Summary Key Quotes Themes Notes

Act 1
Scene Three witches meet and discuss their “Fair is foul and foul is fair” Evil
1 future meeting with Macbeth Darkness
Supernatural

Scene The Captain informs Duncan of Macbeth’s “All’s too weak for brave Macbeth” Ambition
2 bravery in the battle against the rebel “unseam’d him from the nave to the chaps” Bravery
Macdonwald “What he hath lost, noble Macbeth hath Violence
won”
Scene Macbeth and Banquo meet the witches “Thou shalt be king hereafter” Ambition
3 and are given predictions. “Thou shalt get kings though thou be none” Supernatural
Ross tells Macbeth he is Thane of Cawdor “He bade me, from him, call thee Thane of Appearance vs
Cawdor” reality
“If chance will have me king, why chance
may have me crowned without my stir”
Scene Duncan meets with Macbeth and Banquo. “Prince of Cumberland” Ambition
4 Duncan says Malcolm shall be his heir “Stars hide your fires. Let not light see my Supernatural
black and deep desires”
Scene Macbeth send a letter to Lady Macbeth “Glamis thou art, and Cawdor, and shalt be Ambition
5 informing her of the events thus far what thou art promised” Power
“Come you spirits that tend on mortal Supernatural
thoughts, unsex me here” Appearance vs
“Look like th’innocent flower but be the reality
serpent under’t”
“Leave all the rest to me”
Scene Duncan arrives at Macbeth’s castle “Our honour’d hostess” Appearance vs
6 “In every point twice done and then done reality
double”
Scene Macbeth changes his mind about killing “He’s here in double trust” Ambition
7 Duncan but Lady Macbeth convinces him “We will proceed no further in this business” Power
to go through with the plan “What beast was it” Supernatural
“And dash’d the brains out, had I so sworn” Violence
Darkness
Act 2
Scene Macbeth hallucinates and sees a dagger “There’s husbandry in heaven; their candles Supernatural
1 are out” Appearance vs
“Is this a dagger I see before me?” reality
“on thy blade and dudgeon gouts of blood” Order vs disorder
“It is a knell that summons thee to heaven Ambition
or to hell”
Scene Macbeth and Lady Macbeth meet after “Hath he not resembled my father as he Supernatural
2 Macbeth has killed Duncan. Lady slept, I had done’t” Ambition
Macbeth has to take the knives back to “Glamis hath murder’d sleep” Power
the scene of the murder. “Will all great Neptune’s ocean wash this Appearance vs
blood clean from my hand?” reality
“A little water clears us of this deed”
Scene The porter introduces the scene with a “Horror, horror, horror!” Evil
3 comical discussion about Hell. Lennox and “The night has been unruly…the earth was Supernatural
Macduff arrive and find the body of feverous and did shake” Ambition
Duncan. Malcolm and Donalbain run “Here lay Duncan, his silver skin laced with Appearance vs
away. his golden blood” reality
Power
Scene Ross and an old man discuss recent “Duncan’s horses…’tis said they eat each Ambition
4 events. Macduff reveals that Macbeth is other” Power
to be crowned King at Scone, but does Macbeth “is already named and gone to Supernatural
not intend to attend the ceremony. Scone to be invested” Evil
Order vs disorder
Act 3
Scene Banquo begins to suspect Macbeth has “I fear thou playd’st most foully for it” Evil
1 done something terrible. Macbeth “To be thus is nothing but to be safely thus” Power
arranges to have him assassinated. “Banquo, thy soul’s flight, if it find heaven, it Supernatural
must find it tonight” Ambition
Appearance vs
reality
Scene Macbeth discusses his paranoia and fears “Nought’s had, all’s spent, where our desire Ambition
2 regarding Banquo with his wife is got without content” Power
“full of scorpions is my mind” Appearance vs
reality
 Order vs disorder
Scene Three murderers attack Banquo and “Fly good Fleance, fly, fly, fly!” Evil
3 Fleance. Fleance escapes, but Banquo is “We have lost best half of our affair” Ambition
murdered. Power

Scene Macbeth sees the ghost of Banquo at the “never shake thy gory locks at me” Evil
4 feast and has an emotional outburst. Lady “the times have been, That, when the brains Supernatural
Macbeth is required to take control to were out, the man would die, and there an Order vs disorder
stop the guests suspecting anything. end; but now they rise again”
Scene Hecate, queen of the witches, tells the “How did you dare to trade and traffic with Evil
5 witches off for getting involved with Macbeth” Supernatural
Macbeth without consulting her. She “shall draw him on to his confusion” Power
decides to become involved and will “security is mortals’ chiefest enemy” Appearance vs
confuse Macbeth in order to make him reality
over-confident.
Scene Lennox and another Lord discuss their “The son of Duncan…lives in the English Power
6 suspicions regarding Macbeth. Fleance court” Ambition
has been named as Banquo’s murderer “Macduff is gone to pray the holy king” Order vs disorder
following his disappearance. They discuss “I’ll send my prayers with him”
the plan that Macduff has – he will go to
England and raise an army with Malcolm.
Act 4
Scene The witches meet and prepare a brew to “Double, double, toil and trouble” Power
1 conjure apparitions that will confuse “Beware Macduff! Beware the Thane of Evil
Macbeth. Macbeth arrives and is given Fife” Ambition
three warnings. Lennox arrives and tells “None of woman born shall harm Macbeth” Supernatural
Macbeth that Macduff has fled to “Macbeth shall never vanquished be till Appearance vs
England. great Birnam Wood to high Dunsinane hill reality
Macbeth resolves to have Macduff’s wife shall come against him” Order vs disorder
and children murdered. “Macduff is fled to England”
“give to the edge o’the sword his wife, his
babes.
Scene Lady Macduff thinks her husband has “his flight was madness” Evil
2 disappeared because he is a traitor and “he has killed me, mother” Ambition
discusses this with her son. The Power
 murderers arrive, and the whole Macduff
family is slain.
Scene Malcolm meets with Macduff in England. “I am not treacherous” Evil
3 Malcolm tests Macduff’s loyalty. “Alas, poor country” Power
Ross enters and tells Macduff of the “your wife and babes savagely slaughtered” Order vs disorder
slaughter of his family. Macduff is “within my sword’s length set him”
crushed, and resolves to take revenge on
Macbeth.
Act 5
Scene A doctor has been called to see to Lady “I have seen her rise from her bed…while in Evil
1 Macbeth. She has been sleepwalking and a most fast sleep” Supernatural
making strange comments. The doctor “out, out damned spot” Power
and a gentlewoman discuss Lady “Who would have thought the old man to Order vs disorder
Macbeth’s state of mind. have had so much blood in him?”
“will these hands ne’er be clean?”
“unnatural deeds do breed unnatural
troubles”
Scene A group of Scottish Lords prepare to “the English power is near, led on by Power
2 march on Macbeth’s castle. Malcolm” Ambition
“Great Dunsinane he strongly fortifies”
“make we our march toward Birnam”
Scene Following his encounter with the witches, “I cannot taint with fear” Evil
3 Macbeth is confident he cannot be “Give me my armour” Order vs disorder
harmed. He is told that an army of ten “Cure her” Ambition
thousand English men is marching on the “I will not be afraid of death and bane til Power
castle. He tells the doctor to cure Lady Birnam Forest come to Dunsinane” Supernatural
Macbeth of her delusions.
Scene Malcolm and his army are gathered near “Let every soldier hew him down a bough Power
4 Birnam Wood. They decide that each and bear’t before him” Supernatural
soldier should cut down a branch from a “The confident tyrant keeps still in Appearance vs
tree to help disguise the size of the army. Dunsinane” reality
Scene Macbeth still believes he will not be “The queen, my lord, is dead.” Power
5 defeated. Lady Macbeth dies. Macbeth “tomorrow and tomorrow and tomorrow Supernatural
delivers a speech about life and the creeps in this petty pace from day to day” Evil
passing of time, then is told that Birnam “out, out brief candle! Life’s but a walking Ambition
 Wood appears to be approaching. He shadow” Appearance vs
recalls the prophecy and vows to fight. “it is a tale told by an idiot, full of sound and reality
fury, signifying nothing” Order vs disorder
“the wood began to move”
“at least we’ll die with harness on our back”
Scene The battle begins. “your leafy screens throw down” Power
6 “give them all breath, these clamorous Order vs disorder
harbingers of blood and death”

Scene Macbeth remembers the prophecy about “what’s he that’s not born of woman?” Power
7 not being harmed by any man of woman “abhorred tyrant” Evil
born and kills Young Siward. Macduff is in “tyrant, show thy face” Ambition
search of Macbeth. Malcolm and Siward “let me find him, fortune”
enter the castle.
Scene Macduff finds Macbeth. Macduff reveals “turn, hell-hound, turn” Power
8 he was born by Caesarean section. They “of all men else have I avoided thee” Order vs disorder
go off stage, fighting. Malcolm and Siward “I bear a charmed life, which must not yield, Evil
walk through the castle, and Macduff to one of woman born”
returns with Macbeth’s head. Malcolm is “Macduff was from his mother’s womb
proclaimed King of Scotland. untimely ripp’d”
“Lay on, Macduff. And damn’d be him that
first cries ‘Hold, enough!’”
“Hail king!”
“the cursed usurper’s head”