Macbeth Group

Question:

ella123
ella123
Student
High School - 12th Grade

What is the general setting of Act 1 of Macbeth?

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Posted by ella123 on Tuesday November 3, 2009 at 11:17 AM and tagged with act i, macbeth, setting.

Answers:


  1. pohnpei397 Teacher
    Community / Jr. College

    eNotes Editor

    The general setting for Act I of "Macbeth," by William Shakespeare is a battlefield in Scotland.

    The play begins with three witches prophesying about the battle that is being fought on that field by Macbeth.  This general area is the setting for the first 4 scenes.

    Scenes five through seven are set in Macbeth's castle at Inverness in Scotland.

    By the end of the act, we know that Macbeth is going to try to become king of Scotland and that, in doing so, he believes that he will need to kill Duncan (the current king) and Duncan's son Malcolm.

    Sources:
    http://www.enotes.com/macbeth/act-summary-analysis

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    Posted by pohnpei397 on Tuesday November 3, 2009 at 11:21 AM


  2. jseligmann Teacher
    High School - 11th Grade

    eNotes Editor

    The play begins on a "blasted heath" or "deserted place," depending on which version you may have. However it is said, we find ourselves at the beginning of Act One on a battlefield where the witches have appeared. I always imagine dead bodies strewn about and fog and smoke and the smell of death is in the air. And, as whenever the witches appear, there is thunder, lightning and rain. Indeed. I see the whole play like this: gray and nasty, murky and muddy, dark and bloody. As for when all this messy business takes place, historically: there really was a Macbeth, and he killed King Duncan in the year 1040.

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    Posted by jseligmann on Tuesday November 3, 2009 at 11:57 AM