Macbeth
The events in the order the book tells them.
Act I
- Scene I1
The Beautiful Is Rotten
Amid thunder and lightning, three witches arrange to meet Macbeth after the battle, before sunset, on the heath, and close the scene by saying that the beautiful is foul and the foul is beautiful.
- Scene II2
The Title of Cawdor
In the camp, a wounded Captain tells King Duncan that Macbeth killed the rebel Macdonwald and that he and Banquo held off the Norwegian attack. Duncan condemns the traitor Thane of Cawdor to death and gives the title to Macbeth.
- Scene III3
The Witches Greet Macbeth
On the heath, the witches greet Macbeth as Thane of Glamis, Thane of Cawdor, and future king, and promise Banquo that his sons will be kings. When the noble Ross confirms the title of Cawdor, Macbeth is already thinking of a murder to reach the throne.
- Scene IV4
An Heir in the Way
Duncan names his son Malcolm Prince of Cumberland and announces that he will go to Inverness, Macbeth's castle. Macbeth sees in the heir a step to climb and asks the stars to hide his desires.
- Scene V5
The Letter and the Invocation
In Inverness, Lady Macbeth reads her husband's letter about the witches. On learning that the king will sleep there, she calls on spirits to empty her of pity and, when Macbeth arrives, takes command of the plan.
- Scene VI6
Duncan Arrives at Inverness
Duncan and Banquo praise the pleasant air of the castle, and Lady Macbeth greets the king with words of humility and service. He enters without suspecting that he will be killed in that house.
- Scene VII7
The Couple's Decision
Macbeth weighs the crime, since Duncan is his kinsman, his king, and his guest, and draws back. Lady Macbeth accuses him of cowardice and lays out the plan to drug the two chamberlains who guard the king's room, and he gives in.
Act II
- Scene I8
The Dagger in the Air
At midnight, in the courtyard of Inverness, Macbeth speaks with Banquo and, alone, sees a dagger in the air, with drops of blood on the blade. When the bell sounds, he heads for the king's room.
- Scene II9
The Crime and the Bloodied Hands
Macbeth returns from Duncan's room with his hands stained with blood, shaken at having heard that he has murdered Sleep. Lady Macbeth takes the daggers back, smears the chamberlains with blood, and tells her husband to wash.
- Scene III10
The Discovery of the Crime
A drunken Porter is slow to open the door to the noble Macduff, who discovers Duncan's body. Macbeth kills the chamberlains, claiming love for the king, and Malcolm and Donalbain, Duncan's sons, trusting no one, decide to flee.
- Scene IV11
Omens and the Crown
The noble Ross and an Old Man discuss the omens: the Tuesday before, an owl killed a falcon and, on the night of the crime, Duncan's horses devoured one another. Macduff tells them that Macbeth was elected and left for Scone to be crowned.
Act III
- Scene I12
Two Hired Murderers
Banquo suspects that Macbeth played dirty, but hopes that the prophecy about his descendants will also come true. Macbeth invites him to the banquet and convinces two murderers to kill Banquo and his son Fleance.
- Scene II13
The Serpent Only Wounded
Macbeth and Lady Macbeth admit that the crown has brought no peace: he says they have only wounded the serpent, a symbol of the danger that still lives, and that he no longer sleeps without nightmares. And he hides from her the plan against Banquo.
- Scene III14
The Ambush of Banquo
The murderers wait on the road to the palace and attack Banquo, who dies after ordering his son to flee. Fleance escapes in the dark, and the prophecy about Banquo's descendants lives on.
- Scene IV15
The Ghost at the Banquet
At the banquet, Macbeth sees Banquo's ghost sitting in his place, which the guests cannot see. Lady Macbeth tries to cover up the scene and dismisses the lords, and he resolves to seek out the witches again.
- Scene V16
Hecate Rebukes the Witches
Hecate, queen of the witches, rebukes the witches for dealing with Macbeth without calling her, and promises illusions that will lead him to scorn Fate and to trust too much in himself.
- Scene VI17
Lennox Speaks Between the Lines
The noble Lennox remarks, ironically, on the official account of the deaths of Duncan and Banquo. A lord tells that Macduff has gone to England to seek Malcolm's support, and the king is already preparing for war.
Act IV
- Scene I18
The Cauldron and the Apparitions
In a cave, the apparitions answer Macbeth: beware of Macduff, no man born of woman will harm him, and he will fall only if Birnam Wood marches against the castle of Dunsinane. He still sees eight kings, with Banquo at the end.
- Scene II19
The Massacre at Fife
At the castle of Fife, Lady Macduff accuses her husband of cowardice for having fled. Murderers sent by Macbeth kill her little son and chase the mother, who cries for help.
- Scene III20
Malcolm Tests Macduff
In England, Malcolm tests Macduff's loyalty by pretending to be worse than Macbeth. The two agree on war with the English soldiers of Earl Siward, and the noble Ross brings the news that Macduff's family has been killed.
Act V
- Scene I21
Lady Macbeth Sleepwalking
In Dunsinane, a Doctor and a Gentlewoman watch Lady Macbeth, who walks in her sleep, rubs her hands, and murmurs about blood. The Doctor concludes that the case is beyond medicine.
- Scene II22
The March to Birnam
The Scottish nobles march to Birnam to meet Malcolm's army. Some, they say, judge Macbeth mad and others furious, and his men serve him out of duty, not affection.
- Scene IV23
Branches of Birnam Wood
Facing the wood, Malcolm orders each soldier to take a branch and carry it before him, to hide the size of the troop. Siward reminds them that only blows will decide the war.
- Scene V24
The Queen Dead and Tomorrow
The officer Seyton tells Macbeth that the queen, Lady Macbeth, has died, and he replies with the speech about tomorrow. A Messenger swears he saw the wood advancing, and Macbeth begins to doubt the words that deluded him.
- Scene VII25
The Duel and the New King
Macbeth kills young Siward and faces Macduff, who says he was torn from his mother's womb before his time. Macduff returns with Macbeth's head, and Malcolm is hailed as king.