MacBeth!

Act 1 Scene 1:

A battle has taken place and three witches plan to meet Macbeth. In the scottish camp, king Duncan asks to report of the battle.

Act 1 Scene 2:

A wounded soldier tells how Macbeth had killed the rebel Macdonwald and then, with Banquo, had fought off an attack from the Norwegians who were allied with the rebels. Rosse arrives and reports that Macbeth has defeated the Norwegians and taken the rebel Thane of Cawdor prisoner. Duncan sentences Cawdor to death and transfers the title to Macbeth.

Act 1 Scene 3:

The witches greet Macbeth and tell him he will be the thane of of cawdor and king. Banquo asks the witches to predict his future and they tell him that his descendants will be king but not himself. Rosse and Angus arrive to give the news that, as a reward for his bravery. Macbeth is to be made Thane of Cawdor. Macbeth is amazed that the witches predictions have come true, although Banquo warns him that the witches may be leading him to evil. Macbeth thinks about killing Duncan.

Act 1 Scene 4

Duncan thanks Macbeth and Banquo for defeating the rebels and announces that his eldest son Malcolm will succeed him as king. Macbeth is deeply unsettled by naming of Malcolm as the next king. Macbeth says to the audience/thinks in his head, ‘That is a step On which I must fall down or else o’erleap’. We can see from this metaphor that Macbeth compares Malcolm’s succession to an obstacle (in this case a step) which he shall overcome (become the king) or ‘On which I must fall down’, meaning he will fail or allow the succession of Malcolm becoming king. Back in the 11th century humans were hugely religious and believed God would watch ever action or thought a human had. They also believed that your fate was already decided. He then goes on to say to the audience / think in his head ‘Stars, hide your fires! Let not light see my black and deep desires;’. Macbeth uses the metaphor stars to represent heaven, god or fait. Macbeth wants heaven not to see his thoughts. 

Act 1 Scene 5

In lady Macbeth’s soliloquy she uses metaphors that display her evil intentions. After lady Macbeth reads Macbeth’s letter about the witches predictions she says “That I may pour my spirits its into thine ear,”. She is describing how she will pursue her evil intentions through Macbeth. Through this quote we can understand she is going to take action on her ideas. When she says “All that impedes thee from the golden round,“. She describes the crown as the golden round and she describes the current king as all that impede. Yet again this clearly shows that she has evil desires and will do anything that needs to be done for Macbeth to become king. We can understand that she will get Macbeth to do her dirty work and that may be killing.

Act 1 Scene 6

In this scene king Duncan goes to stay at Macbeth’s castle. Duncan is greeted by Lady Macbeth. Lady Macbeth in the previous scenes demonstrated her deep evil desires to make Macbeth king at whatever the cost. So when she greeted King Duncan with such pleasure and respect it gave the feeling she was being overly honorable towards King Duncan. This can be seen when said “Against those honours deep and broad wherewith
Your majesty loads our house: for those of old, And the late dignities heap’d up to them, We rest your hermits“. Her sudden change in persona from the previous scene leads us to believe she is giving the King a false sense of being safe. This could make you think she is going to kill the king tonight when he is not expecting it.

Act 1 Scene 7

The scene starts off with Macbeth stating that he would not kill King Duncan, because he has just made him Thane of Cawdor. Lady Macbeth then enters and Macbeth tells her he doesn’t want to proceed in any further action. Lady Macbeth then questions himon going back on his word and then explains her plan to kill the King. Macbeth is easily convinced showing Lady Macbeth is dominant in the relationship and can control Macbeth. This can be seen when she says “Who dares receive it other,
As we shall make our griefs and clamour roar
Upon his death?“. Macbeth then replies “I am settled, and bend up
Each corporal agent to this terrible feat.
Away, and mock the time with fairest show:
False face must hide what the false heart doth know.“. He is easily convinced into taking such an action he was moments before strongly against.

Act 2 Scene 1

Banquo and Fleance ar talking inside the castle on a court and Macbeth enters. Banquo then goes on to ask Macbeth if he had been thinking of the three witches, Macbeth denied he had but this is obvious lie to the audience as he is going to kill the King that night. Then Macbeth asks Banquo if he will take his side or the Kings, Banquo says why would he take a side when they are all aallienced. Banquo can infer from Macbeths question he is going to do something to king Duncan. Banquo then leaves and Macbeth then has a hallucination that there is a dagger in front of him and when he reaches for it there is blood everywhere. From this we can see he is feeling extremely guilty and he may still be questioning his decision. This can be seen when he says “Or else worth all the rest; I see the still”. This can also be backed up when he said “And on thy blade and dudgeon gouts of blood, Which was not so before. There’s no such thing: It is the bloody business which informs. Thus to mine eyes.”

Act 2 Scene 2

In Macbeth Shakespeare uses powerful language features. Personification is one of these. When Macbeth hallucinates he believes he sees a dagger in front of him, but he cannot touch it, he says “Mines eyes are made fools o’ the other senses”. In this he says his eyes are foolish. He then expands on this idea that he is being controlled from other sources, that he is letting people make decisions for him and he is not taking responsibility for his decisions and actions. From this we know he is still indecisive about what he is going soon do and he has a feeling of guilt.

Act 2 Scene 4

The morning after King Duncan is killed everyone wakes up. Porter, Mcduff, Macbeth and Lenox all meet and they start to talk about how it was a rough night and many unusual things happened such as an earthquake, an obscure bird and screams of death. Macduff then goes on to wake the King which he then finds him dead. He comes running back and tells the others to awaken everyone and inform them on such news. When Banquo hears the news he then goes onto say “And when we have our naked frailties hid,
That suffer in exposure, let us meet,
And question this most bloody piece of work,“. He says everyone shall meet and they will find the culprit behind the act. At this moment when can infer that he is suspicious of Macbeth after their encounter with the witches. The Kings sons leave as they know who ever killed the King will also want to kill them as they are now king.

Act 2 Scene 5

At the start of the scene the old man meets Ross outside the castle. They discuss how the sun has not yet come out and although it is daytime it does not feel like it. Also how the horses had been eating each other. All this extremely strange occurrences because of the murder. Macduff enters and Ross asks him who did the murder, and he says that it was the king’s guards, although they were made to do it by someone else who he suspected to be the kings sons. He says “They were suborn’d:
Malcolm and Donalbain, the king’s two sons,
Are stol’n away and fled; which puts upon them
Suspicion of the deed.” Mcduff then says that Macbeth is going to be king.

Act 3 Scene 1

The scene begins with Banquo saying how the witches predictions became true for Macbeth so their prediction for him should become true as well. Macbeth then enters and Banquo tells him he is going riding with his son this afternoon. Macbeth is extremely curious about this and asks lots of details. Once Banquo and the others leave two murderers enter and Macbeth addresses them asking them to kill Banquo and his son for him. Saying “Against my near’st of life: and though I could
With barefaced power sweep him from my sight
And bid my will avouch it, yet I must not,
For certain friends that are both his and mine,“. He uses a weak excuse to why he will not do the deed himself, which is they have mutual friends that might be angry at him if he does so. The murders agree to kill him and leave.

Act 3 Scene 2

At the start of the scene Macbeth and Lady Macbeth meet. Lady Macbeth asks why he is depressed and she says what is done is done. Macbeth says, “We have scotch’d the snake, not kill’d it“. This clearly shows Macbeth is extremely paranoid of anyone who he may see as a threat. He then says, “O, full of scorpions is my mind, dear wife!“. He uses this metaphor to describe his internal emotions to scorpions. Macbeth is clearly feeling threatened and he is scared.

Act 3 Scene 3

The murderers gather at the start of the scene, although there is a third murderer who says he is sent by Macbeth as well. Macbeth sending another person to do the murder shows he is anxious to get the deed done. They find Banquo and his son walking towards the castle. They kill Banquo, but his son gets away. The 2nd murder says, “We have lost
Best half of our affair.“.

Act 3 Scene 5

This scene is a short encounter between Hecate and the first witch. The witch asks Hecate why he is angry and he replies that it is because they gave Macbeth prophecies without telling him. But he then informs the witch that they can make it up to him. He says “But make amends now: get you gone, And at the pit of Acheron Meet me i’ the morning: thither he Will come to know his destiny“. This makes us infer that Hecate has bad intentions for Macbeth.

Act 3 Scene 6

In this scene Lord and Lennox meet in the palace. Lennox begins to explain the deaths of the previous doing by Macbeth. He in a sarcastic manner explains how none of these actions were from Macbeth but instead were done by others like King Duncan’s. He says”It was for Malcolm and for Donalbain To kill their gracious father? damned fact!“. Through saying this sarcastically it highlights the unlikeliness of two son’s killing their own father. He also goes on to say “In pious rage the two delinquents tear, That were the slaves of drink and thralls of sleep?
Was not that nobly done? Ay, and wisely too;“. This shows that Lennox has great suspicion of Macbeth and believes he is the one behing Banquo and King Duncans death.

Act 4 Scene 2

In this scene Lady Macbeth is talking to her children and rosse in Macduff’s castle. Macduff has left to England to form an alliance with Duncan’s sons. Lady Macbeth is scared as she feels vulnerable. And this is rightly so as Macbeth’s murderers enter proceed to kill. The son said, “He has killed me, mother: Run away I pray you!”

Act 4 Scene 3

Malcolm and Macduff talk about Scotland and Macduff tells Malcolm to come and become king. Malcolm lies and says he is a bad person to see what Macduff is loyal to. When Macduff says, “O Scotland! O Scotland!”. This satisfies Malcolm that Macduff is a good person. Rosse then arrives and soon informs Macduff on the death of his family. Mcduff is angry and he seeks revenge as now he has nothing to lose as he has no family.

Act 5 Scene 1

The scene begins by the Gentle-Woman explaining to the doctor about Lady Macbeth’s sleepwalking. She says that she will not report what she Lady Macbeth has been saying cause there has been no witness. Soon after Lady Macbeth enters the room sleep walking with her eyes open and proceeds to act like she is washing her hands. She then says, “Here’s the smell of the blood still: all the
perfumes of Arabia will not sweeten this little
hand. Oh, oh, oh!“. From this statement we can see that Lady Macbeth is feeling guilty for her actions and regrets what she has done. The Doctor says to the Gentle-Woman that she needs to be healed spiritualy by god.

Act 5 Scene 2

The scene begins with the scottish army opposing Macbeth approaches Duisinane and the thanes discuss Macbeth’s loss of control. Lenox says, “Or so much as it needs,
To dew the sovereign flower and drown the weeds.
Make we our march towards Birnam.“

Act 5 Scene 3

The scene commences by the servant informing Macbeth the huge challenge that arrives, being thousands of troops from England coming to take Macbeth down. Macbeth is furious with the servant for questioning his power. Macbeth then asks the doctor how his wife does and says she needs to be cured, although she cannot be cured as it is a spiritual illness. Macbeth thinks about the fact that he will not get the respect and comfort of old age. Saying, “Is fall’n into the sear, the yellow leaf; And that which should accompany old age,“.

Act 5 Scene 4

Malcolm orders every troop to cut down a bough from Birnam wood so they can camouflage the army’s true size. Malcolm says, “Let every soldier hew him down a bough And bear’t before him: thereby shall we shadow The numbers of our host and make discovery“. Also reports of many man have deserted from Macbeth.

Act 5 Scene 6

Malcom, Macduff and Siward are determined to take down Macbeth. Siward says, “Let us be beaten if we cannot fight”. This shows they are willing to fight to the death.

Act 5 Scene 7

Young Siward challenges Macbeth to a fight, young Siward is slain. Macduff hears Macbeth and calls out to him, explaining his hatred to wards him saying, “thou beest slain, and with no stroke of mine,My wife and children’s ghosts will haunt me still.I cannot strike at wretched kerns”.

Act 5 Scene 8

Macduff finds Macbeth and they fight. Macbeth is slain as he finds out Macduff was not born naturally. Macduff slays Macbeth and walks into the room with Siward, Malcom and Rosse, holding Macbeths head. They crown Malcom king all chanting, “Hail, King of Scotland!”.