Macbeth - Setting

Since it's a little early to analyze most of the story, I figure I'll talk a bit about what we've seen of the setting so far. Currently in Macbeth, we've seen the Weird Sisters on a beach, the King and some of his military force near Forres, and Macbeth and Banquo at a heath, where they meet the Weird Sisters. Each of these areas have had the exact same weather, which is to say bad weather. It is stormy, with lots of thunder and rain pouring in, with mist and fog rolling over the landscape. Such bad weather so early in the play can only mean bad things are to come, or perhaps that Macbeth will have to fight his way out of the dark times that he is currently in or will potentially face. Not five minutes into the play and the reader/viewer already has a sense of foreboding regarding the rest of the play.

Each location has a few potential themes buried within them, each unique and overlapped by the perpetual feeling of doom described previously. First off is the beach, where the play opens. Beaches can represent a sort of perpetual change, which is associted with the flowing of the tides, which can completely change the landscape it encroaches upon on a day by day, hour by hour basis. It's pretty likely that this will appear as a theme in Macbeth, though it most likely won't be quite as simple, peaceful, or as innocent as the changing tides.

Next is the battlefield outside of King Duncan's castle at Forres. Unlike the beach and the heath, this one is much more straightforward. This location was the site of a fierce battle, and a place where Macbeth displays his vicious nature, though it isn't actually seen by the audience. Quite simply, this place represents the potential for violence Macbeth has, and the effects it has on both his friends and his foes, as the captain talks of Macbeth's incredible strength, and almost seems to revere him. Macbeth is known to be a violent play, and the battlefield is an example of just how violent it is sure to be.

Lastly is the heath. But first, what the heck is a heath? Well, a quick jaunt over to Dictionary.com reveals that it is in fact a "wasteland overgrown with shrubs," which was seen in the Macbeth film, as well as in the picture above. Save for the weather, which is still absolutely miserable, this spot is a bit harder to characterize. Perhaps the ruins and overgrown area the Weird Sisters appear to live in or at least dwell in temporarily will represent the potential ruin Macbeth will meet in the future, as the Weird Sisters are, in addition to being potent witches, are sort of living incarnations of the past, present, and future. It's a bit of a stretch, but it's really all I can come up with at this moment. It's still a little early to make many predictions for this spot anyways, as we haven't fully covered this scene yet anywyas.

In short, we haven't gotten more than a half dozen pages into the play and things are already appearing to be pretty glum and depressing. It will be interesting to see how this opening plays out into the overall scope of the play.