1. Macbeth Reading Notes

2. Act I Scene I Witches serve as foreshadowing “Fair is foul….” = nothing is what is seems

3. ACT I Scene 2 Captain relays details of Macbeth’s heroism in battle Thane of Cawdor was a traitor and will be executed Macbeth will be awarded Thane of Cawdor for his bravery in battle

4. Act I Scene 3 Witches call Macbeth 3 things: 1. Thane of Glamis (he is) 2. Thane of Cawdor (he is not yet) 3. King hereafter (he is not)

5. Act I Scene 4 King Duncan names Malcolm (his oldest son) as his successor Malcolm is now an obstacle that must be overcome in order for Macbeth to become king (the witches prophecy said he would become king)

6. ACT I Scene 5 Macbeth wrote a letter to his wife informing her of the witches’ prophecies Macbeth’s wife plans to kill Duncan because she doesn’t realize Malcolm is actually the successor

7. ACT I Scene 6 King Duncan arrives at Macbeth’s castle

8. ACT I Scene 7 Macbeth expresses his doubts about the murder to his wife She freaks out saying “Why would you tell me about the prophecy if you don’t want to make it happen?” She calls him a coward and un-manly

9. ACT II Scene 1 Banquo dreams of the 3 witches Some of their prophecies have already come true Lady Macbeth will ring a bell when it is time for Macbeth to commit the murder He hallucinates that he sees a dagger (he is making himself crazy)

10. ACT II Scene 2 Macbeth kills King Duncan Lady Macbeth takes the bloody daggers back to the scene of the crime They try to frame the murder on the servants

11. ACT II Scene 3 The man knocking on the door is the porter, he is drunk and begins talking to himself He pretends that he is the gatekeeper of hell He says that drinking causes 3 things: 1. Nose turns red 2. Makes you sleepy 3. Makes you have to go to the bathroom

12. ACT II Scene 3 (continued) Macduff and Lenox discover the murdered king Macduff discovers it first Lady Macbeth acts shocked They believe the servants committed the murder Macbeth then kills the servants- he claims he did it out of rage for King Duncan’s murder Makes Macbeth’s grief seem real

13. ACT II Scene 3 (continued) Malcolm and Donalbain (King Duncan’s sons are afraid for their lives) Malcolm leaves for England Donalbain leaves for Ireland

14. ACT II Scene 4 Macbeth is named king since Donalbain and Malcolm have left

15. ACT III Macbeth is afraid of Banquo (the witches predicted he would be the father of kings) Macbeth hires murderers to kill Banquo and his son, Fleance Macbeth is tortured by the murder of King Duncan Lady Macbeth knows that something is about to happen but She is not aware that Banquo and Fleance will be killed that night

16. ACT III The murderers attack and kill Banquo but his son, Fleance, escapes At the banquet, Macbeth sees the ghost of Banquo sitting in his chair (no one else sees this) These illusions are representative of his guilt He decides to go talk to the witches again to see what will happen next

17. ACT IV Macbeth confronts the witches and demands to know what is going on and what will happen next Macbeth sees 3 apparitions: head with an armored helmet (beware of Macduff) bloody child (no man born of woman can hurt him) child with a crown on his head and a tree in his hand (he will not be defeated until a tree (Birnam Woods) moves up a hill)

18. ACT IV Macbeth leaves the witches in confusion Witches show Banquo’s line of 8 kings in line for the throne Lady Macduff tells her son that his father is dead to them (he left his family) The wife and children of Macduff are slaughtered

19. ACT V Lady Macbeth’s guilt has caused her to begin sleepwalking. Macbeth discovers that Malcolm, Macduff, and the English army are coming Lady Macbeth kills herself It looks as if Birnam Woods are moving towards Dunsinane The English soldiers cut branches off the trees and wore them to camouflage themselves

20. ACT V Macbeth realizes that the witches’ prophecies are true He decides to die while fighting Macduff kills Macbeth Macduff was not born from his mother, he was “ripped” from her via C-section Malcolm will be king of Scotland