One of Shakespeare’s shorter tragedies, Macbeth is based on a historical king of Scotland. Although some of the basic facts in the play are true to history, the murder of the king for example, Shakespeare largely wrote the play as an entertaining tragic story rather than a historical document. The play is a tale of ambition, revenge, and justice. Unlike some of Shakespeare’s other villains who seem to enjoy their misdeeds such as Richard III or Iago, Macbeth is a reluctant villain. Throughout the play he expresses fear and remorse.
He is terrified of the consequences of his actions yet he plots onward to the end. Lady Macbeth is equally a figure of over-reach and remorse. The play works with these themes and ideas throughout. Since Shakespeare wrote the play under the reign of James I, the theme of just vengeance against the murder of a king and the proper restoration of order are important themes. The setting for the play is Scotland, the home of James I. As much as Shakespeare wrote to please the tastes and sensibilities of Elizabeth I, he also catered to her successor.
The setting is medieval Scotland, the Highlands. Duncan, the King of Scotland, is waging a war against the King of Norway. The scene opens as the kind learns of Macbeth’s victory over the treacherous Macdonald who aided the Norwegians against the king and against Scotland. This coincides with news of the treachery of the Thane of Cawdor. Duncan, the king, gives the title Thane of Cawdor to Macbeth to reward his heroism.
On their way home from battle, Macbeth and Banquo encounter three witches who predict that Macbeth will be Thane of Cawdor and king of Scotland, as has been ordained by the king in his absence. They also foretell that Banquo will be the father of kings. This concerns Macbeth and he returns to his castle plotting a different course.
Upon returning to his castle Macbeth is persuaded by his ambitious wife, Lady Macbeth, to kill the king and take his place on the throne. An opportunity easily presents itself when King Duncan pays a visit to Macbeth castle. Macbeth initially resists the plot to kill the king out fear of punishment both in life and beyond. However, his wife continues to persuade him and eventually convinces him to kill the king. After a night of celebration, Lady Macbeth drugs the guards to the King’s chambers. At her signal, Macbeth approaches the king’s chambers, voicing his doubts to himself, and kills the king in his sleep. Macbeth is filled with remorse, but his wife scolds him. Her ambition grows with her misdeeds. At this moment they hear a knock at the castle door.
One of the porters, who is drunk at the time, answers the knock at the door to discover Macduff, a man loyal to the king, who has been sent to get Duncan for the journey home. Macbeth directs him to the king’s room and Macduff discovers the body of the king. As soon as murder is suspected, Macbeth kills the guards of the king’s chamber as they are the only witnesses to the crime. Lady Macbeth faints at this. They assemble the lords of Scotland, including Macbeth, and vow revenge for the murder of the king. However, two of the lords suspect Macbeth, Donalbain and Malcom. These two characters who represent the rightful order. Each flee to Ireland and England respectively in order to raise an avenging force.
Macbeth is proclaimed the king of Scotland. However, he has not forgotten the second part of the prophecy of the witches. Banquo and his successors would seem to be in line for the crown and Macbeth decides to kill him and his son, Fleance. Macbeth hires men to murder them and in the course of the crime they manage to kill Banquo, but Fleance escapes. At the celebration that night, Macbeth is put into a terror when the ghost of Banquo appears at the dining table. Even as Lady Macbeth attempts to reassure him, Macbeth begins to be rattled.
Macbeth returns the following day to the place where he met the witches who foretold the prophecy. Upon this second meeting, the witches confirm the original prophecy and tell Macbeth further that Macbeth will be invincible in his battle against the forces which are moving against him in the forests of Birnam. What is more, he will remain invincible and can only be killed by a man “not born of a woman.” Macbeth dismisses this cryptic prophecy as nonsense and becomes emboldened as he prepares for battle.
Macbeth soon learns that Macduff has deserted him and from here he begins his tragic fall. He attacks and murders the family of Macduff. While Macduff is in England swearing his allegiance to Malcom, he gets the news of the murder of his family. Malcom convinces Macduff that he should take revenge against Macbeth.
Lady Macbeth becomes ill and she starts walking in her sleep seemingly in a delirium. She has fragmentary memories of the details of the murder. The play begins to move quickly after this point, alternating between scenes of Malcom advancing with his army against Macbeth and Macbeth preparing his defense.
Malcom’s army advances in disguise as they cover themselves with branches. Macbeth believes he see the woods themselves moving toward his defenses at Dunsinane. He finally squares off against Malcom in combat. As Macbeth boasts of the prophecy that he cannot be killed by a man born of woman, Malcom tells him that he was brought to birth by a cesarean section, thus he was not, strictly speaking, born of a woman. Macbeth, in his arrogance, refuses to believe this and attacks Malcom. Macbeth is killed. Malcom is finally crowned King of Scotland.