Assignment: Macbeth Act 1
The following questions ask you to consider Scottish politics—domestic and international––as Shakespeare presents them in Act 1 of the play. Put aside for a moment the affairs of the Macbeths and try to focus on Scotland as a political nation engaged in military conflict and a country with a complicated social and ruling structure.
Consider the following questions:
- From the soldier’s narration at the beginning of 1.2, what can you discern about the conflict that he describes? Who are the major players involved, and what, specifically, are they doing?
- Who is the Thane of Cawdor? What is his role in the events referred to in question 1?
- In terms of ruling structure, what can you tell about political hierarchies and the general power structure of Scotland? Who is in charge, and how has that person delegated responsibility and obligation within the kingdom?