Act 1 Scene 1
The Weird Sisters are plotting to meet Macbeth in this scene and the theme seems to be unnatural with discrepancy between appearance and reality. There is also the presence of pathetic fallacy because the weather, thunder, rain and lightning, foreshadows witches evil and mysterious characters.
Act 1 scene 2
king Duncan in this scene respects the nobility and loyalty of Macbeth, which are the major themes in this scene. He is responsible for the victory and Duncan proclaims him Thane of Cawdor. Ross is sent to announce the news to Macbeth.
Act 1 scene 3
The witches meet Macbeth in this scene and tell him about the prophecies. There is the presence of pathetic fallacy and foreshadowing. Macbeth is confused at first but when they vanished, Ross arrives and announces Macbeth Thane of Cowdor. He then starts thinking about the Weird Sister’s prophecies and how he can become king of Scotland. Also the theme of ambition is present.
Act 1 scene 4
At king’s palace Macbeth and Banquo enter with Ross and King Duncan announces his attention to name his son Malcom, the heir to his throne. Macbeth is shocked and decides that nobody will stand between him and his throne. Ambition grows in Macbeth as he reminds himself about the prophecies.
Act 1 scene 5
Lady Macbeth reads a letter from Macbeth and finds out about the witches’ prophecy that he will be king. Lady Macbeth then discovers that King Duncan will come to Macbeth’s castle that evening. She decides that it is her chance to act and plot about Duncan’s murder. She is evil and ambitious but also mysterious.
Act 1 scene 6
King Duncan arrives at Macbeth’ s castle, complimenting Lady Macbeth, for her hospitality. Lady Macbeth greets with him appreciating his decision to make Macbeth Thane of Cawdor. Outside she seems so grateful and caring but the audience know how evil she is inside. This is also a Dramatic Irony because the audience know that Lady Macbeth is plotting Duncan’s murder but he is not aware of it.
Act 1 scene 7
When Lady Macbeth tells Macbeth to kill Duncan, he declares that he no longer intends to kill him. Lady Macbeth is able to persuade her husband to go through with the plan to murder Duncan, by insulting his masculinity. In this scene she seems stronger than Macbeth by manipulating him to reach the goal of their common ambition.
Act 2 scene 1
In this scene Macbeth is having a hallucination about a “floating dagger” in front of him, which symbolizes his guilt. Macbeth hasn’t yet committed the murder but his conscience is already riddled with guilt. The major theme is Macbeth’s guilt along with his ambition that he can’t ignore anymore.
Act 2 scene 2
Lady Macbeth seems to be courageous and calm as she has to support her husband Macbeth who has just killed king Duncan. She is not aware of her real personality in fact she thinks to appear strong and evil but inside she feels guilty for Duncan comparing him to her father. Macbeth is still disturbed after Duncan’s murder, but Lady Macbeth gets the job done, planting the weapons and smearing the attendants with Duncan’s blood. Macbeth is not conscious anymore, when Lady Macbeth tell him to wash his hands and go to sleep. The fear overcomes her when there is a knocking at their door.
Act 2 scene 3
In this scene, Lady Macbeth takes center stage to divert the attention away from herself and Macbeth. She acts clueless, pretending not to know what has happened and where. So there is a presence of Dramatic Irony because the audience know who is responsible for Duncan’s murder but not the other characters in the play.
Act 2 scene 4
In this scene the unnatural occurrences include the sky becoming dark during the middle of the day, a lesser owl killing a mighty falcon, Duncan’s horses breaking out of their stalls and killing one another, and the violent weather destroying homes. All of these occurrences represent nature’s discontent with Duncan’s death. There is a discrepancy between unnatural events and the reality of Duncan’s murder.
Act 3 Scene 1
Macbeth feels that he must kill his friend Banquo and the young Fleance in order to prevent the third prophecy from becoming realized.
He wants to put an end to such worries by hiring two men to kill Banquo and Fleance. He tells them that Banquo is his own enemy as much as theirs, by blaming him about the murderers’ status of poverty. Macbeth is now out from his disturbed-state of mind and become more strong as Lady Macbeth’s character seems to become more weak. Their characters are switched.
Act 3 Scene 2
Lady Macbeth expresses her unhappiness: there seems to be no end to her desire for power and she feels insecure and anxious. Macbeth and Lady Macbeth decide to do a banquet in the evening and to put on happy faces for their guests. She is not aware of her state of mind that is slowly realizing her mistakes.
Act 3 Scene 3
Macbeth sends three murderers to attack Banquo and his son Fleance . In the forest the murderers’ lantern is accidentally extinguished, and the job is left half-done: Although Banquo is killed and Fleance escapes. This confirms the witches third prophecy: Banquo will father a line of kings.
Act 3 Scene 4
During the banquet, Banquo’s ghost appears and is sitting in Macbeth’s seat. Macbeth is unnerved and aggressively commands the ghost to leave him alone. Banquo’s ghost is a manifestation of Macbeth’s guilt and fear. Macbeth fears about the witches prophecy, that could come true, so Banquo’s death connects to the theme of ambition and Fleance’s escape create a panic attack in Macbeth so he become more and more deteriorating.
Act 3 Scene 5
Hecate, queen of the witches, is angry with the Weird Sisters for approaching Macbeth without her permission. She instructs them how to deal with Macbeth and reveals that it is her plan to destroy Macbeth by filling him with over-confident. In this part she also foreshadows Macbeth’s fate: Macbeth thinks that he is untouchable but this is just the beginning of his downfall.
Act 3 Scene 6
Lennox and another Lord discuss recent events in Scotland. They are convinced that Macbeth is responsible for the murders of Duncan and Banquo. Macduff, suspicious of Macbeth, joined Malcom in England to prepare a military force to rid Scotland of Macbeth’s bloody tyranny. They are preparing for a war. The major theme of this part is violence.
Act 4 Scene 1
Macbeth returns to the Weird Sisters to get more information about himself and Banquo’s descendants, as he suspect they will become kings. The witches, calling Macbeth wicked, show him the prophecies: an armed head, a bloody child and a crowned child with a tree in his hand. The last prophecy was a show of eight Kings, and Banquo last, with a glass in his hand. Macbeth was now more confident, but he was also confused especially when the Weird Sisters disappeared.
Act 4 Scene 2
Lady Macduff and her son’s conversation in this part serve as a comic relief, as the calm before the storm. This tells that both, Lady Macduff and his son are innocent and Macbeth kill them without any reason, that is why their murder differ from Macbeth’s previous crimes. Macduff abandoned his family to go to England but after he left his son and Lady Macduff are killed. There is the theme of violence, over-confidence and ambition.
Act 4 Scene 3
Malcom tests Maduff’s loyalty by telling Macduff that he wouldn’t be a good king and he’d betray his own country. Macduff clear his throat by telling him that he couldn’t stand for this, he doesn’t want to be a king and always supports him and his country. Macduff than hears the news from Ross that Macbeth has murdered his family. Malcom encourages Macduff to convert his grief to anger and to get revenge. The major theme is violence and revenge.
Act 5 Scene 1
Lady Macbeth has been observed sleep-walking and talking for several nights. In this scene Lady Macbeth is wracked by guilt. She is so overcome with her role in the murder of King Duncan that she cannot rest. She sleepwalks, writes, and tries over and over again to wash her hands, but she cannot get the blood out because it is no longer there. It is in her mind. Even the doctor cannot cure her because she need ‘something for her soul’. She becomes more weak and sensitive because of her guilt, major theme in this scene.
Act 5 Scene 2
A Scottish army is on its way to join up with the English forces led by Malcom and Siward. Revenges burn in them, especially in Macduff. On the other side, those who continue to serve Macbeth do that only for fear not love or loyalty. At this point of the play all know the truth of Macbeth and hope that his tyranny will end soon. The major themes are fear and revenge.
Act 5 Scene 3
After hearing the news about the English forces, approaching his castle, Macbeth remains confident that he cannot be defeated, because of the prophecies. The theme of unnatural appears because Macbeth seems to controlled by the witches prophecies. In his over-confidence, Macbeth is ready to fight his enemies, so he puts on his battle garb, while he discuss Lady Macbeth’s condition with the doctor.
Act 5 Scene 4
Malcom and the English forces, on their way to Macbeth’s castle, stops to cut branches from the tree. Malcom orders the soldiers to use them to hide theirselves during their march towards Macbeth’s castle.
Act 5 Scene 5
In an atmosphere of violence, Macbeth feels secure behind his castle but he is distracted by the cry of women and is informed that his wife is dead. At this point he thinks about the meaninglessness of short life comparing it to a candle and a walking shadow.
Act 5 Scene 6
Malcom arrives at Macbeth’s castle with his forces and he orders the soldiers to drop their branches and to attack. Siward leads the attack and Malcom follows behind Macduff. The major themes are violence and revenge.
Act 5 Scene 7
Macbeth in this scene abandons the security of the castle and challenges all soldiers on the battlefield. He is aware that he has no escape but he is still confident. The Weird Sister’s second prediction: ‘non of woman born shall harm Macbeth’ lead him to an over-confidence that will soon result in his downfall. After the young Siward is killed by Macbeth, Macduff appears to get his revenge. Macbeth’s over-confidence is leading him to his downfall.
Act 5 Scene 8
Macduff and Macbeth fights against each other. At first, Macduff does poorly against Macbeth but when he reveals to him that he was “ultimely ripped” from his mother’s womb, Macbeth refuses to fight with him. The theme of unnatural reappears considering the second prediction of the witches and Macbeth seems also shocked. Finally all the violence, over-confidence, tyranny, evil crimes and fears finish with Macbeth. Macduff kills Macbeth and finally get revenge for his family. The scene ends with Malcom, who is hailed ‘King of Scotland’.
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