The Out- line Story of Macbeth
Two Scottish generals, Macbeth and
Banquo, while riding home after a victorious battle against an army of rebels,
are met by three witches. These witches foretell that Macbeth shall be king of
Scotland and Banquo the father of many kings. Macbeth is strongly influenced by
their words, and his wife, Lady Macbeth, gives him so much encouragement that
he is persuaded to murder Duncan, the king of Scotland, while he is a guest at
their castle. Macbeth is now the most powerful man in the kingdom, and takes
the throne. But he feels his position unsure, and suspects those around him;
this drives him to the murder of Banquo, whose ghost haunts him. For the second
time, Macbeth sees the witches, who warn him against the nobleman Macduff, but
nevertheless persuade him to go on by telling him that “none of woman born” can
harm him, and that no one will defeat him “till Birnam forest come to
Dunsinane”. Macduff has meanwhile gone to England to help in collecting an army
to fight Macbeth, and in his absence his family is murdered by order of
Macbeth.
Lady Macbeth, much disturbed in her mind,
walks in her sleep, and speaks again her part in the crimes she has committed.
She dies while a force, led on by Duncan’s son Malcolm, and with English
support, is besieging Macbeth’s castle. The kind realizes that his position is
desperate, but never loses courage, even when he finds that the witches’ words
have deceived him (for the forest does seem to move). And he is killed in
hand-to-hand fighting by Macduff (who says that he was not “born of woman”).
Malcolm then becomes king of Scotland.
----