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A plot is the sequence of major events in a narrative, wherein the main character wants something, an antagonist rises to thwart that desire, and conflict ensues. Read more: What Is Plot in Literature?
Major Conflicts
- The struggle within Macbeth between his ambition and his sense of right and wrong; the struggle between the murderous evil represented by Macbeth and Lady Macbeth and the best interests of the nation, represented by Malcolm and Macduff
Rising Action
- Macbeth and Banquo’s encounter with the witches initiates both conflicts; Lady Macbeth’s speeches goad Macbeth into murdering Duncan and seizing the crown.
Climax
- Macbeth’s murder of Duncan in Act 2 represents the point of no return, after which Macbeth is forced to continue butchering his subjects to avoid the consequences of his crime.
Falling Action
- Macbeth’s increasingly brutal murders (of Duncan’s servants, Banquo, Lady Macduff, and her son); Macbeth’s second meeting with the witches; Macbeth’s final confrontation with Macduff and the opposing armies
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