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March 12, 2014

Feb 14­4:16 PM

Macbeth Summaries

Macbeth Summaries

Act1&2.notebook

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March 12, 2014

Feb 14­4:36 PM

Act 1; scene 1The Witches

• creates atmosphere (sinister, creepy, etc.)• thunder and lightening; chanting; supernatural• plan to meet Macbeth after the battle

"Fair is foul, and foul is fair"

THEME ALERT!!

What seems good is actually bad, what seems bad is actually good..ORAppearances can be deceiving...

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March 12, 2014

Feb 14­5:06 PM

Act 1; scene 2The Battle Report

• Displays the violence in the play• Bloody soldier describes battle between Norweyan army and Duncan's forces• Macbeth's character introduced: brave, brutal soldier, excellent general ("Bellona's bridegroom")• Duncan is happy; will execute the traitor, Thane of Cawdor and give Macbeth his title (IRONY AND FORESHADOWING)

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March 12, 2014

Feb 14­5:20 PM

Act 1; scene 3Witches greet Macbeth and Banquo

Prophecy to Macbeth:• Will be Thane of Cawdor• Will be King one day

Prophecy to Banquo:• Will not be King but his descendents will be Kings

• Ross and Angus greet Macbeth with news he is the new Thane of Cawdor• Mac and Banquo startled the prophecy may be coming true; vow to discuss it later

CHARACTER REVEAL: PATIENT"If chance will have me King/Why, chance may crown me without my stir."ORIf it's his fate to be King, then he doesn't need to do anything to MAKE it happen (ie, kill Duncan)

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March 12, 2014

Feb 14­5:59 PM

Act 1; scene 4Duncan names Malcom his heir to the throne

• Cawdor has been executed and was dignified in death• Duncan laments: "He was a gentleman on whom I built an absolute trust."• IRONY ALERT: The new Thane of Cawdor (Macbeth) will also betray him

• Duncan praises Macbeth and Banquo for their victories• He will reward Macbeth by going to his house for a visit• Duncan announces his son Malcolm will be King when he dies

• Introduces major CONFLICT for Macbeth

ORMacbeth must either forget the prophecy or DO something about it, because Malcolm is in his way

He thinks, "That is a step on which I must fall down, or else overleap, for in my way it lies."

CHARACTER REVEAL: Macbeth is AMBITIOUS

He thinks: "Let not light see my black and deep desires."ORHe is afraid of what he's thinking (of murdering to become King) and doesn't want to acknowledge it to anyone, perhaps even himself.

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March 12, 2014

Feb 14­6:24 PM

Act 1; scene 5Enter Lady Macbeth...

• Lady M reads a letter from Macbeth outlining the witches prophecy and that it has come partially true• She worries that he "is too full of the milk of human kindness" (too weak/afraid/moral) to do whatever it takes to be King (even murder), and plans to convince him• When she discovers Duncan is coming to visit, she figures it's fate! They will kill him that night!• She tells Macbeth to "look like the innocent flower But be the serpent under it." • He says they'll talk more later; she says she'll take care of the planning

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March 12, 2014

Feb 14­7:38 PM

Act 1; scene 5Enter Lady Macbeth...

CHARACTER REVEAL:

Lady Macbeth: Is AMBITIOUS FOR HER HUSBAND• MANIPULATIVE: "Hie the hither, That I may pour my spirits in thine ear" (She will convince him to murder Duncan)• RUTHLESS/NOT­HUMAN: "Come you spirits...unsex me here And fill me...top­full of direst cruelty." and also, "Come to my woman's breasts And take my milk for gall." She wants to lose her feminine qualities (ie compassion, love, caring, etc.) so she can commit cold murder)• VIOLENT: "That my knife see not the wound it makes" (She intends to kill Duncan herself)• LEADER: "O, never Shall sun that morrow see!"; (Duncan will not live to see tomorrow); "Leave all the rest to me." (She will make all the plans­­Macbeth just needs to look innocent and be nice)

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March 12, 2014

Feb 14­8:17 PM

This whole scene indicates Lady M is something unnatural, a woman who acts like the worst man one can imagine. She dominates her husband which is also unnatural. Is she the one responsible for the tragedy of Macbeth?

MACBETH CHARACTER REVEAL:LOVES HIS WIFE: Calls Lady M "my dearest partner of greatness" and "My dearest love"HESITANT: "We will speak further" (puts off talking about murder plan)

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March 12, 2014

Feb 14­8:52 PM

Act 1; scene 6Duncan arrives at the Macbeth Castle

DRAMATIC IRONY ALERT:Duncan says "This castle hath a pleasant seat."

"See, see our honoured hostess!" (and he's talking about Lady M...)and, "Fair and noble hostess." (there's that "fair" again...)

• Duncan and Banquo arrive at Macbeth's castle and are greeted warmly by Lady Macbeth

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March 12, 2014

Feb 14­9:04 PM

Act 1; scene 7Lady Macbeth tells hubby to 'Man Up!'

• Macbeth leaves the banquet and doubts whether he can kill Duncan• He tells Lady M "We will proceed no further in this business"• Lady M wonders why he's changed and accuses him of not loving her and insults his manhood• He is worried about getting caught but she has a plan: get the guards drunk, stab Duncan, then smear blood on the guards and blame them for the murder• Macbeth agrees to do it

MAJOR INTERNAL AND EXTERNAL CONFLICT SCENE!!!

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March 12, 2014

Feb 14­9:33 PM

Arguments for and against killing Duncan

Macbeth's internal arguments/conflict (see his soliloquy)

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March 12, 2014

Feb 14­9:38 PM

Macbeth's Arguments Lady Macbeth's Arguments

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March 12, 2014

Feb 14­9:38 PM

Macbeth's Arguments Lady Macbeth's Arguments

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March 12, 2014

Feb 15­4:14 PM

Act 2; scene 1The Dagger Scene

• Banquo chats about the foul weather to his son, Fleance• Macbeth enters and Banquo talks about how the witches prophecy has come partly true• Macbeth lies and says he doesn't think of them• Alone, Macbeth hallucinates seeing a dagger before hearing Lady M's signal (a bell) that it is time to kill DuncanCHARACTER REVEAL: Macbeth is a LIAR. Of the witches he says, "I do not think of them".He is UNSTABLE and questions whether he can trust his senses "Is this a dagger, which I see before thee?" He believes the 'dagger' is a real sign that he must kill Duncan (absolving him from guilt)

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March 12, 2014

Feb 15­4:37 PM

Act 2; scene 2The Murder

• Lady M is jumpy while Macbeth kills Duncan• He is shaken but has done it. His guilt and remorse is obvious. He worries the guards may have seen him• Lady M takes control and is angry that he forgot to frame the guards• He won't return to the scene, so she plants the knife and smears them with blood• They both talk about all the blood on their hands but go to their room to pretend they had been sleeping

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March 12, 2014

Feb 15­5:20 PM

Lots going on in this scene!

CHARACTER REVEAL: Macbeth is:• Guilty­"Macbeth does murder sleep­­the innocent sleep" (he will never get a night's sleep after this); "I am afraid to think what I have done." (he will not go back into that room); "Wake Duncan with thy knocking! I would thou couldst!" (he wishes the knocking he hears at the front door could bring Duncan back to life)CHARACTER REVEAL: Lady Macbeth is:• Human­"Had he not resembled my father as he slept, I had done it." (she couldn't kill Duncan because he reminded her of her father)• Strong/a leader­ "Give me the daggers." and "A little water clears us of this deed." (she smears the guards with blood and insists the guilt will go away when they wash the blood off their hands)

IRONY, FORESHADOWING AND CONFLICT ALERTS!• "A little water" WILL NOT "wash them of this deed." Compare this with Act 5, scene 1• Macbeth falls apart while Lady M stays strong here. This will change for both!

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March 12, 2014

Feb 15­5:44 PM

Act 2; scene 3The Murder is discovered

• The porter provides some drunken comic relief• Macduff and Lennox arrive to get the King and Macduff finds Duncan murdered• Macbeth says he killed the guards in a fit of rage because they obviously killed the King• Duncan's sons worry they will also be murdered and flee to England and Ireland

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March 12, 2014

Feb 16­7:54 PM

Notes

HOSTILE AND EERIE ATMOSPHERE continues:• Lennox says "The night has been unruly ." and "the earth was feverous and did shake ."

FORESHADOWING Macduff questions Macbeth for killing the guards (he is suspicious)

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March 12, 2014

Feb 16­7:55 PM

Act 2; scene 4Macbeth is made King

• An old man and Ross discuss the strange unnatural events that occurred during the night when Duncan was murdered• They report Duncan's sons are suspected of paying the guards to murder their father, and have fled• Macduff WILL NOT attend Macbeth's coronation! (he is suspicious of Macbeth)

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March 12, 2014

Feb 17­9:52 AM

ATMOSPHERE: The unnatural events mirror the unnatural act of murdering the King. List 3 unnatural events discussed by Ross and the Old Man:

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March 12, 2014

Feb 18­11:17 AM