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Macbeth Play
Macbeth begins with Three Witches deciding to
meet again after a battle being fought nearby. Macbeth
is introduced as the brave man who led King Duncan's
forces to victory against the traitorous Thane of Cawdor,
Macdonwald and The King of Norway, in a battle that
could have gone either way were it not for his actions.
King Duncan decides to make Macbeth his new Thane of
Cawdor. The previous Thane of Cawdor will be executed.
Meeting Macbeth and friend Banquo, The Three Witches
tell Macbeth that he will be "Thane of Glamis!", "Thane
of Cawdor!" and "king hereafter" or become King of Scotland.
Banquo learns his descendants shall be kings. Banquo
fears the Three Witches. Macbeth privately reveals his
belief in them, later questioning Banquo's feelings
about his descendants becoming kings and starting to
think of killing King Duncan...
King Duncan announces that his son Malcolm will be
the new Prince of Cumberland. Macbeth sees Malcolm as
a threat to his destiny to be king... Lady Macbeth eagerly
embraces the prophecies. Fearing her husband is too
weak-willed to do what needs to be done (killing King
Duncan), she famously asks the gods to remove from her
all signs of compassion, replacing these with ruthlessness.
Learning King Duncan will stay at their castle, Lady
Macbeth plans to kill him... Macbeth wrestles with his
conscience, deciding against murder but his wife belittles
him, threatening her love for him if he cannot kill.
This wins him over, the two planning to kill Duncan
in his sleep. Macbeth kills the King, his wife telling
him that a little water will wash away their guilt...
News of Duncan's death reaches all at the castle.
Lady Macbeth faints and Macbeth kills Duncan's two guards
for his murder, largely freeing him from suspicion.
Duncan's two sons flee, leaving Macbeth to be crowned
the new King of Scotland, his wife, the new Queen. Banquo
wonders whether his friend killed the King. Fearful
that his children will not be kings, the new King arranges
for Banquo and Fleance to be murdered. Banquo is killed
but Fleance survives. The King later sees Banquo's Ghost
at his party, causing the Queen to finish their party
early such is her husband's strange behavior. Hecate
scolds the Three Witches for helping an ungrateful Macbeth,
telling them to use illusion and prophecy against him.
The King meets the Witches, learning that he should
fear Macduff, that none naturally born can harm him
and that he has nothing to fear until "Great Birnam
wood" moves to "high Dunsinane hill" near
his castle. Learning this, he decides to kill Macduff
and decides he is safe from all men and that only the
impossible moving of a nearby forest to his castle can
spell his doom.
Unable to kill Macduff, the King has his family murdered
instead... We learn that Scotland under the tyrant's
rule has been plunged into despair and that a large
army is gathering against him. The Queen goes insane,
making her famous speech that she cannot wipe away the
blood on her hands. Meanwhile, the Tyrant's enemies
led by Malcolm, gather near Dunsinane. Malcolm now orders
each man to cut down a branch from the nearby Birnam
Wood as his army, now camouflaged, heads towards Macbeth's
castle... The Tyrant laughs off his enemies' numbers,
certain of the Birnam Wood prophecy, learning that his
wife has died. The King, seeing Birnam Wood moving on
his castle, defiantly sets off to meet his destiny...
Confronted by Macduff, the King learns that he has born
by Caesarian section, the hated tyrant being slain and
order being restored when Malcolm is hailed the new
King of Scotland...
Contents
Dramatis
Personæ
Act I
Scene I, Scene
II, Scene III, Scene
IV, Scene V, Scene
VI, Scene VII
Act II
Scene I, Scene
II, Scene III, Scene
IV
Act III
Scene I, Scene
II, Scene III, Scene
IV, Scene V, Scene
VI
Act IV
Scene I, Scene
II, Scene III
Act V
Scene I, Scene
II, Scene III, Scene
IV, Scene V, Scene
VI, Scene VII
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