Macbeth by William Shakespeare Summary

"Macbeth" begins with three witches meeting on a desolate heath and prophesying that Macbeth, a Scottish general, will become the Thane of Cawdor and eventually the King of Scotland. Intrigued by the witches' words, Macbeth and his friend Banquo encounter King Duncan's messengers who confirm that Macbeth has indeed been appointed the Thane of Cawdor as a reward for his bravery in battle against traitors.

Upon hearing this, Macbeth's ambition is ignited, and he begins to contemplate the possibility of becoming king. Meanwhile, King Duncan announces his intention to visit Macbeth's castle, leading Lady Macbeth, Macbeth's ambitious wife, to devise a plan to expedite her husband's rise to power. She urges Macbeth to murder Duncan while he is a guest in their home.

Despite initial reluctance, Macbeth succumbs to his wife's persuasion and kills Duncan in his sleep, framing the king's guards for the murder. Macbeth is then crowned king, but his guilt and paranoia begin to consume him. He becomes increasingly tyrannical, ordering the murder of Banquo and his son Fleance in an attempt to prevent the witches' prophecy about Banquo's descendants from coming true.

However, Fleance escapes, and Macbeth's paranoia deepens as he becomes haunted by visions of Banquo's ghost. Seeking reassurance, he visits the witches again, who provide him with a series of ambiguous prophecies that only serve to further confuse and torment him.

Meanwhile, Macduff, a Scottish nobleman, becomes suspicious of Macbeth's role in Duncan's murder and refuses to attend Macbeth's coronation. Macduff flees to England to join forces with Duncan's son, Malcolm, who is amassing an army to overthrow Macbeth.

As Macbeth's reign descends into madness, Lady Macbeth is tormented by guilt and begins to sleepwalk, reliving the night of Duncan's murder in her troubled dreams. She eventually dies, presumably by suicide, leaving Macbeth to face his enemies alone.

Macbeth's enemies close in on him, led by Malcolm and Macduff's army. In a final showdown, Macbeth confronts Macduff on the battlefield but is ultimately defeated. As Malcolm is proclaimed the new king of Scotland, Macduff reveals that he was born through Caesarean section, fulfilling the witches' prophecy that no man born of a woman can harm Macbeth.

Realizing the futility of his actions and facing certain defeat, Macbeth resigns himself to his fate and fights to the death. With Macbeth's demise, order is restored to Scotland, and Malcolm is hailed as the rightful king.

The play concludes with Malcolm's pledge to restore peace and prosperity to the kingdom, while reflecting on the destructive consequences of unchecked ambition and the corrupting nature of power.