Macbeth: A Brief Summary And Analysis

Macbeth is a play written by the playwright, William Shakespeare in 1606. It begins with the three Weird Sisters configuring a proper time to meet with Macbeth. In the second scene, King Duncan, Macbeth, and Banquo, Macbeth’s dear friend are introduced. The Weird Sisters greet Macbeth, along with Banquo, exalting Macbeth with the names Thane of Glamis, Cawdor, and king hereafter. They moreover promise Banquo that he will be the father of kings. When Banquo and Macbeth return to the King, he confronts them with gratitude for their noble acts and gives the open throne of Cawdor to Malcolm. Macbeth sends his wife, Lady Macbeth, a letter explaining all the events that have happened. She decides to host a dinner, inviting King Duncan to stay the night. During that night, he is murdered and Macbeth becomes king. Later in the story, the Weird Sisters approach Macbeth once more because of his request to reassure his authority.

Her plan is to cause Duncan’s two watchmen to fall into a deep sleep from wine and kill the king in his sleep. Macbeth is supposed to lay the bloody daggers in the watchmen hands, but is distraught and does not do it. Lady Macbeth ridicules him for this and has to do the deed for him. She then washes their hands clean from blood and goes back to their chambers. Macduff finds the king dead and orders the bell to be rung and wakes all who is in the house. Lennox, a noble to the king, states that the watchmen did it due to the planted evidence and Macbeth quickly replies that he killed them. Macduff gets suspicious and asks where and how he did it. As Macbeth is explaining, his wife cries, “Help me hence, ho!” (Shakespeare 2.3.71), to interrupt their conversation and get the motive off of Macbeth. Lady Macbeth lies about her health to cover her and her husband’s ignoble doing which leads to a lethal consequence on