Act 1: Scenes 1 – 3: Here’s a nice little Latin term for you: In media res. It means “in the middle of” and that’s exactly how Shakespeare starts this play. He just dumps you right in the middle of the action.
There’s a battle. There’s a king. There’s an enemy. There’s Macbeth and Banquo. The king is Duncan. He’s a good guy, a good king; this is very important in the Elizabethan World View. The King is God’s man and you don’t mess with God’s man. Duncan’s kingdom is being attacked and his noble soldiers are defending it. The Thane of Cawdor hasn’t been much use, however; he’s been a traitor and is 1) about to lose his title and 2) about to lose his life. His title will be given to Macbeth. That’s the background.
Now the foreground: the witches. Here’s the thing about witches: When they’re hanging around a blasted heath, thinking about you, it’s not a good sign. And when they’re thinking of how to get you and you’re too dense to notice, that’s also not a good sign. You know the idea of having a guardian angel? Think the opposite. These are like stalker witches. And the object of their desire is Macbeth.
This is what is amazing about Shakespeare: He is into psychology and psychology hasn’t even been invented. Watch these witches. They are devious. They figure out Macbeth’s weak spots. So far all we know about Macbeth is that he’s a good soldier and he’s got a good buddy, Banquo. The witches know much more. They know that Macbeth has ambition and pride. To you, in the 21st century, those are good things. To an Elizabethan, they are bad things. Think back to the Wheel of Life and everyone having a God ordained position in life. An Elizabethan is slotted into life and it would be wrong to try to go above your station in life; it would be rebelling against the Natural Order of things. At this point, does Macbeth know he has this potential for pride and rebellion? Nope. But the witches do.
The first thing the witches do (after bragging a little about their individual witchiness) is set up a spell. It’s aimed at catching Macbeth. And here he comes. He and Banquo are on their way back from the battle and what do they see but three hairy chinned hags. Macbeth and Banquo don’t even know what they’re looking at. Are these humans? Hallucinations? They stop and ask. Instantly, the witches tell Macbeth he will be Thane of Glamis, Thane of Cawdor, and King.
This is the equivalent of someone coming up to you and saying you’re going to be in the NHL or you just won Roll up the Rim. Macbeth is already Thane of Glamis so that’s no surprise, but how can he be Thane of Cawdor when the Thane of Cawdor is alive and was fighting beside them in the battle? And more importantly, how could Macbeth possibly become King when everyone knows you have to be the son of the King to become King? Last time he looked, he wasn’t King Duncan’s son.
Now this is an odd thing for Banquo to do, particularly when the play isn’t called Banquo. Banquo says to the witch, “Since you’re so good at giving prophecies, how about a prophecy for me, too?” And she complies! Banquo will will be lesser than Macbeth but greater, not as happy as Macbeth but happier, and his sons will be Kings but he won’t. This is even odder than Macbeth’s prophecies. How can his sons be kings and how can he be lesser and greater and not as happy but happier? With one fleeting look at Banquo’s confused face, the witches disappear into thin air. Poof!
Now take a look at the very last scene. Here we have Macbeth thinking his thoughts in a series of asides. This is where Shakespeare gives us the inner working of Macbeth’s mind. Who instantly banks their future on the ravings of three creepy looking strangers? I shall tell you. A guy who has already been thinking those things. A guy who is open to power and ambition. The witches plant the seed but it is planted in already fertile ground. Look at what Macbeth says about Duncan: If chance will have me king, why, chance may crown me, Without my stir. What’s wrong with this? Well, it’s a hint. It tells us about Macbeth’s faulty thinking. First of all, he shouldn’t be buying into the idea that fate will overrule God’s system. The Divine Right of Kings is inviolable. Witches on a heath don’t trump it. And it is only logical that if you want to become the new King you first have to get rid of the current King and you also have to get rid of the King’s sons. That involves murder. Killing people in battle is one thing; murdering the King is something completely different. We might not get it but Shakespeare’s audience would immediately understand. Witches: bad. Killing the King: bad. Ambition: bad. Going against the Divine Order: bad.
WatsonWork 
Here’s a good link explaining a bit about the divine order and the origin of Shakespeare’s Macbeth: http://www.bbc.co.uk/bitesize/higher/english/macbeth/background/revision/1/
Good choice of a site! I love BBC stuff and go there all the time. Excellent work, Nick!
I heard that if you say “Macbeth” bad luck will come to you. Like if you are on stage and you say it a stage light will fall and kill you. I was wondering if this was true or not. And if it will be explained in the book?
It isn’t a rumour. Actors call it “the Scottish play.” They never say the word “Macbeth” — except when it’s in the script, of course. Here’s a link to a list of bad things that happened to people who said the word in the theater: http://wiki.answers.com/Q/Why_is_it_bad_luck_to_say_Macbeth_in_a_theatre It won’t be explained in the play, but you will notice the two Macbeths are going to have some bad luck. It’ll be their own fault, though. Never take advice from a stalker witch!
http://www.hpvision.com/books/editorials/witchcrafthistory1.html
Here is a link explaining what “witches” were like and how they were treated in the late 1500s to early 1600s.
The first line of this article has an interesting line: witchcraft was “the spirituality of the self.” That’s why it was completely against the Elizabethan World View. It’s also what the Macbeths will do wrong. You’ll see it as we keep going. This was a concise article. Good choice, Drew!!!
http://whatsitallaboutshakespeare.blogspot.ca/2012/07/5-interesting-facts-about-shakespeares.html
This links give some of interesting facts about Macbeth..
http://www.angelfire.com/fl3/Defymcbeth/Super2.html
this is another link about the curse of Macbeth and other theatrical superstitions.
Is it true that the witches’ song in Macbeth possess the uncanny power of casting evil spells?
I hope it doesn’t! I just read it in class!! I don’t think people can accidentally cast an evil spell. That just doesn’t make sense. For one thing, Shakespeare wrote the words, not witches, and for another thing, if that was the case, it would never be performed anywhere — ever!! I think it’s a play about evil. It isn’t evil, itself. You haven’t read the whole thing yet. It’s a gigantic lesson about evil not winning. Good finding of quotes!
I heard that Shakespeare based Macbeth on actual historical events. There actually was a King Macbeth, though historically Ducan and Macbeth were blood relatives. Although apparently Banquo helped Macbeth kill Duncan in real life. Would this have gotten Shakespeare in trouble by taking real events and twisting them ever so slightly? Or did he perhaps write the play long after these events had already taken place? I figure real historical events would be a rather touchy subject back in the Elizabethan era.
Yes! You should find out where your McIntyres are from. When we were reading the other day, there was a mention of the Hebrides. That’s where my mom was from. Your people are Macbeth’s people!! If you go to my Macbeth blog you can see his castle — and if you went to Scotland, you could walk in it!