Macbeth

Detailed Summary & Analysis

Act 1, scene 1 Act 1, scene 2 Act 1, scene 3 Act 1, scene 4 Act 1, scene 5 Act 1, scene 6 Act 1, scene 7 Act 2, scene 1 Act 2, scene 2 Act 2, scene 3 Act 2, scene 4 Act 3, scene 1 Act 3, scene 2 Act 3, scene 3 Act 3, scene 4 Act 3, scene 5 Act 3, scene 6 Act 4, scene 1 Act 4, scene 2 Act 4, scene 3 Act 5, scene 1 Act 5, scene 2 Act 5, scene 3 Act 5, scene 4 Act 5, scene 5 Act 5, scene 6 Act 5, scene 7 Act 5, scene 8 Act 5, scene 9 Act 5, scene 10 Act 5, scene 11

Themes

All Themes Ambition Fate Violence Nature and the Unnatural Manhood

Quotes

Characters

All Characters Macbeth Lady Macbeth Banquo Macduff King Duncan Malcolm Weird Sisters

Symbols

All Symbols Visions and Hallucinations Blood Sleep

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Shakespeare Translations

Macbeth

William Shakespeare

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Introduction

Plot Summary

Detailed Summary
& Analysis

Act 1, scene 1
Act 1, scene 2
Act 1, scene 3
Act 1, scene 4
Act 1, scene 5
Act 1, scene 6
Act 1, scene 7
Act 2, scene 1
Act 2, scene 2
Act 2, scene 3
Act 2, scene 4
Act 3, scene 1
Act 3, scene 2
Act 3, scene 3
Act 3, scene 4
Act 3, scene 5
Act 3, scene 6
Act 4, scene 1
Act 4, scene 2
Act 4, scene 3
Act 5, scene 1
Act 5, scene 2
Act 5, scene 3
Act 5, scene 4
Act 5, scene 5
Act 5, scene 6
Act 5, scene 7
Act 5, scene 8
Act 5, scene 9
Act 5, scene 10
Act 5, scene 11

Themes

All Themes
Ambition
Fate
Violence
Nature and the Unnatural
Manhood

Quotes

Characters

All Characters
Macbeth
Lady Macbeth
Banquo
Macduff
King Duncan
Malcolm
Weird Sisters

Symbols

All Symbols
Visions and Hallucinations
Blood
Sleep

Theme Wheel

Summary

Macbeth Act 1, scene 1 Summary & Analysis

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Read our modern English translation of this scene.

Act 1, scene 2

Themes and Colors Key

LitCharts assigns a color and icon to each theme in Macbeth, which you can use to track the themes throughout the work.

Ambition

Fate

Violence

Nature and the Unnatural

Manhood

Summary

Analysis

As a storm rages, three witches appear, speaking in rhyming, paradoxical couplets: "when the battle's lost and won" (1.1.4); "fair is foul, and foul is fair" (1.1.10). They agree to meet again on the heath (plain) when the battle now raging ends. There they'll meet Macbeth.

The witches' rhyming speech makes them seem inhuman, ominous, and paranormal, which, in fact, they are.

Active Themes

Cite This Page

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Florman, Ben. "Macbeth Act 1, scene 1." LitCharts. LitCharts LLC, 22 Jul 2013. Web. 22 Apr 2018.

Florman, Ben. "Macbeth Act 1, scene 1." LitCharts LLC, July 22, 2013. Retrieved April 22, 2018. http://www.litcharts.com/lit/macbeth/act-1-scene-1.

Summary

Act 1, scene 2

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Macbeth in Plain English