PLOT SUMMARY FOR MACBETH - Revised Spring 11
ACT 1
Act I, scene i- The three witches (weird/wyrd sisters) are introduced on a barren Scottish heath, which establishes an ominous, foreboding
mood. These Weird Sisters establish the basic idea for the play: “Fair is foul and foul is fair.” They also hint they have something planned for
Macbeth, a general in the Scottish army in about the year 1040. (Shakespeare wrote the play itself in about 1606.)
Act I, scene ii - A battle is raging between the forces of Scotland, under King Duncan, and the forces of Norway, under King Sweno. Duncan
asks a wounded sergeant how the battle is going. The wounded, bloody sergeant tells Duncan the fighting is a toss-up -- both sides are fighting
as hard as they can. It is too early to determine the outcome. He says Macbeth is awesome on the battlefield, and he also praises Banquo.
Macbeth and Banquo are two of King Duncan’s generals (thanes). The wounded sergeant says when Norway began a fresh assault, the Scottish
forces were able to hold them off, largely because of the leadership of Macbeth and Banquo. Ross, a Scottish nobleman (thane) is “Mr. News
Guy” and enters and tells Duncan Scotland has defeated Norway. Duncan is thrilled with this news, but Ross also has some bad news for
Duncan. Duncan’s friend, the Thane of Cawdor, has been a traitor to Scotland and has helped Norway. Duncan orders the man executed and
says he will give the title of Thane of Cawdor to Macbeth as a reward for Macbeth’s bravery in battle.
Act I, scene iii - The witches return. The first witch is angry with the wife of a sea captain because she won’t share her chestnuts with her.
She punishes the wife by having the husband’s ship, the Tiger, meet a terrible fate at sea. This part of the play establishes the weird sisters are
constantly up to no good. It also shows they aren’t all-powerful and can only manipulate their surroundings and not dictate actual events.
Meanwhile, Macbeth and Banquo walk across the countryside en route to Duncan to tell him of the victory. The witches materialize out of thin
air and greet Macbeth and Banquo. They greet Macbeth as (1) the Thane of Glamis, (2) the Thane of Cawdor, and (3) the one who shall be
king someday. Macbeth already is the Thane of Glamis (a title he has inherited from him father), but he is downright startled when they
address him as Thane of Cawdor and future king. At this point in the play, Macbeth’s fatal flaw is partially revealed -- he is greedy for power
and is too ambitious. The witches then address Banquo, telling him that although he never will be a king, he will be the forefather of a line of
kings. (Remember, Banquo is an ancestor of James, who, during Shakespeare’s time, was king of both Scotland and England.) The witches then
vanish, and Macbeth and Banquo continue their way to meet with Duncan. Ross rushes out to meet them and congratulate them on their
victory and tells Macbeth about his being named the new Thane of Cawdor, which makes Macbeth even more convinced he will become king
someday soon. In an aside, Macbeth thinks he may have to do something foul in order to become king.
Act 1, scene iv – This scene opens with Duncan and his eldest son, Malcolm, discussing how the Thane of Cawdor died better than how he
lived. Cawdor confessed to treason and repented. Duncan wistfully states that “There’s no art to find the mind’s construction in the face.” He
trusted Cawdor and never would have guessed by looking at him that Cawdor was a traitor. Then Duncan and Malcolm greet Macbeth and
Banquo and praise them on their victory. Duncan announces he wants Malcolm to follow him as king of Scotland by naming him Prince of
Cumberland. Macbeth is upset by this revelation because it doesn’t go along with what the witches have told him. In an aside, he says this “is a
step on which I must fall down, or else o’erleap, for in my way it lies.”
Act 1, scene v - Macbeth’s wife, Lady Macbeth, reads a letter from him in which he tells her of his encounter with the weird sisters. She
makes up her mind on the spot that she and Macbeth should do whatever is necessary -- even commit murder -- to get the royal crown for
Macbeth. A messenger enters and tells her Duncan will spend the night at Macbeth’s castle. She realizes this will be the perfect opportunity to
assassinate Duncan, but she worries that despite Macbeth’s ambition, he is too “full ‘o th’ milk of human kindness” to do what is necessary to
make sure the prediction comes true. She also calls on evil spirits to “unsex” her and take away any sign of feminine weakness. Shortly
afterwards, Macbeth arrives, and she expresses desire to kill Duncan. Macbeth says they’ll talk about it later. Lady Macbeth tells her husband
his face is “as a book where men may read strange matters,” and he needs to put on a false face.
Act I, scene vi - Duncan and Banquo arrive at the Macbeths’ castle. Duncan remarks on the lovely evening and how good the air is there and
the good bird, the martlet, is there, which is ironic considering things should be stinking around this place. He is in the best of spirits and is glad
to be spending the evening with his friends. Duncan does not suspect any evil might befall him at the home of Macbeth, who fought so bravely
for him in the war with Sweno and who is his cousin as well as his friend. Lady Macbeth greets him warmly.
Act I, scene vii - In another soliloquy, Macbeth has a change of heart and talks himself out of killing Duncan. He says Duncan is a guest in his
house -- he should be protecting him, not planning to kill him. He also notes Duncan is his kinsman and has been a great king, loved by the
people. He adds that Duncan is so wonderful that “his virtues will plead like angels.” However, Lady Macbeth will not allow this reversal. She
uses a horrible example of how far she would go to carry out the plan, which shows how evil she is at this point. She suggests Macbeth isn’t a
real man if he backs out, and he needs to “screw his courage to the sticking place.” She questions his manhood if he doesn’t “stick” with the
plan. Besides, Lady Macbeth has already worked out the details of the murder. Duncan is to be killed in his sleep. Two chamberlains -servants who stay in the king’s bedroom at night and attend him -- will be made drunk. Their daggers will be used to kill Duncan. Then the
daggers will be returned to the chamberlains’ hands with Duncan’s blood smeared on them. The circumstances will look as if they got drunk
and killed the king. Macbeth tells her she is so full of “undaunted mettle” she should only have men children. She, again, tells Macbeth he needs
to put on a mask when she says, “False face must hide what the false heart doth know.”
ACT II
Act II, scene i – On the starless night of the murder, Banquo, with his son Fleance at his side, talks with Macbeth on the evening in which the
murder is to take place. It is established through the dialogue Duncan already has gone to bed. Macbeth asks Banquo if he becomes king, will
Banquo honor and support him. Banquo replies as long as he doesn’t have to lose his honor, he will. In a soliloquy, Macbeth says he sees a
dagger floating in the air. Both the handle and the blade are covered with specks of blood. In all probability, Macbeth is imagining this dagger
because of the guilt he feels over what he is about to do. Lady Macbeth rings a bell, indicating it is time for him to do his bloody deed.
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Act II, scene ii – Onstage alone, Lady Macbeth claims she would have done it herself, but when Duncan slept, he looked too much like her
father. This is a revealing statement regarding Lady Macbeth. Macbeth enters and has murdered Duncan offstage using the chamberlains’ daggers
as planned. Rather than returning the daggers to the chamberlains’ hands, Macbeth has forgotten himself and walked out of the king’s bedroom
with them. Macbeth rambles about the chamberlains praying and that he, Macbeth, has couldn’t answer the prayers and that he has murdered
sleep. When Lady Macbeth notices he has the bloody daggers, she fusses at him to take them back, but he says he cannot look again at what he
has done. Lady Macbeth returns to the king’s chamber, places the bloody daggers in the chamberlains’ hands, and smears Duncan’s blood all
over them in their drunken sleep. When Macbeth and Lady Macbeth hear a knocking at the door, they scurry for their bedroom and change
into nightclothes after washing Duncan’s blood from their hands. However, Macbeth thinks he will never be able to wash this blood from his
hands, although Lady Macbeth thinks otherwise.
Act II, scene iii - The knocking at the door is by Macduff and Lennox, two noblemen (thanes like Macbeth and Banquo). The king had told
them to awaken him at the crack of dawn. They’re having trouble getting in because a drunken porter can’t find his way to the door very
quickly. The porter is having a fantasy he is the doorkeeper for hell; and he imagines the types of people, such as cheats and liars, who will be
knocking on hell’s door after they die. Macbeth’s castle is too cold to be hell; although, unknown to the porter, a very hellish event has
happened in that very castle during the night. The porter tells Malcolm what happens when people drink, and he uses paradoxes to do so. This
episode gives the audience comic relief, which is much needed following the heavy incidents of the evening. This scene, through Lennox’s
dialogue, reveals nature has gone crazy during the night. Stormy winds had blown down chimneys, there were death cries in the air, and the
earth shook with tremors. Compare this with how peaceful nature had been when Duncan arrived only twelve hours or so earlier. Here,
Shakespeare implies the crime Macbeth and Lady Macbeth have committed has been so horrible and such and affront to nature, all of nature is
in rebellion. The Great Chain of Being has been disrupted. Macduff discovers Duncan’s murdered body lying in the bed. The entire castle
becomes a scene of mass confusion and chaos. Macbeth then goes into Duncan’s bedroom and kills the two chamberlains, supposedly because
he was so angry with them for killing Duncan. We know, though, he didn’t want to take the chance they might remember something from the
night before. Lady Macbeth faints, or at least pretends to faint, to divert attention away from her husband. Duncan’s two sons, Malcolm and
Donalbain, decide to flee Scotland for two reasons (1) whoever killed their father may also have plans to kill them, and (2) some might accuse
them of having had their father killed so Malcolm could gain the throne more quickly. Malcolm goes to England and Donalbain to Ireland.
Before the play ends, we will again meet with Malcolm, but this is the last time we see Donalbain.
Act II, scene iv - Ross, Macduff, and an old man engage in a conversation. Through this dialogue, it is revealed many strange occurrences
continue to happen in nature. It is dark during the day (eclipse), animals continue to act contrary to their natural behavior, and King Duncan’s
horses have been so disturbed that they have attacked each other. Again, we see evidence of a disturbance in the Great Chain of Being. This
scene also reveals Macduff is getting suspicious about who is truly responsible for Duncan’s death. We learn Duncan’s body has been buried at
Colmekill, the traditional burial place of Scottish kings and that Macbeth will soon be crowned at Scone, the traditional place where Scottish
kings are crowned; however, Macduff does not plan to attend the coronation. Uh oh.
ACT III
Act III, scene i - Banquo notes Macbeth now has everything he wanted. It is, in fact, Banquo who becomes the next person Macbeth feels he
must eliminate. Macbeth recalls the weird sisters saying Banquo would be the father of a line of kings, and Macbeth does not want to risk any of
them removing him from the throne. He also hates the fact he has gone to such lengths to gain the throne, only to have someone else’s heirs
benefit from it. To have the opportunity to kill Banquo and his son, Fleance, Macbeth throws a large dinner party in Banquo’s honor. Banquo is
at Macbeth’s palace at Forres early in the morning. He says he and his son have some business to take care of, but they will return in time for
the dinner that evening. Macbeth gets two murderers to agree to jump Banquo and his son as they return for the dinner. Macbeth manipulates
them into thinking Banquo is the source of all their problems and his also. He also explains why he can’t take care of it himself.
Act III, scene ii - This scene reveals Macbeth has not told Lady Macbeth what he plans for Banquo and Fleance. He tells her, “Be innocent of
the knowledge. . .till thou applaud the deed.” This scene is a turning point in characterizing Macbeth and his wife. The roles are reversing.
Act III, scene iii - The two murderers are joined by a third murderer. Supposedly the third murderer is there because Macbeth doesn’t trust
the other two. Banquo and Fleance arrive. Banquo is murdered; his throat is cut and he receives many other stab wounds before his body is
rolled into a ditch. Fleance escapes, thus keeping alive the weird sisters’ prophesy.
Act III, scene iv - The dinner party has begun. Banquo, of course, is not present, a point of which Macbeth and Lady Macbeth make a big deal,
especially since the dinner is in Banquo’s honor. Twice during the dinner, Macbeth sees the gory ghost of Banquo seated at his stool at the
table. Each time he goes into a rage. However, because only Macbeth can see the ghost, the others think he is going crazy. After his second
outburst, his wife dismisses the dinner guests. Obviously, this second case of a guilty conscience on Macbeth’s part resembles the bloody
dagger he saw before killing Duncan. This scene also reveals Macbeth has had trouble sleeping. Nonetheless, Macbeth has finally succeeded in
killing his conscience. “Come, we’ll to sleep,” he tells his wife. Macbeth will see no more apparitions such as ghosts and daggers -- his
conscience now is dead. He tells his wife he will go see the three witches again to get more information.
Act III, scene v - Hecate, the goddess of witchcraft and the “boss” of the three weird sisters, scolds the witches for not letting her in on their
mischief regarding Macbeth. She insists on being in on anything else they plan. She says, “How did you dare to trade and traffic with
Macbeth...and I, the mistress of your charms. . .was never called to bear my part?”
Act III, scene vi - This scene between Lennox and another nobleman reveals just how terrible things have become in Scotland. No one feels
safe -- many who had been well off, such as Macduff, now live in disgrace -- more problems as a result of messing with the Great Chain of Being.
As is typical in tragedy, the downfall of the tragic hero brings about the downfall of many others -- in this case, an entire nation. This scene also
reveals Macduff has gone to England to meet up with Malcolm who fled following his father’s murder. They hope to persuade England’s king,
Edward the Confessor, to help them raise an army so they can overthrow Macbeth.
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ACT IV
Act IV, scene i - The three weird sisters prepare for their second meeting with Macbeth, who now seeks them out so he can make his next
move. When the witches see him coming, they say, “Something wicked this way comes.” The witches provide Macbeth with three visions: (1)
an armed head (representing Macduff) tells Macbeth to beware of Macduff; (2) a bloody child (representing someone but it’s a secret at this
point) tells Macbeth he need fear no man born of woman; and (3) a child wearing the royal crown (a symbol of Malcolm) tells Macbeth he
cannot be defeated until Birnam Wood comes to high Dunsinane hill. Macbeth then demands to know if Banquo’s issue (offspring) will ever be
kings. The witches show Macbeth a line of eight kings, one of whom holds a mirror which reflects still more kings. Macbeth knows the answer
to his question and isn’t happy about it. He finds out from Lennox Macduff has fled to England. This news enrages him; he decides he will kill
everyone in Macduff’s family.
Act IV, scene ii - Lady Macduff talks with Ross. She cannot understand why Macduff has left for England without even saying goodbye to her.
Ross tries to convince her that her husband is doing what is best. Then Lady Macduff matches wits with her son as they talk about his father,
but the son knows his mother is only kidding. A messenger enters warning her to leave at once, for she and her family are in grave danger.
She is bewildered. “I have done no harm,” she says. The murderers arrive and kill everyone in the Macduff household.
Act IV, scene iii - For the first time, a portion of the play occurs outside Scotland. Macduff joins Malcolm in England outside the palace of the
English king. Malcolm trusts no one, so he tests Macduff by telling him that he, Malcolm, would be a terrible king for Scotland. He says he
would lust after every Scottish woman, take things from the wealthy, and be guilty of every crime imaginable. Macduff becomes depressed,
feeling there is indeed no hope for the country he loves so much. He has passed Malcolm’s test, and Malcolm takes Macduff into his
confidence. He says England’s King Edward has agreed to have Siward, the leader of the English forces, take 10,000 men against Macbeth. A
doctor enters the scene (sound recording omits this scene), saying the king has been delayed because some ill people want him to cure them.
(Historically, some people believed Edward capable of working miracles.) Ross arrives in England and meets with Macduff and Malcolm. He
reluctantly tells Macduff Macbeth has killed Macduff’s entire family and household. The stage is set for Macbeth’s enemies to try to overthrow
him.
ACT V
Act V, scene i - A doctor and a gentlewoman are attending Lady Macbeth who obviously has lost her mind, probably because of guilt. She
walks in her sleep and constantly tries to rub imaginary spots of blood from her hands. The doctor knows he cannot help her and says, “More
needs she the divine than the physician.” In other words, she needs the help of a priest, not a medical doctor.
Act V, scene ii - The English forces, 10,000 strong, gather near Birnam Wood which is close to Dunsinane hill. They are preparing to march
on Macbeth.
Act V, scene iii - A servant tells Macbeth 10,000 enemy troops are near at hand. However, Macbeth, remembering what he learned the last
time he saw the witches, feels a sense of confidence, which will prove to be false confidence. Although actual combat is not immediate,
Macbeth puts on his armor. He tells the doctor to cure Lady Macbeth, but the doctor says she is “not so sick” as “she is troubled with thickcoming fancies that keep her from her rest.” He adds, “Therein the patient must minister to [herself].”
Act V, scene iv - Malcolm tells the English forces to cut branches from the trees in Birnam Wood and hold them close to disguise themselves
and to march slowly toward Dunsinane Hill. Uh oh, Macbeth!
Act V, scene v - In the castle Macbeth receives word of his wife’s death. Macbeth makes his most famous soliloquy in the play when he
contemplates the meaninglessness of life. When a messenger informs him Birnam Wood is moving toward Dunsinane, Macbeth begins to
suspect the witches have been yanking him, and he goes out to join the battle.
Act V, scene vi - In front of the castle the army prepares for battle.
Act V, scene vii - In an allusion to the bear-baiting pits of Shakespeare’s time Macbeth says, “They have tied me to a stake; I cannot fly, but
bearlike I must fight the course.” Yet he still feels a sense of false confidence based on what the witches said. Macbeth fights and kills young
Siward, but most of Macbeth’s troops have abandoned him.
Act V, scene viii - Macbeth and Macduff meet. When Macbeth assures his opponent his sword is powerless against him, Macduff retorts he
was not “of woman born” but was “from his mother’s womb/Untimely ripped.” Macbeth freaks for a moment, but is no real coward. He fights
to the finish, but Macduff kills Macbeth and carries his head in on his sword. We learn Lady Macbeth has committed suicide. The nobles, led
by Macduff, hail Malcolm as king of Scotland. The Great Chain of Being is restored.
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