meet macbeth

Macbeth is introduced indirectly by what others say about him when he is not in the room. They talk of what they have seen him do when he is in battle, which is why the opening feeling about him is that he has a heroic demeanor. Macbeth is easily deceived, and readily believes what the witches say to him. I don't know what direct characterization there is. I don't think that, yet, anyone has called him names or anything.

The witches sort of predict things that might happen. In putting ideas into Macbeth's mind, he probably makes things happen, whereas if the witches hadn't suggested anything, they wouldn't. They say something good will happen, it might. They say something bad will happen, it might. It depends on how Macbeth reacts to what they've said, but what they've said is what provides the foreshadowing.

He sets the play in the most prominent place where the play takes place. He says that there is bad weather, which is foreshadowing. The characters he introduces are usually smaller characters, talking about what's happened in the past. That gives the reader to know about the main characters and who they are, and then the smaller characters give a little bit about current events. Basically, Shakespeare brings the audience up to date about past and present events, but doesn't go into what will happen.