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"Stars, hide your fires,let not light see my black and deep desires, the eye wink at the hand"
Pg.21 Line.50-54
Macbeth's tone is ominous conveying his evil intentions of murdering Duncan. Usage and contrast of light and dark imagery reveals

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"There's no art to find the mind's construction in the face... absolute trust.
Enter Macbeth"
Pg.19 Line.12-15
The terrible deeds in Thane of Cawdor's mind was not evident in his external physique. Just as Duncan says this Macbeth (his future  murderer) walks in causing immense amount of dramatic irony on the audience. On the other hand, King Duncan is completely hypocritical in trusting Macbeth blindly just after  facing the consequences rendering him as gullible and foolish. These flaws in his character lead to Duncan's unavoidable death.

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Summary
Malcolm reports Thane of Cawdor dies a repentant and dignified death. Duncan reflects its impossible to judge anyone by outward appearance. Warmly welcomes Macbeth, who declares his loyalty to the king. Duncan promises honors to Banquo and Macbeth but announces Malcolm as successor. Macbeth is appalled and broods ominously.

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Themes

- Supernatural
Witches are shown as the from the superstitious views of Elizabethan era.
- Equivocation
deliberately speaking ambiguously with multiple meanings the witches cause Macbeth's confusion. Banquo later elaborates.
- Ambition/Evil
Audience finds out that the witches have sparked Macbeth's ambition to become king with his personal thoughts about regicide.

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Settings

Pathetic fallacy may be used by directors to show that the weather is foul (gloomy) but the victorious battle is "fair".
Vice versa, weather can be fair and foulness is the carnage caused by the battle.

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Summary

Witches enter giving detailed accounts of evil they have committed or will do so such as killing swine or their plan to torture a sailor to death because his wife did not give chestnuts to the first witch. Macbeth and Banquo enter and are told about their prophecies. While they both are perplexed, Ross and Angus arrive with the news that Macbeth has become Thane of Cawdor. Banquo cautions not to believe the witches as they are giving misleading information. Macbeth has internal conflict but concludes that he can become king without his stir. Exits with other Thanes to meet Duncan.

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Staging

"Witches vanish"
- Could have used a trap door with smoke effect
- Ran off stage or hide behind prop sneak off.
- lights can turn off and on giving them time to exit the stage quickly

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"Very gladly"
Banquo can say this in varying tones: Sarcastic and dubious or innocent and guileless.

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Macbeth Aside Pg.17
He showcases his internal turmoil between Good Vs. evil and murderous thoughts.
"Can not be ill, can not be good"
He understands the promises of pleasure made by supernatural powers may not seem bad but can not be good either. He considers both pros and cons conveying his multi-layered perspective.
"horrible imaginings"
"Function is smothered in surmise"
Macbeth is confirmed to be already thinking about the dreadful regicide he'll commit.
His ability to act is stifled by his thoughts. By considering murder it stops the murder from occurring. Something which Macbeth increasing abandons throughout the play.

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"The instruments of darkness tell us truths; win us with honest trifles, to betray's in deepest consequence"
Pg.15 Line.124-126
Banquo is suspicious of the witches unlike Macbeth who does not think beyond the prophecy of becoming King. He believe that whatever "truths" they spout there will be consequences.

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Macbeth Vs. Banquo
Pg.13 Line.64-66
"Lesser than Macbeth but greater"
Macbeth fulfills his prophecy and does hold a higher title than Banquo - The kingship.But Banquo dies an honorable death whereas Macbeth dies in humiliation of being a tyrant.
"Not so happy, yet much happier"
Banquo was murdered so he obviously will have regrets but for period of time he was alive he was much happier than Macbeth.
"Thou shalt get kings, but thou shalt be none"
Macbeth will become King with no heir. Banquo will not become King but will have descendants that will.

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"Speak to me then, who neither beg nor fear your favours or your hate"
Pg.11 Line.60
Banquo acts as a contrast to Macbeth by being not easy manipulated by the witches words.

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"Why do you start and seem to fear things that do sound so fair?"
Pg.11 Line.50
Macbeth starts because he may have already had underlying thoughts about murdering Duncan.

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"So foul and fair a day I have not seen"
Pg.11 Line.37
Echoed words from Act 1.1 Creates a parallel between Macbeth and the witches. Witches have already been established on their wickedness and this link to Macbeth suggests to audience that Macbeth is also evil

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Metaphor

Life - Is seen as a voyage during which we face difficulties, experience adventures and make discoveries. However, Shakespeare uses the witches to disturb the natural voyage of life and instead causes life to become full of hardships without any positive outcomes making living unbearable. Foreshadows that this will also occur to macbeth

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Allusion

1606 English Tiger returned home after a disastrous voyage lasting 81 weeks

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"Sleep shall neither night nor day"
Pg.9 Line.19
Textual connection to Act 2.2 Pg.45
"Macbeth shall sleep no more"
Witches are the cause of the unnatural happenings and hallucinations Macbeth faces before and after Duncan's murder.

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"Shall he dwindle,peak, and pine"
Pg.9 Line.23
The witches are once again entities of evil further portrayed to be petty. As due to the wife's minor mistake the sailor suffers in agony for 81 weeks. This foretells immense anguish Macbeth will face, whose life they purposely meddle in, inducing the audience to want to caution Macbeth.

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Pg.9
"Killing swine"
Line.2
"in a sieve I'll thither sail"
Line.8
"I'll give thee a wind"
Line.11
All these quotations are of the stereotypical knowledge possessed by Shakespeare's audience such as their supernatural abilities of controlling the weather and killing of domestic animals

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Symbolism

"Fortune on his damned quarrel smiling, rebel's whore".
Pg.5 Line.14-15
Fortune is represented by a blind woman spinning the wheel of fortune or luck. By comparing her to a prostitute who sides with MacDonald shows that she was not on Macbeth side. However, he defied all odds and defeated MacDonald painting him in a positive spotlight.

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"brandished steel, which smoked with bloody execution"
Pg.5 Line. 17-18
"unseamed him from the nave to th'chaps"
Pg.5 Line.22
"bathe in reeking wounds"
An auditory imagery of the sword sizzling in the blood of fallen soldiers as well as the grisly disembowelment and beheading of MacDonald without hesitation unveils an other side Macbeth, a remorseless killing-machine. To "bathe" is to luxuriate conveying that the two captains were enjoying the carnage they were creating.

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Descriptions of MacDonald:
"merciless"
"Worthy to be a rebel"
"multiplying villainies of nature do swarm upon him"
"slave"
Descriptions of Macbeth:
"brave"
"Like Valour's minion"
"valiant"
"worthy"
Pg.5 Line.9-20

Shakespeare Juxtaposes/contrasts the rebel Macdonald and the loyal Macbeth. By degrading him the captain highlights the better qualities of Macbeth.

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Setting-
Set in a military camp with disturbance and unrest. There is civil war in Scotland with rising rebels and enemies such the Norwegian forces. The audience is plunged into a chaotic confusion of violence and bloodshed immediately with the Captain's report. The fact that Duncan who is the king is not fighting to quell his own rebellions portrays him as meek. It could also show that his political standing is not liked by many as not one but two armies have taken arms against him. He doesn’t seem to inspire loyalty and must be in some ways perceived of as weak if his nobles so openly rebel against him.

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Zoomorphic comparison

"As sparrows, eagles, or the hare, the lion."
Banquo and Macbeth are not even fazed by the threat of the invading army but "doubly re-doubled" their attacks. It also signify s the predatory, ruthless and animalistic nature of them.

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" What he hath lost, noble Macbeth hath won"
Pg.7 line.67
Shakespeare creates an intriguing paradox between the traitor Thane of Cawdor and the loyal Macbeth as by the end of the play both of them are more similar than different. Moreover, is this truly a win for Macbeth, as was it not the fulfillment of the first prophecy that sparks his dormant ambition? Did Duncan become a catalyst for his own death or had fate already begun to meddle in their lives.

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Shakespeare builds up anticipation of the audience and the appearance of Macbeth. He constructs a virtuous, well- respected Macbeth in this scene. However, Macbeth eventually succumbs to the faults of his own actions. The rise and fall of the once universally adored Macbeth impacts the audience on a much more emotional level as they know he was once righteous but his tragic flaw (ambition) leads to his inevitable destruction.

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“What bloody man is that?”
Pg.3 line.
In Macbeth ‘blood’ is a symbol throughout, blood represents the guilt that Macbeth and Lady Macbeth feel but also the brutality of murder. Moreover Duncan will become the ‘bloody man’ and it could foreshadow his eventual death.

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Allusion

"Or memorise another Golgotha"
Is a reference to the Christ's crucifixion implying that there is immense amounts of dead bodies caused by the slaughter Macbeth and Banquo.
"Bellona's bridegroom"
Ross is comparing Macbeth with being married to the Roman Goddess of war, depicting him with Godlike abilities in battle.

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Symbolism

The witches themselves are entities of darkness and depravity in Macbeth. They are the manifestations of Macbeth's innermost thoughts and temptations and show if left unchecked can lead you to lose all sense of morality. Making the audience ponder whether they could also be subjected to this fate?

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This could also links to a major central theme of Macbeth: deception. The outward 'fair' appearance of a person can not reflect their 'foul' thoughts. Such as when Duncan comments,' there's no art to find the to find the mind's construction in the face' when conversing about the traitor thane of cawdor.

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Themes

Ideal Masculinity / Violence-
The idea of killing in the battle field is praise worthy shows the gory reality of this historical time period.
Treachery-
Thane of Cawdor's betrayal to Duncan. Foreshadowing of the eventual treason of Macbeth to the King.

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Summary

Duncan, his sons(Malcolm and Donaldbain),Lennox and attendants hear of the current news on the battlefields from a bleeding captain. For awhile the victors were undecided with luck, infantry and cavalry on MacDonald's side. However, courageous Macbeth ,against all odds, killed MacDonald without hesitation. Yet, seeing this opportunity the Norwegian King began a fresh assault. Then the report is continued by Ross, who tells Duncan that the Norwegian King has attacked with an enormous army assisted by traitor Thane of Cawdor. Despite this, Macbeth fought till he broke their spirits bringing forth victory. Norway King wants a peace treaty and Duncan orders the execution of Thane of Cawdor giving the title to Macbeth.

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"Fair is foul, and foul is fair,
Hover through the fog and filthy air".
Pg.3 line.12-13
Said in unison leaves an uncanny foreshadowing of deception versus reality. Good is bad and bad is good is the witches distorted reality.

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The witches communicate in verse which is different from other verses in the text.Speaking in trochaic tetrameter making the rhythm chant-like. The heavy stressed syllables gives the audience a sense of foreboding.Further characterising them as eerie, unearthly beings. Shakespeare uses the witches to intensify the fascination of his then audience and draws them into the play ever since the opening scene.

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Theme

Supernatural - The weird sisters are servants of higher powers of evil.

Appearance vs reality-
The witches foreshadow the deceptive nature of Macbeth and Lady Macbeth which is prominent throughout the play. By using deception Lady Macbeth lures the unsuspecting Duncan to his death. Macbeth feigns loyalty to him while betraying him for his unyielding ambition. When Shakespeare illustrates the downfall Duncan he does so to instill in the audience  the dangers bearing 'absolute trust'.

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Macbeth Act 1 Audio book (Dramatic Reading)

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Macbeth Act 1 Audio book (Dramatic Reading)

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Shakespeare | Macbeth Act 1 Audiobook (Dramatic Reading)

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Summary

The play begins with The three witches (weird sisters) and the sound of thunder and lighting.
They discuss and decide when to meet again with Macbeth.

Setting

In 'A desolate place'. When a person feels desolate, they usually feel deserted, lonely and hopeless.Being in a desolate place makes people feel -well obviously - desolate. However, the fact that the three witches are conversing in a normal or even excited tone portrays the peculiarity in the way they behave opposed to norms of society. This creates a mysterious atmosphere of the supernatural powers and also the unknown future.

Staging

The Three Witches could have entered together from the trapdoor - gives the audience the feeling that they're emerging from the underworld.
Two from either sides of the stage and one from the audience -
They can use the whole stage to interact with all the surrounding audience.
One or two of the witches can be hidden onstage - an element of surprise.
Witches spaced closely and movements are symmetrical -
Illustrates that they are unified.
Witches spaced far apart and movements are asymmetrical -
Depicts that they bring chaos.