Macbeth Scene Summaries

1.1 (Witches on the heath)

Three witches plan to meet Macbeth after the battle.

"Fair is foul, and foul is fair."

Appearance vs. Reality – The witches set the tone for deception.

1.2 (King Duncan’s camp)

A wounded captain reports Macbeth’s bravery in battle. Duncan names Macbeth Thane of Cawdor.

"For brave Macbeth—well he deserves that name."

Loyalty & Honor – Macbeth is initially a hero.

1.3 (The heath)

Witches prophesy Macbeth’s rise to power. Ross confirms he is now Thane of Cawdor.

"All hail, Macbeth, that shalt be king hereafter!"

Fate vs. Free Will – The prophecy sparks Macbeth’s ambition.

1.4 (Duncan’s palace)

Duncan praises Macbeth but names Malcolm as heir. Macbeth sees Malcolm as an obstacle.

"Stars, hide your fires; Let not light see my black and deep desires."

Ambition & Treachery – Macbeth’s dark thoughts emerge.

1.5 (Macbeth’s castle)

Lady Macbeth reads Macbeth’s letter, vows to push him to kill Duncan.

"Unsex me here… fill me from the crown to the toe top-full of direst cruelty!"

Gender & Power – Lady Macbeth rejects femininity for ruthlessness.

1.6 (Outside Macbeth’s castle)

Duncan arrives; Lady Macbeth greets him with false hospitality.

"This castle hath a pleasant seat."

Deception – Appearance hides murderous intent.

1.7 (Macbeth’s soliloquy)

Macbeth hesitates, but Lady Macbeth manipulates him into committing murder.

"I have no spur to prick the sides of my intent, but only vaulting ambition."

Moral Conflict – Macbeth knows the murder is wrong but is driven by ambition.

2.1 (Dagger hallucination)

Macbeth sees a bloody dagger leading him to Duncan’s chamber. He murders Duncan.

"Is this a dagger which I see before me?"

Guilt & Madness – Hallucinations foreshadow psychological unraveling.

2.2 (Post-murder)

Macbeth returns, horrified; Lady Macbeth takes charge, smearing blood on guards.

"Will all great Neptune’s ocean wash this blood clean from my hand?"

Guilt – Macbeth is immediately tormented.

2.3 (Porter scene / Discovery)

Macduff finds Duncan’s body; Macbeth kills the guards. Malcolm & Donalbain flee.

"Confusion now hath made his masterpiece!"

Chaos & Disorder – The natural order is disrupted.

2.4 (Outside the castle)

Ross and an Old Man discuss unnatural events (darkness, animals acting strangely).

"By th’ clock ’tis day, And yet dark night strangles the travelling lamp."

Nature’s Rebellion – The world reacts to Duncan’s murder.

3.1 (Banquo’s suspicion)

Macbeth fears Banquo’s heirs (prophesied to rule). He hires murderers to kill Banquo & Fleance.

"To be thus is nothing, but to be safely thus."

Paranoia – Macbeth’s rule is insecure.

3.2 (Macbeth & Lady Macbeth’s unease)

Macbeth hints at more violence; Lady Macbeth is troubled but still in control.

"O, full of scorpions is my mind, dear wife!"

Mental Decline – Their guilt is consuming them.

3.3 (Banquo’s murder)

Murderers kill Banquo, but Fleance escapes.

"O treachery! Fly, good Fleance, fly!"

Fate vs. Free Will – The prophecy remains unfulfilled.

3.4 (Banquet scene)

Banquo’s ghost appears, terrifying Macbeth. Lady Macbeth covers for him.

"Thou canst not say I did it; never shake thy gory locks at me!"

Guilt & Madness – Macbeth’s public breakdown.

3.5 (Hecate’s warning)

Hecate scolds the witches for meddling without her.

"Loves for his own ends, not for you."

Supernatural Control – The witches manipulate Macbeth.

3.6 (Lennox’s suspicions)

Lennox and a lord discuss Macbeth’s tyranny; Macduff joins Malcolm in England.

"Some holy angel fly to the court of England…"

Tyranny & Resistance – Opposition grows.

4.1 (Apparitions)

Witches show Macbeth visions: "Beware Macduff," "None of woman born," and "Birnam Wood."

"Macbeth shall never vanquished be until Great Birnam Wood to high Dunsinane Hill shall come against him."

Hubris – Macbeth misinterprets the prophecies.

4.2 (Macduff’s family murdered)

Macbeth orders the slaughter of Macduff’s wife and children.

"He has no children. All my pretty ones?"

Tyranny & Revenge – Macbeth’s cruelty seals his fate.

4.3 (Malcolm tests Macduff)

Malcolm tests Macduff’s loyalty; Ross reveals the massacre. Macduff vows revenge.

"Dispute it like a man." "I shall do so, but I must also feel it as a man."

Manhood & Grief – Macduff’s humanity contrasts Macbeth’s brutality.

5.1 (Lady Macbeth’s madness)

Lady Macbeth sleepwalks, trying to wash imaginary blood off her hands.

"Out, damned spot! Out, I say!"

Guilt & Madness – Her conscience destroys her.

5.2-5.4 (Siege preparations)

English forces advance; Macbeth clings to prophecies.

"I have almost forgot the taste of fears."

Isolation – Macbeth is emotionally dead inside.

5.5 (Lady Macbeth’s death)

Macbeth learns of her death and reacts with nihilism.

"Life’s but a walking shadow… a tale told by an idiot, full of sound and fury, signifying nothing."

Existential Despair – Macbeth sees life as meaningless.

5.6-5.8 (Final battle)

Macduff reveals he was "from his mother’s womb untimely ripped" and kills Macbeth. Malcolm becomes king.

"Macduff was from his mother’s womb untimely ripped."

Fate Fulfilled – The witches' prophecies come true in unexpected ways.