Plot Summary
Examiners always praise students who clearly know the plot of the texts they are studying, as having this base of knowledge leads to the best exam responses. Below you will find:
Plot Storyboard
Overview of Macbeth
Macbeth is a five-act tragedy, written by William Shakespeare in 1606. Set in medieval Scotland, it mainly takes place in and around Macbeth’s castle, Dunsinane.
Its protagonist, Macbeth, is at first presented as a noble warrior and thane who is loyal to his king. However, a combination of his ambition, the prophecies of three malevolent witches and the encouragement of his equally ambitious wife, Lady Macbeth, sees him assassinate his king, Duncan, and ascend the throne himself.
While King of Scotland, Macbeth becomes increasingly paranoid that his act of regicide will be discovered, and that he himself will be murdered, and so Macbeth attempts to murder any person he sees as a threat (first his friend and comrade Banquo; later a thane called Macduff).
However, overwhelming guilt consumes both Macbeth and Lady Macbeth: Macbeth sees hallucinations – including of his murdered friend Banquo – and seeks the dangerous advice of the witches for a second time, while Lady Macbeth loses her mind completely and commits suicide.
The play concludes with Macduff (who managed to escape Macbeth’s assassination attempt) killing Macbeth in a duel, thus avenging both his family, whom Macbeth cruelly murdered, and his former king. Order is thus restored in the Kingdom of Scotland, with Duncan’s son, and rightful heir to the throne, Malcolm, becoming king.
Exam Tip
Because you will not have access to the text of Macbeth during your exam, there is not an expectation that you learn dozens of quotations by heart. Although examiners do reward the use of memorised quotations in your essay, you will also be rewarded for your ability to mention plot points from various points of the play. These are called “textual references”, and do not have to include direct quotations, but, for the highest marks, must be “precise”. A good example of a precise textual reference would be: “In Act V, Scene I, Lady Macbeth is seen sleepwalking while overcome with guilt”. In order to make these precise textual references, therefore, it is vital that you know the plot of Macbeth inside out.
Act-By-Act Plot Summary
Act I
- In the very first scene of the play, we are introduced to three mischievous witches
- Macbeth is reported as being a brave and noble warrior; he has just killed a traitor in battle, showing his loyalty to King Duncan
- Macbeth and Banquo hear three prophecies from the three witches:
- that Macbeth will become Thane of Cawdor
- that Macbeth will become King
- that Banquo’s descendants will become kings
- The Thane of Cawdor is executed for treason. Macbeth becomes the new Thane of Cawdor
- Macbeth sends a letter to Lady Macbeth outlining the witches’ prophecies
- King Duncan comes to visit the Macbeths at their castle, Dunsinane
- Macbeth deliberates on murdering Duncan; Macbeth finally accepts Lady Macbeth’s arguments and decides to go ahead with the assassination
Act II
- Macbeth sees his first hallucination – a bloody dagger – after seeing Banquo and Fleance in the castle courtyard
- A shaken and mentally unstable Macbeth returns to Lady Macbeth with the murder weapons: two daggers covered in blood (the murder of Duncan takes place off-stage)
- A furious Lady Macbeth calls Macbeth a coward and returns the daggers to Duncan’s chambers to frame the dead king’s guards for the regicide
- Macduff discovers that Duncan has been murdered
- Macbeth claims that he killed Duncan’s guards in an act of revenge
- In fear for their own lives, Duncan’s sons flee Scotland: Malcolm to England; Donalbain to Ireland
- Macbeth is crowned King of Scotland
Exam Tip
In your exam, you could receive an extract from any part of the play. Again, for the highest marks, examiners want to see that you can contextualise the extract: to know what part of the play it comes from. If you know what comes before and after the extract, you can better explain its wider significance, and what important developments have happened, or will happen. Therefore, alongside knowing the plot accurately, it is just as important to revise what order things happen in.
Act III
- Banquo begins to suspect Macbeth of the murder of Duncan
- Macbeth hires assassins to kill Banquo and his son, Fleance
- The murderers kill Banquo, but Fleance manages to escape. The assassins return to Dunsinane to tell Macbeth
- The Macbeths host a banquet at their castle, but Macbeth hallucinates a vision of the murdered Banquo sitting at his place at the table
- As an increasingly deranged Macbeth starts shouting at Banquo’s ghost, Lady Macbeth asks all the guests to leave
- We learn that Macduff has gone to England to plot against Macbeth with Malcolm
Act IV
- In desperation, and increasingly mentally unstable, Macbeth returns to the witches for reassurance
- They offer him three new prophecies: to “beware Macduff”; that “no man of woman born” can kill him; and that he won’t be defeated unless Birnam Wood starts marching on his castle
- Macbeth is told that Macduff has fled for England; seeing this as reason enough to be suspicious, Macbeth orders the murder of Macduff and his whole family
- Lady Macduff is advised to flee her castle with her children but refuses, saying that she has done nothing wrong
- Murderers come to Macduff’s castle and brutally murder his wife and children
- In England, Malcolm tests Macduff’s loyalty and is satisfied with Macduff’s responses. Macduff is told about the murder of his family and vows revenge
Act V
- An overwhelming sense of guilt leads Lady Macbeth to lose her mind, and hallucinate in her sleep. She kills herself (this happens off-stage)
- Malcolm, Macduff and an army of Scottish thanes advance to Birnam Wood and use its branches for camouflage
- Macbeth is told of the death of his wife, and that Birnam Wood is advancing on Dunsinane. He contemplates the pointlessness of life but remains convinced he is invincible because of the witches’ second prophecy
- Macduff enters the castle and challenges Macbeth to a duel before admitting that he was born by Caesarean section, and is thus not “of woman born”
- Macduff kills Macbeth before Malcolm is crowned the new King of Scotland
