Macbeth Key Scenes analysis Revision Act 1 sc

Macbeth Key Scenes analysis Revision

Act 1 sc 1: The 3 Witches Thunder and lightning. Enter three WITCHES FIRST WITCH When shall we three meet again? In thunder, lightning, or in rain? SECOND WITCH When the hurly-burly’s done, When the battle’s lost and won. THIRD WITCH That will be ere the set of sun. FIRST WITCH Where the place? SECOND WITCH Upon the heath. THIRD WITCH There to meet with Macbeth. The WITCHES hear the calls of their spirit friends or “familiars, ” which look like animals—one is a cat and one is a toad. FIRST WITCH I come, Graymalkin! SECOND WITCH Paddock calls. THIRD WITCH Anon. ALL Fair is foul, and foul is fair Hover through the fog and filthy air. Exeunt Possible question: Starting with this extract, explain how Shakespeare presents the witches as evil characters. Write about: • How Shakespeare presents the witches in this extract • How Shakespeare presents the witches in the play as a whole.

Act 2 scene 1: The dagger Is this a dagger which I see before me, Possible question: The handle toward my hand? Come, let me clutch thee. Starting with this extract, I have thee not, and yet I see thee still. explain how Shakespeare Art thou not, fatal vision, sensible To feeling as to sight? Or art thou but presents the Macbeth as a A dagger of the mind, a false creation, conflicted character. Proceeding from the heat-oppressèd brain? Write about: I see thee yet, in form as palpable • How Shakespeare presents As this which now I draw. the Macbeth in this extract Thou marshall’st me the way that I was going, And such an instrument I was to use. • How Shakespeare presents Mine eyes are made the fools o' th' other senses, the Macbeth in the play as Or else worth all the rest. I see thee still, a whole. And on thy blade and dudgeon gouts of blood, Which was not so before. There’s no such thing. It is the bloody business which informs Find this extract in your texts. Thus to mine eyes. Now o'er the one half-world Nature seems dead, and wicked dreams abuse Discuss what has happened just before The curtained sleep. and what happens just after.

Translation • Is this a dagger I see in front of me, with its handle pointing toward my hand? (to the dagger) Come, let me hold you. (he grabs at the air in front of him without touching anything) I don’t have you but I can still see you. Fateful apparition, isn’t it possible to touch you as well as see you? Or are you nothing more than a dagger created by the mind, a hallucination from my fevered brain? I can still see you, and you look as real as this other dagger that I’m pulling out now. (he draws a dagger) You’re leading me toward the place I was going already, and I was planning to use a weapon just like you. My eyesight must either be the one sense that’s not working, or else it’s the only one that’s working right. I can still see you, and I see blood splotches on your blade and handle that weren’t there before. (to himself) There’s no dagger here. It’s the murder I’m about to do that’s making me think I see one. Now half the world is asleep and being deceived by evil nightmares.

How does Shakespeare present Macbeth? In this extract In the rest of the play As Macbeth starts to get closer to murder, When has Macbeth been affected by the nature seems to go haywire – the supernatural elsewhere in the play? supernatural takes over Macbeth seems tormented by the idea of murdering the king When has Macbeth been unsure/tormented elsewhere in the play? Themes Context Language/structure/form • Nature and the supernatural • Ambition • Fate • violence • Elizabethan attitudes towards the supernatural and fate. • The Divine Right of Kings • Chain of Being • Christian beliefs about murder, sin heaven and hell • Soliloquy • Rhetorical questions • Addressing the dagger directly • Metaphor • personification • Violent imagery • Iambic pentameter • Symbolism of sleep

Homework • Complete this question in timed conditions at home. Focus on language and context. • 45 mins

Key scenes • • • Act 1 sc 1: the three witches Act 1 scene 2: the captain’s report of the battle Act 1 sc 3: Macbeth’s aside about the prophecies Act 1 sc 5: Lady Macbeth reads the letter Act 1 sc 5: Lady Macbeth calls on spirits to ‘unsex’ her. Act 1 sc 5: Lady Macbeth takes control ‘look like the serpent’ Act 1 sc 7: Macbeth’s soliloquy – should he kill the King? Act 1 sc 7: Lady Macbeth convinces Macbeth by calling him a ‘coward’ Act 1 sc 7: If we should fail? The plans are laid Act 2 sc 1: Is this a dagger? Macbeth’s soliloquy Act 2 sc 2: The ‘deed’ is done Act 2 sc 2: Macbeth feels guilty and Lady Macbeth takes control (again!)

Key scenes • • • Act 2 sc 2: Someone’s knocking! The hand washing scene Act 2 sc 3: The comedy scene – the pissing porter Act 3 sc 1: Macbeth’s 3 rd soliloquy – planning Banquo’s death Act 3 sc 2: We have scorched the snake, not killed it Act 3 sc 2: Lady M warns Macbeth to ‘leave this’ (she gets cold feet) Act 3 scene 4: Macbeth sees the ghost at the banquet Act 3 sc 4: Macbeth plans to see the witches again Act 3 sc 6: Lennox recaps everything Act 4 sc 1: Toil and Trouble Act 4 scene 1: The Apparitions Act 4 sc 2: Ross and Lady Macduff chat, she gets murdered Act 4 sc 3: Malcolm and Macduff brainstorm Scotland’s plight, Macduff proves loyal to Scotland. Ross tells Macduff his family is dead. Macduff vows to slay Macbeth

Key scenes • • • Act 5 scene 1: Lady Macbeth sleepwalks ‘out damned spot!’ Doctor and gentlewoman realise she’s mad. Act 5 sc 2: The English army arrives in Scotland to attack Macbeth. Scottish nobles also join them. They agree to get rid of Macbeth. Act 5 sc 3: Macbeth feels invincible but a messenger tells him things have gone bad. Doctor reports Lady M is also mad. Macbeth realises he’s in trouble. Act 5 sc 4: Macbeth’s enemies plot to cut down the branches of Birnam wood as their cover. Macbeth still thinks he can win thanks to the witches. Act 5 sc 5: Macbeth still feels safe in his castle. Lady Macbeth kills herself. ‘she should have died hereafter’. ‘Life is but a walking shadow’. Macbeth receives the news that the wood is moving! He decides to go down fighting. Act 5 sc 6: Army attacks, led by Siward, Malcolm and Macduff. Act 5 sc 7: Big fight. Siward’s son dies. Macduff searches for Macbeth. Act 5 sc 8: Macbeth, alone will not be the ‘roman fool’ (ie kill himself). Macduff arrives and calls him a ‘hell-hound’. They fight. Macduff kills Macbeth. Malcolm says anyone who helped the ‘dead butcher and his fiend-like queen’ are in trouble. Malcolm is pronounced King. (NB: scene 8 is really long!, sometimes it’s split into 4 scenes: 8, 9, 10, 11)