ACT I SCENE II A camp near Forres.
ANNOTATION Imagery:
[ Alarum within. Enter DUNCAN, MALCOLM, DONALBAIN, LENNOX, with Attendants, meeting a bleeding Sergeant ]
DUNCAN What bloody man is that? He can report,
As seemeth by his plight, of the revolt
The newest state.
MALCOLM This is the sergeant
Who like a good and hardy soldier fought
'Gainst my captivity. Hail, brave friend!
Say to the king the knowledge of the broil
As thou didst leave it.
Sergeant Doubtful it stood;
As two spent swimmers, that do cling together
And choke their art. The merciless Macdonald--
Worthy to be a rebel, for to that
The multiplying villainies of nature
Do swarm upon him--from the Western Isles
Of kerns and gallowglasses is supplied;
And fortune, on his damned quarrel smiling,
Show'd like a rebel's whore: but all's too weak:
For brave Macbeth--well he deserves that name--
Disdaining fortune, with his brandish'd steel,
Which smoked with bloody execution,
Like valour's minion carved out his passage
Till he faced the slave;
Which ne'er shook hands, nor bade farewell to him,
Till he unseam'd him from the nave to the chaps,
And fix'd his head upon our battlements.
MACBETH ACT
(1.2.1) I SCENE
Use II
of the word bloody hints that the battle is brutal and fierce; it
arouses feelings of urgency and suspense in the audience
Symbol: (1.2.1) Blood is a recurring symbol in the play- result of many betrayals and
gruesome murders throughout the play. Later on in the play, blood symbolizes guilt
Foreshadow: (1.2.1) Duncans first line in the play, bloody man, foreshadows his
own death later on
5 Simile: (1.2.5)Although Malcolm knows the sergeant is a soldier, he compares the
sergeant to a good and hardy soldier to emphasize his bravery because he saved
Malcolm from being captured by the enemy
Imagery & Metaphor: (1.2.7) The word broil refers to the battle. Using this word
paints a picture of high heat and confusion, and it also compares the tense situation
in the battle to a broil
10
Simile: (1.2.10-11) Since the outcome of the battle is confusing and hard to predict,
the sergeant compares the two sides to two tired swimmers who cling to each other.
One swimmer represents the Scottish forces, and the other swimmer represents the
rebels in the battle. As neither of the two can swim, it is likely they will both die
Pragmatographia & Foreshadow: (1.2.9-25) Vivid description of a bloody battle that
15 takes place off stage. The bloodshed in this battle also foreshadows the bloody
murders that will occur later in the play
Verbal irony: (1.2.12) The sergeant uses two words that contradict each other to
describe the traitor Macdonald, worthy and rebel. He means that Macdonald was
so evil and merciless that he was fit to be a rebel and traitor to King Duncan and
Scotland
20
Imagery & Hyperbole: (1.2.14) Macdonalds evil nature is exaggerated to be a
dense group of insects that swarm upon him
Imagery: (1.2.15) Visual image of the large number of foot-soldiers and fighting men
with battle axes on the rebel side
Personification: (1.2.16) Personizes fortune by giving fortune human qualities such
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as smiling cruelly at her enemy
Symbol: (1.2.16,19) The symbol of fortune recurs throughout the play. It indicates
opportunities in life where one can choose what to do when the opportunity
presents itself. This symbol is very important in the play- Macbeth is given many
chances to choose his course of action.
Simile: (1.2.21) The sergeant compares the fortune/luck that is on Macdonalds side
to a prostitute that will grant her client any favour.
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 ANNOTATION Imagery
DUNCAN O valiant cousin! worthy gentleman!
Sergeant As whence the sun 'gins his reflection
Shipwrecking storms and direful thunders break,
So from that spring whence comfort seem'd to come
Discomfort swells. Mark, king of Scotland, mark:
No sooner justice had with valour arm'd
Compell'd these skipping kerns to trust their heels,
But the Norweyan lord surveying vantage,
With furbish'd arms and new supplies of men
Began a fresh assault.
DUNCAN Dismay'd not this
Our captains, Macbeth and Banquo?
Sergeant Yes;
As sparrows eagles, or the hare the lion.
If I say sooth, I must report they were
As cannons overcharged with double cracks, so they
Doubly redoubled strokes upon the foe:
MACBETH ACT I SCENE
(1.2.18-25): II
Vivid image of Macbeths bravery- he swings his sword so
quickly and efficiently to kill the rebels that it seems to smoke. This action-packed
description of the battle paints a gruesome picture of the way Macbeth
courageously fought his way to Macdonald, split him open from the nave to the
chaps, and cut his head and fixed it on top of the castle wall as a trophy.
Hyperbole: (1.2.20) Exaggerates how fast Macbeth is killing the rebels that the
warm blood on his sword smokes- the sergeant is so amazed and in awe of his
leader
Symbol: (1.2.20) Symbol of blood- the bloody execution of the rebels by Macbeth
is good blood because it demonstrates Macbeths loyalty to the King- later on the
bloody murder by Macbeth will be bad blood
Simile: (1.2.21) Like valours minion- comparing Macbeth to a favoured follower of
bravery
Personification: (1.2.21) personifying bravery as a person that has minions
Foreshadow: (1.2.25) the way that Macbeth kills the traitor Macdonald is the same
way he is going to die at the end of the play
Character analysis Macbeth: Macbeth does not appear until the next scene, but
through the Sergeants narrative, his character is heighted as a skilled, merciless,
and brave warrior. He is loyal by serving and fighting for his King. Macbeth is a
great hero.
Character analysis King Duncan talks with honour. He expresses strong approval
for gruesome killing of traitor MacDonald. He praises Macbeths merciless execution
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as bravery.
Dramatic irony: (1.2.26) King Duncan praises Macbeth as a worthy gentleman
even though his actions so far as a vicious murderer is not those of an actual
gentleman. It is ironic because he is addressed as a worthy the same way the traitor
Macdonald is described as worthy to be a rebel (1.2.15)
35 Simile: (1.2.28) Comparing a sudden storm that appears in the comfort of spring to
a new battle that suddenly appears right after the victory of the first battle.
Symbol- (1.2.18-19) Bad weather symbolizes a disruption of natural order. When
Macbeth assassinates his King for the crown that was an act believed to have
violated the natural order of kingship.
40 Paradox: (1.2.27-29) There is comfort on a sunny spring day, but discomfort is
there when a violent thunderstorm suddenly appears. This coincides with the
paradox Fair is foul, and foul is fair in the previous scene (1.1.12)- nothing is what
seems and appearance can be deceiving. The comfort that Macbeth seemed to
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 Except they meant to bathe in reeking wounds, ANNOTATION
Or memorize another Golgotha,
I cannot tell.
But I am faint, my gashes cry for help.
DUNCAN So well thy words become thee as thy wounds;
They smack of honour both. Go get him surgeons.
[Exit Sergeant, attended]
Who comes here?
[Enter ROSS]
MALCOLM The worthy thane of Ross.
LENNOX What a haste looks through his eyes! So should he
look
That seems to speak things strange.
ROSS God save the king!
DUNCAN Whence camest thou, worthy thane?
ROSS From Fife, great king;
Where the Norweyan banners flout the sky
And fan our people cold. Norway himself,
With terrible numbers,
Assisted by that most disloyal traitor
The thane of Cawdor, began a dismal conflict;
Till that Bellona's bridegroom, lapp'd in proof,
Confronted him with self-comparisons,
Point against point rebellious, arm 'gainst arm.
Curbing his lavish spirit: and, to conclude,
The victory fell on us.
DUNCAN Great happiness!
ROSS That now
Sweno, the Norways' king, craves composition:
Nor would we deign him burial of his men
Till he disbursed at Saint Colme's inch
Ten thousand dollars to our general use.
DUNCAN No more that thane of Cawdor shall deceive
our bosom interest: go pronounce his present death,
bring
MACBETH ACTand
to the King I SCENE II actually caused more bloodshed. Macbeth appears
Scotland
to bring comfort to the king and Scotland actually caused more bloodshed.
45 Verbal irony: (1.2.31) The audience/readers know that Macbeth does not really
bring justice. He is going to commit regicide- the killing of his King. It is unjust to kill
the rightful king.
--
Verbal irony: (1.2.38) Sergeant is being sarcastic when he says Yes
Simile: Compare Macbeth and Banguo to eagles and lion; and their enemies,
sparrows and hare.
50
Simile: (1.2.41) Compare how upset Macbeth and Banguo are to cannons
overcharged with ammunition
Alliteration: (1.2.41-42) Emphasize Macbeth and Banquo fight even harder against
the Norweyan enemies. They are like cannons overcharged with twice the
ammunition every more dangerous and deadly
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Hyperbole: (1.2.43) Macbeth and Banquo want to spill so much blood from their
enemies that they can bathe in it.
Allusion: (1.2.44) Golgotha is the place where Jesus was crucified. It is a place of
great suffering. This is a scene of massive slaughter
Personification: (1.2.46) Sergeants wounds cry out for help like human
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Character analysis King Duncan views Sergeants wound and report are both of
honour and courage. He expresses concerns even for a soldier.
Repetition: point on point emphasize
65 Dramatic irony: (1.2.53) King Duncan in fact will be murdered.
Imagery (1.2.56): Norweyan flags fly high in a region of Scotland shows a picture
that Scotland is deeply invaded by the Norway.
70
Alliteration: (1.2.56-57) Emphasizes the flying Norweyan flags frighten the Scot
Synecdoche: (1.2.57) Using the King of Norway to represent the country of Norway
Metaphor: (1.2.58) Comparing the multitude of soldiers to numbers
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 And with his former title greet Macbeth. ANNOTATION Allusion:
MACBETH ACTReferencing
(1.2.61) I SCENE II Macbeth to the husband of the well-known Roman
ROSS I'll see it done. 75 goddess of war Bellona
DUNCAN What he hath lost noble Macbeth hath won. Metaphor: flight swo (1.2.58) Comparing Macbeths courage and fighting skills to
[Exeunt] those of the husband of goddess of war
Alliteration: (1.2.63) Emphasizes equating of Macbeth with the Norweyan king in rd
point against sword point and arm against arm
Dramatic irony: (1.2.66) This victory is not a great happy beginning, but the
beginning of doom
Dramatic irony: (1.2.72-73) King Duncan hands out death sentence to thane of
Cawdor so this traitor can no longer deceive and betray his trust. Yet, promoting
Macbeth to be the thane of Cawdor set motion for Macbeth to be the bloodiest
traitor in Duncans time.
Personification: (1.2.74) Title of Cawdor likes a person greeting Macbeth
Motif: (1.2.75) Done is a repeating symbol that
Paradox: (1.2. 76) Contrasting lost and won. Here Macbeth wins the battles for the
king, and yet, it is the being of lost for King Duncan to the point that his lost his
kingdom and his life. This echo what the weird sisters said in the previous scene
When the battles lost and won. (1.1.4)