A summary of Macbeth

1. SHAKESPEARE

3.  Macbeth and Banquo, defeated two separate
invading armies; they encounter three witches
who prophesy that Macbeth will be made thane
of Cawdor and eventually King of Scotland
Banquo’s heirs will be kings.
 Some of King Duncan’s men tell Macbeth that he
has indeed been named thane of Cawdor.
 Macbeth is intrigued by the prophecy that he will
be king might be true. He and King Duncan plan
to dine together at Macbeth’s castle. Macbeth
writes to his wife, Lady Macbeth, telling her
what happened.

4.  Lady Macbeth desires the kingship and wants him
to murder Duncan. He and Lady Macbeth plan to
get Duncan’s two chamberlains drunk so they
will black out.
 While Duncan is asleep, Macbeth stabs him,
despite his doubts. When Duncan’s death is
discovered the next morning, Macbeth kills the
chamberlains and easily assumes the kingship.
 Duncan’s sons Malcolm and Donalbain flee to
England and Ireland, respectively, fearing that
whoever killed Duncan desires their death as
well.

5.  Fearful that Banquo’s heirs will get the
throne, Macbeth hires a group of murderers
to kill Banquo and his son Fleance. They
ambush Banquo on his way to a royal feast,
but they fail to kill Fleance, who escapes
into the night. Macbeth becomes furious.
 At the feast that night Banquo’s ghost visits
Macbeth. When he sees the ghost, Macbeth
gets mad. Lady Macbeth tries to neutralize
the damage. Frightened, Macbeth visits the
witches. They present him with further
prophecies:

6. 1. he must beware of Macduff, a Scottish
nobleman who opposed Macbeth’s accession
to the throne;
2. he is incapable of being harmed by any man
born of woman;
3. he will be safe until Birnam Wood comes to
Dunsinane Castle.
 Macbeth is relieved and feels secure, because
he knows that all men are born of women and
that forests cannot move. When he learns that
Macduff has fled to England to join Malcolm,
Macbeth orders that Lady Macduff and her
children be murdered.

7.  Macduff stricken with grief, vows revenge.
 Malcolm, Duncan’s son, raises an army in
England, and Macduff joins him. The invasion
has the support of the Scottish nobles, who are
frightened by Macbeth’s tyrannical and
murderous behavior.
 Lady Macbeth complains that she has
bloodstains on her hands and kills herself.

8.  Macbeth awaits the English and fortifies
Dunsinane and is struck numb with fear when
he learns that the English army is advancing
on Dunsinane shielded with boughs cut from
Birnam Wood. Birnam Wood is indeed coming
to Dunsinane fulfilling half of the witches’
prophecy.
 In the battle, Macbeth hews violently, but
the English forces gradually overwhelm his
army and castle.

9.  On the battlefield, Macbeth encounters the
vengeful Macduff, who declares that he was
not “of woman born” but was instead
“untimely ripped” from his mother’s womb.
 Though he realizes that he is doomed,
Macbeth continues to fight until Macduff kills
and beheads him.
 Malcolm, now the King of Scotland, declares
his benevolent intentions for the country and
invites all to see him crowned at Scone.

10.  The Corrupting
Power of Unchecked
Ambition
 The Relationship
Between Cruelty and
Masculinity
 The Difference
Between Kingship
and Tyranny

11. Visions and
hallucinations.
 Violence
Prophecy
riddles

12.  Blood is everywhere
in Macbeth, blood comes to
symbolize their guilt, and
they begin to feel that their
crimes have stained them in
a way that cannot be washed
clean.
 The Weather Macbeth’s from
the thunder and lightning
that accompany the witches’
appearances to the terrible
storms that rage on the night
of Duncan’s murder

13. http://www.sparknotes.com/shakes
peare/macbeth/summary.html
http://www.sparknotes.com/sparkn
otes/video/macbethMACBETH.pptx
MACBETH.pptx
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Macbe
th

14.  How can uncontrolled ambition lead to
immoral actions?
 Which driving force can turn a hero into a
corrupted murderer?
 Does Macbeth’s story reminds you a similar
case in history?