Macbeth - William Shakespeare Response Journal: Act I

The beginning scenes of William Shakespeare's infamous play, Macbeth, serve to establish the tragedy's dramatic premise, as centred on Macbeth's ambition being awakened by the witches. The first three scenes also introduce the main characters and their relationships with each other, while creating the dark mood infused throughout the play. The play commences with a storm, from which three malicious witches emerge. The story then shifts to a battlefield, where a sense of the cruelty …

…scenes, although it is subtle. Macbeth is aware that his plans are immoral, and admits that there will most definitely be penalties. His soliloquy reveals his consciousness that his actions may instigate a cycle of violence that will ultimately lead to his demise. At this point in the play, Macbeth is neither a good man, nor an evil one. He attempts to resist his temptations, though his resistance is futile against his wife's manipulative nature.