Macbeth - Plot Flashcards
Act 1 Scene 2
> Macdonald’s death: There’s a meeting at King Duncan’s headquarters. A bleeding captain has brought the king news of the battle. Macbeth has fought well and killed Macdonald, who had betrayed D - ‘unseam’d him from nave to th’ chaps/ And fix’d his head upon our battlements. D calls M ‘O valiant cousin, worthy gentleman.’
Macbeth becomes thane of Cawdor: D sentences ToC to death for his betrayal and rewards M with his title - ‘with his former title greet Macbeth’ and ‘What he hath lost, noble Macbeth hath won.’
D sends Ross to tell M about his new title.
Banquo key quotes - 1.3
> ‘What can the devil speak true?’:
-suggests he knows witches are evil, and so surprised that such evil forces can speak true.
-this revelation opens possibilities to M - he starts to consider their claim that he actually could be King one day - start of his downfall?
‘Oftentimes, to win us to our harm, / The instruments of darkness tell us truths.’:
-B is cautious after M asks if he hopes his kids will be king.
-metaphor suggests he thinks their evil and might be using their ability to see the future to hurt M and B.
-less willing to believe their prophecies, viewing them as evil creatures with dark intentions.
Macbeth key quotes - 1.3
> ‘Glamis, and Thane of Cawdor:/ The greatest is behind’:
-feels it could actually become a reality.
-says in an aside -to himself and audience.
‘Doth unfix my hair/ And make my seated heart knock at my ribs/ Against my use of nature.’:
-in an aside.
-feels afraid at thought of something happening to D so he can become king.
-at this point he recognises the Divine Right of Kings and doesn’t want to harm D.
‘So foul and fair a day I have not seen’:
-His first line in play and is important as it shows he knows about the trouble in nature.
-Foreshadows the conflict that will soon happen.
-Could also show how M’s personality and feelings are mixed and that the play will reveal his true nature.
Act 1 Scene 3
> Witches reappear:
-thunder again, first witch tells story about how sailor’s wife refused to give her chestnuts and she now plans to torture her husband. shows power and wickedness.
The witches 3 prophecies.
Macbeth learns he is Thane of Cawdor:
-M orders witches to explain but they vanish. Shows he can’t control them.
-Does this moment represent that M has no power and control over his own fate?
Macbeth’s aside. Confused.
Macbeth’s decision:
-‘If chance will have me king, why chance may crown me/ Without my stir.’
The witches prophecies 1.3
> Macbeth:
-‘thane of glamis’ , which he is
-‘Thane of Cawdor, which audience knows is true
-‘All hail Macbeth, that shalt be king hereafter.’
Banquo:
-told he will be ‘lesser’ than M but he will be ‘greater’, because he ‘shalt get kings’ - children will be kings.
‘Fair is foul and foul is fair’
> 1.3
Introduces theme of evil-doing and deception:
-M appears to be a good friend and heroic character but becomes villanous and selfish when tempted by power.
Oxymoron.
Act 1 Scene 1
> First thing audience sees is thunder and lightning immediately showing that conflict is coming and sets the frightening, negative tone of the play.
Three witches- shakespeare begins with the witches to show the audience that the play has supernatural themes from the start.
Act 1 Scene 4
> Malcolm declared heir:
-D and Mal talking about previous ToC’s execution.
-M arrives, D praises him and M says it was his duty.
-D announces M is heir to throne.
Macbeth’s aside:
-M says Mal is now an obstacle for him, which he must ‘o’erleap’.
-He admits he wants crown, even though it’s disloyal to want it:
‘Stars, hide you fires,/ Let not light see my black and deep desires.’
Act 1 Scene 5
> Macbeth’s letter:
-scene begins with LM reading letter aloud from husband, which tells her what witches said.
-LM is worried that M is too soft-hearted to take action to get crown and she wants to manipulate him into taking action to get crown.
Lady Macbeth’s masculine request:
-Attendant informs LM that king is coming to stay with them that night.
-After attendant leaves, LM talks to the spirits, asking them to make her less womanly so she can be cruel and do what she needs to get Macbeth crown.
Intentions clear:
-M arrives and LM makes her intentions clear to him.
Lady Macbeth - Key quotes - 1.5
> ‘I do fear thy nature,/ It is too full o’th’milk of human kindness/ To catch the nearest way.’:
-LM is worried M is too good and soft-hearted to take action to get crown.
-Acknowledged M has ambition but he needs to be ruthless to get things he wants.
‘I may pour my spirits in thine ear/ And chastise thee with the valour of my tongue.’:
-LM wants to manipulate M to get crown, she wants her husband to be more powerful so in turn she shares the power.
‘Come, you spirits/ that tend on mortal thoughts, unsex me here/ And fill me from the crown to the toe topgull/ Of direst cruelty’:
-LM asks spirits to make her less womanly.
-Women were meant to be kind and nurture life and kindness but she wants to adopt the more traditional male traits of anger ferocity.
-She has to rely on M to murder D.
‘Look like th’innocent flower, /But be the serpent under’t’.:
-LM tells M he must hide his true feelings - he needs to come across as innocent even though he has violent intentions.
Macbeth key quotes - 1.5
> ‘We will speak further-‘
- M doesn’t speak much in this scene, LM seems o have power over him.
- Here, he tries to put her off but dash shows that she interrupts him and tells him she will sort everything out. ‘Leave the rest to me.’
- Immediately shown to be manipulative character, almost overpowering husband,’
Act 1 Scene 6
> King Duncan arrives:
-D arrives and LM comes out to greet him.
-D uses praising language to address her - ‘honour’d hostess’; ‘fair and noble hostess’; ‘by your leave, hostess’.
-creates dramatic irony for the audience because they know LM is pretending and that she plans for hiim to die in her home.
Context:
-At time if someone was in your home, it was your duty to protect them.
-Calling her ‘hostess’ in this short scene, Shakespeare reminds audience she’s being doubly evil. Not only is she plotting to kill the king but she’s also breaking the trust put in her as hostess.
Act 1 Scene 7
> Macbeth’s soliloquy:
-In which he thinks what would happen if he killed D.
-He knows there would be consequences if he killed the king.
-Struggling to take action, only thing making him want to kill D is ambition.
Macbeth’s decision:
-LM enters and M informs her - ‘We will proceed no further in this business.’
Lady Macbeth’s persuasion:
-LM really manipulates M using several techniques: aggressive language, tells him he’s a coward, tries to show him positive outcomes(he will be more than just a man), makes him feel guilty for breaking promise to his wife.
Macbeth agrees:
-LM tells M she plans to get D’s men drunk so they can do whatever like to unprotected king and blame servants.
-M agrees and they return to celebrations.
Macbeth key quotes - 1.7
> ‘I have no spur/to prick the sides of my intent, but only/ Vaulting ambition which o’erleaps itself/ And falls on th’other.’:
-He says ambition is only thing making him want to kill D and that ambition leads to stupid things and leads to disaster, in is soliloquy.
‘We will proceed no further in this business’:
-He’s enjoying honour D has given him and doesn’t want to cast it aside.
-He has not yet been corrupted by his ambition.
‘Bring forth men-children only.’;
-M praises LM’s strength as it means she is strong and fierce if she were to only give birth to males.
-Men seen as stronger than women and men preffered as carried on family name and provide wealth for family.
‘False face must hide what the false heart doth know.’:
-M agrees at end of scene and tells LM they must go back to celebrations, hiding their intentions.
Lady Macbeth key quotes - 1.7
> ‘Live a coward in thine own esteem,/ Letting ‘I dare not’ wait upon ‘I would’.:
- LM really manipulating M.
- She hints he is a coward for not going after what he wants. She asks him if he wants to live his life never daring to take anything he wants.
