Hello all. Normally I publish my Shakespeare summaries on my website, hayleyshucker.com ,but the editing service I use is currently in the middle of an update and I am unable to add a new post. I figured I'd post it here too. Check out my website for more summaries, historical information on English monarchs before and during Shakespeare's time, and reading guides.
Below is my Macbeth summary. Enjoy.
Macbeth Overview “unsex me here” 1.5.39
The Scottish play, Macbeth, is another story about murder and betrayal. The play is set in Scotland. It was first published in 1623 in the First Folio; however, while there is not a definite date for the first time it was performed, scholars place the writing sometime around 1606 because of the allusions to the Gunpowder Plot. In addition, there are references to a Scottish king, which England had at the time (James I of England was also James VI of Scotland and he ascended the throne in 1603). [You can read more about the Gun Powder Plot and King James I under the history tab].
Macbeth and his wife, Lady Macbeth, learn from the three witches, or the Weird Sisters, that Macbeth will one day be king. This leads to Macbeth and Lady Macbeth deciding they need to kill the current king in order for the prophecy to come true. The lines of the Weird Sisters are echoed throughout the play, so keep an eye out since I can’t point to all of them. Additionally, the art of equivocation (a way of behaving/speaking that is not clear or definite and intends to avoid/hide the truth) is highly important in the play.
Before I jump into the play, let’s look at the Character List. Notice after character names titles are often given; after Macbeth it says “Thane of Glamis.” Thane is a Scottish term used during the Medieval and Renaissance times that meant a higher ranked local royal officer. In the play, Macbeth is part of the King’s army and this title lets the reader know that he is high ranking. Macbeth is also pretty close to King Duncan; he and Lady Macbeth live in the castle.
1.1
The three Weird Sisters enter in an open, probably outdoor, space. They seem to talk nonsense; they are discussing where and when to meet Macbeth. There are normally some foreshadowing events within the discussions between the Weird Sisters, so while the conversations may not seem important, or they may appear to be gibberish, they can hold valuable information. For example, in this short conversation they say they will meet “When the battle’s lost and won” introducing such themes as opposites and riddles. The Weird Sisters present their prophecies in ways that can easily be misinterpreted by the receiver.
1.2
King Duncan, Malcolm, Donaldbain (perhaps Donalbain in your edition), and other nobles/attendants enter with a bleeding Captain. They are at a camp near the battlefield. The Captain tells the story of what happened in the battle; he refers to Macbeth as brave and his actions reflect a good, strong fighter because Macbeth cut Macdonald (man leading the rebellion against Scotland) down the middle and then chopped off his head. Then the King of Norway launched another wave of fighting. The Thane of Cawdor is revealed to be a traitor to Scotland, so he will be put to death and Macbeth will receive his title. The Thane of Cawdor loses the battle and Macbeth wins the title…fulfilling the Weird Sisters’ prophecy and hinting at their return.
1.3
The Weird Sisters return to the open place and discuss the evil deeds they have done since their last encounter. They plan to torture the husband of a woman who would not share her chestnuts by causing a storm and preventing him from sleeping. Macbeth and Banquo enter the forest and see the witches. The Weird Sisters greet Macbeth as “Thane of Glamis,” “Thane of Cawdor,” and “king hereafter.” Banquo then gets his own set of prophecies that, again, deal in opposites and riddles. Macbeth reveals he does not understand why they call him Thane of Cawdor which indicates he hasn’t been given the news from 1.2 yet. The Weird Sisters disappear before answering Macbeth leaving Macbeth and Banquo to talk about whether or not what they just experienced was real or not. Either way is seems they believe the prophecies they have been given. Ross and Angus enter and tell Macbeth the news from 1.2 and give him his new title, Thane of Cawdor. Now Macbeth is worried that the Weird Sisters have told the truth in all their prophecies. Banquo warns creatures like that often trick people into believing them. Macbeth decides if fate will have him be king he will accept, but he will not do anything to set that action into motion.
1.4
Back at the camp near the battlefield King Duncan asks his son, Malcolm, if the old Thane of Cawdor has been executed yet. Malcolm says he has and that he confessed to treason beforehand. They do not consider the death a loss at all. Duncan is upset he trusted the previous Thane of Cawdor. Macbeth and Banquo enter. Duncan tells Macbeth he is indebted to him and Macbeth replied the honor was payment enough. He begins as a character loyal to Scotland and Duncan. Duncan then announces that his eldest son, Malcolm, will be the heir to the throne (the heir to the throne in Scotland at this time wasn’t automatically the son or daughter, so it is not unusual here for Duncan to need to make an announcement). At this announcement Macbeth realizes if he is to ever become king he would need to be deemed the next in line for the throne. Then he asks for darkness to shield his evil deeds and his eyes to ignore what evil deeds his hands do.
1.5
Lady Macbeth enters; she is in a room in Macbeth’s castle which is not far from Duncan’s castle. She is reading a letter from Macbeth; the letter tells her about the witches’ prophecy for him to be king, meaning she would be queen. She is excited by the news, but fears Macbeth is too nice for this to work out. She decides she will need to encourage him to do whatever it takes and to overcome any obstacle to be king of Scotland.
A messenger comes and tells Lady Macbeth that Duncan is coming to Macbeth’s castle. Lady Macbeth sees this as a great opportunity to kill Duncan and asks the spirits to remove any remorse from her body so she will be able to act ruthlessly. She asks the dark of night to be so dark heaven cannot see what she will do. Macbeth enters and Lady Macbeth excited tells him they can kill Duncan tonight, but for Macbeth to make sure he appears welcoming so Duncan does not get suspicious.
1.6
Duncan gets to Macbeth’s castle; he praises the castle and Lady Macbeth comes outside to meet him. They exchange pleasantries where Lady Macbeth appears to be very humble and grateful.
1.7
Inside Macbeth’s castle, Macbeth lists the reasons why he should not kill Duncan. He’s worried the consequences will eventually catch up with him. He doesn’t want to circulate violence. He believes it is wrong for a countryman to kill his king, and wrong for a host to kill his guest. Finally, there will be so many tears at his death that there will be a storm.
Lady Macbeth enters and asks Macbeth why he is not entertaining the king. Lady Macbeth asks him why he is able to think these dark thoughts but not able to act on them, and then she calls him a coward and unmanly. Then Lady Macbeth drives the point home by saying that if she had promised Macbeth she would kill her own child she would not break the promise. She goes through a lot of effort to make sure Macbeth will not back down from the plan to kill Duncan. She says she will distract the king’s guards by getting them too drunk to remember anything and then they can blame the guards for the murder. They decide as long as they act sad and shocked they will not be suspected.
2.1
The scene takes place in the courtyard of Macbeth’s castle. Banquo and Fleance enter; they are still in Macbeth’s castle. Macbeth enters with his servant and Banquo gives Macbeth a diamond from Duncan as thanks for the hospitality. Banquo reveals he has dreamt of the Weird Sisters, but Macbeth says he hasn’t thought about the prophecy at all. Macbeth asks Banquo to support him when the time comes and Banquo agrees. Banquo exits. Macbeth tells his servant to tell Lady Macbeth to ring a bell when his drink is ready. The servant exits.
When Macbeth is all alone, he sees a dagger. When he tries to grab it, he cannot at first. He is worried the dagger is not real (which of course it is not real and only a figment of his imagination). Once he believes he is holding the dagger he believes the dagger is leading him down the path he was already headed (i.e. to Duncan’s room to kill Duncan). Suddenly Macbeth sees blood on the dagger handle. He talks about witchcraft and asks nature not to hear his footsteps as he goes to kill Duncan. Off stage Lady Macbeth rings the bell signaling to Macbeth all is set for him to kill Duncan.
2.2
Lady Macbeth enters and reveals she has been drinking alcohol (remember her plan was to get the guards drunk), but she believes she is bolder because of the alcohol. Macbeth enters holding bloody daggers (real ones that Lady Macbeth and the audience can see), but that means Macbeth has forgotten to plant them on the sleeping guards as planned.
Macbeth announces he has killed Duncan, but then we find out Donaldbain is still alive and asleep in another room. Macbeth tells Lady Macbeth he thought he heard Donaldbain talking with another person in the room talking about murder. Then he thought he heard voices while he killed Duncan saying, “Macbeth shall sleep no more,” but Lady Macbeth tells him it is probably just guilt so he shouldn’t thing about the things he has done. Lady Macbeth then instructs Macbeth to wash the blood from his hands and put the daggers by the guards, but Macbeth says he can’t return to look at Duncan so Lady Macbeth has to take them.
Now Macbeth is alone again and he hears a knocking noise. He fears his hands will never be clean. Lady Macbeth reenters having placed the daggers by the guards, so her hands are bloody too. She hears the knocking and tells Macbeth it’s time to go back to their room; a little water to wash their hands will make everything all better. Macbeth wishes he could be ignorant of what he has done, and he wishes the loud knocking were able to wake Duncan from his eternal sleep.
2.3
This scene offers some comic relief while discussing a main theme in the play. In Macbeth’s castle, a porter (a gatekeeper) goes to answer the knocking at the gate. He aligns himself with a gatekeeper of hell and imagines who is about to enter hell. The important one is when he says there is an “equivocator” waiting to get into hell. This is important because an equivocator is a person who can give ambiguous answers or information; in other words, a person who can lie without lying either by withholding information or by using rhetoric & linguistic skills to deceive the listener. It is important because it is most likely a reference to the 1606 trial of the Jesuit Henry Garnet for his involvement in the Gunpowder Plot (i.e. the plan to blow up the Houses of Parliament and the government leaders within).* The porter is commenting on the equivocator’s ability to deceive all of those around him/her, but the inability to get into heaven (i.e. pass the final judgement test or deceive God of your sins with rhetoric).
**More on Garnet under the history tab under the Gunpowder Plot section
The porter opens the door to find Macduff and Lennox (two Scottish nobles). Macbeth enters and the porter exits. Macbeth shows them to Duncan’s room and Macduff goes in to wake him. Meanwhile Macbeth and Lennox talk about the strange events Lennox has experienced. Macduff reenters and implies King Duncan is dead because it is too horrible to say. Macbeth and Lennox exit to see the body, Macduff shouts for Banquo, Donaldbain, and Malcolm to wake up and see the murder and treason. Lady Macbeth enters; Macbeth reenters and puts on a good show of grief. Lennox tells Banquo, Donaldbain, Malcolm, and Ross that the guards appear to have murdered Duncan because blood covers their bodies and daggers. Macbeth then makes a comment killing the guards because he was so upset about their murdering Duncan, but it also prevents them from trying to prove their innocence. (**Lady Macbeth may faint, cry, scream or exit depending on your editor’s decision.)
Everyone exits except for Malcolm and Donaldbain. Malcolm and Donaldbain decide to flee the country for their safety because they are the sons of the murdered king; Malcolm will go to England and Donaldbain will go to Ireland.
2.4
The location is outside not too far away from Macbeth’s castle. Ross enters with an old man. The old man explains how the country is in mourning over Duncan’s death. He also talks about how the darkness of night is covering all the dark deeds that has happened as of late. Macduff enters and tells Ross that even though everyone suspects Duncan’s guards of the murder they (the higher-ranking officials) believe Malcolm and Donaldbain bribed them to do it because the sons have since fled the country. Macduff says the Macbeth will be king; Macbeth is already on his way to the ancient royal city where Scotsmen were prepped for kingship. Macduff says he is returning home instead of going to be with Macbeth.
3.1
The scene is now the royal palace at Forres. Banquo enters and thinks aloud to himself about how all the prophecies from the Weird Sisters about Macbeth have come true, and he fears Macbeth has gotten his hands dirty in order for that to happen. Macbeth and Lady Macbeth enter as king and queen with Ross, Lennox, lords and others. Macbeth announces he is holding a formal dinner that night, and he wants Banquo to join them. Banquo says he and Fleance (his son) need to go somewhere but they will be back in time to attend the dinner.
Everyone exits except for Macbeth who explains being king is useless unless the ranking is secure. He is also concerned that he had no children to give the throne to after he dies. He is worried about Banquo’s natural leadership. He is upset thinking about the fact that if Banquo’s children become king then it is only because he was the one to kill Duncan. In other words, he did all the hard work, so he should be rewarded.
A servant enters with two men (called murders) Macbeth convinced that Banquo was an enemy that needs to be killed. Macbeth explains how Banquo has deceived everyone, and if they (the two murders) are men, they need to do something about it. Macbeth says he can’t use his kingly power to remove Banquo (perhaps banish him from Scotland) because Banquo has too many friends in high places. In convincing them to kill Banquo, Macbeth has also told them Banquo has helped cause their poverty. The murders agree to kill Banquo and Fleance. Technically, they haven’t murdered anyone yet, but they are willing to for the large amount of money Macbeth promises.
3.2
Macbeth now resides in the royal palace (the one Duncan used to live in). In the palace Lady Macbeth and her servant enter. Lady Macbeth tells the servant to fetch Macbeth. Macbeth enters. Lady Macbeth thinks he is still in a funk about killing Duncan, but he reveals he believes Duncan is now in a better place since he no longer has kingly worries. Additionally, he says he is worried about maintaining his position as king because he perceives there is a threat to his throne and title. Regarding the dinner party they will hold that night, Lady Macbeth reminds him to maintain a cheerful appearance. Macbeth says he will and that she should think and speak fondly of Banquo both because he is in danger and because praising others makes them look good as rulers. Macbeth will not tell Lady Macbeth his plan to kill Banquo and Fleance until it is over and she applauds it. Lastly, Macbeth asks the darkness of night to cover/shut the eyes of day so the evil deeds can commence.
3.3
There are three murders now lurking outside near the palace. The first two are curious as to why Macbeth has sent a third man to assist with the murder, but decide to trust him. Banquo and Fleance ride up on horses; servants take their horses to a stable allowing them to walk the rest of the way to the castle. The three murders ambush Banquo and Fleance, but Fleance manages to escape. The three murders drag away Banquo’s body and decide to tell Macbeth that they have at least succeeded in killing Banquo.
3.4
Back inside the palace, the banquet is prepared and the table is set. Macbeth and Lady Macbeth enter, and Macbeth greets the guests. Soon after one murder enters, so Macbeth goes over to him to chat in private. The murderer reveals Banquo is dead (for which Macbeth praises his manliness for the job), but Fleance escaped. Naturally, this news makes Macbeth unhappy and uncomfortable, but he says they will resume this conversation tomorrow and the murderer exits.
Lady Macbeth instructs Macbeth to entertain the guests, but Banquo’s ghost has appeared in Macbeth’s chair causing Macbeth to be stunned. No one else can see the ghost, so they keep persuading Macbeth to sit, but all he can say is the table is full. Once he starts talking to the ghost, Lady Macbeth intervenes and tells the guests to ignore him that he will regain his sanity in a minute. Talking to Macbeth aside, Lady Macbeth questions his manhood and tells him whatever he thinks he’s seeing is not really there and to get it together. Macbeth talks to Banquo’s ghost again then the ghost exits.
Macbeth continues to talk about murder, and now the ghost is gone he tries to persuade the guests he is much better now by making a toast to Banquo. Then Banquo’s ghost returns and Macbeth just loses it; he yells at the ghost to leave him alone. The party atmosphere is dead, so Lady Macbeth must send everyone away (and not the proper way that acknowledges the guests’ social ranking, but all at once).
When the guests have left, Macbeth wonders why Macduff did not come to their party. Macbeth tells Lady Macbeth he must go see the Weird Sisters tomorrow. He says he can’t confess to the murder because his fate will be terrible. Lady Macbeth tells him what he needs is sleep.
3.5*
*Several editors make a note that some scholars believe either Thomas Middleton wrote this scene or that Shakespeare collaborated with Middleton in order to write it since the description of the witches in this scene is different from the rest and because parts of it echo Middleton’s The Witch.
There are several references to music and singing in this scene as well, so keep in mind it is supposed to be a little musical and whimsical.
Back in the open space where one always finds the Weird Sisters, three witches meet with Hecate. Hecate has a very long monologue in which she tells the three witches she is upset they did not include her in their fun of messing with Macbeth and Banquo. Then Hecate plans to lead Macbeth into deep confusion before he eventually dies. She says the problem with mortals is that they are overly confident in themselves; they hold too much pride.
3.6
Lennox and a Lord enter talking about Macbeth’s recent fortunes; they are in Scotland, but not around any other characters. Lennox mentions Macbeth has been acting oddly. He is suspicious that Macbeth was so saddened by both Duncan’s and Banquo’s deaths because he has greatly benefited from those deaths. After all, he is not the king. He also refers to Macbeth as a “traitor,” which leads the reader to understand he is not keen that Macbeth has been named king.
Remember, at the beginning of the play, Macbeth had a great reputation as a brave, gallant man; therefore, people have few reasons to suspect Macbeth of doing anything wrong because he was most loved by the king.
The Lord also calls Macbeth a “tyrant” and believes Macbeth is preventing Duncan’s son from claiming the throne as his birthright. Then he tells Lennox that Macduff has gone to England (which is where one of Duncan’s sons, Malcolm, went into hiding). Macduff hopes Malcolm will help him prepare for a war against Macbeth. Lennox then says he hopes Macduff stays away from Macbeth, which lets the reader know, once more, he is unsure of Macbeth’s actions.
4.1
The setting for the witches is more elaborate; they are in a cave with a cauldron (a little more like we might imagine them). They are mixing a potion made of poisonous frogs and snakes, and others. The famous “double, double, toil and trouble” chant occurs in this scene. After they finish making the potion, Hecate tells them they did a great job, and three other witches enter.
Macbeth enters and wants to know what he should do next because he has gotten word that Macduff and Malcolm plan to raise an army against him. The make a potion, cast a spell, and the image of a head wearing a helmet appears. The armored head tells Macbeth to beware Macduff and then disappears. The witches bring forth a second apparition, a bloody child; the bloody child tells Macbeth he can be bold because no one born of a woman can harm him. This is the most promising premonition for Macbeth because now he’s thinking there is no way anyone can defeat him since there is no way a man cannot be born without a woman giving birth to him. Therefore, he believes, why fear Macduff? Then the third apparition appears. It is a child wearing a crown and holding a tree in his hand. The crown, Macbeth can tell, symbolizes the idea that this child will be king. This apparition tells Macbeth that no one will defeat him until the “Great Birnam wood” (or the forest) moves to “Dunsinane Hill” (basically, what this means is until the tress get up and move themselves to another location). Now, Macbeth is cockier than ever because he is positive there is no way the trees can be moved, so he is feeling really reassured that he will live a long life as king. However, there is still one more thing that bothers him; the original premonition told Banquo that his sons would be kings. Finally, the witches reveal the last premonition: a line of eight kings walks past Macbeth and all look like Banquo.* Macbeth begins to lose it, the witches vanish, and Lennox enters.
Macbeth asks Lennox if he saw the Weird Sister, but, of course, he did not. Lennox tells Macbeth that Macduff has gone to England. In an aside, Macbeth says he will go to Macduff’s house here in Scotland and kill his wife and children. But he also tells himself he needs to do it quickly before he changes his mind because if he waits too long he will have second thoughts.
*What’s cool about this part is it was probably put in to please James I of England (who was also James VI of Scotland). As legend has it, James I was a decedent of Banquo.
4.2
The scene takes place in Macduff’s castle in Fife. Lady Macduff enters with her son and Ross. Ross tells her about her husband fleeing the land and she can’t understand why he would do that. Ross tried to defend Macduff’s character to her by calling him brave, but she does not want to listen because she is too upset that he deserted them when they are in danger. Ross figures out that he cannot convince her otherwise and leaves.
Lady Macduff and her son then have an odd conversation. She tells her son his father is dead and asks him what he will do now, but his response is that he is more worried about what she will do for a husband. He is also aware that is father is not really dead and that she is just saying that because she is upset. When Lady Macduff says she can buy another husband, her son tells her that she will then sell another as well. His responses indicate he does not have a lot of respect for his mother. Then they have an interesting conversation about what makes a traitor. Lady Macduff tells him it is the job of honest men to punish traitors, but this confuses the son because he says the traitors outnumber the honest men and wonders why the traitors do not eliminate the honest men because then there would not be anyone there to punish the traitors.
Suddenly, a messenger enters and tells Lady Macduff that she and her son need to leave immediately because she is not safe. Then he exits. Lady Macduff doesn’t understand why she should leave because she hasn’t done anything wrong. Then the murderers break in and stab her son. She runs out the back with the murderers chasing her and one of the murderers is carrying her son’s dead body.
4.3
–Have your character chart handy, this is where the M names all come together.
Malcom and Macduff meet in England in front of King Edward’s castle. Malcolm wants to mourn what Scotland has become, but Macduff says it is time to take up the sword and fight for their home country. Malcolm suspects Macbeth has sent Macduff to see where he lies in terms of loyalty. Macduff replies he is honest in his feelings about Macbeth. Malcolm says he might normally believe Macduff, but honest men might be dishonest if the king asked them to do so. In other words, Malcolm fears Macduff would do whatever Macbeth asked of him since the two men were close even before Macbeth became the king. Malcolm is also suspicious because Macduff has left his family behind unprotected (and you know that went horribly in the last scene).
Macduff is sad he cannot convince Malcolm he is sincere and gets ready to leave; however, then Malcolm reveals that the king of England has provided him with men to fight against Macbeth. Malcolm just worries that after he kills Macbeth the country will hate him more than Macbeth because he has a large sexual desire that cannot seem to be filled. Then Malcolm goes onto say if he were king he would want to take money and land from rich people. In other words, Malcolm goes on a tangent about how he would make a terrible king and Macduff provides rebuttals to his arguments.
After both men have a heart-to-heart where Malcolm reveals he is a virgin, a doctor enters and informs them of the king healing scrofula and then exits. [People believed the cure for this disease was being touched by the king. Scrofula was a disease where the lymph nodes and/or glands swelled up. Remember they are in England where the king at the time was James I]. Malcolm tells Macduff of this process. Ross enters and reports how terrible things are in Scotland. He reports that Lady Macduff and the son were alive when he left, and that he saw men beginning to rebel against Macbeth. Ross tells Malcolm that his returning to Scotland would be so encouraging that even the women would fight. Ross then reveals he heard a rumor that Macduff’s castle was ambushed and that his wife and children were murdered. While this news depresses Macduff, Malcolm tells him he needs to take all the sorrow he feels and turn it into anger so he can fight against Macbeth. Within these last few exchanges, there is yet another definition of what it means to be a man in this text. Being a man means taking revenge and murdering people it appears.
5.1
Lady Macbeth’s gentlewoman called a doctor because she witnessed Lady Macbeth sleepwalking. The gentlewoman and the doctor are in Macbeth’s castle. The first time the gentlewoman saw Lady Macbeth sleepwalking Lady Macbeth took out a piece of paper, folded it, wrote on it, read it, sealed it, and returned to bed. When the doctor asks if Lady Macbeth said anything while sleepwalking the gentlewoman indicates that Lady Macbeth did speak, but she cannot repeat it because there were no other people there to witness this speech. In other words, it would be the queen’s word against a servant, which means you can guess it is probably something improper.
Lady Macbeth emerges; she is sleepwalking. She begins to rub he hands together as if she were washing them. This is the famous “Out, damned spot” scene. The gentlewoman reports his motion is common for Lady Macbeth and she sometimes repeats this process for 15 minutes. While Lady Macbeth speaks in her sleep, she keeps referring to the stain left by blood on her hands; previously, Lady Macbeth told Macbeth all he would need to do was wash his hands to remove the blood after killing the king and his problems would wash away with them. Now Lady Macbeth believes the blood was never removed from her hands and that the stain will never go away. The doctor tells the gentlewoman he is her witness to these events. Now she has credibility. The doctor says the cause of Lady Macbeth’s actions is something he, a medical doctor, cannot treat because Lady Macbeth needs spiritual/religious help. Lady Macbeth reveals Banquo is dead and returns to sleep. This scene returns to Act 3; remember in 3.2-3.3 there was the commissioning and murder of Banquo, but Fleance escaped. Then in 3.4, Macbeth saw the Ghost of Banquo at his dinner party and had his episode.
5.2
Scottish soldier gather in the countryside and prepare to meet the English soldiers the king of England gave to Malcolm so both groups can discuss their plan of attack on Macbeth. Angus tells the men they will all meet at Birnam Wood (which is the place the prophecy mentioned in 4.1). They are unsure where the late king’s son, Donaldbain, is staying. Lennox informs us there are many people against Macbeth and that many young men, too young to grow a beard, joined the fight against Macbeth. They refer to Malcolm as the medicine or the cure to the state of Scotland and imply Macbeth is the disease.
5.3
Back in Macbeth’s castle, Macbeth knows about the armies coming against him, but he remains confident because of the prophecies in act 4, even when the servant tells him there are 10,000 men coming to fight against him. Macbeth calls for his armor so he can prepare for battle because he will win or die trying. Macbeth meets with the doctor about Lady Macbeth. Macbeth does not understand why the doctor cannot prescribe something to ease Lady Macbeth’s mind or make her forget whatever ails her, and he tells the doctor to test her urine so he can find her disease and cure her. All the while Macbeth is having his battle armor put on by attendants. The doctor leaves and says he does not want to return to Macbeth no matter how much money he could make.
5.4
The scene is set near Birnam Wood, and Malcolm addresses the Scottish soldiers. Malcolm directs each man to cut a branch from a tree in Birnam Wood and hold it in front of him as the army charges toward Macbeth’s castle. Malcolm says only heartless people serve under Macbeth.
When each man of the army carries a branch from a tree, it will appear as if the trees themselves are moving. Hence, the forest will move from Birnam Wood to Dunsinane just as the prophecy foretold.
5.5
At Macbeth’s castle, Macbeth addresses his men with courage and confidence about the pending battle. Then they hear a scream from another room and Macbeth is proud that noises/occurrences such as this no longer frighten him. Seyton reports Lady Macbeth is dead. Macbeth’s first reaction is his wish that she would have died when they were not in the middle of a battle. A messenger enters and reports he has seen the forest moving toward them and that is Macbeth does not believe him then he should go check for himself. Macbeth begins to feel anxious, but resolves to die fighting.
5.6
The play returns to Malcolm, Macduff, and the army of men. Malcolm instructs the men to cast aside the tree branches and reveal how large their army is to Macbeth and his men. You can tell the men are ready to fight and their adrenaline is pumping.
5.7
Macbeth claims he feels like a bear in bearbaiting shows. He wonders who he needs to fear if he does not need to fear a man born of a woman. Young Siward, the son of the English commander, enters and asks Macbeth his name. When Macbeth tells him, young Siward reports that nothing could be said to make him angrier than he is now. They fight, Macbeth kills young Siward, and Macbeth feels more confident because he believes that this child was obviously born of a woman. His confidence is partially restores and he exits with the body.
Macduff enters looking for Macbeth. His goal is to avenge the murder of his family or else their ghosts will never give him peace. He exits.
Malcolm and Siward enter. Siward reports Macbeth surrendered the castle to them. Malcolm and Siward reveal that some of the men from Macbeth’s army are on their side and have only pretended to fight Malcolm and his army in order to keep up appearances for Macbeth. In other words, any man on Macbeth’s army who secretly supported Malcolm would not harm them on purpose when they fought. It would be as if the fight were choreographed to appear real for those who truly fought alongside Macbeth. This way no one can be accused of treason. Malcolm and Siward exit into the castle.
Macbeth enters unsure of what to do next. Macduff enters and Macbeth reveals he has been trying to avoid him because he already has too much of Macduff’s blood on his hands. They fight, but Macbeth still believes that Macduff is just wasting energy because a higher power blessed him so no man born of a woman can harm him. Macbeth is bragging that he is untouchable. Macduff reveals that he was not born as Macbeth knows it, but his mother had a C-section. In other words, Macduff never passed through the birth canal. Macbeth realizes that the witches and the apparitions are good equivocators and says he will not believe them anymore. He tells Macduff he will neither fight nor yield. Eventually he fights Macduff and loses. Macduff exits with Macbeth’s body.
Malcolm, Siward, and Ross enter. Siward reports their side has not lost many men in the fight for Scotland. Ross reports young Siward is dead, but that he died holding his position like a man, i.e. brave. Macduff enters with Macbeth’s head on a pole/spike and addresses Malcolm as king of Scotland. Malcolm addresses everyone and promises to reward everyone who was loyal to him and Scotland. He reveals Lady Macbeth killed herself. He invites everyone to the ceremony where he will be crowned.
Below is my Macbeth summary. Enjoy.
Macbeth Overview “unsex me here” 1.5.39
The Scottish play, Macbeth, is another story about murder and betrayal. The play is set in Scotland. It was first published in 1623 in the First Folio; however, while there is not a definite date for the first time it was performed, scholars place the writing sometime around 1606 because of the allusions to the Gunpowder Plot. In addition, there are references to a Scottish king, which England had at the time (James I of England was also James VI of Scotland and he ascended the throne in 1603). [You can read more about the Gun Powder Plot and King James I under the history tab].
Macbeth and his wife, Lady Macbeth, learn from the three witches, or the Weird Sisters, that Macbeth will one day be king. This leads to Macbeth and Lady Macbeth deciding they need to kill the current king in order for the prophecy to come true. The lines of the Weird Sisters are echoed throughout the play, so keep an eye out since I can’t point to all of them. Additionally, the art of equivocation (a way of behaving/speaking that is not clear or definite and intends to avoid/hide the truth) is highly important in the play.
Before I jump into the play, let’s look at the Character List. Notice after character names titles are often given; after Macbeth it says “Thane of Glamis.” Thane is a Scottish term used during the Medieval and Renaissance times that meant a higher ranked local royal officer. In the play, Macbeth is part of the King’s army and this title lets the reader know that he is high ranking. Macbeth is also pretty close to King Duncan; he and Lady Macbeth live in the castle.
1.1
The three Weird Sisters enter in an open, probably outdoor, space. They seem to talk nonsense; they are discussing where and when to meet Macbeth. There are normally some foreshadowing events within the discussions between the Weird Sisters, so while the conversations may not seem important, or they may appear to be gibberish, they can hold valuable information. For example, in this short conversation they say they will meet “When the battle’s lost and won” introducing such themes as opposites and riddles. The Weird Sisters present their prophecies in ways that can easily be misinterpreted by the receiver.
1.2
King Duncan, Malcolm, Donaldbain (perhaps Donalbain in your edition), and other nobles/attendants enter with a bleeding Captain. They are at a camp near the battlefield. The Captain tells the story of what happened in the battle; he refers to Macbeth as brave and his actions reflect a good, strong fighter because Macbeth cut Macdonald (man leading the rebellion against Scotland) down the middle and then chopped off his head. Then the King of Norway launched another wave of fighting. The Thane of Cawdor is revealed to be a traitor to Scotland, so he will be put to death and Macbeth will receive his title. The Thane of Cawdor loses the battle and Macbeth wins the title…fulfilling the Weird Sisters’ prophecy and hinting at their return.
1.3
The Weird Sisters return to the open place and discuss the evil deeds they have done since their last encounter. They plan to torture the husband of a woman who would not share her chestnuts by causing a storm and preventing him from sleeping. Macbeth and Banquo enter the forest and see the witches. The Weird Sisters greet Macbeth as “Thane of Glamis,” “Thane of Cawdor,” and “king hereafter.” Banquo then gets his own set of prophecies that, again, deal in opposites and riddles. Macbeth reveals he does not understand why they call him Thane of Cawdor which indicates he hasn’t been given the news from 1.2 yet. The Weird Sisters disappear before answering Macbeth leaving Macbeth and Banquo to talk about whether or not what they just experienced was real or not. Either way is seems they believe the prophecies they have been given. Ross and Angus enter and tell Macbeth the news from 1.2 and give him his new title, Thane of Cawdor. Now Macbeth is worried that the Weird Sisters have told the truth in all their prophecies. Banquo warns creatures like that often trick people into believing them. Macbeth decides if fate will have him be king he will accept, but he will not do anything to set that action into motion.
1.4
Back at the camp near the battlefield King Duncan asks his son, Malcolm, if the old Thane of Cawdor has been executed yet. Malcolm says he has and that he confessed to treason beforehand. They do not consider the death a loss at all. Duncan is upset he trusted the previous Thane of Cawdor. Macbeth and Banquo enter. Duncan tells Macbeth he is indebted to him and Macbeth replied the honor was payment enough. He begins as a character loyal to Scotland and Duncan. Duncan then announces that his eldest son, Malcolm, will be the heir to the throne (the heir to the throne in Scotland at this time wasn’t automatically the son or daughter, so it is not unusual here for Duncan to need to make an announcement). At this announcement Macbeth realizes if he is to ever become king he would need to be deemed the next in line for the throne. Then he asks for darkness to shield his evil deeds and his eyes to ignore what evil deeds his hands do.
1.5
Lady Macbeth enters; she is in a room in Macbeth’s castle which is not far from Duncan’s castle. She is reading a letter from Macbeth; the letter tells her about the witches’ prophecy for him to be king, meaning she would be queen. She is excited by the news, but fears Macbeth is too nice for this to work out. She decides she will need to encourage him to do whatever it takes and to overcome any obstacle to be king of Scotland.
A messenger comes and tells Lady Macbeth that Duncan is coming to Macbeth’s castle. Lady Macbeth sees this as a great opportunity to kill Duncan and asks the spirits to remove any remorse from her body so she will be able to act ruthlessly. She asks the dark of night to be so dark heaven cannot see what she will do. Macbeth enters and Lady Macbeth excited tells him they can kill Duncan tonight, but for Macbeth to make sure he appears welcoming so Duncan does not get suspicious.
1.6
Duncan gets to Macbeth’s castle; he praises the castle and Lady Macbeth comes outside to meet him. They exchange pleasantries where Lady Macbeth appears to be very humble and grateful.
1.7
Inside Macbeth’s castle, Macbeth lists the reasons why he should not kill Duncan. He’s worried the consequences will eventually catch up with him. He doesn’t want to circulate violence. He believes it is wrong for a countryman to kill his king, and wrong for a host to kill his guest. Finally, there will be so many tears at his death that there will be a storm.
Lady Macbeth enters and asks Macbeth why he is not entertaining the king. Lady Macbeth asks him why he is able to think these dark thoughts but not able to act on them, and then she calls him a coward and unmanly. Then Lady Macbeth drives the point home by saying that if she had promised Macbeth she would kill her own child she would not break the promise. She goes through a lot of effort to make sure Macbeth will not back down from the plan to kill Duncan. She says she will distract the king’s guards by getting them too drunk to remember anything and then they can blame the guards for the murder. They decide as long as they act sad and shocked they will not be suspected.
2.1
The scene takes place in the courtyard of Macbeth’s castle. Banquo and Fleance enter; they are still in Macbeth’s castle. Macbeth enters with his servant and Banquo gives Macbeth a diamond from Duncan as thanks for the hospitality. Banquo reveals he has dreamt of the Weird Sisters, but Macbeth says he hasn’t thought about the prophecy at all. Macbeth asks Banquo to support him when the time comes and Banquo agrees. Banquo exits. Macbeth tells his servant to tell Lady Macbeth to ring a bell when his drink is ready. The servant exits.
When Macbeth is all alone, he sees a dagger. When he tries to grab it, he cannot at first. He is worried the dagger is not real (which of course it is not real and only a figment of his imagination). Once he believes he is holding the dagger he believes the dagger is leading him down the path he was already headed (i.e. to Duncan’s room to kill Duncan). Suddenly Macbeth sees blood on the dagger handle. He talks about witchcraft and asks nature not to hear his footsteps as he goes to kill Duncan. Off stage Lady Macbeth rings the bell signaling to Macbeth all is set for him to kill Duncan.
2.2
Lady Macbeth enters and reveals she has been drinking alcohol (remember her plan was to get the guards drunk), but she believes she is bolder because of the alcohol. Macbeth enters holding bloody daggers (real ones that Lady Macbeth and the audience can see), but that means Macbeth has forgotten to plant them on the sleeping guards as planned.
Macbeth announces he has killed Duncan, but then we find out Donaldbain is still alive and asleep in another room. Macbeth tells Lady Macbeth he thought he heard Donaldbain talking with another person in the room talking about murder. Then he thought he heard voices while he killed Duncan saying, “Macbeth shall sleep no more,” but Lady Macbeth tells him it is probably just guilt so he shouldn’t thing about the things he has done. Lady Macbeth then instructs Macbeth to wash the blood from his hands and put the daggers by the guards, but Macbeth says he can’t return to look at Duncan so Lady Macbeth has to take them.
Now Macbeth is alone again and he hears a knocking noise. He fears his hands will never be clean. Lady Macbeth reenters having placed the daggers by the guards, so her hands are bloody too. She hears the knocking and tells Macbeth it’s time to go back to their room; a little water to wash their hands will make everything all better. Macbeth wishes he could be ignorant of what he has done, and he wishes the loud knocking were able to wake Duncan from his eternal sleep.
2.3
This scene offers some comic relief while discussing a main theme in the play. In Macbeth’s castle, a porter (a gatekeeper) goes to answer the knocking at the gate. He aligns himself with a gatekeeper of hell and imagines who is about to enter hell. The important one is when he says there is an “equivocator” waiting to get into hell. This is important because an equivocator is a person who can give ambiguous answers or information; in other words, a person who can lie without lying either by withholding information or by using rhetoric & linguistic skills to deceive the listener. It is important because it is most likely a reference to the 1606 trial of the Jesuit Henry Garnet for his involvement in the Gunpowder Plot (i.e. the plan to blow up the Houses of Parliament and the government leaders within).* The porter is commenting on the equivocator’s ability to deceive all of those around him/her, but the inability to get into heaven (i.e. pass the final judgement test or deceive God of your sins with rhetoric).
**More on Garnet under the history tab under the Gunpowder Plot section
The porter opens the door to find Macduff and Lennox (two Scottish nobles). Macbeth enters and the porter exits. Macbeth shows them to Duncan’s room and Macduff goes in to wake him. Meanwhile Macbeth and Lennox talk about the strange events Lennox has experienced. Macduff reenters and implies King Duncan is dead because it is too horrible to say. Macbeth and Lennox exit to see the body, Macduff shouts for Banquo, Donaldbain, and Malcolm to wake up and see the murder and treason. Lady Macbeth enters; Macbeth reenters and puts on a good show of grief. Lennox tells Banquo, Donaldbain, Malcolm, and Ross that the guards appear to have murdered Duncan because blood covers their bodies and daggers. Macbeth then makes a comment killing the guards because he was so upset about their murdering Duncan, but it also prevents them from trying to prove their innocence. (**Lady Macbeth may faint, cry, scream or exit depending on your editor’s decision.)
Everyone exits except for Malcolm and Donaldbain. Malcolm and Donaldbain decide to flee the country for their safety because they are the sons of the murdered king; Malcolm will go to England and Donaldbain will go to Ireland.
2.4
The location is outside not too far away from Macbeth’s castle. Ross enters with an old man. The old man explains how the country is in mourning over Duncan’s death. He also talks about how the darkness of night is covering all the dark deeds that has happened as of late. Macduff enters and tells Ross that even though everyone suspects Duncan’s guards of the murder they (the higher-ranking officials) believe Malcolm and Donaldbain bribed them to do it because the sons have since fled the country. Macduff says the Macbeth will be king; Macbeth is already on his way to the ancient royal city where Scotsmen were prepped for kingship. Macduff says he is returning home instead of going to be with Macbeth.
3.1
The scene is now the royal palace at Forres. Banquo enters and thinks aloud to himself about how all the prophecies from the Weird Sisters about Macbeth have come true, and he fears Macbeth has gotten his hands dirty in order for that to happen. Macbeth and Lady Macbeth enter as king and queen with Ross, Lennox, lords and others. Macbeth announces he is holding a formal dinner that night, and he wants Banquo to join them. Banquo says he and Fleance (his son) need to go somewhere but they will be back in time to attend the dinner.
Everyone exits except for Macbeth who explains being king is useless unless the ranking is secure. He is also concerned that he had no children to give the throne to after he dies. He is worried about Banquo’s natural leadership. He is upset thinking about the fact that if Banquo’s children become king then it is only because he was the one to kill Duncan. In other words, he did all the hard work, so he should be rewarded.
A servant enters with two men (called murders) Macbeth convinced that Banquo was an enemy that needs to be killed. Macbeth explains how Banquo has deceived everyone, and if they (the two murders) are men, they need to do something about it. Macbeth says he can’t use his kingly power to remove Banquo (perhaps banish him from Scotland) because Banquo has too many friends in high places. In convincing them to kill Banquo, Macbeth has also told them Banquo has helped cause their poverty. The murders agree to kill Banquo and Fleance. Technically, they haven’t murdered anyone yet, but they are willing to for the large amount of money Macbeth promises.
3.2
Macbeth now resides in the royal palace (the one Duncan used to live in). In the palace Lady Macbeth and her servant enter. Lady Macbeth tells the servant to fetch Macbeth. Macbeth enters. Lady Macbeth thinks he is still in a funk about killing Duncan, but he reveals he believes Duncan is now in a better place since he no longer has kingly worries. Additionally, he says he is worried about maintaining his position as king because he perceives there is a threat to his throne and title. Regarding the dinner party they will hold that night, Lady Macbeth reminds him to maintain a cheerful appearance. Macbeth says he will and that she should think and speak fondly of Banquo both because he is in danger and because praising others makes them look good as rulers. Macbeth will not tell Lady Macbeth his plan to kill Banquo and Fleance until it is over and she applauds it. Lastly, Macbeth asks the darkness of night to cover/shut the eyes of day so the evil deeds can commence.
3.3
There are three murders now lurking outside near the palace. The first two are curious as to why Macbeth has sent a third man to assist with the murder, but decide to trust him. Banquo and Fleance ride up on horses; servants take their horses to a stable allowing them to walk the rest of the way to the castle. The three murders ambush Banquo and Fleance, but Fleance manages to escape. The three murders drag away Banquo’s body and decide to tell Macbeth that they have at least succeeded in killing Banquo.
3.4
Back inside the palace, the banquet is prepared and the table is set. Macbeth and Lady Macbeth enter, and Macbeth greets the guests. Soon after one murder enters, so Macbeth goes over to him to chat in private. The murderer reveals Banquo is dead (for which Macbeth praises his manliness for the job), but Fleance escaped. Naturally, this news makes Macbeth unhappy and uncomfortable, but he says they will resume this conversation tomorrow and the murderer exits.
Lady Macbeth instructs Macbeth to entertain the guests, but Banquo’s ghost has appeared in Macbeth’s chair causing Macbeth to be stunned. No one else can see the ghost, so they keep persuading Macbeth to sit, but all he can say is the table is full. Once he starts talking to the ghost, Lady Macbeth intervenes and tells the guests to ignore him that he will regain his sanity in a minute. Talking to Macbeth aside, Lady Macbeth questions his manhood and tells him whatever he thinks he’s seeing is not really there and to get it together. Macbeth talks to Banquo’s ghost again then the ghost exits.
Macbeth continues to talk about murder, and now the ghost is gone he tries to persuade the guests he is much better now by making a toast to Banquo. Then Banquo’s ghost returns and Macbeth just loses it; he yells at the ghost to leave him alone. The party atmosphere is dead, so Lady Macbeth must send everyone away (and not the proper way that acknowledges the guests’ social ranking, but all at once).
When the guests have left, Macbeth wonders why Macduff did not come to their party. Macbeth tells Lady Macbeth he must go see the Weird Sisters tomorrow. He says he can’t confess to the murder because his fate will be terrible. Lady Macbeth tells him what he needs is sleep.
3.5*
*Several editors make a note that some scholars believe either Thomas Middleton wrote this scene or that Shakespeare collaborated with Middleton in order to write it since the description of the witches in this scene is different from the rest and because parts of it echo Middleton’s The Witch.
There are several references to music and singing in this scene as well, so keep in mind it is supposed to be a little musical and whimsical.
Back in the open space where one always finds the Weird Sisters, three witches meet with Hecate. Hecate has a very long monologue in which she tells the three witches she is upset they did not include her in their fun of messing with Macbeth and Banquo. Then Hecate plans to lead Macbeth into deep confusion before he eventually dies. She says the problem with mortals is that they are overly confident in themselves; they hold too much pride.
3.6
Lennox and a Lord enter talking about Macbeth’s recent fortunes; they are in Scotland, but not around any other characters. Lennox mentions Macbeth has been acting oddly. He is suspicious that Macbeth was so saddened by both Duncan’s and Banquo’s deaths because he has greatly benefited from those deaths. After all, he is not the king. He also refers to Macbeth as a “traitor,” which leads the reader to understand he is not keen that Macbeth has been named king.
Remember, at the beginning of the play, Macbeth had a great reputation as a brave, gallant man; therefore, people have few reasons to suspect Macbeth of doing anything wrong because he was most loved by the king.
The Lord also calls Macbeth a “tyrant” and believes Macbeth is preventing Duncan’s son from claiming the throne as his birthright. Then he tells Lennox that Macduff has gone to England (which is where one of Duncan’s sons, Malcolm, went into hiding). Macduff hopes Malcolm will help him prepare for a war against Macbeth. Lennox then says he hopes Macduff stays away from Macbeth, which lets the reader know, once more, he is unsure of Macbeth’s actions.
4.1
The setting for the witches is more elaborate; they are in a cave with a cauldron (a little more like we might imagine them). They are mixing a potion made of poisonous frogs and snakes, and others. The famous “double, double, toil and trouble” chant occurs in this scene. After they finish making the potion, Hecate tells them they did a great job, and three other witches enter.
Macbeth enters and wants to know what he should do next because he has gotten word that Macduff and Malcolm plan to raise an army against him. The make a potion, cast a spell, and the image of a head wearing a helmet appears. The armored head tells Macbeth to beware Macduff and then disappears. The witches bring forth a second apparition, a bloody child; the bloody child tells Macbeth he can be bold because no one born of a woman can harm him. This is the most promising premonition for Macbeth because now he’s thinking there is no way anyone can defeat him since there is no way a man cannot be born without a woman giving birth to him. Therefore, he believes, why fear Macduff? Then the third apparition appears. It is a child wearing a crown and holding a tree in his hand. The crown, Macbeth can tell, symbolizes the idea that this child will be king. This apparition tells Macbeth that no one will defeat him until the “Great Birnam wood” (or the forest) moves to “Dunsinane Hill” (basically, what this means is until the tress get up and move themselves to another location). Now, Macbeth is cockier than ever because he is positive there is no way the trees can be moved, so he is feeling really reassured that he will live a long life as king. However, there is still one more thing that bothers him; the original premonition told Banquo that his sons would be kings. Finally, the witches reveal the last premonition: a line of eight kings walks past Macbeth and all look like Banquo.* Macbeth begins to lose it, the witches vanish, and Lennox enters.
Macbeth asks Lennox if he saw the Weird Sister, but, of course, he did not. Lennox tells Macbeth that Macduff has gone to England. In an aside, Macbeth says he will go to Macduff’s house here in Scotland and kill his wife and children. But he also tells himself he needs to do it quickly before he changes his mind because if he waits too long he will have second thoughts.
*What’s cool about this part is it was probably put in to please James I of England (who was also James VI of Scotland). As legend has it, James I was a decedent of Banquo.
4.2
The scene takes place in Macduff’s castle in Fife. Lady Macduff enters with her son and Ross. Ross tells her about her husband fleeing the land and she can’t understand why he would do that. Ross tried to defend Macduff’s character to her by calling him brave, but she does not want to listen because she is too upset that he deserted them when they are in danger. Ross figures out that he cannot convince her otherwise and leaves.
Lady Macduff and her son then have an odd conversation. She tells her son his father is dead and asks him what he will do now, but his response is that he is more worried about what she will do for a husband. He is also aware that is father is not really dead and that she is just saying that because she is upset. When Lady Macduff says she can buy another husband, her son tells her that she will then sell another as well. His responses indicate he does not have a lot of respect for his mother. Then they have an interesting conversation about what makes a traitor. Lady Macduff tells him it is the job of honest men to punish traitors, but this confuses the son because he says the traitors outnumber the honest men and wonders why the traitors do not eliminate the honest men because then there would not be anyone there to punish the traitors.
Suddenly, a messenger enters and tells Lady Macduff that she and her son need to leave immediately because she is not safe. Then he exits. Lady Macduff doesn’t understand why she should leave because she hasn’t done anything wrong. Then the murderers break in and stab her son. She runs out the back with the murderers chasing her and one of the murderers is carrying her son’s dead body.
4.3
–Have your character chart handy, this is where the M names all come together.
Malcom and Macduff meet in England in front of King Edward’s castle. Malcolm wants to mourn what Scotland has become, but Macduff says it is time to take up the sword and fight for their home country. Malcolm suspects Macbeth has sent Macduff to see where he lies in terms of loyalty. Macduff replies he is honest in his feelings about Macbeth. Malcolm says he might normally believe Macduff, but honest men might be dishonest if the king asked them to do so. In other words, Malcolm fears Macduff would do whatever Macbeth asked of him since the two men were close even before Macbeth became the king. Malcolm is also suspicious because Macduff has left his family behind unprotected (and you know that went horribly in the last scene).
Macduff is sad he cannot convince Malcolm he is sincere and gets ready to leave; however, then Malcolm reveals that the king of England has provided him with men to fight against Macbeth. Malcolm just worries that after he kills Macbeth the country will hate him more than Macbeth because he has a large sexual desire that cannot seem to be filled. Then Malcolm goes onto say if he were king he would want to take money and land from rich people. In other words, Malcolm goes on a tangent about how he would make a terrible king and Macduff provides rebuttals to his arguments.
After both men have a heart-to-heart where Malcolm reveals he is a virgin, a doctor enters and informs them of the king healing scrofula and then exits. [People believed the cure for this disease was being touched by the king. Scrofula was a disease where the lymph nodes and/or glands swelled up. Remember they are in England where the king at the time was James I]. Malcolm tells Macduff of this process. Ross enters and reports how terrible things are in Scotland. He reports that Lady Macduff and the son were alive when he left, and that he saw men beginning to rebel against Macbeth. Ross tells Malcolm that his returning to Scotland would be so encouraging that even the women would fight. Ross then reveals he heard a rumor that Macduff’s castle was ambushed and that his wife and children were murdered. While this news depresses Macduff, Malcolm tells him he needs to take all the sorrow he feels and turn it into anger so he can fight against Macbeth. Within these last few exchanges, there is yet another definition of what it means to be a man in this text. Being a man means taking revenge and murdering people it appears.
5.1
Lady Macbeth’s gentlewoman called a doctor because she witnessed Lady Macbeth sleepwalking. The gentlewoman and the doctor are in Macbeth’s castle. The first time the gentlewoman saw Lady Macbeth sleepwalking Lady Macbeth took out a piece of paper, folded it, wrote on it, read it, sealed it, and returned to bed. When the doctor asks if Lady Macbeth said anything while sleepwalking the gentlewoman indicates that Lady Macbeth did speak, but she cannot repeat it because there were no other people there to witness this speech. In other words, it would be the queen’s word against a servant, which means you can guess it is probably something improper.
Lady Macbeth emerges; she is sleepwalking. She begins to rub he hands together as if she were washing them. This is the famous “Out, damned spot” scene. The gentlewoman reports his motion is common for Lady Macbeth and she sometimes repeats this process for 15 minutes. While Lady Macbeth speaks in her sleep, she keeps referring to the stain left by blood on her hands; previously, Lady Macbeth told Macbeth all he would need to do was wash his hands to remove the blood after killing the king and his problems would wash away with them. Now Lady Macbeth believes the blood was never removed from her hands and that the stain will never go away. The doctor tells the gentlewoman he is her witness to these events. Now she has credibility. The doctor says the cause of Lady Macbeth’s actions is something he, a medical doctor, cannot treat because Lady Macbeth needs spiritual/religious help. Lady Macbeth reveals Banquo is dead and returns to sleep. This scene returns to Act 3; remember in 3.2-3.3 there was the commissioning and murder of Banquo, but Fleance escaped. Then in 3.4, Macbeth saw the Ghost of Banquo at his dinner party and had his episode.
5.2
Scottish soldier gather in the countryside and prepare to meet the English soldiers the king of England gave to Malcolm so both groups can discuss their plan of attack on Macbeth. Angus tells the men they will all meet at Birnam Wood (which is the place the prophecy mentioned in 4.1). They are unsure where the late king’s son, Donaldbain, is staying. Lennox informs us there are many people against Macbeth and that many young men, too young to grow a beard, joined the fight against Macbeth. They refer to Malcolm as the medicine or the cure to the state of Scotland and imply Macbeth is the disease.
5.3
Back in Macbeth’s castle, Macbeth knows about the armies coming against him, but he remains confident because of the prophecies in act 4, even when the servant tells him there are 10,000 men coming to fight against him. Macbeth calls for his armor so he can prepare for battle because he will win or die trying. Macbeth meets with the doctor about Lady Macbeth. Macbeth does not understand why the doctor cannot prescribe something to ease Lady Macbeth’s mind or make her forget whatever ails her, and he tells the doctor to test her urine so he can find her disease and cure her. All the while Macbeth is having his battle armor put on by attendants. The doctor leaves and says he does not want to return to Macbeth no matter how much money he could make.
5.4
The scene is set near Birnam Wood, and Malcolm addresses the Scottish soldiers. Malcolm directs each man to cut a branch from a tree in Birnam Wood and hold it in front of him as the army charges toward Macbeth’s castle. Malcolm says only heartless people serve under Macbeth.
When each man of the army carries a branch from a tree, it will appear as if the trees themselves are moving. Hence, the forest will move from Birnam Wood to Dunsinane just as the prophecy foretold.
5.5
At Macbeth’s castle, Macbeth addresses his men with courage and confidence about the pending battle. Then they hear a scream from another room and Macbeth is proud that noises/occurrences such as this no longer frighten him. Seyton reports Lady Macbeth is dead. Macbeth’s first reaction is his wish that she would have died when they were not in the middle of a battle. A messenger enters and reports he has seen the forest moving toward them and that is Macbeth does not believe him then he should go check for himself. Macbeth begins to feel anxious, but resolves to die fighting.
5.6
The play returns to Malcolm, Macduff, and the army of men. Malcolm instructs the men to cast aside the tree branches and reveal how large their army is to Macbeth and his men. You can tell the men are ready to fight and their adrenaline is pumping.
5.7
Macbeth claims he feels like a bear in bearbaiting shows. He wonders who he needs to fear if he does not need to fear a man born of a woman. Young Siward, the son of the English commander, enters and asks Macbeth his name. When Macbeth tells him, young Siward reports that nothing could be said to make him angrier than he is now. They fight, Macbeth kills young Siward, and Macbeth feels more confident because he believes that this child was obviously born of a woman. His confidence is partially restores and he exits with the body.
Macduff enters looking for Macbeth. His goal is to avenge the murder of his family or else their ghosts will never give him peace. He exits.
Malcolm and Siward enter. Siward reports Macbeth surrendered the castle to them. Malcolm and Siward reveal that some of the men from Macbeth’s army are on their side and have only pretended to fight Malcolm and his army in order to keep up appearances for Macbeth. In other words, any man on Macbeth’s army who secretly supported Malcolm would not harm them on purpose when they fought. It would be as if the fight were choreographed to appear real for those who truly fought alongside Macbeth. This way no one can be accused of treason. Malcolm and Siward exit into the castle.
Macbeth enters unsure of what to do next. Macduff enters and Macbeth reveals he has been trying to avoid him because he already has too much of Macduff’s blood on his hands. They fight, but Macbeth still believes that Macduff is just wasting energy because a higher power blessed him so no man born of a woman can harm him. Macbeth is bragging that he is untouchable. Macduff reveals that he was not born as Macbeth knows it, but his mother had a C-section. In other words, Macduff never passed through the birth canal. Macbeth realizes that the witches and the apparitions are good equivocators and says he will not believe them anymore. He tells Macduff he will neither fight nor yield. Eventually he fights Macduff and loses. Macduff exits with Macbeth’s body.
Malcolm, Siward, and Ross enter. Siward reports their side has not lost many men in the fight for Scotland. Ross reports young Siward is dead, but that he died holding his position like a man, i.e. brave. Macduff enters with Macbeth’s head on a pole/spike and addresses Malcolm as king of Scotland. Malcolm addresses everyone and promises to reward everyone who was loyal to him and Scotland. He reveals Lady Macbeth killed herself. He invites everyone to the ceremony where he will be crowned.
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