Macbeth

The opening scene begins with thunder and lightening, which sets the scene of a weary and intense atmosphere. Then enter three witches. As the battle rages the weird sisters plot their meeting with Macbeth. The battle between the Norwegians and the Scots is in full swing, the second scene is set in a camp just off the battlefield. People are bringing news to the king regularly about how the battle is commencing. Most of the news delivered to Duncan, the king is about Macbeth. ‘Like valour’s minion carved out his passage till he faced the slave’, here the servant is telling Duncan how Macbeth slashed his way through the battle until he reached Macdonald. This shows us how fearless and confident he was in that he was fighting for good and the good of his country. ‘ Till he unseamed him from the nave to the chops’, this is when Macbeth sliced Macdonald from his belly to his jaw. ‘ O valiant cousin! Worthy gentleman!’ This is Duncan’s first response. This shows how respected he is by the king and many others. He is seen as brave, heroic, fearless, in control, confident and loyal to the king.

The Thane of Cawdor, a traitor traitor has now been captured. The king orders that the traitor be executed and his title is to be given to Macbeth in recognition of his heroic efforts.

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In scene 3 Macbeth and Banquo meet the three witches on the moor. ‘So foul and fair a day I have not seen’ these are Macbeth’s first words in the scene, these words echo the witches final incantation in the first scene of the play. Banquo: ‘You should be woman, yet your beards forbid me to interpret that you are so!’ This is one part of the description of the witches, it helps in the play text to understand just how horrible they actually look. The witches then greet Macbeth and Banquo with a series of prophecies. They tell Macbeth that he will be Thane of Cawdor and future king of Scotland. They then tell Banquo that he will father a line of kings but not be one himself. Macbeth cannot see how he could be Thane of Cawdor! Macbeth and Banquo realise that the first prophecy has come true. Banquo warns Macbeth that evil creatures sometimes get people to trust them and then get them into trouble. Macbeth starts to believe in the prophecies and begins to have ‘horrible imaginings’ about killing Duncan the king.

In scene four Macbeth, Banquo, Ross and Angus go to the king’s palace. When they arrive Macbeth and Banquo are very warmly welcomed. ‘Oh worthiest cousins’ and Duncan then hugs Banquo. Duncan proclaims his son Malcolm heir to the throne and announces his intention to visit Macbeth’s castle. Macbeth is honoured and leaves to prepare for the kings arrival, but Macbeth now seems more willing to speed up the process to fulfil the witch’s prophecies. Scene 5 starts with Lady Macbeth reading a letter received from her husband, the letter is explaining what happened in the encounter with the three weird sisters. Automatically she is determined to have Duncan killed to fulfil the prophecies. A messenger then brings that the king is to soon to arrive. Macbeth then arrives and then they start to plot the assassination of the king. Shortly after the plan has been taken over by Lady Macbeth, Duncan and all the Thanes arrive at Macbeth’s Castle with a gracious greeting from Lady Macbeth. Once escorted into the castle Macbeth starts debating whether or not they should kill the king, he decides against the idea, Lady Macbeth is very convinced that the plan will work and teases Macbeth for his lack of courage. Eventually Macbeth agrees to the plan due to Lady Macbeth convincing him that it will appear that Duncan’s guards are guilty of the murder.

ACT 2

Banquo is tired but cannot sleep he is thinking about the three weird sisters and the prophecies. Macbeth imagines a dagger leading him to the place leading him to the place where he is going to kill the king. Then the bell signals that all is clear for him to enter Duncan’s chambers. Lady Macbeth has got the guards drunk and waits in the courtyard for Macbeth. A disturbed and shaken Macbeth enters and informs his wife that he has ‘done the deed!’ Lady Macbeth tells her husband to pull himself together and is horrified to find out that Macbeth has brought the daggers away from the scene and refuses to go back. Lady Macbeth leaves to plant the daggers and smears blood on the sleeping surface to pin the deed on them. A loud knocking noise is heard as Lady Macbeth is leaving when she returns, her and Macbeth go to bed to sleep to make it appear they were there all the time. We now find what the loud knocking noises were; a drunken porter is woken by Macduff and Lennox knocking on his door. This bit is quite funny and a relief from all the other serious scenes. Macbeth then enters and Macduff asks if Duncan is awake. Macduff sets off to wake Duncan up and only to find out he has been murded! The murder is blamed on the guards and Macbeth supposedly out of rage and loyalty to the king, has them killed. Malcolm and Donalbain decide to flee the country for there own safety.

Outside Macbeth’s castle Rosse and a random old man discuss the weird things that have been happening, they are then joined by Macduff who tells them that the suspicion of the murder has fallen on the kings sons. It is believed that those two hired the guards to do the deed and that why they have left. Macbeth is now to be king. Rosse leaves to attend the coronation but Macduff chooses to return home to fife instead. Macbeth is now in the deep end of changing. He has become: disloyal, scared, disturbed and a murderer of the king.

Act 3

At this point Banquo suspects Macbeth of killing Duncan. Even though this is the case he realises that the weird sisters prophecy has come into place and believes that he will be a father to a line of kings. Macbeth appears and finds out what Banquo is planning to do with the rest of his day, he also orders him not to miss the banquet that evening. Macbeth realises that Banquo was told that he would be a father to a line of kings and persuades the two murderers to kill Banquo and his son Fleance! Macbeth is now a changed man he is getting his son and his best friend killed! At first Macbeth does not even tell Lady Macbeth his plan. Lady Macbeth finds out from a servant that left and alone she admits that she is no happier and doesn’t have a better peace of mind being queen. Macbeth enters and reveals he too feels the same way and is tortured with fears of Banquo. They both put on a happy face for the banquet. Macbeth hints of his evil plan to kill Banquo but still doesn’t reveal all. Macbeth sends a third murderer to join the other two and they manage to brutally kill Banquo but in confusion Fleance escapes.

In Act 3 Scene 4, Macbeth thinking Fleance and Banquo have been killed appears confident and in control, he gives his guests a ‘hearty welcome’ to his banquet. Just as the banquet is going well one of the murderers appears to report back to Macbeth. The murderer has blood on his face and informs him that Banquo has been killed.