The play begins with amidst thunder and lightning and the Three Witches decide that their next meeting shall be with Macbeth. In the following scene it opens with a wounded sergeant who reports to king Duncan of Scotland that his generals- Macbeth, who is the Thane of Glamis and Banquo have just defeated the allied forces of Norway and Ireland who were led by the traitorous Macdonwald and the Thane of Cawdor. Macbeth, the King's kinsman, is praised for his bravery and fighting prowess. Following their pitched battle with these enemy forces, Macbeth and Banquo encounter the witches as they cross a moor (A broad area of open land). The witches prophesy that Macbeth will be made thane (a rank of Scottish nobility) of Cawdor and eventually King of Scotland. They also prophesy that Macbeth’s companion, Banquo, will beget a line of Scottish kings, although Banquo will never be king himself. The witches then vanish and Macbeth and Banquo treat their prophecies skeptically until some of King Duncan’s men come to thank the two generals for their victories in battle and to tell Macbeth that he has indeed been named 'Thane of Cawdor' and that he shall "be King hereafter." Macbeth appears to be stunned to silence. When Banquo asks of his own fortunes, the witches inform him that he will father a line of kings, though he himself will not be one. While the two men wonder at these pronouncements, the witches vanish, and another thane, Ross, arrives and informs Macbeth of his newly bestowed title: Thane of Cawdor as the previous Thane of Cawdor shall be put to death for his traitorous activities. Macbeth is intrigued by the possibility that the remainder of the witches’ prophecy that he will be crowned king—might be true, but he's uncertain what to expect. Later on he visits King Duncan and they plan to dine together at Inverness, Macbeth’s castle. Macbeth writes ahead to his wife 'Lady Macbeth', telling her all that has happened. Lady Macbeth suffers none of her husband’s uncertainty. She desires the kingship for him and wants him to kill Duncan in order to gain his throne. As soon as Macbeth arrives at Inverness, she overrides all of her husband’s objections and persuades him to murder King Duncan on that very night. So Macbeth and Lady Macbeth plan to get Duncan’s two chamberlains (an officer who manages the household of a king) drunk so they will black out; Next morning they will blame the murder on the chamberlains, who will be defenseless as they will remember nothing. While Duncan is asleep, Macbeth stabs him, despite his doubts and a number of supernatural portents, including a vision of a bloody dagger. When Duncan’s death is discovered the next morning, Macbeth kills the chamberlains—ostensibly out of rage at their crime—and easilyassumes the kingship. Meanwhile Duncan's sons Malcolm and Donalbain flee to England and Ireland, respectively, fearing that whoever killed Duncan desires their demise as well.
Feared that the witches’ prophecy that Banquo’s heirs (Legally entitled to the property or rank of another on that person's death) will seize the throne. Macbeth hires a group of murderers to attack Banquo and his son Fleance, suddenly Fleance escapes and Macbeth becomes furious and fears that his power remains insecure as long as an heir of Banquo remains alive. At the banquet, Macbeth invites his lords and Lady Macbeth to a night of drinking and merriment. Banquo's ghost enters and sits in Macbeth's place. Macbeth raves fearfully, startling his guests as the ghost is only visible to himself. On the other hand the others panic at the sight of Macbeth raging at an empty chair, until Lady Macbeth desperately tells them that her husband is merely afflicted with a familiar and harmless malady. The ghost departs and returns once more, causing the same riotous anger and fear in Macbeth. This time, Lady Macbeth tells the lords to leave, and they do so. Macbeth, disturbed, visits the three witches once more and asks them to reveal the truth of their prophecies to him. To answer his questions, they summon horrible apparitions, each of which offers predictions and further prophecies to allay Macbeth’s fears. First, they conjure an armored head, which tells him to beware of Macduff . Second, a bloody child tells him that no one born of a woman shall 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 and feels secure, because he knows that all men are born of women and forests cannot move. Macbeth also asks if Banquo's sons will ever reign in Scotland: the witches conjure a procession of eight crowned kings, all similar in appearance to Banquo, and the last carrying a mirror that reflects even more kings. Macbeth realises that these are all Banquo's descendants having acquired kingship in numerous countries. After the witches perform a mad dance and leave, Lennox enters and tells Macbeth that Macduff has fled to England. Macbeth orders Macduff's castle be seized, and, most cruelly, sends murderers to slaughter Macduff’s wife and children. Everyone in Macduff's castle is put to death, including Lady Macduff and their young son.
As soon as the news of his family execution reaches Macduff in England , Macbeth is stricken with deep sorrow and vows revenge. Prince Malcolm (Duncan's son) has succeeded in raising an army in England, and Macduff then joins him as he mount's to Scotland to challenge Macbeth's forces. Scottish nobles are appalled and frightened by Macbeth's tyrannical and murderous behaviour and the invasion has support of the Scottish Nobles. Meanwhile Lady Macbeth becomes plagued with fits of sleepwalking in which she bemoans (Express discontent or sorrow over something), what she believed to be bloodstains on her hands. Before Macbeth's opponent's arrive, he receives news that she has killed herself, this causes him to sink into a deep and pessimistic despair but nevertheless, he awaits the English and fortifies Dunsisnane to which he seems to have withdrawn in order to defend himself, certain that the witches’ prophecies guarantee his invincibility. Macbeth is struck numb with fear, however he learns that the English army is advancing on Dunsinsnane shielded with boughs cut from Birnam Wood. Birnam Wood is indeed coming to Dunsinane, fulfilling half of the witches’ prophecy.
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