I, 1: In Scotland in the distant past three witches meet on a desolate heath.

They discuss committing for an evil deed in ambiguous terms and plan to meet Macbeth, a Scottish nobleman. I, 2: Duncan, King of Scotland, receives reports about a two-front attack upon his kingdom. A powerful thane, or nobleman, named MacDonwald has led a rebellion, aided by Irish and Norwegian invaders. This attack has been defeated by Macbeth and Banquo, the foreigners driven off and MacDonwald killed. Elsewhere in Scotland another traitor, the Thane of Cawdor, has staged an unsuccessful uprising and has been captured. Duncan orders that Macbeth be given the title and estate of the Thane of Cawdor. I, 3: The witches gather and wait for Macbeth. They discuss putting an evil spell on a woman who insulted one of them. The woman's husband is a ship captain, and the witches will use their magic power over the winds to make his homeward voyage as difficult as possible. The witches sense the approach of Macbeth and cast a magic spell. Macbeth and his friend Banquo traveling across the heath are met by the witches. One greets Macbeth by his title, Thane of Glamis; another calls him Thane of Cawdor and the third announces that he will be the king in the future. Macbeth is startled to be addressed by the title of another nobleman. Banquo asks the witches to foretell his future, and they tell him in ambiguous terms that he will be lesser than Macbeth will but greater, not so happy as Macbeth but happier and that he will not be king but will be the father of kings. Macbeth is agitated by this exchange, but when he tries to question the witches further, they vanish. Macbeth and Banquo discuss the prophecies and seem inclined to dismiss them, until messengers from the king enter and greet Macbeth as the Thane of Cawdor. Banquo warns Macbeth not to allow the witches' message to spur him to commit a sin, but in a soliloquy Macbeth tells us that he feels compelled to do all he can to make the prophecy about becoming king come true. Although he recognizes the dangers to his soul, he believes that some supernatural power means for him to seize the throne. The four men leave to meet the king. I, 4: King Duncan receives the news that the former Thane of Cawdor has been executed. When Macbeth and Banquo enter, Duncan greets them with gratitude for their military success and calls Macbeth by his new title. The king plans to spend the night at Macbeth's castle at Inverness. He then announces that he will name his eldest son, Malcolm, the heir to the Scottish throne. As he rides off to make preparation for the royal visit, Macbeth realizes that the naming of Malcolm as the next king poses a serious obstacle to his hopes.

I, 5: At the castle Lady Macbeth reads a letter from her husband telling her about the witches' prophecy. Lady Macbeth sees immediately that her husband will have to seize the crown, but she worries that he lacks the coldblooded ambition he requires. She vows to do whatever is necessary to force her husband to act decisively. When a messenger arrives with word that the king will arrive soon and spend the night, Lady Macbeth is shocked and sees in this a golden opportunity to take the crown. When her husband arrives, he is noncommittal while she assures him she will see to it Duncan dies. I, 6: Duncan arrives at Macbeth's castle and finds it very attractive. Lady Macbeth greets the king and offers the hospitality of their home. I, 7: That night, after dinner, Macbeth shares another soliloquy with the audience. Although the idea of killing Duncan would enable him to seize power, he also recognizes that such a mortal sin will surely destroy him in the long run. He feels he does not have enough ambition to overcome his own reluctance. At that moment his wife enters and berates him for changing his mind about killing Duncan. She urges him to prove his love by acting and assures him they can succeed. In conclusion she tells her husband that if she had sworn to act as he had done, she would have gladly have killed her own child rather than break her promise. Her husband resolves to carry out the murder. II, 1: Banquo and his son Fleance prepare to retire for the night when they meet Macbeth. Banquo mentions the prophecy of the witches coming true about Macbeth becoming the Thane of Cawdor; Macbeth denies thinking about them, but asks Banquo, indirectly, to support him in the future. After they leave, Macbeth suddenly sees a hallucination of a bloody dagger which he believes was sent to lead him to Duncan's room for murder. He leaves to do the deed when he hears a bell Lady Macbeth rings as a signal that Duncan's bodyguards have been drugged. II, 2: Having drugged the bodyguards, Lady Macbeth, manic with excitement, waits downstairs for her husband to do the murder. Suddenly someone cries out, and Lady Macbeth fears that the murder attempt has been discovered. Macbeth returns with bloody hands, but he is so distracted he makes little sense, telling his wife of strange voices that cried out, condemning him and promising that he would never again sleep peacefully. When she discovers he has brought the knives downstairs rather than leaving them next to the body, he refuses to look upon what he had done. She carries the knives upstairs while he envisions himself unable to wash the guilty blood from off his hands with all the water in the sea. A knock at the

gate startles them, and they go out to wash their hands and change their clothes. Macbeth wishes the knocking could waken Duncan. II, 3: A drunken porter goes to answer the door and pretends to be the doorman of hell, letting in some of the popular sinners of the day. The persons at the door are Macduff and Lennox, who have arrived to awaken the king. Macduff jokes with the porter about the drunken revelry the night before. Macbeth enters and shows Macduff the way to the king's chamber. Lennox tells Macbeth of the terrible storm of the night and the strange omens that bode some catastrophic event. Macduff returns with news of the murder of Duncan and awakens the castle while Macbeth and others rush upstairs. They soon return, Macbeth having killed the apparently guilty servants. Confusion reigns, and Duncan's sons Malcolm and Donalbain secretly decide to flee the country separately. II, 4: Near Macbeth's castle people discuss the continuing supernatural events, which suggest terrible events to follow. The murder of Duncan has been blamed on the princes, who have fled. Macduff arrives with news that Macbeth has been selected as the new king and has gone to the sacred coronation spot at Scone. The others set out for Scone, but Macduff returns home. III, 1: At Macbeth's castle Banquo tells the audience that he suspects Macbeth has murdered Duncan for the throne. He foresees that his descendents will somehow inherit the throne. King Macbeth enters and asks Banquo about his plans to go horseback riding for the afternoon with his son. Alone, Macbeth tells us that having seized the throne is nothing without feeling safe. He fears the witches' prediction that the heirs of Banquo will take over the throne, and he is determined not to let that happen. He brings in two desperate men, whom he has convinced to murder Banquo and Fleance. He tells them to do the killing away from the castle and that he will reward them handsomely. III, 2: Lady Macbeth enters and tells the audience she is sick with fear and envies those they have killed who now no longer have to worry. When her husband comes in, she changes and berates him for worrying about the past. He tells her they cannot live in peace with Banquo still alive, but he refuses to tell her of his plans. She urges him to be jovial and hospitable at the dinner party that night. Macbeth evokes the spirit of the coming night which will allow the spirit of evil to roam free. III, 3: Near the castle the two murderers discover Macbeth has sent a third assailant to keep an eye on them. Banquo and Fleance enter on foot and the murderers attack, stabbing Banquo repeatedly while Fleance escapes.

III, 4: Macbeth and his wife welcome their guests to a banquet and urge them to be seated. One of the murderers brings word of Banquo's death. Macbeth returns to his guests, but when he goes to sit down, he discovers his place has been taken by the bloody ghost of Banquo, whom no one else can see. In his distracted fear Macbeth cries out, strongly suggesting to those present that he is guilty of the murder. Lady Macbeth tries to cover up for her husband, saying that he is subject to fits, but Macbeth's terrified reaction is so disturbing, she finally dismisses the guests. She once again attacks her husband's manhood for his fear. He assures her that he can face any threat, but that the appearance of the bloody ghost was terrifying. He reveals his suspicions of Macduff who refused to attend the banquet and determines that he will find the witches again and force them to clarify their predictions. She urges him to try and sleep. III, 5: At the house of the witches they meet with the goddess of witchcraft, Hecate, who urges them to encourage Macbeth's overconfidence in his own invincibility. III, 6: At Macbeth's castle Lennox and another lord speak secretly about the violent deaths of those who stand in Macbeth's way. We learn from them that Macduff has left his family in Scotland and fled to England where Malcolm is being aided by the English king Edward and general Siward and plans to return and overthrow Macbeth. IV, 1: The witches prepare a magic potion with poisonous ingredients. When Macbeth enters he conjures them to tell him the truth. They call forth embodiments of their master, Satan. The first apparition is an armed head who tells Macbeth to beware of Macduff. The second, a bloody child, tells the king that he cannot be harmed by any man who was born of a woman. The third is a child carrying a tree who assures Macbeth that he will be safe until the forest at Birnam comes to his castle. Macbeth is heartened by these prophecies, but when he demands to know if Banquo's descendents will ever rule Scotland, the witches show him the figure of Banquo, followed by a line of eight future kings, all resembling the murdered Banquo. The witches disappear, and Macbeth learns of Macduff's flight and orders Macduff's castle seized and his family slaughtered. IV, 2: At Macduff's castle his wife tries to tell her little boy that his father was a traitor and is now dead. After the boy trades wisecracks with his mother, she is warned to flee her home with her children. Before she can, murderers employed by Macbeth enter and kill everyone. IV, 3: In England Malcolm welcomes Macduff, who urges him to lead an army back to Scotland as soon as possible. Malcolm seems reluctant,

however, and tells Macduff that Macbeth has sent agents to try and entrap him. When Macduff continues to advise him to act, Malcolm confesses that he would not be much of an improvement over Macbeth because he is greedy, lustful and lacks all the virtues which kings should have. When Macduff despairs for his country, Malcolm finally admits that he was testing his loyalty. He tells Macduff the invading force of Scottish refugees and English soldiers will soon leave for Scotland. Ross arrives and reluctantly tells Macduff of the slaughter of his family. Malcolm urges Macduff to use his personal loss as further motive to destroy Macbeth, and the grieving father swears he will personally kill Macbeth. V, 1: At Macbeth's castle an attendant for Lady Macbeth seeks help from a doctor for her mistresses' affliction: sleepwalking. Lady Macbeth enters with a candle and appears to be washing her hands. Although asleep, she speaks and reveals, indirectly, all of the couple's crimes and their efforts to hide their guilt. The doctor warns about the possibility of her suicide. V, 2: A group of Scottish lords are marching to meet Malcolm and General Siward near Birnam Woods. They describe Macbeth's frantic efforts to prepare, as his guilty conscience weighs on him. V, 3: Macbeth receives report of an army of ten thousand approaching his castle. He is confident that he can survive but is bothered that so many of his subjects are flocking to join the invaders. He tells us how profoundly disillusioned he is. The doctor tells him of Lady Macbeth's mental affliction and privately wishes he could get away from Macbeth. V, 4: The English Army enters Birnam Woods, and Malcolm orders each soldier to cut down a branch and carry it before him to conceal the size of the army has they approach Macbeth's castle. V, 5: Macbeth is defiant, but then he receives word his wife has killed herself. He tells us that life has lost all meaning for him. Then news arrives that Birnam Woods appears to be moving toward his castle. Macbeth begins to fear the "equivocation of the fiend," the spirits of Satan fooling him with apparently ironclad guarantees. V, 6: Malcolm gives the honor of leading the attack against the castle to Siward and his son. V, 7: Although the people in the castle are quickly surrendering, Macbeth is determined to resist. He meets Siward's son and kills him. Macduff searches for Macbeth in the battle. Malcolm enters and announces that the castle has capitulated.

V, 8: Macbeth meets Macduff and refuses to fight him. Macduff says that they will capture Macbeth and put him on public display as a monster. Macbeth refuses to accept that fate and he and Macduff go offstage fighting to the death. Siward learns his son has died an honorable death in battle. Macduff returns with Macbeth's severed head. Malcolm proclaims peace and reconciliation.