Macbeth full Summary - Act 1 | William Shakespeare

Macbeth Summary Act 1

The play Macbeth takes place in Scotland. Scotland is located north of England. The first characters we meet are three witches. They're alone in the countryside. They make plans to meet when a battle is over. We don't know what battle they're talking about. They will meet someone named Macbeth.

Macbeth  Act 1, Scene 1

This first scene is like the opening of a scary movie : lightning, thunder, witches.

What is going on? 

We don't know! It's very confusing and it's supposed to be that way. It's not just confusing because it was written by Shakespeare! But one line here I want you to remember. 

The witches say :

That's really confusing! Opposites that don't normally go together.

This is our first hint that, Things may not be what they appear tobe in this play.

So a character who appears quite good, may not be so good in the end. Outside of Forest, the good King of Scotland, King Duncan, receives news from the battlefront. 

A bloody messenger arrives on horseback and updates the king about a rebel invasion from the western islands. The rebel leader is called Macdonwald.

The messenger doesn't say where the battle takes place. He says that brave Macbeth with the Scottish army fought back the rebels. Macbeth killed Macdonwald by stabbing him in the navel (belly button) & slicing his body open to his mouth. Here's the  quote.

King Duncan likes this report. Then another report arrives. Ross tells the king about an invasion on the east of Scotland. The King of Norway tried to invade Scotland and brave Macbeth and the Scottish army quickly arrived and defeated the Norwegians.

At this point in the play, Macbeth has been a HERO in two big battles.

Macbeth's title is "Thane of Glamis".

Thane means he is a general and Glamis is a place in Scotland.

Macbeth the Thane of Glamis and Banquo, also a thane, journey back to King Duncan's camp from the battlefield. But on the way to seeking Duncan, something happens that changes everyone's life forever.

Macbeth and Banquo meet the witches. The witches tell the men three things that will happen in the future: three prophecies.

The witches say Exact quote in "quotes

Act 1, scene 3 , line 49

"Hail" means GREETINGS."thee" means YOU. But they call him Thane of Cawdor? Macbeth's name is Thane of GLAMIS.

"All hail Macbeth! That shalt be king hereafter"

Act 1 , scene 3 , line 50

Weird... means YOU WILL BE KING AFTER THIS

"Thou shalt get kings ,

Though thou be none"

Act 1 , scene 3 , line 69

means YOU WILL HAVE KINGS IN YOUR FAMILY, BUT YOU WILL NOT BE ONE OF THEM Macbeth wants to ask the witches some questions, but they disappear.

Right then, noblemen arrive with a message for Macbeth. "THE KING IS THANKFUL TO YOU FOR WINNING TWO BATTLES. HE'S GIVING YOU A NEW TITLE CONGRATULATIONS!"

Macbeth doesn't understand. He says, "I KNOW THE THANE OF CAWDOR. WHY ARE YOU CALLING ME THAT NAME? 

The messenger says "The first Thane of cawdor help the king of Norway to invade scotland. The King has sentenced the first thane of cawdor to death and given his title to you , macbeth."

That's just what the witches said! The first prophecy has already happened.   Macbeth is Thane of Cawdor.

Macbeth can't figure out if these prophecies are good or bad. He thinks, "IF THEY'RE GOOD NEWS, WHY DO I HAVE A SCARY FANTASY OF KILLING THE KING?

Macbeth says "My thought, whose murther is yet but fantastical"

Macbeth is saying, "I'M THINKING OF MURDER, BUT IT'S STILL A FANTASY."

Act 1, scene 3, line 139.

Act 1, Scene 4

Macbeth and Banquo arrive at King Duncan's palace and they are thanked for their bravery during the Two invasions. King Duncan announces two things.

1. His, son Malcolm, will be the next king. Macbeth was hoping that King Duncan would make him the next king!

2. King Duncan invites himself to visit Macbeth's castle at Inverness.

Macbeth Act 1, scene 5

Macbeth's wife, Lady Macbeth, reads a letter from Macbeth. 

Macbeth writes : " I met three witches . They called me Thane of Cawdor.
They said I will be king!
King Duncan made me the new Thane of Cawdor."

Lady Macbeth is very happy to read this letter. The macbeths are a close couple . They both love each others , share secrets and are ambitious. 

Lady Macbeth says, macbeth is too kind and he would never harm anyone in order to become king faster.

Quote: too full o' the milk of human kindness to catch the nearest way.

Act 1, scene 5, line 16-17.

Lady Macbeth thinks her husband is too kind, too full of milk and she wants to get rid of that kindness in him. Lady Macbeth wants to put her determination in his ear. She wants to get rid of anything that gets in the way of her husband's ambitions to become king. A servant tells Lady Macbeth that... king Duncan and other royals will be arriving for a visit that night.

Lady Macbeth says a prayer to evil spirits asking to be filled with cruelty, so she can be a part of King Duncan's murder and never regret it. Macbeth arrives home and Lady Mac tells him of her plans. Macbeth looks really worried. She tells him to wear a false face, so people can't see what he's really thinking. 

Lady Macbeth wants Macbeth to "look like the innocent flower and be the serpent under 't "

Act 1, scene 5, line 64-64

She wants Macbeth to look happy and innocent on the outside, but to be ready to strike, to bite like a snake when the right time comes.

Macbeth  Act 1, Scene 6

King Duncan, Banquo and the other royals arrive at Macbeth's castle. Lady Macbeth greets them, pretending to be the perfect hostess.

Macbeth  Act 1, Scene 7

Macbeth has left the dining room and sits alone  in his castle. He doesn't want to kill King Duncan!

He two good reason :

"As I am his kinsmen and his subject"

Act 1, Scene 7, line 13.

1. Macbeth is the king's relative and subject.

"then, as his host, who should against his murderer shut the door, not bear the knife myself"

Act 2, scene 7, line 14,15,16.

2. Macbeth is the king's host and he should protect the King. Not kill him!

The words are in an unusual order. In modern English, like we might say... 

Duncan is staying in my house. I should shut the door against his murderer, and not hold the murdering knife in my hands.

What's his reason for killing the king? And that is Pure ambition! Macbeth wants to be king.

Now, we are going to look at one of the most important quotes in the entire play. Macbeth is talking to himself about why he shouldn't kill the king.

He starts comparing his situation to riding a horse. In horseback riding, if the rider wants the horse to go faster, he can put a spur on his boot. The rider digs the spur into the horse's flesh, and those points prick the horse's skin and ; it motivates the horse to run faster. Macbeth is looking for a mental kind of spur - a valid reason that would  make killing the king easier. But there isn't any valid reasons. Everyone likes king Duncan. Macbeth has no valid reason to motivate himself to complete his intension of killing king Duncan.

Macbeth says " I have no spur
To prick the side of my intent"

Act 1, Scene 

Macbeth has only one reason for killing the king that is his own ambition.

He can't think of anything. Macbeth has no valid reason to motivate himself to complete his intention of killing Duncan. Macbeth wants to be king. Macbeth is still comparing his situation to riding a horse. He says his ambition is too strong to get on a horse. It will end up with him falling over on to the other side of the horse. His ambition will leap too far, over leaping itself, and falling on the other side of the horse.

Some people says that this is the most important quote in the play :

Macbeth says "Vaulting ambition, which
o'er-leaps itself and falls on the other side"

Act 1, scene 7, line 25-28

Lady Macbeth finds him and; he says they will not kill the king  

"We will no further proceed in this business" (Act 1, Scene 7, line 31) and the business is killing the king.

Lady Macbeth doesn't like that. She says if he doesn't kill the king, he is not a man! She says if she had said she was going to do something, she would do it, and she gives Macbeth a crazy example. She says if she had agreed to kill a new born baby who was tenderly nursing ather breast and dash out its brains, if she had agreed to this, she would do it.

Macbeth agrees to the murder. Lady Macbeth has a plan for the murder. She will get King Duncan's servants drunk and make it look like they did the murder. Macbeth agrees to this plan. He puts on his false face to entertain his guests.

The end of Act 1