Macbeth is a tragic play about the rise and fall of the ambitious Scottish general Macbeth. The play begins with Macbeth and his friend Banquo returning victorious from battle when they encounter three witches on a desolate heath. The witches prophecy that Macbeth will become the Thane of Cawdor and, eventually, the King of Scotland, while Banquo’s descendants will inherit the throne, though he himself will not be king.
Soon after, Macbeth is named Thane of Cawdor, confirming part of the witches’ prophecy. Spurred by this, and urged on by his wife, Lady Macbeth, who is equally ambitious, Macbeth begins to entertain the idea of murdering King Duncan and taking the throne for himself. Lady Macbeth persuades him to act on his desires, and they plot to kill Duncan.
Macbeth kills Duncan in his sleep and frames the guards for the murder. He is crowned king, but he is consumed by guilt and paranoia. Fearing that Banquo’s descendants, as foretold by the witches, will eventually take the throne from him, Macbeth arranges to have Banquo and his son, Fleance, murdered. While Banquo is killed, Fleance escapes, leaving Macbeth feeling more insecure.
Macbeth returns to the witches to seek further guidance, and they give him cryptic warnings: he should beware of Macduff, he will not be harmed by any man born of a woman, and he will not be defeated until Birnam Wood comes to Dunsinane Hill. These prophecies seem reassuring, but Macbeth grows increasingly tyrannical, ordering the massacre of Macduff’s family.
Meanwhile, Lady Macbeth, overwhelmed by guilt and the consequences of their actions, descends into madness. She dies, and Macbeth, now isolated and more ruthless than ever, prepares for battle against the forces led by Macduff and Malcolm, Duncan’s son.
In the final battle, Macbeth confronts Macduff, who reveals that he was born by caesarean section, and thus not « of woman born » in the usual sense. Realizing that the witches’ prophecy has come true in an unexpected way, Macbeth is killed by Macduff. Malcolm is crowned king, and order is restored to Scotland.