Macbeth Act 1 Scene 7: annotated text

A detailed, annotated copy of Act 1 Scene 7 of Shakespeare’s Macbeth for GCSE English Literature students studying the play. The annotations include useful, student-friendly explanations as well as analysis of key language features and themes in this important soliloquy as Macbeth contemplates killing Duncan, the king.

The scene is set in Macbeth’s castle, and Shakespeare uses Macbeth’s soliloquy to reveal important insights into Macbeth’s character for the audience. As he considers his ‘Bloody instructions’, Macbeth articulates two reasons, a ‘double trust’ as to why he should not kill King Duncan. Firstly, he is a ‘subject’ of the King so should be a loyal servant to him, his ‘peerless kinsman’ as Duncan described him earlier in Act I. Secondly, as his host, he should protect King Duncan from danger. Macbeth contemplates whether or not he can perform the dreadful deed of killing King Duncan.

As the scene progresses, the helpful and accessible annotations reveal the role Lady Macbeth plays in persuading Macbeth into killing Duncan. By exploring the persuasive devices Lady Macbeth uses, including rhetorical questions, Shakespeare reveals their ‘vaulting ambition’, anticipating the events in Macbeth Act 2.