Act 1: After a battle, three Witches tell Macbeth he will be Thane of Cawdor and king, and tell Banquo his descendants will be kings. Macbeth is named Thane of Cawdor. Lady Macbeth urges him to kill King Duncan, who is staying at their castle.
Act 3: Macbeth fears Banquo's prophecy and has him murdered, but Banquo's son Fleance escapes. At a banquet, Macbeth sees Banquo's ghost.
Act 4: Macbeth returns to the Witches. The apparitions warn about Macduff and give misleading assurances concerning birth and Birnam Wood. Macbeth orders violence against Macduff’s household.
Act 5: Lady Macbeth sleepwalks and her death is later reported. Malcolm’s soldiers carry branches from Birnam Wood toward Dunsinane. Macduff reveals that he was “untimely ripped” from the womb and kills Macbeth. Malcolm becomes king.
An imagined meeting on the heath
Main characters
Macbeth moves from celebrated soldier to tyrant. Lady Macbeth urges violence and later displays distress. Banquo offers a contrast in his response to prophecy. Macduff opposes Macbeth; Duncan is generally presented as a legitimate, trusting king. The Witches prompt questions about temptation, fate and human choice.
Branches carried toward Dunsinane
Context
Probably composed around 1606 during James VI/I’s reign. The 1605 Gunpowder Plot and divine-right ideas offer relevant contexts for treason and kingship, without establishing a single authorial purpose.
James wrote Daemonologie and claimed Banquo as an ancestor. Distinguish the play, its chronicle sources and historical events; characters and events are not reliable historical records.
Gender expectations and supernatural beliefs were contested and varied. Interpret Lady Macbeth’s language as her strategy and viewpoint rather than a fact that femininity means weakness.
Use context with care
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