DETALS SUMMARY OF MACBETH

Macbeth is among Shakespeare's shortest and most profound plays. t was

written early in 1601 and the earliest recorded performance was in 1611. This play
details the rapid and brutal rise of Macbeth, form being one of Scotland's warriors to the
throne of his country guided by his greed, cruelty, and his belief to the witchcraft. The
central theme of this play is the destruction caused by the ambitious man to usurp
power and undermines social and political order (Wilks, 19994). Many critics have
remarked on the overwhelming violent act, mysterious atmosphere and puzzling nature
of its hero.
Three witches have gathered in an open field near a battle site in Scotland during
a dark thunderstorm. The three of them agree to meet again "upon the heath" to greet
Macbeth, the main character of the play. At the end of the short scene, they all cry in
their cackling voices, "Fair is foul, and foul is fair", which foreshadows the foulness of
the play's plot and the difficulty of distinguishing between appearance and reality. The
three witches introduce and personify the ugliness and evil pervades the entire play.
Duncan, King of Scotland, receives reports about a two-front attack upon his
kingdom. A powerful thane, or nobleman, named MacDonwald has led a rebellion,
aided by rish and Norwegian invaders. This attack has been defeated by Macbeth and
Banquo, the foreigners driven off and MacDonwald killed. Elsewhere in Scotland
another traitor, the Thane of Cawdor, has staged an unsuccessful uprising and has
been captured. Duncan orders that Macbeth be given the title and estate of the Thane
of Cawdor.
The witches gather and wait for Macbeth. They discuss putting an evil spell on a
woman who insulted one of them. The woman's husband is a ship captain, and the
witches will use their magic power over the winds to make his homeward voyage as
difficult as possible. The witches sense the approach of Macbeth and cast a magic
spell. Macbeth and his friend Banquo traveling across the heath are met by the witches.
One greets Macbeth by his title, Thane of Glamis; another calls him Thane of Cawdor
and the third announces that he will be the king in the future.
Macbeth is startled to be addressed by the title of another nobleman. Banquo
asks the witches to foretell his future, and they tell him in ambiguous terms that he will
be lesser than Macbeth but greater, not as happy as Macbeth but happier and that he
will not be king but will be the father of kings. Macbeth is aroused by this exchange, but
when he tries to question the witches further, they vanish. Macbeth and Banquo
discuss the prophecies and seem inclined to dismiss them, until messengers from the
king enter and greet Macbeth as the Thane of Cawdor.
Banquo warns Macbeth not to allow the witches' message to spur him to commit
a sin, but Macbeth tells us that he feels compelled to do all he can to make the
prophecy about becoming king come true. Although he recognizes the dangers to his
soul, he believes that some supernatural power means for him to seize the throne. The
four men leave to meet the king.
King Duncan receives the news that the former Thane of Cawdor has been
executed. When Macbeth and Banquo enter, Duncan greets them with gratitude for
their military success and calls Macbeth by his new title. The king plans to spend the
night at Macbeth's castle. He then announces that he will name his eldest son, Malcolm,
the heir to the Scottish throne. As he rides off to make preparation for the royal visit,
Macbeth realizes that the naming of Malcolm as the next king poses a serious obstacle
to his hopes.
At the castle, Lady Macbeth reads a letter from her husband telling her about the
witches' prophecy. Lady Macbeth sees immediately that her husband will have to seize
the crown, but she worries that he lacks the cold-blooded ambition he requires. She
vows to do whatever is necessary to force her husband to act decisively. When a
messenger arrives with word that the king will arrive soon and spend the night, Lady
Macbeth is shocked and sees in this a golden opportunity to take the crown. When her
husband arrives, she assures him that Duncan will die.
Although the idea of killing Duncan would enable him to seize power, he also
recognizes that such a mortal sin will surely destroy him in the long run. He feels he
does not have enough ambition to overcome his own reluctance. At that moment his
wife enters and berates him for changing his mind about killing Duncan. She urges him
to prove his love by acting and assures him they can succeed. n conclusion she tells
her husband that if she had sworn to act as he had done, she would have gladly have
killed her own child rather than break her promise. Her husband resolves to carry out
the murder.
Banquo and his son Fleance prepare to retire for the night when they meet
Macbeth. Banquo mentions the prophecy of the witches coming true about Macbeth
becoming the Thane of Cawdor; Macbeth denies thinking about them, but asks Banquo,
indirectly, to support him in the future. After they leave, Macbeth suddenly sees a
hallucination of a bloody dagger which he believes was sent to lead him to Duncan's
room for murder. He leaves to do the deed when he hears a bell Lady Macbeth rings as
a signal that Duncan's bodyguards have been drugged.
Having drugged the bodyguards, Lady Macbeth, waits downstairs for her
husband to do the murder. Suddenly someone cries out, and Lady Macbeth fears that
the murder attempt has been discovered. Macbeth returns with bloody hands. He
knows that he would never again sleep peacefully. When she discovers he has brought
the knives downstairs rather than leaving them next to the body, he refuses to look upon
what he had done. She carries the knives upstairs while he imagines himself unable to
wash the guilty blood from off his hands even with all the water in the sea. A knock at
the gate startles them, and they go out to wash their hands and change their clothes.
Macbeth wishes the knocking could waken Duncan.
A drunken porter goes to answer the door and pretends to be the doorman of
hell, letting in some of the popular sinners of the day. The persons at the door are
Macduff and Lennox, who have arrived to awaken the king. Macduff jokes with the
porter about the drunken revelry the night before. Macbeth enters and shows Macduff
the way to the king's chamber. Lennox tells Macbeth of the terrible storm of the night
and the strange omens that sign some catastrophic event. Macduff returns with news of
the murder of Duncan and awakens the castle while Macbeth and others rush upstairs.
They soon return, Macbeth having killed the apparently guilty servants. Confusion
reigns, and Duncan's sons Malcolm and Donalbain secretly decide to flee the country
separately.
Near Macbeth's castle, people discuss the continuing supernatural events, which
suggest terrible events to follow. The murder of Duncan has been blamed on the
princes, who have fled. Macduff arrives with news that Macbeth has been selected as
the new king and has gone to the sacred coronation spot at Scone. The others set out
for Scone, but Macduff returns home.
At Macbeth's castle, Banquo tells the audience that he suspects Macbeth has
murdered Duncan for the throne. He foresees that his descendants will somehow
inherit the throne. King Macbeth enters and asks Banquo about his plans to go
horseback riding for the afternoon with his son. Alone, Macbeth tells us that having
seized the throne is nothing without feeling safe. He fears the witches' prediction that
the heirs of Banquo will take over the throne, and he is determined not to let that
happen. He brings in two desperate men, whom he has convinced to murder Banquo
and Fleance. He tells them to do the killing away from the castle and that he will reward
them.
Lady Macbeth enters and tells the audience she is sick with fear and envies
those they have killed who now no longer have to worry. When her husband comes in,
she changes and berates him for worrying about the past. He tells her they cannot live
in peace with Banquo still alive, but he refuses to tell her of his plans. She urges him to
be jovial and hospitable at the dinner party that night. Macbeth evokes the spirit of the
coming night which will allow the spirit of evil to roam free.
Near the castle, the two murderers discover Macbeth has sent a third assailant to
keep an eye on them. Banquo and Fleance enter on foot and the murderers attack,
stabbing Banquo repeatedly while Fleance escapes.Macbeth and his wife welcome their
guests to a banquet and urge them to be seated. One of the murderers brings word of
Banquo's death. Macbeth returns to his guests, but when he goes to sit down, he
discovers his place has been taken by the bloody ghost of Banquo, whom no one else
can see. n his distracted fear Macbeth cries out, strongly suggesting to those present
that he is guilty of the murder.
Lady Macbeth tries to cover up for her husband, saying that he is subject to fits,
but Macbeth's terrified reaction is so disturbing, she finally dismisses the guests. She
once again attacks her husband's manhood for his fear. He assures her that he can
face any threat, but that the appearance of the bloody ghost was terrifying. He reveals
his suspicions of Macduff who refused to attend the banquet and determines that he will
find the witches again and force them to clarify their predictions. She urges him to try
and sleep.
At the house of the witches, they meet with the goddess of witchcraft, Hecate,
who urges them to encourage Macbeth's overconfidence in his own invincibility.
At Macbeth's castle, Lennox and another lord speak secretly about the violent
deaths of those who stand in Macbeth's way. We learn from them that Macduff has left
his family in Scotland and fled to England where Malcolm is being aided by the English
king Edward and general Siward and plans to return and overthrow Macbeth.
The witches prepare a magic potion with poisonous ingredients. When Macbeth
enters he conjures them to tell him the truth. They call forth embodiments of their
master, Satan. The first apparition is an armed head who tells Macbeth to beware of
Macduff. The second, a bloody child, tells the king that he cannot be harmed by any
man who was born of a woman. The third is a child carrying a tree who assures
Macbeth that he will be safe until the forest at Birnam comes to his castle. Macbeth is
heartened by these prophecies, but when he demands to know if Banquo's descendents
will ever rule Scotland, the witches show him the figure of Banquo, followed by a line of
eight future kings, all resembling the murdered Banquo. The witches disappear, and
Macbeth learns of Macduff's flight and orders Macduff's castle seized and his family
slaughtered.
At Macduff's castle his wife tries to tell her little boy that his father was a traitor
and is now dead. After the boy trades wisecracks with his mother, she is warned to flee
her home with her children. Before she can, murderers employed by Macbeth enter
and kill everyone.
n England, Malcolm welcomes Macduff, who urges him to lead an army back to
Scotland as soon as possible. Malcolm seems reluctant, however, and tells Macduff
that Macbeth has sent agents to try and entrap him. When Macduff continues to advise
him to act, Malcolm confesses that he would not be much of an improvement over
Macbeth because he is greedy, lustful and lacks all the virtues which kings should have.
When Macduff despairs for his country, Malcolm finally admits that he was testing his
loyalty. He tells Macduff the invading force of Scottish refugees and English soldiers
will soon leave for Scotland. Ross arrives and reluctantly tells Macduff of the slaughter
of his family. Malcolm urges Macduff to use his personal loss as further motive to
destroy Macbeth, and the grieving father swears he will personally kill Macbeth.
At Macbeth's castle an attendant for Lady Macbeth seeks help from a doctor for
her mistresses' affliction: sleepwalking. Lady Macbeth enters with a candle and
appears to be washing her hands. Although asleep, she speaks and reveals, indirectly,
all of the couple's crimes and their efforts to hide their guilt. The doctor warns about the
possibility of her suicide.
A group of Scottish lords are marching to meet Malcolm and General Siward
near Birnam Woods. They describe Macbeth's frantic efforts to prepare, as his guilty
conscience weighs on him.Macbeth receives report of an army of ten thousand
approaching his castle. He is confident that he can survive but is bothered that so many
of his subjects are flocking to join the invaders. He tells us how profoundly disillusioned
he is. The doctor tells him of Lady Macbeth's mental affliction and privately wishes he
could get away from Macbeth.
The English Army enters Birnam Woods, and Malcolm orders each soldier to cut
down a branch and carry it before him to conceal the size of the army has they
approach Macbeth's castle.Macbeth is defiant, but then he receives word his wife has
killed herself. He tells us that life has lost all meaning for him. Then news arrives that
Birnam Woods appears to be moving toward his castle.
Malcolm gives the honor of leading the attack against the castle to Siward and
his son.Although the people in the castle are quickly surrendering, Macbeth is
determined to resist. He meets Siward's son and kills him. Macduff searches for
Macbeth in the battle. Malcolm enters and announces that the castle has surrendered
Macbeth meets Macduff and refuses to fight him. Macduff says that they will
capture Macbeth and put him on public display as a monster. Macbeth refuses to
accept that fate and he and Macduff go offstage fighting to the death. Siward learns his
son has died an honorable death in battle. Macduff returns with Macbeth's severed
head. Malcolm proclaims peace and reconciliation.