3. SUMMARY
Macbeth, a Scottish baron, and his wife plot regicide after witches
predict that Macbeth is to become king. Macbeth is of two minds
about the whole affair, but does the deed with the help of Lady
Macbeth. They frame the king’s guards, who Macbeth then kills in his
supposed outrage at the king’s murder. The king’s sons doubt that the
guards are to blame and flee in the fear that they will be next on the
murderer’s list. Macbeth uses their escape to spread the story that the
king’s sons paid the guard to murder their father and, thus, Macbeth
takes over the throne.
Macbeth’s friends and countrymen begin to suspect Macbeth’s
guilt. Banquo, who was with Macbeth during the conversation with the
witches, received a prediction as well: that it would be his progeny, not
Macbeth’s that hold the throne in the future. Macbeth fears Banquo’s
suspicion and realizes that if all the witches’ predictions come true,
Macbeth has committed murder to benefit Banquo’s son. Macbeth
sends ruffians to fix the problem. They kill Banquo but his son escapes.
Banquo’s ghost, visible only to Macbeth, shows up at a banquet,
unnerving Macbeth visibly which causes his guests such discomfort that
they leave the table.
4. Macbeth visits the witches again (“double, double toil and
trouble”). With visions, they offer some advice (beware Macduff) and
assurances (“none of woman born shall harm Macbeth” and “Macbeth
shall never vanquished be, until Great Birnam Wood to high Dunsinane
hill shall come against him”) but they also continue to predict that it will
be Banquo’s descendants, not Macbeth’s, who inherit the throne.
Macbeth receives word that Macduff has gone to England to help
Malcolm, King Duncan’s son, regain the throne. He sends troops to
Macduff’s home where they kill his wife and children.
Lady Macbeth, attended by a maid and physician, is witnessed
sleepwalking and obsessively rubbing her hands (“Out, damned spot!”).
Macduff and Malcolm, the prince, march toward Macbeth’s
stronghold at Dunsinane with a force of English and Scottish soldiers.
They gather in Birnam Wood and order everyone to cut down branches
and use them to disguise their presence and number as they proceed
across the field to Dunsinane, thus fulfilling the prophecy that Birnam
Wood will move against Dunsinane.
. The battle commences. The castle is lost, but Macbeth fights on,
believing that he can not be killed because all men are of women born.
Macduff, who demanded of his fellow fighters that he be allowed to kill
Macbeth in retaliation for the deaths of his wife and children, seeks out
Macbeth and fights him declaring, “Macduff was from his mother’s
womb untimely ripped.” Macbeth is slain, fulfilling the last of the
witches’ prophecies about him.
The battle ends. Macduff presents Macbeth’s head to Malcolm
with the greeting “Hail, King of Scotland,” a cry that is taken up
throughout the castle.
