Renaissance Lecture Notes

"Macbeth" Mini-Book Directions and Demonstration

"Macbeth" Act I, Scenes 4-7 Notes

In the second half of Act I, we see Macbeth struggling with the implication that in order to become king as the witches predicted, he must somehow get rid of Duncan, who he likes and respects.

This this half of Act I, the dramatic irony is frequent. Recall from previous plays (like Julius Caesar and Romeo & Juliet) that dramatic irony is when the audience knows something that the character(s) does not.

Initially, we see this when Malcolm and Duncan discuss privately the execution of the former Thane of Cawdor. Malcolm admires the calm dignity the Thane of Cawdor maintained even in the face of death, but Duncan reminds Malcolm that it's impossible to know what is in a man's heart and mind just by looking at his face ("There's no art to find the mind's construction in the face" (I.iv.11-12)). You know, just like Duncan doesn't know his trusted and beloved Macbeth is considering murdering him!

So, in scene 4, when Duncan heaps praises on Macbeth and Banquo before announcing to everyone that his son Malcolm will officially be the next in line for the throne, Macbeth maintains a friendly and loving attitude towards his king, but in his asides he states his growing desire and motivation for murder.



Finally, Duncan invites himself over to Macbeth's castle, Inverness, for dinner.

In scene 5, we meet Lady Macbeth, who is overjoyed to hear that her husband has been predicted to become king. However, she muses that her husband is too kind-hearted and gentle to do what must be done to achieve that goal.

She is so determined that her husband not let anything stand in his way that she makes a "prayer" to the evil spirits in the world to remove all remorse, guilt, and kindness from her. Since women at that time were considered naturally nurturing, gentle, and compassionate, she makes frequent remarks regarding her gender and wishes them to be changed from their natural form into something cold, hard-hearted, and ruthless.



When Macbeth returns, he's still on the fence about killing Duncan. Lady Macbeth pushes him into considering it, however, and he eventually agrees that if it must be done, it should be done when Duncan comes over for dinner that night. Lady Macbeth reminds her husband not to look guilty or nervous or it will give them away. She tells him to just act natural and she will take care of everything else.



Scene 6 shows us just how deceptive Lady Macbeth can be. She greets Duncan by thanking him profusely for coming to stay with them and for everything he has given her and her husband. Duncan eats it up, suspects nothing, and graciously accepts Lady Macbeth's praises.

In scene 7, Macbeth finds himself hesitating again. He acknowledges that there are a few reasons why he shouldn't kill his king and friend:

1. There are a lot of people at his house (Duncan, Malcolm, Donalbain, Banquo, and a bunch of other thanes and all their guards and servants) and it would be very easy for him to get caught
2. Murder is still a sin
3. Betrayal only breeds more betrayal
4. Duncan is his friend and is actually a good king
5. The only true motive he has is ambition

Lady Macbeth enters, reminding Macbeth that the king is eating dinner downstairs and may get suspicious if he doesn't come down soon. He confesses that he doesn't think they should go through with their plan. 

Then Lady Macbeth goes full dark side.

She accuses Macbeth of not even being a man because of his cowardice. She accuses him of being weak, deceptive, and not the man she thought he was.

She even tells him "If I promised you I'd kill my own child, I would bash its head in without blinking if you asked me to."

When Macbeth brings up the possibility of them failing, she insults him, saying they will only fail if he isn't brave enough. She then explains that she will get the guards drunk so they fall asleep and Macbeth can sneak in, kill Duncan, and then leave the murder weapon on the guards so they will be accused of the crime. 

Macbeth, somewhat terrified of his wife, remarks that she should only ever give birth to sons because her murderous determination would be terrible for raising daughters.

Finally, he agrees and both go back to dinner.

Some important points (NOT A SUBSTITUTE FOR READING):

• We see a lot of important literary terms in this act. One of which is the soliloquy. This is a speech that a single character gives on stage alone. It is usually longer, emotional, and a narration of a character's deep inner conflict. At the beginning of scene 4 when Lady Macbeth considers Macbeth's weaknesses or when Macbeth hesitates in killing Duncan at the beginning of scene 7 would both be considered soliloquies.
• We are seeing another instance of a theme regarding "things aren't always what they seem" or "twisting things from their natural state is dangerous." Macbeth is trying to twist his future from its natural course as Thane of Cawdor. He is attempting to overleap Malcolm and Duncan to take the throne for himself. Lady Macbeth prays to have hear heart and her mind twisted from its natural form in order to give her the drive she needs to convince her husband to commit murder. 
• Remember that Banquo heard the prophecy too. Which means if Duncan dies by murder, he basically will automatically know that it was Macbeth who has done it. Not to mention, Duncan would be murdered at Macbeth's house. Clearly, Macbeth isn't considering the full consequences of his planned actions. 

"Macbeth" Audio Version

Act 1

Act 2

Act 3

Act 4

Act 5

"Macbeth": Background and Act 1, Scenes 1-3 Notes

When we began Act 1 today, it was clear there was a little confusion regarding some of the characters and events transpiring at the beginning of the play. If we didn't get to take some of these notes in class, fear not! I will be sure to discuss them with you on block day to get everyone caught up.

Below are the materials you will need for class as well as a summary and some major points of the first 3 scenes of the play. Review them as you need.





First things first: remember that this play was written for King James I who had just become king of England. James was from Scotland, so Shakespeare wrote a play about Scotland for him. James was also the first stable leader England had had for awhile, so it was important to portray James as a ruler who didn't have any huge scandals or skeletons in his closet.

So, Shakespeare makes a not-so-subtle reference to James' great-great-great-great grandfather, Banquo, by making him a morally decent character in the play.

He also solidifies James' role as king through the plot: while Macbeth is prophesied to become king, Banquo is told that while he will never be king, his sons and grandsons and so forth will be.

James is one of those great-great-great grandchildren.

Now, the royal system in Scotland is kind of funny compared to what we know about other countries. Scotland is ruled by a king. In Macbeth, his name is Duncan. Scotland used to be ruled by multiple tribes during the Anglo-Saxon period, so as time went on, that system sort of stuck, even when they switched to a monarchy. So, Duncan has a bunch of smaller "mini-kingdoms" or cities and villages that he has other people run to help him keep order. These people are called thanes. They are like "assistant kings."



When the play opens, we are greeted by the three witches (referred to as the Weird Sisters, which is a reference to Greek mythology in which three Morae or Fates controlled the lives of mortals. These Fates were portrayed as three sisters).



The witches state they will meet at the end of the war to speak to Macbeth. Then, they utter an important line.

"Fair is foul, and foul is fair."

Shakespeare didn't start the play off this way just because. He was attempting to set the stage for a long-running theme throughout the play. By saying that both foul and fair are one in the same, the witches are implying that the lines between good and evil, natural and unnatural, and other binaries will begin to blur. Good men will turn bad, bad men will turn good. The rules of nature are bending and breaking. Things are not always as they seem.

Macbeth begins in the play as the Thane of Glamis. Glamis is a small village and Macbeth is a loyal and devout subject, but he doesn't have that much power when it comes to the country.

So, let's talk about the setting. We begin the play in the midst of a civil war. The players involved?

King Duncan, King of Scotland	VS	Thane of Cawdor (traitor)
Macbeth (wins the war for Duncan)		Macdonwald (helps Thane of Cawdor)
Banquo (helps his friend, Macbeth)		King of Norway

When the play opens, the civil war is in its final days. Macbeth kills Macdonwald in a battle that he seemed doomed to lose (so Macbeth seems capable of fighting against fate) and actually slices Macdonwald open from belly to jaw, cuts his head off, and sticks it on a spike. Macbeth is obviously a very fierce warrior. He is honorable and loyal to Duncan, but he can clearly mess someone up if he wants to. 

Macbeth also drives back the King of Norway's army and forces them into a surrender in which the King of Norway pays Scotland $10,000 in order to reach a truce. 

As thanks for this, King Duncan orders that Macbeth be given the title held by the Thane of Cawdor and the land he ruled over.

Meanwhile, Macbeth and Banquo are leaving the battlefield and run into the witches. These witches have been discussing their very petty and cruel treatment of people who do not give them what they want when the two stumble upon them. 

When Banquo speaks to the witches, the witches then tell Macbeth he is the Thane of Cawdor and will soon become king. Macbeth is, understandably, shocked and scared. Saying something like that is pretty close to treason and Macbeth is a loyal subject, so he doesn't appreciate the news.

When Banquo presses them further, the witches say that Banquo will never become king, but his descendants will be kings in the future. 

Then the witches just disappear. Yes, they just vanish. So quickly that Banquo questions whether or not they had hallucinated the whole thing.

When Macbeth gets the news he is becoming Thane of Cawdor, his thoughts understandably turn towards the prediction of becoming king. He considers the fact that Duncan has to die in order for this to happen, but stops just short of considering murder. However, Duncan also has two sons - Malcolm and Donalbain - which complicates things. 

He presses Banquo to consider the prediction that his sons will become kings but Banquo warns Macbeth that even though the witches spoke true, they may have left out the "catch" that inevitably follow such significant predictions (another blurring between the lines of good and evil; witches and their plans are evil, but the truth is good). 

Macbeth eventually determines after a great deal of thought, to simply leave the prediction to chance. If it is meant to happen, it will happen. 

TO SUMMARIZE (NOT A REPLACEMENT FOR READING):

• We see two big themes/thematic concepts appear here:
• The blending of good and evil/things aren't always what they seem
• The witches speaking truth but for possibly nefarious purposes
• Macbeth winning the war but having to kill his own countrymen to do so
• The witches been perceived as real and unreal, man and woman, living and dead all at once
• Predictions and fate
• Macbeth wins against fate in battle, but cannot fight the fate of becoming Thane of Cawdor
• Macbeth debates whether or not he is in control of his fate to become king, or if he even should be (as it would mean murdering his friend and king to do so)
• We see the witches as powerful, vengeful, cruel, and ruthless. They take what they want and if they cannot get it, they torture and torment people. Witchcraft is not a positive force in this play. It is used only for evil purposes. 
• Macbeth uses an aside when trying to communicate secretly with Banquo and also to narrate his inner-most thoughts. An aside is a moment when the actor speaks to themselves or to another character and no other characters are meant to hear what they are saying. 
• The prediction of Macbeth becoming king and Banquo's future offspring becoming kings is an example of foreshadowing.

"Macbeth" No Fear Version

You can find the No Fear Shakespeare version of Macbeth HERE. This version provides the original text that we are reading as a class alongside the play in modern English.

"Macbeth" Anticipation Guide

Below is the handout we used to complete our discussion and debate regarding important thematic subject and concepts that we will be covering in Macbeth. Be sure to respond to each statement with agree or disagree.

Afterwards, select two statements and elaborate on your response in 2 paragraphs (3-5 sentences each) in which you state your position (use the statement, not the number), your reasoning, and give a specific (real world, not hypothetical) example to defend your position.