Summaries for Act 4
Scene 1
The witches prepare to meet with Macbeth. They cook up a disgusting potion while chanting: “double, double toil and trouble,/ Fire burn, and cauldron bubble.”
Macbeth enters the scene demanding answers.
The witches introduce three apparitions:
1) an armed Head: warning him to beware of Macduff.
2) A bloody child: telling him that nobody born from woman shall harm Macbeth.
3) A Child wearing a crown, with a tree in his hand: telling him that nothing will happen to Macbeth until the Great Birnam Woods arrives at Dunsinane hill.
A vision of eight kings and Banquo’s ghost are also shown to Macbeth. Macbeth gets really upset and yells at the spirit of Banquo. The vision disappears and the witches dance and then vanish.
At this point Lennox enters and Macbeth asks him if he saw the witches. He said no. He then informs Macbeth that Macduff has fled for England. Macbeth knows that Macduff is anticipating the horror that will continue to come with his rule. He calls him a traitor and vows that from that point on :”the very firstlings of my heart shall be/the firstlings of my hand.” In other words, whatever his heart tells him to do, he is going to follow through with.
Scene 2
In this scene Ross and Lady Macduff are having a conversation about how upset she is that Macduff has left her to go and see Malcom. She feels like he should have stayed with her and the family. Ross comforts her.
After Ross leaves, Lady Macbeth and her son horse around a bit.
A messenger arrives, he blesses her and warns her that “some danger does approach”. She answers by asking where she would even go, and that she hasn’t done anything wrong.
Murderers arrive killing Lady Macduff and her son.
Scene 3
Malcolm and Macduff have a meeting. Macduff tries to convince Malcolm that they need to defend Scotland from Macbeth’s tyranny.
Malcolm says that he doesn’t believe him and that he thinks he is going to betray him. He proceeds to test Macduff’s loyalty by telling him all the horrible things that he does. Malcolm even warns him that he would “pour the sweet milk of concord into hell,/uproar the universal peace, confound/ All unity on hearth”
Macduff then proceeds to try and convince Malcolm that he would rather anyone else in the world lead Scotland than Macbeth.
Finally Malcolm becomes convinced that Macduff is a good man and is telling the truth. He tells him that he was just testing him the whole time.
Ross enters the scene revealing that Macduff’s wife and son have been slaughtered by Macbeth’s murderers. The whole group becomes enraged and they decide it is time to take down Macbeth.
Monday, April 19, 2010
Monday, April 12, 2010
Summaries Act III
Scene 1
Banquo is getting ready to go horseback riding. He reflects on the fact that even though Macbeth has accomplished everything the witches promised, he thinks that it has been “played most foully for’t”. He knows something is up.
Macbeth and Lady Macbeth enter the scene praising Banquo and inviting him for dinner.
Banquo says he is going riding with his son Fleance, and that he will try to make it.
Macbeth gives his famous speech about his guilt over killing Duncan, his fear of Banquo knowing the truth, and his resent for Banquo’s future children. Macbeth says: “They hailed him a father to a line of kings./Upon my head they placed a fruitless crown/ and put a barren scepter in m gripe,” He is clearly upset at the fact that the witches prophesized that Banquo would have sons to take over the crown, while Macbeth would have no children to become future heirs. This is a great example of both transformation and guilt in the play.
Macbeth meets with two murderers to plan the murder of Banquo. He convinces them that Banquo has done them wrong and that if they don’t kill him, they are like dogs. They agree to kill Banquo.
Scene 2
Lady Macbeth meets with Macbeth. (She is unaware of the plan)
Lady Macbeth says ‘tis safer to be that which we destroy/Than by destruction dwell in doubtful joy.”
Macbeth alludes to the fact that they have only “scorched the snake, not killed it” and that he is worried about Banquo. He goes on a long rant about how much better off they would be if they were dead.
Lady Macbeth tells him to relax and ‘sleek o’er [his] rugged looks, be bright and jovial/ among your guests tonight.” This is a great example of appearance vs. reality in the play.
Macbeth says he will be cool and hints at the plans he has made to have Banquo killed.
Scene 3
Three murderers show up to kill Banquo. The original two murderers are confused about the presence of the third guy. Some scholars believe that this third man could be Macbeth, Lady Macbeth or a servant. Along comes Banquo and Fleance. The murderers attack them and Banquo is killed. Fleance escapes.
Scene 4
Macbeth is hosting a big banquet for all of his guests.
The first murderer has returned for the killing and greets Macbeth. He reveals to Macbeth that although they killed Banquo, “Fleance is scaped.”
Macbeth gathers himself and re-enters the party. He is socializing when Lennox tells him to take a seat. Macbeth casually replies that the table is full. Everyone seems pretty shocked about this because the King’s seat has been reserved.
All of a sudden Macbeth realizes that it is Banquo’s ghost who is sitting in his chair. He panics about this and freaks out. He shouts out “Thou canst not say I did it; never shake/ Thy gory locks at me!” This vision demonstrates the guilt he feels for having Banquo murdered. Lady Macbeth acknowledges this fact when she shouts out “This is the very painting of your fear”. She goes on to tell him to relax and that “when all’s done/You look but on a stool!”
Eventually the ghost leaves and Macbeth tries to calm down a bit. Lady Macbeth tries to reassure everyone that all is well.
Banquo’s Ghost reappears---everything goes crazy again. Finally Lady Macbeth tells everyone to leave. She says: “At once, good night./ Stand not upon the order of your going,/ But go at once. ” Everyone leaves except Lady Macbeth and Macbeth. They have a conversation about his panic attack and he discusses the disorder that has occurred since the death of Duncan- lines 121-129 especially.
Scene 5 and 6 are not on the quiz. These scenes were reportedly not written by Shakespeare. Very interesting stuff.
Banquo is getting ready to go horseback riding. He reflects on the fact that even though Macbeth has accomplished everything the witches promised, he thinks that it has been “played most foully for’t”. He knows something is up.
Macbeth and Lady Macbeth enter the scene praising Banquo and inviting him for dinner.
Banquo says he is going riding with his son Fleance, and that he will try to make it.
Macbeth gives his famous speech about his guilt over killing Duncan, his fear of Banquo knowing the truth, and his resent for Banquo’s future children. Macbeth says: “They hailed him a father to a line of kings./Upon my head they placed a fruitless crown/ and put a barren scepter in m gripe,” He is clearly upset at the fact that the witches prophesized that Banquo would have sons to take over the crown, while Macbeth would have no children to become future heirs. This is a great example of both transformation and guilt in the play.
Macbeth meets with two murderers to plan the murder of Banquo. He convinces them that Banquo has done them wrong and that if they don’t kill him, they are like dogs. They agree to kill Banquo.
Scene 2
Lady Macbeth meets with Macbeth. (She is unaware of the plan)
Lady Macbeth says ‘tis safer to be that which we destroy/Than by destruction dwell in doubtful joy.”
Macbeth alludes to the fact that they have only “scorched the snake, not killed it” and that he is worried about Banquo. He goes on a long rant about how much better off they would be if they were dead.
Lady Macbeth tells him to relax and ‘sleek o’er [his] rugged looks, be bright and jovial/ among your guests tonight.” This is a great example of appearance vs. reality in the play.
Macbeth says he will be cool and hints at the plans he has made to have Banquo killed.
Scene 3
Three murderers show up to kill Banquo. The original two murderers are confused about the presence of the third guy. Some scholars believe that this third man could be Macbeth, Lady Macbeth or a servant. Along comes Banquo and Fleance. The murderers attack them and Banquo is killed. Fleance escapes.
Scene 4
Macbeth is hosting a big banquet for all of his guests.
The first murderer has returned for the killing and greets Macbeth. He reveals to Macbeth that although they killed Banquo, “Fleance is scaped.”
Macbeth gathers himself and re-enters the party. He is socializing when Lennox tells him to take a seat. Macbeth casually replies that the table is full. Everyone seems pretty shocked about this because the King’s seat has been reserved.
All of a sudden Macbeth realizes that it is Banquo’s ghost who is sitting in his chair. He panics about this and freaks out. He shouts out “Thou canst not say I did it; never shake/ Thy gory locks at me!” This vision demonstrates the guilt he feels for having Banquo murdered. Lady Macbeth acknowledges this fact when she shouts out “This is the very painting of your fear”. She goes on to tell him to relax and that “when all’s done/You look but on a stool!”
Eventually the ghost leaves and Macbeth tries to calm down a bit. Lady Macbeth tries to reassure everyone that all is well.
Banquo’s Ghost reappears---everything goes crazy again. Finally Lady Macbeth tells everyone to leave. She says: “At once, good night./ Stand not upon the order of your going,/ But go at once. ” Everyone leaves except Lady Macbeth and Macbeth. They have a conversation about his panic attack and he discusses the disorder that has occurred since the death of Duncan- lines 121-129 especially.
Scene 5 and 6 are not on the quiz. These scenes were reportedly not written by Shakespeare. Very interesting stuff.
Tuesday, April 6, 2010
Act II Summaries
Scene 1
Banquo and Fleance have a conversation about how grateful Duncan seemed for the Macbeth’s hospitality. Banquo also mentions the fact that he has dreamt about the witches. Macbeth replies with a lie, saying that he doesn’t think about them anymore.
Macbeth gives his famous dagger soliloquy. He sees a floating dagger and says things like: “Mine eye’s are made the fools o’th’other senses” and “ on thy blade and dundgeon gouts of blood/ Which was not so before.” A bell rings and he leaves to murder Duncan.
Scene 2
This scene starts with Lady Macbeth and Macbeth reunited after the murder of Duncan. She tells Macbeth that even though she got everything prepared for him to kill Duncan, she couldn’t have done it herself because Duncan looked too much like her father. Macbeth enters the scene with two bloody daggers. She gets really upset shouting “why did you bring these daggers from the place?/ they must lie there”. She tries to get him to go smear blood over the guards and leave the daggers, but in the end he won’t because he is afraid of seeing Duncan’s body again.
Lady Macbeth takes the daggers, leaves them with the guards and returns to Macbeth. Upon her return, Macduff starts knocking at the door. At this point, they are both covered in blood. She suggests that they just need to wash their hands. She comments that: “A little water cleans us of this deed./ How easy is it then!”
Scene 3
In this scene, the porter comments several times on how the castle is like hell. He says things like : “I’th’name of Beelzebub?” and “but this place is too cold for hell”.
Macduff enters and asks for the king. At this point Macbeth enters and they all have a discussion about how the King is doing.
Lennox describes how the evening was so unruly and totally chaotic. This is a great example of disorder in the play. He talks about how the “chimneys were blown down” and there were “strange screams of death”.
Eventually Macduff finds Duncan dead and rejoins the group. He laments Duncan’s death and Lady Macbeth becomes very emotional. Again there is a great example of disorder when Macbeth says that “the fountain of your blood is stopped, the very source of it is stopped”.
Macbeth kills the guards and admits this to the group when he says, “ O, yet I do repent me of my fury/ That I did kill them”.
At the end of this scene, Malcom and Donaldbain decide that they are too afraid to stick around and decide they are going to flee. This makes them look suspicious, and frees up the crown for Macbeth.
Scene 4
This entire scene focuses on the disorder that has occurred because of the fact that Macbeth has killed the King. There is a great line where Ross describes how two horses have broken out of their stalls and eaten each other.
Banquo and Fleance have a conversation about how grateful Duncan seemed for the Macbeth’s hospitality. Banquo also mentions the fact that he has dreamt about the witches. Macbeth replies with a lie, saying that he doesn’t think about them anymore.
Macbeth gives his famous dagger soliloquy. He sees a floating dagger and says things like: “Mine eye’s are made the fools o’th’other senses” and “ on thy blade and dundgeon gouts of blood/ Which was not so before.” A bell rings and he leaves to murder Duncan.
Scene 2
This scene starts with Lady Macbeth and Macbeth reunited after the murder of Duncan. She tells Macbeth that even though she got everything prepared for him to kill Duncan, she couldn’t have done it herself because Duncan looked too much like her father. Macbeth enters the scene with two bloody daggers. She gets really upset shouting “why did you bring these daggers from the place?/ they must lie there”. She tries to get him to go smear blood over the guards and leave the daggers, but in the end he won’t because he is afraid of seeing Duncan’s body again.
Lady Macbeth takes the daggers, leaves them with the guards and returns to Macbeth. Upon her return, Macduff starts knocking at the door. At this point, they are both covered in blood. She suggests that they just need to wash their hands. She comments that: “A little water cleans us of this deed./ How easy is it then!”
Scene 3
In this scene, the porter comments several times on how the castle is like hell. He says things like : “I’th’name of Beelzebub?” and “but this place is too cold for hell”.
Macduff enters and asks for the king. At this point Macbeth enters and they all have a discussion about how the King is doing.
Lennox describes how the evening was so unruly and totally chaotic. This is a great example of disorder in the play. He talks about how the “chimneys were blown down” and there were “strange screams of death”.
Eventually Macduff finds Duncan dead and rejoins the group. He laments Duncan’s death and Lady Macbeth becomes very emotional. Again there is a great example of disorder when Macbeth says that “the fountain of your blood is stopped, the very source of it is stopped”.
Macbeth kills the guards and admits this to the group when he says, “ O, yet I do repent me of my fury/ That I did kill them”.
At the end of this scene, Malcom and Donaldbain decide that they are too afraid to stick around and decide they are going to flee. This makes them look suspicious, and frees up the crown for Macbeth.
Scene 4
This entire scene focuses on the disorder that has occurred because of the fact that Macbeth has killed the King. There is a great line where Ross describes how two horses have broken out of their stalls and eaten each other.
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