Reading Journal Act 1t

 Scene 1

The gothic genre is introduced immediately as they meet in thunder and lightening. Three witches meet in the heath to confront Macbeth, after the battle. We immediately see the witches as being behind key events of the play.

 Scene 2


King Duncan asks the wounded messenger about the battle. The captains talks about Macbeth's and Banquos bravery, and Macbeth's slaying of Macdonald. The bloodshed and macbeth's bravery  links in with the gothic hero genre. Duncan concludes that the thane of Cawdor should be killed for being traitorous and Macbeth be given his title.

 Scene 3

The three witches reappear after “killing swine”, Macbeth and Banquo come and are horrified to see the ugly witches. The witches predict his new title of the thane of Cawdor, they also they that he will be king one day, Macbeth demands more information. The witches also tell Banquo that he will not be king but his children will sit the throne one day. They vanish once Macbeth asks for more information. Macbeth secretly wishes for these things to come true.

Macbeth and Banquo begin discussing their prophecies, but  the arrival of Ross and Angus follows Ross proving the witches right by bestowing Macbeth's new title. Secretly hoping he will be king one day he speaks to himself about whether he will actually attempt to claim the crown.

 Scene 4

At the king’s palace Duncan’s son Malcolm tells of how Cawdor dies nobly, confessing his crimes. Macbeth and Banquo enter with Ross and Angus, and Duncan thanks both Macbeth and Banquo for their heroic battle and tells of how Malcolm will be his heir. Macbeth leaves to tell Lady Macbeth of the king’s arrival to dine at his castle later on.


 Scene 5

Lady Macbeth reads a letter from Macbeth  stating his new title and his meeting with the witches; she thinks that he would’t make a good king but she begins to plot and to imagine her own power as consort.. She shows her manipulative side  by convincing Macbeth what he needs to do to seize the crown. The king and Macbeth are announced. She performs her soliloquy saying that she will do whatever she must to seize the crown for Macbeth " unsex me here " etc .Macbeth enters, and she recites the plan to him all the way sucking up to him. Lady macbeth can be thought as Macbeth's evil half.

Scene 6


Duncan, the Scottish thanes, and their attendants arrive outside Macbeth’s castle. He admires the castles beauty and thanks Lady Macbeth for her kindness; she says it is her duty. Duncan is taken inside to Macbeth. The king is oblivious to their plans.

 Scene 7

Inside Macbeth's home Macbeth's paces as he ponders the idea of killing  Duncan.
He concludes that there is no real reason to kill the king other than him and his wife’s own greed. Lady Macbeth announces that the king is ready to eat. Macbeth declares that he no longer intends to kill Duncan to which his wife is angered,  calling him a coward and mocking him on his manhood, which portrays her evil and spitefulness well.   Amazed with his wife’s plans and confidence, he  agrees to the murder. This shows Macbeth is easily influenced by his wife.




Conclusion


The storyline develops in that the plan for the kings murder is revealed and the main characters are developped. The reader starts to realise the extent of lady macbeth's evil and the macbeth's conscience, which is important.