Macbeth: Read and Watch

Macbeth

Act I
Amid thunder and lightning, three witches decide that their next meeting will be with Macbeth, the Thane (Lord) of Glamis. In the following scene, soldiers report to King Duncan of Scotland that his generals Banquo and Macbeth have just defeated a rebellion led by the traitorous Thane of Cawdor, allied with forces from Norway and Ireland. Duncan praises his kinsmen for their bravery and fighting prowess, announcing that the title of Thane of Cawdor shall be transferred to Macbeth.
Wandering on a heath, Macbeth and Banquo are puzzled when the three witches appear, prophetically hailing Macbeth as "Thane of Glamis" and "Thane of Cawdor", next saying he shall "be king hereafter". When Banquo asks of his own fortunes, the witches respond that he will father a line of kings, though he himself will not be one. The witches vanish, and the Thane of Ross arrives, informing Macbeth of his newly bestowed title: Thane of Cawdor. The witches' first prophecy is thus fulfilled, and Macbeth immediately begins to harbour nervous ambitions of becoming king. King Duncan himself soon welcomes and praises Macbeth and Banquo, declaring they will all spend the night at Macbeth's castle in Inverness; also, Duncan's son Malcolm is announced as his official heir. Macbeth sends a letter about the witches ahead to his wife, Lady Macbeth, who is resolute that she and her husband should murder Duncan in order to obtain the crown. When Macbeth arrives in Inverness, she persuades him to kill the king that very night. They plan to get Duncan's two chamber attendants drunk so that they will black out; thus, the next morning they can frame the attendants for the murder.

Act II

That night, despite his doubts and a number of supernatural omens, including a hallucination of a blood-smeared dagger, Macbeth goes offstage and stabs the sleeping Duncan to death. Returning, he is so shaken that Lady Macbeth finds him still holding the bloody daggers, which she scolds him for, reminding him they must be left on Duncan's sleeping servants. She takes the knives and places them back in Duncan's chamber. When the couple hears knocking at the castle gate, they hurry to bed.
A drunken porter opens the gate, admitting Macduff (the Thane of Fife) and a nobleman named Lennox: they wish to visit the king. Macbeth, greeting them, leads them to Duncan's chamber. Macduff enters the chamber then returns to the stage, announcing with shock the murder of Duncan. Macbeth and Lennox rush into the chamber where, offstage, Macbeth impulsively kills Duncan's servants to prevent them from professing their innocence. He reappears and confesses to the other nobles that he has killed the servants, but lies that his intentions were to avenge the king's murder. Duncan's two sons, Malcolm and Donalbain, flee the country, fearing that they will be killed next. Macduff explains that their flight makes them the main suspects in the king's death, and Macbeth, as Duncan's next of kin, assumes the throne offstage as the new King of Scotland. Banquo remembers the witches' prophecy about how his own descendants would inherit the throne, and he is suspicious that Macbeth might be Duncan's true killer.

Act III

Despite Macbeth's success, he remains uneasy about Banquo's role in the prophecy. Inviting Banquo to a royal banquet, Macbeth discovers that Banquo and his young son Fleance will be riding out that night. Macbeth rapidly arranges to have Banquo and Fleance killed, hiring two men and later adding a third murderer to the plan. During the ambush, the murderers succeed in killing Banquo, but Fleance escapes. Macbeth is furious that an heir of Banquo remains alive.
At the banquet, Macbeth has invited his lords and Lady Macbeth to a night of drinking and merriment, though Macduff has refused to come. Banquo's ghost enters and sits in Macbeth's place. Macbeth raves fearfully, startling his guests, as the ghost is visible only to him. The others panic at the sight of Macbeth raging at an empty chair, until a desperate Lady Macbeth lies that her husband is merely afflicted with a harmless lifelong illness. The ghost departs and returns once more, causing the same riotous anger and fear in Macbeth. This time, Lady Macbeth demands that the visitors leave. Elsewhere, Hecate, queen of witchcraft, scolds the three witches for communicating with Macbeth without consulting her. Hecate instructs the witches to next give Macbeth a false sense of safety and overconfidence about his new position. Through verbal irony, Lennox reveals to another lord his suspicions that Macbeth is a murdering tyrant and they discuss how Macduff, refusing to attend Macbeth's banquet, has gone to England to find allies who will help take back the Scottish throne.

Act IV

Macbeth visits the three witches and asks them to reveal the truth of their prophecies to him. They summon horrible apparitions, each of which offers further supernatural pronouncements. First, they conjure an armoured head, which tells him to beware of Macduff (IV.i.72). Second, a bloody child tells him that no one born of a woman will be able to harm him. Thirdly, a crowned child holding a tree states that Macbeth will be safe until Great Birnam Wood comes to Dunsinane Hill. Macbeth is relieved because he knows that all his enemies are born of women and a forest cannot possibly travel across the land. However, the witches also conjure a procession of eight crowned kings, the last carrying a mirror that reflects even more kings, and finally the ghost of Banquo pointing to the procession. Macbeth realises nervously that these are all Banquo's descendants who will acquire kingships in numerous countries.
In light of the latest prophecies, Macbeth orders the disobedient Macduff's castle seized and sends assassins to slaughter all its inhabitants, including Macduff's wife and young son. Meanwhile, Macduff himself is in England meeting with Prince Malcolm (the elder of King Duncan's sons) to discuss Macbeth's tyrannical regime. Malcolm, who must be cautious for any traps, confesses that he would be a terrible leader if the crown were handed to him, but this is merely a lie to see how Macduff will react. Macduff shows that he is more loyal to Scotland than any particular leader, impressing Malcolm, who now reveals the lie and says Macduff has won his trust. The Thane of Ross arrives to deliver the horrible news to Macduff that his "castle is surprised, your wife and babes / Savagely slaughter'd" (IV.iii.204–205). With this news of his family's murders, Macduff is stricken with grief, but he is quickly provoked to vengeance by Malcolm who explains that he has raised an army with the help of the English King Edward. Together, they can defeat Macbeth and take back the Scottish throne.

Act V

At night, in the royal palace at Dunsinane, a doctor and a gentlewoman discuss Lady Macbeth's sudden frightening habit of sleepwalking. Lady Macbeth enters in a trance, bemoaning the recent murders and trying to wash off imaginary bloodstains from her hands. Her observers marvel at her guilt-ridden confessions. Meanwhile, Prince Malcolm's allied forces plan to join up at Birnam Wood, additionally supported by Macduff and defecting Scottish thanes alarmed by Macbeth's recent barbarities. While encamped in Birnam Wood, Malcolm orders his soldiers to cut down and carry tree boughs to camouflage their numbers.
As Macbeth prepares for the attack, he receives news that his wife has suddenly died, causing him to deliver a despairing "tomorrow, and tomorrow, and tomorrow" soliloquy (V.v.17–28). Still, he is emboldened by the witches' seeming guarantee of his invincibility against any "man of woman born", even as a servant reports that Malcolm's army is advancing on Dunsinane in the form of moving trees. The invaders take his castle, and Macbeth is confronted by Macduff. Macbeth tells him that he cannot be defeated by "one of woman born", but Macduff reveals that he was born by Caesarean section, not of natural childbirth. In the ensuing duel, Macbeth is killed offstage. Macduff reenters with Macbeth's severed head, and Malcolm discusses how order has been restored. He implies that Lady Macbeth's death was a suicide, declares his benevolent intentions for the country, promotes his thanes to earls, and invites all to see him crowned at Scone.

Macbeth

Act I
The film starts with the Macbeths grieving at their child's funeral. Then, Macbeth leads King Duncan's troops into a civil war battle. He emerges victorious, despite losses, including boy soldiers. Three women with a girl and infant approach Macbeth and Banquo, hailing Macbeth as Thane of Cawdor and future king, and Banquo as a father of kings, before disappearing.

Act II

Duncan hears of Macbeth's victory and executes the Thane of Cawdor for traitorously allying with Norse invaders, giving Macbeth his title. Macbeth tells his wife of the prophecies. Lady Macbeth prays to the dark spirits for guidance. When Macbeth says Duncan will stay overnight, she urges him to kill the King to fulfill the prophecy. A feast is held, where the King pronounces Malcolm his heir. Macbeth hesitates but Lady Macbeth persuades him to kill Duncan while she drugs his servants. After the feast, Macbeth sees a boy soldier's ghost, who gives him a dagger and leads him towards the tent of Duncan whom Macbeth slays. Malcolm enters and, seeing the body, flees. Shaken, Macbeth goes to his wife, giving her two daggers. Lady Macbeth rebukes him for not leaving them and puts them in the sleeping servants' hands. She meets Macbeth in the church where they wash their hands, saying they have washed their deed away.

Act III

In the morning, Macduff finds Duncan dead and Macbeth slaughters the servants to prevent their denial. Macduff and Noble Lennox believe Malcolm's flight is suspicious and admire Macbeth's summary justice. With Malcolm gone, Macbeth is crowned. Afterward, he sourly complains to his wife that killing Duncan was for nothing as Macbeth has no heirs, so the crown will pass to Banquo and his son, Fleance, as prophesied. He invites them to a banquet but discovers they plan to leave, as Banquo is suspicious. Macbeth sends assassins: Banquo is killed, but Fleance escapes.
During the evening, Macbeth mentions Banquo not attending as promised. Macbeth asks the assassins for news and is enraged that Fleance has escaped. Then, Macbeth sees Banquo's ghost. Afraid, he talks to it. Lady Macbeth says her husband is unwell, but Macbeth continues to rave, prompting Macduff and his wife to leave. Lady Macbeth dismisses the guests and takes Macbeth away.

Act IV

Macbeth talks to the witches. They show him a vision of slain soldiers who tell him to beware Macduff, and that Macbeth shall be King until Great Birnam Wood comes to the royal castle at Dunsinane Hill. The boy soldier's ghost who gave him the dagger tells Macbeth that he will not be slain by man born of a woman. The King is found wandering by Lennox who tells him that Macduff has fled. Anxious and enraged, Macbeth orders the death of Macduff's family and servants. The family are burned at the stake, while a distraught Lady Macbeth watches. Afterwards, she washes the daggers.
Meanwhile, Macduff meets Malcolm, who is gathering troops. Ross and Angus inform Macduff about his household's murder. Grief-stricken and angry, Macduff swears revenge.

Act V

Guilt-ridden, Lady Macbeth returns to the church, lamenting their deeds and her bloody hands. She sees her child's ghost, which she urges to sleep. Then she wanders in the hills and sees the witches.
In the castle, Macbeth is rumoured mad, and all fear his anger and tyranny. He is told of his wife's death. Speaking the famous soliloquy, starting "tomorrow and tomorrow and tomorrow" (also known by the lines in it beginning "Out, out, brief candle!"), he carries her body in despair. Seyton brings news that Malcolm is leading an army and Macbeth demands his armour.
Macduff fires Birnam Wood: with smoke blowing towards them, the prophecy is fulfilled. Macbeth sallies out and duels with Macduff. Macbeth is confident, as "no man born of woman" can kill him, and he defeats Macduff, a dagger at his throat. Macduff states he was untimely ripped from his mother's womb and Macbeth drops his dagger, saying he won't fight (the prophecy). Macbeth regrets his mistakes, knowing redemption is impossible. Macbeth refuses to bow before Malcolm and goads Macduff into killing him. The witches, observing, leave. Malcolm is hailed King and all go to his castle. Malcolm leaves the throne room while Fleance takes Macbeth's sword and charges through the empty battlefield, disappearing into the smoke.