gripping as Shakespeare’s by using a dark and dull setting to make it more scary, the acting could also be very realistic and serious.

In Act 3 Scene 4 Macbeth goes through changes, at the beginning of the scene Macbeth is pleased to hear the death of Banquo, but Macbeth feels cabin cribbed confined when he hears that Fleance has escaped. As the scene progresses Macbeth says, “I am in blood. Stepp’d in so far that should I wade no more. Returning were as tedious as go’er”. This shows Macbeth’s state of mind. The appearance of Banquo’s ghost destroys Macbeth’s performance of being king of Scotland, by bringing upon him madness.

Macbeth undergoes changes in this scene by showing signs of madness when the ghost is at his seat and he shows signs of bitter determination when he says “I will tomorrow, and betimes I will, to the weird sisters. More shall they speak; for I am bent to know” this shows he is determined to find out why Macduff didn’t go to Macbeth’s banquet. Macbeth also lacks confidence in public because he says “do not muse at me, my most worthy friends, I have a strange infirmity”. Macbeth says to Lady Macbeth “We are yet but young in deed”, this shows that there are yet to be more murders.

The appearance of the ghost heightens the dramatic impact of the play’s themes by making it more frightening for the people. It makes Macbeth become very mad, which makes him believe that “stones have been known to move and trees to speak”. It also has destruction for Macbeth’s peace of mind, which makes him, think that he is very strange. The appearance of the ghost also makes the audience anticipation that a reckoning will soon occur.

If I were a modern director I would stage this scene with an actor as a ghost because it would be a more freighting and tense moment for the audience. The actor for the ghost would be dressed in white rags, with a pale evil face to make him look very scary and realistic. He would walk very slowly and quietly, the stage would be very dark and gloomy, there would be one light, which would be up lighting to give a gloomier effect. In the Shakespearean time there would have been an apron stage, which was in broad daylight so it couldn’t be dark, which wouldn’t make it less frightening.