Macbeth Act 1, Scenes 1 & 2

In this episode of Read It and (Don’t) Weep, we begin reading Shakespeare’s Macbeth by looking at Act 1, Scenes 1 and 2. The play opens during a storm as three witches briefly meet to plan their next gathering. Their famous line, “Fair is foul, and foul is fair,” introduces one of the play’s central ideas, things are not always what they seem. 

From this eerie beginning, we move to a military camp where King Duncan receives news about the battle. A wounded soldier describes how Macbeth fought bravely against the rebel leader, Macdonald, and helped secure victory for Scotland. Even when a second attack begins, Macbeth and Banquo continue to fight successfully against the invading forces. 

By the end of the scene, King Duncan rewards Macbeth’s loyalty and bravery. This moment introduces Macbeth as a respected and heroic figure, but it also begins to set important events into motion for the rest of the play.

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Transcript

Hello and welcome to "Read it and (Don't) Weep," the podcast that will help you breeze through your high school literature classes. Are you tired of struggling to understand the themes and characters in classic works of literature? Well, I’ve got you covered! I am your host, Jackey Taggart, and I taught high school English for almost 20 years. Join me each episode as I dive into the world of high school literature and break down the essential elements of each work. From Shakespeare to Steinbeck, I'll cover it all. My goal is to give you valuable insights and analysis on some of the most popular high school literary texts, as well as tips and tricks for acing your tests and essays. Let’s start reading!

Act 1, Scene 1

In this episode, we are diving into Macbeth, otherwise known as “The Scottish Play.” This is my absolute favorite Shakespearean play.  It is bloody, violent, and short.  It also includes the supernatural which is why many feel the play is cursed.  If you want to learn more about the Curse of Macbeth, I have another episode specifically on this topic.   Also, if you have not listened to my episode on the structure of a Shakespearean play, I suggest you listen to that episode before continuing.  If you do not have a copy of the play, but want to follow along, I suggest using MyShakespeare.com.  This is a free website that includes translations, videos, and other resources to help you understand the text.  

Let’s start reading Act 1!

The very first scene of Macbeth is short, sharp, and chilling. The play opens with thunder and lightning and three weird sisters enter.  We would call them witches. 

They essentially have a quick meeting to plan their next meeting. The First Witch asks when the three of them should meet again. The Second and Third Witches agree they will meet once the "hurly-burly’s done", which is when the battle is "lost, and won."  So, there is currently a battle going on, and they will meet again when it is over.

Where will they meet? The "heath." A heath refers an open area of land. And who are they planning to meet? Macbeth.

The Witches wrap up their quick gathering by calling their familiars, Graymalkin and Paddock, a gray cat and a toad, and then they drop perhaps the most famous couplet of the entire play:  Fair is foul, and foul is fair. / Hover through the fog and filthy air.

This scene, which only has 13 lines, establishes immediately that our main character, Macbeth, is destined to meet with these supernatural forces. This last couplet identifies one of the primary themes within the play - that what is fair, or good, is foul, or bad, and what is bad, is actually good. As you read, keep an eye out for examples of this. 

Hey teachers! Are you looking for some top-notch resources to go along with this podcast episode? You'll find them right in my store. A quick click on the link in the show notes gets you right there. What awaits? A stash of guided questions, note-taking aids, and assessments to use with your students. Go ahead, make the most of these resources today!

Act 1, Scene 2 

We transition straight from the dark and stormy night to the bloody reality of war. Act 1, Scene 2 takes place at a military camp near Forres, signaled by the sound of trumpets. We meet King Duncan, the King of Scotland, his sons Malcolm and Donalbain, Lord Lennox, and some other attendants. The King is waiting for news about the recent rebellion against him.

In walks a "bleeding soldier," whom King Duncan immediately asks for a report on what is happening. Malcolm recognizes the man as the sergeant who bravely fought to prevent Malcolm’s capture. 

The Sergeant, though heavily injured, delivers a vivid description of the fight. He says the battle initially stood doubtful, using the simile “As two spent swimmers that do cling together.” What does this mean?  Basically, he is saying, at first, the two armies were like tired swimmers clinging to each other, both so worn out that they were dragging each other down, and it wasn’t clear who would win.  The rebel leader, the "merciless Macdonald," had many “kerns and gallowglasses” (a fancy way to say peasant soldiers) joining in to help him. Fortune seemed to be smiling on Macdonald.

But then, the tides turned because of "brave Macbeth," a name the Sergeant says Macbeth "well he deserves." Macbeth, acting like "Valor's minion," totally ignored fate. He used his "brandished steel", aka his sword, to carve out a path to the rebel leader.

Macbeth was so brutal that he "unseamed him from the nave to the chaps, / And fixed his head upon our battlements." That is, he sliced him open from his bellybutton up to his jaws, and then decapitated him, placing his head on the castle wall for all to see.  

King Duncan, naturally, is thrilled and calls Macbeth his "valiant cousin, worthy gentleman."

But not so fast! The Sergeant then reveals that right after they defeated Macdonald, a fresh assault began. The King of Norway took advantage of the situation, aided by the "disloyal traitor," the Thane of Cawdor.

The King asks if their captains, Macbeth and Banquo, were ok. The Sergeant says they are all good! They fought with "doubly redoubled strokes upon the foe." Finally, the poor bleeding Sergeant is helped off stage to get some medical attention.

After the Sergeant leaves, Lord Ross, the worthy Thane of Ross, arrives from Fife. Ross confirms the conflict where the Norwegian King, Sweno, assisted by the traitorous Thane of Cawdor, began a "dismal conflict." Ross calls Macbeth "Bellona's bridegroom," essentially a husband of the Roman goddess of war, Bellona. He confronted the enemy and secured the victory.

Ross reports that the Norwegian King is now begging for a treaty. Duncan says he will not call a treaty or even permit Sweno to bury their men until Sweno pays him ten thousand dollars. That would be about a half a million dollars today, which is a HUGE amount of money.

King Duncan, pleased by his soldiers victory and furious at the betrayal, makes a critical decision that sets Macbeth’s fate into motion.  Duncan says, “No more that Thane of Cawdor shall deceive / Our bosom interest. Go pronounce his present death, / And with his former title, greet Macbeth.” So, the current Thane of Cawdor will be executed, and Macbeth will immediately inherit that title.

King Duncan continues, "What he hath lost, noble Macbeth hath won." Similar to the witches comment that "fair is foul, and foul is fair", the battle that was lost by the traitor Cawdor (foul or bad for him as his is executed) is instantly won by the "noble Macbeth” (fair or good for Macbeth). 

And that’s the end of Act 1, Scene 2. Before finishing up, I have a question for your reading journal.  Based on what you’ve learned about Macbeth so far, do you think he deserves his new title as Thane of Cawdor? Why or why not?  How do you think this “good” event could possibly turn out to be “bad?

Ending

Thanks for listening to this episode of Read it and (Don’t) Weep. Be sure to subscribe to the show so you will be notified when new episodes are released. If you liked today’s show, please leave a review so others can discover my show.  If you have any questions, comments, or suggestions for future episodes, drop me an email at readitanddontweep@gmail.com, or reach out to me on social media. I would love to hear from you. The links are in the show notes.  

Thank you for listening.  I am Jackey Taggart and remember to Read It and Don’t Weep.