Shakespeare - Macbeth - Summary - Act 1

Summary of Act 1

  • Macbeth finds out he’ll be king through the witches’ prophecy.
  • Duncan is the current king; making Malcolm the heir to the throne. 
  • Lady Macbeth and Macbeth make a plan to murder the King, Duncan. 
    • Set up the guards, by getting them drunk, and kill the King with their daggers. 
  • Macbeth doubts their plan, but Lady Macbeth tells him to ‘be a man’
    • Saying if she were breast feeding a baby she would go as far as to kill the baby then and there. 
  • Banquo is told that his children will be kings. 

ACT 1, SCENE 3, The witch's prophecy is About Macbeth becoming king of Scotland, but Banquo’s children becoming kings.