MACBETH STUDY GUIDE

MALAWI SCHOOL CERTIFICATE OF EDUCATION

WILLIAM SHAKESPEARE
COMPILED BY PRECIOUS JANCHA KALINJALA

FOURTH YEAR BACHELOR OF EDUCATION LANGUAGE STUDENT AT

UNIVERSITY OF MALAWI (FINALE CLASS OF 2022)

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TO ALL SECONDARY SCHOOL LEARNERS

Thomas A. Edison said; “our greatest weakness lies in giving up. The most certain
way to succeed is always to try just one more time.” I, therefore, would like to
encourage you that you should never give up in your academic pursuits, always
put your head up. Work round the clock and study hard and smart with a never-
say-die spirit so that you pass with flying colours and realise your goals.

Please remember to strike a balance by working equally hard in all subjects you
are taking. Moreover, do not be absorbed in social media language. As a matter
of fact, the informal words you are using in different social media platforms have
created another version of English. This is a warning to you all that do not
incorporate the informal words from social media in your formal writing because
they will dwindle your performances.

Read the actual copy of the play and the summary should just be supplement
materials. Literature essays should be written in presents tense in order to keep
the events alive.

Eventually, use every obstacle you face in life as a stepping stone to move closer
to the life you desire, the more stones you have, the closer you are to your goals.
Your good results will culminate into a win-win situation for you and our Malawi
because our nation also depends on us for her realization of vision 2063.

Best wishes!

NB: Meanwhile, I am compiling other literature study guides and English

Grammar notes for both JCE and MSCE which will be completed in soonest time.

Call/WhatsApp: 0997923044

Call: 0887249144

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Author: William Shakespeare

Year Written: c. 1606

Type: Play (Tragedy)

ABOUT THE TITLE

As the main character in the play, Macbeth has the title role. However, the
straightforwardness of the single-word title contradicts the sophistication of the
play and its main character. Plot details and character details unfold side by side
in Macbeth. Powerful yet weak, courageous yet afraid, the character of Macbeth
has layers of complexity and influence that make him bigger than life or any
title.

SUMMARY

Set in medieval Scotland, Macbeth traces the rise and fall of the title character
as he gains and loses the throne of Scotland. As the play opens, Macbeth is
described as the Thane of Glamis, indicating that he is a Scottish nobleman. (The
title of thane was awarded to men favored by the king who were also given land,
usually for proven loyalty. Military service to the king was expected of thanes.)

The play’s action begins when King Duncan’s forces engage in a battle to defeat
a rebellion started by a lord named Macdonwald, who enlists the help of the
King of Norway. Macbeth, duty-bound to defend his king, fights honorably in
this battle and captures another supporter of the rebellion, the Thane of Cawdor.
As Macbeth and his friend Banquo travel home from the battle, they meet three
witches. These women predict that Macbeth will be the next Thane of Cawdor
and that he will become king of Scotland. As it is not enough, they prophesy that
Banquo’s descendants will inherit the throne in years to come.

After the king executes the Thane of Cawdor for treason, he gives the thane’s
title and lands to Macbeth, which leads Macbeth to believe the witches’

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predictions. He sends word of these developments to his wife (Lady Macbeth)
and she immediately begins plotting Duncan’s demise, which is made easier
when Duncan comes to visit Macbeth’s castle. Macbeth and Lady Macbeth then
start scheming in earnest against Duncan.

While Duncan dines at their castle, Macbeth confers with his wife and raises
objections to the murder; his wife dismisses them with scorn. By conversation’s
end, Macbeth is ready to kill the king. Lady Macbeth takes the lead in plotting
the murder. She gets Duncan’s guards drunk, and they are unconscious when
Macbeth enters Duncan’s chamber and kills him. He returns to his own rooms
with the daggers in his blood-stained hands. Lady Macbeth goes back to plant
the weapons and frame the guards. The following morning, Duncan’s body is
discovered, and the lords are thrown into pandemonium. Macbeth kills the
guards before they can speak. He claims to have done this in his rage at Duncan’s
death. Fearing for their own safety, Duncan’s sons flee the country, so Macbeth
implicates them in Duncan’s murder as well. Macbeth is crowned king of
Scotland, while the other thanes speculate about strange events and dark times.

Meanwhile, remembering the witches’ predictions, Banquo grows suspicious of

Macbeth. Recognizing that Banquo knows he had motive to kill Duncan, and
provoked by the thought that Banquo’s descendants will reign after him,
Macbeth hires murderers to assassinate Banquo and his son Fleance. At a
banquet the same night, Macbeth has a vision of Banquo’s ghost, and the other
lords are alarmed by his inconsistent behaviour. Lady Macbeth makes excuses
for her husband as best she can, but the seeds of suspicion are sown. Macbeth
seeks another meeting with the witches to plan his next move.

At Macbeth’s second meeting with the witches, they make three predictions
about his future. First, they tell him to beware of Macduff, who has been
suspicious of Macbeth since Duncan was killed. Second, they tell him that no

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man born of woman shall harm him. Third, they say he will be secure until Great
Birnam Wood, a nearby forest, comes to Macbeth’s castle at Dunsinane Hill.
Macbeth, believing the last two predictions are impossible, assumes he is safe.
In the meantime, Macduff travels to England to find Malcolm, Duncan’s oldest
son, and convince him to head back to Scotland to fight for his rightful throne.
Macbeth takes this opportunity to send assassins to Fife, where they murder
Macduff’s wife and son. Macduff is successful in his mission, though, and
Malcolm agrees to return to Scotland with an English army of 10,000 men.

Around the time Macbeth begins losing his grip on power, Lady Macbeth loses
her grip on reality. She is under a doctor’s care because of persistent
sleepwalking and hallucinations (illusions) brought about by her memories of
Duncan’s murder. The Scottish lords and thanes have united against Macbeth,
calling him a tyrant; they are prepared to join with Malcolm’s army when it
arrives. The Scottish and English armies meet at Great Birnam Wood and use
tree branches as camouflage (concealment/disguise) to approach Dunsinane
Hill. While Macbeth prepares for the onslaught (attack/assault/ambush) at
Dunsinane, he learns his wife has died. One of his servants then tells him Birnam
Wood appears to be moving toward them. This rattles Macbeth because it
fulfills one of the witches’ prophecies. Still, he engages in battle, relying on the
witches’ assurance that no man born of woman will cause him harm. When he
meets Macduff on the field, however, he learns Macduff was delivered by
surgery, rather than by conventional birth. Macduff kills Macbeth, and Malcolm
claims his throne.

ACT 1

Act 1, Scene 1

Summary

Three witches gather in an outdoor location while a storm brews. They agree
to meet again after a battle, also brewing, takes place. Following this battle, they
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will greet Macbeth. Once this meeting is arranged, they disappear from the
scene, called away by Graymalkin and Paddock, their familiars, or spirits that
assist them in doing evil.

Analysis

Although the witches appear in only four scenes, they are catalysts for the action
in the play, and they set up the dark mood that hangs over events that follow.
While their motivations for choosing Macbeth as the focus of their activities and
their instrument in destabilizing the ruling order is never made clear, they seem
to relish the prospect of the upcoming battle and chaos, calling it “hurly-burly.”
This old-fashioned British term might bring to mind any sort of chaotic scuffle,
so in this context it covers all of the double-dealing activities unfolding, as well
as the actual warfare at hand. The witches summon thunderstorms with their
meeting, which also reflects their ominous (threatening/warning) intentions
and the play’s mood. The mood of malevolence (evil) that hangs about the
witches is enhanced when two of them reference their familiars by their pet
names. Graymalkin is a cat, likely a gray one, and Paddock is a toad. Here,
Shakespeare alludes to the common belief that witches use animals as familiars,
or messengers between themselves and the devil. Their last chant “fair is foul,
and foul is fair” reflects a disregard for fairness or goodness and a preference for
that which is foul or evil.

Act 1, Scene 2

Summary

Macdonwald, a lord from the Western Isles of Ireland and the Outer Hebrides,
has joined with the Norwegian king to start a rebellion against King Duncan in
Scotland. The captain, an unnamed wounded officer, reports to Duncan and
Malcolm, the king’s older son, about the state of the battle at the time he left it,
saying that Macbeth fought his way through the melee
(commotion/fight/braw) until he could find Macdonwald and kill him. Duncan
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is pleased by this news, but the captain also tells him that Norwegian
reinforcements (cavalries) have arrived and that Macbeth and Banquo continue
to fight. At this point, the captain leaves to have his wounds attended to. The
Scottish thanes Ross and Angus arrive to say that Norway attempted to take
control of Fife, aided by the Thane of Cawdor. Macbeth pressed on, won the
battle, and captured the Thane of Cawdor. Duncan is pleased and plans to
reward Macbeth by making him the new Thane of Cawdor. He tells Ross that
the existing thane will be executed.

Analysis

The battle Macbeth fights here plays an important part in establishing his
character before he meets with the witches and hears their prophecies. This isn’t
just any battle he’s fighting, it’s an attempt to overthrow the king. As a thane,
Macbeth has pledged his loyalty to the king, and he goes above and beyond in
battle to satisfy that oath and defend the crown. He is not simply doing his part
in the battle, either. He actively pursues and kills the lord who allied himself
with Norway. Then, even after Norway has a toehold (foothold) in Fife, Macbeth
beats back those forces and pursues the other thane who betrayed their king.
Macbeth is clearly driven by the glory of the battlefield and is a fierce fighter
who does not shy away from violence, but in this scene, his ambition serves his
fierce loyalty to his king. While this portrait of Macbeth provides sharp contrast
to the scheming (devious/calculating/conniving/conspiratorial/treachorous)
traitor who emerges after he meets the witches, it also provides continuity by
depicting Macbeth as a relentless opponent. In the play’s final scene, Macduff
will pursue Macbeth through battle in the same way Macbeth pursued
Macdonwald and the Thane of Cawdor, providing additional emphasis on how
far Macbeth will fall.

Act 1, Scene 3

Summary

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The witches meet, as arranged, on a heath (hill/upland), where they encounter
Macbeth and Banquo as they make their way home from the battle against
Norway. Banquo notices them first and wonders if they are really women; he
thinks they have beards. The witches hail (salute) Macbeth as Thane of Glamis,
Thane of Cawdor, and “King hereafter.” Their greeting to Banquo is far less
clear. Comparing him to Macbeth, they say he is both lesser and greater, less
happy and happier. In addition, they declare that his descendants will be kings.
Macbeth asks how they have come by this information and why they have
stopped the men with these fanciful (imaginary/unbelievable) prophesies.
Rather than answer, the witches vanish (disappear). After the witches disappear,
Macbeth and Banquo make jokes about what they said and question their own
sanity.

Banquo and Macbeth then talk about the witches’ predictions. Ross and Angus
arrive to congratulate Macbeth on his victory over Norway and declare him the
new Thane of Cawdor. Because the Thane of Cawdor is still alive, Macbeth
protests, but Ross and Angus declare Cawdor a traitor who, through treason,
has forfeited his title and probably his life. Banquo and Macbeth talk privately
about how this first prediction has come true and wonder if the others will as
well. Macbeth accepts his new title and thanks Ross and Angus.

Analysis

When they meet the witches for the first time, Macbeth and Banquo seem
repulsed (disgusted) by them. They do not fit the two men’s expectations of what
women should look like, which makes the men suspicious. Furthermore, both
men seem to dismiss the predictions they make. Macbeth protests that the
Thane of Cawdor still lives, meaning Macbeth himself cannot become Thane of
Cawdor. Furthermore, the prospect of Macbeth’s becoming king seems
completely ludicrous (absurd/ridiculous).

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Only after Ross and Angus deliver the message that Duncan has declared
Macbeth the new Thane of Cawdor do Macbeth and Banquo begin to put stock
in the witches’ words. Macbeth’s ambition begins to take root, and perhaps it is
this quality that has drawn the witches to him. They have declared Banquo will
be greater and happier than Macbeth in the long run, which is true. Banquo will
die before his time, but he will die with honour and the respect of his peers and
leave a legacy behind, while Macbeth will die in disgrace with no heirs. Banquo
lacks the ruthless ambition that will soon emerge in Macbeth, so he does not
take action to try to make the prophecies come true. Thus, his destiny unfolds
naturally. In contrast, once Macbeth accepts the prophecies as truth, he allows
them to influence his every decision. His destiny unfolds as predicted, but with
terrible consequences.

Act 1, Scene 4

Summary

Duncan confirms the execution of the Thane of Cawdor. Malcolm says he heard
that Cawdor died honorably by confessing his treason and repenting before he
died. Duncan grieves the betrayal, praises Macbeth for his loyalty, and gives him
Cawdor’s title and lands. Macbeth swears loyalty to the king, but privately he
calculates how many people now stand between him and the throne.

Analysis

The description of Cawdor’s death here is a moment that will later stand in sharp
contrast with Macbeth’s own end. Cawdor feels remorse for what he has done,
so even though he is executed, the king recognises his honour and grieves the
betrayal and loss. Cawdor’s death is not cause for celebration. Now that Cawdor
is dead and the king has confirmed Macbeth’s new title, Macbeth is altered either
the witches’ prophesies have taken hold of him, or his own ambition has fully
revealed itself. Either way, he has accepted their predictions as truth and begins
quietly plotting his way to the throne.
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Act 1, Scene 5

Summary

Lady Macbeth reads a letter from her husband announcing his new title and
telling her about the witches’ prediction that he will be king. She is ready to do
what she must to make that prediction come true but wonders if her husband is
strong enough to do the same. She receives word that Duncan will be visiting
the castle the same night and begins plotting, asking the spirits to give her the
daring (boldness/braveness/courage) and strength of a man to help her carry
out her plan. Macbeth arrives ahead of the king, and Lady Macbeth urges him
to eliminate Duncan. Macbeth puts her off, saying they will discuss this later,
but she tells him to leave the planning to her.

Analysis

From the moment Lady Macbeth is introduced, it is clear that she is more
assertive (firm/self-confident/self-assured) than her husband. Her ambition
does not need to be coaxed (persuaded) into action. Hearing about the witches’
predictions, she does not question them for a moment and knows exactly what
must be done to win the crown. She rejects the expectations of her sex as a
female and makes the first of many speculations about her husband’s manliness,
saying he may be “too full o’ th’ milk of human kindness” to move against
Duncan. Milk, of course, is produced by women to feed their children. Lady
Macbeth returns to this motif when she invokes the spirits something she has
in common with the witches to exchange her milk for gall, a substance associated
with anger. When Macbeth arrives, she is already primed (aware/well-
informed) to commit murder, and she takes charge when he hesitates.

Act 1, Scene 6

Summary

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Duncan and his sons, along with Banquo and the other lords, arrive at Macbeth’s
castle. Duncan admires the castle and receives Lady Macbeth’s greetings and
hospitality.

Analysis

This brief scene serves the practical purpose of getting Duncan to Macbeth’s
castle to advance the plot. At the same time, it underscores
(underlines/highlights/emphasises) the heinous
(monstrous/atrocious/terrible) nature of Lady Macbeth’s plotting. She smiles
and provides warm hospitality to a guest in her home, knowing that she will
take that hospitality away at knifepoint while the guest sleeps under her roof.

Act 1, Scene 7

Summary

As the servants prepare a banquet to honour the king, Macbeth debates with
himself and show up his courage to kill Duncan. However, he begins to have
second thoughts and goes as far as telling his wife they will “proceed no further,”
citing the honours Duncan has granted him. She responds by questioning his
courage and his manhood and asks why he told her about the witches if he did
not want to become king. She assures him their plan will succeed if Macbeth
does what he is supposed to do. She explains the details, saying she will get
Duncan’s guards drunk and Macbeth will stab Duncan in his sleep. Convinced
at last, Macbeth praises his wife’s nerve. He is ready.

Analysis

Macbeth’s soliloquy at the start of the scene reveals him as a deeply divided
character. He is aware of the ethical duties of host and subject, and yet he is
ready to violate those principles; he is fearful of the uncontrollable consequences
of murder, and yet he is eager to reap murder’s benefits. The exchange between
Macbeth and his wife presents her as the architect of the assassination plot and

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Macbeth as divided sometimes a coconspirator, other times a skeptic
(disbeliever/doubting Thomas). Macbeth attempts to dissuade (discourage)
Lady Macbeth by reminding her how well Duncan has treated him. She pushes
the plan forward here, circling back to her doubts about Macbeth’s manhood and
saying that he owes more loyalty to her than to the king. She illustrates this
point by saying she would rather kill her own child than break the oath that
Macbeth has made to go through with this plot, another rejection of the
nurturing feminine ideal. Macbeth remarks that his wife’s personality is a better
inheritance for sons than daughters. She has him wound up again to commit
“this terrible feat.”

ACT 2

Act 2, Scene 1

Summary

Banquo and Fleance have a short talk while on the night’s watch. Banquo has a
bad feeling about this night and cannot sleep. They hear a noise that causes
Banquo to draw his sword, but it is Macbeth. He assures Banquo that he has not
been thinking about the witches’ predictions but says the two of them can talk
about it later. Macbeth then encourages Banquo and Fleance to get some rest
and sends his servant away as well. Once alone, Macbeth reflects on his plan and
on the subjects of sleep, death, and evil deeds. He contemplates on his dagger,
first seeing it as a vision, then as a real weapon that he draws from his belt. He
hopes he will be able to carry out his plan, and when he hears a bell in the
distance, he moves on to Duncan’s chamber.

Analysis

The conversation between Banquo and Fleance is one of many in the play where
the characters talk about bad omens and ill feelings about events yet to come.
The dramatic irony in this scene is that Banquo is startled when Macbeth

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appears, but once he identifies Macbeth, he puts his sword away. Banquo does
not know what the audience knows, which is that Macbeth’s development from
an honourable individual to a lying and dangerous character is well under way.
He is the one they should be guarding against, but Banquo and Fleance have no
way of knowing that, especially when Macbeth lies and tells Banquo he has not
thought about the witches.

Once Macbeth is alone with his thoughts and away from his wife's goading
presence, his conscience provokes yet another moment of hesitation. He sees a
vision of his dagger; whether this vision is the result of supernatural influence
or a manifestation of his guilty conscience is unclear, even to Macbeth. He
observes that the vision points his way to Duncan, but when the dagger shows
bloodstains, Macbeth determines the vision is a product of his anxious mind. He
decides he must act before he talks himself out of committing the deed.
Observing that the hour is ripe for the murder and that the ringing bell is
inviting him to strike, he decides the bell is Duncan’s death knell (ring/sound)
and approaches the king's chamber.

Act 2, Scene 2

Summary

Lady Macbeth feels energized and emboldened by the excitement of the night’s
events, although an owl’s hoot startles her as she waits for Macbeth to return.
When she hears him at the door, she wonders if something has gone wrong. She
notes that she would have killed Duncan herself had he not resembled her
sleeping father. When she lets Macbeth in, he carries two daggers, and his hands
are bloodstained. He confirms he has killed Duncan. He then relays that, after
the murder, he overheard two men waking in another room, one of whom cried
out, “Murder!” as he woke. The men then said a short prayer and fell asleep
again. Macbeth dwells on the fact that he could not say “amen” when he
overheard the men’s prayer, even though he needed a blessing.

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Lady Macbeth tells her husband that they should not think too much about the
murder, but Macbeth continues to worry. He says he heard voices that said he
and his house would “sleep no more.” She tells him again not to think about it,
lest he drive himself insane (foolish/mad). Then she sends him to wash his hands
and notices he still has the daggers, which he was supposed to leave with the
guards to incriminate (implicate) them in the murder. Macbeth refuses to return
to Duncan’s room, so Lady Macbeth goes back instead.

While she is gone, Macbeth hears the sound of knocking and worries about
being discovered. When Lady Macbeth returns, her hands are bloody, but she
says her conscience is clear. The knocking continues, and Lady Macbeth realizes
it is someone at the castle gate. She says they should wash and get in bed so they
appear to have been sleeping. Macbeth expresses a final note of regret, saying
he wishes the knocking could wake Duncan.

Analysis

Lady Macbeth’s words and actions illustrate her investment in the plot and paint
her as the brains behind this operation. Again, rejecting a traditional feminine
role, she says she has been drinking with Duncan’s guards; the drink put them
to sleep, but it made her feel bold. She even admits that she considered
committing the murder herself, although her reason for restraint Duncan’s
resemblance to her own father reveals a sliver (flake) of the guilt that she denies
feeling. When she realizes that Macbeth has botched his part of the job and
brought the daggers back with him, she takes action with ruthless efficiency and
returns to the scene of the crime to plant the evidence, but not before scolding
her husband and delivering another strike at his manhood for being “infirm of
purpose.”

Macbeth is finding it difficult to deny his guilt. He fixates on having overheard

a man in another room cry out, “Murder!” This is the first sign of the tormenting
burden that this murder will be, though he will go on to other acts of murder.

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He then worries about not having been able to pray silently with the men he
overheard and wonders why he could not speak the word “amen.” While it is an
instance of dramatic irony that Macbeth feels he needs, or deserves, a blessing
after committing a murder, this fixation with the word as well as the voices he
hears cursing his house implies he is concerned about the state of his soul. It is
unclear whether these voices are supernatural, the products of his own guilt, or
both, but they accurately predict the downfall that awaits Macbeth.

Act 2, Scene 3

Summary

A hungover porter answers the knocking from the previous scene and finds
Macduff and Lennox at the gate. Macbeth arrives wearing his dressing gown
and says the king is not yet awake. Macduff goes to wake the king, who had
asked to be roused early. While they wait, Lennox describes a night of unruly
weather with strong winds and sinister voices in the air. Macduff returns to say
the king has been murdered. He goes to wake the castle while Macbeth and
Lennox hurry to Duncan’s room.

Lady Macbeth comes to see what is going on, and Macduff tells her it is too
gruesome for a woman to hear about. At this moment, Banquo arrives, and
Macduff tells him what has happened. Lady Macbeth, still in the room, seems
shocked. Macbeth and Lennox return with Ross, just ahead of Malcolm and
Donalbain. Macbeth confirms the king is dead, and Lennox adds that they found
the guards with bloodied faces and daggers lying on their pillows. Macbeth says
he killed them in a fury after finding the dead king, and Macduff asks why.
Macbeth says he did it out of love for Duncan. At this moment, Lady Macbeth
appears to faint, and everyone goes to her aid, except Malcolm and Donalbain.
The brothers decide they may be the assassin’s next target and decide that they
must leave Scotland. Malcolm will travel south to England, and Donalbain will
depart for Ireland.

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Analysis

The porter’s description of his night’s drinking includes some jokes about how
drink affects sexual performance, which provides a comic mirror image to Lady
Macbeth’s near constant questioning of her husband’s manhood. Likewise,
Lennox’s small talk mirrors the conversation Banquo and Fleance had two
scenes ago, in which they observed the night’s strange mood.

Macbeth reacts to the news of Duncan’s murder with predictable outrage,

claiming to have been so overcome with emotion that he killed the guards right
away. Of course, he actually killed them so they would have no chance to deny
the assassination or talk about Lady Macbeth giving them drink, which might
cast suspicion in her direction. The other thanes and lords seem satisfied by
Macbeth’s reaction, but Macduff’s single question about killing the guards
“Wherefore did you so?” reveals his doubt, however small, about Macbeth’s
story. Macduff knows dead guards can provide no information about who was
behind the killing.

Lady Macbeth shows in this scene that while she privately rejects the
expectations for her gender, she will happily play the part to suit her ends.
Macduff’s comment that the talk of murder is not suitable for her ears is an
example of dramatic irony, considering she planned said murder. She seems to
realize that Macbeth’s claim of love for Duncan as the motive for killing the
guards is overstated and recognizes the doubt framed in Macduff’s single
question, which is why she fakes a fainting spell just as Macbeth finishes his
declarations. She clearly does not want her husband to answer more questions.
Her ruse works, as all the men in the room rush to her aid, except Malcolm and
Donalbain.

Malcolm also seems to suspect Macbeth in his father’s death, as he and his
brother decide not to meet with the thanes to investigate further. Malcolm says
that a treacherous man can easily show emotions he doesn’t feel, a comment

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which could be aimed at any of the thanes but seems a direct dig at Macbeth’s
overly passionate speech.

Act 2, Scene 4

Summary

Ross talks to an old man about bad omens and a seeming impenetrable darkness
since the king’s murder. Ross addresses the man as “father,” although this could
be a term of respect for the man’s age. Ross says the king’s horses ran wild and
escaped their stable after their master’s death. The old man says the horses ate
each other. Macduff arrives, and Ross asks him if anything new has been
discovered about the culprits. Macduff says Duncan’s sons are suspects in the
murder, as they have fled the country. He adds that Macbeth has left for Scone,
where he will be crowned king, and that Duncan’s body is on its way to burial.
Macduff will return to his home in Fife rather than attend the coronation, but
Ross sets out for the ceremony.

Analysis

While the witches are not present in the scenes surrounding Duncan’s murder,
their sinister nature is echoed in the many references to strange events and
weather; the portents refer not only to the witches, but also to regicide (killing
of a king) as a disturbance of order. Ross makes an observation about the eerie
mood enveloping the country, which Banquo and Lennox observed previously.
When Macduff arrives with the news that Duncan’s sons, Malcolm and
Donalbain, have left Scotland, he says suspicion has been put upon them. This
choice of words is telling because it implies that Macduff himself does not
necessarily see them as suspects. His choice not to attend Macbeth’s coronation
reveals his distaste for the new king and also hints toward his suspicions.

ACT 3

Act 3, Scene 1

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Summary

Macbeth has been crowned king, and Banquo stands alone to contemplate how
this follows the witches’ prediction. He has suspicions about Macbeth’s role in
Duncan’s death and considers his own part of the prophecy that he, Banquo, will
father many kings.

Macbeth and Lady Macbeth, with lords and attendants in tow, interrupt
Banquo’s reflections. They call him their “chief guest” and ask how long he plans
to stay with them. Banquo tells them he and Fleance plan to leave the castle in
the afternoon to go riding, but he promises to return in time for the banquet.
Before Banquo leaves, Macbeth adds fuel to the rumors about Malcolm and
Donalbain, saying they have lied their ways into the courts of England and
Ireland.

After Banquo departs, Macbeth has two new visitors at the gate. While he waits
for them to enter, he considers Banquo’s part of the witches’ prediction that
Banquo’s descendants will rule Scotland. This stirs envy in Macbeth;
furthermore, Banquo, if he has guessed the truth, may present an immediate
threat. The solution arrives in the form of Macbeth’s visitors, two murderers
that Macbeth hires to kill Banquo and Fleance on their return home that night.

Analysis

Even though Banquo suspects Macbeth may have had a hand in Duncan’s
murder, he is oddly unconcerned about his own safety. He freely tells Macbeth
the details of his plan to go riding in the afternoon, including his son’s plans to
accompany him. Because he spends some time thinking about what the witches
said about his role as the father of kings, perhaps he believes this gives him
protection from harm, or perhaps he is simply reluctant to begin treating his
friend Macbeth as an enemy.

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The prophecy about Banquo troubles Macbeth as well. He frets(worries) that
the fates have given him a “fruitless crown,” because he has no heirs of his own.
He feels cheated by the possibility that he has taken the throne only to have it
taken from him by one of Banquo’s descendants. Because he does not know how
Banquo’s descendants might get to the throne, he feels threatened. Furthermore,
Macbeth reflects that if the prophecy about Banquo is fulfilled, it means he has
committed murder and imperiled (endangered/risked/jeopardised) his soul only
for the benefit of Banquo’s descendants. Banquo, by guessing the truth, may
present an immediate threat. In hiring the murderers to kill Banquo, the full
extent of Macbeth’s change is revealed. Although he is increasingly horrified
(shocked/disturbed) by his own acts, his behaviour becomes even more rash.
Before and even after killing Duncan, Macbeth experiences periods of doubt and
deliberation about the act and needs his wife to press him forward. In dealing
with the murderers, he experiences no such hesitation and does not consult his
wife, instead letting his ambition guide him completely. Although he is
unwilling to do the killing himself, he seems comfortable with ordering the
death of his friend now that he has the power to do so.

Act 3, Scene 2

Summary

Lady Macbeth confirms that Banquo has left the court and encourages Macbeth
to bury any guilt he still has about Duncan. He counters by describing his fears
about Banquo and Fleance. He hints to her that he plans to eliminate the threat
they present, but he will not tell her more until the deed is accomplished.

Analysis

Lady Macbeth’s role in her marriage has changed somewhat. Her comment as
she waits to speak to Macbeth shows that they are not entirely happy now that
they have the crown, but her interpretation of his moods also shows that the two
are communicating less. She once again tells him to stop worrying about
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Duncan’s murder, which is not what Macbeth is worried about at this point. He
does reveal to her that his preoccupation is more about the threat that Banquo
poses to their position, but he does not share the details of his plans. This
secrecy, although it is thin, represents a departure from their previous
relationship, in which they made plans together.

Act 3, Scene 3

Summary

Macbeth’s hired murderers prepare to ambush Banquo and Fleance along a

darkened road. They attack and kill Banquo when the two arrive, but Fleance
escapes. The murderers set off to inform Macbeth.

Analysis

Even though Macbeth has initiated forceful action to try to stop Banquo’s
offspring from taking the throne, Fleance’s escape allows the witches’ prophecy
to remain possible. The outcome of Macbeth’s attempt illustrates that he cannot
“trammel (hinder/restrict) up the consequences,” as he had longed to in Act I;
that is, he cannot control all that happens as a result of his fateful act of regicide.
Fleance’s escape also suggests that perhaps the witches’ prophecies originate
from a supernatural force that Macbeth cannot control.

Act 3, Scene 4

Summary

Macbeth and Lady Macbeth host a banquet for the lords at court. As the king
and queen greet their guests, one of the murderers arrives with blood on his
face. Macbeth talks to him, and the murderer tells him that Banquo is dead but
that Fleance escaped. Macbeth decides to pursue Fleance later; he returns to the
banquet.

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During the banquet, Macbeth sees Banquo’s ghost enter and sit in his own place
at the table. The others do not see the ghost, so they are confused when Macbeth
asks which of them has “done this” (placed Banquo’s ghost at the table). The
lords think Macbeth is ill when he addresses the ghost directly. Lady Macbeth
tries to cover for him, but she scolds him for being unmanly and letting his fear
and guilt get the better of him. Macbeth speaks again to the ghost, and the ghost
leaves. Macbeth then tries to cover up by proposing a toast to Banquo.

Shortly after, the ghost returns, and when Macbeth sees it again, he orders it to
leave. By this point, his behavior has ruined the banquet. Even though the ghost
leaves and Lady Macbeth makes more excuses for Macbeth, saying he is ill, the
party breaks up. After the lords leave, Macbeth tells his wife he fears Banquo’s
revenge and asks why Macduff did not attend the banquet. Both these events,
the ghost and Macduff’s absence, make Macbeth nervous, so he resolves to visit
the three witches the following day.

Analysis

Macbeth is confident in his actions when he sends the murderers to pursue

Banquo, and that confidence continues even after the murderer tells him Fleance
has escaped. Although Macbeth has not yet eliminated the threat of Banquo’s
offspring, which makes him nervous, he is thankful to know that Banquo can’t
expose him now. He plans to go after Fleance again later. However, Macbeth’s
confidence evaporates entirely upon seeing Banquo’s ghost seated at his table.
He is so undone, he forgets who is watching and talks to the ghost, denying to
the apparition that he had anything to do with its death.

Lady Macbeth believes the vision is like the dagger Macbeth saw before he
stabbed Duncan a product of his fear and doubt. She scolds him for his lack of
courage and compares these visions to a grandmother’s fireside story. However,
like the dagger, it is unclear whether this is a figment of Macbeth’s mind or a
supernatural influence. Lady Macbeth was willing to believe in spirits and the

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witches’ prophecies when they suited her, but now that those same spirits are
creating inconvenience for her, she prefers to think of them as products of her
husband’s weakness. His weakness forces her to take charge by making excuses
for Macbeth’s illness, but even as she does so, she can tell their position is
slipping.

Act 3, Scene 5

Summary

The witches convene with their goddess Hecate, who is angry that they have
been dealing with Macbeth without her advice. She thinks he is a bad man, but
she agrees to meet with the witches and Macbeth the next day at the pit of
Acheron. She plans to show him visions that will lead him to his undoing.

Analysis

Hecate thinks Macbeth is unworthy of the attentions the witches have shown
him. They have helped him become king, even though she thinks he is
undeserving of their help and only interested in himself. She says she plans to
create havoc for Macbeth by further playing on his ambition in additional
visions. As in most good dramas in which the plot is sparked by a prophecy,
Macbeth will attempt to flout or evade the prophecy, and Hecate knows this.
Because Hecate seems unnecessary to the plot.

Act 3, Scene 6

Summary

Lennox meets with another thane and talks about the strange events and
suspicious deaths that have taken place recently. He mentions Duncan’s murder,
Banquo’s killing, and Fleances departure. The sons may be accused of killing
their fathers, he asserts, because Malcolm, Donalbain, and Fleance all fled after
the murders. He talks about Macbeth killing Duncan’s guards, and it becomes

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clear he suspects Macbeth is behind all the killings. Both men refer to Macbeth
as a tyrant. The other lord tells Lennox that Malcolm has been accepted into
the English court and that Macduff is on his way there to find him and ask the
English king for an army to depose Macbeth. Macbeth has also heard all of this
and may be preparing for battle, so the two pray for Macduff’s success.

Analysis

When Lennox talks about Macbeth’s grief for Duncan and his actions against
Duncan’s guards, his tone is sarcastic. Banquo’s death has caused Lennox and
the other lords to notice a pattern the people Macbeth professes to love
somehow keep winding up dead. The conversation raises the question of
whether Macbeth might have gotten away with his plot if he had left Banquo
alone. Instead, suspicions are high; Macbeth’s lords call him “tyrant” behind his
back and have begun making plans to get rid of him.

ACT 4

Act 4, Scene 1

Summary

The witches meet at the pit of Acheron and brew a spell in their cauldron to
create trouble, likely for Macbeth. Hecate arrives and praises their efforts, and
then Macbeth appears. During his visit with the witches, three apparitions rise
from the cauldron, each one giving Macbeth information about his future. The
first is a helmeted head that warns Macbeth to beware of Macduff. Macbeth
gives thanks for the warning. The second is a bloodied child who assures
Macbeth that “none of woman born shall harm Macbeth.” At this, Macbeth
decides Macduff is not a threat, but he plans to kill him anyway, just to be safe.
The third apparition is another child. This one wears a crown and holds a tree
in its hand. It says Macbeth will hold the throne until Great Birnam Wood

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comes to Dunsinane Hill. Because the movement of an entire forest does not
seem possible, Macbeth takes reassurance from this omen as well.

After the last apparition, Macbeth demands to know more, but the witches tell
him to seek no more answers. He threatens them with a curse, and as the
cauldron sinks into the earth, a procession of eight kings and Banquo’s ghost
enter the scene. Macbeth speaks to them, though they do not respond, and he
understands from the ghost’s smile that this vision is Banquo and his
descendants, all kings. The final king holds a mirror, in which Banquo’s line
seems to stretch to infinity. Macbeth is upset, so the witches make music and
dance to cheer him, and then they vanish (disappear).

Lennox arrives moments later with word that Macduff is in England. Macbeth
decides to take this opportunity to ambush Macduff’s castle at Fife. He plans to
murder Macduff’s family and servants, showing no mercy.

Analysis

The visions at the centre of this scene renew Macbeth’s confidence in his future.
Because the witches’ previous predictions have fed his ambition and given him
everything he wanted, he does not pause to think that these visions may be
incomplete or that the witches may not be working in his best interests. Instead,
he reads the visions at face value. Thinking that the final two messages that no
one born of woman can cause him harm, and that he will not lose in battle until
a forest moves to a hill assure his victory, he ignores the first message that
emphasises Macduff as a threat. With an arrogance derived from the second and
third visions, he orders an attack on Macduff’s castle, showing how he has
changed, perhaps under the twin burdens of power and guilt. His attack on
Macduff’s castle is avaricious (greedy, rapacious), vindictive, and rash.

Macbeth is visibly distressed by the vision of Banquo’s descendants in a long

line of kings; this prediction has been plaguing him for some time. However, he
makes no immediate plans to locate or eliminate Fleance. Instead, he focuses on
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Macduff’s family, providing additional evidence that he is acting on emotion
rather than deliberation. He says as much when he declares that he will now
immediately act on his thoughts: “The very firstlings of my heart shall be / The
firstlings of my hand.” He believes he is able to adopt this approach because the
second and third visions protect him, but again his ambition and arrogance are
driving him to pick and choose to believe the prophecies he likes, rather than
observing them carefully as a whole. He has information about his destiny but
no true understanding of it, which leads him to act rashly.

Though it is Malcolm, not Fleance, who becomes king at the end of Macbeth,
Shakespeare likely added the detail about Banquo’s role as the father of many
kings in order to flatter James I, whose family claimed the real-life Banquo
among its ancestors.

Act 4, Scene 2

Summary

Lady Macduff, her son, and the Thane of Ross are in the castle at Fife. Lady
Macduff is angry at her husband for leaving. His absence makes them look like
traitors, and she is unprotected. Ross attempts to comfort her and convince her
that this is all for the greater good, but then he leaves. Lady Macduff requests
that her son tell her what he would do if his father were dead; she then pretends
this is the case. The boy does not believe her because she is not crying or
planning to remarry. Suddenly, a messenger arrives and advises the family to
vacate the castle immediately, but Lady Macduff is confused because she has
done nothing wrong and does not know where she would go. Before she can
think any further, Macbeth’s hired murderers arrive and kill her son. She runs,
but the murderers pursue her.

Analysis

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Under the circumstances, Lady Macduff has every right to be angry with her
husband for leaving their castle unprotected. Killers are on their way to attack.
Lady Macduff’s troubled emotions result in a somewhat cruel conversation with
her son in which she asks the child what he would do if his father were dead. In
fact, it is the child’s mother and the child himself who meet their end only
moments later.

Macduff’s son is clever and prophetic in his own way. At no point does the boy
buy his mother’s ruse that his father is dead, and he answers her cheekily with
unassailable logic, pointing out that she is not behaving as a widow might. The
child asks if his father is a traitor, and the mother says that Macduff is a traitor
because he swears and lies. Again, she is venting her anger at her husband for
leaving them, even though it was for the greater good. Macduff may be a traitor
to a false king, but he is loyal to the true monarchy, which is why he is away
now. The son is again clever about the fate of traitors; he says those who cheat
and lie far outnumber honest men, and so traitors should have no trouble
defeating the honest men. This certainly has been the case in Macbeth so far.

Act 4, Scene 3

Summary

Macduff finds Malcolm at the palace of King Edward the Confessor in England.
They mourn Duncan’s death and share their suspicions about Macbeth’s hand
in it. Malcolm fears returning to Scotland to claim his throne, but he is moved
by the fact that Macduff left his wife and child to come to England, a sign of the
matter’s grave importance. However, not yet fully convinced, Malcolm confesses
to being a lustful and greedy man a false claim made in an effort to dissuade
Macduff. Macduff does not seem to think these flaws are so terrible. Malcolm
adds that he has no virtues to balance his vices, and Macduff falls into despair
for Scotland. At this, Malcolm is moved further; he says he lied about his faults
and agrees to follow Macduff to save Scotland. A doctor approaches and tells

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them the king will be out soon. The king is tending to a group of sick people,
the doctor says, and is able to heal the sick with his touch. Malcolm explains to
Macduff how he has seen the king use a touch and a prayer to cure many people
of “the Evil” (a reference to scrofula, a tuberculosis infection of the lymph nodes
in the neck).

Ross then joins the meeting with news of Scotland, saying the country is in a
sorry state. When Macduff enquires about his family, Ross is evasive and instead
asks Malcolm to help. Malcolm tells him he will return with an English army of
ten thousand men from his uncle Siward. Macduff again asks if Ross has news
of his family, and Ross finally tells Macduff that an ambush on the castle left his
wife, child, and servants dead. Macduff has trouble absorbing this news, asking
Ross to repeat the details more than once. Malcolm says that avenging their
deaths will help Macduff’s grief. Macduff blames himself for leaving his family
unguarded, and Malcolm again encourages Macduff to use his feelings to fuel
the coming battle. They set off for Scotland.

Analysis

Both Malcolm and Macduff appear somewhat desperate when they meet.
Malcolm is desperate not to return to Scotland, spinning tales about his
debauchery (wickedness/dishonesty), perversion, and greed to convince
Macduff that he is not fit to take up his father’s crown. Macduff is so desperate
to rid his homeland of Macbeth that he dismisses Malcolm’s tales as
inconsequential (trivial). Because Macduff clearly thinks a perverted spendthrift
(wasteful/extravagant) would be better on the throne than its current occupant,
Malcolm understands how bad things must be in Scotland and how bad Macbeth
must be as king. Finally, Malcolm takes up the challenge before him, and he does
so with amazing gusto (enjoyment/enthusiasm). When Macduff is crushed by
the news about his family, Malcolm tries to spin it in a positive way, saying

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Macduff can use this loss to fuel him in battle against Macbeth. He does not
mean to appear insensitive.

In a diversion from the main action of the scene, an English doctor approaches,
and Malcolm inquires after the whereabouts of King Edward. The doctor replies
that the king will come out shortly. The king in question is Edward the
Confessor, and the moment may appear a little out of place, but it relates to
Macduff and Malcolm’s conversation about what a king should be. The doctor’s
announcement leads them to discuss a particularly ideal king, one who heals the
sick and drives out evil. The fact that Edward is currently tending to a group of
people with his healing hands emphasises his contrast to Macbeth, who has
bloody hands.

ACT 5

Act 5, Scene 1

Summary

A doctor speaks with one of Lady Macbeth’s attendants. The attendant describes
Lady Macbeth sleepwalking at night, sometimes writing and sealing letters
before going back to bed. They see her enter the room holding a candle; she has
requested that a candle be at her side at all times. She rubs her hands together
as if to wash them. Although the doctor and attendant do not know the details,
they understand that she has seen or done something terrible. In her haze, she
is remembering Duncan’s murder, talking about bloodstains on her hands that
will not wash away, rambling about how “we” have nothing to fear, and
wondering at how much blood was in the old man. Then, without the doctor or
attendant understanding, she appears to be talking to Macbeth scolding him for
his guilt about Banquo and telling him to get to bed. The doctor says her illness
is beyond his help and tells the attendant to keep her calm. He suspects the truth
behind what she is saying, but he does not want to say it aloud.

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Analysis

In earlier scenes, Lady Macbeth warns her husband against dwelling on his
murder of Duncan, lest the guilt drive him to madness. In contrast, Lady
Macbeth denies her guilt, justifies their actions, and expresses no hesitation or
regret. At this point in the play, the memories of Duncan’s murder haunt her
dreams, driving her to sleepwalk and hallucinate; she reenacts the murder and
attempts to wash imaginary blood from her hands.

Macbeth has now adopted the hardened ambition and rash quickness to action
that were once his wife’s domain. He orders the death of his friend without
hesitation. In addition, he orders the deaths of Macduff’s family and servants, all
innocents, without a moment’s hesitation. Furthermore, even though his wife is
gravely ill, he appears to have abandoned her to the care of doctors and servants.
This is the first appearance Lady Macbeth has made since the banquet and the
first in which she appears without any interaction with her husband, which
implies Macbeth’s ambition and preoccupation with preserving his power have
overshadowed his love for his wife.

Act 5, Scene 2

Summary

In the countryside near Dunsinane, the lords Caithness, Menteith, Lennox, and
Angus meet with a number of soldiers. Menteith says English troops are on
their way, led by Malcolm and Macduff. Angus says they will join these troops
near Birnam Wood, and Lennox confirms that Donalbain is not with Malcolm
and the English army. They then discuss Macbeth, who is fortifying the castle
at Dunsinane. They speculate that he cannot hold his position, as the troops that
will follow him are moved only by orders, not by love or true loyalty. The thanes
and their soldiers march on toward Birnam to meet the English army and
Malcolm, whom they see as the rightful heir to the Scottish crown.

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Analysis

With the other lords against him and the English army on its way, Macbeth's
final defeat looms, just as prophesied by the witches. The armies will meet at
Birnam Wood, whose move to Dunsinane Hill was prophesied as a danger to
Macbeth. While the precise method by which the forest will move is not yet
clear, the troops are marching at the edges of Macbeth’s destiny.

As the thanes speculate about Macbeth’s unstable mind, his guilt, and the lack
of loyalty among his troops, they gain conviction that they and Malcolm will
succeed in healing their sickly country. By shedding their blood to drown the
weeds, they will purge Scotland of the source of its illness.

Act 5, Scene 3

Summary

In the castle at Dunsinane, Macbeth runs through the predictions from the
visions the witches showed him. The forest cannot move, and Malcolm was born
of a woman, so Macbeth believes the prophecies protect him from harm. When
a servant enters to announce the English army has arrived in the country, he
responds with anger and sends the servant away. Left alone, he ruminates
(ponders, reflects meditates) that he has moved nearly into old age without the
love, honour, and friends that should surround him now. Calling out for his
servant, Seyton, he resigns himself to an early death. When Seyton confirms the
arrival of the English army, Macbeth asks him to bring his armour. While
Seyton fetches the armour, Macbeth talks to the doctor about Lady Macbeth’s
condition. The doctor says she is not sick in body but in mind, and Macbeth
commands him to cure her. The doctor says she has to cure herself, and Macbeth
decides that all medicine is nonsense. He puts his armour on and prepares for
battle, reciting the prophecy about Birnam Wood and Dunsinane. The doctor
decides to get as far from Dunsinane as possible.

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Analysis

Even as Macbeth runs through the prophecies, his belief in their protective
power blinds him to the instability of his actual situation; the thanes have
defected, his troops are loyal in name only, and enemy armies are gathering
nearby. He believes so strongly that the witches have given him a complete and
true vision of his future that he takes no preventive action when he learns that
ten thousand troops have arrived in Scotland. Nonetheless, though he seems
assured of his safety, he is less so in his happiness. He reflects that he has nothing
he would expect to have as he ages not honour or love or obedience or friends.
His ruminations on his lack of love or friendship, on his having only “mouth-
honour,” are the culmination of his own unwitting prophecy in Act I having
murdered his king, nothing but “the lees,” the dregs, of life are left to him. He
thinks that, though he is still breathing, his heart would not care if he simply
stopped and died.

Macbeth’s concern for his wife’s condition appears detached in his conversation
with the doctor. He still does not interact with her directly. She does not appear
in this scene, and Macbeth’s talk with the doctor gives no indication that
Macbeth has seen her or has plans to do so. There is some emotion evident in
his orders to the doctor to make her well, but this urgency speaks to Macbeth’s
inability to deal with her as she is. He becomes angry when the doctor suggests
Lady Macbeth must cure herself, possibly because that course might also require
her husband’s support, and Macbeth has no time for that.

Act 5, Scene 4

Summary

The Scottish army and the English army, with all the lords and thanes
attending, meet at Birnam Wood. Malcolm instructs each of the soldiers to cut
a tree limb and carry it as camouflage on the march to Dunsinane, which will
allow them to conceal their numbers from Macbeth.
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Analysis

Here, the full ambiguity of the witches’ words becomes evident. Birnam Wood
can indeed move across the countryside to Dunsinane Hill, or at least the wood
can appear to move. This is a military strategy, and Macbeth, as a seasoned
warrior, might have thought of such a possibility had he allowed himself to
question the prophecy at any point. Because Macbeth did not think of this
contingency, the plan also illustrates Malcolm as a superior strategist.

Act 5, Scene 5

Summary

Still in the castle at Dunsinane, Macbeth has convinced himself that he and his
men have a good chance in battle. From another room, he and Seyton hear
women crying. Seyton leaves to see what is going on and returns to announce
that the queen is dead. Macbeth is stunned and says that she “should have died
hereafter,” a statement that could mean she would have died later anyway or
that she should not have died now but later. He reflects on how short life really
is and how it seems meaningless. Then a messenger arrives to announce Birnam
Wood appears to be approaching the castle. Macbeth threatens to hang the
messenger if he is lying, but now Macbeth feels fear about the upcoming battle.

Analysis

Based on the evidence available, Macbeth has not seen his wife since her madness
began, and he is not with her when she dies. When he receives word of her death,
he appears saddened by the shortness of her life and seems to despair about the
worth and meaning of life in general. Depending on its performance, the speech
can show Macbeth as callous (heartless, unfeeling, uncaring) toward his wife’s
death (she would have died anyway) or he may be seen as wishing Lady Macbeth
had held on longer because, with battle looming, he has no chance to mourn for
her. Contemplating on his future without his wife, he sees the years ahead of him

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as a series of ephemeral (short-lived, brief) and meaningless days trailing to a
dusty death. It is unclear how much of this existential crisis is caused by Lady
Macbeth’s passing and how much is motivated by Macbeth’s own dwindling
fortunes. Although the soliloquy is moving, he almost immediately moves on
when the message arrives about Birnam Wood traveling toward Dunsinane;
self-interest trumps grief.

Act 5, Scene 6

Summary

Only three short speeches long, this scene nevertheless brings the play to the
brink of war. Malcolm, his uncle Siward, Macduff, and the army approach
Dunsinane. Malcolm declares that they are near enough to their target to
abandon the branches they have used for camouflage. The men wish one another
well for the battle, and the war begins.

Analysis

Birnam Wood has now come to Dunsinane Hill, and the participants are eager
for the fight to begin. Malcolm again displays his leadership and diplomacy as
he gives his uncle Siward the honor of leading the battle’s first charge.

Act 5, Scene 7

Summary

In the midst of battle, Macbeth finds himself cornered, but he continues to fight.
He takes some comfort in the prophecy that no person born of woman can do
him harm. Siward’s son finds Macbeth, and Macbeth kills him, declaring that
the young man must have been born of woman. Macbeth flees before Macduff
arrives. Macduff pursues Macbeth, while Siward and Malcolm make their way
toward the castle.

Analysis

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Even though the prophecy about Birnam Wood coming to Dunsinane Hill has
not played out as he had thought it would, Macbeth continues to place faith in
the second vision’s words: none born of woman can harm him. Perhaps, with the
battle upon him, he has no time to consider other possible meanings, but his
clinging to this vision represents his continued blind allegiance to what he
believes is his destiny. He takes his ability to kill Siward’s son as proof that the
remaining prophecy is true, still driven by arrogance even as the battle rages
around him.

Act 5, Scene 8

Summary

Macduff catches up with Macbeth on another part of the battlefield. Macbeth

still thinks there is a way out, so when Macduff appears, Macbeth tells him that
he has already killed Macduff’s family and that Macduff is next. Macbeth brags
about his charmed life, saying none born of woman can hurt him. Macduff tells
Macbeth that he was not “of woman born” in the usual way; instead, he was cut
from his mother’s womb. At this news, Macbeth does not want to fight, but he
will not yield when Macduff tells him to do so. They fight, and Macduff kills
Macbeth.

There is a retreat, and then Malcolm, Ross, Siward, and the rest of the thanes
and soldiers enter the scene with colours flying. Malcolm regrets the losses of
the day. Siward learns his son was killed but that he died honourably, which
makes Siward happy. Macduff arrives with Macbeth’s head on a pike the
standard treatment for traitors of the time. Macbeth’s head is treated as a trophy
and as a caution to other would-be traitors. Macduff and the others hail Malcolm
as king. Malcolm assumes his title and awards the thanes by naming them all as
earls, the first time this title has been used in Scotland. He decides to send word
to the exiles still abroad, such as Donalbain and Fleance, that they may come

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home. It is now safe to return, as Macbeth and Lady Macbeth are both dead.
Malcolm believes that Lady Macbeth took her own life.

The new king extends thanks to one and all and invites everyone to his
upcoming coronation at Scone.

Analysis

It turns out the “none of woman born” prophecy was extremely technical about
the mechanics of childbirth. The prophecy, in the end, seems more like an empty
taunt (insult) than a promise of a special destiny, as Macbeth turns out to be as
mortal as anyone. Having based crucial decisions on the witches’ predictions, he
finds that all their prophesies were misleading and that he might have been
better off had he never encountered the “weird sisters.”

Even when Macbeth has run out of protective prophecies and knows he is likely
beaten, he refuses to yield to Macduff. He is, in some senses, the same relentless
opponent he showed himself to be in the reports from Act I, but now his efforts
are in the service of nothing, as his “fruitless crown” is on the point of being torn
from him.

Triumph and sadness mingle as Malcolm and his thanes capture the castle.
Malcolm has matured through battle, evolving from a green prince to a seasoned
monarch. He is upset that not all their friends have survived. But, observing the
heroic code, they all put a brave face on the situation.

The men find comfort in Macduff’s war trophy, the gory (disgusting, gruesome)
head of their former friend Macbeth this dead butcher and cursed usurper.
Macduff and the others are heartened as they hail Malcolm, the new and rightful
king of Scotland.

CHARACTER ANALYSIS

MACBETH

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Macbeth is a Scottish nobleman who holds three successive titles in the play. At
first serving as Thane of Glamis, he meets three witches who prophesy he will
be awarded the title of Thane of Cawdor and later become king of Scotland.
When King Duncan makes him Thane of Cawdor as a reward for his role for
putting down a rebellion, Macbeth decides the witches must be correct. He kills
Duncan and takes the crown for himself. He then has his friend Banquo killed,
as Banquo was the only other person to know the prophecy. When the other
thanes become suspicious, they help Duncan’s rightful heir raise an army and
defeat Macbeth.

LADY MACBETH (MACBETH’S WIFE)

Lady Macbeth manipulates her husband powerfully to follow through with his
plans to kill Duncan. After the act of regicide, it is Lady Macbeth who has the
soundness of mind to plant the incriminating evidence on Duncan’s guards. And
yet, her firmness disintegrates gradually as the play progresses, leading to
nightmares that haunt her and ultimately drive her to suicide. In this regard,
Lady Macbeth appears to switch characters with Macbeth midway through the
play. Although most famous for her cruelty and lines such as “unsex me here,”
the decline of Lady Macbeth is also of great interest and certainly a mysterious
aspect of Macbeth.

WITCHES

The sisters in this malevolent trio act as the catalyst for the play’s action. The
predictions they give Macbeth spark his thoughts of becoming king. They meet
twice with Macbeth, and it becomes clear during a meeting with their goddess,
Hecate, that they are not working in Macbeth’s best interests, as they show him
visions that are incomplete and lead to his demise.

BANQUO, THANE OF LOCHABER

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A general in Duncan’s army along with Macbeth, Banquo is also the subject of
one of the witches’ prophesies. Unlike Macbeth, however, Banquo does not act
to fulfill these prophecies. He instead relies on his better judgement and morals.
And true to the witches’ words, his son Fleance escapes Macbeth’s murderers to
become a future king. Banquo is also important in that his ghost returns to haunt
Macbeth, thus instilling a strong sense of uneasiness among Macbeth’s servants.

MACDUFF, THANE OF FIFE

A Scottish nobleman who questions Macbeth’s tyrannical rule and refuses to

recognize him as king. Macduff follows Malcolm to England, where he
demonstrates his true faithfulness to Scotland. When the English army marches
on Dunsinane, it is Macduff who slays Macbeth in a duel. For even though
Macbeth is said to be invincible against any man born of a woman, Macduff was
born by the equivalent of a Caesarean section.

LADY MACDUFF, MACDUFF'S WIFE

A kind and motherly foil for Lady Macbeth’s lack of feminine sympathies, she is
killed along with her children after Macduff flees Scotland.

MACDUFF’S SON

The precociousness of Macduff’s son makes his death ever the more lamentable.

DUNCAN, KING OF SCOTLAND

A kind, trusting, good and respectable king. He inspires loyalty in his thanes
and rewards them for this, giving Macbeth a new title to honor his performance
in battle. After he is murdered, the thanes and lords mourn him and avenge him
by uniting against Macbeth.

MALCOLM AND DONALBAIN, DUNCAN’S SONS

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Malcolm and Donalbain are King Duncan’s older and younger sons respectively.
They are cunning characters. Although they seem to have inherited Duncan’s
fairness, both display a cunning that far surpasses their father. After Duncan’s
death, they fear for their lives rightly and both flee Scotland. Malcolm also tests
Macduff’s loyalty whilst abroad by putting on dishonourable and corrupt airs.
Such cunning, or shrewdness, allows for their successful return to the crown of
Scotland.

SEYTON

Macbeth’s servant.

THREE MURDERERS

Hired by Macbeth to kill Banquo, Fleance, Lady Macduff, and Macduff’s son.
Since only two murderers are explicitly hired by Macbeth, commentators
speculate on the identity of the third murderer. A popular candidate is Macbeth
himself.

A PORTER, IN MACBETH’S SERVICE

Provides comic relief with his account of “hell-portering”.

LENNOX

A Scottish noble who gradually questions Macbeth’s tyrannical rule.

ROSS

Macbeth’s cousin, Ross is a Scottish noble who eventually turns on Macbeth,

choosing to side with Malcolm and the English forces.

ANGUS, MENTEITH, AND CAITHNESS

Scottish nobles who join with Malcolm and the English forces in opposing
Macbeth.

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SIWARD, EARL OF NORTHUMBERLAND

As Duncan’s brother, he leads the English army against Macbeth. His army
disguises itself with branches from Birnam Wood, thereby fulfilling the witches’
prophesy that Macbeth will fall only when “Birnam Wood move to Dunsinane.”
Siward is also a proud father, declaring his approval when his son dies bravely
in battle.

YOUNG SIWARD

Siward’s son, slain by Macbeth in combat.

HECATE, QUEEN OF THE WITCHES

Some critics believe that her character was added to the play by a later
playwright.

THREE WITCHES, THE WEIRD SISTERS

The witches foresee Macbeth’s ascent to power and his defeat, as well as the
succession of Banquo’s line. Apparently without any real motive, their speech is
full of paradox and equivocation. Although the witches do not have much
character per se, they are in many ways central to the plot and themes of the
play.

THREE MESSENGERS, THREE SERVANTS, A LORD, A SOLDIER, A

CAPTAIN IN DUNCAN'S ARMY, AN OLD MAN, AN ENGLISH DOCTOR,
A SCOTTISH DOCTOR, A SCOTTISH GENTLEWOMAN

Incidental characters.

SYMBOLS

Blood

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Blood represents the guilt Macbeth and Lady Macbeth share. When Macbeth
returns from killing Duncan, his hands are covered with blood, which marks his
actions. Lady Macbeth also stains her hands when she returns the daggers to
the scene of the crime. For her, the symbolism becomes more permanent, as she
hallucinates blood on her hands during the throes of her madness later in the
play.

Ghosts

Ghosts represent the way past actions come back to haunt the present and
future, as when Macbeth sees Banquo’s ghost seated at the banquet table. It is
unclear whether the ghost is actually Banquo or a figment of Macbeth’s guilt-
ridden imagination. Later, when Banquo’s ghost appears again, this time with
the witches, he is leading a line of kings, his descendants, which demonstrates
that his death will give rise to future monarchs who will rule Scotland.

Storms

The storms that rage in Macbeth, whenever the witches appear and, on the
night, Duncan is murdered, are symbols of Scotland’s unrest, both politically
and socially. They also display Shakespeare’s belief in “the great chain of being,”
a symbiotic relationship between a divinely appointed ruler, the people, and all
of nature. Shakespeare uses storms and other natural disasters in Macbeth and
other plays (Julius Caesar, for example) to foreshadow adverse actions planned
against a ruler.

The thunder and lightning that accompany the witches’ meetings reflect their
intentions regarding Macbeth. Their predictions do Macbeth no favours, and
his adherence to them leads to his own demise.

THEMES

Ambition

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Macbeth and Lady Macbeth are driven to kill in the name of satisfying their
ambitions. Lady Macbeth is particularly susceptible to the lure of power. Once
the witches introduce the idea that Macbeth could be king, it is Lady Macbeth
whose thoughts immediately turn to murder, and she plots accordingly. She is
the one who pushes Macbeth to take part in killing Duncan. Once he has the
throne, Macbeth works on his own to keep it, killing Banquo because he is a
perceived threat. This second murder is the one that really arouses the
suspicions of the other thanes and lords, which demonstrates how Macbeth’s
ambition becomes his undoing.

Prophecy

The plot of Macbeth is set in motion ostensibly (apparently, superficially) by the

prophecy of the three witches. The prophecy fans the flames of ambition within
Macbeth and Lady Macbeth, serving as the primary impetus (energy,
motivation, stimulus) for the couple to plot the death of Duncan and
subsequently Banquo. The witches know Macbeth’s tragic flaw: given the
irresistible temptation to become King, he will choose to commit murder even
though he could simply discard their words. As it turns out, the prophecies are
not only fated but fatal, as Macbeth’s confidence in the witches leads him to fight
a rash battle in the final act.

Guilt and Remorse

Some of the most famous and poetic lines from Macbeth are expressions of
remorse. “Will all great Neptune’s Ocean wash this blood / Clean from my
hand?” exclaims Macbeth after he stabs Duncan (II ii 58-59). Similarly, Lady
Macbeth is plagued by a “spot” that she cannot remove from her hand: “Out,
damned spot! Out, I say. . . What, will these hands ne’er be clean?” (V I 30-37).
At first physical remainders of a regrettable crime, the royal blood leaves
permanent marks on the psyche of the couple, forever staining them with guilt
and remorse. The different ways in which the Macbeths cope with their crimes

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show how their characters develop: whereas Lady Macbeth is initially the one
without scruples, urging Macbeth to take action, it is an overpowering sense of
guilt and remorse that drives the Lady to her untimely death. Macbeth, on the
other hand, seems to overcome the guilt that plagues him early on in the play.

Ghosts and Visions

Just as an overwhelming guilty conscience drives Lady Macbeth mad, so too

does Macbeth’s “heat-oppressed” brain project the vision of a dagger before he
murders Duncan (II i 39). In what concerns ghosts and visions, the relation of
the natural to the supernatural in Macbeth is unclear. The three apparitions that
the witches summon, for example, are usually taken to be “real” even if only as
supernatural occurrences. But the matter is less clear when it comes to Banquo’
ghost. Macbeth is the only one who sees the ghost in a crowded room; is this yet
another projection of his feverish mind? Or is it really, so to speak, a
supernatural occurrence? Such ambiguities contribute to the eerie (weird,
uncanny) mood and sense of uncanniness that pervade the play, from the very
opening scene with the three bearded witches.

The Natural/Supernatural

If the witches’ prophecy is understood to be imposing a supernatural order on

the natural order of things, the natural order can also be understood as
responding with tempestuous signs. Following Duncan’s death, Lennox
describes the “unruly” night in some detail. Similarly, Ross notes that “the
heavens, as troubled with man’s act, / Threatens his bloody stage” (II iv 5-6). In
the same scene, the Old Man and Ross both agree that they saw horses eat each
other. Even the events leading to the conclusion of the play can be understood
as a negotiation of the natural and supernatural. Whereas Macbeth believes that
he will live the “lease of nature” since Birnam Wood cannot possibly come to
Dunsinane Hill the forest is literally uprooted by the English army in
accordance with the prophecy. The dichotomy between the natural and the

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supernatural forms a backdrop that suggests the epic proportions of the struggle
over the Scottish crown.

Dichotomy and Equivocation

“Fair is foul, and foul is fair / Hover through the fog and filthy air” (I i 10-11).
The first scene of the first act ends with these words of the witches, which
Macbeth echoes in his first line: “So foul and fair a day I have not seen” (I iii 36).
In a similar fashion, many scenes conclude with lines of dichotomy or
equivocation: “Hear it not, Duncan; for it is a knell / That summons thee to
heaven or hell” (II i64); “God’s benison go with you, and with those/ That would
make good of bad, and friends of foes” (II iv 41-42). Such lines evoke an air of
deep uncertainty: while polarities are reversed and established values are
overturned, it is entirely unclear as to whether the dichotomous clarity of
“heaven or hell” trumps the equivocatory fogginess of “fair is foul, and foul is
fair.” Thus, for Macbeth, this translates into an uncertainty as to whether the
prophecies are believable. It seems that Birnam Wood will either come to
Dunsinane Hill (a supernatural event) or it will not (a natural event); but the
actual even turns out to be neither here nor there, as the Wood figuratively
comes to Dunsinane.

Ambition and Temptation

Ambition and temptation both play a key factor in Macbeth and Lady Macbeth’s
decision to kill Duncan. Macbeth possesses enough self-awareness to realize the
dangers of overzealous ambition: “I have no spur / To prick the sides of my
intent, but only / Vaulting ambition which o’erleaps itself / And falls on
th’other” (25-28). And yet, the temptation to carry out the witches’ prophecy is
ultimately too strong for Macbeth to curb his ambition. In Lady Macbeth’s
lexicon, incidentally, “hope” is also another word for “ambition” and perhaps
“temptation.” As Macbeth expresses his doubts about killing Duncan, she
demands: “Was the hope drunk / Wherein you dressed yourself” (35-36)?

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Ironically, Lady Macbeth must herself rely on intoxicants to “make (her) bold”
before executing her ambitious and murderous plans (II ii 1). Once the
intoxication wears off, Lady Macbeth finds that she is unable to cope with the
consequences of her own “hope.” Ultimately, ambition and temptation prove
fatal for both the Macbeths.

Salvation and Damnation

As a morality tale of sorts, Macbeth recognizes the damning consequences of his

crime:

Gender Roles

Much of the action in the play is driven by women who do not act in
conventionally feminine ways. Lady Macbeth defies the expectations of her
gender with her ruthless actions. She asks the spirits to “unsex” her so she can
carry out her part in Duncan’s killing, and when Macbeth expresses any sign of
doubt or guilt, she consistently attacks him for being unmanly. At the same time,
she uses the expectations the other thanes and lords have for women delicacy
and sensitivity when Macbeth is in trouble, feigning a fainting spell to create a
distraction. Lady Macbeth’s ultimate descent into madness serves as the
punishment for her actions.

Destiny versus Free Will

After the three witches introduce their prophecy that he is to become king,
Macbeth takes to the suggestion with alarming speed. Until this point, he is
loyal to King Duncan and has just fought in battle to stop a rebellion against the
king and bring one of the perpetrators, the Thane of Cawdor, to justice. When
Macbeth is awarded Cawdor’s former title, he chooses to believe the rest of the
prophecy; from then on, a lust for power and revenge appears to drive his
actions. In this sense, he exerts his will in service of the prophecy. The same can

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be said of Macbeth’s belief in the other visions that “predict” his invincibility.
His belief in destiny causes him to act rashly and directly leads to his destruction.

Throughout the play, Shakespeare demonstrates that exercising free will has its
consequences. Although the prophesies serve as a powerful catalyst for their
actions, both Macbeth and Lady Macbeth show that their minds are divided in
their pursuit of power. Lady Macbeth, initially firm in her resolve to act and to
influence her husband’s actions, eventually becomes racked with guilt, which
manifests in hysteria and bizarre actions (her incessant handwashing and
sleepwalking). Macbeth, initially goaded (motivated/forced) by his wife, freely
chooses to follow her directives and then begins acting on his own, as when he
orders killers to dispatch Banquo, Fleance, and Macduff’s family. Macbeth's acts
deliver the rewards he seeks (the kingship and power), but guilt gnaws at him,
as seen in his fight with Macduff, when he reveals, “My soul is too much charged
/ with blood of thine already” (Act 5, Scene 8).

Loyalty

In the end, the thanes and lords who remained loyal to Duncan and his bloodline
are rewarded. Malcolm is able to retake the throne and call his brother and
Fleance back from exile. Macduff does lose his family, but he is allowed to
avenge them when he kills Macbeth. Macduff also keeps his own life and title.
Even Banquo will have a line of kings descended from him as his legacy.
Macbeth’s treachery, however, is punished by his death, but even before that, he
loses the trust and faith of his people. Lady Macbeth whose repressed guilt
pushes her into insanity precedes her husband in death.

GLOSSARY

apparition

A ghost or ghostlike image of a person or animal.

Birnam Wood

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A Scottish forest near the town of Perth in eastern Scotland, about 12 miles from
Dunsinane

Cawdor

A village and castle in northern Scotland, near Inverness.

Colmekill

An island off the western coast of Scotland, better known as Iona.

Dunsinane

The highest point in the Sidlaw Hills, located near Perth in eastern Scotland.
Ruins of an ancient fort can be found at the peak.

Earl

A ranking under the feudal system, lower than a marquis but higher than a
viscount. In Anglo-Saxon times, an earl was assigned large divisions of the
country to protect for the king.

Feudal

The medieval hierarchy of government, with the king at the top and various
other governing ranks of nobility below him.

Fife

A town and country area on a peninsula in eastern Scotland, not far from Forres
and Glamis.

Forres

A small town in northeastern Scotland. One of the country’s oldest settlements,

it is 27 miles northeast of Inverness.

Glamis

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A castle and village in eastern Scotland.

Lord

A landowner under the feudal system who held some command over others but
was also accountable to other nobility, including the king.

Scone

A Scottish village near the town of Perth and home of the Stone of Scone, the
traditional seat of coronation for all Scottish kings. The stone was moved to
Westminster Abbey in London in 1296, where it rested under the Coronation
Chair. Today it resides at Edinburgh Castle. When James I assumed the throne
in 1603, his crowning was said to have fulfilled a prophecy once attached to the
stone, which declared that the Scots would someday rule.

Thane

A title under the feudal system, similar to a lord. Thanes could be born to their
title or earn the title. A “king’s thane” was part of a subclass of thanes who
answered directly to the king, as seems to be the case with the thanes in
Macbeth.

SHAKESPEARE’S PLAYS IN CHRONOLOGICAL ORDER

The exact order of the composition and performances of Shakespeare’s plays is

difficult to prove—and therefore often disputed. The dates listed below are
approximate and based on the general consensus of when the plays were first
performed:

1. “Henry VI Part I” (1589–1590)

2. “Henry VI Part II” (1590–1591)

3. “Henry VI Part III” (1590–1591)

4. “Richard III” (1592–1593)

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5. “The Comedy of Errors” (1592–1593)

6. “Titus Andronicus” (1593–1594)

7. “The Taming of the Shrew” (1593–1594)

8. “The Two Gentlemen of Verona” (1594–1595)

9. “Love’s Labour’s Lost” (1594–1595)

10. “Romeo and Juliet” (1594–1595)

11. “Richard II” (1595–1596)

12. “A Midsummer Night’s Dream” (1595–1596)

13. “King John” (1596–1597)

14. “The Merchant of Venice” (1596–1597)

15. “Henry IV Part I” (1597–1598)

16. “Henry IV Part II” (1597–1598)

17. “Much Ado About Nothing” (1598–1599)

18. “Henry V” (1598–1599)

19. “Julius Caesar” (1599–1600)

20. “As You Like It” (1599–1600)

21. “Twelfth Night” (1599–1600)

22. “Hamlet” (1600–1601)

23. “The Merry Wives of Windsor” (1600–1601)

24. “Troilus and Cressida” (1601–1602)

25. “All’s Well That Ends Well” (1602–1603)

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26. “Measure for Measure” (1604–1605)

27. “Othello” (1604–1605)

28. “King Lear” (1605–1606)

29. “Macbeth” (1605–1606)

30. “Antony and Cleopatra” (1606–1607)

31. “Coriolanus” (1607–1608)

32. “Timon of Athens” (1607–1608)

33. “Pericles” (1608–1609)

34. “Cymbeline” (1609–1610)

35. “The Winter’s Tale” (1610–1611)

36. “The Tempest” (1611–1612)

37. “Henry VIII” (1612–1613)

38. “The Two Noble Kinsmen” (1612–1613)

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BIBLIOGRAPHY

Hornby, Sydney. A. Oxford Advanced Learner’s Dictionary. Oxford: Oxford

University Press. 2010.

Shakespeare, William. Macbeth. Wordsworth Editions. 1992.

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