The Destructive Influence of Unrestrained Ambition

The play opens with a brief appearance of three witches, then shifts to a military camp, where the Scottish King Duncan learns that his generals, Macbeth and Banquo, have successfully defeated two separate invading armies—one from Ireland, led by the rebel Macdonwald, and another from Norway. After their intense battle, Macbeth and Banquo come across the witches while crossing a moor. The witches predict that Macbeth will become the thane (a Scottish noble rank) of Cawdor and eventually the King of Scotland. They also foresee that Banquo, Macbeth’s comrade, will father a line of Scottish kings, although he will never be king himself.

The witches disappear, and Macbeth and Banquo initially doubt their prophecies until some of King Duncan’s men arrive to thank the two generals for their victories and inform Macbeth that he has indeed been appointed as the thane of Cawdor. The previous thane betrayed Scotland by siding with the Norwegians, and Duncan has sentenced him to death. Macbeth is intrigued by the possibility that the rest of the witches’ prophecy—that he will be crowned king—might come true, but he is unsure of what to expect. He meets with King Duncan, and they plan to dine together at Inverness, Macbeth’s castle, that evening. Macbeth sends a letter ahead to his wife, Lady Macbeth, informing her of all that has transpired.Lady Macbeth is not plagued by the same doubts as her husband. She desires the throne for him and persuades him to murder Duncan to attain it. Upon Macbeth's arrival at Inverness, she dismisses all of his objections and convinces him to kill the king that very night. Together, they plan to intoxicate Duncan's two chamberlains so they will pass out; the next morning they will blame the murder on the chamberlains, who will be defenseless as they will remember nothing. Despite his doubts and eerie supernatural signs, including a vision of a bloody dagger, Macbeth stabs Duncan while he sleeps. When Duncan's death is discovered the next morning, Macbeth kills the chamberlains—ostensibly in a fit of rage at their crime—and easily assumes the kingship. Duncan's sons Malcolm and Donalbain flee to England and Ireland, respectively, fearing that whoever killed their father desires their demise as well.

Fearing the witches' prophecy that Banquo's descendants will seize the throne, Macbeth hires a group of assassins to kill Banquo and his son Fleance. They ambush Banquo on his way to a royal feast, but they fail to kill Fleance, who escapes into the night. This leaves Macbeth furious, as he fears that his power remains insecure as long as Fleance is alive. At the feast that night, Banquo's ghost appears to Macbeth, causing him to react fearfully and startle his guests, who include most of the great Scottish nobility.Lady Macbeth attempts to mitigate the consequences, but Macbeth's rule triggers growing opposition from his noblemen and subjects. Fearing the outcome, Macbeth seeks out the witches in their cave. There, they reveal a series of apparitions and spirits that deliver additional prophecies to him: he should be wary of Macduff, a Scottish noble who opposed Macbeth's rise to power; he is invulnerable to harm from any man born of a woman; and he will remain safe until Birnam Wood moves to Dunsinane Castle.

Feeling reassured and confident, Macbeth believes that all men are born of women and that forests cannot relocate. Upon discovering that Macduff has fled to England to join Malcolm, Macbeth orders the seizure of Macduff's castle and, most cruelly, the murder of Lady Macduff and her children. Upon learning of his family's execution in England, Macduff is overcome with grief and swears to seek vengeance. Prince Malcolm, Duncan's son, successfully raises an army in England, and Macduff joins him as they journey to Scotland to confront Macbeth's forces. The invasion garners support from the Scottish nobles, who are horrified and terrified by Macbeth's oppressive and murderous conduct. Meanwhile, Lady Macbeth is tormented by episodes of sleepwalking during which she laments what she perceives as bloodstains on her hands. Prior to the arrival of Macbeth's adversaries, he receives word that she has taken her own life, plunging him into profound and pessimistic despair.

However, he waits for the English army and strengthens the defenses of Dunsinane, where he has taken refuge to protect himself, believing that the witches' prophecies ensure his invincibility. His fear intensifies when he discovers that the English army is approaching Dunsinane camouflaged with branches from Birnam Wood. Birnam Wood is actually advancing towards Dunsinane, fulfilling part of the witches' prophecy.

During the battle, Macbeth fights fiercely, but the English forces gradually overpower his army and castle. On the battlefield, Macbeth confronts the vengeful Macduff, who reveals that he was not "born of woman" but was instead "untimely ripped" from his mother's womb (what we now call birth by cesarean section). Despite realizing his impending doom, Macbeth continues to fight until Macduff kills and beheads him. Malcolm, now the King of Scotland, declares his benevolent intentions for the country and invites everyone to witness his coronation at Scone.