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Thunder and lightning crash above a Scottish moor. Three haggard old women, the witches, appear out of the storm. In eerie, chanting tones, they make plans to meet again upon the heath, after the battle, to confront Macbeth. As quickly as they arrive, they disappear.

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At a military camp near his palace at Forres, King Duncan of Scotland asks a wounded captain for news about the Scots’ battle with the Irish invaders, who are led by the rebel Macdonwald. The captain, who was wounded helping Duncan’s son Malcolm escape capture by the Irish, replies that the Scottish generals Macbeth and Banquo fought with great courage and violence. The captain then describes for Duncan how Macbeth slew the traitorous Macdonwald. As the captain is carried off to have his wounds attended to, the thane of Ross, a Scottish nobleman, enters and tells the king that the traitorous thane of Cawdor has been defeated and the army of Norway repelled. Duncan decrees that the thane of Cawdor be put to death and that Macbeth, the hero of the victorious army, be given Cawdor’s title. Ross leaves to deliver the news to Macbeth.

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On the heath near the battlefield, thunder rolls and the three witches appear. One says that she has just come from “[k]illing swine” and another describes the revenge she has planned upon a sailor whose wife refused to share her chestnuts. Suddenly a drum beats, and the third witch cries that Macbeth is coming. Macbeth and Banquo, on their way to the king’s court at Forres, come upon the witches and shrink in horror at the sight of the old women. Banquo asks whether they are mortal, noting that they don’t seem to be “inhabitants o’ th’ earth” (1.3.39). He also wonders whether they are really women, since they seem to have beards like men. The witches hail Macbeth as thane of Glamis (his original title) and as thane of Cawdor. Macbeth is baffled by this second title, as he has not yet heard of King Duncan’s decision. The witches also declare that Macbeth will be king one day. Stunned and intrigued, Macbeth presses the witches for more information, but they have turned their attention to Banquo, speaking in yet more riddles. They call Banquo “lesser than Macbeth, and greater,” and “not so happy, yet much happier”; then they tell him that he will never be king but that his children will sit upon the throne (1.3.63–65). Macbeth implores the witches to explain what they meant by calling him thane of Cawdor, but they vanish into thin air.

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On the heath near the battlefield, thunder rolls and the three witches appear. One says that she has just come from “[k]illing swine” and another describes the revenge she has planned upon a sailor whose wife refused to share her chestnuts. Suddenly a drum beats, and the third witch cries that Macbeth is coming. Macbeth and Banquo, on their way to the king’s court at Forres, come upon the witches and shrink in horror at the sight of the old women. Banquo asks whether they are mortal, noting that they don’t seem to be “inhabitants o’ th’ earth” (1.3.39). He also wonders whether they are really women, since they seem to have beards like men. The witches hail Macbeth as thane of Glamis (his original title) and as thane of Cawdor. Macbeth is baffled by this second title, as he has not yet heard of King Duncan’s decision. The witches also declare that Macbeth will be king one day. Stunned and intrigued, Macbeth presses the witches for more information, but they have turned their attention to Banquo, speaking in yet more riddles. They call Banquo “lesser than Macbeth, and greater,” and “not so happy, yet much happier”; then they tell him that he will never be king but that his children will sit upon the throne (1.3.63–65). Macbeth implores the witches to explain what they meant by calling him thane of Cawdor, but they vanish into thin air.

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Lady Macbeth reads a letter from her husband about his encounter with the witches. She fears that her husband is 'too full o'th'milk of human kindness to catch the nearest way' of achieving the throne. She wants him to come home quickly so that she can 'pour' her words of ambition into his ears.

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Duncan, the Scottish lords, and their attendants arrive outside Macbeth’s castle. Duncan praises the castle’s pleasant environment, and he thanks Lady Macbeth, who has emerged to greet him, for her hospitality. She replies that it is her duty to be hospitable since she and her husband owe so much to their king. Duncan then asks to be taken inside to Macbeth, whom he professes to love dearly.

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Inside the castle, as oboes play and servants set a table for the evening’s feast, Macbeth paces by himself, pondering his idea of assassinating Duncan. He says that the deed would be easy if he could be certain that it would not set in motion a series of terrible consequences. He declares his willingness to risk eternal damnation but realizes that even on earth, bloody actions “return / To plague th’inventor” (1.7.9–10). He then considers the reasons why he ought not to kill Duncan: Macbeth is Duncan’s kinsman, subject, and host; moreover, the king is universally admired as a virtuous ruler. Macbeth notes that these circumstances offer him nothing that he can use to motivate himself. He faces the fact that there is no reason to kill the king other than his own ambition, which he realizes is an unreliable guide.

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Banquo and his son Fleance walk in the torch-lit hall of Macbeth's castle. Fleance says that it is after midnight, and his father responds that although he is tired, he wishes to stay awake because his sleep has lately inspired “cursed thoughts

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In this scene, Macbeth returns from murdering Duncan, alarmed that he heard a noise. Lady Macbeth dismisses his fears and sees that he has brought the guards' daggers with him, rather than planting them at the scene of the crime. She tells him to return the daggers but he refuses and Lady Macbeth goes instead.

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Macbeth shows Macduff to Duncan's chambers, where he uncovers the horrible murder. They sound alarms which wake all the sleeping thanes and Lady Macbeth. Lennox tells Duncan's sons that their father has been murdered by his guards, and Macbeth explains that he killed the guards out of 'fury'.

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Macduff emerges from the castle and tells Ross that Macbeth has been made king by the other lords, and that he now rides to Scone to be crowned. Macduff adds that the chamberlains seem the most likely murderers, and that they may have been paid off by someone to kill Duncan

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Lady Macbeth and Macbeth invite Banquo to a 'solemn supper' that evening. Banquo and his son Fleance are going out riding that afternoon, but Banquo promises to return in time for the banquet. Macbeth tells Banquo that he has heard that Malcolm and Donalbain are spreading terrible rumours.

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He envies Duncan who 'sleeps well' in his grave. Lady Macbeth encourages Macbeth to put on a brave face for his guests that evening. He tells his wife that his mind is 'full of scorpions' with fears about Banquo and Fleance.

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The murderers attack Banquo and Fleance. Fleance manages to escape and Banquo shouts after him, 'Thou mayst revenge! ' and Banquo is killed. The murderers decide to return to the castle and tell Macbeth.

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In this scene, Macbeth and Lady Macbeth host a banquet for the Scottish thanes. A murderer tells Macbeth that he has been successful in killing Banquo, but that Fleance escaped. During the banquet, Macbeth sees the ghost of Banquo sitting at his place at the table. He is horrified.

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Hecate, the Goddess of Witchcraft, is angry with the witches for giving prophecies to Macbeth without consulting her. She tells them to meet her in the morning where they will tell Macbeth his 'destiny' and lead him on to 'his confusion'.

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We learn that Macduff has fled to England, where he's joined up with Malcolm. They're trying to get the King of England on board with a plan to overthrow Macbeth. The unnamed Lord also tells Lennox that Macbeth has heard these rumors and is prepping for all out war.

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The witches cast a spell around a cauldron and Hecate congratulates them. Macbeth visits the witches and they show him three apparitions. Firstly, an armed head appears saying that Macbeth should 'beware Macduff'. Secondly, a bloody child appears, saying 'none of woman born shall harm Macbeth'.

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Essay Topic #1

What idea(s) does the author develop regarding the role individualism plays in the pursuit of excellence?  Or the pursuit of power?

Essay Topic #2

What idea(s) does the author develop regarding an individual’s dreams, goals or ideas as a driving force in life?

Essay Topic #3

Macbeth is often cited as a famous example of what the American sociologist Robert Merton called a “self-fulfilling prophecy.”  Discuss how the mechanism of the witches’ prophecy works in terms of its self-fulfillment.

Essay Topic #4

Consider how personal behaviour(s) are influenced by internal and external demands in the Shakespearean play Macbeth.  Discuss the ideas developed by the text creator, Shakespeare, about how internal and external demands influence an individual’s behaviour(s).