MACBETH
ACT 1.
This is the first act of Shakespeare's Macbeth tragedy. This act begins with a battle between
Scotland and Ireland that end with the victory of the Scottish thanks to one of the bravest soldier
Macbeth, the king's cousin and Thane of Glamis. After this victory, Macbeth and his friend Banquo
walk through the woods and meet three witches who were waiting for them. At that point, these
women begin to declare prophecies and the first hails Macbeth as Thane of Glamis, the second as
Thane of Cawdor, and the third predicts that he will become king. Witches also say that the
Banquo dynasty will be a dynasty of kings. The witches disappear and a messenger from the king
arrives and announces to Macbeth that he has just become Thane of Cawdor. Macbeth informs his
wife of the meeting with the Witches in a worried tone but his wife, Lady Macbeth, decides to
eliminate King Duncan of Scotland so that his husband could become king. At last Macbeth kills
the king while he was in his castle to celebrate the victory of the battle.
ACT 2.
In this act, the king's murder takes place. After all the guests of the palace discovered the king's
death, they did not understand who might have killed him. Macbeth's wife decides to take
command of the situation and says that king's guards have killed the man at night while they were
outside his room. The king's children also decide to leave the country for fear of being killed. This
escape makes them even more suspicious. Following this episode, however, Macbeth become the
king of Scotland. Meanwhile, MacDuff, the loyal Thane of Fife, begins to harbor one of the
suspicions about Macbeth's behavior.
ACT 3.
In the third act Macbeth is not sure of the prophecy the witches have made about Banquo,
predicting that Banquo would have a dynasty of kings. Macbeth calls two hitmen to kill Banquo
and Fleance, his son: the assassins kill Banquo, but Fleance manages to escape. During the
banquet organized just after the murder, Banquo’s ghost appears and sits in Macbeth's place at
the royal banquet, but only Macbeth can see him. Given the king's reaction of torment and fear,
his wife decides to interrupt the current party and send the guests home.
ACT 4.
In the fourth act, Macbeth is tormented by the latest events and decides to consult the witches
again. They communicate using spirits: an armed head warns him against MacDuff, the spirit of a
bloodied child, instead, explains to him that no man born to a woman could hurt or kill him and a
crowned child tells him that he will not be defeated until Birnan forest shifts to Dusinane. Macbeth
then sends two murderers to kill Macduff's wife and son. At the end of the act, Macduff discovers
the death of his wife and son and wants revenge.
SENTENCE COMMENT.
All the world’s a stage, and all the men and women merely players. They have their exits and their
entrances; and one man in his time plays many parts. This sentence is about the condition of the
women or men in the world. Shakespeare thinks that everyone play a part in his life because the
world is a stage. This sentence means that people are not always honest and they prefer to play a
part than live a true life.
We can also say that everyone in the world wear a mask because it is easier to hide our feelings
and our real nature.
