Macbeth scenes and acts summaries

Question	Answer
Act 1, Scene 1	The play opens with three witches gathering amidst thunder and lightening. They plan to meet with Macbeth that evening.
Act 1, Scene 2	At King Duncan’s camp, a wounded captain tells him that Macbeth fought bravely . Duncan then sends him to be treated by a surgeon. Ross arrives from Fife and Thane of Cawdor has been captured. Duncan sentences Cawdor to death and tells Ross to give Macbeth Cawdor's title.
Act 1, Scene 3	The witches meet Macbeth and Banquo and tell them the prophecies, they then joke about what the witches said. Ross arrives and tells Macbeth he will be Thane of Cawdor (one of the prophecies). Macbeth then soliloquises about the events and says he will leave it to fate, but he also mentions murder for the first time.
Act 1, Scene 4	Malcolm tells Duncan that Cawdor apologised and admitted his treasons before being executed. Macbeth and Banquo then arrive, and Duncan thanks them. He then names Malcolm the next king. They make plans to dine at Macbeth's, Macbeth leaves and notes that there's now an obstacle to him getting to the throne.
Act 1, Scene 5	It opens with Lady Macbeth reading a letter from Macbeth. She immediately sets her mind on being king and queen. She finds out Duncan is coming and begins to question Macbeth's masculinity and his ability to fulfil the actions. Macbeth arrives and she tells him that she will sort out the murder.
Act 1, Scene 6	Duncan, the Scottish lords, and their attendants arrive outside Macbeth's castle. Lady Macbeth says that it's her duty to be hospitable since she and her husband owe so much to their king. Duncan then asks to be taken inside to Macbeth, who he professes love to dearly.
Act 1, Scene 7	Macbeth soliloquises and is hesitant to kill Duncan, Lady Macbeth enters and he says they will not kill Duncan. She is furious and convinces him to change his mind by questioning his masculinity and eventually he caves.
Act 2, Scene 1	Banquo explains to Macbeth that he has been unable to sleep as he has been dreaming of the witches. After Banquo and Fleance leave, Macbeth soliloquises about a dagger that he is hallucinating about. A bell then rings, which is Lady Macbeth's signal to Macbeth that it is time to kill Duncan.
Act 2, Scene 2	Macbeth meets Lady Macbeth his conscience is clearly disturbed. Lady Macbeth questions his masculinity and says he's too kind. Macbeth has brought the daggers back, so Lady Macbeth tells him to return them but he says he can't, so instead she goes. When she returns there is a persistent knocking at the door.
Act 2, Scene 3	A drunken porter is rambling to himself, and eventually he opens the door (with the persistent knocking) to Macduff and Lennox. Most people are still asleep, but Macbeth is awake, he directs Macduff to the king's chamber to find Duncan dead. Macbeth is acting suspicious, so Lady Macbeth 'faints', causing a distraction.
Act 2, Scene 4	The Thane of Ross encounters an Old Man, who confirms the widespread reports of disruption in the natural world. Macduff appears with the news that Duncan is buried, that his sons have fled, and that the kingship has passed to Macbeth.
Act 3, Scene 1	Banquo opens soliloquising about what's happened, and he's suspicious of Macbeth. Macbeth walks in and starts subtly questioning Banquo on his whereabouts the coming afternoon. After Banquo leaves, 2 murderers arrive and they begin to talk with Macbeth about a plot to kill Banquo and Fleance.
Act 3, Scene 2	Macbeth and Lady Macbeth are talking and Macbeth expresses how his thoughts are crowded and how he is worried, but he doesn't tell Lady Macbeth about murdering Banquo and Fleance.
Act 3, Scene 3	Another murderer joins the other two murderers outside. Eventually they spot Banquo, one of them puts the light out, and the others attack Banquo, however Fleance escapes.
Act 3, Scene 4	The murderers arrive and tell Macbeth that Banquo is dead, but not Fleance. Macbeth worries, but returns to the dinner table. He then sees the ghost of Banquo that seems to come and go and he alternates fits of panic and calmness. Lady Macbeth tells the guest to leave and then tries to calm Macbeth. He says he will visit the witches.
Act 3, Scene 5	Heccat (goddess of the witches) arrives and is annoyed with the original witches that she didn't get a part in meddling with Macbeth. She leaves, shortly followed by the witches.
Act 3, Scene 6	Lennox meets with a rebel lord and reveals his doubts concerning Macbeth. The lord tells Lennox that Macduff has fled from Scotland to join forces with Malcolm in England, and they've requested help from England's King Edward the Confessor. They pray that Scotland will hopefully return to peace.
Act 4, Scene 1	Macbeth visits the witches and demands to be told his future. The 1st apparition warns Macbeth of a bloody revenge from Macduff. The 2nd says that he cannot be killed by any man of woman born. The 3rd says Macbeth won't lose until Birnam wood moves towards Dunsinane. Then, Banquo appears with his descendants as kings.
Act 4, Scene 2	In Macduff's castle, Lady Macduff is comforted by her young son, as she is being dramatic about the abscene of Macduff. Although warned by the Thane of Ross to escape before it is too late, Lady Macduff is encountered by Macbeth's murderers, who kill first her son and (as learnt in the next scene) her.
Act 4, Scene 3	In England, Malcolm tests the loyalty of Macduff by claiming to be more of a tyrant than Macbeth. Eventually, Macduff is thrown into a fit of anger against Macbeth, and Malcolm enlists his help in the struggle.Ross appears with news of the slaughter of Macduff's family, Macduff vows personal revenge against Macbeth.
Act 5, Scene 1	Lady Macbeth has gone mad, she is suffering, which causes her, as she sleepwalks, to recall the events of the murders of Duncan, Banquo, and Lady Macduff. These words are overheard by the Doctor and a lady-in-waiting. The doctor says that there is nothing he can do and that God will take care of her.
Act 5, Scene 2	Lennox, Menteth, Angus, and Caithness (lords of Scotland) resolve to join Malcolm and the English forces, who have by now marched into Scotland and are at Birnam Wood, not far from Macbeth's castle at Dunsinane.
Act 5, Scene 3	Macbeth ignores reports of invasion because of what the apparitions said, which seemed to promise invincibility. A servant enters to announce the sight of an army, Macbeth momentarily loses hope, then angrily spurns his servant and orders his armour to be put on. The doctor's news of Lady Macbeth, is treated with similarly.
Act 5, Scene 4	The English and rebel Scottish armies, under the leadership of Malcolm, meet at Birnam Wood. Malcolm orders each soldier to cut a branch and carry it in front of them as camouflage to conceal the actual size of the advancing army.
Act 5, Scene 5	Now fully armed, Macbeth is full of confidence but is interrupted by an offstage shriek. Lady Macbeth is dead and Macbeth is left to contemplate. It's then announced that Birnam Wood is advancing towards Dunsinane. Macbeth recalls the prophecies of Act 4, sure of, but still denying their truth.
Act 5, Scene 6	Malcolm and his troops have reached Dunsinane under the branches, thus fulfilling the prophecy of the apparitions: Birnam wood has come to Dunsinane.
Act 5, Scene 7	Macbeth is challenged by the son of Seyward, and Macbeth wins. Immediately afterwards, Macduff is seen eagerly seeking out the man who was responsible for the murder of his family. It's announced that Macbeth's forces have surrendered, but the business is not yet finished.
Act 5, Scene 8	On another part of the battlefield, Macbeth and Macduff finally come face to face. They talk, and eventually fight, Macbeth loses.
Act 5, Scene 9	In castle of Dunsinane, events move to their natural conclusion. Macbeth's dead and Malcolm is proclaimed by all the assembled thanes to be the new king of Scotland.

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	Created by Maddy Christopher almost 4 years ago