Plot Summary

Act 1

• The play begins with three witches meeting on a desolate heath amidst thunder and lightning. They plan to confront Macbeth after a battle ends, setting a tone of supernatural influence and dark intentions.

  

• King Duncan of Scotland receives a report from a wounded sergeant about the bravery of Macbeth and Banquo in the battle against the rebellious Macdonwald and the Norwegian forces. Impressed, Duncan decides to reward Macbeth by naming him the Thane of Cawdor, as the current Thane is a traitor.

• Meanwhile, Macbeth and Banquo encounter the three witches on the heath. The witches hail Macbeth with three titles: Thane of Glamis (which he already is), Thane of Cawdor, and future king. They also predict that Banquo's descendants will be kings.

• Shortly after, Ross and Angus arrive to inform Macbeth that he has been granted the title of Thane of Cawdor, confirming part of the witches' prophecy. This news intrigues and disturbs Macbeth, sparking his ambition.

• Duncan announces his intention to visit Macbeth's castle and names his son Malcolm as his heir. Macbeth views this as an obstacle to his own rise to power. When Lady Macbeth reads Macbeth's letter about the witches' prophecies, she resolves to push him towards taking the throne.

• She calls upon spirits to fill her with cruelty, showing her determination and ruthlessness. When Macbeth arrives, they plot to murder Duncan during his visit.

• Duncan arrives at Macbeth's castle and is warmly welcomed by Lady Macbeth, who hides her true intentions with a facade of hospitality. Macbeth, however, struggles with his conscience over the planned murder. In a soliloquy, he lists the reasons why he should not kill Duncan, but Lady Macbeth questions his manhood and ambition, persuading him to commit the regicide.

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Act 2

• On the night of the murder, Banquo and his son Fleance walk in the dark, discussing the witches. Banquo mentions that he dreamt of the weird sisters, indicating that the prophecy weighs on his mind. Alone, Macbeth hallucinates a bloody dagger leading him to Duncan's chamber, symbolising his impending crime and mental turmoil.
• Lady Macbeth waits nervously as Macbeth murders Duncan. He returns, distraught and carrying the bloody daggers, which Lady Macbeth takes and plants on Duncan's guards to frame them. As they wash the blood from their hands, Macbeth hears a mysterious knocking, heightening his anxiety and guilt.
• The next morning, Macduff and Lennox arrive at Macbeth's castle to meet the king. Macduff discovers Duncan's body, and chaos ensues. Macbeth, feigning rage, kills the guards, claiming it was out of love for Duncan. Duncan's sons, Malcolm and Donalbain, flee to England and Ireland respectively, fearing for their lives and suspecting that they might be next. Their flight casts suspicion on them for their father's murder.

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Act 3

• With Duncan's death and his sons' flight, Macbeth is crowned king. Despite his new title, he is plagued by insecurity and fear about the witches' prophecy regarding Banquo's descendants. He decides to eliminate Banquo and his son Fleance. Macbeth hires murderers to kill them, and while Banquo is murdered, Fleance escapes.
• At a royal banquet, Macbeth sees Banquo's ghost sitting in his place. He reacts with horror, speaking to the apparition, which only he can see. This display of madness alarms his guests, and Lady Macbeth tries to cover for him, but the banquet ends in disarray.

• The witches meet with Hecate, the goddess of witchcraft, who is angry that they have meddled with Macbeth without consulting her. She plans to lead Macbeth to his ruin by giving him false confidence. Meanwhile, Lennox and another lord discuss the state of Scotland under Macbeth's tyranny and express hope that Malcolm and Macduff will restore order.

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Act 4

• Macbeth visits the witches again, seeking more prophecies. They conjure apparitions that tell him to beware of Macduff, assure him that no man born of a woman will harm him, and that he will not be vanquished until Birnam Wood comes to Dunsinane. They also show him a line of kings descended from Banquo. Macbeth, feeling invincible, decides to kill Macduff's family to prevent any threats.
• In England, Malcolm tests Macduff's loyalty by pretending to be even more tyrannical than Macbeth. When Macduff despairs for Scotland, Malcolm reveals his true character and they ally to overthrow Macbeth. Macduff learns of the slaughter of his family and vows revenge.

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Act 5

• Lady Macbeth, overwhelmed by guilt, begins to sleepwalk and tries to wash imaginary blood from her hands, revealing her deep-seated remorse. Scottish nobles, led by Angus, Menteith, Caithness, and Lennox, prepare to join Malcolm and the English forces against Macbeth.
• Macbeth fortifies Dunsinane Castle, confident in the witches' prophecies. However, he is informed of Lady Macbeth's deteriorating condition. Malcolm's forces march towards Dunsinane, camouflaging themselves with branches from Birnam Wood, fulfilling one of the witches' prophecies.
• Macbeth learns that his wife has died, possibly by suicide, and delivers the famous soliloquy "Tomorrow, and tomorrow, and tomorrow," reflecting on the futility of life. He prepares for battle. As Malcolm's army reaches Dunsinane, Macbeth fights bravely but is confronted by Macduff. In their final battle, Macduff reveals that he was born by caesarean section, not naturally, fulfilling the prophecy that no man born of a woman will harm Macbeth. Macduff kills Macbeth, ending his tyrannical reign.
• Malcolm is hailed as king, promising to restore order and justice to Scotland, marking the end of the play with a hopeful tone for the future of the country.

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