Gunpowder Plot: (1605) Conspiracy by English Roman Catholic zealots to blow up Parliament and kill
James I. Angered by James's refusal to grant more religious toleration to Catholics, a group of conspirators
led by Robert Catesby (1573 – 1605) recruited Guy Fawkes to their plot. One member warned his brotherin-law Lord Monteagle not to attend Parliament on the appointed day (November 5, 1605), and
Monteagle alerted the government. Fawkes was arrested in a rented cellar under the palace at
Westminster, where he had concealed 20 barrels of gunpowder. Under torture, he revealed the names of
the conspirators, and they were all either killed while resisting arrest or executed in 1606. The plot bitterly
intensified Protestant suspicions of Catholics.
Motif: reoccurring theme or element in literature
Aside: A piece of dialogue intended for the audience and supposedly not heard by the other actors on
stage.
Omen: a sign of things to come
Act 1:
Scene 1: The play starts off with the quote from the witches, “When shall we three meet again?
In lighting, thunder, or in rain?” We meet the witches for the first time. They let the audience know that
they are planning on meeting Macbeth after some battle upon a heath around sunset. They speak the line,
“Fair is foul and foul is fair…” which a theme to the play. It means the looks may be deceiving.
Scene 2: We see that there is a war going on between the Scottish and the invading Norwegians.
We meet some of the characters: Duncan is the king; Malcom is his son; Ross and Lennox are nobleman.
We also hear of a warrior named Macbeth who is a ferocious warrior in battle. He kills the traitor
Macdonwald by slicing him open from his belly to his throat and then proceeding on by cutting off
Macdonwald’s head. The audience also hears of another traitor, the Thane of Cawdor. A thane is a title of
Scottish nobility (like earl or duke). The title of Thane of Cawdor is removed from this man and given to
Macbeth. Macbeth doesn’t know this.
Scene 3: The audience sees the witches again. The witches meet up with Macbeth and Banquo,
another nobleman. This is unexpected for Macbeth and Banquo. The witches tell Macbeth and Banquo
three prophecies: 1. Macbeth will become the Thane of Cawdor; 2. Macbeth will be king; 3. Banquo’s
children will become kings. After the witches tell the men this information, the witches disappear. Once
they disappear, Ross (who is usually the character who bares important news) informs Macbeth of his
new title. Macbeth is intrigued because one of the prophecies came true.
Scene 4: Duncan expresses how he was shocked that the original Thane of Cawdor was a traitor.
He welcomes all the noblemen into his castle. After pleasantries, he announces that his son, Malcom, will
be heir to the throne. This upsets Macbeth because according to the prophecies he should be the next in
line for the throne.
Scene 5: Lady Macbeth gets a letter from Macbeth explaining the witches’ prophecies. She is
instantly fascinated with her husband becoming king. She has visions of killing to make sure that Macbeth
becomes king. We also learn that the royal court is going to Inverness, Macbeth’s castle.
Scene 6: Duncan and Banquo speak to each other outside of Inverness and express how calm the
castle is and how pleasant their stay should be. This is dramatic irony because we know that there is
already a murder plot forming.
Scene 7: Lady Macbeth convinces Macbeth to kill Duncan. Previously to this Macbeth how doubts
about the murder and basically took the motto of letting the cards fall as they may. She plans the murder.
They will get the royal guards drunk and use the guards’ weapons to kill Duncan. They will then smear the
guards with blood and blame them.
Act II
Scene 1: The audience meets Fleance, Banquo’s son. Banquo and Macbeth talk about the witches.
Banquo can’t sleep because of it and Macbeth pretends like he hasn’t thought about it at all. Macbeth
leaves Banquo and prepares for the murder. He begins to hallucinate that he has a dagger in his hand. He
imagines it is dripping with blood. This shows he guilt over what he’s about to do. Lady Macbeth rings a
bell to let Macbeth know the guards are incapacitated.
Scene 2: Lady Macbeth waits for Macbeth outside of Duncan’s room while Macbeth is inside
committing the murder. She mutters to herself that she would have Duncan herself had he not looked like
her father.
Macbeth commits the act. While he’s inside, he hears Malcom and Donalbain, Duncan’s other
son, talking. One is having a nightmare and the both wake up. They bless each other and go back to sleep.
When they same “amen”, Macbeth tries to say it because he needs to most blessing of all because he’s
about to commit murder. He can’t say anything.
Macbeth has also made an error because he still has the bloody daggers in his hands when he
should have planted them on the guards. Lady Macbeth fixes this error. Afterwards, she tells him to get
his pajamas on and go to sleep.
Scene 3: The audience meets the Porter, or gate keeper, to the castle. He is there purely for
comedic effect. He lets Macduff, the Thane of Fife, in to the castle. Macduff and Macbeth exchange
pleasantries. Macduff goes into Duncan’s room to wake him up and finds the dead body. He cries out and
wakes everyone in the castle up. Lady Macbeth and Macbeth act as surprised as everyone else in the
castle. Here the audience notices a huge mistake that Macbeth has made. He was so worried that the
guards may speak that he went back and killed them. When the people of the castle are trying to figure
out who killed Duncan, the figure it was the guards but are surprised to find that the guards are dead.
Macbeth says he killed them because of the rage he felt from finding his king dead, even though, he just
acted like he just found out.
Scene 4: Ross and an old man talk about how all of these crazy natural occurrences occurred over
the last day. People of this believed that one something evil happened the earth would act up. Three big
things happened outside the chain of being: 1. it was dark during the daytime; 2. an owl killed a falcon; 3.
horses went crazy and ate each other. From Ross we learn that Macbeth has been appointed the new king.
Malcom and Donalbain are being blamed for Duncan’s death. Apparently, they fled for fear of their own
lives.
Act III
Scene 1
- Banquo expresses doubt that Malcolm and Donalbain killed Duncan; he suspects that
Macbeth had a part in the murder.
- Later, Macbeth and Lady Macbeth invite Banquo to a banquet that night; Banquo says that
he will go but plans to go for a ride with his son, Fleance.
- Macbeth in a soliloquy expresses how upset he is that he has a “barren scepter,” which
means his children will not become kings. He decides to kill Banquo.
- Macbeth talks to two hired murderers who for some reason do not like Banquo. He pumps
them up and gets their word that they will kill Banquo and Fleance.
Scene 2
- Lady Macbeth is aware that something is bothering Macbeth and he is acting weird.
- Macbeth will not let her in on his plans and wants her to stay innocent.
Scene 3
- This is the climax of the play: Banquo is murdered but Fleance escapes.
Scene 4
Macbeth meets with the murderers right before the banquet and he learns that Banquo was
killed but not Fleance. Macbeth is visually shaken.
- As the banquet begins, Macbeth is asked to sit down at the head of the table but can’t
because it is already filled. We learn that he (and only he) sees a ghost (Banquo’s ghost) and
is upset. He screams out and yells in obvious guilt.
- After much grief and fear, Lady Macbeth fears that he will reveal too much information to
the other attendees. She asks them all to leave.
Scene 5
- Hecate (the queen of the witches) yells at the other witches for wasting their time on
Macbeth because he isn’t truly evil. She decides she will help though.
Scene 6
- Lennox talks with another Scottish lord and they talk about how bad things have gotten in
Scotland.
- Macduff has gone to England to ask for help. They will get the earl of Northumberland,
Siward, to help.
- Macbeth is now called a butcher and no one trusts him.
-
Act IV
Scene 1
- As the witches prepare for Macbeth to visit again, they concoct and evil witches brew, while
chanting, “Double, double, toil and trouble; Fire burn and caldron bubble.”
- Macbeth enters and is told his future by several ghosts (apparitions).
 The first ghost is a floating head wearing a helmet, and it tells him to “Beware Macduff.”
 The second ghost is a bloody child, and it tells him “Fear no man born of a woman.”
 The third ghost is a child carrying a tree, and it tells him, “Worry not until Great Burnim
Wood meets Dunsinane Hill.”
 Finally, he sees a line of ghosts lead by the ghost of Banquo. It is a succession of kings,
and the last one is James I carrying a mirror that symbolizes even more kings to come.
- Once the ghosts and witches disappear, Macbeth instantly sends men to Fife (Macduff’s
castle) to kill everyone there.
Scene 2
- This is a playful and serious scene involving Lady Macduff and her son. It begins with her
talking to Ross and question why her husband had to leave them unprotected (he left to
plead for help from the King of England).
- Lady Macduff and her son have witty banter back and forth and discuss whether or not
Macduff is dead and if he is a traitor.
- After the witty banter, murderers come in a slay everyone in the castle.
-
-
Scene 3
Macduff is having a conversation with a very skeptical Malcolm. Malcolm questions whether or not
Macduff is true. Malcolm is not sure that Macduff isn’t secretly working with Macbeth.
Malcolm asks Macduff why he is so sure Malcolm would be a good king. Malcolm lists several reasons
why he would be a horrible leader. He’s lusty – Macduff says that’s ok. He’s greedy – Macduff says
that’s still better than Macbeth, too. Malcolm proceeds to list every negative quality he has and
Macduff gives up. He says he can’t win and he’ll never return to Scotland.
Malcolm, after seeing Macduff’s reaction, gives in and says he was lying. He actually is the opposite of
all those qualities and he was just testing him. Macduff has passed.
Ross eneters and tells Macduff that his family is dead. Malcolm tells him to take it like a man and kill
as many baddies as possible.
Act V
Scene 1
A doctor and a noble woman watch Lady Macbeth as she is sleepwalking. She is muttering about
the deaths of Duncan, Lady Macduff, and Banquo. This information disturbs the two but they
agree to keep it quiet for fear for their lives.
The doctor decides that she is not sick but has a guilty conscience and that is what is causing
these problems.
Scene 2
Several Scottish lords plan to meet up with Siward, Macduff, and Malcom at Birnam Wood. The
talk about how many of Macbeth’s soldiers have turned against him and those that have stayed
do so only because they feel loyal to the title of the king.
Scene 3
-
Macbeth is confident that he will survive because all men are “of woman born.”
A servant informs Macbeth that scouts have seen upwards of 10,000 men approaching.
Macbeth scoffs and scolds the servant for being a coward.
So thereafter, he laments his own mortality and prepares to die (contradicting his earlier nature).
The doctor tells Macbeth that Lady Macbeth is not sick but has a guilty conscience. Macbeth asks
the doctor to just zap her memory so she’ll forget. He then asks the doctor to prescribe a
medicine to fix Scotland.
Scene 4
Malcolm instructs his men to cut down trees and their branches to use as camouflage. They do
this to hide their numbers.
This will make it appear as if Birnam Wood is moving to Dunsinane Hill (where Macbeth is).
Scene 5
Macbeth learns that Lady Macbeth is dead.
He gives his famous “Tomorrow and tomorrow, and tomorrow” speech. The speech laments the
futility of life. Our lives are brief and we will all die.
Scene 6
The rebels prepare for war and send in their first wave: Young and Old Siward.
Scene 7
Macbeth fights with ferocity. He kills Young Siward.
Macduff, on the other side of the battle field, demands retribution for this lost family. He will not
be satisfied until her gets his revenge.
Scene 8
Macbeth and Macduff meet on the battlefield. Macbeth is still holding onto the hope that no of
woman born shall harm him. We learn that Macduff was actually born from a C-Section and not
technically “birthed”.
Macduff kills Macbeth and beheads him. The play has come full circle. Just like when Macbeth
beheaded a trader: he, the trader, has been beheaded.