-
Act I Scene I: The Witches Plan
The witches meet and plan to encounter Macbeth, deciding to meet again at twilight. -
Act I Scene II: Macbeth is awarded the Thane of Cawdor
King Duncan awaits news about the battle against rebels led by the Thane of Cawdor.A weakened soldier tells the kning of the valour of Banquo and Macbeth. Duncan decides to give Macbeth the title of the Thane of Cawdor. This is where we first see Macbeth gain power and the beginning of the rise of his ambition. -
Act I Scene III: The Witch's Prophecy
The witches prophecise that Macbeth will become King, as well as the Thane of Cawdor and Glamis. They then say that Banquo will be gretaer in death than Macbeth and that his sons will be future kings. This creates ambition for the power that the witches mention, but he is not ready to carry through with the acts that would be required to gain it. -
Act I Scene IV: Macbeth becomes the Thane of Cawdor
Macbeth is awarded Thane of Cawdor and King Duncan is invited to Macbeth's castle. However, the whole time Macbeth is really concerned as to whether he will be chosen as the Knig's successor. Macbeth is concerned about whether he will gain the power of King, and hopes that he will be chosen over the King's sons. -
Act I Scene V: Plotting to kill King Duncan
Lady Macbeth recieves a letter from Macbeth detailing the witch's prophecy and plots to kill King Duncan so that Macbeth inherits his power. When she tells this to Macbeth, he is horrified at the pospoect of comitting regicide, but after lots of convincing, he agrees to do the deed by the end of the act. Lady Macbeth has created more ambition and a lust for power in Macbeth through her desires. Macbeth first starts to become blinded by power by considering murdering Duncan. -
Act I Scene VI: The King attends dinner at Macbeth's castle
Macbeth plans the murder as Duncan arrives t his castle for a dinner party. Macbeth fakes admiration of Duncan and they talk about the beauty of Macbeth's castle and his bravery in the battle. Macbeth is determined to become the King, and will do almost snything to gain power. -
Act I Scene VII: Macbeth commits to performing the murder
Macbeth is toiling with his inner conscience and is particularyl worried about the punishment he will recieve in the afterlife, and he believes that Duncan is a better monarch than he could ever be. Lady Macbeth persuades him to carry out the murder while Duncan feasts. -
Act II Scene I: Macbeth prepares fot the murder
Macbeth and Lady Macbeth discuss a sign to signal the commence of the murder. Macbeth hears Lady Macbeth's signal and Macbeth goes to murder Duncan, where he hallucinates a dagger in the air which confirms that he is meant to kill Duncan in his mind. Macbeth is delirious with the ambition for power. His judgement is severely skewed by his desires. -
Act II Scene II: Macbeth feels remorse for his actions
Lady Macbeth hears cries from Duncan's room and fears that the guards will have woken. Macbeth immediatey regrets his decision and wishes he hadn't killed Duncan, and Lady Macbeth tries to calm him and assure him that he made the right decison. For a brief moment, Macbeth is truly sane and realises how his ambition has changed his decisions. Lady Macbeth however, continues to enourage his ambitions. -
Act II Scene III: Duncan is found
Macbeth arrives to wake the King and finds that he has been murdered. Those still asleep are woken. Macbeth tells the others that he only killed the servants in a fit of rage because they wre covered with the blood of the King. Malcolm and Donaldbain decide to flee the country as soon as possible. Macbeth is prepared to lie for the chance of power. -
Act II Scene IV: Suspition arises
Macduff enters and tells Ross that Malcolm and Donaldbain must be responsible for killing the King because they fleed so quickly. However, he is not convinced, and refuses to attend Macbeth's coronation. -
Act III Scene I: Macbeth plots to murder Banquo
Banquo is suspicious of Macbeth and he avoids going to dinner with him. Macbeth senses this suspicion and meets with two men who he hires to kill Banqou and his son, Fleance. Macbteh is becoming more ruthless because of his ambition and is even willing to kill his own friend to stay in power. This proves that Macbeth is not truly sane. -
Act III Scene II: Lady Macbeth sees sense
Macbeth and his wife discuss the neccessity of murdering Banquo. Lady Macbeth is oppsosed to commiting another murder to their names, but Macbeth has already ordered the murder. Contrary to earlier in the play, now Lady Macbeth seems to be the one who holds the sanity, and she does not gree with her husband's ruthlessness. -
Act III Scene III: Fleance escapes
The murderers attack Fleance and Banquo, but Fleance escapes on his horse. -
Act III Scene IV: The beginning of Macbeth's demise
The murders return to inform Macbeth that Fleance escaped, which is very worrying for Macbeth. Later at the feast, Macbeth speaks about Banquo's absence and a ghost of Banquo that only he can see appears. Lady Macbeth dimisses it as a fit and sends the guests home. Macbeth is also worried about Macduff, who he thinks knows about his actions. Macbeth is clearly going insane due to his ambition for power, and is worried that someone will take it from him. Things start to go badly for Macbeth. -
Act IV Scene I: Mabeth visits the witches
Macbeth visits the witches to consult the about the proprhecy. He finds that he must be aware of Macduff, that he can only die to someone not born of a woman, that he will not be defeated until Birnam Wood comes to Dunsinane and Banquo's children will be future kings. This is very concernining for Macbeth, and when he finds that Macbeth has fled to Scotland, he decieds to kill all of his remaning family. Macbeth is now even more paranoid of his demise, as he knows that he will not have heirs. -
Act IV Scene II: Macduff's family is murdered
Lady Macduff is discussing Macduff's move to Scotland when the murderers arrive and kill her and her son. Macbeth has become so ruthless in his lust for power that he is willing to commit atrocities to ensure it. -
Act IV Scene III: Macduff recruits Malcolm
Macduff gets Malcolm from Scotland and persuades him to return to Scotland to overthrow Macbeth. This is fuelled by the news that Macduff's family has been killed. -
Act V Scene I: Lady Macbeth is guilty
Lady Macbeth is going insane, and admits to the doctor that she had part in Duncan's murder. Lady Macbeth is the only truly sane person, as she realises the severity of her actions and that power is not everything. -
Act V Scene III: Preparing for the attack
Macbeth prepares for the battle and thinks that he will win because of the witch's predictions, however he realises he will never be able to live comfortably because of the scandal created. He learns the Lady Macbeth cannot be cured. Macbeth briefly sees what his ambition has done to him, and that even if he survives, he will never have a pleasurable life. -
Act V Scene IV: The forest approaches
Malcolm orders the army to cut branches from the Birnam Wood and use them to conceal the number of troops. The prophecy is coming true and the consequences of his ambition are becoming clear. -
Act V Scene V: Unravelling
Lady Macbeth kills herself and and Macbeth learns that the Birnam Wood is approaching. He realises he is probably about to meet his demise. The consequences of Macbeth's lust for power become clear to him. -
Act V Scene VII: Macbeth fights
Macbeth fights and kills victims, and Macduff cannot find Macbeth. This is Macbeth's final act to try and retain his power, now that he realises all other hope is lost. He has disregarded what is really important. -
Act V Scene VIII: Macbeth dies
Macduff finds Macbeth and they fight. Macduf informs Macbeth that he was born of a Caesarian and kills Macbeth, fulfilling th propehcy. This is the demise of the Macbeth and we learn that the final consequence for Macbeth's ambition was death.