Act 1

• 'Fair is foul, and foul is fair'

  Embedded and contextualised example: In the opening scene, the witches chant what seems to be a kind of mantra for them: “Fair is foul, and foul is fair”.

  Reasons for learning it:

  • Encapsulates two of the key ideas in the play - duplicity and corruption
  • Paradox is used to introduced the inverted morality of the witches - they aren’t just evil - they find evil beautiful
  • Alliteration is used to accentuate the connectedness of ‘fairness’ (goodness) and ‘foulness’ (evil) - they are closer together, more similar, than we might think - links to duplicity (seeming ‘fair’ but being ‘foul’) and corruption (being ‘fair’ and becoming ‘foul’)

  Relevant characters and themes: Macbeth, Lady Macbeth, The Witches, Power and corruption, duplicity and equivocation, good and evil, the supernatural, free will and control
• 'As two spent swimmers, that do cling together/And choke their art'

  Embedded and contextualised example: Just before Macbeth is first introduced, the Captain describes the battle in the moments before his arrival as a stalemate, comparing it to “two spent swimmers, that do cling together / And choke their art”.

  Reasons for learning it:

  • A simile suggesting a desperate and somewhat pitiful battle, two tired armies dragging one another gracelessly and clumsily to their deaths. It is an image wholly lacking in glory or heroism, until Macbeth arrives in a few lines time
  • The imagery can be zoomed into and analysed in more detail, if necessary - the sea, drowning, the idea that they are tired (“spent”)

  Relevant characters and themes: Macbeth, masculinity, power and corruption, good and evil
• “unseamed him from the nave to th’ chops”

  Embedded and contextualised example: When Macbeth enters the battle, he quickly fights his way through the opposing army until he comes face to face with Macdonald, whom he “unseam[s] … from the nave to th’ chops” before chopping off his head.

  Reasons for learning it:

  • Vivid and grotesque imagery - conveys both the horror and the glory of the war (battles “lost and won”)
  • Metaphor of “unseaming” - the delicacy of this imagery suggests Macbeth’s skill in battle - the precision of the blow, despite its brutality
  • Introduces the character of Macbeth in a memorable and notably brutal way - he is a man of action, a warrior
  • Contrasts with Macbeth’s fear after Duncan’s murder

  Relevant characters and themes: Macbeth, masculinity, power and corruption, good and evil
• What does Duncan express regret about in Act 1 Scene 4?

  Not detecting the thane of Cawdor’s traitorous intent
• What does Duncan mean by “there’s no art / To find the mind’s construction in the face”?

  People's true intentions are difficult to read
• What metaphor is used to describe the mind in Duncan's quote?

  The mind is compared to a constructed building
• What does the noun “art” suggest in Duncan's statement?

  Reading people's intentions is a complex skill
• How does dramatic irony function in Duncan's statement?

  Duncan fails to detect Macbeth's traitorous intent
• What are the relevant characters and themes associated with Duncan's quote?

  • Characters: Macbeth, Duncan
  • Themes: Duplicity, equivocation, good and evil, power and corruption
• What does Macbeth ask the stars to do?

  Hide their fires
• What does Macbeth mean by "black and deep desires"?

  His dark, hidden ambitions and thoughts
• What does the imperative clause "Let not..." reveal about Macbeth's feelings?

  His desire to conceal his shameful thoughts
• What are the symbolic uses of light and dark in Macbeth's quote?

  • Light symbolizes good and truth
  • Dark symbolizes evil and hidden desires
• What does the adjective "deep" suggest about Macbeth's desires?

  They are well-hidden or essential to him
• How does the use of an aside function in the context of Macbeth?

  It reveals his inner thoughts to the audience
• What themes are relevant to Macbeth's quote about desires?

  • Power and corruption
  • Good and evil
  • Duplicity and equivocation
  • Guilt and remorse
  • Free will and control
• What does Lady Macbeth fear about Macbeth regarding the throne?

  He is "too full o' the milk of human kindness"
• What does the metaphor "milk of human kindness" convey about Macbeth?

  His innate goodness at the start of the play
• How is the imagery in the metaphor "milk of human kindness" gendered?

  Milk symbolizes femininity and kindness
• What does the adverb "too" imply in the phrase "too full o' the milk of human kindness"?

  It suggests a binary concept of fullness
• What are the relevant characters and themes associated with the metaphor "milk of human kindness"?

  • Characters: Macbeth, Lady Macbeth
  • Themes:
  • Masculinity and femininity
  • Power and corruption
  • Greed and ambition
  • Good and evil
• 'Pour my spirits in thine ear'

  Embedded and contextualised example: When she vows to convince Macbeth to go through with the murder of Duncan in Act 1 Scene 5, Lady Macbeth says she will “pour [her] spirits in [his] ear” in order to persuade him.

  Reasons for learning it:

  • Another metaphor rich with meaning that links to most of the themes in the play
  • Metaphor evokes the idea of spirit as soul or essence (she will pour her spirit into him)
  • It also conveys the idea of spirit as determination or courage (like a person who has spirit or is spirited)
  • It also has supernatural connotations and links to Lady Macbeth’s evocation of “spirits” later in the scene.
  • It could also be alcohol (sprits are strong alcoholic drinks like whisky) - she will intoxicate him with her words

  Relevant characters and themes: Macbeth, Lady Macbeth, free will and control, power and corruption, greed and ambition, good and evil, the supernatural
• What does Lady Macbeth mean by "look like the innocent flower, / But be the serpent under't"?

  Appear innocent while hiding true intentions
• Why does Lady Macbeth advise Macbeth to "look like the innocent flower"?

  To keep their intentions secret from others
• What does the phrase "look like the innocent flower" symbolize in the context of the play?

  Deceptive appearances masking true intentions
• What literary devices are used in the line "look like the innocent flower, / But be the serpent under't"?

  • Simile
  • Metaphor
  • Evocative imagery
• How does the imagery of the "innocent flower" and "serpent" reflect themes in the play?

  It contrasts femininity with poisonous deceit
• What does the serpent symbolize in the context of Lady Macbeth's advice?

  Deceit and the potential for evil actions
• What are the Biblical connotations of the serpent in the garden of Eden?

  • Represents original sin
  • Associated with the Devil
  • Embodiment of evil and lies
• What key themes are explored through Lady Macbeth's line about duplicity?

  • Duplicity and equivocation
  • Masculinity and femininity
  • Power and corruption
  • Greed and ambition
  • Good and evil