Year 9
Revision
AC1
Macbeth
The story: Act 1
Macbeth and his friend Banquo are returning from a
battle with the Norwegians where they have just
secured a victory for King Duncan when they come
across three witches. The witches tell Macbeth that he
will become Thane of Cawdor and King of Scotland and
say to Banquo that his children will be the future kings
of Scotland.
Almost immediately, the first prediction is fulfilled
when Macbeth is rewarded for his bravery in battle
with the title Thane of Cawdor.
Macbeth sends a letter to his wife about the witches
predictions. She is excited by the prospect of
becoming queen and decides to persuade Macbeth to
kill Duncan when he returns home so that they can take
over the throne.
Duncan is invited to Macbeth’s castle where Macbeth
and his wife plan to murder him.
The story: Act 2
Macbeth has now decided to kill Duncan and walks
towards his room but as he approaches Duncan’s door
he sees an imaginary dagger before his eyes. He
follows the dagger to Duncan’s room where he murders
the king.
Macbeth returns to his bedchamber with the daggers
covered in Duncan’s blood. Lady Macbeth sees the
daggers and chastises Macbeth for being foolish.
Macbeth refuses to go back into Duncan’s room to
return the knives so Lady Macbeth takes them from her
husband and plants them on the servants.
Macduff arrives at the castle and discovers Duncan’s
body. Duncan’s sons, Malcolm and Donaldbain, hurry
away from the scene, afraid that they will be suspected
of killing their father.
Banquo proposes a meeting to discuss the situation and
at the end of act two Macbeth goes to Scone where he
is crowned the new king of Scotland.
The story: Act 3
Macbeth is now king of Scotland but feels insecure. He
remembers the witches prophecy that stated that
Banquo’s children would become kings.
To protect his power and his legacy Macbeth hires two
men to kill Banquo and his son Fleance but the plan
goes wrong. Banquo is killed but Fleance escapes.
Later that night Macbeth hosts a banquet in his castle
but at the start of the feast one of the murderers
appears and tells Macbeth that they killed Banquo but
Fleance escaped.
During the banquet the ghost of Banquo appears and
sits in Macbeth’s seat. Only Macbeth sees the ghost
and he is very disturbed by what he sees. In his fear
and rage he almost reveals the secret of his guilt to his
guests but Lady Macbeth makes excuses for him and
sends the guests away.
Macbeth decides that he will revisit the witches and
continue to eliminate all opposition to his power.
The story: Acts 4 and 5
At the start of Act Four Macbeth goes to visit the witches
again, and they warn him against Macduff who is the
Thane of Fife. They also tell Macbeth that he can only
be killed by someone not of woman born, and that he
has nothing to fear until Birnam forest comes to
Dunsinane. Macbeth is heartened by this but is disturbed
when the witches show him Banquo’s descendents as
future kings.
Macbeth discovers that Macduff has gone to England and
he orders the murder of Macduff’s wife and child.
Meanwhile Lady Macbeth is acting strangely and
believes her hands are covered in blood.
Malcolm and Macduff raise an army and attack Macbeth’s
castle, camouflaged by branches from the forest.
Macduff tells Macbeth that he was cut from his mother’s
stomach, and Macduff kills Macbeth then puts his head
on a spike. Malcolm is then crowned king of Scotland
and law and order is restored.
SERGEANT
For brave Macbeth – well he deserves that name—
Disdaining fortune, with his brandished steel,
Which smoked with bloody execution,
Like Valour's minion carved out his passage
Till he faced the slave;
Which ne'er shook hands, nor bade farewell to him,
Till he unseamed him from the nave to th’ chaps,
And fixed his head upon our battlements.
DUNCAN
O valiant cousin! worthy gentleman!
----Dismay’d not this
Our captains, Macbeth and Banquo?
SERGEANT
Yes,
As sparrows eagles, or the hare the lion.
If I say sooth, I must report they were
As cannons overcharged with double cracks, so they
Doubly redoubled strokes upon the foe.
Macbeth
Read the captain’s report of the battle in I,ii. What
words/phrases are used to describe Macbeth?
Writing about texts
You should always, when writing about any text, use the
P.E.E formula. Make a point, find some evidence and then
explain the evidence in detail.
Don’t forget to explain yourself
Use the information from the spider diagram to write PEE
about Macbeth. Add a quote and explanation for each point.
For example
Macbeth is …
I know this because it says:
this shows that...