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The three weird sisters cast an evil spell dooming Macbeth that sets the stage for the events of the play.
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The many dark events of Shakespeare's Macbeth
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Soldier goes to Duncan from the battle and tells him how it ended. Talks much of Macbeth's bravery and honor.
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Macbeth is told he will be Thane of Cawdor, then ascend to King of Scotland. Banquo is told he is lesser than Macbeth but greater, not as happy as Macbeth yet much happier and that he shall not be a king but the root of many kings. Banquo sees no point in acting on these apparitions, but to let them unfold. He says "The intruments of darkness tell us truths... to betray us" (1.3.133) Macbeth, however, seems interested and lets his ambition to take over and plans dark things to get to the throne.
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King Duncan invites himself over for dinner at Macbeth's castle. The lords and generals all come to celebrate their victory in the war and the assassination of the Traitor.
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When Lady Macbeth reads in the letter that Macbeth was told he will become King, she is intantly drawn in.We see her ambition in this quote: "Galmis thou art, and Cawdor, and shalt be what thou art promised" (1.5.14-15). She comes upwith a very elaborate plan to get away with the murder of Duncan and get Macbeth the crown. She plans to get the servants very drunk so that and Macbeth can walk right in, stab Duncan and plant the daggers on them. Macbeth is not sure about this due to his loyalty.
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Macbeth sends his wife a letter telling her of what the witches have told him.
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After the bell rings in the castle to show it is time, Macbeth follows his wife's plan (with a few screw-ups) to kill his King. Immediatly after he does the deed we can already see him regretting it and going a little bit mad."Glamis hath murder'd sleep: and therefore Cawdor shall sleep no more, Macbeth shall sleep no more!" (2.2.55) His wife tries to encourage him it will never come back to them, and that a little bit of water clears them from the deed.
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Macduff cries in horror when he finds Duncan dead. Malcolm and Donaldbain flee Scotland in fear.
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The moment he has been waiting for!
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Banquo was there for the prophecies, so he suspects that Macbeth murdered Duncan to get the throne. We see his suspicion in this quote: "Thou hast it now: king, Cawdor, Glamis,all. As the weird sisters promised; and I fear thou play'dst most foully for't..." (3.3.1-3). Banquo decides to stay silent and hope his fortunes also happen. Macbeth becomes very scared of Banquo because he could rat him out, and his children could steal his throne. Macbeth hires 3 murderers to deal with him and Fleance.
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The 3 murderers wait at night for Banquo and kill him. Fleance runs away and escapes.
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Macbeth hosts a Banquet with all of the Lords, and expresses his disappointment that Banquo is not there. Until he finds out that he really is there in ghost form, causing Macbeth to appear crazy by yelling at nothing. Lady Macbeth tries to play it off that he is ill. Banquo's ghost is a reminder that the crown will go to his children. His description- "Thy bones are marrowless, thy blood is cold; Thou hast no speculation in those eyes Which thou dost glare with (3.4.115-118).
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We meet Hecate, the head witch.
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People start to suspect Macbeth of murders. Lennox speaks to a Lord about this.
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Macbeth is desperate to know things, so he bursts in on the witches as they dance around a cauldron. He is rude to them, and finds out more apparitions. The first is an armored head that says: "beware Macduff, beware the Thane of Fife" (4.1.78-79). The second is a bloody child that says Macbeth can't be killed by a man born of a woman, and the third is a crowned child with a tree saying that Macbeth will live until Birnam Wood comes forth. There is also a line of kings that look like Banquo.
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Macduff and Malcolm plot to take back the crown of Scotland and rule justly. Malcolm tests Macduff's loyalty by asking him questions and pretending.
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Macbeth is angry that Macduff has left to England, so he decides to order to kill Macduff's family. Lady Macduff is also mad at Macduff for this and talks to Ross about his disloyalty to his own family. Then, a messenger shows up to warn Lady Macduff of murderers pursuing her, and she responds: "Whither should I fly? I have done no harm. But I remember now I am in this earthly world; where to do harm Is often laudable, to do good sometime..." (4.2.74-77) Herself and her children are then killed.
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Lady Macbeth goes mad becasue of all the horrible things she has done. She sleepwalks and talks to herself and even yells at herself at night. She is also seen doing what looks like trying to was her hands of all the blood she has spilled. "The thane of Fife had a wife. Where is she now?—What, will these hands ne'er be clean?" (5.1.30-31). Lady Macbeth's doctor, states to a gentlewoman he can't do anything to help her mental state. Eventually Lady Macbeth can no longer cope and commits suicide.
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Macduff, Malcolm and the forces of England make their march through woods and plains to reach Macbeth's castle in Scotland. Birnam Wood now comes up to the castle and the prophecy has started to unfold. Macbeth now grows very nervous, and is already devastated by the news of his wife's tragic death. Still, Macbeth sticks to his guns and holds on to hope that the witches were'nt lying to him. "What’s he that was not born of woman? Such a one Am I to fear, or none" (5.7.2-4)
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Macbeth resists the English forces, but they are much too powerful for Macbeth's meager supporters to handle. Macduff marches his way up the castle, searching hard for Macbeth. They then they break out in a duel. Macbeth announces that he can not be killed by Macduff becasue he was born by a woman and Macduff tells him: "And let the angel whom thou still hast served
Tell thee, Macduff was from his mother’s womb untimely ripped" (5.8.14-160). Macbeth then dies, and Malcolm is crowned king.
