Macbeth Act 1 Monday 1st November 2021

Macbeth
   Act 1
Monday 1st November 2021

Learning purposes
   • To recap knowledge of the plot of Macbeth
   • To explore the significance of the Witches
   • To consider the introduction of Macbeth and Banquo in the play

Recap of previous learning               Future learning
Ø On the next slide…                     Ø Development of extract analysis skills
                                           and whole-text responses.
                                         Ø Explore significant characters,
                                           themes, settings and events in the
                                           play.

The exam…
Section A – Shakespeare: students complete a two-part question.

• Part a) is focused on the close language analysis of an extract (AO2).
The extract will be approximately 30 lines in length. (/20)
• Note – this is the same as A Christmas Carol

• Part b) is focused on how a theme from the extract is explored
       elsewhere in the play (AO1 and AO3). The focus will be on
       maintaining a critical style and demonstrating an understanding
       of the relationship between the text and the context in which it
       was written. (/20)
• You cannot write about the extract again ! (/20 marks)

Starter - Complete the plot summary
1. While returning from a battle victory, Macbeth, a powerful lord, meets three Witches
   who predict that he will become King of Scotland.
2. Macbeth tells his wife of the Witches' predictions and she encourages him to murder
   the current king, Duncan, who is staying with them as a guest.
3. After Macduff discovers the murder of Duncan, Duncan's sons flee the country, leaving
   the way clear for Macbeth to become king.
4. Banquo, Macbeth's best friend, becomes suspicious of what his friend has done so
   Macbeth has him murdered too.
5. Macbeth pays a second visit to the Witches and receives more predictions.
6. In England, Malcolm (Duncan's elder son) and his chief supporter, Macduff, plan to
   invade Scotland to win back the throne. An enraged Macbeth has Macduff's wife and
   children killed; Macduff swears revenge.
7. Lady Macbeth suffers from guilt for what she has done and eventually commits suicide.
8. Malcolm's invasion is successful and Macduff kills Macbeth. Malcolm becomes the new
   King of Scotland and the country counts the cost of Macbeth's short but bloody reign

Key words
Paradox (n) / paradoxical (adj)
‘fair is foul and foul is fair’          ‘all animals are equal but some
                                         animals are more equal than others’

When something contradicts (goes against itself) in an unusual way.

Equivocation (n) / equivocal (adj)
‘The power of man, for none of woman born / Shall harm Macbeth’

the use of ambiguous language to conceal the truth

Act 1 – Key points
• A prologue of evil – the witches plan to meet Macbeth
• King Duncan rewards Macbeth for being successful in battle.
• The witches speak prophecies to Macbeth and Banquo.
• Duncan announces that his son Malcolm will be the next king.
• Lady Macbeth reads her husband’s letter.
• The king visits the Macbeth household.
• Macbeth leaves the dinner and is worried about his plans to kill King
  Duncan.

Character focus – The Witches
What can you remember from last year about The Witches and their
role in the play? Mind map your ideas.

The Witches – add to your mindmap
ØThe three witches’ prophecies help push Macbeth’s ambition over the
 edge, and convince him to murder Duncan in order to become King.
Ø The witches' knowledge of future events clearly indicates that they have
 supernatural powers, and they also clearly enjoy using those powers to
 cause havoc and mayhem among mankind.
ØHowever, the witches never compel anyone to do anything. Instead, they
 tell half-truths (they use equivocal language) to lure men into giving into
 their own dark desires.
ØIt's left vague in Macbeth whether Macbeth would have become King of
 Scotland if he just sat back and did nothing. This vagueness seems to
 suggest that while the broad outlines of a person's fate might be
 predetermined, how the fate plays out is up to him.

Act 1 Scene 1
Read Act 1 Scene 1 and consider how the witches are presented.

The witches speak chorally, which gives the impression that they are
one being, adding to their strangeness.
The witches often speak in patterns that remind us of magical spells.
Witchcraft has three functions in the play:
   1. It exposes the evil hiding in Macbeth
   2. It directs his evil to particular deeds
   3. It creates a powerful atmosphere within the play

Contextual link – The Witches
• It is commonly held that Shakespeare wrote his plays for the monarchs of
  England.
• King James I was an avid scholar of all things strange, weird, and superstitious.
• In 1597, the king published a book called Daemonologie; it was a study of
  witchcraft, necromancy, demons, werewolves, vampires etc.
• Much of the witchcraft in Macbeth was actually taken directly from
  Daemonologie, probably as a form of flattery to the king himself.

• King James I was widely considered paranoid and throughout his whole reign, he
  was terrified that he would be assassinated.
• His fear was somewhat justified as in 1605, James uncovered an assassination
  attempt against him: the Gunpowder Plot.

Act 1 Scene 2
TASK: Read the Captain’s speech about the battle. Complete the
worksheet, considering how Macbeth is presented before the audience
are able to meet him.

The battle at the start of Macbeth is a microcosm for the rest of the
play.

Banquo and Macbeth are foils of one another – we are able to

Act 1 Scene 3                    directly compare and contrast their reactions to being told
                                 prophecies by the witches. One chooses a path of good, the
                                 other chooses a path of evil.

The three witches prophesize that Macbeth will become Thane of Cawdor
and King of Scotland, and that Banquo will have sons who are kings. Shortly
after, Macbeth is indeed given the title Thane of Cawdor.

Read pages 6-10.

Consider:
• The physical description of the witches
• Macbeth’s reaction to the prophecies
• Banquo’s reaction to the prophecies

Macbeth’s characterisation
‘So foul and fair a day I have not seen’

Do you think that Macbeth has autonomy at this point in the play or do
you think he is subconsciously influenced by the witches?

Autonomy – the right or ability to be able to govern yourself,
including your actions and decisions. (autonomous – adj)

Extract question
Explore how Macbeth and Banquo are presented in the extract.

‘the instruments of darkness…win us with honest trifles, to betray’s in
deepest consequence’

‘…horrid image unfix my hair and make my seated heart knock against
my ribs’

‘if chance will have me king, why chance may crown me without my
stir’

Explore how Macbeth and Banquo are presented in the extract.

In the extract, Shakespeare draws the audience’s attention to the differing
reactions of Macbeth and Banquo to the Witches’ prophecies. Macbeth’s credulity
at the beginning of the extract is evident when he exclaims that he is currently
‘Glamis, and thane of Cawdor’ and that ‘the greatest is behind’. The superlative
‘greatest’ suggests that he believes that becoming King is the next and most
important step in his quest for power. However, Shakespeare makes it clear that
Macbeth is reluctant to reveal his ambitious thoughts to Banquo through the use of
an aside, hinting to the audience the beginning of Macbeth’s hamartia (that being
excessive ambition) in the play. Despite Macbeth’s curiosity being heightened,
Banquo approaches the Witches’ prophecies with a pragmatic and sceptical
attitude, declaring that ‘the instruments of darkness tell us truths…to betray’s in
deepest consequence’. Through alluding to the Witches as ‘instruments of
darkness’, Banquo immediately casts doubt on the Witches’ intentions due to the
connotations of secrecy and evil associated with darkness. Shakespeare cleverly
contrasts that reactions of Macbeth and Banquo to evidence the early fractures in
their relationship which later lead to Banquo’s untimely death and Macbeth’s
tyrannous behaviour in the play.

Explore how Macbeth and Banquo are presented in the extract.

In the extract, Shakespeare draws the audience’s attention to the differing
reactions of Macbeth and Banquo to the Witches’ prophecies. Macbeth’s credulity
at the beginning of the extract is evident when he exclaims that he is currently
‘Glamis, and thane of Cawdor’ and that ‘the greatest is behind’. The superlative
‘greatest’ suggests that he believes that becoming King is the next and most
important step in his quest for power. However, Shakespeare makes it clear that
Macbeth is reluctant to reveal his ambitious thoughts to Banquo through the use of
an aside, hinting to the audience the beginning of Macbeth’s hamartia (that being
excessive ambition) in the play. Despite Macbeth’s curiosity being heightened,
Banquo approaches the Witches’ prophecies with a pragmatic and sceptical
attitude, declaring that ‘the instruments of darkness tell us truths…to betray’s in
deepest consequence’. Through metaphorically alluding to the Witches as
‘instruments of darkness’, Banquo immediately casts doubt on the Witches’
intentions due to the connotations of secrecy and evil associated with darkness.
Shakespeare cleverly contrasts that reactions of Macbeth and Banquo to evidence
the early fractures in their relationship which later lead to Banquo’s untimely death
and Macbeth’s tyrannous behaviour in the play.

Act 1 Scene 4
Read pages 12-13.

Naïve     Deceptive       Trusting       Ambitious   Antagonistic

Accommodating       Duplicitous      Respectful      Credulous (gullible)

How is Duncan presented – choose and justify two adjectives
How is Macbeth presented – choose and justify two adjectives

Homework
• Read pages 13-18.

• Complete the worksheet.