At the time the Plothole to the Isle of Sycorax opens:

​

The Three Witches have given prophecy to Macbeth and Banquo on the Scottish moorlands as they return from battle, greeting Macbeth first as Thane of Glamis (a title he already has), then also as Thane of Cawdor (a title he believes belongs to someone else, but immediately after this encounter, Lennox Ross informs him that the previous Thane of Cawdor has been executed by King Duncan for treason, and the title is now Macbeth’s), and finally greeting Macbeth as the future King of Scotland (a title that King Duncan still possesses).

Banquo begs the Three Witches to tell him something of his own fortune, and they say that Banquo will not be King, but that his son Fleance and all his descendants thereafter will be a long line of Kings of Scotland yet to come.

​

Macbeth writes home to Lady Macbeth to tell her of this strange, otherworldly encounter, and informs her that King Duncan and all of the Thanes and soldiers are coming to feast at their castle that night. Lady Macbeth is excited by the prospect of Macbeth becoming king, as prophesied, and urges her husband to kill King Duncan whilst he is a guest in their home, and to frame King Duncan’s son Malcom Donalbain for the deed, so that he does not inherit the crown, and Macbeth can be crowned instead.

The guests arrive for a mighty feast, with the Porter guarding the door (albeit drunkenly play-acting with himself as if he is the guardian of the gates to Hell).

Besides Macbeth, King Duncan’s most faithful friend is MacDuff and/or Lady MacDuff - and the Three Witches, who have powerful magical skill, harbour secret knowledge that “none of woman born” can kill Macbeth, but that MacDuff and/or Lady MacDuff - having been the result of a C-section delivery - would be the perfect loophole and mortal threat to Macbeth, if he follows through with Lady Macbeth’s plan to murder King Duncan and become a tyrant King.

Macbeth is more hesitant to commit regicide, having been recently honoured by King Duncan with the additional title of Thane of Cawdor, but Lady Macbeth is keen and bloodthirsty. Macbeth is also concerned that Banquo heard the same prophecy from The Three Witches, and also worries that any crown he gains will be temporary, with both Malcolm Donalbain (the rightful heir of King Duncan) and Fleance (as prophesied to be the beginning of a long line of Kings of Scotland after Macbeth, rather than his own blood) as threats to any ambitious plans he may have for the crown. He also fears that if he is crowned King under such suspicious circumstances, he will not truly gain the loyalty of other Thanes such as Banquo, MacDuff and/or Lady MacDuff or Lennox Ross.

Note: The Three Witches are especially potent at magic concerning fate and death - with a simple Masque, they can summon ghosts of any who die.

As such, before the Plothole opens, the following plans are made but not yet set in motion:​

• The Three Witches have given prophecy to Macbeth and Banquo that Macbeth will be King, and that Banquo’s son Fleance will begin a line of Kings of Scotland.

• Lady Macbeth is keen for Macbeth to kill King Duncan and frame Malcolm Donalbain for the murder, so that Macbeth may be crowned King of Scotland, as prophesied by The Three Witches.

• If Macbeth can be convinced to commit murder, he is also threatened by Banquo, who also heard the prophecy, and Banquo’s son Fleance, apparently fated to begin a line of future Kings; he may attempt to silence Banquo and/or try to kill Fleance in order to try to cheat fate.

• The Three Witches have not given further prophecy to Macbeth that “none of woman born shall harm Macbeth”, although they possess this knowledge, knowing that MacDuff and/or Lady MacDuff are prime candidates to be the loophole to this prophecy and represent the few mortal threats to Macbeth. Powerful and mysterious, The Three Witches may choose to give some, all, or none of this information as and when it suits them, although they cannot directly lie.

• If Macbeth believes MacDuff and/or Lady MacDuff are a threat to him, he may also resort to violence against them.

• The Porter is present at the gate, with all the skills of a charismatic entertainer and jack-of-all-trades; there is a chance that any of the Thanes, Kings and such might use the Porter as their go-to person they rely on for any and all things.

At a celebratory feast at Macbeth and Lady Macbeth’s home in Dunsinane, held in honour of King Duncan, the above characters are feasting, dancing and drinking (or, in the case of the Witches and the Porter, lurking just outside the castle gates), when a magical whirlpool appears; the Plothole envelops them all, and when they awaken, they are on the shores of an unknown island, with several others from strange lands that they do not know or recognise…