Macbeth Act Summaries/Quotes/Characters Flashcards
Act 1 Summary.
. Macbeth and Banquo return from a bloody battle and are greeted by 3 witches
. The witches tell Macbeth and Banquo of their predictions, which include:
- Macbeth becoming Thane of Cawdor
- Macbeth becoming King
- and Banquo being the father of a line of kings
. The two lords soon find out that Macbeth is to become the new Thane of Cawdor because the original was executed for treachery
. King Duncan proclaims his son, Malcolm as heir to the throne
. Lady Macbeth receives a letter detailing the situation and soon finds out that King Duncan will be staying the night at their castle
. She sets out to persuade her reluctant husband to kill the King
. After wrestling with his conscience, Macbeth agrees to commit the murder
Act 2 Summary.
. Macbeth kills Duncan and is overcome with guilt (he can’t even return the bloody daggers to Duncan’s chamber)
. Lady Macbeth takes charge and fiercely criticises her husband before returning the daggers herself
. In the morning, Macduff discovers Duncan’s body
. There is panic sent throughout the household
. Macbeth kills Duncan’s guards in an attempt to cover his tracks
. Malcolm and Donaldbain flee to England and Ireland
. Macbeth is crowned the new king of Scotland
Act 3 Summary.
. Macbeth is king, however neither he nor Lady Macbeth is happy
. Macbeth plots with 2 murderers to kill Banquo and his son, Fleance
. The murderers kill Banquo but Fleance escapes
. The Macbeth’s host a banquet, however Macbeth becomes unnerved and enraged upon seeing Banquo’s ghost
. Lady Macbeth invents a story to explain Macbeth’s strange behaviour before hurriedly dismissing their guests
. Discontent is spreading throughout Scotland and there is news that a force opposing Macbeth is gathering in England
Act 4 Summary
. Macbeth seeks out witches in order to know his future
. The witches call up spirits who predict:
- beware of Macduff
- no one of woman born shall harm Macbeth
- Macbeth shall never be defeated until the forest starts moving
. Macbeth is informed that Macduff has fled to England
. Macbeth orders the slaughter of Macduff’s entire family
. With English support, the Scottish forces are ready to fight Macbeth
Act 5 Summary.
. Lady Macbeth is often seen sleepwalking and talking of her guilt
. As forces lead by Malcolm approach Macbeth’s castle, they cut down branches to hide their numbers
. Lady Macbeth commits suicide
. Outnumbered by Malcolm’s army, Macbeth fights bravely until he is finally killed by Macduff
. Malcolm is the new king of Scotland, he promises to restore peace and order
What themes are depicted in Macbeth?
. Order and chaos . Ambition . The supernatural . Light and darkness . Appearance and reality . Sickness and health
What is a theme?
In a play a theme is an idea or group of ideas that the playwright explores.
Who are the main characters in Macbeth?
. Macbeth and Lady Macbeth . Duncan, King of Scotland . Macduff and Lady Macduff . Malcolm . Donaldbain . Banquo
Summarise the following character: Duncan
. Duncan is the King of Scotland,
. He is an old, gracious, pious and gentle man
. Somewhat too trusting (ends up being betrayed)
. He announces Malcolm as his heir
. He is stabbed to death in his sleep by Macbeth
. He was associated with order and goodness
Summarise the following character: Macbeth
. Scottish general
. Thane of Glamis
. Listens to the prophecies of 3 witches and begins having wicked thoughts
. Is made Thane of Cawdor
. He’s a brave soldier and powerful man
. He is also ambitious - wants throne too
. He kills king Duncan but isn’t happy
. The guilt gets to him
. However he no longer feels fear before killing
. He dies fighting as the prophecy is fulfilled
Summarise the following character: Lady Macbeth
. A Ruthless woman
. More openly ambitious than her husband (does not shy from murder)
. She pushes/manipulates Macbeth towards committing murder
. This is because she believes her husband is too kind to commit such an act
. She calls on the powers of darkness to make her ruthless
. She drugs the king’s attendants herself
. She is very controlled after the murder has occurred
. She does not suffer the remorse that affects Macbeth, however she does sleep walk
. In the end she is guilt-ridden enough that she commits suicide.
Summarise the following character: Macduff
. Macduff is the Thane of Fife
. He discovers the King’s body
. He begs King Edward to help Malcolm overthrow Macbeth
. He is devastated when he learns that they have been slaughtered whilst he was gone
. He leads a part of Malcolm’s army, but at the battle of Dunsinane soon abandons them while on a single-minded quest to find and kill Macbeth himself.
. He tears Macbeth’s last hope from him by revealing that he was the issue of a Caesarean birth and kills Macbeth
Summarise the following character: Lady Macduff
. Lady Macduff is a realist.
. She is upset about the fact that he has fled to England
. She considers him to be dead too
. She is killed by the same Three Murderers who kill Banquo
Summarise the following character: Malcolm
. He is Duncan’s eldest son
. He is named Prince of Cumberland and heir to the throne by Duncan
. On his father’s death, he flees to England, unwilling to trust the Scottish nobles
. This allows Macbeth to frame him as the murderer
. He assembles a massive army to recover his throne
. He comes up with the idea of camouflaging his army’s advance with the trees of Birnam Forest
Summarise the following character: Donaldbain
. He is Duncan’s second son
. After his father’s murder, he suggests to Malcolm that they quickly leave
. He flees to Ireland, arguing that by going to separate places he and his brother will be safer
. He does not return to join in the battle against Macbet
