The poem is about childhood curiosity, the beauty of frogspawn, and the frightening moment that ends the speaker's innocent love for nature.

Lady Macbeth is introduced as she reads aloud a letter sent by her husband. The letter recounts the witches’ prophecy that Macbeth will become king. Her reaction is immediate and intense—she fears that Macbeth is "too full o’ the milk of human kindness" to seize the crown through murder. Recognizing his ambition but doubting his ruthlessness, she resolves to guide him down a darker path.
In a powerful soliloquy, Lady Macbeth calls upon evil spirits to “unsex” her, removing all femininity and filling her with “direst cruelty.” She wishes to be stripped of pity and conscience so that she may play her part in the murder of King Duncan. Her invocation of darkness, death, and the "smoke of hell" reveals her willingness to abandon morality for power.
When Macbeth arrives, he is quiet and hesitant, revealing no concrete plan to commit murder. Lady Macbeth, however, quickly takes control of the conversation. She urges Macbeth to hide his true intentions behind a mask of hospitality, advising him to “look like the innocent flower, but be the serpent under it.” This is the first time the idea of killing Duncan is clearly voiced in the play.
The scene ends with Lady Macbeth in command and Macbeth still in moral turmoil. Her determination and cold pragmatism contrast sharply with his indecision, setting the stage for the bloody events to come.

This scene is crucial in setting up the conflict between fate and ambition, one of the central themes of Macbeth. It features a mix of political formalities and inner psychological drama. While Duncan celebrates loyalty and service, Macbeth begins to mask his intentions behind courteous words. The contrast between appearance and reality is stark, as Duncan places complete trust in Macbeth—the very man beginning to contemplate regicide. The literary devices, metaphors, and dramatic irony woven throughout the scene foreshadow the tragic path that Macbeth is about to take.

Explore Act 1, Scene 3 of Macbeth with modern English paraphrase, analysis, and commentary. Discover how the witches’ prophecy triggers Macbeth’s ambition and Banquo’s warning sets the moral tone for Shakespeare’s tragedy.