Please go onto Stoll’s DP and download the PDF of “Macbeth - ACT I”
from the menu bar, go to: “Classroom Resources > Project 6A Reading:
Macbeth”
Macbeth: The Plot
The play takes place in the early 1000’s in
Scotland, during a battle between Scotland
and Norway
The play revolves around a murder plot
hatched by a Scottish military general,
Macbeth, and his wife, Lady Macbeth
The Macbeths intend to kill the king of
Scotland, Duncan, in order to fulfill a
prophecy that states that Macbeth will
become king
MACBETH:
Driving Questions
What does the story of Macbeth teach us
about political power and how it corrupts?
Who is ultimately responsible for the death
of Duncan, and the demise of Macbeth?
Why?
How does the timing and context of how
information is shared influence the major
events of the play?
Let’s Get Weird...
This play is different from
many other Shakespeare
plays because it deals
heavily with dark forces
like witchcraft, sorcery, and
magic
It can be considered as very
unstable in pacing and
setting; bad weather all
over the place, lots of
struggle between good and
evil, lots of jumps in setting
ACT I: CHAOS!
The first act of the play is highly unstable.
The play is made of quick, short scenes, up
until Act II
In everything from the words used to the
structuring of the scenes, the play starts
off in a state of near panic
Let’s look at form:
Act I: Form
Seven scenes in an act - more than usual
The first four scenes start off with an
interrogative (aka: a question sentence)
Lots of ideas that clash/work against each
other; going back and forth between
different ideas, concepts - this is called
equivocation
EX: “When the battle’s lost and won”
EX: “Fair is foul, foul is fair”
Act I, scene i: Chaos!
#1: Witches! (three was considered unlucky, too)
#2: Storms! (thunder, lightening, rain)
#3: WAR! (when the battle’s lost and won)
#4: Short, sharp dialogue
Act I, scene i:
Witches!
The fact that the play starts with witches is
a sign that this is going to be a strange play
Thinking back to what we learned about
Elizabethan theater:
Witches = women = male actor
However! The witches were NOT played
by boys! The witches were played by:
BEARDED
MEN!
The Witches were
portrayed by men with
beards, NOT by boys,
adding an extra element of
weirdness to the start of the
play
Act I, scenes 2-4:
WAR, Witches & Rewards
Scene 2:
The King (Duncan) and his court come across an
injured soldier on the battlefield and then two Scottish
thanes (ie: lords) who have an important update
Scene 3:
The Witches return! And they have a strange,
interesting message for Macbeth and his BFF, Banquo.
Scene 4:
Duncan doles out new titles to his favorite dudes,
rewarding them for a battle well won
Act I: scene 5
The grand entrance of Lady Macbeth!
Immediately, Lady Macbeth would have been
perceived as a powerful (ie: “scary”) woman
1) She makes statements
(first scene that does NOT start with an interrogative)
2) She reads!
3) She talks to evil spirits
4) She is overtly sexual (you’ve been warned...)
Act I, scenes 5-7:
Long Live The King
Scene 5:
Lady Macbeth hears about the witches’ prophecy and gets
very excited about Macbeth becoming King. She immediately
tries to convince Macbeth that Duncan has got to go…
Scene 6:
Duncan enters the castle and says “how nice”… proving how
unexpecting he is of their plot!
Scene 7:
During a dinner for the king, Macbeth tells Lady Macbeth
that he can’t kill Duncan, so she insults his masculinity until
he agrees… which he does. The official plan is hatched.
Act II: scene 1&2
Scene i:
What does Macbeth see while waiting
for Lady Macbeth’s cue? How does it
affect him?
Scene ii:
Macbeth nearly botches the job - how?
Why does Lady Macbeth have to push
Macbeth off at the end of the scene?
Act II: scene iii
Scene iii: The “Knock Knock” Scene
Why the big dramatic build*? Why
doesn’t the porter just open the door?
Why does Lady Macbeth faint
suddenly?
What do Malcolm and Donalbain
decide to do? Why?
ACT II, SCENE 3:
A SLIGHT PAUSE FOR HISTORY
Equivocators = Catholics;
“…committed treason
enough for God’s sake…”
Possibly a reference to the
Gunpowder Plot of 1606
A group of Catholics tried
to blow up parliament
AND the king
Macbeth first produced:
1611
Act II: scene iii
Scene iii: The “Knock Knock” Scene
Why the big dramatic build? Why
doesn’t the porter just open the door?
Why does Lady Macbeth faint
suddenly?
What do Malcolm and Donalbain
decide to do? Why?
Act II: scene iv
Scene iv: The Aftermath
What is going on around the castle after
Duncan’s death? (How do we know the world is
not right again?)
According to Macduff: Who does
everybody think killed Duncan?
Where is Macbeth going? Why?
Act III: scene I
Scene i: Macbeth is king
How does Banquo feel about Macbeth being king?
How does Macbeth feel about his buddy Banquo?
Who are the two men Macbeth is talking to and
what are they supposed to do?
Scene ii:
How have the tables turned between Macbeth and
Lady Macbeth?
Act III: scene iii & iv
Scene iii: The Murderers set upon Banquo and his son, Fleance.
Scene iv: A Fancy Dinner Party!
Whom is both absent and present at dinner?
How does Lady Macbeth tell Macbeth to
snap out of it?
Where’s Macduff? Why does this matter?
How will Macbeth solve his problems?
Act III: scene v & vi
Scene v (not in film): Meanwhile on the Heath...
Witches are visited by Hecate; lots of
storms and spirits and curses; bad weather = bad things coming
Scene vi (later in film): On this episode of “The Real House-thanes of Scotland...”
Lennox gossips about: 1) Malcolm and Donalbain guilty? 2) Macduff meets Malcolm in England
KING MACBETH:
DICTATOR IN THE MAKING
Militarism
Isolationism
Propaganda & Censorship
Paranoia and Demonization of Enemies
Controlled Transfer of Power
Act IV: scene i
Macbeth goes to meet the witches:
What are the three NEW prophecies
that they give to Macbeth?
**Insert “Real House-thanes…” scene**
At the end of the scene, who does
Macbeth say he wants to “surprise”?
Act IV: scene i
Macbeth’a NEW prophecies!
“Macbeth, Macbeth, Macbeth…”
1.“…Beware the Thane of Fife!”
2.“…Laugh to scorn the power of man,
for none of woman born shall harm Macbeth.”
3.“…Macbeth shall never vanquished be until
Great Birnam Wood to high Dunsinane Hill.”
At the end of the scene, who does Macbeth say he
wants to “surprise”?
Act IV: scene ii
Lady Macduff and son:
Macduff is still away. Ross says that they have been proclaimed
traitors, but says that Macduff is still a good
man / knows what he’s doing.
L. Macduff is the complete opposite of L. Macbeth: shown as motherly, gentle, and
teaches her son about justice
Murderers come in and slay Lady Macduff
and her son... on stage!
Act IV: scene iii
Why does Macduff say that he came to
visit Malcolm?
What kind of ruler does Malcolm say that
he will be? Why?
How does Macduff react to the Thane of
Ross’s news at the end of the scene?
What does he swear to do?
Act IV: scene iii
Macduff confesses that he thinks Macbeth
should be removed as king
Malcolm and Macduff bond: Malcolm learns
he can trust Macduff after trying to trick
Macduff
Ross enters - at first tells Macduff his family is
fine, then tells Macduff that his whole family
has been slain by Macbeth
Macduff swears that if he meets Macbeth,
only one of them will walk away
ACT V
Act V: Back to CHAOS
11 scenes - yes, 11!
New characters, new scenery, and lots of
onstage sword fights
The three prophecies are answered
No more witches - things are settled in
the “real world”
Act V: scene i
Scene i: Lady Macbeth
has gone mad
What crimes does she
reference / express
guilt for being apart
of?
What is the doctor’s
diagnosis? What is
she suffering from?
Act V: scene i
Scene i: Lady Macbeth
has gone mad
Lady Macbeth is
reliving the night
they Duncan was
murdered
She also mentions
the deaths of Banquo
and Lady Macduff
Act V: scenes ii-iv
Scene ii: Thanes are mad!
How do they refer to Macbeth?
Scene iii: Macbeth. Double mad.
List three observations that Macbeth has
begun to or will soon fall into madness.
Scene iv: Approaching the castle
What is Malcolm’s genius plan for getting his
army to Macbeth’s castle?
Act V: scene v
Scene v: Macbeth learns of wife’s death
What is his reaction to her death?
What is he more concerned about at the
end of the scene? Why?
Lady Macbeth dies an undignified death
Dies off-stage, without “last words”
Nobody takes note
Act V: scenes vi-ix
Scene vi: Malcolm/Macduff reach the castle
Scene vii: Macbeth fights young Siward
How does Macbeth feel after fighting the
young soldier?
Scene viii: Macduff has entered the building
Scene ix: Siward and Malcolm - we’ve almost
won!
Act V: scenes viii-xi
Scene x: The Main Event: Macbeth vs. Macduff
What does Macduff tell Macbeth that makes
him not want to fight?
Scene xi: The End
Which character is paid high respect in this
final scene of the play?
What’s our final impression of Macbeth?
Who gets “the last word”?
The End
Macduff was not born of
woman (C-Section)
Macbeth dies an even
LESS dignified death
Young Siward: The Hero
of the Everyman
Tries not to fight
Died on the battlefield
defending the true king
Died honorably with
his “hurts before”
Is honored by his father
and his king to an
appropriate degree;
“He’s worth no more…”
Dies off stage
Is killed before giving a
final line!
Trumped by news of
Lady Macbeth’s death
Malcolm is made king;
gets the last word - all is
right in the world - YAY!