1. MACBETH SLICED in QUOTES
LEARN KEY QUOTES
KNOW:
Structure, Language, Ideas, Context, Effects on Reader

2. Fair is foul, and foul is fair: Hover through the fog and filthy air.
Act 1 Scene 1 The Witches
Ideas
Language
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Fair is foul, and foul is fair: Hover through the fog and filthy air.
Effects / Explore

3. Fair is foul, and foul is fair: Hover through the fog and filthy air.
Language: repeated fricatives give menacing feel. Oxymoron implies the world has turned upside down (‘topsy-turvy’). Pathetic Fallacy.
Ideas: the theme of the SUPERNATURAL is introduced here. Audience will expect ‘unnatural’ events. Unusually, we don’t meet the hero (?) Macbeth in the opening scene – is he in the plot with the witches?
Act 1 Scene 1 The Witches
Structure: Rhyming couplet gives resolution to the scene plus adds sense of casting spells / witchcraft. Shakespeare uses DIFFERENT METRE (rhythm) for the witches: it’s not iambic (unstressed then stressed) but trochaic instead (stressed then unstressed)
Context: Shakespeare uses popular beliefs about witches law passed making witchcraft punishable by death under King James. People believed witches servants of the devil. Also, Shakespeare uses Classical Literature here as the 3 witches are like the 3 FATES of Greek mythology: ‘wyrd’ means FATE in Old English & these witches are ‘the weird sisters’ – in ancient myths one Fate spun the thread of someone’s life, one measured the thread and one cut it.
Fair is foul, and foul is fair: Hover through the fog and filthy air.
Effects / Explore: the scene uses narrative enigma to keep audience confused and questioning: is Macbeth evil? What are the witches plotting?

4. Quick Slice of Learning: Macbeth & Metre
Trochaic tetrameter is a rapid meter of poetry consisting of four feet of trochees. A trochee is made up of followed by one stressed syllable and one unstressed syllable: DAdum / DAdum / DAdum / DAdum. (8 syllables in total)
The witches in Macbeth speak in incomplete trochaic tetrameter (7 syllables instead of 8). Shakespeare uses this to show they are different / not ‘normal’ as a trochaic metre is the opposite of an iambic metre (and most of the play is iambic)
Most of the play is iambic pentameter: five feet of iambs with an unstressed syllable then a stressed syllable:
IAMBIC deDUM / deDUM / deDUM / deDUM / deDUM (10 syllables)

5. King Duncan: “What he hath lost noble Macbeth hath won”
Act 1 Scene 2 Army Camp
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King Duncan: “What he hath lost noble Macbeth hath won”
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6. “What he hath lost noble Macbeth hath won”
Ideas: King Duncan is referring to the old Thane of Cawdor being a traitor and that he is about to give the title to Macbeth instead (due to his ‘brave’ actions fighting the Norwegians). Introduces theme of APPEARANCE Vs REALITY (whether you can trust what’s on the surface)
Act 1 Scene 2 Army Camp
Language: the play uses a lexical (semantic) field of winning and losing which are also opposites. This hints that fortunes / FATE may change suddenly. The words also echo the witches, suggesting that they predicted this would happen (prophecy)
Context: the King is the most important person on Earth under God. Society at the time believed in ‘THE GREAT CHAIN OF BEING’ - everything had a place / a hierarchy of status. Even heaven had a hierarchy with god ruling over different groups of archangels & angels. On Earth, it was Kings, churchmen, nobles, merchants then peasants.
Structure: use of repetition to structure the line gives a sense of inevitability which links to theme of FATE suggesting it’s Macbeth’s fate to be a great nobleman and have social status under King Duncan
King Duncan:
“What he hath lost noble Macbeth hath won”
Effects / Explore: the audience see Macbeth as a good soldier and loyal to the King in this scene. It makes it more shocking later when he thinks about killing Duncan

7. Act 1 Scene 3: a heath Macbeth’s first words in the play:
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Macbeth’s first words in the play:
“So foul and fair a day I have not seen”
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8. Act 1 Scene 4: King Duncan’s Castle
Structure
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Ideas
Act 1 Scene 4: King Duncan’s Castle
MACBETH: [Aside] The Prince of Cumberland! that is a step On which I must fall down, or else o'erleap, For in my way it lies. Stars, hide your fires; Let not light see my black and deep desires
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9. Act 1 Scene 5 Macbeth’s Castle
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Lady Macbeth (after reading the letter):
…yet do I fear thy nature; It is too full o' the milk of human kindness To catch the nearest way
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10. Act 1 Scene 7: Macbeth decides
Ideas
Act 1 Scene 7: Macbeth decides
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Macbeth: “We will proceed no further in this business” Then (after persuasion by Lady M):
“False face must hide what the false heart doth know”
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11. Act 2 Scene 1: Macbeth outside King’s chamber
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Macbeth:
Is this a dagger which I see before me, The handle toward my hand? Come, let me clutch thee.
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12. Act 2 Scene 2: after the killing
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Lady Macbeth:
My hands are of your colour; but I shame To wear a heart so white
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13. Act 2 Scene 3: Macduff, Malcolm and Donalbain
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Macduff:
O horror, horror, horror! Tongue nor heart Cannot conceive nor name thee!
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14. Act 2 Scene 4: Ross and an ‘old man’ outside castle
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Old Man:
'Tis unnatural…On Tuesday last, A falcon, towering in her pride of place, Was by a mousing owl hawk'd at and kill'd
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15. Act 3 Scene 1: Macbeth’s Palace
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Banquo:
Thou hast it now: king, Cawdor, Glamis, all, As the weird women promised, and, I fear, Thou play'dst most foully for't:
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16. Act 3 Scene 2: Macbeth’s Palace
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Lady M:
Nought's had, all's spent, Where our desire is got without content: 'Tis safer to be that which we destroy Than by destruction dwell in doubtful joy
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17. Act 3 Scene 4: the Feast & Banquo’s Ghost
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Macbeth:
Thou canst not say I did it: never shake Thy gory locks at me
Context
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18. Act 4 Scene 1: a cavern (witches)
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Second Witch:
By the pricking of my thumbs, Something wicked this way comes.
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19. Act 4 Scene 2: Macduff’s Castle
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Macduff’s Son:
He has kill'd me, mother: Run away, I pray you!
Context
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20. Act 4 Scene 3: England – Malcolm & Macduff then Ross brings latest news of Scotland
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Macduff:
Bring thou this fiend of Scotland and myself; Within my sword's length set him; if he 'scape, Heaven forgive him too!
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21. Act 5 Scene 1: Lady Macbeth sleepwalking scene
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Lady Macbeth:
Out, damned spot! out, I say!--One: two: why, then, 'tis time to do't.--Hell is murky!
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22. Act 5 Scene 3: Macbeth hears of the English Army
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Macbeth:
Bring me no more reports; let them fly all: Till Birnam wood remove to Dunsinane, I cannot taint with fear. 
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23. Act 5 Scene 5: Macbeth learns of Lady M’s death
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Macbeth:
To-morrow, and to-morrow, and to-morrow, Creeps in this petty pace from day to day To the last syllable of recorded time, And all our yesterdays have lighted fools The way to dusty death
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24. Act 5 Scene 8: Macduff confronts Macbeth
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Macbeth:
Of all men else I have avoided thee: But get thee back; my soul is too much charged With blood of thine already.
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25. Act 5 Scene 8: Macbeth’s epiphany
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Macbeth:
Accursed be that tongue that tells me so, For it hath cow'd my better part of man!
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26. Act 5 Scene 8: Macduff appears with Macbeth’s head and Malcolm takes his rightful place as King of Scotland
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Malcolm’s closing speech describes “this dead butcher and his fiend-like queen”
Last lines: So, thanks to all at once and to each one, Whom we invite to see us crown'd at Scone
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