Macbeth

1. Shakespeare's Macbeth Act 1 workgroup Acciarino Teresa, Cancellieri Lorenzo, Fracaros Savario, Virgolin Marco

2. ACT 1 Act 1 has an introductory function, it introduces characters and presents a node of the play: the witches’ prediction that will influence Macbeth’s actions Characters Features Credits

3. ACT 1 - Characters • Primary characters: • Macbeth: the main character of the play, he is a proud and brave noble, he has an ambitious and passionate nature • Banquo: according to the prophecy Loyal Macbeth’s mate ‘s son will become king • Duncan: King of Scotland relies on Macbeth and gives him the Cawdor county • Lady Macbeth: very ambitious, she will influence Macbeth’s behaviour considerably • The Three Witches: ghostly and supernatural characters, they predict Macbeth and Banquo’s future but their intentions are not clear

4. ACT 1 - Characters • Secondary characters: • Ross: Scottish Nobleman • Angus: Scottish Nobleman • Malcolm: King Duncan’s son • Donalbain: King Duncan’s son • Lennox: Scottish Nobleman • Macduff: Scottish Nobleman

5. ACT 1 - Characters The Main Characters are King Duncan, Macbeth, Banquo, Lady Macbeth and the 3 witches. • The first one is the king of Scotland and is murdered by Macbeth because he is what Macbeth wants to become. • Macbeth must be considered a main character because he is the hero and the protagonist of the tragedy. Further more he is presented as a very proud nobleman fighting with all his strong enemies. • Banquo is a brave nobleman too, moreover he is present on the moment ot the prophecy and as the witches say, his son will become the king. • Lady Macbeth plays a fundamental role because she reinforces Macbeth’s ambitions and really wants to become someone. In Scene 5 Macbeth writes her a letter to look for her moral support because he knows about her strong nature. • The witches’ prophecy is the drop that has Macbeth’s most hidden ambitions burst out. Return

6. The three witches Fair is foul, and foul is fair: Hover through the fog and filthy air. Where hast thou been, sister? Killing swine. 'Aroint thee, witch!' the rump-fed ronyon cries. I'll give thee a wind. I myself have all the other, And the very ports they blow, I will drain him dry as hay: Here I have a pilot's thumb, Wreck'd as homeward he did come.What are these So wither'd and so wild in their attire, That look not like the inhabitants o' the earth, And yet are on't? you should be women, And yet your beards forbid me to interpret That you are so.All hail, Macbeth! hail to thee, thane of Glamis! All hail, Macbeth, hail to thee, thane of Cawdor! All hail, Macbeth, thou shalt be king hereafter!

7. The three witches The three witches have something "more than human" in them: they have special powers on t nature. They often talk about bad acts , and bad purposes for the future: that's just to outline their devilish bent. The language they use is dirty and simple. The fact that they greet Macbeth with three different titles, suggests the reader they represent the past, the present and the future. What you were, what you are and what you COULD be. Return

8. Macbeth For brave Macbeth--well he deserves that name-- Disdaining fortune, with his brandish'd steel, Which smoked with bloody execution, Like valour's minion carved out his passage Till he faced the slave; Which ne'er shook hands, nor bade farewell to him, Till he unseam'd him from the nave to the chaps, And fix'd his head upon our battlements. O valiant cousin! worthy gentleman! Dismay'd not this Our captains, Macbeth and Banquo? Yes; As sparrows eagles, or the hare the lion. And make my seated heart knock at my ribs, Against the use of nature? Look, how our partner's rapt. If chance will have me king, why, chance may crown me, Without my stir. Come what come may, Time and the hour runs through the roughest day. Till then, enough. Come, friends.

9. Macbeth The Prince of Cumberland! that is a step On which I must fall down, or else o'erleap, For in my way it lies. Stars, hide your fires; Let not light see my black and deep desires: The eye wink at the hand; yet let that be, Which the eye fears, when it is done, to see. I burned in desire to question them further Art not without ambition, but without The illness should attend it: what thou wouldst highly, That wouldst thou holily; wouldst not play false, And yet wouldst wrongly win: thou'ldst have, great Glamis, That which cries 'Thus thou must do, if thou have it; And that which rather thou dost fear to do Than wishest should be undone.' Hie thee hither, That I may pour my spirits in thine ear; And chastise with the valour of my tongue All that impedes thee from the golden round, Which fate and metaphysical aid doth seem To have thee crown'd withal.Only look up clear; To alter favour ever is to fear: Leave all the rest to me. But here, upon this bank and shoal of time, We'ld jump the life to come. But in these cases We still have judgment here; that we but teach Bloody instructions, which, being taught, return To plague the inventor: this Duncan Hath borne his faculties so meek, hath been So clear in his great office, that his virtues Will plead like angels, trumpet-tongued, against The deep damnation of his taking-off;

10. Macbeth Return Macbeth has the role of the brave hero who with a sword in his hand can destroy an army alone for his king. Shakespeare hints at his wickedness telling about such pitiless warrior. Macbeth doesn't know fear and when the enemy is stronger, the challenge gets more interesting. However Shakespeare wants to preserve a human side in him by referring to his body language. He gets rapt in the desire of becoming king The use of the verb "to burn“ explains the intention to better express he is such a passionate person. With the passing time Macbeth starts taking out his dark side, he plots. We also know that he believed in angels, devil, superstitions and other things related to religion.

11. King Duncan God save the king! No more that thane of Cawdor shall deceive Our bosom interest: go pronounce his present death, And with his former title greet Macbeth. There's no art To find the mind's construction in the face: He was a gentleman on whom I built An absolute trust.Noble Banquo, That hast no less deserved, nor must be known No less to have done so, let me enfold thee And hold thee to my heart. The negative figure of Macbeth is enhanced by the good figure of his victim. As a matter of fact the king is a good character, esteemed by his subjects and knows the way to be equal and right. He is a trusty person. Return

12. Lady Macbeth Come, you spirits That tend on mortal thoughts, unsex me here, And fill me from the crown to the toe top-full Of direst cruelty! make thick my blood;Stop up the access and passage to remorse, That no compunctious visitings of nature Shake my fell purpose, nor keep peace between The effect and it! Come, thick night, And pall thee in the dunnest smoke of hell, That my keen knife see not the wound it makes, Nor heaven peep through the blanket of the dark,To cry 'Hold, hold!'Only look up clear; To alter favour ever is to fear: Leave all the rest to me.I dare do all that may become a man; Who dares do more is none. then you were a man;

13. Lady Macbeth Lady Macbeth is a very ambitious person who doesn't mind killing some innocents to earn the crown. She is more decided in murdering people than the same Macbeth and she plots really cleverly. She Plays also on Macbeth's self- esteem of man. She shows to know Macbeth’s weak points. In a medieval contest, where the woman was seen like something devilish and people were frightened by her, there couldn't be a better expressive character. Return

14. Banquo Good sir. And say which grain will grow and which will not, Speak then to me, who neither beg nor fear Your favours nor your hate.What, can the devil speak true? He is a good subject of the king and of his thane. He believes in the supernatural and he is curios enough to ask about his future. Return

15. Act 1 -Settings • The scene of gloom and mystery dominates the opening of the play, as a matter of fact a series of storms, supernatural figures and night scenes help create the background of the tragedy. • The play starts with the three witches (Scene 1), in a desolate place with thunder and lightning. The weather really reflects the mood of the play. Whenever the witches are around it is rainy. So the weather is connected to the witches’ appearance. However stage directions have a very important role in the play because it introduces the setting and creates the atmosphere of “the set of sun” (night that is coming). • The health (medieval symbol of danger and fear) is near Forres. Stage direction suggest “Thunder” a weather condition connected to the witches appearing to Macbeth. In addition to this sounds (“drum”) introduce a tense atmosphere where a fearful rhythm reigns. Return

16. Act 1 – Associations Act 1 creates associations with the following acts because it has an introductory function and it is provides the foundation of the play. It introduces the characters and creates interest for what is going to happen. Return

17. Act 1 - Audience expectations • At the beginning of the Act the audience obviously expect characters to be presented. In front of Act 1 a possible audience’s reaction is to side against Macbeth and most of all his wife, because of their fool thirst of power. • It seems as if Shakespeare wanted to create a connection between Macbeth, his Lady and the protagonists of Genesis: Eva pushes Adam towards sin, the witches have the same role of the bible snake and the apple is the title of King. Return

18. Macbeth Today • Nowadays multinational societies can be considered sort of Macbeth’s desires’ satisfaction because they own power gained to the detriment of the poorest people, without minding ethics. Return

19. Settings Associations Audience expectations Macbeth Today Act 1 – Features of the act Return

20. Credits Workgroup Act 1: • Acciarino Teresa • Cancellieri Lorenzo • Fracaros Savario • Virgolin Marco Special Thanks to: Mrs. Lea di Leo Return