The prevailing modification of the theme, in the early part of the play, is “the ambiguity of appearances.” The 1st scene merely introduces the witches, who are themselves ambiguous, and so is their language; “fair is foul, and foul is fair.” They appear amidst thunder and lightning, and a hurly-burly of empty words.

In the 2d Scene a bleeding soldier enters, and gives an account of the battle, and of the achievements of Macbeth and Banquo. Mark how he dwells on the doubtful aspect of the fight:

He represents fortune as smiling at first on Macdonwald’s cause; but brave Macbeth, “disdaining fortune,” soon turned the tide of victory. But another revulsion follows, “and from the spring whence comfort seemed to come, discomfort flows.” The Norweyan lord suddenly renews the assault, but victory at last falls on Macbeth and Banquo. Ross now enters and describes the fight, dwelling in like manner on the uncertainty which attended it; and Duncan, declaring that the Thane of Cawdor shall no more deceive him, orders his execution. It is worthy of remark also, that the view here presented of Macbeth’s character is purely formal or sensual. Physical strength and bull-dog courage are alone spoken of. Swords “smoking with bloody execution,” “reeking wounds,” and “heads fixed on battlements,” compose the staple of his eulogy.

Scene 3d—Enter the three witches. There is an idle repetition of words. The offense of the sailor’s wife is visited upon her husband, who is, however, to encounter only the appearance, not the reality of destruction. A certain combination of numbers completes the charm.

Macbeth and Banquo now encounter the weird sisters on the heath. Macbeth’s exclamations relate chiefly to the ambiguity of their appearance. He says, they “look not like the inhabitants of the earth, and yet are on it.” They “seem to understand me.”

The witches then salute Macbeth in terms which are to him incomprehensible. They call him Thane of Cawdor, which he is, but does not know it. They also salute Banquo in ambiguous language: “Lesser than Macbeth and greater.” “Not so happy, yet much happier,” etc., etc.

The witches now “melt into the wind;” upon which Banquo says,

Ross and Angus now enter and salute Macbeth as Thane of Cawdor, who, finding the prediction of the witches verified in this particular, asks Banquo whether he does not hope his children shall be kings. Banquo’s answer points to the ambiguity of appearances,

Macbeth falls into meditation on the subject; thinks this “supernatural soliciting” cannot be ill, because it has already given him earnest of success; cannot be good, because it breeds horrid suggestions in his mind. The appearances are ambiguous and bewilder him. Banquo, observing his abstraction, remarks that new honors come upon him like “strange garments,” wanting the formality of use to make them sit easy.

The next Scene, (the 4th) though a short one, contains several very pointed references to the central idea. Malcolm reports to Duncan that Cawdor, when led to execution, had frankly confessed his treasons; whereupon Duncan says,

This reflection is commonplace enough in itself, but is rendered eminently striking by his cordial reception of Macbeth the next moment; he hails as his deliverer, and enthrones in his heart, the man who is already meditating his destruction, and that very night murders him in his sleep. Thus precept and example concur in teaching the uncertainty of appearances. Again Duncan says:

He then declares his intention to confer appropriate honors on all deservers, and renews his expressions of confidence in Macbeth.

The subject is now presented in a slightly different aspect. Whereas the ambiguity of form or appearance has heretofore been insisted on, the leading idea is now the agreement of form with substance; the correspondence of appearances with the reality.

Macbeth writes to his wife, informing her of what has happened, that she may not “lose the dues of rejoicing,” but be able to conform to their new circumstances. Her reflections on the occasion abound with illustrations of the theme. She fears his nature; it is too full of the milk of human kindness to “catch the nearest way.” He cannot rid himself of what she considers mere ceremonious scruples; “what he would highly that he would holily;” whilst she thinks only of the end they aim at, she apprehends that he will stand upon the manner of reaching it. An attendant now informs her of Duncan’s unexpected approach; and she falls into a soliloquy which is singularly adapted to the theme. The “hoarse raven;” the invocation to night; her wish to be unsexed, and that her milk might be turned to gall, etc., etc. When Macbeth arrives, she says to him:

In the next scene she practices that dissimulation which she has reproached Macbeth for wanting. Her reception of Duncan is full of ceremony and professions of duty.

The 7th Scene opens with the great soliloquy of Macbeth, “If it were done, when ’tis done,” etc. He dwells on the incongruity of his killing Duncan, who is there in double trust; “First as I am his kinsman and his subject; then as his host.” Duncan, too, “has borne his faculties so meek;” has been “so clear in his great office;” “he has honored me of late;” and “I have bought golden opinions from all sorts of people.” He resolves at last that he will proceed no further in the business. Lady Macbeth now enters to “chastise him with the valor of her tongue.” In the course of the argument that ensues, Macbeth shows his regard for appearances by saying:

whilst she shows her respect for the strictness of the letter by declaring that had she so sworn as he has done to this, she would, whilst her babe was smiling in her face, have “plucked her nipple from his boneless gums,” and dashed his brains out. She then proposes to drench the attendants with wine, and smear them with Duncan’s blood, so that suspicion may fall on them; also, “we will make our griefs and clamor roar upon his death.” And here the first act ends with these words:

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