directory
home contact

Macbeth

Please see the bottom of the page and the highlighted text for full explanatory notes and helpful resources.

ACT I SCENE VI  Before Macbeth's castle. 
[ Hautboys and torches. Enter DUNCAN, MALCOLM, DONALBAIN, BANQUO, LENNOX, MACDUFF, ROSS, ANGUS, and Attendants ]
DUNCANThis castle hath a pleasant seat; the air
Nimbly and sweetly recommends itself
Unto our gentle senses.
BANQUOThis guest of summer,
The temple-haunting martlet does approve,
By his loved mansionry, that the heaven's breath
Smells wooingly here: no jutty, frieze,
Buttress, nor coign of vantage, but this bird
Hath made his pendent bed and procreant cradle:
Where they most breed and haunt, I have observed,
The air is delicate.
[Enter LADY MACBETH]
DUNCANSee, see our honoured hostess!10
The love that follows us sometime is our trouble,
Which still we thank as love. Herein I teach you
How you shall bid God 'ild us for your pains,
And thank us for your trouble.
LADY MACBETHAll our service
In every point twice done and then done double
Were poor and single business to contend
Against those honours deep and broad wherewith
Your majesty loads our house: for those of old,
And the late dignities heap'd up to them,
We rest your hermits.20
DUNCANWhere's the thane of Cawdor?
We coursed him at the heels, and had a purpose
To be his purveyor: but he rides well;
And his great love, sharp as his spur, hath holp him
To his home before us. Fair and noble hostess,
We are your guest to-night.
LADY MACBETHYour servants ever



Have theirs, themselves and what is theirs, in compt,
To make their audit at your highness' pleasure,
Still to return your own.
DUNCANGive me your hand;
Conduct me to mine host: we love him highly,
And shall continue our graces towards him.30
By your leave, hostess.
[Exeunt]

Next: Macbeth, Act 1, Scene 7
___________

Explanatory notes below for Act 1, Scene 6
From Macbeth. Ed. Thomas Marc Parrott. New York: American Book Co.
(Line numbers have been altered.)

__________

This scene brings Duncan, in the early evening, to Macbeth's castle. We may note first, the 'irony of situation' in Duncan's praising the "pleasant seat" of the castle where he is to meet a sudden and bloody end; and secondly, the effective character contrast between the gentle, unsuspicious courtesy of the king, and the feigned humility and hypocritical welcome of Lady Macbeth. Nowhere in the play does she appear so repulsive as here where she is leading Duncan on to his death, with speeches of mock loyalty.

1. Note the natural and easy way in which the king is introduced. He is at peace with himself and all mankind. Banquo seems to have caught the king's mood, and answers him in the same tone. Compare the impression that is given here of the castle, its beautiful situation, its nesting martlets, and its "delicate air," with the totally different impression given in Lennox's speech (ii. 3. 59-66) of the terrible night that followed, with its fierce storms, strange screams of death, and its gloomy and long-delayed dawn (ii. 4. 6-9). In both scenes the natural surroundings reflect the temper of men's minds.

3. our gentle senses, our senses which are soothed by the sweet air; cf. iii. 4. 76.

5. By his loved mansionry, by making it his favourite nestingplace.

6. A foot is lacking in this line. It is possible that some word or phrase has dropped out of the text; but if the line be read with a marked pause after "here," the rhythmical effect is not unpleasant.

7. coign of vantage, convenient corner.

11-14. The love ... trouble. The love that attends us is sometimes troublesome, but still we thank it because it is love. In saying this I teach you how to receive our troublesome visit; you should pray God to reward us, and you should thank us yourself, because the visit, which entails this trouble, is a proof of our affection. The compliment is somewhat formal but undoubtedly sincere.

16. poor and single business to contend, a small matter to compare.

20. hermits, holy men bound to pray for their benefactors.

22. purveyor, originally a messenger sent before to provide food for the king and his train.

26. theirs ... theirs. The first "theirs" means "their family"; the second "their property."

28. Still to return your own, always bound to return to you what was originally yours.

30. our, here pronounced as a dissyllable.

31. By your leave, Duncan takes Lady Macbeth's hand and leads her into the castle.

________
How to cite the explanatory notes:
Shakespeare, William. Macbeth. Ed. Thomas Marc Parrott. New York: American Book Co., 1904. Shakespeare Online. 10 Aug. 2010. < http://www.shakespeare-online.com/plays/macbeth_1_6.html >.
________

More Resources

 The Chronology of Shakespeare's Plays
 Establishing the Order of the Plays
 How Many Plays Did Shakespeare Write?
 Shakespeare Timeline

 Shakespeare's Reputation in Elizabethan England
 Words Shakespeare Invented
 Quotations About William Shakespeare

 Portraits of Shakespeare
 Shakespeare's Boss: The Master of Revels
 Top 10 Shakespeare Plays

 Shakespeare's Metaphors and Similes
 Shakespeare's Blank Verse
 Shakespeare Timeline

 Edward Alleyn (Actor)
 What is Tragic Irony?
 Characteristics of Elizabethan Tragedy

William Lugg as King Duncan in a Forbes Robertson production, 1898.

More to Explore

 Macbeth: The Complete Play with Commentary
 The Metre of Macbeth: Blank Verse and Rhymed Lines
 Macbeth Character Analysis
 Figures of Speech in Macbeth

 Metaphors in Macbeth (Biblical)
 The Theme of Macbeth
 Is Macbeth the Third Murderer?

 Macbeth, Duncan and Shakespeare's Changes
 King James I and Shakespeare's Sources for Macbeth
 Contemporary References to King James I in Macbeth
 The Royal Patent that Changed Shakespeare's Life

 Soliloquy Analysis: If it were done when 'tis done (1.7.1-29)
 Soliloquy Analysis: Is this a dagger (2.1.33-61)
 Soliloquy Analysis: To be thus is nothing (3.1.47-71)
 Soliloquy Analysis: She should have died hereafter (5.5.17-28)

 Differences Between Macbeth and Lady Macbeth
 Explanatory Notes for Lady Macbeth's Soliloquy (1.5)
 The Psychoanalysis of Lady Macbeth (Sleepwalking Scene)
 Is Lady Macbeth's Swoon Real?

_____


Did You Know? ... A martlet is a tiny swallow, also known as a house martin, who prefers to build its nest on a house or, as Duncan states, a church (temple). Note the great irony in Duncan's speech. More on birds in Shakespeare.

_____


 Explanatory Notes for the Witches' Chants (4.1)
 Macbeth Plot Summary (Acts 1 and 2)
 Macbeth Plot Summary (Acts 3, 4 and 5)
 How to Stage a Production of Macbeth (Scene Suggestions)

 A Comparison of Macbeth and Hamlet
 The Effect of Lady Macbeth's Death on Macbeth
 The Curse of Macbeth

 Shakespeare's Sources for Macbeth
 Macbeth Q & A
 Essay Topics on Macbeth
 Aesthetic Examination Questions on Macbeth
 What is Tragic Irony?

 Stages of Plot Development in Macbeth
 Time Analysis of the Action in Macbeth
 Macbeth Study Quiz (with detailed answers)
 Quotations from Macbeth (Full)
 Top 10 Quotations from Macbeth

 Crafting a Sympathetic Macbeth
 The Moral Character of Macbeth
 Origin of the Weird Sisters
 Temptation, Sin, Retribution: Lecture Notes on Macbeth
 Untie the winds: Exploring the Witches' Control Over Nature

 Characteristics of Elizabethan Tragedy
 Why Shakespeare is so Important
 Shakespeare's Language
 Shakespeare's Influence on Other Writers