Macbeth Plot Summary – William Shakespeare

This article provides a scene-by-scene plot summary of Shakespeare’s Macbeth. I’m embarrassed to admit that before this year, I had never read Macbeth. I knew the famous quotes – “Out, damned spot” and “it is a tale…full of sound and fury, signifying nothing,” but I didn’t really know what it was about. So you can imagine my surprise when I realized it’s about a homicidal tyrant who listens to witches and slaughters the families of his enemies. (Denzel’s portrayal is creepy good.) TL;DR – violence galore, but crime doesn’t pay.     

Click here for a list of the best Macbeth Quotes and Macbeth Character Descriptions.

The quotes are from Project Gutenberg’s searchable Macbeth. 

Act I

In scene one, we hear the witches talk about meeting with Macbeth that evening, when the “battle’s lost and won…ere the set of sun.” After this brief incantation, King Duncan enters with Malcolm, Donalbain, and Lennox in scene two. They meet a sergeant fresh from the battlefield who fills them in on what has happened. The sergeant begins with a description of Macbeth killing the traitor Macdonwald. The traitor dead, Macbeth and Banquo are then attacked by Norwegian troops. As the sergeant describes it, Macbeth and Banquo waste no time slaughtering these fresh Norwegian troops. 

The sergeant leaves – Ross and Angus enter with more news. The war has been won – the King of Norway offers peace and the traitorous Thane of Cawdor has been captured. Duncan orders the death of Cawdor and declares Macbeth shall be the new Thane of Cawdor. 

Macbeth Plot Summary Act 1 (Continued)

The beginning of scene three finds the witches plotting to curse a sailor whose wife insulted one of them. When Macbeth and Banquo enter, the witches greet him with three titles: Thane of Glamis, Thane of Cawdor, and ‘king hereafter.” (Again, I can’t recommend Denzel’s interpretation strongly enough.) Given that the witches seem to know the future, Banquo asks them what they see in store for him. The witches tell Banquo that his sons shall be king, but not him. At this, the witches vanish. 

While Macbeth and Banquo puzzle over the witches’ prophecy, Ross and Angus arrive with news. They declare Macbeth the new Thane of Cawdor, confirming the witches’ prediction. Macbeth is at a loss – he begins to think about the possibility of becoming king.  

Scene four takes us back to King Duncan’s castle. Duncan confirms the death of Cawdor and welcomes Macbeth. When Duncan names his son, Malcolm, as his heir, Macbeth realizes that Malcolm will need to die (or be killed) if he’s to become king himself. 

Macbeth Plot Summary Act 1 (Continued)

Scene five opens on Lady Macbeth reading a letter from her husband, in which he describes the predictions of the witches. Lady Macbeth worries that her husband is insufficiently ruthless to take the necessary steps to become king. When she finds out that King Duncan has arrived at Inverness, she knows that this is Macbeth’s chance to kill him. Macbeth arrives and he and Lady Macbeth plot Duncan’s death. In scene seven, when Macbeth seems to waver, his wife utters the famous line, “But screw your courage to the sticking place.” They then resolve to kill Duncan and frame his guards.  

Act Two 

In scene one, Macbeth unexpectedly meets Banquo and his son Fleance in the middle of the night. Banquo tells Macbeth that he’s been dreaming of the witches and their predictions. Macbeth claims to not have thought of them. When Banquo and Fleance leave, Macbeth hallucinates a bloody dagger and goes to kill Duncan. 

The deed done, scene two returns us to the chambers of Lady Macbeth. She’s worried that Macbeth has lost his nerve. When Macbeth enters with two bloody daggers, he’s not well. She reassures him and tells him to go back and plant the daggers on the guards. Macbeth can’t go back, so Lady Macbeth does it herself. Lady Macbeth returns and tells Macbeth to get his nightgown on. 

It’s morning in scene three. A porter admits Macduff and Lennox, who have come to call on Duncan. While Macduff goes into the king’s room, Lennox mentions to Macbeth some of the strange bird-sounds that shook the night. In a profound understatement, Macbeth declares, “’Twas a rough night.” 

Macbeth Plot Summary Act 2 (Continued)

When Macduff discovers the king’s body, all hell breaks loose. Donalbain and Malcolm arrive, Macbeth kills the guards in a “fury”, and Lady Macbeth faints. When the assembled Thanes take Lady Macbeth out, Donalbain and Malcolm are left on stage. They are both suspicious and believe their lives to be in danger (as the murdered king’s sons). Donalbain decides to go to Ireland, Malcolm to England. 

In scene four, Ross and an old man react to the events of the previous scene. We find out that strange natural events have been occurring since the king’s death. When Macduff arrives, he tells Ross that because Duncan’s two sons have fled, suspicion has landed on them. In the meantime, Macbeth has gone to Scone to be crowned the new king.

Act Three  

Scene one opens with Banquo voicing some suspicions about how Macbeth has become king. While it’s true that Macbeth has gotten everything, “As the weird women promised,” Banquo fears that Macbeth has “playest most foully for’t.” Macbeth then enters and asks Banquo whether he’ll be attending the banquet this evening. Banquo replies that he’ll be going on a ride with his son, Fleance, and will be back for dinner. 

When Banquo leaves, we hear Macbeth’s concerns. He’s worried about Banquo’s wisdom and valor. Don’t forget – the witches said one of Blanquo’s children would be king. Given the violence he’s already guilty of, it’s no surprise when Macbeth meets with the two men who he’s asked to murder Banquo and Fleance.

Macbeth Plot Summary Act 3 (Continued)

In scene two, Lady Macbeth enters and expresses her concern for Macbeth. She encourages him not to think about the past, saying, “what’s done is done.” Macbeth starts to talk about Duncan. Unlike himself, Duncan is sleeping peacefully. Though Lady Macbeth encourages him to be jovial for the evening’s feast, Macbeth admits that he cannot rest while Banquo and Fleance are alive. He hints at what he’s planning to do, but prefers to keep Lady Macbeth “innocent of the knowledge” of Banquo’s murder.  

After Banquo is killed in scene three (Fleance escapes), the lords and ladies of the court join Macbeth for a feast in scene four. One of the murderers arrives at the feast and tells Macbeth that while they killed Banquo, Fleance escapes. Though he’s irked, Macbeth reasons that the young Fleance poses little threat to his reign.  

Macbeth Plot Summary Act 3 (Continued)

Macbeth returns to the feast and has just wished his guests well when the ghost of Banquo appears. Understandably, Macbeth freaks out. Lady Macbeth tries to explain away his actions to their guests, saying it’s just a momentary fit. She tries to shame Macbeth back to sanity, but Macbeth only calms down when the ghost leaves. When the ghost appears again, Lady Macbeth declares the dinner ruined and dismisses the assembled lords and ladies. Once everyone has left, Macbeth wonders why Macduff did not attend the dinner. 

Scene five is a witchy interlude that doesn’t do too much to advance the plot. (In his footnotes, G.K. Hunter suggests that scene five may be an interpolation.) In scene six, we get an update on Macduff and Malcolm from Lennox and another lord. It seems that Macduff has joined Malcolm in England and is actively plotting the overthrow of Macbeth. 

Act Four 

In scene one, we read the famous “Double, double, toil and trouble; / Fire burn, and cauldron bubble” line. Macbeth has gone again to the witches to find out his fate. After some eyes of newt and toes of frog, Macbeth sees three visions. First, an armed head tells Macbeth that he should “beware Macduff.” The second vision, a bloody child tells Macbeth that “none of woman born / Shall harm Macbeth.” Finally, a crowned child with a tree in his hand says that Macbeth “shall never vanquished be, until / Great Birnan Wood to high Dunsinane Hill / Shall come against him.” 

Macbeth is heartened – he can take care of Macduff. And isn’t everyone “of woman born”? And who could move an entire forest? After all this, Macbeth can’t help but ask a final question – what about Banquo’s descendants? The witches warn him against this knowledge, but Macbeth insists. In response, the witches show him eight generations of kings descended from Banquo. At this, the witches disappear and Lennox enters. 

Macbeth Plot Summary Act 4 (Continued)

When Lennox informs the king that Macduff has fled to England, Macbeth orders Macduff’s entire family killed. In scene two, Macduff’s wife wonders why he’s fled to England. She tells her son that his father is a traitor, but her son doesn’t believe her. When a nameless messenger tells her to flee, she demures. She and her son are promptly slaughtered by murderers sent by Macbeth.

In scene three, we see Malcolm and Macduff talking in England. Macduff entreats Malcolm to return to Scotland to take up arms against Macbeth, but Malcolm is suspicious of Macduff’s motives. In order to test him, Malcolm claims that he would be an even worse tyrant than Macbeth. After hearing what an evil man Malcolm claims to be, Macduff declares “O my breast, / Thy hope ends here!” Now that he has tested Macduff motives, Malcolm tells him that he has an army waiting to overthrow Macbeth. 

Macbeth Plot Summary Act 4 (Continued)

After hearing about the magical healing touch of the King of England, Ross enters with news from Scotland. He hems and haws, but eventually tells Macduff that his entire family has been slaughtered. Forever the empath (jk!), Malcolm urges Macduff to “make…medicine of our great revenge / To cure this deadly grief.” 

Act Five 

In scene one, we see Lady Macbeth sleepwalking. Observed by her gentlewoman and a doctor, she washes her hands obsessively and speaks of the deaths of Duncan, Macduff’s wife, and Banquo. After declaring, “What’s done cannot be undone,” she goes back to sleep. 

Scenes two through six switch between Macbeth preparing his fortifications and the approaching English army led by Malcolm, Macduff, and Seyton. Though the drumbeat of bad news comes fast, Macbeth remains certain in the witches’ predictions. However, when he hears that a forest is moving (the English army is covering their movements by carrying small trees), he starts to worry. About this time, he receives word that Lady Macbeth has died. At this, he utters the famous, “[Life] is a tale / Told by an idiot, full of sound and fury, Signifying nothing.” 

Macbeth Plot Summary Act 5 (Continued)

Macbeth still believes himself invincible, even when the attackers breach the walls. He kills young Seyward (who was from a woman born), but when Macbeth hears that Macduff was born via cesarean, he knows he’s finished. In the next scene, Malcolm, Ross, and Seyward enter the castle. Macduff appears with Macbeth’s head on his sword. To the cheers of those assembled, Malcolm is proclaimed king and invites everyone to his coronation in Scone. 

Wrapping Up

If anything, Macbeth is the decisive ying to Hamlet’s waffling yang. From the moment Macbeth meets the witches, the die is cast. Though some have criticized Hamlet’s indecision, I can’t help but think that if Macbeth had had just a tad more Hamlet-esque introspection, he could have kept the body count in the low single digits. 

If you’ve found this article useful or interesting, you can also check out my summaries and analyses of 1984, The Great Gatsby, Hamlet, The Crucible, Beloved, Brave New World, and The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn.