Name: __________________________________ Date: ___________________ Period: ______

Close Reading Organizer - Act 1, scene 2 Sample

Answers
Directions: Read each summary entry and think about which themes listed in the
Themes Key apply to it, then color in those themes in the Theme Tracker. Next, write a
few sentences of Analysis to explain how the themes you chose apply to each summary
section.

Note: There is not always a definitive set of “correct” answers for which themes should appear in the
Theme Tracker. Answers that differ from the ones we propose below should therefore not automatically
be treated as incorrect, and in fact can serve as great discussion starters.

Themes Key
1 Ambition
2 Fate
3 Violence
4 Nature and the Unnatural
5 Manhood

Summary Theme Tracker Your Analysis

At a military camp, King 1 2 3 4 5 The blood covering the

Duncan of Scotland, his captain makes him an
sons Malcolm and unrecognizable monster,
Donalbain, and the Thane just as Macbeth, who in this
of Lennox wait for news of scene is described as a
the war. A captain enters, noble hero who is brave and
covered in so much blood loyal to his king, will be
he is almost transformed into a monster
unrecognizable. The as he becomes "covered"
captain tells them of the with the metaphorical blood
state of the battle against of those he kills to achieve
the invading Norwegians his ambitions.
and the Scottish rebels
Macdonald and the Thane
of Cawdor. Two Scottish
nobleman have been
especially brave, Macbeth
(the Thane of Glamis) and
Banquo. Macbeth killed
Macdonald ("unseamed
him from the nave to th'

1
Name: __________________________________ Date: ___________________ Period: ______

chops" (1.2.22)).

The Thane of Ross arrives, Duncan rewards and trusts

and describes how his subjects. This is the
Macbeth defeated Sweno, opposite of personal
the Norwegian King, who ambition. Ironically, though,
now begs for a truce. he replaces one traitor with
1 2 3 4 5
Duncan proclaims that the a much worse traitor.
traitorous Thane of Cawdor
shall be put to death, and
that Macbeth shall be
made Thane of Cawdor.