okay my dear children I hope you have already seen the introduction video to meth right so that kind of gives you an idea about what to expect in this particular story it's a complex story I would rate mbth as easily my favorite Shakespeare in play because it has so many layers that makes it extremely complicated but it's also fun because you get to get an insight into human characters uh in mbth and I think it's unparalleled I don't think any other play perhaps with the exception of oel I don't think any other play comes close to mbth in terms of uh Shakespearean Proficiency in explaining the characters and bringing out the different shades of human characters let's start with act one scene one now before I get to the line by line description explanation a few points that you need to bear in mind please note that Shakespeare does not introduce any of the main characters in act one scene one usually the U style is that you would expect the main character or at least some of the main characters to be introduced in the opening scene that does not happen in act 1 scene one if you remember the Merchant of Venice you had Antonio and basano both introduced in the opening scene itself that doesn't happen here in fact the main character doesn't does not get introduced even in the second scene which is mag Beth right so that is something an interesting theatrical style okay uh now this seems more like a prologue prologue to what is likely to happen um it sets up the play in that sense in some of the old editions the three weird sisters have been used in in the later additions mostly three is what is used now now uh weird also in the old style of English meant fate so in that sense it is linked to something which is likely to happen in this case a bit in the negative s sense what is the atmosphere of the opening scene it's thunder and lightning and thunder and lightning is generally associated with demons and witches right uh Stormy Weather I would say stormy weather is associated with demons and and it's an indication again that something drastic dramatic is likely to happen very soon so it's a sign of disruption of the order you know of the normal order it's a sign of the disruption finally the beard sisters are also uh related I mean are also referred to sometimes as sisters of Fate you would recall this in The Merchant of Venice there is a reference to uh the sisters of Fate In The Lawns slaught scene right uh so uh they are the ones who are controlling the fate of men on Earth and uh if you see the especially towards the end they speak in some kind of a wavered rhyming scheme okay I think Shakespeare has done this deliberately to make their speech different from that of the other characters because these three witches are obviously not human Okay so let's get started I hope now that you have understood the basic background of this particular scene uh let's get started with the line by line explanation what does the first witch say when When shall we three meet again in thunder in lightning or in rain now if you basically saying that when do we meet again when shall we meet again should we meet when there is thunder or when there is lightning or whe when there is rain again an indication as I said of the disruptive elements okay the second which says when the hurly Burly is done when the Battle Is Lost and one this one this one they're all important they can come as a line and you could be asked questions related to that and related to the play itself okay um when the hurly Burly is done when the Battle Is Lost and won now when the Battle Is Lost and won you see it's a very different kind of a sentence you either lose a battle or you win a battle can you also lose a battle and also win a battle no it is to be one side this and one side the other side right so uh hle Burley is talking about the noise and the confusion hle Burley because this is another important word which can be asked to use so harle Burley is refering to the noise to the confusion okay so the second is saying when the hly Burly when all this noise and confusion the chaos the chaos of the battle is done which battle is being referred to the battle which we see or hear about in the second scene okay there is a battle which is being fought between Duncan and the Duncan's Army and the rebels so that will we will learn about in the second scene but the witches are aware so the awareness part is very important they're aware of the fact that this battle is taking place so she says that when the the chaos the confusion the noise of the battle is done when the Battle Is Lost and won now uh the witches say that basically it also conveys that the Victory and the defeat is being spoken about with the degree of indifference right uh see if I am on one side I would want my side to win right I wouldn't and I would want the other side to lose right same with you same with anyone else but the don't seem to be an integral part they don't seem to have some any stakes in who wins or who loses which is why there is a sense of indifference here when they say when the Battle Is Lost and one okay so they are establishing their position as not being integral to the place plot in that sense it does not matter to them who wins or who loses they have a particular plan in mind and for that it does not matter who wins or loses the third which says that will be before the setting of The Sun before the sun has set now some of you with the knowledge of what happens later may say that well it it would make a difference that only if mag Beth wins he becomes the thing of coder from the present position as the thing of glams Glam Miss glams okay though it's written spelled as g l a m i s that's his present title okay um but the fact is that they have already Sinister plans in place so it does not matter who wins because magb is fighting on behalf of the army of Duncan we will learn about all that in the second scene let me not jump it right now and get you confused okay first which says where is the place the second B says upon the heat that is upon that Barren land okay where only wild vegetation grows third bit says there to meet with mbth so now we are being told about the protagonist of this play right and that's the only time he's mentioned in the opening scene right so we will meet mag Beth there and this is the only information about the protagonist that we hear in the get in the first scene the first which says I I come grey Malin now grey Malin is the is how a gray cat is referred to okay um and uh it can also be the name possibly of some attendant Spirits because these witches Etc are known to kind of have attendant Spirits animal spirits but gy Malin is the name of a gray cat padok calls padok is calling padok is the name of a toad toad okay so uh again you know you you can you can understand you get an idea about what you get an idea about the weirdness of the entire atmosphere right thunder lightning and the kind of talking they are doing it's a little confusing and that's what comes to your mind padok calls Anan now she says soon Anan means presently or soon right away this is said by the third not here it has got a little formatting issue now the last one this is an important line just like the opening lines fair is foul and f is fair and they say together how hover through the fog and filthy air now you see there is a bit of a rhyming being done they were rhyming but a rhyming nevertheless right that is something which you need to know the other thing is almost when you rhyme it almost sounds like a chant which again all these demons and evil spirits are supposed to indulge in fair means beautiful Fair also means good okay fair means beautiful Fair also means uh it also means good okay which is an antonym of uh foul okay uh it's a complete opposite Fair also can mean just you know when you are you know you do justice Fair also can be used in that sentence in that sense so just like loss and victory mean the same to them similarly they don't care about foul and fair for them fair is foul and foul is fair it does not matter so what you get is a rather distorted sense distorted sense of fairness as in Justice okay of fairness so it's it doesn't matter whether fair or foul both for them are just the same just like Victory and defeat both meant the same to them so uh it kind of creates what does it create it creates a very confusing picture for you it's a bit like that right that there is confusion there is lack of clarity on what exactly these witches mean and that's precisely the idea when the opening scene comes and then the Scene goes out and the second scene you are still very unsure about what did they mean so the whole Shakespearean idea was to create a sense of ambiguity of confusion right ambiguity again means confusion this is how how ambiguity is spelled please note down these words notes are going to be there but you note down this words because then you can start using these kind of words in your answers will make your answer that much better I have written some question and answers also in the notes what is the effect created by the opening scene right it creates a very Sinister kind of an Ambience right there's a theme of disorder which is kind of immediately established right with the opening scene right they are Mal vent by Nature so this is as far as act one scene one the opening scene of mbth is concerned very short one page scene but definitely very dramatic in terms of the impact it creates what is the impact the audience and the reader essentially they are left confused they don't know there is no Clarity but they know something sinister is going to happen and they have mentioned magb what are they going to do to magb what will magb do what is Plan B a meth right that is what uh the audience and the reader are curious about so now I'll meet you in act one scene two where we'll meet the other characters like Duncan and the other attendants the other Scottish Lots thank you T bye-bye