Facing the Future, Confronting the Past

Shakespeare’s play The Tragedy of Macbeth, set in medieval Scotland

Through the works of William Shakespeare, we get a clear look at how seventeenth-century
British society viewed their own past.

Importance of the Setting: The play takes place in Scotland during a time of violence and
superstition.

Recurring themes in the play:

things are not what they seem, power corrupts, and the flaw of blind ambition.

From Text to Topic In Shakespeare’s The Tragedy of Macbeth, Macbeth and his
wife imagine a future for themselves but lack the patience to let that future unfold
on its own. Macbeth is even willing to be punished later, in the afterlife, if only he
can have everything he wants right now. As you read, think about how the main
characters struggle with and against time itself.

ESSENTIAL QUESTION:
How do our attitudes toward the past and future shape our
actions?
ACT I and the connection with the essential question

After Macbeth learns of the witches’ prophecy that he will be Thane of Cawdor and King of the
Scots, Macbeth wonders if he will achieve the crown through natural selection. When Duncan
says that he plans to have Malcolm succeed him as king, Macbeth begins to question
whether murdering Duncan is the path of action he should take to the throne.

INSIGHT - THE FIRST ACTS

This first act sets up the plot and many of the themes of the play, including the theme of time.
The witches’ prophecies provoke Macbeth’s ambition and his newly found obsession to
control the future by taking action in the present.

Summary of ACT I

As Act I of The Tragedy of Macbeth begins, King Duncan is at war with the King of Norway.
Duncan learns of Macbeth’s bravery in battle against Macdonwald, a Scot who sided with the
Norwegians. On their way home, Macbeth and Banquo meet three witches who predict that
Macbeth will be made Thane of Cawdor and that Banquo will be the father of kings. As they
continue their journey home, Macbeth learns that Duncan has, in fact, named him Thane of
Cawdor. Macbeth begins to contemplate killing Duncan to gain the throne. Duncan tells
Macbeth he will visit him at his castle. Macbeth sends Lady Macbeth a letter telling of the
witches’ prophecy. When Duncan arrives, Lady Macbeth greets the king alone. She finds
Macbeth in his room thinking about the murder of Duncan. She urges Macbeth to act and
describes her plan to kill the king as he sleeps and plant the murder weapons with his
drunken guards.

Classwork:

RL.5 Analyze how an author’s choices concerning how to structure specific parts of a
text contribute to its overall structure and meaning as well as its aesthetic impact.

1. Scene i, lines 1−11 : a. Superstition plays a major role in the

a. How does superstition play an play, witchcraft is very present in the
important role in the play? play and it’s what gives major
character development to Macbeth.
b. This phrase means that good things
b. What does the phrase - Fair is foul, can turn out to be bad and that looks
and foul is fair. Hover through the are deceiving. It hints that what
fog and filthy air. predicts? Macbeth thinks to be good will come
back to stab him in the back.

2. Scene ii, lines 15−24: a. We learn that Macbeth is very

a. What do we learn about the
character of Macbeth?
b. How does Macbeth fight in the
battle, what happened?
courageous.
b. Macbeth is very bloody, he had all of
Macdonwald’s guts all over the floor.
After that the Norweyan lord brought
new men causing the battle to be
intense again.

3. Scene ii- lines 58−67 during their first
read. What significant event occurs at this
point in the plot? How is this part of the
rising action of the play?
Here it is said that Thane of Cawdor will be
executed, and that Macbeth will now hold this
title. This plays an important part in the rising
action because it’ll start Macbeth’s lust for
power.

4. Scene ii, lines 71−79 - which lines help Our bosom interest. Go, pronounce his
us sense Macbeth’s ambition present
death,
And with his former title greet Macbeth.

5. Scene iii- lines 40−48, list the words - Withered

that Banquo uses to describe the witches. - Wild

6. Scene iii, lines 111−118- what does
Angus state? How do these lines connect
to the prophecies of the witches?
7. Scene iv- lines 28–30
a.What is the metaphor, or implied
comparison, in Duncan’s speech to
Macbeth?
b. What role is the king giving himself with
regard to Macbeth and Banquo?
8. Scene v,
lines 15−30- Lady Macbeth’s Soliloquy **
a. Lady Macbeth’s ambitions or plans
(what is revealed?)
b. What can you infer about what she
feels about her husband?
9. Briefly explain what Macbeth
is saying in Scene vii, lines 1−28
10. In Scene vii:
a. What does Lady Macbeth tell
Macbeth that makes him judge his
“manhood”?
b. Scene vii, lines 80−83 What does
Macbeth tell his wife to do? What
does this say about the plot.. What
will happen?
* *Footnote: Remember a soliloquy is a long speech, usually made by a character who is
alone. The character reveals private thoughts and feelings to the audience.This character
- Choppy
- Skinny lips
Angus states that the Thane of Cawdor is still
alive. The Thane of Cawdor is still convicted
of treason, which is why Macbeth can still
hold the title. These lines connect to the
prophecies of the witches that say that
Macbeth will be named Thane of Cawdor, this
prediction can be evil and are causing
Macbeth to think about killing.
a. “I have begun to plant thee and will
labor
To make thee full of growing.” He is
making a comparison with a tree or
plant, saying that he’ll grow into his
favor.
b. He gives the title to Macbeth of Thane
of Cawdor.
a. After knowing what the witches said,
she decides that her husband will be
king but that he will not be able to do
this on his own so she’ll help him.
b. We can infer that she loves him a lot
and is willing to do anything for him.
Here Macbeth is contemplating the killing of
the King. He is thinking about the
consequences of killing him, especially in
Macbeth’s house. Also, how he will be
betraying the King. He decides at the end that
this is not a good idea, since he is a good
king, and there is no reason why he should
kill him.
a. Lady Macbeth tells him that she keeps
her word unlike him, even to the point
where if she promised to kill her own
child, she would do it without thinking
about it.
b. Macbeth tells his wife that they have
to act innocent. This tells us that in the
future the truth will be revealed.
may be addressing the audience directly, but the convention is that the audience is
simply overhearing the character talking or thinking out loud. A soliloquy is a type of
dramatic speech as well as a type of monologue.