Macbeth was based on a true story that occurred in eleventh century Scotland, which Shakespeare revised to transform into one of the greatest plays of all time. Macbeth was written during a garish age of aberration and violence. Shakespeare wrote the play to entertain and make money, which is why it is palatable with the King of England (James) at the time it was written. The King had an ardent interest in witchcraft, as did the rest of society, and was apt to eulogy and admiration (for some peculiar reason).Shakespeare certainly 'tweaked' the story of Macbeth to impress the King by including acclaim towards the greatness of King James within the play and changing a villainous ancestor of James, Banquo, (who helped kill Duncan in the actual events of the eleventh century) into heroic and brave character.
Shakespeare wasn't just aiming to please the King though, Macbeth was written to entertain a scurrilous and ruthless audience in the fifteenth century, keeping them interested until the end of the play, which Shakespeare undoubtedly does...Scene 1As soon as the audience are seated they are engrossed with the play. Shakespeare begins Macbeth with not one, not two, but three witches upon a heath. Coincidentally, it is also thunder and lightning at the witches gathering.
There are three witches to dramatise the effect on the audience and the belief that three is a mystical and magic number. If there are three witches they can also communicate with each other - It would look silly for one witch to be on stage talking aloud about how she impeded a sailor's sleep.The thunder and lightning adds to the atmosphere of eeriness about the witches and I think is better suited than a bright sunny day with a pleasant breeze. Three witches is also a perfect way to begin a play at the time because the audience were fascinated by the supernatural and actually believed in witchcraft, so to see three witches on stage would have been a treat.
This scene sets a major theme of the play, being the powers of evil and war; confuses the audience with ludicrous contradictions, but also gives subtle hints as to what is to come in the play,"When the hurly-burly's done,When the battle's lost and won.""Fair is foul and foul is fair."The audience know there will be a battle which usually means blood and violence, while at the same time they are confused with contradictory dialogue which forces them to remain seated to discover what will happen -'How can a battle be lost and won? What is both foul and fair?'The witches are also associated with Macbeth and the audience know there will be a meeting involving Macbeth,"Upon the heath.There to meet with Macbeth."So, the audience hopefully deduct that the witches are linked to Macbeth that links Macbeth to the supernatural - not good.
This is enforced further with the first harangue Macbeth makes,"So fair and foul a day I have not seen."Here, Macbeth is not referring to the typical bleak Scottish weather but instead the unusual events of fighting two battles in the same day. This just happens to be the confusing part of the witches meeting.Scene 2Scene two begins with another spectacular opening. There is an alarum within and the King and his attendants enter. We see some major themes of the play in this scene and an array of different characters.
In the fifteenth century clothes played a major role in a play as not many people could afford the hefty prices of basic coloured materials. So to see all the different costumes in the play was an experience in it's self. They also give the audience visual clues to the type of character on stage and their personalities - the witches wear drab, pallid, dregs whereas the King is dressed in the finest colourful silks and fur robes.We learn a lot about the characters in scene two, the first being King Duncan. Duncan is a feeble King and is clearly not fit for such a position of such authority,"What bloody man is that?"Duncan obviously hasn't been bothered with such a pointless task as knowing his own army. We also know that Duncan is not out leading his army into battle, as any fit King would have in the fifteenth century because he is anxiously awaiting news of the battle.
Duncan is unfit to lead his country and has allowed rebellion to take place in Scotland. However, to the audience the appearance of Duncan and his men on stage would have been dazzling with all the bright and colourful costumes being paraded that would have been very similar to an actual King's clothing.King Duncan is also chock-full of dramatic irony to a point where he spouts it fluently as if it were his own invented language. This is a deliberate use of the dialogue by Shakespeare, as it occurs to often to be coincidental,"O valiant cousin! Worthy gentlemen!""This castle hath a pleasant seat; the airNimbly and sweetly recommends itselfUnto our gentle senses.
""See, see, our honor'd hostess!The love that follows us sometime is our trouble,Which still we thank as love. Herein I teach youHow you shall bid God 'ield us for your pains,And thank us for your trouble."King Duncan frequently talks highly about his killers and were he shall be murdered.We are also treated to a chivalrous speech by the Sergeant outlining how brave and valiant Macbeth is and how he disposed of Macdonwald,"Till he unseam'd him from the nave to the chaps,And fix'd his head upon our battlements."The King is again exposed as pathetic through the behaviour of Ross.
Ross is deliberately sarcastic on numerous occasions towards the King, which no worthy King would tolerate.Malcolm shows the kingly qualities he possesses as he identifies the Sergeant, whom his father fails to recognise,"This is the sergeantWho like a good and hardy soldier fought'Gainst my captivity. Hail, brave friend!"We know that Malcolm is too young to be fighting in the army and his kingly qualities shine through later on in the play when he brings out the best in Macduff after Macduff has heard the news of his wife's murder,"Be this the whetstone of your sword. Let griefConvert to anger; blunt not the heart, enrage it."This scene also distinguishes Macbeth, and indeed Banquo, as a brave warrior who is rising to Kingship.
Banquo is also associated with Macbeth as a friend and, to King James's delight; Banquo is shown as a valiant and courageous officer within the army who is bitterly betrayed later on in the play. I think that despite this, Banquo is left to the grey matter of the audience to interperate as they wish.So far, the audience will know that Macbeth is indeed brave and fearless and rising up the ladder of kingship. The audience will still remember the witch's speech and be weary of Macbeth when he appears on stage, as he is associated with evil and the supernatural.
The next scene is when the plot begins to form in the audience's mind.Scene 3Scene three imposes the theme of the supernatural upon the audience again. As if three witches weren't enough, the dialect between them is moulded around mystical numbers like three, seven and nine. Shakespeare definitely made sure he got his themes of the supernatural and mystical across to the audience,"Weary se'nnights nine times nineShall he dwindle, peak, and pine;Though his bark cannot be lost,Yet it shall be tempest-toss'd.""Thrice to thine, and thrice to mine,And thrice again, to make up nine."For an audience watching this scene it would have been exciting and interesting as the fifteenth century audience had a hunger for gore and the supernatural, which Shakespeare has certainly supplied them with.
The witch's stories may have even sounded believable, as the audience believed that witches could prevent a man from sleeping. Again, the witches' dialect is deliberately ominous and dramatic,"But in a sieve I'll thither sail,And, like a rat without a tail,I'll do, I'll do, and I'll do.""Here I have a pilot's thumb,Wreck'd as homeward he did come. Drum within."It is then that the audience finally get to see Macbeth, the character who Shakespeare has built an image of in the audience's minds so far as evil, brave, valiant, fierce and loyal. Not surprising is the first thing Macbeth says is taken from the three witch's speech in scene one,"So foul and fair a day I have not seen.
"May as well totally confuse the audience to keep them watching. The witches begin to tell Macbeth his fate of becoming the Thane of Cawdor and King,"All hail, Macbeth, hail to thee, Thane of Cawdor!" "All hail, Macbeth, that shalt be King hereafter!"They also tell Banquo that his children will be future King's. The way Macbeth reacts gives the notion that the witches were reading what was hindering at the back of Macbeth's mind. Banquo can see this on Macbeth's expression and points it out to him,"Which outwardly ye show? My noble partnerYou greet with present grace and great predictionOf noble having and of royal hope,That he seems rapt withal. To me you speak not."This is the scene where the penny drops as the audience realises what the plot is.
We can see quite clearly that Macbeth is stunned with what the witches say which would lead the audience to believe that Macbeth was thinking about becoming King anyway. Shakespeare manages to incorporate some more dramatic irony, which involves King Duncan again,"The Thane of Cawdor lives. Why do you dress meIn borrow'd robes?"This is funny considering Macbeth is thinking about taking the throne from another person who is alive, King Duncan. Macbeth now sinks from a valiant herointo a lying traitor.
In Macbeth's first soliloquy he is even thinking about becoming King,"If chance will have me King, why, chance may crown meWithout my stir."Here Macbeth is thinking that he may become King without having to do anything like how he became the Thane of Cawdor. Although he is thinking these thoughts he does not have any intention on sharing his thoughts with his loyal friends and we begin to see how comfortably and easily Macbeth lies,"(Banquo) Worthy Macbeth, we stay upon your leisure.""(Macbeth) Give me your favor; my dull brain was wroughtWith things forgotten. Kind gentlemen, your painsAre register'd where every day I turnThe leaf to read them.
Let us toward the King."The audience are not going to now get up and leave after the first three scenes and the plot beginning to unveil. Shakespeare has got the audience interested and thinking about what possibilities the play holds,'Are the witches speaking the truth?' 'Is Macbeth willing to murder Duncan for a position he believes he is better suited for?' 'What about Banquo?'These are just some of the questions the audience will be asking themselves. By now with the plot unveiling and so many questions left unanswered Shakespeare has managed to hook the audience, which means the cast don't get a rotten tomato in the face.The opening scenes of Macbeth are written to captivate the audience's imagination, set the theme of the play and introduce the main characters and their unique idiosyncrasies.
The opening scenes of Macbeth easily achieve the latter and the audience know they are in for a theatrical treat.
