Macbeth

Title: Macbeth

Author: William Shakespeare
Premiere: c. 1606, English
Setting: 11th-century Scotland
Main Characters:

• Macbeth (a Scottish general and Thane of Glamis)

• Lady Macbeth (his ambitious wife)

• King Duncan (the virtuous ruler of Scotland)

• Banquo (Macbeth’s noble friend and fellow general)

• Macduff (a loyal Scottish nobleman)

• The Three Witches (supernatural agents of fate)

Plot Summary:
Returning victorious from battle, Macbeth encounters three witches who prophesy that he will become king. When King Duncan names another heir, Macbeth—spurred by Lady Macbeth—murders Duncan and claims the throne. Though he achieves power, he is consumed by paranoia. He kills Banquo, his former friend, fearing Banquo’s descendants will inherit the crown. He also orders the slaughter of Macduff’s family, prompting Macduff to lead a rebellion. Lady Macbeth, guilt-ridden and sleepwalking, ultimately dies by suicide. Macbeth clings to the witches' cryptic assurances, unaware they are misleading. In the final battle, Macduff reveals he was “from his mother’s womb untimely ripped” and kills Macbeth, ending his reign of terror.

Key Themes & Significance:
Macbeth is a searing portrait of ambition corrupted by power. Themes of fate versus free will, guilt, supernatural influence, and moral decay unfold in stark, poetic language. The play’s psychological intensity and timeless warning about unchecked ambition have made it a staple of stage and study.