MACBEHT

ACT 1
SCENE 1
The play opens with three witches gathering amidst thunder and lightening. They plan to meet
with Macbeth that evening, ‘when the battle’s lost and won’ at ‘the set of sun’.
SCENE 2
At King Duncan’s camp, a wounded captain tells the king that 'brave Macbeth' fought well against the rebel
forces led by Macdonald. He also reports that there was 'a fresh assault' from Norwegian troops after they
had defeated Macdonald, but Macbeth and Banquo ‘doubly redoubled strokes upon the foe’ and pushed
them back as well. Duncan thanks the Captain for the ‘honour’ of his words and his wounds and sends him
to be treated by a surgeon. Ross arrives from Fife with further news of victory. The Norwegian king is
pleading for a peace treaty and has paid a ransom, while the rebellious Thane of Cawdor has been
captured. Duncan sentences Cawdor to 'present death' and tells Ross to 'greet Macbeth' with his 'former
title'.
SCENE 3
The witches meet on the heath. One has been killing pigs. Another has been insulted by a sailor’s wife so
they plot to cast a spell which will disrupt the sailor’s next sea journey to Aleppo. They hear Macbeth and
Banquo approaching and cast a spell. The men encounter the witches ‘that look not like th’inhabitants
o’th’earth’. The witches hail Macbeth firstly by his title Thane of Glamis, then as Thane of Cawdor and
finally as ‘king hereafter!’ Banquo says there is no need to ‘fear things that sound so fair’, and asks the
witches for his future. They predict that his children will be 'kings, though thou be none’. Macbeth demands
to know how their prediction about him can be true when the Thane of Cawdor is still alive but the witches
vanish. Ross and Angus arrive to tell Macbeth that he has been given the title Thane of Cawdor by Duncan
to thank him for his valiant efforts in the battle. Macbeth considers ‘this supernatural soliciting’. He realises
that to become king, Duncan would have to die but he thinks this is a ‘horrid image’. Then he adds in an
aside that ‘chance may crown me, without my stir’. Banquo and Macbeth decide to discuss the witches’
prophecies at a later time.
SCENE 4
King Duncan asks about the execution of Cawdor. King Duncan's son Malcolm reports that he confessed
and died nobly. Macbeth and Banquo, along with Ross and Angus, join the rest of Duncan’s party. Duncan
thanks them both for their part in the battle and announces that his eldest son, Malcolm, will inherit the
throne from him when he dies. Duncan then says they will visit Macbeth’s castle as they travel ‘from hence
to Inverness’ and will celebrate there. Macbeth decides to go on ahead to tell his wife. He remarks to
himself that Malcolm is now ‘a step on which I must fall down, or else o’erleap’ to get to the throne.
SCENE 5
Lady Macbeth reads a letter from her husband about his encounter with the witches. She fears that her
husband is ‘too full o’th’milk of human kindness to catch the nearest way’ of achieving the throne. She
wants him to come home quickly so that she can ‘pour’ her words of ambition into his ears. She is
interrupted by news that the king is coming to the castle that evening and that Macbeth is already on his
way. She celebrates the ‘fatal entrance’ of Duncan into their home. She calls on the spirits to ‘unsex’ her
and make her capable of murder. Macbeth arrives home and Lady Macbeth immediately plants the seed of
her murderous intentions. She advises him to hide their plans with innocence, but be a ‘serpent’
underneath.
SCENE 6
Duncan and the thanes arrive at Macbeth’s castle and enjoy the ‘gentle’ surroundings. Duncan is delighted
to see the ‘honoured hostess’ Lady Macbeth. She welcomes him into their home, taking him to see
Macbeth.
SCENE 7
Outside the banqueting hall, Macbeth considers his complex thoughts about killing Duncan. He struggles
with his conscience and decides not to go through with it because it is only his ‘vaulting ambition’ that is
pushing him onwards. Lady Macbeth tells him off for leaving the hall. When Macbeth tells her that he has
decided against killing Duncan, she is furious, calling him a coward and a ‘beast’. She goads him by saying
that she would have ‘dash’d the brains out’ of her own baby if she had promised it to him. Macbeth is
further persuaded by the strength of their plan. She will give Duncan’s two guards so much wine that they
‘lie as in death’, allowing Duncan to be an unguarded target for Macbeth to attack in the night. They will
frame the guards for Duncan’s murder by covering their daggers in Duncan’s blood. The final step of the
plan is for Lady Macbeth and Macbeth to act horrified on the discovery of the murder and ‘clamour roar /
Upon his death’. Macbeth is ‘settled’ to kill Duncan.

ACT 2
SCENE 1
In the middle of the night, Banquo and his son Fleance unexpectedly meet Macbeth. They are surprised he
is still awake. Banquo gives Macbeth a diamond from Duncan to thank him for an enjoyable evening.
Banquo tells him that he dreamed of the ‘three weird sisters’ last night, but Macbeth lies and says he has
not thought about them. Alone, as he goes towards Duncan’s chambers to murder the king, Macbeth sees
a vision of a bloody dagger. He dismisses the vision, saying that it is the ‘bloody business’ that is causing
him to hallucinate. He hears a bell and goes to kill Duncan.
SCENE 2
Lady Macbeth waits for Macbeth to return from the murder and reassures herself that she drugged the
guard’s wine so they will not wake up. Macbeth returns, alarmed that he heard a noise. He is anxious,
saying that he could not say Amen and heard someone crying ‘Sleep no more: Macbeth doth murder
sleep’. Lady Macbeth dismisses his fears, saying that he is ‘brain sickly’. She sees that he has brought the
guards' daggers with him rather than planting them at the scene of the crime. She urges him to return the
daggers, but he is too scared. Lady Macbeth goes instead. Whilst she is gone, someone begins to knock
on the door of the castle. Lady Macbeth returns with bloody hands. She chastises Macbeth’s cowardice
saying she would ‘shame to wear a heart so white’. She reassures him that ‘a little water clears us of this
deed’; they just need to wash and get into bed so they do not get caught. The knocking continues.
SCENE 3
The Porter answers the door of the castle to Macduff and Lennox, who have come to meet with Duncan.
Macduff remarks that the household must have gone to bed very late to sleep in so long. Macbeth shows
Macduff to Duncan’s chambers, where he uncovers the horrible murder. They sound alarms which wake all
the sleeping thanes and Lady Macbeth. Lennox tells Duncan’s sons that their father has been murdered by
his guards, and Macbeth explains that he killed the guards out of ‘fury’. Macduff questions why Macbeth did
this. While Macbeth tries to explain his reasons, Lady Macbeth faints. Led by Banquo, the lords swear to
investigate the murder. Fearing for their lives, Malcolm decides to go to England and Donalbain decides to
go to Ireland.
SCENE 4
Ross talks about a series of unnatural things that have been happening, including how the horses have
‘turned wild in nature’ and begun to eat each other, and it's dark in the day time. Macduff arrives and tells
Ross that he believes that the guards who murdered Duncan were bribed by Malcolm and Donalbain,
which is why the two sons have fled the country. Ross reports that Macbeth has been named king and he
plans to go to Scone for his coronation but Macduff heads home to Fife instead.