PLOT

• Macbeth by William Shakespeare tells the story of one man's violent rise to a position of power as king of his country and of his even more violent downfall
• The play follows the progress of the title character as he becomes increasingly powerful, using any means to get what he wants - even murder
• Macbeth is encouraged by the ruthless and bloodthirsty ambition of his wife, Lady Macbeth
• By the end of the play, Macbeth's world falls apart around him, he is defeated, and a new king, Malcolm, is declared
• Macbeth was written by Shakespeare in approximately 1606 during a time of political upheaval, suspicion, and superstition in the early 17th century
• The social and historical context of the play reflects the changes happening during that time period
• The play has remained one of William Shakespeare's most intense and often performed plays
• In the play, power comes at a price for Macbeth
• The play explores themes of ambition, power, guilt, and consequences
• Macbeth meets three Witches who predict he will become King of Scotland
• Macbeth's wife encourages him to murder the current king, Duncan, who is staying with them as a guest
• After Macduff discovers Duncan's murder, Duncan's sons flee the country, leaving Macbeth clear to become king
• Banquo becomes suspicious of Macbeth and is murdered by him
• Macbeth pays a second visit to the Witches and receives more predictions
• Malcolm and Macduff plan to invade Scotland to win back the throne
• Macbeth has Macduff's wife and children killed, leading Macduff to swear revenge
• Lady Macbeth suffers from guilt and eventually commits suicide
• Malcolm's invasion is successful and Macduff kills Macbeth
• Malcolm becomes the new King of Scotland after Macbeth's reign
• Macbeth, Thane of Glamis, led the Scottish army to victory against an invading force and fought bravely
• Macbeth and Banquo meet three Witches who predict that Macbeth will be made Thane of Cawdor and eventually become King of Scotland
• The Witches also tell Banquo that his descendants will be kings, although he will not be king himself
• Macbeth receives the news that Duncan is making him Thane of Cawdor in gratitude for leading the troops to victory
• Macbeth starts to question whether the other predictions made by the Witches will also come true
• Lady Macbeth resolves to make the most of Duncan staying with them as a house guest
• Macbeth and his wife plan and carry out Duncan's murder
• Lady Macbeth encourages Macbeth when he hesitates to commit the murder
• Lady Macbeth takes part in the action of murdering Duncan
• Macbeth and Lady Macbeth try to cover up the murder by making it seem as if the King's servants are responsible
• Macduff, the Thane of Fife, discovers the King's body the following morning
• In the confusion, Macbeth kills Duncan's innocent guards to silence them
• Malcolm and Donalbain, the king's sons, flee the country
• The way is left clear for Macbeth to seize the throne
• Despite being King, Macbeth does not feel secure, especially when he thinks about the Witches' prediction that Banquo's descendants and not his own will be kings in the future. Banquo is suspicious of Macbeth's part in Duncan's death so Macbeth arranges for some hired murderers to kill Banquo and his son Fleance. They murder Banquo but Fleance escapes. Macbeth is furious but can do nothing. Later, at a banquet, Banquo's blood-stained ghost appears to Macbeth. Only he can see the ghost and the rest of the court begin to wonder whether Macbeth is going mad.
• Visions shown to Macbeth by the Witches:

  • Beware of Macduff
  • Cannot be harmed by anyone born of a woman
  • Safe until Birnam Wood moves to Dunsinane Hill
• Macbeth feels relatively safe due to the second and third predictions being logically and physically impossible
• Macduff goes to join Malcolm in England, angering Macbeth
• Macbeth orders Macduff's castle to be seized and the Macduff family to be slaughtered
• Macduff swears revenge on Macbeth and vows to support Malcolm in regaining the Scottish throne
• Lady Macbeth's conscience troubles her since Duncan's death:

  • Sleepwalking and trying to wash her hands clean of imaginary blood
  • Eventually dies, suggested by Malcolm to have killed herself