Macbeth – act 1 scene 1

discussion on the paradox / oxymorons in the text and their possible implications.

Act one scene one begins with some dialog from the three witches, discussing events that are to happen. The first line that is spoken is “When shall we three meet again, in thunder lightning or in rain?” In this line I think the witch is suggesting to the other witches that they will reunite, no matter how difficult it is for them to do so. The second witch them says, “When the hurlyburly’s done, when the battle’s lost and won.” This means that there is something dramatic about to happen, like a war or a battle that can be lost or won. It is then said “That will be ere the set of sun.” I think this means that when the witches meet again it will be the end of something that had been happening for a long time, like the downbringing of an empire that had been at large for many years, and the witches wish it to be done. The witches then discuss that they will meet upon the heath.

Act 1 scene 2 summary

A wounded soldier comes forth to tell king duncan the events of the previous battle, and that the brave and valiant soldier macbeth defeated the norwegian king. Shakespeare uses rich language to describe the scene in much detail for the audience, like when he uses the line “dismaying fortune, with his brandished steel, which smoked with bloody execution” This line describes in detail that macbeth used his sword (brandished steel) in the battle and that there was a lot of blood in the air, (smoked with bloody execution) so much blood that it lingered in the air like smoke. Shakespeare is using this language to introduce macbeth as a hero, a valiant soldier who has fought hard for his king and country. It is important for macbeth to be portrayed this way so that the audience has an expectation of who he is, and what is to come.

Act one scene three

In scene three we are introduced for the first time in the play to the idea of dramatic irony. Dramatic irony is essentially when we, the audience, know something that the characters do not know. For example, when macbeth speaks to the audience with the other characters on stage however unable to hear what he is saying. This is shown in the script with the word “aside” meaning that macbeth is standing aside and speaking only to the audience. dramatic irony is important because it gives the audience insight to what macbeth is thinking and it keeps us interested about what could happen later in the play and whether or not the other characters will find this out. In this scene macbeth is talking about how the witches have predicted that he will become king in the future. This troubles macbeth because he knows that in order for him to become king the current king must die; and for him to even think this thought would be considered treason. However, he does have the desire deep down to become king. This is dramatic irony because macbeth only tells this thought to the audience, and if the other characters had herd him saying it then it would not have been good.

Act one scene four

During this scene, King Duncan thanks Macbeth and Banquo for defeating the rebels and announces that his eldest son, malcom, is next in line for the throne. After this announcement, macbeth turns to the audience and says “Stars, hide your fires! let not light see my black and deep desires.” This means that macbeth wishes to become king, shown with the words “black and deep desires” because he knows that his desire is illegal, and essentially going against god’s will. He also uses the words “stars hide my fires” The stars are used as a reference to the heavens, and he is pleading for the heavens to hide his dark intentions from god, in the hopes that he will still become king.

Act one scene five

In this scene, lady Macbeth has just received a letter from Macbeth with words about the witches predictions of him becoming king. She uses a number of metaphors in her speech to convey her emotions to us. For example, “unsex me here, and fill me from the crown to the toe top-full of direst cruelty!” She is essentially saying that she wishes to be a man when she says this, so that her womanly duties may not hold her down and she can do more brave and powerful things in order to gain power. Then the words “fill me from the crown… of direst cruelty!” is portraying her desire to do unjust things and she wishes for the ability to be cruel and unjust because she too has deep and dark desires.

Act one Scene six

This scene begins with Malcom and Banquo arriving at the house of Macbeth, and we are reintroduced to the concept of dramatic irony. dramatic irony is used in this scene when lady Macbeth enters the room to greet Malcom and Banquo. they then exchange a conversation of what could only be described as empty words, and we as the audience know that what lady Macbeth is saying is entirely false because of what we heard from her in the last scene. she then politely invites Malcom to stay the night.

Act two scene one

shakespear uses a wide range of powerfulllanguage in his writing, including the use of metaphors. for example, during Macbeths sililique he expresses the idea of a dagger. And while this can be taken in a literal sense, as macbeth might trully believe he can see the dagger, it is also used in a metiphorical sense when he says the words, “or art thou but a dagger of the mind” The dagger could be used as a metiphor to express that macbeths mind is broken, or torn by his indecisivness about wether or not he should go through with his actions to kill the king. However, he eventually decides to go through with this, as he believes that he is prahaps being acerted by outside fources sutch as the witches in an atempt to convince himself that he is not in the wrong.

Act three scene one

Banquo shares his suspicions about Macbeth and the kings death. Macbeth then enters and asks Banquo about his plans and whether or not he is coming to dinner. Macbeth then deicides that in order to keep his position as king Banquo and fleance must both be killed, and so he orders some murderers to kill them.

Act three scene two

This scene begins with a soliloquy by lady Macbeth, where she shares her feelings of uncertainty and anxiety about becoming queen and even though she got everything she wanted she still felt like something was wrong. Then Macbeth enters and expresses similar feelings and even though lady Macbeth felt the same she immediately shuts him down and tells him that he shouldn’t feel this way, and essentially to pull his head in. They then discuss the witches prophecy that Banquo’s children will become kings, and decide that without Banquo or his son alive they would feel safer in their positions. Macbeth says ” ” And even though it causes Macbeth much pain he decides to kill his greatest friend Banquo.

Act three scene three

In this scene Macbeth has sent three murderers to murder Banquo and his son in the forest. they approach the murderers unsuspectingly, and Banquo is shot dead however his son Fleance escapes. This is now a problem for Macbeth because Fleance knows that somebody tried to kill him and this may give him a motive to discover who it was and even eventually be crowned as king in Macbeth’s place.

Act three scene four

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MACBETH

You know your rank; sit down in that order and welcome

Lords

Thanks to your majesty.

MACBETH

 I shall mingle and play the humble host. 

Lady Macbeth will sit in her chair until

            I request her

LADY MACBETH

Say hi to all the guests as they are welcome

First Murderer appears at the door

MACBETH

They respond with their thanks and

I shall sit in the middle and be happy

 and have a toast.

           Approaching the face.

There’s blood on your face

First Murderer

It’s Banquo’s

MACBETH

It’s better on you than inside him.

First Murderer

I killed him, my lord,

MACBETH

You are the best at murdering, and the one who murdered Fleance must be good also, but if you murdered him to then you are the best. 

First Murderer

Most royal sir,

Fleance escaped.

MACBETH

Now I’m scared again and if this had worked I would have been perfect,  

But now I am all tangled up with doubts and fears, But Banquo’s dead?

First Murderer

yes, my good lord, he is dead in a ditch 

with twenty gashes on his head. 

MACBETH

Thanks for that:

Macbeth lays dead; But Fleance fled, Right now he does not have enough power to do anything but over time he will gain it.

Hath nature that in time will venom breed, I will see you tomorrow.

          Exit Murderer

LADY MACBETH

My royal lord, you are not entertaining the guests 

They need to know they are welcome,

 because if they just want to eat it is best to do that at home

There needs to be a little more ceremony

MACBETH

Thanks for reminding me!

Since good digestion needs a good appetite which means both of them, good health

Cheers 

LENNOX

          Why don’t you have a seat, your highness?

The GHOST OF BANQUO enters and sits in MACBETH’s place

MACBETH

We would have all the nobles in Scotland under one roof if Banquo was here. 

I hope he is late not something bad happened to him.     

ROSS

His absence means he has broken his promise sir, please sit down.

MACBETH

The table’s full.

LENNOX

Here’s an empty seat sir.

MACBETH

Where?

LENNOX

Here, my good lord. What’s wrong, your highness?

MACBETH

Which of you has done this?

Lords

What, my good lord?

MACBETH

           You cannot say I did it. Don’t shake your head at me.

ROSS

Gentlemen, rise: his highness is not well.

LADY MACBETH

Sit down, friends

My husband is often like this,

And has been since he was young 

Stay seated

His fit is momentary

He will be well again if you pay too much attention to him,

You shall offend him and extend his anger:

Eat and don’t pay attention to him

 Are you a man?

MACBETH

          Yes, and a brave one.  I have seen something worse than the devil

LADY MACBETH

Nonsense!

This is just your imagination

Like the air-drawn dagger you said,

led you to Duncan.

These don’t look like real fear

 Looks like what a woman would do if her grandma was reading her a scary story 

Shame on you!

Why are you making those faces? 

When it is over you’ll look like a fool

MACBETH

Look over there. ( to the ghost ) what do you want? What do you have to say? If the dead can return from their grave what’s to stop the bird from eating the bodies. So what is the point on burying them?

GHOST OF BANQUO vanishes

LADY MACBETH

What, has you foolish fear paralyzed you?

MACBETH

If I’m standing here then I saw him.

LADY MACBETH

Nonsense!

MACBETH

In ancient times, before there were laws to make the land safe and peaceful, there was a lot of bloodshed. And since then there have been a lot of murders too awful to talk about. It used to be that if you killed a man he would just die, and that would be it but now they rise from the dead to push us off our stools which is even stranger than murder.

LADY MACBETH

My king,

Your noble friends miss your company

MACBETH

( to the guests ) I forgot about them.

Don’t worry about me my friends, I have a strange order which doesn’t shock those who know me well anymore. Let’s raise a toast to love and health and a toast to our friend Banquo. I wish he was here! Let’s drink to everyone here. And to Banquo

Lords

Our duties, and the pledge.

Re-enter GHOST OF BANQUO

MACBETH

 Go and get out of my sight! Go back in your grave 

There is no marrow in your bones and your blood is cold. you are staring at me with eyes that cannot see. 

LADY MACBETH

Good friends, 

Think of this as something normal

Although it is spoiling the fun of tonight

MACBETH

I am brave like any other man

Approach me like the rugged Russian bear,

or an armoured rhinoceros, or the mighty tiger;

Take any shape apart from the one you are now 

And I will never tremble in fear

Or come back to life

And challenge me to a duel with my sword;

If tremble with fear then call me a baby girl.

Get out of here you hallucination

Get out

GHOST OF BANQUO vanishes

I am a man again becauses the ghost is gone so please stay seated

LADY MACBETH

You have ruined the fun and disrupted the good meeting 

By making a fool of yourself

MACBETH

Can things happen so quickly ,

And make us feel astonished?

You make me feel like I don’t know myself

When I see you looking at terrible sights 

Yet keep a straight face 

While mine is filled with fear.

ROSS

What sights, my lord?

LADY MACBETH

Please do not speak to him

He is getting worse and worse;

Questions enrages him so please leave

There is no need to leave in the order of your rank just go at once

LENNOX

Good night; I hope the king recovers soon.

LADY MACBETH

A kind good night to everyone!

Exeunt all but MACBETH and LADY MACBETH

MACBETH

There is an old saying that goes  blood will have blood:

Stones have been known to move and trees to speak;

Too bring guilty men to justice

By magpies and other creatures have exposed

some murderers. 

What is the time of the night?

LADY MACBETH

It is almost morning,

Although you cannot tell whether it is morning or night

MACBETH

What do you think about Macduff not coming when I command him?

LADY MACBETH

Did you send for him, sir?

MACBETH

I heard of this before, but I will send for him. 

In every lords house, I have a servant spying for me.

Tomorrow, while it’s still early,

I will go see the witches. They will tell me more, because I am determined to now the words of what will happen. My safety is the only important thing right now. I have waded so far into this blood that it would be just as hard to go back as to keep on killing people. I have some plans that I am going to put into action. But I must do these before I think about them to much.

LADY MACBETH

You haven’t slept.

MACBETH

          Yes, lets go to sleep. My strange and self-delusions

           just come from inexperience,

We are still learning about crime

Exeunt

Act four scene two

this scene begins with rosse coming to warn lady Macduff that sh is in danger from Macbeth while her husband has left the country. Lady macbeth and her her son then have a discussion about Macduff, and what it means to be an honorable man. we are introduced to the idea that telling the truth will lead to

Act four scene three

During this scene we are provided again with dramatic irony, in that macduff does not yet know that his wife and children have been murdered by Macbeth. Malcolm decides to test macduff’s loyalty by pretending to be an even worse man than Macbeth, and not fit to be king. However, macduff soon proves that his loyalty is to the country of scotland, and not to any particular man. Then enters rosse, who eventually conveys the bad news that Macduff’s children have been murdered. macduff decides that he must seek revenge on macbeth.

Act 5 scene 1 – 4

The doctor and the servant discuss lady macbeths behaviour, as she has been walking and talking in her sleep. She talks about washing her hands of the blood which suggests that she feels guilty for the murders which she and Macbeth have committed, even though she previously stated that it would be easy for her and that she would not feel guilty. However, macbeth predicted that it would take a sea to wash away the blood, even though he in a sense has felt less guilt. The doctor knows that he cannot save lady macbeth’s state of mind, but it is an internal conflict and she must instead seek the forgivness of god.

the soldiers gather outside the castle of dunsinane as they discuss the battle about to happen. They now call macbeth a tyrant, meaning that he is

Act 5 scene 5

    ”She should have died hereafter.

There would have been a time for such a word.

Tomorrow, and tomorrow, and tomorrow,

Creeps in this petty pace from day to day

to the last syllable of recorded time,

And all our yesterdays have lighted fools

the way to dusty death. Out, out, brief candle!

Life’s but a walking shadow, a poor player

that struts and frets his hour upon the stage

and then is heard no more. It is a tale

told by an idiot, full of sound and fury,

signifying nothing.”

in this scene as macbeth prepares to