Macbeth is a tragedy by William Shakespeare, believed to have been written in the early 1600s. The play tells the story of Macbeth, a Scottish general who becomes obsessed with power after receiving a prophecy that he will become the Thane of Cawdor and eventually the king of Scotland.
The play begins with Macbeth and his comrade Banquo, who are returning from battle when they are met by three witches who predict that Macbeth will become the Thane of Cawdor and eventually the king of Scotland. The witches also tell Banquo that he will not be king, but that his descendants will be.
Macbeth is later named the Thane of Cawdor by King Duncan, and becomes consumed with the idea of becoming the king himself. He is encouraged by his wife, Lady Macbeth, to take action and kill Duncan in order to seize the throne. Macbeth follows through with the plan, and Duncan is murdered in his sleep.
After the murder, Macbeth becomes consumed with guilt and fear, and is plagued by hallucinations and insomnia. He becomes paranoid and begins to mistrust those around him, including his closest friends and allies.
As Macbeth's rule becomes increasingly tyrannical, the people of Scotland turn against him, and Macbeth is eventually confronted by a group of rebels led by Macduff, a nobleman who has been exiled by Macbeth. In the final battle, Macbeth is defeated and killed, and Macduff is hailed as the new king of Scotland.
Throughout the play, Macbeth is driven by his ambition and desire for power, but ultimately his downfall is caused by his own guilt and his inability to cope with the consequences of his actions. The play serves as a cautionary tale about the dangers of unchecked ambition and the corrupting influence of power.
Macbeth’s Hamartia Is His Vaulting Ambition
His ambition drives him to do great things, but it also leads to his downfall. He kills the king and other people who are a threat to his kingship. Three Witches tell Macbeth, Thane of Glamis, that he is to be made Thane of Cawdor and will be King. Afterwards, he declares Malcolm the king of Scotland and everyone curses Macbeth and Lady Macbeth for their cruelty. The generals want to hear more but the weird sisters disappear. In one of the most famous soliloquys in the play, Macbeth sees a hallucination of the dagger, seeming to point the way toward Duncan's murder.
Macbeth: Play Summary
Banquo discusses the certain issue with Macbeth and departs. The witches conjure a procession of eight crowned kings, all similar in appearance to Banquo, the last one carrying a mirror reflecting even more kings: they are all Banquo's descendants having acquired kingship in numerous countries. Macduff meets Malcolm in England to prepare an army to march on Scotland. She calls him a coward and takes the daggers from him, delivering them back to the scene of the crime. As they leave, Macbeth whispers to Banquo that, at a later time, he would like to speak to him privately about what has transpired.
Macbeth: Full Book Summary
The next scene begins with Lady Macbeth. This time, the Witches not only confirm that the sons of Banquo will rule in Scotland, but they also add a new prophecy: Macbeth will be invincible in battle until the time when the forest of Birnam moves towards his stronghold at Dunsinane and until he meets an enemy "not born of woman. Lady Macbeth has to tell them that her husband is merely afflicted with a familiar and harmless malady. Macbeth begins speaking to him, but none of the other guests understand what he was doing. When his wife hears this, she eggs him on not that he's unwilling to kill Duncan so Macbeth can become king in his place. Then, however, another thane, Ross, arrives and informs Macbeth that he has been bestowed the title of Thane of Cawdor. It was first performed in around 1606.
Macbeth Short Summary
They further prophesy that Banquo's descendants will be kings. Macbeth is shocked because it seems to him that the witch's prophecy has come true in part. Malcolm persuades him that the murder of his family should act as the spur to revenge. He is clearly hungover from the revelry of the night before, and he pretends that he is the gatekeeper of hell. By the end, however, she is driven mad by guilt. This initial conflict over whether or not he can kill his king, which exists both between Macbeth and himself and between Macbeth and his wife, is resolved when Macbeth acts, murdering Duncan and then seizing power after the more obvious heirs flee in fear of being accused of the crime. He arranges for Banquo and his son, Fleance to be killed, but the boy escapes the murderers.
Macbeth: A Short Plot Summary of Shakespeare’s Play
Most importantly, they tell him that he will father a line of kings, though he himself will not be one. Elsewhere, Malcom and Macduff worry about the future of Scotland. Macduff emerges from the castle to tell Ross that the thanes have decided Macbeth should be the next king and that they are accompanying him to Scone to be crowned. Anyway, to the plot summary. As Macbeth and Banquo return home from battle, they meet three witches. One Scotsman in particular, Macbeth, Thane of Glamis, distinguishes himself in fighting off the invaders.
