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Act 1
Scene 1
Amidst the thunder and lightning of a Scottish moor, three witches appear and make plans to meet after an upcoming battle to confront Macbeth.
Scene 2
King Duncan hears of Macbeth and Banquo’s heroics in battle. When he learns that the traitorous Thane of Cawdor has been defeated, he decides to give the thane’s title to Macbeth.
Scene 3
The three witches prophesize that Macbeth will become Thane of Cawdor and King of Scotland, and that Banquo’s descendants will be kings.
Scene 4
King Duncan welcomes Macbeth and Banquo and tells them that he plans to make Malcolm his heir. Macbeth realizes he cannot become king if Malcolm is alive.
Read a full Summary & Analysis of Act 1: Scenes 1–4.
Scene 5
Lady Macbeth learns of the witches' prophecies, and because she worries that Macbeth won't do what is necessary to make himself king, she plots Duncan's death herself.
Scene 6
Lady Macbeth welcomes King Duncan to Macbeth’s castle.
Scene 7
Macbeth has second thoughts about murdering Duncan. Lady Macbeth berates him, convinces him to go through with it, and then frames Duncan's servants for the murder.
Read a full Summary & Analysis of Act 1: Scenes 5–7.
Act 2
Scene 1
Banquo and his son Fleance walk in the halls of Macbeth’s castle at night. In another part of the castle, Macbeth hallucinates a bloody dagger floating in the air before heading into Duncan's bedchamber.
Scene 2
In Scene 2, Macbeth returns to Lady Macbeth after killing Duncan. She puts the bloody daggers he used in Duncan's bedchamber to frame his servants.
Read a full Summary & Analysis of Act 2: Scenes 1 & 2.
Scene 3
Macduff discovers Duncan's dead body and those of his servants, who Macbeth claims killed him. Duncan’s sons flee the country.
Scene 4
Macduff tells Ross that Macbeth is going to be crowned as the next king, and that he suspects, because they have fled the country, Duncan's sons planned their father’s murder.
Read a full Summary & Analysis of Act 2: Scenes 3 & 4.
Act 3
Scene 1
Macbeth worries that if the witches’ prophecies continue to come true, Banquo’s children will overthrow him and take the throne, so he hires murderers to kill Banquo and Fleance.
Scene 2
Macbeth advises Lady Macbeth to be kind to Banquo at the evening’s feast, so Banquo will be lured into a false sense of security.
Scene 3
The murderers hired by Macbeth ambush Banquo and Fleance. Banquo is killed, but Fleance escapes.
Read a full Summary & Analysis of Act 3: Scenes 1–3.
Scene 4
Macbeth sees Banquo’s ghost at a royal banquet and becomes so frightened that Lady Macbeth clears everyone else from the room. Macbeth decides he needs to talk to the witches again to learn more about his future.
Scene 5
The witches meet with Hecate, who tells them to fill Macbeth with a false sense of security when he comes to see them.
Scene 6
Lennox learns that Macduff has gone to England to meet with Duncan’s son Malcolm and to ask King Edward of England for help.
Read a full Summary & Analysis of Act 3: Scenes 4–6.
Act 4
Scene 1
Macbeth meets again with the three witches who produce three apparitions and provide comforting but convoluted prophecies. One says that Macbeth cannot be killed by any man who is born of a woman, while another says that he will be safe until Birnam Wood moves to Dunsinane Hill.
Scene 2
Lady Macduff is frustrated over her husband’s decision to leave the country. A group of murderers arrive, killing Macduff’s son and then pursuing Lady Macduff to kill her as well.
Scene 3
Malcolm tests Macduff's loyalty to Scotland. Ross arrives with news that things have gone badly since Macbeth took charge, and that Macduff’s family has been murdered.
Read a full Summary & Analysis of Act 4: Scenes 1–3.
Act 5
Scene 1
Lady Macbeth bemoans the murders of Lady Macduff and Banquo as she sleepwalks. She speaks of blood on her hands that can never be washed away.
Scene 2
A group of Scottish lords head toward Macbeth's castle as Macbeth makes military preparations.
Scene 3
Macbeth boasts that he does not fear the approaching English army because he assumes that the witches’ prophecies ensure that he will not be defeated or killed.
Scene 4
The English forces cut tree branches at Birnam Wood to camouflage their numbers as they approach the castle.
Scene 5
Macbeth learns that Lady Macbeth is dead and then learns that the "trees" of Birnam Wood are advancing toward him. He realizes that the prophecies are coming true in ways he hadn’t expected.
Scene 6
The battle commences as Malcolm orders the soldiers to draw their swords.
Scene 7
Macbeth battles those around him vigorously and disappears into the fray.
Scene 8
Macbeth fights Macduff and learns that Macduff was "from his mother's womb / Untimely ripped”... in other words, he was born by Cesarean section, and so is not technically “of woman born.” Macduff kills Macbeth and proclaims Malcolm the King of Scotland.
