Macbeth Summary

MACBETH

The play begins with a dark scene in Scotland where the three witches appear and make their decisions on meeting again. In Act I Scene two, at the military camp of King Duncan’s, Captain gives the news that brave Macbeth gained a victory against the traitorous Thane of Cawdor, Macdonald and The King of Norway. King Duncan, filled with great joy, decides to make Macbeth his new Thane of Cawdor and want the previous Thane of Cawdor to be executed. The evil-doer witches meet again and wait for Banquo and Macbeth to come. When they encounter, the witches tell Macbeth that he was the Thane of Glamis, now the Thane of Cawdor who will be king later. They tell Banquo that he, himself, will not be the king but his descendants will be kings. Banquo thinks that it will be the trick of the witches and Macbeth agrees but later, when Ross and Angus tell him that he is the Thane of Cawdor, Macbeth is unsure to wait for the “greatest is behind” idea. In Scene four, Macbeth asks Banquo’s feelings towards the prophecies and he hopes that King Duncan dies naturally so that he won’t have to kill him. He also learns that Malcolm is made the Prince of Cumberland and this makes Malcolm a threat to Macbeth whose morality is now changed to worse. In Scene five, Lady Macbeth learns the deeds from her husband’s letter and begins for preparations for the feast and asks gods to unsex her since Macbeth is unable to do bad things, especially such a thing. Later, King Duncan and his crew arrives Macbeth’s castle and Lady Macbeth keeps on her persuasions and encouragement on killing the king. So when everything is ready by Lady Macbeth, in the last part of Act II Scene one, Macbeth kills Duncan with daggers of the sleeping guards leaving the blame on them. Duncan's sons, Malcolm and Donalbain, do not believe their father, however, fearing for their lives, they flee Scotland. This makes them appear guilty and the crown passes to Macbeth. So that the witches prophecies come true, Macbeth thinks that Banquo’s descendants will be kings so he sends soldiers after Banquo and his sons Donaldbain and Fleance(only one to escape)