ISC Class 11 English Drama Macbeth Act 1 Scene 3 Summary, Theme, Explanation along with difficult word meanings
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ISC Class 11 – Macbeth Act 1 Scene 3
By William Shakespeare
In Act 1, Scene 3 of Macbeth, the witches appear on a heath and make prophecies. They call Macbeth Thane of Glamis, Thane of Cawdor, and say he will be king in the future. They also predict that Banquo’s descendants will be kings. This scene is important because it introduces themes such as fate, ambition, and the supernatural, and it profoundly affects Macbeth’s mind, especially when he learns that one part of the prophecy of becoming Thane of Cawdor has already come true.
- Macbeth Act 1 Scene 3 Summary
- Macbeth Act 1 Scene 3 Summary in Hindi
- Macbeth Act 1 Scene 3 Theme
- Macbeth Act 1 Scene 3 Explanation
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Macbeth Act I Scene 3 Summary
Act I, Scene 3 of Shakespeare’s Macbeth, begins with the Witches discussing some of their recent mischief, including one’s plan to torment a sailor whose wife refused her chestnuts. This exchange immediately establishes their malicious and supernatural nature and their power to interfere with human affairs, particularly by manipulating the winds and causing trouble at sea.
Suddenly, a drum signals the approach of Macbeth, and the Witches prepare their charm. When Macbeth and Banquo arrive, the Witches immediately praised Macbeth with three startling titles i.e. Thane of Glamis, Thane of Cawdor, and King hereafter.
Banquo is astonished by Macbeth’s reaction, startled and seems fearful, as if the favorable predictions were terrifying. Banquo then challenges the Witches to speak to him. Their prophecy for him is a series of riddles: ‘Lesser than Macbeth, and greater’, ‘Not so happy, yet much happier’, and most importantly, he ‘shalt get kings, though thou be none’ i.e. he will father kings, though he won’t be one himself. The Witches vanish as suddenly as they appeared, leaving both men stunned. Macbeth, still shocked, presses Banquo about the meaning of the titles, particularly ‘Thane of Cawdor’, as he knows the current Thane is alive and prosperous.
Almost immediately, their conversation is interrupted by the arrival of Ross and Angus, messengers from King Duncan. They have come to thank Macbeth for his heroic efforts in battle against the rebels and the Norwegians. Ross delivers the news that the former Thane of Cawdor has been executed for treason. In recognition of Macbeth’s great service, King Duncan has bestowed the title of Thane of Cawdor upon him.
This event is the partial, immediate fulfillment of the Witches’ prophecy. Banquo, observing Macbeth’s stunned reaction, immediately recognizes the danger, whispering in an aside, if the witches told them truth. He warns Macbeth that ‘instruments of darkness’ often tell small truths to win trust and lead people into betrayal in a major matter.
Now holding the titles of Glamis by inheritance and Cawdor by the King’s gift, Macbeth is left with only the final prophecy: to be king. The thought immediately sparks a horrific internal conflict, expressed in his pivotal soliloquy.
He realizes that the Witches’ instigation cannot be entirely evil since the first part came true. Yet, the idea of becoming king has already conjured an image, a ‘suggestion’ of murdering Duncan. This thought is so shocking it makes his hair stand on end and his heart pound unnaturally: ‘Whose horrid image doth unfix my hair, / And make my seated heart knock at my ribs, / Against the use of nature?’
He contemplates two paths: either he must take action or leave it to fate. He initially attempts to resign himself to destiny: ‘If chance will have me king, why, chance may crown me, / Without my stir’. However, the seed of ambition has been planted.
The scene concludes with Macbeth regaining his composure and thanking the messengers. He agrees with Banquo that they should discuss what has happened at a later, more private time, as Macbeth is now fixed on his path, telling himself: ‘Come what come may, / Time and the hour runs through the roughest day’. The encounter has confirmed the Witches’ power and ignited Macbeth’s dangerous ambition.
Summary of Macbeth Act I Scene 3 in Hindi
एक्ट I, शेक्सपियर के मैकबेथ का दृश्य 3, चुड़ैलों द्वारा उनकी हाल की कुछ शरारतों पर चर्चा करने के साथ शुरू होता है, जिसमें एक नाविक को प्रताड़ित करने की योजना भी शामिल है, जिसकी पत्नी ने उसे चेस्टनट देने से इनकार कर दिया था। यह आदान-प्रदान तुरंत उनके दुर्भावनापूर्ण और अलौकिक स्वभाव और मानव मामलों में हस्तक्षेप करने की उनकी शक्ति को स्थापित करता है, विशेष रूप से हवाओं में हेरफेर करके और समुद्र में परेशानी पैदा करके।
अचानक, एक ढोल मैकबेथ के आने का संकेत देता है, और चुड़ैलों ने अपना आकर्षण तैयार किया। जब मैकबेथ और बैंको आते हैं, तो चुड़ैलों ने तुरंत मैकबेथ की प्रशंसा तीन चौंका देने वाले खिताबों i.e. के साथ की। ग्लैमिस का ठाणे, कावडोर का ठाणे और इसके बाद का राजा।
बैंको मैकबेथ की प्रतिक्रिया से चकित है, चकित है और भयभीत लगता है, जैसे कि अनुकूल भविष्यवाणियां भयानक थीं। बैंको तब चुड़ैलों को उससे बात करने की चुनौती देता है। उनके लिए उनकी भविष्यवाणी पहेलियों की एक श्रृंखला हैः ‘मैकबेथ से कम, और अधिक’, ‘इतना खुश नहीं, फिर भी बहुत खुश’, और सबसे महत्वपूर्ण बात, वह ‘राजाओं को मिलेगा, हालांकि आप कोई नहीं होंगे’ i.e। वह राजाओं का पिता होगा, हालाँकि वह स्वयं एक नहीं होगा। चुड़ैलों के प्रकट होते ही वे अचानक गायब हो जाती हैं, जिससे दोनों आदमी दंग रह जाते हैं। मैकबेथ, अभी भी हैरान है, शीर्षक के अर्थ के बारे में बैंको पर दबाव डालता है, विशेष रूप से ‘कावडोर का ठाणे’, क्योंकि वह जानता है कि वर्तमान ठाणे जीवित और समृद्ध है।
राजा डंकन के दूत रॉस और एंगस के आने से उनकी बातचीत लगभग तुरंत बाधित हो जाती है। वे विद्रोहियों और नॉर्वे के लोगों के खिलाफ लड़ाई में उनके वीरतापूर्ण प्रयासों के लिए मैकबेथ को धन्यवाद देने आए हैं। रॉस यह खबर देता है कि कावडोर के पूर्व ठाणे को राजद्रोह के लिए फांसी दी गई है। मैकबेथ की महान सेवा के सम्मान में, राजा डंकन ने उन्हें कावडोर के ठाणे की उपाधि से सम्मानित किया है।
यह घटना चुड़ैलों की भविष्यवाणी की आंशिक, तत्काल पूर्ति है। मैकबेथ की स्तब्ध प्रतिक्रिया को देखते हुए, बैंको तुरंत खतरे को पहचान लेता है, एक तरफ फुसफुसाते हुए, अगर चुड़ैलों ने उन्हें सच बताया। वह मैकबेथ को चेतावनी देते हैं कि ‘अंधेरे के उपकरण’ अक्सर विश्वास जीतने के लिए छोटी-छोटी सच्चाई बताते हैं और लोगों को एक बड़े मामले में विश्वासघात की ओर ले जाते हैं।
अब विरासत में ग्लैमिस और राजा के उपहार से कावडोर की उपाधियों को धारण करते हुए, मैकबेथ के पास केवल अंतिम भविष्यवाणी बची हैः राजा बनने के लिए। यह विचार तुरंत एक भयानक आंतरिक संघर्ष को जन्म देता है, जिसे उनकी प्रमुख स्वगत में व्यक्त किया गया है।
वह महसूस करता है कि चुड़ैलों की उकसाहट पूरी तरह से बुरी नहीं हो सकती क्योंकि पहला भाग सच हो गया था। फिर भी, राजा बनने के विचार ने पहले ही एक छवि बना ली है, डंकन की हत्या का एक ‘सुझाव’। यह विचार इतना चौंकाने वाला है कि उसके बाल अंत में खड़े हो जाते हैं और उसका दिल अस्वाभाविक रूप से धड़कता हैः ‘किसकी भयानक छवि मेरे बालों को खोलती है,/और मेरे बैठे दिल को मेरी पसलियों पर दस्तक देती है,/प्रकृति के उपयोग के खिलाफ?’
वह दो रास्तों पर विचार करता हैः या तो उसे कार्रवाई करनी चाहिए या इसे भाग्य पर छोड़ देना चाहिए। वह शुरू में भाग्य के लिए खुद को त्यागने का प्रयास करता हैः ‘अगर मौका मुझे राजा बनाएगा, तो क्यों, मौका मुझे ताज पहना सकता है,/मेरे आंदोलन के बिना’। हालांकि, महत्वाकांक्षा का बीज बोया गया है।
मैकबेथ के शांत होने और दूतों को धन्यवाद देने के साथ दृश्य समाप्त होता है। वह बैंको से सहमत है कि उन्हें चर्चा करनी चाहिए कि बाद में, अधिक निजी समय पर क्या हुआ है, क्योंकि मैकबेथ अब अपने रास्ते पर तय हो गया है, खुद से कह रहा हैः ‘जो कुछ भी आ सकता है,/समय और समय सबसे कठिन दिन से गुजरता है’। इस मुठभेड़ ने चुड़ैलों की शक्ति की पुष्टि की है और मैकबेथ की खतरनाक महत्वाकांक्षा को प्रज्वलित किया है।
Theme of Macbeth Act I Scene 3
The Supernatural and Fate vs. Free Will
The most immediate theme is the influence of the supernatural. The Witches are central to this scene, immediately establishing a world where dark, chaotic forces are at play. Their opening banter of killing swine, sailing in a sieve, and controlling winds, highlights their unnatural powers and malevolent intent. Their prophecies to Macbeth and Banquo set the entire tragic course in motion. By hailing Macbeth as Thane of Glamis, Thane of Cawdor, and King hereafter, they introduce the idea of destiny. This directly connects to the theme of Fate vs. Free Will. But the question arises if Macbeth becomes king because the Witches willed it (fate), or do the prophecies merely awaken an existing ambition, compelling him to choose murder (free will). The partial fulfillment of the prophecy i.e. Thane of Cawdor makes the future seem inevitable, yet Macbeth’s subsequent contemplation of murder shows his mind wrestling with the choice.
Ambition and Corruption
The prophecies immediately ignite Macbeth’s ambition, turning a loyal soldier into a prospective action of killing a king. While his ambition was likely dormant before, the Witches’ words act as a powerful spur. His reaction to the title ‘King hereafter’ is one of profound shock and fear ‘why do you start; and seem to fear / Things that do sound so fair?’. In his first soliloquy, the thought of murdering King Duncan ‘Whose horrid image doth unfix my hair’ instantly fills his mind. This shows how quickly the promise of power corrupts his otherwise noble nature. The theme explores how a desire for a powerful position can lead a good person down a dark, immoral path.
Appearance vs. Reality (Fair is Foul)
This scene is a vivid illustration of the play’s core motif: ‘Fair is foul, and foul is fair’. The Witches’ prophecies are delivered as ‘fair’ greetings ‘All hail, Macbeth!’ that promise honor and fortune. However, as Banquo immediately suspects, they are actually ‘instruments of darkness’ that promise truth i.e. ‘honest trifles’, only to betray people in matters of ‘deepest consequence’. The very heath where they meet is described as ‘blasted’, reflecting the deceptive nature of the encounter. Macbeth himself notes the paradox of the day: ‘So foul and fair a day I have not seen’, a victorious and fair day of battle, yet marred by the foul encounter with the Witches and the foul thoughts it provokes. The scene teaches that what appears glorious and desirable i.e. the crown is often evil in its origin or its required cost.
Treachery and Kingship
The news delivered by Ross and Angus introduces the theme of treachery in relation to kingship. Macbeth is given the title Thane of Cawdor because the previous holder was a traitor who conspired with the enemy. This dramatic irony is heavy: as Macbeth is being rewarded for his loyalty, he is simultaneously inheriting the title of a traitor while himself contemplating a far greater act of treason against the king. The speed with which Macbeth replaces a traitor sets a precedent for the ease with which trust can be broken and loyalty betrayed in the world of the play. Banquo even uses a metaphor of ill-fitting clothes ‘borrow’d robes’ to describe how quickly new, ill-gotten titles rest upon a person, foreshadowing Macbeth’s discomfort in his new role.
Setting of the Scene
The scene is explicitly set on a heath in Scotland. A heath is a large area of open, uncultivated, wild land, often covered with low-growing shrubs, coarse grasses, and sometimes marshy patches. This physical environment is isolated, desolate, and exposed to the elements. The stage directions immediately reinforce this atmosphere by mentioning ‘Thunder’ and the entrance of the three Witches. This choice of setting reflects the turbulent, unnatural, and dangerous events that are about to unfold. It is a place that feels removed from human civilization and order, making it the perfect location for the Witches to meet.
Beyond the physical location, the heath serves as a powerful atmospheric setting. It is the Witches’ domain, a place where evil and the supernatural are active. The initial conversation of the Witches, which includes tales of killing swine and causing a ship’s pilot to suffer a harsh journey, establishes a tone of malice, chaos, and impending doom. When Macbeth and Banquo arrive, they immediately sense the strangeness of the location and the creatures upon it. Banquo describes the Witches as ‘wither’d, and so wild in their attire’, looking ‘not like the inhabitants o’ the earth’. The setting, therefore, creates an eerie, ominous, and non-human atmosphere where reality seems unstable.
Finally, the heath functions as a significant narrative setting. It is a crossroads of fate, a place where Macbeth is literally stopped on his journey home to the King and forced to confront a dangerous new direction for his life. It is here, in this no-man’s-land, that the three prophecies are delivered, planting the seed of ambition in Macbeth’s mind. The isolation of the heath ensures that the event is witnessed only by Macbeth and Banquo, making the prophecy a private, tempting secret that immediately isolates Macbeth from the normal world and pushes him toward his tragic destiny.
Macbeth Act I Scene 3 Explanation
Act I: Scene 3
Play: In this scene, Shakespeare proceeds with his task of exposition. The three witches meet Macbeth and Banquo on a heath. They address Macbeth by calling him the thane of Glamis, thane of Cawdor and King hereafter. The witches hail Banquo saying, “lesser than Macbeth, and greater.” They tell him, that he will not be a king, but he shall be the father of kings. Macbeth comes to know that he has become the thane of Cawdor—a partial fulfilment of the witches’ prophecies. Macbeth’s ambition to become the king is now stirred. He thinks of murdering Duncan to get the throne.
Word Meanings
Exposition: The introduction of background information, characters, and setting necessary to understand the main plot of a narrative.
Heath: An area of open, uncultivated land, often covered with low shrubs like heather; typically characterized as barren and desolate.
Hails: Addresses or greets someone enthusiastically or reverently, often to acknowledge their status.
Thane: A Scottish title of nobility, traditionally given to a local military chief who also held land from the king.
Hereafter: From this time forward; in the future.
Stirred: Aroused, stimulated, or provoked, especially feelings or emotions.
Explanation of the above dialogues—This scene marks Shakespeare’s continuation of the play’s explanation, where crucial background and plot elements are introduced. The setting is a bleak heath, where the three Witches encounter the victorious generals, Macbeth and Banquo. The Witches first addressed Macbeth with three powerful titles. They first called him the Thane of Glamis, which was his current title. Next, they hailed him as the Thane of Cawdor, and finally, they declared he would be King hereafter. They then turned their attention to Banquo, greeting him with a riddle, saying that he would be ‘lesser than Macbeth, and greater’. They further prophesied that while he would not achieve kingship himself, he would be the father of kings. Soon after the Witches vanished, Macbeth received news that he had indeed been named the Thane of Cawdor. This announcement served as a partial fulfillment of the Witches’ prophecies, instantly confirming their supernatural power in Macbeth’s mind. The realization that one prophecy was true immediately stirred Macbeth’s ambition to obtain the final title. He began to entertain the dark thought of murdering King Duncan in order to seize the throne. The prophecies, thus, did not create the ambition, but rather gave it a terrifying focus and immediate feasibility. Act I, Scene 3 moves the play from initial action, the battle to psychological crisis and moral conflict. The Witches’ prophecies are not commands, but suggestions that exploit Macbeth’s pre-existing, latent ambition. By confirming one prophecy immediately from Thane of Cawdor, the Witches achieve credibility, instantly translating Macbeth’s secret desires into tangible possibilities. The Witches serve as catalysts for his downfall, not the primary cause. The scene powerfully establishes Banquo as a foil to Macbeth. While both men are equally tempted by prophecies of greatness, Banquo reacts with caution and skepticism, warning Macbeth that ‘instruments of darkness’ use small truths to lead to great harm. Macbeth, conversely, is immediately thrown into a moral panic, where the thought of murder paralyzes him. The Witches’ presence on the ‘blasted heath’ reinforces the play’s theme of disorder and unnaturalness.
Scene 3. The heath.
Thunder. Enter the three Witches
Play
First Witch
Where hast thou been, sister?
Second Witch
Killing swine.
Third Witch
Sister, where thou?
First Witch
A sailor’s wife had chestnuts in her lap,
And mounch’d, and mounch’d, and mounch’d:
“Give me,” quoth I: “Aroint thee, witch!”
the rump-fed ronyon cries.
Her husband’s to Aleppo gone, master o’ the Tiger:
But in a sieve I’ll thither sail.
And, like a rat without a tail,
I’ll do. I’ll do, and I’ll do.
Second Witch
I’ll give thee a wind.
First Witch
Thou art kind.
Third Witch
And I another.
First Witch
I myself have all the other;
And the very ports they blow,
All the quarters that they know
I’ the shipman’s card.
I will drain him dry as hay:
Sleep shall neither night nor day
Hang upon his pent-house lid;
He shall live a man forbid:
Weary se’n-nights nine times nine,
Shall he dwindle, peak, and pine:
Though his bark cannot be lost,
Yet it shall be tempest-tost.
Look what I have.
Second Witch
Show me, show me.
First Witch
Here I have a pilot’s thumb,
Wreck’d as homeward he did come.
Drum within
Word Meanings
Killing swine: witches were accused of harming animals.
mounch’d: chewed steadily.
quoth: said.
Aroint: go away.
rump-fed: fed on nuts.
ronyon: filthy woman.
Aleppo: A city in Syria; a destination for merchant ships
sieve: a utensil having a perforated bottom.
I’ll do: I will carry out the plan.
I’ll give… wind: Witches were believed to have power to control the winds.
all the other: other winds.
quarters: directions.
shipman’s card: sailor’s compass or map.
drain him: exhaust him completely.
pent-house lid: eyelid.
forbid: cursed
Weary se’n-nights nine times nine: Eighty-one weary weeks; a long period of suffering.
Dwindle, peak, and pine: Waste away, become sick, and suffer deeply.
Bark: A ship or boat (metaphorically the sailor’s body, but literally his vessel).
Tempest-tost: Violently beaten by a storm or tempests.
Explanation of the above dialogues—The scene opens on a desolate heath with thunder, and the three Witches enter. The First Witch asked the Second Witch where she had been. The Second Witch replied that she had been killing pigs. The Third Witch then asked the First Witch where she had been. The First Witch described an encounter with a sailor’s wife who was continually chewing chestnuts. The First Witch had asked the woman to give her some chestnuts, but the fat, unpleasant woman had scornfully yelled, ‘Go away, witch!’ The First Witch noted that the woman’s husband, the master of a ship called the Tiger, had sailed away to Aleppo. Vowing revenge, the First Witch declared that she would sail after him in a sieve and transform herself as a tailless rat that would torment him. She repeated her resolve to carry out her plan repeatedly. The Second Witch offered to give her a favorable wind for the journey, which the First Witch appreciated. The Third Witch offered another wind. The First Witch claimed she possessed power over all the remaining winds and the directions from which they blew, as marked on a sailor’s map. She promised to exhaust the sailor completely until he was dry as hay, and swore that he would get no sleep either night or day, living as a cursed man. She claimed that for eighty-one weeks he would waste away, become sick, and suffer. Although she acknowledged she lacked the power to completely destroy his ship, she guaranteed that it would be violently battered by storms. Finally, she revealed a macabre token she possessed, and the Second Witch eagerly asked to see it. The First Witch showed them a pilot’s thumb she had acquired from a man whose ship had wrecked as he was returning home. A drum roll was heard offstage, signaling the approach of Macbeth. The dialogue immediately establishes the Witches’ petty, malicious nature. Their revenge is disproportionate to the offense, defining them as agents of chaos rather than moral justice. The gruesome detail of the ‘pilot’s thumb’ shows their association with destruction and death. The sailor’s fate to be tortured and made to ‘dwindle, peak, and pine’ but not fully destroyed, parallels Macbeth’s own struggle. Macbeth gains the title of King (like the ship, he will not be ‘lost’ in terms of title), but the means by which he achieves and keeps it will leave him perpetually ‘tempest-tost’ by guilt, sleeplessness, and paranoia. The First Witch’s power to ‘drain him dry as hay’ directly mirrors Macbeth’s psychological exhaustion and moral emptiness that develops later in the play.
Play
Third Witch
A drum, a drum!
Macbeth doth come.
All
The weird sisters, hand in hand,
Posters of the sea and land,
Thus do go about, about:
35 Thrice to thine, and thrice to mine,
And thrice again, to make up nine.
Peace! the charm’s wound up.
Enter Macbeth and Banquo
Macbeth
So foul and fair a day I have not seen.
Banquo
How far is’t call’d to Forres? What are these
40 So wither’d, and so wild in their attire,
That look not like the inhabitants o’ the earth,
And yet are on’t? Live you? or are you aught
That man may question? You seem to understand me,
By each at once her choppy finger laying
45 Upon her skinny lips; you should be women,
And yet your beards forbid me to interpret
That you are so.
Macbeth
Speak, if you can: what are you?
First Witch
All hail Macbeth! hail to thee, thane of Glamis!
Word Meanings
weird sisters: the witches.
Posters: swift travellers.
to thine: in your direction.
Thrice… mine: the witches hold their hands and dance in a ring nine times, thrice for each witch. Three and its mutiples are magical numbers.
charm’s: magic rite.
wound up: complete.
wither’d: shrivelled.
attire: dress.
aught: anything.
choppy: chapped.
Explanation of the above dialogues—The Third Witch announces the arrival of Macbeth by noting the sound of a drum. The three Witches, whom they call ‘The weird sisters,’ declare that they are swift travelers over both sea and land. They then perform a final part of their ritual, circling around nine times, signifying the completion of their spell. They command silence because the charm is finished. Macbeth and Banquo then enter. Macbeth immediately comments that he has never seen a day that was simultaneously so bad and so good. Banquo asks how much farther they have to travel to reach Forres and then, noticing the Witches, questions Macbeth about what these strange beings are. He describes them as shriveled and strangely dressed, noting that they look inhuman even though they are standing on earth. Banquo asks them if they are alive or if they are anything that a human can question. He says he thinks they understand him because they are all pressing their chapped fingers against their thin lips. He observes that they appear to be women, but their beards prevent him from being certain of their gender. Macbeth then addresses the silent figures, demanding to know who they are. In response, the First Witch hails Macbeth, addressing him by his current title, the Thane of Glamis. Witches are established as ‘weird sisters,’ linking them to the Fates of classical mythology, suggesting they are not just agents of chaos but may have a hand in controlling destiny itself. Their declaration as ‘Posters of the sea and land’ confirms their dominion and swift movement across the world, establishing them as entities capable of influencing vast, physical forces. Macbeth’s first line, ‘So foul and fair a day I have not seen,’ where the ‘fair’ refers to his victory in battle, while the ‘foul’ refers to the bloody combat or the foul weather. Critically, the line foreshadows the moral confusion that will govern his life: the fair goal (the crown) will be pursued through foul means (murder). Banquo functions here as the voice of reason and skepticism. Banquo is cautious and perceptive, refusing to accept them as normal beings. His immediate suspicion contrasts sharply with Macbeth’s quiet, stunned reaction, establishing Banquo as the moral foil who will resist the supernatural pull toward evil.
Play
Second Witch
All hail, Macbeth, hail to thee, thane of Cawdor!
Third Witch
All hail, Macbeth, that shalt be king hereafter!
Banquo
Good sir, why do you start; and seem to fear
Things that do sound so fair? I’ the name of truth,
Are eye fantastical, or that indeed
Which outwardly ye show? My noble partner
You greet with present grace and great prediction
Of noble having and of royal hope,
That he seems rapt withal: to me you speak not:
If you can look into the seeds of time,
And which grain will say grow and which will not, speak then to me, who neither beg nor fear your favours nor your hate.
First Witch
Hail!
Second Witch
Hail!
Third Witch
Hail!
First Witch
Lesser than Macbeth, and greater.
Second Witch
Not so happy, yet much happier.
Word Meanings
start: make a sudden movement caused by surprise.
fantastical: fanciful or unreal.
show: appear.
present grace: present position.
Great prediction: a grand foretelling of the future.
Noble having: the possession of a noble title or estate.
Royal hope: the expectation or possibility of becoming a king.
rapt withal: amazed with it all.
the seeds of time: source of the future time.
Lesser: less important or significant.
Greater: more important or noble in spirit or future consequence.
happy: fortunate.
Explanation of the above dialogues— The Second Witch greeted Macbeth by calling him the Thane of Cawdor. The Third Witch then completed the prophecy, hailing him as the one who shall be king hereafter. Banquo, observing Macbeth’s astonished reaction, asked him why he suddenly seemed to be startled and afraid of things that sound so fortunate. Banquo questioned the Witches, asking whether they were an illusion or if they were indeed the creatures they appeared to be. Banquo noted that they greeted his noble partner, Macbeth, with both a present honour i.e. Thane of Glamis and a great prediction of future noble possession i.e. Thane of Cawdor and King, which had left Macbeth completely absorbed and stunned. Since they hadn’t spoken to him, Banquo challenged them, if they can see into the future and know which events will occur and which won’t, then speak to him, as he neither pursued them nor feared them for their kindness or evil intentions. The three Witches then greeted Banquo in unison. The First Witch prophesied that he would be less significant than Macbeth, yet greater. The Second Witch declared that he would be less fortunate, yet much happier. The specific titles establish a clear, escalating path of ambition. The Second Witch’s pronouncement of ‘thane of Cawdor’ is immediately significant because, as the audience knows, the current Thane of Cawdor is alive, making the prophecy a direct call to treachery or murder. Banquo immediately serves as a moral foil to Macbeth. His reaction is one of skepticism and reason, contrasting sharply with Macbeth’s fearful, mesmerized silence. The Witches’ predictions for Banquo are characterized by the paradox ‘Lesser than Macbeth, and greater,’ ‘Not so happy, yet much happier’. These lines emphasize the Witches’ nature as agents of ambiguity and disorder. While Macbeth receives titles and power, Banquo receives a promise of generational superiority i.e. father of kings. This prophecy immediately plants a seed of envy and future paranoia in Macbeth, making Banquo’s life a direct threat to the permanence of Macbeth’s own kingship, thereby guaranteeing further conflict and murder.
Play
Third Witch
Thou shalt get kings, though thou be none:
So, all hail, Macbeth and Banquo!
First Witch
Banquo and Macbeth, all hail!
Macbeth
Stay, you imperfect speakers. Tell me more:
By Sinel’s death, I know I am thane of Glamis;
But how of Cawdor? the thane of Cawdor lives,
A prosperous gentleman; and to be king
Stands not within the prospect of belief,
No more than to be Cawdor. Say from whence
You owe this strange intelligence? or why
Upon this blasted heath you stop our way
With such prophetic greeting? Speak, I charge you.
[Witches vanish
Banquo
The earth hath bubbles, as the water has,
And these are of them: whither are they vanish’d?
Macbeth
Into the air; and what seem’d corporal melted
As breath into the wind. Would they had stay’d!
Banquo
Were such things here as we do speak about?
Or have we eaten on the insane root
That takes the reason prisoner?
Meanings
get: beget.
imperfect: incomplete.
Sinel’s: Macbeth’s father.
prosperous: successful, wealthy, and well-off
prospect of belief: range upto which it is possible to believe.
intelligence: knowledge.
blasted: scorched and withered by heat.
charge: command.
bubbles: illusions.
corporal: of bodily structure.
insane root: root of a herb which causes insanity.
That takes the reason prisoner: that shuts up reason.
Explanation of the above dialogues— The Third Witch completed her prophecy for Banquo, stating that while he would never be a king himself, he would be the father of kings. Following this, all three Witches hailed both Macbeth and Banquo. Macbeth, however, demanded that the Witches stay, calling them ‘imperfect speakers’ because their message was incomplete. He acknowledged that he knew he was the Thane of Glamis through the death of his father, Sinel. But he questioned how he could possibly be the Thane of Cawdor, since, as he stated, the current Thane of Cawdor was alive and a respected gentleman. He added that becoming king seemed just as unbelievable as becoming Cawdor. Macbeth then asked them to explain where they got this strange information and why they stopped him and Banquo on that desolate heath with such prophetic greetings. He forcefully commanded them to speak. At this point, the Witches vanished. Banquo remarked that the Witches disappeared instantly, just as bubbles in water pop and vanish. He wondered aloud where they went. Macbeth replied that they had vanished into the air and that what had appeared to be solid and physical melted away like a breath of wind. He expressed regret, wishing they had remained. Banquo then questioned whether they had truly seen the Witches, or if they had perhaps eaten some kind of herb that causes hallucinations and steals one’s sanity. His demand to ‘Stay, you imperfect speakers’ shows that the prophecies have profoundly unsettled him, not just because they are strange, but because they align too closely with his own unspoken, ambitious desires. The contrast in relation to witches’ encounter establishes the two men’s diverging paths as Macbeth accepts the supernatural; Banquo resists it with reason.
Play
Macbeth
Your children shall be kings.
Banquo
You shall be king.
Macbeth
And thane of Cawdor too: went it not so?
Banquo
To the selfsame tune and words. Who’s here?
Enter Ross and Angus
Ross
The king hath happily received, Macbeth,
The news of thy success: and when he reads
Thy personal venture in the rebels’ fight,
His wonders and his praises do contend
Which should be thine or his: silenc’d with that,
In viewing o’er the rest o’ the selfsame day,
He finds thee in the stout Norweyan ranks,
Nothing afeard of what thyself didst make,
Strange images of death. As thick as hail
Came post with and post; everyone did bear
Thy praises in his kingdom’s great defence,
And pour’d them down before him.
Angus
We are sent
To give thee from our royal master thanks;
Only to herald thee into his sight,
Not pay thee.
Ross
And, for an earnest of a greater honour,
He bade me, from him, call thee thane of Cawdor: In which addition, hail, most worthy thane!
For it is thine.
Meanings
Hath: archaic form of ‘has’
Thy: archaic form of ‘your’
the selfsame tune: it happened in the same way as you have said.
reads: recognises.
venture: achievement.
contend: are in conflict.
thine: Macbeth’s.
selfsame: very same.
stout: bold.
Norweyan: Norwegian (relating to Norway)
Afeard: afraid
Post: messengers, particularly those traveling swiftly
Herald: to announce; to escort or conduct
Earnest: a pledge or foretaste given as assurance of a larger payment or commitment
Addition: title or honour
Explanation of the above dialogues— Macbeth and Banquo are still processing the Witches’ prophecies. Macbeth mentions that Banquo’s children are foretold to be kings. Banquo confirms that Macbeth himself was foretold to be king. Macbeth then asks for confirmation that the third prophecy, being the Thane of Cawdor was also spoken, and Banquo assures him that the Witches spoke all the prophecies with the exact same words and tone. Just then, Ross and Angus enter. Ross informs Macbeth that King Duncan has happily received the news of Macbeth’s success in battle. He describes the King’s reaction, saying that Duncan was torn between his sheer wonder at Macbeth’s heroic actions and his desire to praise him adequately, which momentarily silenced him. Ross continues by detailing Macbeth’s incredible bravery, noting that when reviewing the same day’s fighting, the King saw Macbeth fearlessly facing the mighty Norwegian forces, where Macbeth himself created horrifying scenes of death. Ross emphasizes how quickly and numerous the messengers came, all bearing news of Macbeth’s great service in defending the kingdom and showering the King with praise for him. Angus then clarifies their immediate mission, stating they were sent by the King merely to thank Macbeth and to escort him into the King’s presence, not yet to give him a full reward. Ross concludes the official message, saying that as a pledge of a greater honour to come, the King commanded him to address Macbeth as Thane of Cawdor, declaring the title is now rightfully his. The arrival of the messengers and the news they bring of Macbeth as Thane of Cawdor serves as irrefutable validation of the Witches’ power. It shifts the potential for killing of the king from a horrifying thought to a genuine possibility. The term ‘earnest’ for the Thane of Cawdor title is also ironic as it is an ‘earnest of a greater honour’, but that greater honour can only be achieved through a foul crime, making the pledge morally tainted from the start.
Play
Banquo
[Aside] What, can the devil speak true?
Macbeth
The thane of Cawdor lives. Why do you dress me.
In borrow’d robes?
Angus
Who was the thane, live yet;
115 But under heavy judgement bears that life
Which he deserves to lose. Whether he combined
With those of Norway, or did line the rebel
With hidden help and vantage, or that with both
He labour’d in his country’s wreck, I know not;
120 But treasons capital, confess’d and proved,
Have overthrown him.
Macbeth
[Aside] Glamis, and thane of Cawdor!
The greatest is behind. – [To Ross and Angus]
Thanks for your pains.-
[To Banquo] Do you not hope your children shall be kings,
125 When those that gave the thane of Cawdor to me
Promised no less to them?
Banquo
That, trusted home,
Might yet enkindle you unto the crown,
Besides the thane of Cawdor. But ’tis strange:
130 And oftentimes, to win us to our harm,
The instruments of darkness tell us truths,
Win us with honest trifles, to betray’s
In deepest consequence.
Cousins, a word, I pray you.
Meanings
heavy judgement: condemnation or sentence by the King that carries severe weight, often referring to a death sentence
combined: conspired.
line: strengthen.
hidden: secret.
vantage: advantage.
labour’d: worked hard.
wreck: ruin.
treasons capital: treachery against the king which deserves capital punishment.
trusted home: fully or completely believed and acted upon.
enkindle: to excite, inflame, or incite
trifles: small matters, things of little value or importance.
betray’s: betray us; deceive and lead to harm.
deepest consequence: the most crucial or important outcome, implying a matter of life, death, or eternal fate.
Explanation of the above dialogues— Banquo stepped aside and wondered aloud if it were possible for the Devil to speak the truth. Macbeth, still focused on the new title, questioned Ross and Angus, saying that the current Thane of Cawdor was alive and asking them why they were giving him a title that didn’t belong to him. Angus replied that the person who held the title was indeed still alive, but that he was under heavy sentence for having committed treason and deserved to lose his life. Angus explained that he didn’t know the specifics of Thane’s betrayal, whether he conspired with Norway, secretly strengthened the rebel forces with aid, or collaborated with both to bring about the ruin of Scotland. However, Angus assured them that his acts were capital treason i.e. crimes deserving death, and since they were confessed and proven, they had caused his downfall. Macbeth spoke to himself, noting that he was now Thane of Glamis and Thane of Cawdor, the first two prophecies had come true. He believed the greatest prophecy of becoming King was still to come. He then thanked Ross and Angus for their efforts. Macbeth turned to Banquo and asked him if he didn’t also hope his descendants would be kings, since the same entities that promised Macbeth the title of Cawdor had also promised Banquo’s line the throne. Banquo responded that such a hope, if trusted fully, might tempt Macbeth toward seizing the crown, in addition to receiving the title of Cawdor. He added that the entire situation was very strange, and warned that frequently, to lure people toward their destruction, the agents of evil would tell small truths like the Thane of Cawdor title to deceive them in the most crucial matters. He then suggested they join Ross and Angus. Macbeth’s focus on the ‘borrow’d robes’ is crucial. This metaphor establishes the central theme of usurpation and unnaturalness. The title is ‘borrowed’ from a traitor, associating the honour with treachery, and foreshadowing that the crown itself will be a stolen garment that never truly fits him. Banquo’s speech serves as the audience’s guide to interpretation and firmly establishes Banquo as the moral foil to Macbeth, whose fate is sealed by his decision to ignore this wise counsel.
Play
Macbeth
135 [Aside] Two truths are told,
As happy prologues to the swelling act
Of the imperial theme.—I thank you,
gentlemen.—
[Aside] This supernatural soliciting
Cannot be ill; cannot be good: If ill,
140 Why hath it given me earnest of success,
Commencing in a truth? I am thane of Cawdor:
If good, why do I yield to that suggestion
Whose horrid image doth unfix my hair,
And make my seated heart knock at my ribs,
145 Against the use of nature? Present fears
Are less than horrible imaginings:
My thought, whose murder yet is but fantastical,
Shakes so my single state of man that function
Is mother’d in surmise, and nothing is
150 But what is not.
Banquo
Look, how our partner’s rapt.
Macbeth
[Aside] If chance will have me king, why, chance may crown me, Without my stir.
Meanings
Prologues: introductory parts of a play, opera, or book; here, meaning introductions or opening acts.
Swelling act: the main, climactic part of the play or theme; here, referring to the growing importance of the kingship prophecy.
imperial theme: ambition of becoming a king.
supernatural soliciting: instigation by the witches.
earnest: foretaste.
yield to that suggestion: submit to the temptation.
image: imaginary picture.
Horrid image: a terrifying mental picture; here, the image of murdering Duncan.
unfix my hair: make my hair stand on end.
Seated heart: his heart, normally still and firm within his chest.
Against the use of nature: contrary to the normal, natural way things should function.
Fantastical: imaginary, existing only in his fantasy or imagination; unreal.
Single state of man: his entire being or self.
Function: the normal operation of his mental and physical abilities.
Is mother’d in surmise: is paralyzed, suffocated, or obstructed by guesswork and speculation.
What is not: what is unreal, imagined, or future
Rapt: deeply absorbed, engrossed, or lost in thought.
Without my stir: without any action or effort on his part.
Explanation of the above dialogues— Macbeth muttered to himself that two of the Witches’ prophecies had proven true, serving as pleasant opening acts to the main event of becoming king. He then paused to thank the messengers i.e. Ross and Angus. Returning to his thoughts, he wondered about the nature of the supernatural temptation. He reasoned that the suggestion could not be entirely evil because it had already delivered a guarantee of success by making him Thane of Cawdor, which was based on a real event. Yet, he questioned why, if the prophecy was good, he felt tempted by a thought of the ‘horrid image’ of murdering King Duncan, that was so frightening it made his hair stand on end and caused his heart to pound violently against his ribs, acting against his normal, natural state. He concluded that the terrifying things he was merely imagining were far worse than any actual dangers he currently faced. Macbeth realized that his thought, which involved murder that was currently only a fantasy, was so upsetting it shook his entire being. As a result, his ability to think and act normally was paralyzed by speculation and guesswork, making the current reality seem unreal. Banquo noticed Macbeth’s abstracted state and commented to Ross and Angus that their partner seemed completely lost in thought. Macbeth then concluded, still to himself, that if fate intended for him to be king, then fate could crown him without him having to make any effort or take any action. The ‘horrid image’ that makes Macbeth heart knock ‘Against the use of nature’ is crucial, as it shows his initial humanity. He is not a natural villain; the thought of murder is so repulsive it physically shakes him. The violence is purely ‘fantastical’ at this point, but its psychological impact is immediate and total, contrasting his immense physical courage in battle with his profound moral cowardice. By refusing to fight the temptation, Macbeth leaves the door open for the crime, ensuring that if an opportunity arises, he will seize it, thus making himself a willing servant of the ‘chance’ he invokes.
Play
Banquo
New honours come upon him,
1ss Like our strange garments, cleave not to (licit mould, But with the aid of use.
Macbeth
[Aside] Come what come may,
Time and the hour runs through the roughest day.
Banquo
Worthy Macbeth, we stay upon your leisure.
Macbeth
160 Give me your favour: My dull brain was wrought
With things forgotten. Kind gentlemen, your pains
Are register’d where every day I turn
The leaf to read them. Let us toward the king.
[To Banquo] Think upon what hash chanced; and, at more time,
165 The interim having weigh’d it, let us speak
Our free hearts each to other.
Banquo
Very gladly.
Macbeth Till then, enough.—Come, friends.
[Exeunt
Banquo
New honours come upon him,
Like our strange garments, cleave not to their mould, But with the aid of use.
Macbeth
[Aside] Come what come may,
Time and the hour runs through the roughest day.
Banquo
Worthy Macbeth, we stay upon your leisure.
Macbeth
160 Give me your favour: My dull brain was wrought
With things forgotten. Kind pains gentlemen, your pains
Are register’d where every day I turn
The leaf to read them. Let us toward the king.
[To Banquo] Think upon what hath chanced;
and, at more time,
165 The interim having weigh’d it, let us speak
Our free hearts each to other.
Banquo
Very gladly.
Macbeth
Till then, enough.Come, friends.
[Exeunt]
Word Meanings
new honours: new titles.
strange garments: new clothes.
cleave not to their mould: do not cling close to the body.
with the aid of use: a new dress fits the body with use.
favour: pardon.
dull brain: forgetful memory.
wrought: perplexed.
register’d: Recorded or written down in one’s memory
hath chanced: Has happened or occurred.
interim: intervening period.
weigh’d it: thought over it.
free hearts: Honest and open feelings or thoughts.
Explanation of the above dialogues— Banquo observed that Macbeth’s newly acquired titles and honours felt unfamiliar and awkward to him, just like new, strange clothes don’t immediately fit the body but conform only after they have been worn for a while and become familiar. Macbeth speaking aside to himself declared that no matter what happens, time will pass, and even the most difficult period or event will eventually run its course. Banquo politely told Macbeth that he and the others would wait patiently for him to finish his private thoughts. Macbeth apologized for his inattention, asking for their forgiveness. He explained that his mind was so busy that it felt confused or ‘wrought’ with things he had forgotten or been preoccupied with. He assured the gentlemen that their efforts and kindness were deeply remembered and recorded in his heart, like pages he reads every day. He then suggested they all proceed toward King Duncan. He asked Banquo to reflect on everything that had just happened i.e. the prophecies and the title and suggested that after they both had time to privately consider the events, they should speak frankly and openly about their feelings to one another. Banquo readily agreed, stating he would be very glad to do so. Macbeth concluded by saying that for now, enough had been said, and then invited everyone to leave with him. They all exit. Banquo’s metaphor of the ‘strange garments’ serves as a final, critical warning. It suggests that Macbeth’s new title is unnatural, it doesn’t fit organically. This foreshadows the later motif of ‘borrowed robes’ and emphasizes that Macbeth is unsuited for the role he desires. Here, Macbeth is not actively choosing to murder Duncan yet, but he is surrendering control and ceasing his moral resistance. This passive acceptance of fate is a crucial step toward his active participation in evil.
Play
Macbeth’s Soliloquy
The soliloquy of Macbeth highlights the various aspects of his soliloquy he wonders whether the prophecies might be true or not. It cannot be ill and cannot be good. It cannot be bad: if it were bad, it would not have been followed by two fulfilments. It cannot be good; because the idea of attaining to the third item fills his mind with fear. He shudders at the thought of murdering Duncan. His soliloquy shows his anxiety, terror and hesitation. He considers himself too weak for the deed. Then he conveniently leaves it to Fate to decide his future. He says: If chance will have me king, why chance will crown me, without my stir”, and later: “Come what may, time and hour runs through the rough day.” Finally, Macbeth thinks of the possibility of murdering Duncan to a his end.
Word Meanings
Exposition: The part of a play or narrative that provides necessary background information about the characters and their circumstances.
Thane: A Scottish title of nobility, ranking just below an earl, traditionally holding lands from the king.
Prophecies: Predictions of what will happen in the future.
Hails: Addresses or greets someone with enthusiastic approval.
Hereafter: From this time forward; in the future.
Stirred: Aroused or excited, in this context, referring to Macbeth’s ambition.
Soliloquy: An act of speaking one’s thoughts aloud when by oneself or regardless of any hearers, especially by a character in a play.
Anxiety: A feeling of worry, nervousness, or unease about something with an uncertain outcome.
Hesitation: The action of pausing before saying or doing something.
Conveniently: Suitably or appropriately, often implying an easy or self-serving choice.
Explanation of the above dialogues— The soliloquy explains that in his private thoughts, Macbeth is deeply perplexed about the nature of the prophecies and whether they are trustworthy. He debates if the supernatural instigation is inherently good or evil. He reasons that it cannot be completely evil, because the initial predictions have already resulted in two true fulfilments i.e.Thane of Glamis and Thane of Cawdor. However, he concludes it cannot be wholly good either, because the idea of achieving the third and final prophecy of becoming King immediately fills his mind with terror and the horrifying thought of murdering King Duncan. This soliloquy reveals Macbeth’s immediate anxiety, terror, and initial hesitation. He views himself as momentarily too weak or morally unprepared to commit such a monumental crime. He therefore attempts to relieve himself of responsibility by handing his future over to fate. He tells himself that if destiny intends him to be king, then fate will crown him without any active effort or malicious intervention on his part. He later reassures himself that whatever may happen, time will eventually pass and see him through the most difficult days. Despite this attempt to trust fate, the context notes that the thought of murdering Duncan remains a distinct possibility in his mind as a means to achieve his ultimate goal. The Witches do not implant ambition; they merely give it a tangible path. Macbeth’s reaction to the thought of murder is shuddering and feeling weak which confirms that he is not a hardened villain at this stage, but a man of conscience momentarily overcome by his dark desires.
Conclusion
In Act 1, Scene 3 of Macbeth, the witches appear on a heath and make prophecies. They call Macbeth Thane of Glamis, Thane of Cawdor, and say he will be king in the future. They also predict that Banquo’s descendants will be kings. This scene is important because it introduces themes such as fate, ambition, and the supernatural, and it profoundly affects Macbeth’s mind, especially when he learns that one part of the prophecy of becoming Thane of Cawdor has already come true. Students can take help from this post to understand Act 1, Scene 3 and also learn the difficult word meanings to get a better grasp of Macbeth. This post includes a summary of Macbeth, which will help students of ISC class 11, to get a quick recap of the play.