2. Act 1 – Scene 1
“Fair is foul, and foul is fair.” (I.I.12)
● In thunder and lightning the three witches meet
at the beach talking to each other about how
they need to meet Macbeth. “In thunder,
lightning, or in rain?” (I.I.2)
3. Act 1 – Scene 2
“What he hath lost, noble Macbeth hath
won.” (I.II.78)
● King Duncan of Scotland and Malcolm (his elder son)
are listening to the news about the battle from a
captain. It is being told that Macbeth (Thane of
Glamis) was brave and strong enough to defeat the
Irish and Norwegian enemies. Duncan hearing this
decides to give the title “Thane of Cawdor” to
Macbeth.
4. Act 1 – Scene 3
“So foul and fair a day I have not seen.”
(I.III.39)
● Macbeth and Banquo ( Macbeth's good friend and a
general in the army of King Duncan) are riding home when
they meet the three witches who greet Macbeth and
predict that he will become the Thane of Cawdor and then
the king. [“Hail to thee, Thane of Cawdor! All hail, Macbeth,
that shalt be king hereafter!” (I.iii.52-53)]
Banquo and Macbeth have doubts about what the witches
tell them so Banquo challenges them by asking about his
own future. The witches predict that he himself won't be
king but his descendants will be. [“Thou shalt get kings,
though thou be none.” (I.iii.70)] When Macbeth is about to
question the witches further they disappear in the air.
5. ● Then Macbeth 'jokes' with Banquo that his kids will
become kings one day when suddenly Ross (Scottish
noble) comes to them with the news that King Duncan
decided to honour Macbeth with the title “Thane of
Cawdor”. Both Banquo and Macbeth are terrified hearing
this as the witches predicted exactly the same thing just
few minutes ago. [“What can the devil speak true?”
(I.iii.113)] After all that, they barely have doubts about what
the witches told them but for then they stopped talking
about it.
6. Act 1 – Scene 4
“My worthy Cawdor.” (I.IV.54)
● Macbeth and Banquo arrive to King Duncan
who welcomes them gladly. He assures
Macbeth about the title given to him then he
announces that he is going to visit Macbeth's
castle the same night.
7. Act 1 – Scene 5
“Leave all the rest to me.” (I.VI.86)
● Lady Macbeth (Macbeth's wife) is reading Macbeth's letter that tells
her about the witches predictions. Lady Macbeth hearing this,
immediately plans on killing King Duncan to take his crown. Though
she has doubts about Macbeth's strength and braveness to kill him
she doesn't give it up. [“Yet do I fear thy nature; it is too full o' th' milk
of human kindness to catch the nearest way.” (I.V.16-18)] When
Macbeth arrives, without hesitation she tells Macbeth that Duncan
shall never leave their castle alive again. [“O, never shall sun that
morrow see!” (I.Vi.71-72)] From what Macbeth replies to her, it is
clear that Macbeth is not fully dedicated to take action in order to get
the crown. He finishes their talk saying: “We will speak further.”
(I.Vi.83)
8. Act 1 – Scene 6
“Fair and noble hostess, we are your
guest tonight.” (I.VI.30-31)
● King Duncan arrives to Macbeth's castle and is welcomed by
Lady Macbeth. Lady Macbeth acts as she would be glad to
have him as her guest for the night. She shows care and
respect towards Duncan not revealing her back stabbing plan at
all. King Duncan then wants to see his brave “Thane of
Cawdor” so Lady Macbeth accompanies him into the castle to
Macbeth.
9. Act 1 – Scene 7
“When you durst do it, then you were a
man;” (I.VII.56)
● Macbeth is talking to himself about whether he should kill King Duncan or not. He first
lists the things why he shouldn't do it but then Lady Macbeth enters and starts
throwing things at his face such as he is not a man if he doesn't do it. Macbeth still
have doubts about doing it as he questions Lady Macbeth about what they would do
if they fail. [“If we should fail---” (I.Vii.68)] Then Lady Macbeth explains her exact plan
to Macbeth,how they will give wine to the chamberlains (who keep Duncan's room
safe) till they get knocked out. When they are asleep they will sneak into Duncan's
room where they stab him and then put the blood on the chamberlains who won't
remember anything and even if they try to plead not guilty, nobody will believe in
them. At the end Macbeth is convinced and as he doesn't want to seem weak and is
actually wanting to have bigger power, sticks with the original plan to kill Duncan.
10. Act 2 – Scene 1
“Is this a dagger which I see before me,
the handle toward my hand?” (II.I.44-45)
● Banquo and Fleance (Banquo's son) are walking around in the
castle at night when Macbeth enters with a servant. Banquo is
kind of surprised that Macbeth is not sleeping yet but has no
suspicion what so ever. He gives Macbeth a diamond that is
from King Duncan to Lady Macbeth. He also mentions that he
dreamed about the three sisters the night before. When they all
go to bed (except for Macbeth) he sees a flying bloody dagger
in front of him. He thinks it is a sign that he has to kill King
Duncan. All his doubts and hesitations are gone and is fully
dedicated to commit the crime.
11. Act 2 – Scene 2
“Go, carry them and smear the sleepy
grooms with blood.” (II.II.63-64)
● Macbeth goes to King Duncan's room and kills him while he is asleep. While he
stabbed him, he heard some voices saying things such as: “Sleep no more! Macbeth
does murder sleep” (II.ii.47-48) and “Glamis hath murdered sleep, and therefor
Cawdor shall sleep no more. Macbeth shall sleep no more.” (II.ii.55-57) When he is
done, he meets Lady Macbeth and asks if she has heard the voices too. Then Lady
Macbeth realizes that Macbeth has the daggers so she instructs him to go and put
blood on the chamberlains. But Macbeth seems to have remorse as he says: “I'll go
no more. I am afraid to think what I have done.” (II.ii.65-66) He is clearly scared to
face the truth that he had done so instead of him Lady Macbeth goes and puts the
blood on the men. She talks in a way that make us think that she is proud of herself
doing such thing. [“My hands are of your color, but I shame to wear a heart so white.”
(II.ii.82-83)] Then they agree on going to their room and wear nightgowns so that
people won't suspect anything.
12. Act 2 – Scene 3
“O horror, horror, horror! Tongue nor
heart cannot conceive nor name thee!”
(II.III.73)
● Macduff and Lennox (Scottish nobles) are knocking on the door
(the sound that Macbeth and Lady Macbeth heard previously)
for a long time when finally the Porter lets them in. Soon after,
Macbeth enters and he is asked by Macduff if the king is still
asleep. Macbeth shows Macduff the door to the king's room.
Until Macduff is gone, Macbeth and Lennox talk to each other
for a bit when suddenly Macduff comes terrified by what he had
seen in the room. He tells them that King Duncan has been
killed. Macbeth and Lennox are shocked to hear this and go to
check it out themselves. (Macbeth is of course acting
surprised). Then Macduff starts shouting Banquo's, Malcolm's
and Donalbain's name to wake them up and come down. Then
the bell rings and Lady Macbeth “awakes” and horrified to hear
that the king has been killed.
13. ● Then finally Banquo comes as well as Macbeth, Lennox and Ross. It
is being told to Banquo that Duncan has been killed. Soon after
Duncan's sons, Malcolm and Donalbain come down too and hear the
news about their father's death. Macbeth is trying to act his best and
acts as he would be terribly sad about Duncan's death. He states:
“Had I but died an hour before this chance...” (II.iii.107) He also
assures that the two chamberlains will be killed after all this. Malcolm
and Donalbain know that if their father has been killed, they will
probably be the next ones. So, they decide to run away. Malcolm
goes to England and Donalbain goes to Ireland.
14. Act 2 – Scene 4
“He is already named and gone to Scone
to be invested.” (II.IV.43-44)
● Ross and an old man are talking about the strange
happenings of the past few days. The old man states that
he has never seen such terrible thing as King Duncan's
murder. Then Macduff enters and tells them that Macbeth
has been chosen to become the new king and that he is
riding out to Scone to get his crown. He also mentions that
it is suspicious that Malcolm and Donalbain have been
fled. Then he returns home to Fife and Ross goes to
Scone.
15. Act 3 – Scene 1
“It is concluded. Banquo, thy soul's flight, if it
find heaven, must find it out tonight.” (III.I.161-
162)
● Macbeth and Lady Macbeth have given the title king and queen at Forres
royal palace. Macbeth invites Banquo for a dinner the same night that he
holds for his other friends too. Banquo accepts it but tells him that he will be
riding out the afternoon. As Macbeth realizes that by King Duncan's death he
is still not having a stable power (because of the witches prediction about
Banquoe's descendants becoming kings) he decides to kill Banquo and his
son Fleance so that they can't take the crown. Instead Macbeth's
descendants will. Then Macbeth talks to a servant about two men who are
waiting outside to be called in. They enter and Macbeth tells them to kill
Banquo and Fleance just how they agreed about it yesterday. He tells them
to wait outside until he gives them sign.
16. Act 3 – Scene 2
“We have scorched the snake, not killed
it.” (III.II.15)
● Lady Macbeth asks her servant to call Macbeth there
because she has a few words to tell him. Macbeth comes
and tells her that their business only started by killing King
Duncan and has not finished yet. He reminds Lady
Macbeth about the witches prediction that Banquo's sons
will become kings one day so that he must take action in
order to prevent that from happening. He tells Lady
Macbeth to be the kindest to Banquo during dinner so that
nobody will suspect that they are behind the upcoming
crime.
17. Act 3 – Scene 3
“O treachery! Fly, good Fleance, fly, fly, fly!
Thou mayst revenge –O slave!” (III.III.25-26)
● The (now three) murderers are hiding, waiting for Banquo
and Fleance to appear. Soon after, Banquo and Fleance
enter riding on horses but get off and light a torch. The
three murderers attack them and kill Banquo right away.
Fleance is lucky enough to run away as his father's
instructs him with his last words. The murderers then take
the body and go to Macbeth to let him know about what
has happened.
18. Act 3 – Scene 4
“Thy bones are marrowless; thy blood is cold; thou hast
no speculation in those eyes which thou dost glare with.”
(III.IV.114-116)
● Macbeth and Lady Macbeth welcome their guests when one of
the murderers appear in the doorway. He tells Macbeth that
Banquo has been killed but Fleance escaped. Macbeth is not
happy to hear this but returns to his guests. But when he is
about to sit down into his chair, he realizes that Banquo's ghost
is sitting there. He starts yelling at him while the other guests
are shocked and confused as for them Banquo's ghost is
invisible. Lady Macbeth tries to explain her husband's strange
behaviour and tells them that sometimes he has visions but the
best is to ignore it.
19. ● Then the ghost disappears and Lady Macbeth questions
Macbeth about his previous behaviour. When they return to the
rest of the company, Banquo's ghost appear again and Lady
Macbeth is forced to come up with excuses again. Finally, she
tells the guests to leave the house. When everybody is gone
Macbeth lets Lady Macbeth know about his plan that he is
going to visit the three witches so that he will know whether he
has anybody to be afraid of and learn more about his future.
20. Act 3 – Scene 5
“Shall draw him on to his confusion. He shall spurn
fate, scorn death, and bear his hopes 'bove wisdom,
grace, and fear.” (III.V.29-31)
● The witches meet with Hecate the goddess of witches.
Hecate is angry at them because they predicted to
Macbeth without asking her about it. So she tells them that
when tomorrow Macbeth comes to them, they must create
visions and spirits that will confuse Macbeth. Then Hecate
leaves and the three witches are getting ready for
Macbeth's arrival.
21. Act 3 – Scene 6
“And this report hath so exasperate [the] King
that he prepares for some attempt of war.”
(III.VI.41-43)
● Lennox and another lord are talking about what has
happened to the kingdom. Though it seems that
Fleance killed Banquo as he fled, they believe that
Macbeth is behind all of the crimes. The lord tells
Lennox that Macduff is going to England to join
Malcolm where they will prepare a war for Macbeth.
