Macbeth PLOT

Act 1 summary

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1. The witches meet

2. Macbeth comes back from battle

3. The witches prophecies to Macbeth

4. Lady Macbeth recieves news of the prophecies

5. LM + M plot murder

6. Macbeth has doubts (manipulated by LM tho)

Act 2 summary

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1. Macbeth dagger vision

2. Duncan murder

3. LM plants the weapons

4. Macduff gets suspicious

5. Duncan's sons (Malcom + Donalbain) flee Scotland - suspected of murdering Duncan

6. Macbeth = King of Scotland

Act 3 summary

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1. Banquo (Macbeth's ex-best-friend) gets suspicious

2. Macbeth fears Banquo's kids will become King (witches other prophecy)

3. Sends henchmen to kill Banquo + son (Fleance) but Fleance escapes through Banquo's instruction

4. Banquo's ghost appears at M + LMs banquet - LM tells guests (thanes) to leave

Act 4 summary

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1. Witches give three apparitions:
- Macbeth should fear Macduff
- Macbeth cannot be harmed by anyone woman born
- Macbeth will not be defeated until Birnam Wood moves to Dunsinane

2. Sends henchmen to murder Macduff + family family bc of first apparition
3. Macduff not home - only family murdered
4. Macduff seeks revenge

Act 5 summary

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1. LM sleepwalks + talks - servant + Doctor hear + realise she was guilty of the murder

2. Macduff + Malcom's army grows + they cut down trees from Birnam Wood for camouflage

3. Macbeth told LM is dead + Birnam Wood is 'moving'

4. Macduff reveals C-section birth: Macbeth beheaded + killed by Macduff

5. Macduff brings Macbeth's head to Malcolm - Malcom = King of Scotland

Act 1 significance

1. LM + M relationship (LM more power, M more submissive)

2. M with others vs with LM (introduced as powerful + brave but not with LM)

3. Witches introduced - foreboding atmosphere foreshadows negative things

Act 2 significance

1. Hallucinations (dagger) - motif representing the theme appearance vs reality. Appear more frequently as play goes on

2. LM weakness seen (comparison of Duncan to her father)

3. Porter scene = comedic relief after D murder

4. Natural world reacts to regicide - Lennox line: 'our chimneys were blown down...strange screams of death' --> divine right of kings

5. Start of guilt/paranoia for Macbeth

Act 3 significance

1. Brutality + betrayal (start of M's tyranny) - kills bsf + bsf's son

2. Children - Macbeth's soliloquy. Also evokes sympathy bc Macbeth had a child that died

3. M's instability - Banquo's ghost - lack of control

Act 4 significance

1. Lady Macduff = foil to LM

2. Witches apparitions - armoured head (Macduff warning); bloodstained child (woman born harm); child wearing crown with green tree (Birnam wood)
+ Macbeth's blind belief in them

3. Kingship - Macbeth shown not to be a good King but Malcom is

4. Order + disorder - Malcom represents order, Macbeth represents disorder

Act 5 significance

LM suicide = overwhelmed by guilt

M's harmartia - C-section + too much confidence = death