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Act I: The Witches foreshadow the evil in Macbeth. King Duncan decides to kill the
traitorous Thane of Cawdor. Back to the witches - after some junk-talk, they are encountered by Macbeth with Banquo, and they
say that he is now Thane and will be King. However, the King tells Macbeth he will make Malcolm the next king. Macbeth plans
to kill the King when he dines at his house that night, and Lady Macbeth helps convince him to go ahead with that plan.
Act II: Lady Macbeth drugs the guards, Macbeth kills the king, and then the guards are framed. Macduff arrives with Lennox
at the door, goes to get the king, and discovers his murder. Macduff is suspicious, but Macbeth is in the clear for now. Malc
olm and Donalbain flee, fearing their lives since they are prime suspects. Macbeth has killed the servants, and the nobility
feels they were the murderers. Macbeth is now king, but the tragedy is starting to unfold.
Act III: Macbeth makes arrangements to have Banquo and his son killed. At dinner, Macbeth is told the Banquo was killed but
his son escaped. Banquo's ghost then appears, but only Macbeth can see it. Hecate, the witch queen, scolds the witches for
d ealing with Macbeth without her. With Banquo dead, Lennox joins Macduff in increasing suspiscion.
Act IV: Macbeth visits the sisters and three apparitions are shown to him: an armed head (signifying war), a bloody child
(showing that no man born of a woman shall harm Macbeth), and a crowned child with a tree (saying that "Macbeth shall never
va nquished be until Great Birnam Wood to high Dunsinane Hill Shall come against him"). Macduff has gone to England to get
Malcolm.
Act V: Lady Macbeth is now unstable and walks and talks in her sleep. The Scottish noblility has mostly joined the English
against Macbeth, but he is not scared because of the witches' prophecy. Lady Macbeth kills herself. Macbeth then learns that
the enemy is walking towards the castle with trees from Birnam Wood, and that Macduff was ripped from his mother's womb early,
both explaining the witches' apparitions. Macduff kills Macbeth and Malcolm is now King of Scotland.
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