MacBeth

• Macbeth is a |ve-act tragedy, written by William Shakespeare in 1606. Set in medieval Scotland, it mainly takes place in and around Macbeth's castle, Dunsinane.

  
• Its protagonist, Macbeth, is at |rst presented as a noble warrior and thane who is loyal to his king. However, a combination of his ambition, the prophecies of three malevolent witches and the encouragement of his equally ambitious wife, Lady Macbeth, sees him assassinate his king, Duncan, and ascend the throne himself.

  
• While King of Scotland, Macbeth becomes increasingly paranoid that his act of regicide will be discovered, and that he himself will be murdered, and so Macbeth attempts to murder any person he sees as a threat (|rst his friend and comrade Banquo; later a thane called Macduy).

  
• However, overwhelming guilt consumes both Macbeth and Lady Macbeth: Macbeth sees hallucinations – including of his murdered friend Banquo – and seeks the dangerous advice of the witches for a second time, while Lady Macbeth loses her mind completely and commits suicide.

  
• The play concludes with Macduy (who managed to escape Macbeth's assassination attempt) killing Macbeth in a duel, thus avenging both his family, whom Macbeth cruelly murdered, and his former king. Order is thus restored in the Kingdom of Scotland, with Duncan's son, and rightful heir to the throne, Malcolm, becoming king.

  
• In the very |rst scene of the play, we are introduced to three mischievous witches
• Macbeth is reported as being a brave and noble warrior; he has just killed a traitor in battle, showing his loyalty to King Duncan
• Macbeth and Banquo hear three prophecies from the three witches:
• Macbeth and Banquo hear three prophecies from the three witches:


  • that Macbeth will become Thane of Cawdor
  • that Macbeth will become King
  • that Banquo's descendants will become kings

  
• The Thane of Cawdor is executed for treason. Macbeth becomes the new Thane of Cawdor
• Macbeth sends a letter to Lady Macbeth outlining the witches' prophecies

  
• King Duncan comes to visit the Macbeths at their castle, Dunsinane
• Macbeth deliberates on murdering Duncan; Macbeth |nally accepts Lady Macbeth's arguments and decides to go ahead with the assassination

  
• Macbeth sees his |rst hallucination – a bloody dagger – after seeing Banquo and Fleance in the castle courtyard
• A shaken and mentally unstable Macbeth returns to Lady Macbeth with the murder weapons: two daggers covered in blood (the murder of Duncan takes place oy-stage)

  
• A furious Lady Macbeth calls Macbeth a coward and returns the daggers to Duncan's chambers to frame the dead king's guards for the regicide

  
• Macduy discovers that Duncan has been murdered
• Macbeth claims that he killed Duncan's guards in an act of revenge
• In fear for their own lives, Duncan's sons }ee Scotland: Malcolm to England; Donalbain to Ireland
• Macbeth is crowned King of Scotland
• Banquo begins to suspect Macbeth of the murder of Duncan

  
• Macbeth hires assassins to kill Banquo and his son, Fleance

  
• The murderers kill Banquo, but Fleance manages to escape. The assassins return to Dunsinane to tell Macbeth

  
• The Macbeths host a banquet at their castle, but Macbeth hallucinates a vision of the murdered Banquo sitting at his place at the table
• As an increasingly deranged Macbeth starts shouting at Banquo's ghost, Lady Macbeth asks all the guests to leave
• We learn that Macduy has gone to England to plot against Macbeth with Malcolm

  
• In desperation, and increasingly mentally unstable, Macbeth returns to the witches for reassurance
• They oyer him three new prophecies: to "beware Macduy"; that "no man of woman born" can kill him; and that he won't be defeated unless Birnam Wood starts marching on his castle
• Macbeth is told that Macduy has }ed for England; seeing this as reason enough to be suspicious, Macbeth orders the murder of Macduy and his whole family

  
• Lady Macduy is advised to }ee her castle with her children but refuses, saying that she has done nothing wrong
• Murderers come to Macduy's castle and brutally murder his wife and children
• In England, Malcolm tests Macduy's loyalty and is satis|ed with Macduy's responses. Macduy is told about the murder of his family and vows revenge

  
• An overwhelming sense of guilt leads Lady Macbeth to lose her mind, and hallucinate in her sleep. She kills herself (this happens oy-stage)
• Malcolm, Macduy and an army of Scottish thanes advance to Birnam Wood and use its branches for camou}age
• Macbeth is told of the death of his wife, and that Birnam Wood is advancing on Dunsinane. He contemplates the pointlessness of life but remains convinced he is invincible because of the witches' second prophecy

  
• Macduy enters the castle and challenges Macbeth to a duel before admitting that he was born by Caesarean section, and is thus not "of woman born"
• Macduy kills Macbeth before Malcolm is crowned the new King of Scotland

  
• Themes


  • Ambition and Power
  • The Supernatural
  • Appearance versus Reality
  • Corruption of Nature
• Ambition and Power
• Principally, Macbeth is a play about ambition and its consequences. It can also be seen as a warning against those who seek to undermine or overthrow the rule of a rightful king.