Act I.

 

Shakespeare's Macbeth begins with Three Witches in Scotland deciding to meet again after a noisey battle being fought nearby. Thunder, storms and the desolate heath paint a gloomy picture, setting the tone of this play.

 

Macbeth (we find out -- even though we have not seen him yet) led King Duncan's forces to victory against the traitorous Thane of Cawdor in a battle that could have gone either way were it not for Macbeth's leadership. We learn that Macbeth killed a general of the enemy army all by himself in battle. King Duncan, overjoyed, decides to make Macbeth his new Thane of Cawdor. The previous Thane of Cawdor will be executed.

 

The Three Witches establish their malicious nature before meeting Macbeth and Banquo by reciting some spells and throwing various things into the kettle over their fire. When Macbeth arrives the three Witches tell him that he will be "Thane of Glamis!", "Thane of Cawdor!" and "king hereafter" or in other words become the King of Scotland.

 

Banquo learns that even though he will never be king, his descendants will be kings. Banquo is suspicious of the Three Witches, saying that they often trick men and make them act foolishly. Macbeth initially agrees with this, but suddenly Ross and Angus arrive and tell him he has been made the new Thane of Cawdor. When he hears this, Macbeth starts thinking that maybe the witches are right and says (to himself), "Glamis, and Thane of Cawdor: / The greatest is behind." In other words he is thinking that he might actually become king.

 

Macbeth now questions Banquo's on his feelings about his descendants becoming kings and Banquo just laughs but then Macbeth starts thinking to himself of killing King Duncan in order to make the prophecy fact right away. After a moment of thoughts like this he comes back to reality and says he hopes fate acting on its own will spare him the need to kill. He doesn't want to murder the king (whom he loves) so he hopes the king just dies somehow without Macbeth having to do it.

 

Macbeth sees King Duncan coming and thanks him for making Macbeth the Thane of Cawdor. The also loyal Banquo receives nothing. 

 

King Duncan announces that his son, Malcolm will be the new Prince of Cumberland in other words the heir to the throne. Macbeth sees Malcolm as a threat to what he now takes seriously as his destiny, a major turning point in Macbeth's changing morality. Macbeth makes this clear by asking the stars to hide their fires so they won't reveal his dark and deadly intention to kill King Duncan.

 

Back at Macbeth's castle, Lady Macbeth receives a letter from Macbeth about the Three Witches' prophecies and she eagerly embraces them as fact. Fearing Macbeth is too compassionate and weak-willed to do what needs to be done (killing King Duncan), she asks the gods to remove from her all signs of compassion and femininity, replacing these with cold remorseless ruthlessness. She says Unsex me now.

 

A messenger arrives with the news that King Duncan will stay at their castle that very night, Lady Macbeth enthusiastically greets this news, because she already has plans to kill King Duncan. When Macbeth comes back home he says hello to his wife and then Macbeth and Lady Macbeth decide to speak again on the issue of the prophecies. Macbeth says he is still uncertain of the need to kill King Duncan and he goes off to take a nap.

 

King Duncan arrives at the castle and Lady Macbeth plays the most perfect of hostesses saying all sorts of courteous and welcoming things. King Duncan asks for the Thane of Cawdor (Macbeth) who is not yet present.

 

Macbeth comes in and welcomes the king all the while wrestling with his conscience, certain that he should not kill King Duncan but still wanting to do it. He guiltily reminds himself of all the reasons why it would be wrong. Macbeth decides not to murder the King but when he tells this to Lady Macbeth she belittles him for not being able to murder, threatening to take away her love for him if he does not do it. This threat makes Macbeth give in and Lady Macbeth outlines her plan to kill King Duncan in his sleep that very night while he is a guest at their castle.

 

Act II.

 

Banquo and son Fleance arrive at Macbeth's castle and are greeted by Macbeth. Banquo is troubled by the Three Witches' prophecy and tells Macbeth this. Macbeth pretends not to take the Three Witches seriously.

 

After saying good night to Banquo and watching him leave, Macbeth, alone, follows an imaginary dagger to King Duncan's bedchamber where he will kill him in his sleep... Lady Macbeth has drugged King Duncan's guards so they are sleeping outside the door to Duncan's bedroom snoring loudly. This allows Macbeth to kill King Duncan.

 

Lady Macbeth is waiting outside for Macbeth to come back and she says that she would have killed the King but his resemblance to her late father made it impossible for her to do it. A bell frightens Lady Macbeth and then Macbeth returns and that he did indeed kill King Duncan.

 

Macbeth recounts that in the midst of their snoring the two guards cried out "'Murder!'" and later "'God bless us!'", but he could not bring himself to say "'Amen.'"

 

Macbeth looks at his hands which are red with gore and Lady Macbeth notices that he still has the daggers of the guards in his hands. She tells him to take them back so it will look like the guards did it but he says there is no way he can go back there. So she says she will do it and comes back with her hands just as gory as Macbeth's. She tells her husband a little water will wash away the blood and also their guilt and the two retire to their bedroom when knocking is later heard...

 

Macduff, Lennox, are knocking at the front gate and the porter lets them in after making several jokes about drinking and urination.  Macduff wants to say good morning to the king so as Macbeth and Lennox chat outside Macduff goes into the king's bedroom. When he finds the king he starts screaming Murder. Macbeth rushes into the bedroom pretending to be surprised. Lady Macbeth comes out to see what is happening and faints to distract attention from her and Macbeth. Macbeth describes how he killed the guards because they obviously killed their King.

 

King Duncan's sons who were asleep in a separate room come out and figure out that something is wrong and they might be the next to be murdered if they don't get out of there. They wisely decide to flee Macbeth's castle as a precaution against their own murder. Malcolm says he will head for England, Donalbain says he will head for Ireland.

 

Macbeth says that since the King Duncan's two sons have fled they are probably guilty and certainly neither of them can become king, so that leaves Macbeth to be crowned the new King of Scotland. He says he's going to go get crowned at Scone. Macduff says he doesn't want to go to Scone because he doesn't trust Macbeth so he goes home to  Fife instead.

 

Act III.

 

We are now at Macbeth's new castle where he has invited lots of guests including Banquo and his son to a big banquet. Banquo alone on the stage says he is fearful that the Three Witches' prophecies are becoming true, questioning whether Macbeth maybe killed King Duncan to make prophecy, fact.

 

Macbeth comes to talk to Banquo and asks him about his plans for the afternoon before the banquet that night. Banquo says he is going riding with his son.

 

Macbeth calls for several Murderers and tells them to follow Banquo and Fleance and discreetly kill them so that Fleance and his offspring will not become kings. The murders follow them and kill Banquo but Fleance gets away.

 

 

 

 

Macbeth and Lady Macbeth are entertaining the guest at their castle. They say that everyone should sit down so they can eat but that they should leave a place for Banquo. The First Murderer arrives at the door and Macbeth goes over to have a secret talk with him. The murderer says that that Banquo is dead but Fleance has gotten away. Macbeth is angry and nervous and tells the murderer to get out of his sight. 

 

When Macbeth goes back to the table he notices a strange figure in Banquo's chair. It is Banquo's Ghost. He yells at the ghost to go away and says lots of crazy things like Why are you doing this and What do you want.  Lady Macbeth tells everyone to leave right away because Macbeth is tired out and sort of drunk. When everyone is gone, Macbeth says he is now too covered in blood to stop killing...

 

 

Now we return to the lair of the witches. Hecate who is sort of a head witch instructs the Three Witches to make preparations for her plan to use the Three Witches' prophecies against Macbeth. The Three Witches, eager to please their master, make preparations by throwing more things in their kettle.

 

 

Act IV.

 

Macbeth comes to see the witches and asks them to tell him what is going to happen in the future. They say that he can learn the future from three apparitions that they are going to conjure up.  The first Apparition tells an eager Macbeth that he should fear Macduff, saying "beware Macduff; / Beware the Thane of Fife." Macbeth isn't surprised about this because he sort of had his suspicions about Macduff when he didn't come to the coronation. The Second Apparition reassures Macbeth that "none of women born / Shall harm Macbeth." This Macbeth takes as very good news because it doesn't occur to him that anyone could be born some other way. He says "Then live Macduff." The Third Apparition tells Macbeth he has nothing to fear until "Great Birnam wood" moves to "high Dunsinane hill" near his castle. This final prophesy makes Macbeth the happiest of all since it is impossible for trees to move across a plain by themself. He laughs with confidence.

 

Macbeth decides to kill Macduff anyway because you can never be too cautious. 

 

Next Macbeth demands to know about Banquo's descendants , learning to his anger that they will still rule Scotland rather than Macbeth's descendants.

 

Macbeth learns that he cannot kill Macduff because he has gone to England. So he says instead he is going to have his entire family murdered...

 

We now move to Macduff's castle in Fife. Lady Macduff is greeted by Ross. Lady Macduff expresses her anger at being abandoned by Macduff for little reason when in her eyes, Macduff has done nothing requiring him to flee.

 

Ross leaves and Macduff's son asks his mother what has happened to his father and Lady Macduff tells her son that his father is dead and was a traitor just to shut him up. A Messenger comes in and warns Lady Macduff to flee and then leaves. Then the murders rush in and grab Lady Macduff. Macduff's son tries to get them to leave her alone and they stab him shutting him up permanently. The scene ends with Lady Macduff fleeing for her life; the murders decide not to chase after her and just leave.

 

We learn that Malcolm and Macduff are raising a large army in England to defeat Macbeth.

 

Act V.

 

A Doctor and a Gentlewoman discuss Lady Macbeth's sleepwalking and talking to herself and then Lady Macbeth comes in sleepwalking and saying crazy things like He had so much blood and The thane of Fife had a wife and Will these hands never be clean and Out Out damn spot.

 

The Doctor says it isn't medicine that she needs but more like some counseling. They leave and Lady Macbeth goes back to bed.

 

Macbeth's enemies gather near his castle at Dunsinane as Macbeth strongly fortifies his castle. 

 

Macbeth prepares to defiantly fight his enemies armed with the prophecy that he will only be defeated when the nearby Birnam Wood moves on his castle. Macbeth now learns from Seyton that a ten thousand strong army is rising against him. Macbeth donning his armor, prepares to fight his enemies recalling the Birnam Wood prophecy once more as a source of comfort...

 

With his troops loyally around him, Malcolm orders each man to cut down a branch from the nearby Birnam Wood and his army now camouflaged under an umbrella of Birnam Wood, head towards Macbeth's castle at Dunsinane.

 

Macbeth laughs off his enemies' numbers, certain of the Birnam Wood prophecy and equally certain that his fortifications should laugh off any attack.

 

We hear a women's cry and a messenger runs in to tell Macbeth that Lady Macbeth is dead. Macbeth coldly shrugs the news that his once "dearest chuck," is dead with complete apathy. The messenger tells Macbeth more bad news: that Birnam Wood or rather Malcolm's forces are moving on his castle. Realizing what this means, Macbeth nonetheless defiantly sets off to meet his destiny...

 

Malcolm's men drop their leafy camouflage and the battle begins...

 

Macbeth fights, Siward killing him. Macbeth is now confronted by Macduff, a man he has consciously avoided and one, he refuses to fight saying I have killed enough people of your family.

 

Macbeth tells Macduff that it is no use trying to kill him because he has lived a charmed life and is unable to be killed by a man born of woman.

 

Macduff now explains that he has born by Caesarian section. This upsets Macbeth. But the two men fight anyway, Macbeth dies and order is restored when Malcolm comes along and sees Macbeth dead and says that he will now be the new King of Scotland. And everyone says this will be great and that they are all going to Scone right away to make it happen.  

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