Macbeth

ACT 1

Scene 1: A battle has taken place and three witches plan to meet Macbeth. in the Scottish camp king Duncan asks for a report of the battle. In Scene 1 the witches use the trochaic trimetre as the metre they speak to give us an easy way to tell they are different to the rest of the characters because normally Shakespeare writes in iambic pentameter. “fair is foul, and foul is fair” in act 1 scene 1 the witches are saying that what is fair to man is foul to the witches, but what men may see as foul, the witches see as fair.

Scene 2: A wounded soldier tells how Macbeth had killed the rebel Macdonwald and then with Banquo, had fought off an attack from the Norwegian who was 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 his title to Macbeth. “As sparrows eagles or the hare the lion.” is used in the play to show that Macbeth is outnumbered and has very low chances of winning. I predict that the story is going to be about Macbeth becoming more important and the story of what happens and how his personality will change and he may become more selfish and less of what he was in the battle to create a bigger tragedy.

Scene 3: The three witches meet again upon the heath and talk about what they had been up to. Macbeth then arrives with Banquo where the witches tell Macbeth that he will soon become the thane of Cawdor and also king. They also tell Banquo that his children will also become king. The witches vanish and Rosse and Angus arrive with the news that Macbeth is the new thane of Cawdor meaning that the witches told at least some truth. Then Macbeth and Banquo speak about what just happened and about Macbeth being told he was going to be king. I predict that Macbeth will soon become more selfish and start to think more about him being king and makes him more selfish.

Scene 4: The king congratulates Macbeth on becoming the thane of Cawdor and Pronounces his son the Prince of Cumberland meaning that he is the air to the throne meaning that Macbeth will have to give in to doing something that isn’t good. He says ” The prince of Cumberland that is a step on which I must fall down, or else o’erleap for in my way it lies, stars hide your fires let not light see my black and deep desires” meaning that Malcolm(the prince) will have to become lower down than Macbeth or else Macbeth will do something that he doesn’t want God to see.

Scene 6: Duncan, the Scottish lords, and their attendants arrive outside Macbeth’s castle. Duncan praises the castle’s pleasant environment, and he thanks Lady Macbeth, who has emerged to greet him, for her hospitality. She replies that it is her duty to be hospitable since she and her husband owe so much to their king. Duncan then asks to be taken inside to Macbeth, whom he professes to love dearly.

Scene 7: Macbeth and Lady Macbeth talk about there plan to kill Duncan and at the start, Macbeth wasn’t going to do it then lady Macbeth manipulated him to then be more willing then they plan to kill Duncan that night by making the guards drunk and then killing Duncan with the guard’s daggers. At the end of the scene, Macbeth says “false face must hide what the false heart doth know.” which tells us that the will have to hide their intentions with them lying to everyone making sure no one knows what they have done.

Act 2:

Scene 2: Macbeth and Lady Macbeth kill Duncan and talk about how they feel about with them referring to blood as their guilt. Lady Macbeth says that she has no guilt and after a little bit she won’t even remember it. Macbeth says that the longer he is going to leave it the worse his guilt will get. He also says that he heard someone say that he has murdered sleep so I think that he won’t be able to sleep which will mean he will become crazier.

Scene 3: Macbeth and the rest of the house find out that the king is dead and banquo starts to get a suspicion towards Macbeth. Malcolm and Donalbain talk and release that they have to leave so one goes to Ireland and the other to England

Scene 4: Ross and an old man talk about the weird occurrences that happened that night and then ross sees Macduff and asks what happened and hear the news that the king is dead. Macduff says that he will not be attending Macbeths party and instead will go to Duncan’s funeral.

Act 3:

Scene 1: Macbeth and Banquo talk and Macbeth questions Banquo about who and where he is going on the horse ride and then tells one of his servants to get some murderers. Macbeth then talks to the murderers and tells them to kill both Banquo and Fleance who is Banquo’s son.

Scene 2: Lady Macbeth told King Macbeth that the murder of Duncan was done and he should let it go and rest easy. But the king told Lady Macbeth that his mind would be uneasy as long as there existed a threat to his throne. King Macbeth then told her that he had set into motion a horrible plan to take care of the threat.

Scene 3: It is dusk, and the two murderers, now joined by a third, linger in a wooded park outside the palace. Banquo and Fleance approach on their horses and dismount. They light a torch, and the murderers set upon them. The murderers kill Banquo, who dies urging his son to flee and to avenge his death. One of the murderers extinguishes the torch, and in the darkness Fleance escapes. The murderers leave with Banquo’s body to find Macbeth and tell him what has happened.

Scene 5: Hecate and the first witch talk about how Macbeth is coming back to see them and Hecate says that she is going to show them how to do it. Hecate also says “And you all know, security Is mortals’ chiefest enemy.” This is telling us that death is feared by all mortals and that even if we become immortal we will still have problems with us seeing our friends and family die.

Scene 6: Lennox and a lord talk about how Fleance has been blamed with Banquo’s death bot both of them suspect that it was Macbeth who killed both Duncan and Banquo. They then talk about how Macduff has gone to meet with Malcolm in England.

Act 4:

Scene 1: The witches, Hecate and Macbeth meet in a cavern where they reinforce what they said at the start to Macbeth and Banquo and they create a cauldron full of weird stuff. Then three Apparition’s come and the first on was an Armed head that told Macbeth to fear Macduff the second one who was a bloody child told him that he cannot die and the last one which was a child holding a tree said that he cannot be defeated (vanquished).

Scene 2: Lady macduff and Rosse talk about macduff with Lady Macduff talking badly about him leaving his family and Rosse tries to save some of his honour. lady Macduff and her son talk about Macduff saying that he is a traitor and what will the son do now they continue to talk about what a traitor is and how the justice might not be correct. A messenger then comes and tells them that they could be in grave danger and that they should run but it was too late. A murderer comes in and asks where Macduff is and tells his family he is a traitor the kills both the son and Lady Macduff. In a quote the son says “Then the liars and swearers are fools: for there are liars and swearers enow to beat the honest men, and hang up them.” This is saying that actually the men that are sorting out the traitors may also be traitors and destroys the justice that has been made.

Scene 3: Malcolm and Macduff talk and Malcolm tests Macduff to see who he is loyal to and finds out that he is loyal to Scotland and not Macbeth. They then talk about the state of Scotland and a doctor comes in talking about how the king of England can heal any disease just by touching the person. Then Rosse comes in and informs Macduff that his family is dead and that they were slaughtered. Then Macduff and Malcolm talk about what there going to do now. Macduff says at the end of the scene “Be this the whetstone of your sword: let grief Convert to anger; blunt not the heart, enrage it” This means that Macduff should use this grief to sharpen his sword and to make himself angry at who has done this to him.

Act 5

Scene 1: A doctor and a Gentle-woman talk about what has been happening lately with Lady Macbeth and talk about how she has been getting up in her sleep washing her hands than writing a note, sealing it then going back to bed. The Doctor then gets an experience of this when Lady Macbeth goes and washes her hands and says that there are still spots on her hand. They then hear her say that they killed Duncan and Banquo and say that she doesn’t need a doctor she needs god to help her. In one of her speeches, Lady Macbeth says “Come, come, come, come, give me your hand. What’s done cannot be undone” This is telling us that she cannot go back and undo the killing of Duncan and Banquo and is talking in her sleep to Macbeth.

Scene 2: the Scottish army opposing Macbeth approaches Dunsinane and the thanes discuss Macbeth’s loss of control.

Scene 3: Macbeth talks about what is happening at the moment and is getting very angry at anyone. A servant come in and tells Macbeth that there is an army outside getting ready to fight him and he dismisses this. Seyton then comes in who tells Macbeth the news is true and asks what they should do. Macbeth says don’t worry as long as the wood of burn-ham doesn’t move then he is fine. This is because in the prophecy from the witches they tell him he is invincible as long as the wood of burn-ham forest doesn’t move to the castel of Dunsinane.

Scene 4: As Macbeth struggles into his armour , the doctor leaves wishing he were well away from dunsinane. The two armies opposing Macbeth have joined forces.

Scene 6: They are willing to fight to the death. Siward says “Let us be beaten , if we cannot fight.” Which is telling us that they are willing to fight till the very end.

Scene 7: Young siward dies from Macbeth and macduff asks to fight Macbeth. Siward and Malcolm talk about how Macbeths forces are joining their side every time they meet them. Malcolm says ” We have met with foes that strike beside us” which is telling us that they are growing there army and Macbeth is losing his.

Scene 8: Macbeth and Macduff finally meet and fight and then Macbeth learns that Macduff is caesarean born and is able to beat him. Macduff then kills Macbeth.

Scene 9: Siward learns that Young Siward is dead and Malcolm is pronounced king. Macduff enters with Macbeths head and everything goes back to normal.