1.1 The three witches plot to meet Macbeth on his way home from battle
- Fair is foul, and foul is fair
- When shall we three meet again?
In thunder, lightning, or in rain? - there to meet with Macbeth
1.3 The witches make a prophecy about Macbeth and Banquo
- So foul and fair a day I have not seen
- First witch: All hail, Macbeth: Hail to thee, Thane of Glamis!
Second witch: All hail, Macbeth! Hail to thee, Thane of Cawdor!
Third witch: All hail, Macbeth, that shall be king hereafter! - First witch: Lesser than Macbeth, and greater
Second witch: Not so happy, yet much happier
Third witch: Thou shalt get kings, though thou be none
1.3: Macbeth has a strong reaction to the witches’ prophecies but ultimately decides not to act on them. Banquo is more suspicious
- stay you imperfect speakers, tell me more
- sound so fair – Banquo
- Why do I yield to that suggestion
Whose horrid image doth unfix my hair
And make my seated heart knock at my ribs
Against the use of nature - If chance will have me king, why, chance may crown me,
Without my stir. - Do you not hope your children shall be kings?
- oftentimes, to win us to our harm,
the instruments of darkness tell us truths,
Win us with honest trifles, to betray’s
In deepest consequence
2.1: Macbeth has a vision as he approaches King Duncan’s chamber to kill him
Is this a dagger which I see before me?
2.3: The reactions of everyone else to the murder
- Where we are
There’s daggers in men’s smiles – Donalbain to Malcolm - Wherefore did you so? – Macduff
- most sacrilegious murder – Macduff
- O horror, horror, horror!
Tongue nor heart cannot conceive nor name thee – Macduff - against undivulg’d pretence I fight of treasonous malice – Banquo
- Had I but died an hour before this chance
I had lived a blessed time, for from this instant
There’s nothing serious in mortality
1.5: Lady Macbeth tells Macbeth to look innocent to deceive the others in urging him to commit the murder of Duncan, before Duncan has arrived at the castle
- Your face, my thane, is as a book, where men
May read strange matters - look like the innocent flower/but be the serpent under’t
5.5: Macbeth’s nihilistic worldview towards the end of the play encouraged further by the death of his wife. He resolves to die in battle.
- She should have died hereafter
- Out, out, brief candle.
Life’s but a walking shadow, a poor player
That struts and frets his hour upon the stage
And then is heard no more. It is a tale
Told by an idiot, full of sound and fury,
Signifying nothing. - At least we’ll die with harness on our back
1.4: Duncan’s remark on how you can never truly know what someone is thinking by their appearance following his betrayal by the former Thane of Cawdor
- There’s no art
To find the mind’s construction in the face - He was a gentleman on whom I built
An absolute trust
4.1: Witches’ make three new prophecies about threats to Macbeth’s rule. These make him feel invincible and he resolves to kill Macduff’s family, without pause to think
- none of woman born
Shall harm Macbeth - beware Macduff
- Birnam Wood come to Dunsinane
- From this moment
The very firstlings of my heart shall be
The firstlings of my hand
5.1: Lady Macbeth’s sleepwalking demonstrates she has gone insane with guilt
- Out, damned spot! Out, I say!
- What’s done
cannot be undone - who would have thought the old man to have had so much blood in him
- The Thane of Fife had a wife. Where is she now?
- spots of blood
1.4: After Duncan praises Banquo for his bravery in battle, Banquo tells Duncan any potential success he may have will be attributed to him
- There if I grow, the harvest is your own
- Noble Banquo,
That hast no less deserved
Nor must be known no less to have done so
1.3: In their initial meeting with the witches, Banquo seems more interested in what the witches are rather than the information they hold
- Are you aught that man may question?
2.1: Banquo and Macbeth discuss the witches prophecies
- I think not of them
- I dreamt last night of the three weird sisters
- cursed thoughts
2.1: Prior to murdering Duncan, Macbeth implies that when he rises to power he will reward Banquo if he supports him. Banquo responds he will do so as long as he can stay loyal to Duncan
- If you shall cleave to my consent when ‘tis
It shall make honour for you - So I shall lose none
In seeking to augment it, but still keep
My bosom franchised and allegiance clear, I shall be counselled
3.1: Just before Macbeth orders for Banquo to be killed, he talks about him
- He hath a wisdom that doth guide his valour
- there is none but he,
Whose being I do fear - Our fears in Banquo stick deep
- royalty of nature
3.1: Shortly after Macbeth is crowned, Banquo suspects he has achieved his crown through foul means
- and I fear, thou play’d most foully for it
3.1: Despite suspecting Macbeth achieved his crown through foul means, Banquo shows him full support. Ironic considering Macbeth is planning his murder
- Let your highness
Command upon me - indissoluble tie
1.5: Macbeth’s letter and Lady Macbeth’s reaction to it
- My dearest partner of greatness
- the dues of rejoicing
- ignorant of what greatness if promised
- too full of the milk of human kindness
- the illness that should attend it
- chastise with the valour of my tongue
- Come you spirits;
…unsex me here
And fill me from the crown to the toe top-full
Of direst cruelty. - murd’ring ministers
1.7: In Macbeth’s long soliloquy, he decides not to commit the murder however Lady Macbeth convinces him by attacking his bravery and masculinity. She tells him they will be able to blame the murder on the guards
- I have no spur
To prick the side of my intent, but only
Vaulting ambition, which o’erleaps itself
And falls on th’other - Bloody instructions, which, being taught, return/To plague th’inventor
- Hath borne his faculties so meek, hath been
So clear in his great office - We will proceed no further in this business
- the poor cat i’ the adage
- plucked the nipple from his boneless gums,
And dashed the brains out - Screw your courage to the sticking place,
And we’ll not fail. - Art thou afeard?
- I dare do all that may become a man;
Who dares do more, is none - When you durst do it, then you were a man
- If we should fail?
- Bring forth men children only
- will bear the guilt of our great quell
- False face must hide what the false heart doth know
- I am settled and bend up
Each corporal agent to this terrible feat
2.2: After Duncan’s murder, Macbeth is deeply distressed and Lady Macbeth must take control of the situation
- afraid to think what I have done
- Consider it not so deeply
- Get on your nightgown, let occasion call us
And show us to be watchers - Methought I heard a voice cry “Sleep no more!
Macbeth doth murder sleep - amen
- look on’t again I dare not
- a little water clears us of this deed
- my hands are of your colour but I shame to wear a heart so white
- These deeds must not be thought
After these ways; so it will make us mad - Had he not resembled
My father as he slept I had done’t
A3S2: As newly crowned king, Lady Macbeth now has to ask for appointments to see her husband
Say to the king I would attend his leisure a few words
3.2: As she waits to speak with her husband, Lady Macbeth confesses she is unhappy despite Macbeth being newly crowned king
Nought’s had, all’s spent
Where our desire is got without content
3.2: Macbeth has planned to kill Banquo but withholds this information from Lady Macbeth. He is troubled by the deeds he has committed and plans to commit
- O full of scorpions is my mind
- Be innocent of the knowledge, dearest chuck
- After life’s fitful fever he sleeps well
- terrible dreams
that shake us nightly
1.2: Macbeth and to a lesser extent Banquo are highly praised following the battle and is described as a ruthless warrior
- stars shine on all deservers – Captain
- For brave Macbeth - well he deserves that name – Captain
- O valiant cousin! worthy gentleman! - Duncan
- worthy thane - Ross
- with his brandished steel, which smoked with bloody execution - Captain
- he unseam’d him from the nave to the chaps
- Bellona’s bridegroom
- So they doubly redoubled strokes upon the foe
-
Poetic techniques18
-
The Fish33
-
Filling Station17
-
Questions of Travel22
-
The Prodigal26
-
First Death In Nova Scotia17
-
Macbeth34
-
Comparative - Sive16
-
Comparative - The Shawshank Redemption14
-
Comparative - Small Things Like These17
-
A Constable Calls13
-
The Forge8
-
A Call7
-
The Underground9
-
Postscript10
-
The Statue of the Virgin at Granard Speaks23
-
Death of a Field12
-
The Pattern29
-
Buying Winkles15
-
Prayer for the Children of Longing8
-
The Exact Moment I Became a Poet9
