Macbeth is a complex character who is driven by ambition and a thirst for power. He is a skilled warrior, but he is also capable of great violence. His ambition is his greatest strength and his greatest weakness.
My impression of Macbeth's character so far is that he is initially noble and valiant, but there are hints of a darker ambition and inner conflict.
Act I of Macbeth introduces the main characters, sets the stage for conflict, and establishes the theme of ambition and the corrupting influence of power.
See text below
Response
1. Personal Connections What is your impression so far of Macbeth's
character?
Comprehension
2. Reading Check (a) What three things do the witches predict for Macbeth and Banquo? (b) What does Lady Macbeth fear her husband will
not do?
3. Summarize Confirm your understanding of the text by writing a
summary of Act I.
4. Strategy: Monitor Comprehension (a) Cite one adjustment you needed to make as you read Act I. (b) What questions were answered or clarified by annotating or using outside resources?
Analysis
5. (a) Compare and Contrast In Scene ii, how are Macbeth's and Banquo's reactions to the witches' prophesies similar and different? (b) Make Inferences What do their reactions suggest about their individual characters?
6. (a) What announcement does King Duncan make at the end of his conversation with Macbeth and Banquo? (b) Analyze Cause and Effect What effect does that announcement have on Macbeth?
7. Analyze In Scene vi, what does the audience know that the king doesn't know? How does the use of dramatic irony create both humor and
suspense?
8. (a) What do Lady Macbeth and Macbeth argue about in Scene vii? (b) Draw Conclusions What does the outcome of the argument suggest about who holds the power in their relationship?
EQ NOTES
How much does the past determine the future?
INTERACTIVITY
What have you learned about the influence of the past on the
future from reading Act
Notes