Exploring the Expository Scenes in Macbeth: Act 1
Exposition: The part of the play in which the playwright gives the audience the information it
needs to follow the play. Most exposition occurs early in the play. The exposition includes the
inciting incident and the expository decision.
Antagonist: Anyone or anything that stands in the way of the protagonist. The antagonist is not
always the bad guy!
Protagonist: The main character of the play, the character around which all action revolves.
Usually the protagonist is the character with a strong goal that he/she wants to attain. The
protagonist is not always the good guy.
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The Setting:
1100 A.D.
Scotland is divided into sections of land
What is a thane?
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a person of rank, often the chief of a clan, holding land from the king
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a lesser noble who was a Crown official holding authority over an area of land
Summary—Act I scene i:
Three witches meet and conjure spells on the heath as they anticipate the arrival of Macbeth, one
of King Duncan's generals.
Summary—Scene ii:
King Duncan of Scotland receives a report from the battlefield as his armies fight rebellious
citizens and invading Norwegians. The next report informs him that two of his generals, Macbeth
and Banquo, have defeated his opponents, including the treacherous Thane of Cawdor. King
Duncan orders Cawdor executed and bestows the title of Thane of Cawdor on Macbeth.