WhenMacbethkillsBanquo. ‘Ohfullofscorpionsismymind’.Scorpionshaveconnotationsofevilanddeath.Macbethfurthercorrupted.Hisstateofmindisdeteriorating. On a heath in Scotland, three witches, the Weird Sisters, wait to meet Macbeth amidst thunder and lightning. Their conversation is filled with paradox and equivocation: they say that they will meet Macbeth "when the battle's lost and won" and when "fair is foul and foul is fair" (10). Act 1, Scene 2

In Macbeth, William Shakespeare's tragedy about power, ambition, deceit, and murder, the Three Witches foretell Macbeth's rise to King of Scotland but also prophesy that future kings will descend from Banquo, a fellow army captain. Prodded by his ambitious wife, Lady Macbeth, he murders King Duncan, becomes king, and sends mercenaries to kill Banquo and his sons. His attempts to defy the prophesy fail, however; Macduff kills Macbeth, and Duncan's son Malcolm becomes king. On the other side, Malcolm asks the soldiers to cut the branch from the Birnam Wood to hide themselves. Later, Macbeth comes to know that the forest is moving towards his fort. Despite the growing tension, Macbeth remains arrogant and unmoved. Lady Macbeth commits suicide (which is shown off-stage). SeeingBanquo'sghostshowshowguiltyMacbethtrulyis.Heseestheghostsofeveryonehe’skilledwhichsuggestshehasretainedsomeofhismoralcompass.Understandsthedarknessofwhathe’sdone.

Writing Style of Macbeth

Macbeth: At first, Macbeth, a Scottish army general. He and Banquo defeat the Thane of Cawdor. King Duncan bestows the title ‘Thane of Cawdor’ to Macbeth, just when he meets the three witches who cast a spell on him. The witches’ fake prophecies also turn him into a despicable person making him make terrible decisions to fulfill them. He is also manipulated by his wife and kills King Duncan. Once he becomes the king, he goes on a killing spree after revisiting the witches. As Macbeth was fooled and cursed by the witches, we can call him an anti-hero, with the qualities of both hero and a villain. At the end of the play, he receives the punishment for all the crimes he had committed when Macduff beheads him.

Foreshadowing: The first example of foreshadowing occurs in the very first action where the bloody battle continues. It shows that another somber murder is going to take place. Another example is when Macbeth hears some voices about losing his sleep when stabbing Duncan. It shows that he and his wife are going to face psychological issues. Act1Scene4.Heusesveryformallanguagee.g. ‘swiftestwingofrecompence’.Suggestshiswisdomsisembeddedintohisverybeing.Soinherentlykinglythathecan’thelpbutusethislanguage. Conflict: There are two types of conflicts in Macbeth. The first one is the external conflict that goes on between Macbeth and his enemies, such as Fleance, Malcolm, and Macduff, after he murders King Duncan. The second is the internal conflict that goes on in the mind of Macbeth and Lady Macbeth. Theexactchainofeventsdependsonthecharacterinthepassage.Ifit’saMacbethrelatedquestionthenyoucouldsayittriggershisambition,orshowsaresultofhisambition. Protagonist: Macbeth is the main protagonist of the play as he causes not only envy for his position but also arouses pity and fear for his fall, though, he uses devious ways to achieve his goal.King Duncan arrives with his sons, Banquo, Macduff, Lennox, and few more envoys. Banquo senses the ‘ moral decay’ at Macbeth’s place. Lady Macbeth greets the king and everyone else, and they hear King Duncan praise Macbeth once more. When Macbeth’s alone, he worries about his afterlife, wondering what kind of punishment he would receive for killing the king, who is a good man. At that moment, Lady Macbeth manipulates him emotionally and convinces him to murder King Duncan. Presenter: Well, well, well, Banquo’s been replaced by nothing more than lighting and sound effects. Presenter: Hey, hey, hey. The guy’s right, and he’s got the boss really thinking. Has she got a more stylised approach in mind,

Lotsofproseandfragmentedsyntaxusedwhichshowsthedeteriorationofhermind.Reinforcesthedidacticmessageoftheplay,theconsequencesofcommittingregicide(killingaking).Closestwecometofeelingpathosforher. King Duncan: King Duncan is shown as one of the most generous kings. Sadly, King Duncan is stabbed to death by Macbeth and Lady Macbeth when they are cursed by the witches. He is a fatherly figure who was kind and caring for the Scottish. However, his gruesome murder shows his trusting nature cost him his life and many others. Thingshasbegunmakestrongthemselvesbyill’ .Essentiallyhe’ssayingthatifyoudidabadthing,continuebecausethatmakesyoustronger.Showshiswarpedmind.Moralcompassgone. Treachery and Betrayal: The play also displays betrayal and treachery. At first, Macbeth was a trustworthy general of King Duncan. He is corrupted by the witches and chooses to be treacherous and betrays King Duncan, who comes to Macbeth’s home as a guest. He kills the king and his friend, Banquo, as he gives in to the selfish desires. He betrays the family of Macduff too. Macbeth is also betrayed by his general, Lennox.WhoisresponsibleforMacbeth’sdownfall?IsMacbethresponsibleforhisownactions?Ordidthewitchesnourishhisambitionandplanttheseed? WhenconsideringhowShakespeareuses/presents(whateverthequestionasks)onemuststressthatthepassageisapivotalmomentoftheplayasit starts/isaculmination*ofachainofevents. Duncan arrives at Inverness with Banquo and exchanges pleasantries with Lady Macbeth. The king inquires after Macbeth's whereabouts and she offers to bring him to where Macbeth awaits. Act 1, Scene 7 These are two beautiful metaphors among various other metaphors. The first one shows life compared with toys and second with wine. Useasentencelike,'Whiletheextractisextremelyimportant/pivotalwhenexploring(whateverthequestionhasaskedyou),thereareotherequallyimportantmoments/characters.'