Act 1, Scene 1 Flashcards
What happens in Act 1, Scene 1?
The play opens with three witches gathering amidst thunder and lightning. They plan to meet with Macbeth that evening.
What is special about the opening of this scene?
Shakespeare would have found the opening of the play gripping. The audience would’ve been both superstitious and religious finding the idea of supernatural creatures casting spells deeply unsettling.
Quotes that show the theme of nature and the unnatural (supernatural)?
‘Fair is foul, and foul is fair;
Hover through the fog and filthy air’
What is the direct translation of this quote?
In life you have to be evil to get what you want. Shakespeare is warning us against this notion.
What is the device used?
Paradox. Where contradictory ideas are presented together. The juxtaposition of “fair” and “foul” creates a sense of confusion and sets an enigmatic tone.
What is the analysis?
The paradox “Fair is foul, and foul is fair” suggests a world where appearances are deceptive and things may not be as they seem. This sets the stage for the theme of moral ambiguity and the idea that what is considered good or fair can be deceptive and intertwined with elements of evil or foulness.
How does it show the theme of the supernatural?
This quote links to the theme of the deceptive nature of appearances and the ambiguity of morality. It foreshadows the moral chaos and inversion of values that will unfold in the play, where characters may be driven by ambitions that lead them down dark paths.
What is some context linked to this quote?
The quote is spoken by the three witches in Act 1, Scene 1, setting the eerie and supernatural tone of the play. It foreshadows the confusion and moral complexity that will permeate the narrative, hinting at the upheaval of traditional values and the blurring of distinctions between good and evil.
Why do the witches enter in thunder and lightning?
It is an example of pathetic fallacy which helps to foreshadow the evil that will occur in the rest of the play.
Why do they only repeatedly meet in thunder and lightning?
Only meeting in thunder and lightning or in rain.
Why may have Shakespeare chosen this beginning?
King Jams ruled while Shakespeare was writing this play. King James had an obsession with witchcraft.
