Macbeth Plot Summary

Question 1

Summarise Act 1 Scene 1

Answer 1

We meet the three witches

Question 2

Summarise Act 1 Scene 2

Answer 2

Macbeth is reported as being a brave and noble warrior; he has just killed a traitor in battle, showing his loyalty to King Duncan

Question 3

Summarise Act 1 Scene 3

Answer 3

Macbeth and Banquo hear three prophecies from the three witches:
* That Macbeth will become Thane of Cawdor
* That Macbeth will become King
* That Banquo’s descendants will become kings

Question 4

Summarise Act 1 Scene 4

Answer 4

The Thane of Cawdor is executed for treason. Macbeth becomes the new Thane of Cawdor

Question 5

Summarise Act 1 Scene 5

Answer 5

Macbeth sends a letter to Lady Macbeth outlining the witches’ prophecies

Question 6

Summarise Act 1 Scene 6

Answer 6

King Duncan comes to visit the Macbeths at their castle, Dunsinane

Question 7

Summarise Act 1 Scene 7

Answer 7

Macbeth deliberates on murdering Duncan; Macbeth finally accepts Lady Macbeth’s arguments and decides to go ahead with the assassination

Question 8

Summarise Act 2 Scene 1

Answer 8

Macbeth sees his first hallucination – a bloody dagger – after seeing Banquo and Fleance in the castle courtyard

Question 9

Summarise Act 2 Scene 2

Answer 9

A shaken and mentally unstable Macbeth returns to Lady Macbeth with the murder weapons: two daggers covered in blood (the murder of Duncan takes place off-stage). A furious Lady Macbeth calls Macbeth a coward and returns the daggers to Duncan’s chambers to frame the dead king’s guards for the regicide

Question 10

Summarise Act 2 Scene 3

Answer 10

Macduff discovers that Duncan has been murdered. Macbeth claims that he killed Duncan’s guards in an act of revenge. In fear for their own lives, Duncan’s sons flee Scotland: Malcolm to England; Donalbain to Ireland

Question 11

Summarise Act 2 Scene 4

Answer 11

Macbeth is crowned King of Scotland

Question 12

Summarise Act 3 Scene 1

Answer 12

Banquo begins to suspect Macbeth of the murder of Duncan. Macbeth hires assassins to kill Banquo and his son, Fleance in fear of the prophecy that Banquo’s offspring will become king

Question 13

Summarise Act 3 Scene 2

Answer 13

Lady Macbeth urges Macbeth to forget about killing Duncan and attempts to soothe his troubled mind

Question 14

Summarise Act 3 Scene 3

Answer 14

The murderers kill Banquo, but Fleance manages to escape. The assassins return to Dunsinane to tell Macbeth

Question 15

Summarise Act 3 Scene 4

Answer 15

The Macbeths host a banquet at their castle, but Macbeth hallucinates a vision of the murdered Banquo sitting at his place at the table. As an increasingly deranged Macbeth starts shouting at Banquo’s ghost, Lady Macbeth asks all the guests to leave

Question 16

Summarise Act 3 Scene 5

Question 17

Summarise Act 3 Scene 6

Answer 17

As an increasingly deranged Macbeth starts shouting at Banquo’s ghost, Lady Macbeth asks all the guests to leave