Macbeth Act 1 ~ First Thoughts

An image of William Shakespeare

The play is believed to have been written between 1603 and 1607.

Given that Macbeth is such a well-known tragic play, before I started reading there were various bits of information I had already heard but nothing in fine detail. Such as the story revolving around an overly ambitious nobleman who murdered his King for the throne; before later on succumbing and getting killed by his own fear and guilt. My reading for Act I certainly enriched my understanding about the plot, I am surprised to see that there is a strong female figure, Lady Macbeth, who obtains a significant amount of power in a Shakespeare play. In addition, I pondered about the most significant element of this story—the witches’ prophecies. “All hail, Macbeth, that shalt be king hereafter!” In their prediction, Macbeth is clearly going to become the king; however I am wondering will he still ascend to the throne if he did not murder Duncan. It seems that Macbeth will become King due to the murder, but he will not murder Duncan if it was not for the power of the prophecies and what they promised. Therefore, the function of the prophecies in my personal opinion is so attractive, that, although it is easy to predict the ending of the story I still cannot wait to read the twists.  

After studying some of the other Shakespeare’s plays such as Hamlet, Romeo and Juliet, A Midsummer Night’s Dream and more, I have the expectation that Macbeth will be another classic. Following suit of the others, this Shakespearean play will most likely embed dramatic expression and extreme emotions leads by the characters’ entangling relationships and inner struggles. My limited drama class experience has set me a small,  but promising step for reading and understanding the play. I know that the difference between reading other literatures in comparison to reading a play is a key factor. The best way is to first understand the various character personalities and backgrounds; hence I will be able to comprehend their reactions to each event whether individual or ones related to other characters. Understanding the reasons of why they do is more important than to know what they do. So, when reading Macbeth I tried to read it with emotions, sometimes I read it out loud to pretend I am the character. I hope this will be a good start!