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ian mackellen on richard III's opening soliloquy

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character map

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Hamlet: Character Map | Shakespeare | CliffsNotes

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Get free homework help on William Shakespeare's Hamlet: play summary, scene summary and analysis and original text, quotes, essays, character analysis, and filmography courtesy of CliffsNotes. William Shakespeare's Hamlet follows the young prince Hamlet home to Denmark to attend his father's funeral.

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to be or not to be (paraphrase)

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No Fear Shakespeare: Hamlet: Act 3 Scene 1 Page 3

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The question is: is it better to be alive or dead? Is it nobler to put up with all the nasty things that luck throws your way, or to fight against all those troubles by simply putting an end to them once and for all?

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plot summary

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The play begins with the brief appearance of a trio of witches and then moves to a military camp, where the Scottish King Duncan hears the news that his generals, Macbeth and Banquo, have defeated two separate invading armies-one from Ireland, led by the rebel Macdonwald, and one from Norway. Following their pitched battle with these enemy forces, Macbeth and Banquo encounter the witches as they cross a moor. The witches prophesy that Macbeth will be made thane (a rank of Scottish nobility) of Cawdor and eventually King of Scotland. They also prophesy that Macbeth's companion, Banquo, will beget a line of Scottish kings, although Banquo will never be king himself. The witches vanish, and Macbeth and Banquo treat their prophecies skeptically until some of King Duncan's men come to thank the two generals for their victories in battle and to tell Macbeth that he has indeed been named thane of Cawdor. The previous thane betrayed Scotland by fighting for the Norwegians and Duncan has condemned him to death. Macbeth is intrigued by the possibility that the remainder of the witches' prophecy-that he will be crowned king-might be true, but he is uncertain what to expect. He visits with King Duncan, and they plan to dine together at Inverness, Macbeth's castle, that night. Macbeth writes ahead to his wife, Lady Macbeth, telling her all that has happened.

Lady Macbeth suffers none of her husband's uncertainty. She desires the kingship for him and wants him to murder Duncan in order to obtain it. When Macbeth arrives at Inverness, she overrides all of her husband's objections and persuades him to kill the king that very night. He and Lady Macbeth plan to get Duncan's two chamberlains drunk so they will black out; the next morning they will blame the murder on the chamberlains, who will be defenseless, as they will remember nothing. While Duncan is asleep, Macbeth stabs him, despite his doubts and a number of supernatural portents, including a vision of a bloody dagger. When Duncan's death is discovered the next morning, Macbeth kills the chamberlains-ostensibly out of rage at their crime-and easily assumes the kingship. Duncan's sons Malcolm and Donalbain flee to England and Ireland, respectively, fearing that whoever killed Duncan desires their demise as well.

Fearful of the witches' prophecy that Banquo's heirs will seize the throne, Macbeth hires a group of murderers to kill Banquo and his son Fleance. They ambush Banquo on his way to a royal feast, but they fail to kill Fleance, who escapes into the night. Macbeth becomes furious: as long as Fleance is alive, he fears that his power remains insecure. At the feast that night, Banquo's ghost visits Macbeth. When he sees the ghost, Macbeth raves fearfully, startling his guests, who include most of the great Scottish nobility. Lady Macbeth tries to neutralize the damage, but Macbeth's kingship incites increasing resistance from his nobles and subjects. Frightened, Macbeth goes to visit the witches in their cavern. There, they show him a sequence of demons and spirits who present him with further prophecies: he must beware of Macduff, a Scottish nobleman who opposed Macbeth's accession to the throne; he is incapable of being harmed by any man born of woman; and he will be safe until Birnam Wood comes to Dunsinane Castle. Macbeth is relieved and feels secure, because he knows that all men are born of women and that forests cannot move. When he learns that Macduff has fled to England to join Malcolm, Macbeth orders that Macduff's castle be seized and, most cruelly, that Lady Macduff and her children be murdered.

When news of his family's execution reaches Macduff in England, he is stricken with grief and vows revenge. Prince Malcolm, Duncan's son, has succeeded in raising an army in England, and Macduff joins him as he rides to Scotland to challenge Macbeth's forces. The invasion has the support of the Scottish nobles, who are appalled and frightened by Macbeth's tyrannical and murderous behavior. Lady Macbeth, meanwhile, becomes plagued with fits of sleepwalking in which she bemoans what she believes to be bloodstains on her hands. Before Macbeth's opponents arrive, Macbeth receives news that she has killed herself, causing him to sink into a deep and pessimistic despair. Nevertheless, he awaits the English and fortifies Dunsinane, to which he seems to have withdrawn in order to defend himself, certain that the witches' prophecies guarantee his invincibility. He is struck numb with fear, however, when he learns that the English army is advancing on Dunsinane shielded with boughs cut from Birnam Wood. Birnam Wood is indeed coming to Dunsinane, fulfilling half of the witches' prophecy.

In the battle, Macbeth hews violently, but the English forces gradually overwhelm his army and castle. On the battlefield, Macbeth encounters the vengeful Macduff, who declares that he was not "of woman born" but was instead "untimely ripped" from his mother's womb (what we now call birth by cesarean section). Though he realizes that he is doomed, Macbeth continues to fight until Macduff kills and beheads him. Malcolm, now the King of Scotland, declares his benevolent intentions for the country and invites all to see him crowned at Scone.

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The play begins with the brief appearance of a trio of witches and then moves to a military camp, where the Scottish King Duncan hears the news that his generals, Macbeth and Banquo, have defeated two separate invading armies-one from Ireland, led by the rebel Macdonwald, and one from Norway.

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opening scene - notes

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Please see the bottom of the page and the highlighted text for full explanatory notes and paraphrases.

Macbeth

ACT I SCENE I A desert place.

[Thunder and lightning. Enter three Witches]

First Witch

When shall we three meet again

When the battle's lost and won.

Third Witch

That will be ere the set of sun.

5

First Witch

Where the place?

Third Witch

There to meet with Macbeth.

Second Witch

Paddock calls.

10

[Exeunt]

Next: Macbeth, Act 1, Scene 2

Explanatory notes below for Act 1, Scene 1
From Macbeth. Ed. Thomas Marc Parrott. New York: American Book Co.
(Line numbers have been altered.)

____

Shakespeare's dramatic genius is especially to be noted in the art with which he manages his beginnings. The first scene of Macbeth strikes the keynote of the play. The desert place, the wild storm, the appearance of the witches, "the wayward rhythm" of their songs, all help to prepare us for a drama in which a human soul succumbs to the supernatural suggestions of evil and ranges itself along with the witches on the devil's side.

We hear of a battle that is even now being fought, we hear of the trysting-place of the witches at the conclusion of the fray, and last of all we hear the name of the man they are planning to meet. No sooner has the name "Macbeth" been uttered than the calls of the attendant spirits are heard and the witches hurry off. The action of the scene is over with the naming of the man against whose soul these ministers of darkness are plotting.

1. The dialogue of the witches is a sort of chant. It is thrown into a verse form, trochaic tetrameter, which Shakespeare rarely uses except for supernatural beings, witches, fairies, or the like. In order to bring out the rhyme the last syllable is dropped from the end of each line. In line 2 the rhythm is reversed and the stress falls on the second syllable of each foot. In line 8 the stressed syllable in the third foot is omitted. This forces us to pause in the middle of the line and so secures additional emphasis for the closing word, "Macbeth." We may imagine the Third Witch pausing for a moment while her sisters gather round her and then shrieking out the name of the hero in an ecstasy of devilish joy.
How to cite the explanatory notes:
Shakespeare, William.Macbeth. Ed. Thomas Marc Parrott. New York: American Book Co., 1904. Shakespeare Online. 10 Aug. 2010. < http://www.shakespeare-online.com/plays/macbeth_1_1.html >.
________

12, 13. The couplet with which the witches take their departure is a confession of their creed. All that is good, "fair," to others is evil, "foul," to them, and vice versa. This applies to both the physical and the moral world; they revel in the "fog and filthy air," and in every sort of mischief and evil-doing from killing swine to entrapping human souls.

________
The Chronology of Shakespeare's Plays
Establishing the Order of the Plays
How Many Plays Did Shakespeare Write?
Shakespeare Timeline

Shakespeare's Reputation in Elizabethan England
Words Shakespeare Invented
Quotations About William Shakespeare

Portraits of Shakespeare
Shakespeare's Boss: The Master of Revels
Top 10 Shakespeare Plays

Shakespeare's Metaphors and Similes
Shakespeare's Blank Verse
Shakespeare Timeline

Edward Alleyn (Actor)
What is Tragic Irony?
Characteristics of Elizabethan Tragedy

More Resources

More to Explore

Macbeth: The Complete Play with Commentary
The Metre of Macbeth: Blank Verse and Rhymed Lines
Macbeth Character Analysis
Figures of Speech in Macbeth

Metaphors in Macbeth (Biblical)
The Theme of Macbeth
Is Macbeth the Third Murderer?

Macbeth, Duncan and Shakespeare's Changes
King James I and Shakespeare's Sources for Macbeth
Contemporary References to King James I in Macbeth
The Royal Patent that Changed Shakespeare's Life

Soliloquy Analysis: If it were done when 'tis done (1.7.1-29)
Soliloquy Analysis: Is this a dagger (2.1.33-61)
Soliloquy Analysis: To be thus is nothing (3.1.47-71)
Soliloquy Analysis: She should have died hereafter (5.5.17-28)

Differences Between Macbeth and Lady Macbeth
Explanatory Notes for Lady Macbeth's Soliloquy (1.5)
The Psychoanalysis of Lady Macbeth (Sleepwalking Scene)
Is Lady Macbeth's Swoon Real?

_____

Did You Know? ... In Shakespeare's primary source for Macbeth, Holinshed's Chronicles, the Weird Sisters are "goddesses of destinee", but they are far more sinister in Shakespeare's version. Read on...

_____

Explanatory Notes for the Witches' Chants (4.1)
Macbeth Plot Summary (Acts 1 and 2)
Macbeth Plot Summary (Acts 3, 4 and 5)
How to Stage a Production of Macbeth (Scene Suggestions)

A Comparison of Macbeth and Hamlet
The Effect of Lady Macbeth's Death on Macbeth
The Curse of Macbeth

Shakespeare's Sources for Macbeth
Macbeth Q & A
Essay Topics on Macbeth
Aesthetic Examination Questions on Macbeth
What is Tragic Irony?

Stages of Plot Development in Macbeth
Time Analysis of the Action in Macbeth
Macbeth Study Quiz (with detailed answers)
Quotations from Macbeth (Full)
Top 10 Quotations from Macbeth

Crafting a Sympathetic Macbeth
The Moral Character of Macbeth
Origin of the Weird Sisters
Temptation, Sin, Retribution: Lecture Notes on Macbeth
Untie the winds: Exploring the Witches' Control Over Nature

Characteristics of Elizabethan Tragedy
Why Shakespeare is so Important
Shakespeare's Language
Shakespeare's Influence on Other Writers

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and foul is fair macbeth teacher notes macbeth shakespeare teacher guide annotations macbeth quotable shakespeare

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Macbeth Act 1 Scene 1 - Fair is foul, and foul is fair

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Act 1 Scene 1 of Macbeth with detailed notes and commentary.

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key words

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defeat traitor betray treason heath beget cold-blooded determined ambitious loyal carry out a plan blamed for smear flee goes crazy raise an army = raccogliere un esercito chamberlains = ciambellani drunk = ubriachi dagger = pugnale ancestor = antenato witchcraft = stregoneria traits = tratti f...

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history, culture & literature

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text and analysis

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libro di grammatica chen

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soluzioni GP b2

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glossary by areas

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importance of the novel

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cambridge  list

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by topic

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spiegazioni in classe

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life, main works, tristram shandy

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Laurence Sterne was born in Ireland in 1713, and he died in London in 1768. He might have died much earlier because of his weak lungs, especially considering ho

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list of first certificate phrasal verbs - Google Search

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Phrasal Verb Definition. Example act up behave or function improperly .... check into + investigate, look for (often through a service). We are checking into discount flights to London. check * off + make a mark next to (an item on a list). Check each name off the list. ...

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life, works, themes, features, texts

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Get access to files anywhere through secure cloud storage and file backup for your photos, videos, files and more with Google Drive.

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grammar, vocabulary, functions

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This section provides exercises on different aspects of English vocabulary at an intermediate level. There are a wide variety of tests focusing on topics that frequently come up in the exam and which FCE students may have to write about or speak, for example: education, entertainment and media, daily life, places and buildings, health, medicine, shopping, travel and holidays, and so on.

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This section provides exercises on different aspects of English vocabulary at an intermediate level. There are a wide variety of tests focusing on topics that frequently come up in the exam and which FCE students may have to write about or speak, for example: education, entertainment and media, daily life, places and buildings, health, medicine, shopping, travel and holidays, and so on.

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english whiteboard

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