MACBETH
SCENE SUMMARIES
Act I Cian Hogan English Notes 2012
1
ACT ONE
Act
I
is
vital
to
our
u n d e r s t a n d i n g o f t h e p l ay. I n
th i s act we are in trodu ced to
all the major characters,
themes and patterns of
imager y that will dominate
this compelling work of
dr ama. In par ticu lar, by th e
end o f Act I we under stand
that Macbeth is a talented,
but deeply f lawed man, and
th at th e forces o f evil h ave
the ability to tempt anyone .
Scene One
An open place . Thunder and Lighte ning.
T h e play ope n s o n a bar ren h eath in S cotlan d. T h ere is th u n der an d ligh tn in g an d th r e e
w i tc he s a ppe a r on st a g e . Th e y dis c u s s w h en and w her e they ar e next to meet and in w h at
s o r t o f wea t h e r. Th ey de c ide it will be af ter the battl e w hich i s now being foug ht an d
w hi c h th ey k n ow wi l l be ove r be fo re su ns et. T h e o m i n o u s a t m o s p h e r e i s e n h a n c e d by a n
appro ac h i n g th u n de r stor m an d by way i n wh ich th e th ree Witch es speak: T h eir prom i s e
that “ Fa ir i s fo u l , an d foul is fair ,” captu r es th e par adoxical n atu re of th ese su per n atu r al
c r ea tur e s .
2
Scene Two
We m ove to th e S cottish militar y’s situ ation room, wh ere th e Kin g, D u n can , le ar n s
o f th e e ve n ts of th e battle f rom a wou n ded Captain th at h as ju st retu r n ed f r o m
the battlefield. The Captain infor ms Duncan that Macbeth has defeated
Macdonwald, the Norwegian ar my, and the Thane of Cawdor. Macbeth is repor ted
to be br ave and fear less. The Captain states the conflict was resolved by Macbeth.
T h e K i n g o r d e r s t h e i m m e d i a t e e xe c u t i o n o f t h e t r a i t o r o u s T h a n e o f C aw d o r a n d
n am e s Mac beth as th e n ew T h an e of Cawdor. D u n can sen ds R oss to in fo r m
Macbeth of what has happened and to request that he meet with Duncan.
Scene Three
We retur n to the Witches who are shar ing stor ies of the evil they have been
do i n g. T h e F ir st Witch tells h er sister s th at sh e h ad a disagreemen t with a sai l o r ’s
w i fe be c a u se t h e wife wo u ld n o t give her any of the chestnuts she w as ea ti n g.
T h i s an ge r s th e Witch es an d th ey decide to tor tu re th e woman ’s h u sban d by
c r e ati n g a win dstor m th at will blow h is sh ip to all poin ts on th e compass. T h e
s t o r m w i l l b e s o in t e n s e h e will n ot be able to r est. T he fi r st Wi tch says, “I ’ l l d ra i n
h i m d r y a s h a y. ” S h e t h e n b r a g s a b o u t t h e “p i l o t ’s t h u m b,” or small bon e , sh e h as
as a char m. The Witches hear a dr um and the approach of Macbeth.
Macbeth and Banquo enter the stage and are unaware of the Witches at fir st.
Macbeth’s fir st line in the play, “ So fo ul and fair a day I have no t seen ,” ech oes th e
i n i ti al c h an tin g of th e T h ree Witch es. Ban qu o th en addresses th e Witch es, bu t h e
i s u n a bl e t o de t e r min e if t h e y a re men or women: “ Yo u s h o u l d b e w o m e n , a n d ye t
you r b e a rd s forbid m e t o int erp re t that yo u are so .” T h e Witch es th en greet
Mac be th w i th h is cu r ren t title , T h an e of G lamis, an d two titles h e is ye t to
re ce i ve , T h an e o f C awdo r a n d Ki ng. Macbeth is i niti ally star tl ed and th en
per plexed by their greeting because he knows that both the Thane of Cawdor and
King are still alive .
Ban qu o th e n in qu ires as to h is own f ate . T h e Witch es in for m h im th at h e wi l l be
l e sse r a n d yet g re a t e r t h a n M a c beth and that even though he w i l l never be ki n g,
h e w i l l g i ve b i r t h t o a l i n e o f K i n g s . T h e W i t c h e s t h e n d i s s o l ve i n t o t h e a i r, l e av i n g
Banquo to wonder if they were real or just an hallucination.
3
R o s s a n d A n g u s a r r i ve a n d g r e e t t h e m w i t h t h e n e w s t h a t M a c b e t h h a s b e e n
n am e d T h an e of Cawdor by D u n can . Ban qu o an d Macbeth are su r pr ised an d th e y
c on t e m pl a t e t h e e v il n a t u re o f t h e Wi tches.
Scene Four
D u n c a n i n q u i r e s i f t h e T h a n e o f C aw d o r h a s b e e n e xe c u t e d a n d e x p r e s s e s r e g r e t
ove r h avi n g to car r y ou t su ch a sen ten ce . Macbeth en ter s an d th ey war m ly
e x c h an ge c u r tsies. D u n can th en n ames h is own son , Malcolm to su cceed h im as
ki n g. T h i s an n ou n cemen t trou bles Macbeth as h e pr ivately con cedes th at Malc o l m
i s a n o t h e r o bs t a c le t h a t h e will have to over come if he i s ensur e the ful fillm en t
the Witches’ prophecies.
Th e Pr i n c e of Cu m be r l and! That i s a ste p
On w h ic h I mu s t fa l l d own o r else o ’ e r l e a p
For i n my wa y i t l i e s . S tar s , hide yo ur fi re s;
L e t n o l i g h t s e e my bl ac k and d eep desires .
D u n c an th e n an n ou n ces h is plan s to visit Inver n ess, Macbeth ’s castle , an d th e
s ce n e e n d s w it h Ma c be t h le av in g i n a hur r y in or der to pr epar e for Duncan’s vi si t.
4
© C. HOGAN NOTES Act 1 Scene v
Scene Five
L a d y M a c b e t h h a s r e c e i ve d a l e t t e r f r o m M a c b e t h s t a t i n g t h a t h e h a s b e e n n a m e d
T h an e o f Cawdo r. T h e letter reveal s h is ambition to be kin g an d th e detail s o f th e
pr o ph ecy gi ve n by th e Witch es. L ady Macbe th discloses h er ambitiou s n atu re an d vows
to help Macbeth succeed in his ambition to be crowned King. She receives word that
King Duncan will be ar r iving soon and is per plexed because Macbeth has not infor med
h e r h i m s e l f . H owe ve r, s h e n ow fe e l s t h a t f a t e h a s c o n s p i r e d t o p r ov i d e t h e m b o t h w i t h
the perfect oppor tunity to realise their shared dream of power and pr ivilidge:
Come , you spr ir its
T ha st ten d on mo r tal tho ug hts , u nse x me he re
A n d fi ll me from the crown to the to e to p-ful l
O f di rest cru el ty! M ake thi c k my bl o o d. . .
Mac be th ar r i ve s an d th ey agree at L ady Macbeth ’s u r gin g th at th ey will dis cu ss th e
po ssi bi l i ty o f ki l lin g D u n can . L ady Macbe th tells h er h u sban d th at th eir s u cce ss
depends on appear ing welcoming and hospitable .
Scene Six
Duncan’s
character
contrasts
sharply with
the with the
Witches. He
speaks of
growth, trust
and a shared
future based
on prosperity.
Whereas the
Witches
represent a
barren sterility.
5
D u n c a n a r r i ve s w i t h h i s e n t o u r a g e a n d L a d y M a c b e t h we l c o m e s h i m u p o n h i s a r r i v a l .
Duncan is eager to meet with Macbeth as he and Lady Macbeth exchange greetings.
Scene Seven
Macbeth holds a state banquet for Duncan that evening. Dur ing the dinner, Macbeth
l eave s a n d b e g in s t o c o n t e mpla t e th e pl an that he and Lady Macbeth have d i sc ussed .
H e str u ggl e s wi th h i s con scien ce an d th e fear of eter n al damn ation if h e mu rder s
D u n c a n . T h i s i n t e r n a l c o n f l i c t i s r e i n fo r c e d b e c a u s e M a c b e t h i s D u n c a n ’s c o u s i n , h e i s a
beloved king, and Duncan is a guest in his home:
F ir s t , a s I am hi s k ins m an and his su b jec t,
S t ron g b o t h aga inst the deed; t hen as hi s ho st,
Who should against his murderer shut the door,
N ot b e a r the kni fe mys elf.
L ady Macbe th c al l s Macbeth a c ow ard an d implies th at h e is less th an a m an fo r
f al ter i n g i n h is plan to mu rder D u n can . H er resolu te desire an d qu est for powe r s way
Macbeth to agree with her and he decides to go through with the plan.
6
© C. HOGAN NOTES Commentary
❝ Fair is foul, and
foul is fair: Hover
through the fog and
filthy air. ❞
Act I Commentary
A c t I o pe n s in a h ig hly dr a ma t ic fas hi on. pe rce ive d a s witch e s (T h e Bu r n in g
T h e appe ar an c e o f th e Witch es sets th e T ime s ). T h e practice o f witch c raft
to n e for mu c h o f th e play. Accor din g to wa s s e e n to su bve r t th e
Je n ni fer R i e de l :
e s tablish e d o rd e r o f re ligio n an d
s o cie ty, a n d h e n ce wa s n o t
to le rate d. W itch h u n tin g was a
re s pe ctable , mo ral, a n d h igh ly
in te lle ctu a l pu r su it th ro u gh mu c h
o f th e fifte e n th , s ix te e n th , a n d
s eve n te e n th ce n tu r ie s . T h e in te n sit y
o f th is tra ge d y is d e pe n d e n t o n
T h e b el ief in t he exi s tence a n d
p ower of wi tches wa s wi de l y h e ld
in Sha kes peare' s day, as
demonstra t ed by th e Eu ro pe an
w it ch cra ze , dur i n g wh i ch an
e st im ated ni ne mi l l i o n wo me n
w er e p ut t o dea th fo r be i n g
7
© C. HOGAN NOTES commentary
Act I scenes i to vii
Commentary
w h e t h e r t h e w i t c h e s a r e p e r c e i v e d t o b e a bl e t o c o n t r o l t h e o t h e r w i s e i n n o c e n t
Macbeth's actions , or if he is entirely responsible for his own demise .
We le ar n a gre at de al abou t th e Witch es f rom th is fir st en cou n ter. T h ey appear to
h ave th e abil ity to con trol th e elemen ts an d or predict f u tu re atmos ph er ic
c o n di ti o n s. T h e y are en igmatic creatu r es wh ose ver y existen ce , mu ch li ke th e evil
they symbolise , remains a complete myster y. Vitally, the final tercet that they speak
i n t h e fir st s ce n e , e mbo die s t h e n otion of par adox that i s so centr al to our r ea di n g
o f t h ei r ch a r a ct er s:
Pad doc k c a ll s : − anon: −
Fair i s fou l, a nd fou l i s fai r Hov er th roug h t he fog a nd fi l thy a i r.
T h e Wi tc h es in Mac beth speak in troch ai c tetr ameter with rhymed cou pl ets fo r th e
e n t i r et y of th e pl ay. Th is s o u n ds c ompl icate d, but is i n fact ver y si mple .
A troch ee is a grou p of two syllables in wh ich th e fir st syllable is accen ted. Tetr a
m ea n s fou r, so t et r a me t e r me a n s four tr ochees per l i ne , and ther efor e ei g ht
s y ll a bl e s. T he rhyt hm o f s u c h g o e s as foll ows:
D UM-d um, DUM -d um, DUM-dum, DUM -d um
Bec au se th e Wi tc h e s speak in su ch a dif feren t an d u nu su al metre to th e r egu l ar
i am b i c pe nt ame t er u se d by t h e o t he r ch ar acter s, ever ything they say i s memor abl e .
A c t I , sce n e ii , t akes u s t o D u n c a n ’s s itu ation r oom w her e r epor ts ar e ar r i ving i n of
th e battl e th at is bein g waged again st th e invadin g Norwegian s. T h ese repor ts
e m ph as i se t he c o u r a ge , da r in g a n d r u thles sness of Macbeth’s defence of the r ea l m :
but all's too weak:
8
© C. HOGAN NOTES commentary
Act I scenes i to vii
Commentary
For bra v e M a c b eth − w e l l h e d e s e r v e s t h a t n a m e−
D is da in in g for t un e , wi th his brandi sh' d steel,
Wh i c h s m oked w i th bl o od y e xecuti o n,
Li ke va lour ' s m i n ion ca r ved o u t h i s passage
Ti ll he fa c e d t he s la v e ;
Wh i c h n e' e r s hook ha nd s , n o r b ade farewell to h i m,
Ti ll he u ns ea m ' d hi m fro m the n ave to th e c haps ,
A nd fi x ' d hi s he a d u p on o ur b attl e men ts .
T h e “ m e r c i l e s s M a c d owa l d” is killed by Macbeth in a ferociou s man n er th at leaves u s in
n o do u bt abo u t h is prowess as a war r ior. D u n can , wh o is del i gh ted by Macbeth ’s
br ave r y, an d by th e n ews th at Ban qu o an d Macbeth repell ed a su bsequ en t co u n ter
attack by the Norwegians, has enough compassion to show concer n for the bleeding
c aptai n . T h i s i s in keepin g with w h at we wi l l come to associate with D u n can ’s
c h a r a ct er. He i s a ca r in g ma n , wh o embodi es al l that i s good about the m o na r chy.
Ki n gsh ip i s an i mpo r tan t th eme in th i s play an d you sh ou l d play cl ose atten tio n to h ow
th e th em e is de ve lo ped over th e cou r se of th e n ext five Acts. D u n can al so sh ow s u s
that he is capable of taking decisive , and if necessar y, r uthless action when the need
ar r ises. He pronounces a death sentence on the tr aitorous Thane of Cawdor and
awards Macbeth h is title:
No m ore that thane of Caw do r shal l dece i ve
O ur bos om i n t ere s t : go pro no u nce hi s pre se nt d e ath,
A nd wi th hi s for me r ti tle
greet M a c b eth .
S c e n e i i i , t a ke s u s b a c k t o t h e b a r r e n h e a t h a n d t h e t h r e e W i t c h e s . T h i s s e c o n d b r i e f
a p p e a r a n c e p r ov i d e s u s w i t h f u r t h e r i n t e r e s t i n g i n s i g h t s i n t o t h e s e d i s t u r b i n g
c h ar acter s . T h e fi r s t Witch descr ibes an en cou n ter th at sh e h as j u st h ad with a sai l o r’s
w i fe:
A sai l or' s w i fe h ad c h es tnu ts in h e r la p,
9
© C. HOGAN NOTES commentary
Act I scenes i to vii
Commentary
A nd mu nc h 'd , a nd mu nc h 'd , a nd munc h ' d: −
'G i ve me ,' q uot h I:
'Aroin t t he e , wi tc h ! ' th e r u mp-fed ro n yo n cr i e s .
He r hu s b an d' s t o A le ppo go n e , ma ste r o ' the Tiger :
But i n a s ieve I' l l th ith er s ail,
A nd , l i ke a ra t w i th ou t a ta i l ,
I' ll do, I' l l d o, a nd I ' l l d o.
Bec au se th i s wo me n f ailed to provi de h er with th e ch estnu ts th at sh e des ir ed, th e
Wi tch i n te n ds to do h er h u sban d h ar m. T h e petty an d vi n dicti ve n atu re o f th ese
c r e atu r es i s f u r th e r u n der scored by th e wil l i n gn ess of h er sister s to aid h er in h er
s pi t e f u l p ur su it of th is wo me n ’s h u sban d. The second Witch pr omises her si ste r t he a i d
o f th e w i n ds . Impo r tan tly h owever, th e fi r st Witch stresses th e degree to w h ic h h er
power s are circumscr ibed. Thanking her sister s for their help, she infor ms them that
s h e i nt en ds to de ny t h e s a ilo r s le ep and ther eby “d ra i n h i m d r y a s h a y” (s leep wi l l
become a recur r ing motif in this play) but she stresses that she cannot murder him:
Thoug h hi s ba rk c a nn ot b e l o st,
Ye t it s h al l b e te mpe s t -to st.
T h e s e s u p e r n a t u r a l c r e a t u r e s a r e l i m i t e d i n t h e i r p owe r t o i n t e r fe r e w i t h t h e l i ve s o f
m or t a l s. Th is i mpo r ta nt f a c t is e mph asise d j ust befor e Macbeth and Banquo ar r i ve o n
stage.
T he fi r s t wo rds t ha t Ma c beth spe aks e cho the Witche s, and i n the p r o cess,
re m i n d u s th at a me taphysical lin k exists between th em an d h im. Ban qu o n o tic es th e
Witches fir st and, in his address to them, he emphasises their ugliness and disturbing
androgyny:
You s ee m to un de r s t an d me ,
By eac h at once h er c h appy fin ge r la yin g
10
© C. HOGAN NOTES commentary
Act I scenes i to vii
Commentary
Up on h er s ki n ny l i ps : yo u sh o ul d b e wo men ,
A nd ye t your b ea rd s fo rb id me to in te r pret
Tha t y ou a re s o.
Ign or i n g Ban qu o, th e y tu r n th eir atten ti on to Macbeth su ccessively h ail i n g h i m as
T h an e o f G lami s , T h an e of Cawdor an d a f u tu re ki n g of S cotl an d. Impor tan tly, th ey
n e ve r m en ti o n D u n c an or even mu r der. H owever, Macbeth ’s star tled reactio n i s ver y
s i g n i fic a n t . Th e in it ia l re po r t s o f his battlefi el d pr owess emphasise hi s r uthl ess an d
c o u r ageo u s pu r s u it o f h is en emies. Yet, th e Witch es seemin gly in n ocu ou s predic ti o n s
o f f u t u r e g r ea tn es s, f r ig h t e n Ma c be th. T he only l ogi cal r eason for this r eactio n l i es i n
th e f act th at h e mu s t h ave th ou gh t abou t th i s before . In D u n can ’s S cotl an d, th er e is n o
place for the self-made man, and if Macbeth has indeed thought about becoming king,
h e mu st h ave re al is e d th at th e on ly way to gain th e th ron e i s to take i t. An d th e on ly
w ay t o ta ke i t is t o mu rde r D u n can . Th is expl ains both his star tl ed r eaction t o w ha t
the Witches say, and the r apidity with which he begins to succumb to the evil that
th ey r e pr e s e n t. T h e ar r ival of R oss an d an d An gu s con fir ms to Macbeth an d Ban qu o
that the Witches have more than mor tal knowledge of future events. Interestingly,
n e ith e r Mac be th n o r Ban qu o sh ar e th e detail s of th eir en cou n ter wi th th e ir fel l ow
ki n sm en . I n s te ad, Macbeth becom es r apt by th ou gh ts of f u tu re greatn ess an d h e
i gn or es B a n qu o’s pre s cie n t o bs e r v ation th at:
oftentimes, to win us to our harm,
The i n s tr u m e n t s of da rk ness te l l u s tru ths ,
Wi n u s wi th hone s t t r i fl e s , to be tray's
In d ee pe s t c ons eq ue n c e .
Macbeth chooses to engage in a kind of inner mor al debate whose only goal is to
j us t i f y t he a tt r a ct iven es s o f wh a t th e Wi tches pr ophesi ed. Although he acknow l ed ges
the fr ightening potential for evil contained in the “ suggestio n” that he may become
King, Macbeth’s mor al pr inciples have already been deeply compromised. Viewing the
Witches and not Duncan as responsible for his recent success, he ends his inner
debate by claiming that he will tr ust in “ c hance ” to “crown ” him without his “ st i r” . I t i s
11
© C. HOGAN NOTES commentary
Act I scenes i to vii
Commentary
difficult not to see his par ting request to Banquo that they discuss what has
tr anspired, as being anything other than conspir ator ial.
S c e n e i v, t a ke s u s b a c k t o F o r r e s , w h e r e D u n c a n i s d i s c u s s i n g t h e e xe c u t i o n o f
Cawdor. There is an obvious irony to the fact that his remar ks about there being “ n o
a r t t o fi n d t h e m i n d ’s c o n s t r u c t i o n i n t h e fa c e” are spoken ju st as Macbeth en ter s h is
presence . Duncan speaks openly and war mly to Macbeth and Banquo, and is lavish in
h i s p r a i s e o f h i s k i n s m e n . N o t i c e h ow, w h e n h e s p e a k s , D u n c a n i s p o s i t i ve a n d
descr ibes the future in language that dr aws heavily on nature imager y. If words such
as “ h a r v e s t” an d “grow ” remin d u s of th e r ol e th at th e mon archy h as to pl ay in th e
n atu r al c y c le o f li fe , th ey also u n der lin e th e bar ren empti n ess of wh at th e Witch es
re pr es e n t. D u n c an ’s lan gu age ch an ges sh ar ply wh en an n ou n ci n g h i s su cces sor. T h e
i nve s ti tu r e o f Ma lc o l m, a s Pr in c e of Cu mber land, is a for mal act of the sover ei g n t ha t
guar antees Scotland a sense of continuity. In accordance with what one would expect
f r o m su c h an o f fi c ial pron ou n cemen t, D u n can empl oys th e royal plu r al to em ph asi ze
h i s au th o r i ty. L ate r, wh en Macbeth h as stolen th e th ron e , h e also empl oys th e r oyal
pl u r al bu t h is atte mpts to sou n d kin gly, alw ays seem con tr ived an d forced. No soo n er
h a s M a c b e t h l e f t D u n c a n ’s c o m p a ny t h a n we n o t i c e a s h a r p c h a n g e i n h i s t h i n k i n g
th at is m atc h e d by a cor respon din g ch an ge i n h i s ton e of voi ce . Pr i vately, h e view s
Mal col m as an o bs tac le th at n eeds to be overcome , an d ackn owledgi n g th e n eed to
Deception
The theme of
deception is central
to any reading of
Macbeth.You should
play close attention
to the manner in
which Shakespeare
develops this theme.
12
© C. HOGAN NOTES commentary
conceal
his
inner
❝ Hie thee hither,
thoughts, he makes the
first
in
a
series
of
That I may pour my
spirits in thine ear;
And chastise with the
valour of my tongue
All that impedes thee
from the golden round,
Which fate and
metaphysical aid doth
seem To have thee
crown'd withal
troubling invocations to
the night:
S t a r s , h id e yo ur fires ;
L e t n ot l i g ht s ee my blac k
a n d d e e p d e s i re s :
❞
L a t e r i n t h e p l ay, yo u w i l l
s ee h ow so me th in g e v il
answer s this dar k pr ayer.
I n t h e n e xt sc e ne , we me e t
L a d y M a c b e t h fo r t h e fi r s t
time . For many reader s,
s h e is th e m o st in te re s t in g
c h a r a c te r i n t he play. Ye t
despite the fascination that
her character holds, she is
o f t e n m i sr e ad an d
m is u n de r s t oo d. A s s he
r ea d s h er hu sb an d’s l e t t e r,
we fir st notice that they
are an incredibly close
c ou pl e . Ma c be th is e ag e r
fo r h i s w i fe to s h ar e i n h i s
r ec en t s u cc e ss an d he e ve n
goes so far as to call her
h i s “ d e a re s t p a r t n e r o f
To ca tc h th e n ea rest wa y:
greatness ”. On ce she has
thou wouldst be great;
fi n i s h e d r e a d i n g M a c b e t h ’s
Ar t no t wi tho ut ambi t i o n,
account of the day’s
but without The illness
e ve nts , s he imm edi ately
sho uld atte nd it:
demonstr ates her
deter mination to ensure
R e a d i n g w h a t s h e s ay s a
that her husband will take
li ttl e more cl osely, o n e i s
wh a t has bee n p r omi sed
str uck by the complete
h i m by t h e We i r d S i s t e r s .
inversion
of
accepted
mor al n or ms th at seem s to
G lamis tho u a r t, and
inform
Cawdor ; and shalt be
G oodn ess for h er invo l ves
What thou ar t promised: yet t h e
her
reasoning.
attainment
of
the
d o I fe a r t hy n a t u re ;
throne , and evil is defined
It is too full o' the milk of
as anything that stands in
human kindness
h e r w ay. S h e “fear s ” h er
h u s b a n d ’s
kindness
and
13
deter mines to remove any obstacle that “ impeeds [ him] fro m the go lden ro u nd ” . T h e
e n tr an c e o f a mes se n ger, wh o br i n gs n ews of D u n can ’s i mmi n en t ar r ival , ch an ges
e ver y t h i n g . La dy Ma c be t h n ow k now s tha t fate has conspir ed to pr ovide he r wi th a n
o ppo r tu ni ty t o h ave D u n c a n mu rde re d “u n d e r h e r b a t t l e m e n t s”. T his speech h as o f ten
b e e n m i s r e a d b y s t u d e n t s . O f c o u r s e , i t r e v e a l s L a d y M a c b e t h ’s t e r r i f y i n g
de te r m i n ati on to do wh atever is n ecessar y to obtain th e th ron e , bu t if re ad m ore
c lo se ly, w ha t sh e say s a ls o h in t s a t a n u nder lying vulner ability pr esent in her c ha r ac te r.
Calling on the forces of evil, those “ sp ir i ts” o f t h e n i g h t t h a t “tend on mor tal thoughts ” ,
to unsex her and fill her “ full of the d ire st cr ue l ty ”, Lady Macbeth betr ays her fe ar s t ha t
s h e m ay n ot be c r u el en ou gh to car r y ou t th i s awf u l cr i me . In terestin gly, both th e to n e
an d th e s u bs tan c e o f h er words ech o th e Wi tch es. Wh en sh e call s for h er m i l k to be
tur ned to gall, it is difficult not to recall the disturbing androgyny of the Weird Sister s,
w h o se “ b e a rd s” an d c h oppy fin ger s ar e emph asised by Ban qu o ear l i er in Act I, sc en e ii i .
Ju st as Mac be th h ad don e previou sly, sh e en ds h er soli l oqu y by call i n g on n i gh t to
c o n c ea l h e r mur de ro u s t h o u g h t s :
Come , thic k night,
An d pa ll th ee i n t he d un ne st smo ke o f he l l ,
T ha t my ke e n kn ife s ee no t th e wo und it ma ke s ,
N or h ea v e n p e e p th roug h the b l anke t o f the d ar k ,
To cr y ' Hol d , h ol d ! '
When Macbeth enter s the scene , the excitement and ener gy caused by the promise of
a shared future of power and pr ivilege is almost palpable . Ignor ing his wife’s joyful
re fer e n c e t o t he Wi t ch e s ‘ pro ph e c ie s, h e r u shes to infor m her that Duncan i s com i ng
to stay with them that ver y night. When she enquires about when Duncan plans to
l eave , M a cb eth in for ms h is wife t ha t th e King’s intention i s to l eave the next d ay. T he
word murder hangs in the air, but Lady Macbeth is the fir st to say what they are both
thinking:
O, n eve r
S hal l sun that mo r row s ee!
Mac be th ’s s h o c ke d re action to wh at h i s w i fe h as ju st said prompts h er to re m in d h i m
o f t h e im p or t a nc e o f ma in t a in ing a fa ls e face to the w ider wor l d. T he t he m e o f
appear ance and reality is vital to any reading of Macbeth an d you sh ou ld keep a c los e
14
eye on any re fe re n c e to i t as yo u r ead th e play. Noti ce al so, wh en L ady Macbeth war n s
h e r h u s b a n d o f t h e n e e d t o “lo ok l ike the i nno cent fl ower, | But be the serpe nt unde r ’ t ” ,
h ow we s e e th e fi r s t o f many referen ces to ven omou s creatu res. It i s as i f th e i m ager y
u s e d by S h akes pe are i s i n ten ded to r ef lect h ow poi son ed Macbeth an d L ady Mac beth ’s
© C. HOGAN NOTES commentary
thinking has become . In an extension of the inver ted mor al reasoning that we saw in
h e r s o l i l o q u y, L a d y M a c b e t h c h a r a c t e r i s e s t h e p l a n t o mu r d e r D u n c a n a s t h e “n i gh t’s
great business ”. H oweve r, it i s ve r y in ter esti ng that she shoul d avoid men ti o ni n g
D u n can by n ame . T h i s is ju st on e of many su btle cl u es th at h in t at th e vu l n er abi l i ty
belying Lady Macbeth’s cold exter ior. Scene vi, under lines fur ther the theme of
appe ar an ce an d re ali ty. As Ban qu o an d D u n can ar r ive at Inver n ess, th ey are str u ck by
th e w ar m an d we l c o min g appear an ce of Macbeth ’s castl e . It is as i f th e castl e h as
become a metaphor for the people that inhabit it:
Th i s c as tl e ha th a pl e asant sea t; the a i r
N i mbl y an d swe etly reco mme nds itself
Un to o ur ge ntl e se ns es .
The theme is under scored fur ther when Duncan enter s the castle and is greeted in
th e w ar m es t po s s ibl e man n er by L ady Macbeth . S cen e vii , takes u s in si de th e c astl e as
Mac beth , i n s o li l o qu y, paces bac k an d for th . Wh at emer ges, as h e con sider s th e mu rder
of D u n can , is a pr o fou n dly deep an d sear ch i n g examin ati on of th e mor al i ty o f h i s
acti on s. To be gin with , Mac beth r eason s th at if i t were possi ble to gu ar an tee th at n o
f u r th er c o mpl ic atio n s ar i se f r om th e mu r der, an d th at th e wh ol e matter c ou l d be
n e a t ly c o n c l u d e d , t h e n i t wo u l d b e b e s t t o k i l l D u n c a n a n d k i l l h i m q u i c k ly. H owe ve r,
on e of th e mo s t re mar kable qu al ities of Macbeth is h is ref u sal to evade m o r al
re sp on si bi l i t y fo r hi s a c t io n s. H e admits th at ther e is a ver y high possibi l i ty tha t, "even
h a n d e d j u s t i c e", as h e pu ts it, may catch u p with h im in th is li fe . Yet, i t is n o t th e
pos si bi l i ty of be in g c au gh t th at occu pies Macbeth ' s th ou gh ts. In stead, h e ch o oses to
fo c u s o n th e m o r al r e as o n s fo r n o t ki l l i n g D u n c an . H e c o r r e c tly i de n ti fi e s th e bo n ds o f
kin sh i p an d tr u st th at exist between th em an d h e emph asi ses th e du ty of care th at h e
owes his King. Fur ther more , he admits that he likes Duncan and that he as been an
ex c el le n t K i ng w ho is muc h love d by the peopl e of Scotland:
Du nca n | H ath bo r ne his facu lties s o meek , h ath b een S o c l e ar i n h i s g re at o ffi ce , th at h i s vi r tue s W ill pl e ad l i ke an ge l s , trum pe t-to n gu e d, aga i nst 15
© C. HOGAN NOTES commentary
Th e de e p da mna ti on of h is tak ing -o ff, An d pi ty, l i ke a n ake d n ew-b o rn b abe , S tr i d i ng the bl as t, or he av a n's c herubim, h o r sed
Up on the si g htl e ss cou r i e r s o r th e a ir, S ha l l bl ow the ho r r i d d e e d in eve r y e ye , Th at te ar s s ha l l drow n th e wind. It i s n o t th e te r ro r o f h u man or even divin e ju dgmen t th at Macbeth fear s, bu t th e
ter ror of mor al isolation. The image of pity, in the for m of a " n ew - b o r n b a b e", so
poi gn an tly e vo ke d by Mac beth , i s a powerf u l symbol for th e loss of in n ocen ce th at th is
c r i m e w il l c aus e . M ac be t h c o nc l ude s his sol i l oquy by admi tti ng that he has n o va l i d
re a s on fo r k ill i ng Dun c a n o t h er than his "vaulting ambi ti o n ". At th is poi n t, L ady
Mac beth en te r s th e stage . I mmediately, Macbeth claims th at th ey sh ou ld n o l o n ger
proceed with the plan to kill Duncan. She however counter s this suggestion with a
fear so m e tir ade th at i n cl u des so me of th e most memor able , if n ot distu rbin g, im ager y
i n al l o f S h a ke spe are . Sh e u nde r mi ne s hi s sense of hi msel f as a man by cal l i ng hi m a
c ow ar d an d, th e n , in a tr u ly sh o ckin g momen t, sh e claims th at sh e wou ld willin gly h ave
"p lu c k ' d h e r n i p p l e " f r o m t h e "b o n e l e s s g u m s" of h er baby an d " d a s h ' d h i s b ra i n s o u t" i n
o r de r to pr ove he r c o mmit me nt to th is pl an. Noti ce how Lady Macbeth onc e ag ai n
e mp l oys a t y pe o f ima g e r y t h a t inver ts commonly accepted notions of femini ni t y. T h i s,
o f co u r s e , r e c all s t he re pul si ve t y pe of andr ogyny that we associate w i th the W i tc hes.
T h e on ly o ppo s iti o n th at Mac beth of fer s to th is sh ockin gly powerf u l speech i s to
s u gg est m ee kly th at th ey mig h t f a il . S en si ng that she has convi nced hi m, Lady M a cb eth
assures him that if he " screw [s ] h is cou ra ge to the stic k i ng-place" t h e y w i l l "n o t fa i l ." S h e
th e n o u tl in e s th e de tail s o f wh at can on ly be descr ibed as a ver y limited an d sim pli stic
pl an to l ay th e bl ame on D u n c an ' s ch amber lain s wh om sh e in ten ds to dr u g. Mac beth is
s wep t aw ay o n t he t ide o f h er en er getic e nthusi asm and mar vel s at her str eng th of
c h a r a ct e r a n d det er min a t io n :
Br in g fo r th me n-c h ild re n o n l y, For thy un da un te d m ettle sh o uld co mpo se N oth i ng bu t mal e s .
Wh e n Mac be th qu e s tio n s h er on th e implau sibility of th e plan , we get th e fir st gli m pse o f th e t y pe of Sc o tla nd t h a t t he y envis age once they take power :
16
© C. HOGAN NOTES commentary
Act I scenes i to vii
Commentary
Wh o d are s re ce ive it o the r
T h e s c en e c o n c l u de s with Macbeth vow in g th at h e is committed to car r yin g o u t th is
"terr ible feat. " H e e x plain s th at in order for th em to su cceed it wi l l be n ecessar y to
present a " false face " to the wor ld. Night &
Day
Macbeth and Lady
Macbeth
separately make a
series of
invocations to the
spirits of the night
to cast the country
into darkness.
Notice how their
prayers are
answered.
17