Notes on Macbeth

Act I

• The play begins with thunder & lightning.
• The three witches plan to confront Macbeth.
• The Scots battle Irish invaders.
• Macbeth & Banquo fought with great courage
• Macbeth slew Macdonwald
• The thane of Cawdor is put to death & Macbeth is given his title
• Macbeth & Banquo are frightened by the witches on their way home
• The witches prophecy to Macbeth that he will be thane of Cawdor
• This soon comes true
• King Duncan announces his son Malcolm will be heir to the throne
• Macbeth realizes Malcolm stands between him & the throne
• Lady Macbeth resolves to do whatever it takes to get her husband to take the crown
• King Duncan & his Scottish lords arrive at Macbeth's castle
• Macbeth contemplates assassinating Duncan 
• He tells his wife he no longer plans to do it, causing her to question his manhood
• She unveils her plan & re-convinces Macbeth

Act II

• Fleance is Banquo's son
• Macbeth heads out to Duncan's chamber to kill him
• Macbeth stabs Duncan & is extremely frightened
• Lady Macbeth is forced to frame the chamber maids for him
• Macduff & Lennox come to the castle the next morning looking for the king
• Macbeth takes them to the king's chamber & pretends to be shocked at the murder
• The chamber maids were found with bloody daggers
• Macbeth has been made king by the other lords

Act III

• Malcolm & Donalbain have fled from Schotland, & Macbeth worries they may be plotting against his crown.
• Macbeth plans the murder of Banquo, as well as Banquo's son Fleance
• Lady Macbeth & Macbeth feel unrest, fearing there are others after the throne
• The hired murderers kill Banquo, but his son Fleance escapes
• Macbeth & Lady Macbeth enter a feast, & Macbeth finds the ghost of Banquo in his seat
• He gins to talk to it, horrified
• The guests leave the feast
• Macbeth plans to visit the witches to learn of his future
• The witches meet the goddess of witchcraft, Hecate
• She commands them to summon visions & spirits for Macbeth's arrival
• Banquo's muder was blamed on Fleance
• Lennox & another Lord blame Macbeth

Act IV

• Macbeth visits the witches
• They tell him to beware of Macduff and that he is safe until Birnam wood moves to Dunsinane Hill
• Macbeth decides to send murderers to capture Macduff's caste & to kill Macduff's wife and children
• The murderers flee to the Macduff castle, killing Macduff's wife and son
• Ross tells Macduff that Macbeth murdered his wife and children
• He decides to inflict revenge

Act V

• People believe Lady Macbeth to have gone mad because of her sleepwalking
• The English army, led by Malcolm, plans to battle the Scottish army
• The Queen dies
• The trees of Birnam wood are advancing toward Dunsinane & Macbeth realized he will die
• Macbeth & Macduff battle eachother
• Macduff emerges with Macbeth's head
• Malcolm is then crowned king