A closer look at each Act
As you examine each Act identify the ten most important events in each. This will help to increase your understanding of how the themes are developed throughout the play.
Act I
The main events in Act I are:
1. The witches’ plan to meet Macbeth.
2. Macbeth is introduced as a hero who will become Thane of Cawdor as a reward for his loyalty.
3. The witches prophesise that Macbeth will be king and Banquo will be the father of a line of kings.
4. Duncan orders the execution of the treacherous Thane of Cawdor. He rewards Macbeth but announces that Malcolm will become heir to the crown.
5. Lady Macbeth learns of the witches’ prophesies through the letter Macbeth has written her.
6. Macbeth arrives and Lady Macbeth tells him to look ‘like the innocent flower but to act like a serpent,’ when Duncan arrives.
7. Duncan is greeted by Lady Macbeth. He does not suspect what fate awaits him.
8. Macbeth is troubled by his conscience and almost talks himself out of killing Duncan.
9. Lady Macbeth torments Macbeth about his promise to kill Duncan, and his lack of manliness. She convinces him that a real man would keep his word. She gives the impression that she is more of a man that he is.
10. They then plan the murder together.
It is Banquo’s fear that the witches' words will "enkindle [Macbeth] unto the crown;" that they will stir an ambition in Macbeth that is already latent within him (Act I Scene 3, line 132). This fear is soon realised as Macbeth's thoughts quickly turn to murder (Act I Scene 3, line 152). Why does Macbeth rely so heavily on the predictions of the witches? Does he perceive a connection between these ‘weird sisters’ and the Fates of Greek myth? The word ‘weird’ comes from an Old English word ‘wyrd’ which means ‘fate.’ Do the witches perform the function of an oracle, of the kind we associate with Greek Tragedy?
Macbeth and Banquo are presented as characters who appear equal in many respects yet Banquo does not act on the witches' prediction that he will father kings. How does his refusal to act on the witches’ prediction reflect on the differences between himself and Macbeth? What images of masculinity do the differences between Banquo and Macbeth suggest to the audience?
The ambiguity of the language used by the ‘weird sisters’ is compatible with the play’s theme of equivocation. Banquo recognises the witches as agents of the supernatural, who speak a language that appeals to the inner desires of the characters.
Banquo:
“But ‘tis strange,
And oftentimes, to win us to our harm,
The instruments of darkness tell us truths;
Win us with honest trifles, to betray’s
In deepest consequence.”
· Why is Macbeth unable to see the double meaning of the language used by the ‘weird sisters’?
· In Act 2 Scene 1, Banquo dreams of the three ‘weird sisters.’ Why does Macbeth say, “I think not of them”?
· How does this difference between the way these two characters perceive the split between their inner and outer worlds reflect on the plays others themes of “fair” being “foul;” and the ideas of loyalty and ambition? Lady Macbeth also shares Macbeth’s prejudice in appealing to the supernatural. For her, a prediction becomes a “promise”.
“Glamis thou art, and Cawdor, and shalt be
What thou art promised; yet I do fear thy nature”
Lady Macbeth (Act I Scene 5)
· How does Macbeth’s written reference, “They met me in the day of success, and I have learned by the perfectest report they have more in them than mortal knowledge,” strengthen the similarities or differences between how Macbeth, Lady Macbeth and Banquo see the role of the ‘weird sisters’?
· Why does Shakespeare make double use of ideas like this, e.g. we all see things differently? In most of Shakespeare’s plays, he uses a mirroring of ideas between the characters, which serves to heighten their differences. Macbeth is no exception.
A major concern of the play is the relationship of the personal inner world of the character and its relationship to the social and political order of the outer world, and the way characters act or refuse to act on the way they perceive the world. Macbeth is prepared to engage in deception at Lady Macbeth’s prompt to
"look like th'innocent flower,
But be the serpent under't".
(Act I Scene 5)
Macbeth knows that he must appear to be a loyal Thane, even while he is secretly planning his dark deeds.
Lady Macbeth uses her womanly looks to flatter Duncan’s hopes for loyalty, but has already ‘unsexed’ herself to commit the bloody deed of killing him. Aspects of the inner world of human psychology are revealed through the nightmares and guilt-ridden hallucinations that accompany the carrying out of the evil acts. Shakespeare chose to present the contrast between what someone is and what they appear to be, so as to accentuate the fundamental meaning of his use of the theme of equivocation, a theme which he also connected to the theme that appearances can be deceptive.
Shakespeare uses the theme that appearances are deceptive to present Macbeth as a character who is outwardly brave but inwardly indecisive. To this he adds the idea that Macbeth’s character contains a fatal flaw. He knows what is right and what is wrong and yet lacks the moral fortitude to act correctly preferring instead to allow himself to be deceived by vague notions about what a real man would do in the circumstances. Psychologically Macbeth is emotionally tormented. His eloquent soliloquies are full of pathos and audiences cannot help but sympathise with his distress.
· Why does Shakespeare’s depiction of Macbeth evoke such sympathy?
· Contrast and compare this view of Macbeth with his depiction of Lady Macbeth.
Lady Macbeth is presented as a ruthless character driven by a desire for greatness and status. However, her desire for power represents a masculine trait that requires her to shed her feminine qualities. In her “unsex me here” speech, she identifies the feminine virtues of keeping the peace and feeling remorse as barriers to achieving her great purpose. Lady Macbeth’s rejection of motherhood arouses ‘shock horror’ emotions from the audience.
· What image of feminine power is Shakespeare presenting through his depiction of Lady Macbeth?
· How does this depiction of an essentially uncaring, evil woman increase the sympathy the audience feels for Macbeth?
· Can you think of any modern examples of this stereotypically evil woman?
Act II
All the scenes in Act II are set in or near Macbeth’s castle at Inverness. The Act begins with a discussion between Macbeth and Banquo. It is after midnight. Banquo wants to discuss the witches, but Macbeth tells him they will discuss them some other time, and bids him goodnight. He then delivers an important soliloquy beginning with the words, “Is this a dagger which I see before me, the handle toward my hand?”
In this act, you need to pay close attention to Macbeth’s state of mind. Does he really see a dagger or is it just a vision, a dagger of the mind? The inner world of Macbeth’s psyche seems to spill over into the physical world, as he carries, to conclusion, his plan to kill Duncan.
After killing Duncan Macbeth hears a voice saying, “Glamis hath murdered sleep and therefore Cawdor shall sleep no more; Macbeth shall sleep no more.”
Earlier, Macbeth sees the dagger leading him to the murder scene. The ‘instrument’ he refers to in this speech recalls the influence of the witches referred to earlier by Banquo as the ‘instruments of darkness.’ The other references to ‘wicked dreams’ and ‘witchcraft’ support the idea that Macbeth is either possessed by the witches, or obsessed with the idea of killing Duncan to fulfill the witches’ prediction. You will need to decide to what extent Macbeth is provoked by either the witches or his own ‘heat-oppressed brain’ into committing the act of killing Duncan.
Sleep is important, as an extended metaphor, that signifies or represents Macbeth’s troubled existence, and the troubled state of the country. No one can sleep because Macbeth’s ambition to become king plunges the country into a darkness that seems to mirror his psychological state. Images of natural disorder abound in this act, an owl eats a falcon and two noble horses eat each other.
The symbolism of the act is centered on the images of birds at war with each other, and every scene in the act contains a least one reference to birds. It has been suggested that the references to the owl in this act represent a metaphor for Macbeth. Macbeth is like an owl, which sleeps by day and hunts by night.
· Compare this idea to the Elizabethan world order, which places the eagle or falcon at the top of the order of the bird kingdom. What are the implications for the order of the world?
· There are also several references to hell in this scene. The porter imagines that he is guarding the gate to hell. Explore the irony of these references.
· What other biblical references can you find in Act II? What does Banquo’s declaration,
“In the great hand of God I stand and thence against the undivulged pretense I fight”
suggest about the differences between him and Macbeth (Act II Scene 3)?
· What is the dramatic function of the Old Man’s single appearance in the play? Whose point of view does he represent? How do his lines reinforce the themes of the play?
Act III
Act III opens shortly after Macbeth has been crowned King. Macbeth’s succession has not brought peace, and the implications, in the text, reveal that he has to employ spies in each of the most important households to inform him of any move against him. The voice of conscience speaks loudly to Macbeth in this scene soon after he has Banquo murdered.
The theme to focus on in Act III is what does it mean to be a man? Earlier in the play Lady Macbeth defines masculinity as the ability to ruthlessly achieve a desired goal. In Act I Scene 2, Duncan applauds Macbeth’s ruthless killing of “the merciless Macdonald” who Macbeth “unseamed” from “the nave to th’ chaps.” Duncan exclaims, “O valiant cousin, worthy gentleman.”
· Identify as many versions of masculinity and femininity as you can as you read the play.
The idea of what it means to be a real man is a question that can be looked at from several different viewpoints. Try comparing the views of several different characters with each other. Then consider the way that the idea of what it means to be a man means to each of them. Consider how these ideas about masculinity move the action of the play forward. For example, Duncan rewards masculine valour with titles, this brings him closer to his own demise. Macbeth kills in order to gain power and honour from the king and his fellow thanes. He then kills the king to prove he is a man of destiny. Macduff defends his masculinity by killing Macbeth out of revenge for the killing of his wife and children.
· Examine the role that masculinity plays in motivating each of the characters to carry out their plans.
In Act III Scene 1, Macbeth’s discussion with the murderers about how a man is meant to behave mirrors the words used by Lady Macbeth in Act 1. Macbeth taunts the murderers with references to their rank, station and file (Act III Scene 1, lines 90-105).
· Reflect on the relationship Macbeth has with the murderers and how closely it mirrors the methods he and Lady Macbeth used to kill Duncan. What does this suggest about all murderers? Especially note the references to stains and blood in committing the act of murder which are meant to signify guilt.
· Why does Macbeth refer to the blood on the murderer’s face? Is this real or imagined blood? How does this link with the themes of appearances and disturbance of the natural order? How does this foreshadow the blood Lady Macbeth tries to wash from her hands in Act V?
· When Macbeth see Banquo’s ghost he is ‘unmanned’. Could it be that Macbeth’s feminine side is asserting itself through his guilt? Compare this view of masculinity to Lady Macbeth’s “unsex me here” speech.
· How do some of the supernatural elements of the play undermine notions of masculinity and femininity? What message is being directed to the audience about the roles men and women are meant to play?
· How does witchcraft undermine the established order? Relate this to the idea of cleanliness; what is being implied? Are all witches capable of murder?
· Lady Macbeth is not involved in the plan to kill Banquo and her role in the play is diminished after Act III. Think carefully about the way Shakespeare uses this mirroring technique. Lady Macbeth’s character is not as fully developed as Macbeth’s because, unlike Macbeth, she doesn’t consciously weigh the consequences of her actions. Her realisations are depicted as unconscious responses performed in sleep, whereas Macbeth thoughts are consciously and eloquently articulated to the audience.
· Is Lady Macbeth a foil for Macbeth, whose function is designed to move the audience toward a deeper understanding of the tragic nature of the play’s bloody events?
· Think of Macbeth’s speech on “vaulting ambition” as you reflect on how each of these two characters influence each other, before you decide what her dramatic function is.
The idea of cleanliness permeates this act, and the theme of removing stains and washing runs throughout the whole play. In Act II Scene 2, Lady Macbeth instructs Macbeth to wash the blood from his hands after murdering Duncan. She says, “a little water clears us of this deed,” but it doesn’t.