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Learn about the plot, themes, and characters of Macbeth Act 1: Scenes 1–4, where Macbeth encounters the witches and receives a prophecy of his future. Read the full summary and analysis of each scene, with quotes, questions, and translations.
Read the original text and modern translation of Macbeth's first scene, where three witches meet with him and prophesy his fate. Learn about the themes, characters, and literary devices in this scene with SparkNotes notes and quizzes.
Act 1, Scene 1 On a heath in Scotland, three witches, the Weird Sisters, wait to meet Macbeth amidst thunder and lightning. Their conversation is filled with paradox and equivocation: they say that they will meet Macbeth "when the battle's lost and won" and when "fair is foul and foul is fair" (10).
A modern English translation of the first scene of Macbeth, a play by William Shakespeare about a Scottish general who becomes a tyrant. Learn about the themes, quotes, characters, symbols, and literary devices of this scene, as well as the witches' rhyming speech and the storm.
Summary and Analysis Act I: Scene 1. In a desolate place blasted by thunderstorms, Three Witches meet to predict the future. Analysis. Macbeth begins in "an open place" — a place without any landmarks or buildings — with the appearance of the three "weird sisters," as they later call themselves.
Act 1: Scenes 5–7. Act 4: Scenes 1–3. Act 5: Scenes 1–8. Full Play Summary. Full Play Analysis. Key Facts. Video Summary. Characters. Character List. Macbeth. Lady Macbeth. The Three Witches. Banquo. Macduff. King Duncan. Malcolm. Literary Devices. Themes. Motifs. Symbols. Protagonist. Antagonist. Setting. Genre. Allusions. Style. Point of View.
Summary. Welcome to the LitCharts study guide on William Shakespeare's Macbeth. Created by the original team behind SparkNotes, LitCharts are the world's best literature guides. Macbeth: Introduction. A concise biography of William Shakespeare plus historical and literary context for Macbeth. Macbeth: Plot Summary.