Macbeth, Act 1 Scene 1 runs 13 lines of dialogue, spoken by 4 speakers. That is shorter than the play’s average scene length of about 85 lines. This scene is part of Act 1 of Macbeth.
Full Dialogue
First Witch ♀
When shall we three meet again
In thunder, lightning, or in rain?
In thunder, lightning, or in rain?
Second Witch ♀
When the hurlyburly's done,
When the battle's lost and won.
When the battle's lost and won.
Third Witch ♀
That will be ere the set of sun.
First Witch ♀
Where the place?
Second Witch ♀
Upon the heath.
Third Witch ♀
There to meet with Macbeth.
First Witch ♀
I come, Graymalkin!
Second Witch ♀
Paddock calls.
Third Witch ♀
Anon.
All ♂
Fair is foul, and foul is fair:
Hover through the fog and filthy air.
Hover through the fog and filthy air.
13 lines rendered verbatim from the dialogue corpus.
Who’s On Stage
Speaking characters in this scene
| Character | Lines | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Second Witch | 4 | 30.8% |
| First Witch | 4 | 30.8% |
| Third Witch | 3 | 23.1% |
| All | 2 | 15.4% |
Line distribution
The top speaker in this scene delivers 4 lines, while the scene’s average per speaker is about 3 lines.
Total speakers on stage
4 named characters speak in this scene.
Scene in Context
Position within Act 1
This is Scene 1 of 7 in Act 1 of Macbeth.
Scene length vs. play average
At 13 lines, this scene is shorter than the Macbeth average scene in Macbeth (~85 lines).
Adjacent scenes
Next: Act 1 Scene 2