Macbeth: Synopsis
Before diving into our discussions surrounding Macbeth, we wanted to give a synopsis of the events of the play as they are written for anyone who hasn't read the play at all, in a while, or found it confusing to try and read on their own.
Transcript:
Kourtney Smith (KS): Good morning, Elyse!
Elyse Sharp (ES): Good morning, Korey!
KS: Alright, so, what do we have today?
ES: Uh–today we are doing a synopsis of Macbeth!
KS: Yes, Macbeth is our first play of the Shakespeare Anyone? series and I’m very excited to get going.
ES: I know. This is actually how you, like, pitched the entire show to me. It was like, “And we’ll start with Macbeth!” (laughs)
KS: Just in general, just, so many cool things to talk about, like, it’s crazy to me that Shakespeare has written so many diverse kinds of stories, so, like, you’re like, “Oh yeah, he’s got Romeo and Juliet, which is about teenagers who are in love, and then you’ve got Macbeth, which is like witches and murder and apparitions, and–”
ES: And one of the things I love about this is that it is a pretty straight forward plot in terms of, like, there’s not a lot of additional, like geopolitical conflict that you have to track that you never actually see. And I don’t think there’s actually, there’s very few names of people that you never actually see on stage. Where in other plays, you know, you don’t see them or you just hear these names over and over and you have to try and track, okay, so like, what’s going on, like, in this other country for this char–that’s affecting this character today. For the most part, it is about the characters that you’re watching.
KS: Yes.
ES: Let’s dive right in!
KS: Alright!
ES: This is, in case it’s been a while or, uh, since you’ve read the play or you’ve maybe never read the play, or you’ve tried and it’s just been absolutely confusing as to what’s going on, um, hopefully this’ll be a very clear retelling of just what happens in this play.
KS: Yes, and with the synopsis episodes, we are just gonna go action and dialogue, no interpretation, no weird kind of bumper sticker Shakespeare where we’re gonna talk about different ways to look at it, I guess, like, maybe we might have a little bit of commentary, but really, not much. This is, like, literally what you will see, action and dialogue within the story.
ES: Yeah. There’s a couple moments in this synopsis where we have a little bit of, like, additional information, or, like, hey, this is a big question that comes up so we’re gonna address it now. This is mostly just gonna be what happens, what happens next.
KS: Yes. A more straightforward, uh, Sparknotes or No Fear Shakespeare, I think.
ES: So here we go. This play starts off with thunder, lightning, and a short conversation between three witches where we learn that there is a battle going on, and, after the battle is over, they are gonna meet with someone named Macbeth.
KS: We then head to a military camp for a bunch of exposition as a sergeant recounts to King Duncan what happened during the course of that battle the witches were talking about. We learn that there was a traitorous insurrection against Duncan. Macbeth sliced through the traitor’s troops like a hot knife through butter, then defeated the leader. Just as that battle ended, Norwegian troops that were allied with the traitors arrived and “began a fresh assault.” But Macbeth and the other captain, Banquo, seemed unfazed by this and instead got like a second wind.
ES: This sergeant faints just as Ross and Lennox, two Scottish noblemen, arrive to tag team and continue explaining the story of what is happening in the battle with Norway. We learn that this battle is happening at Fife--pro-tip: remember that!--and that there is another traitor: the Thane, or lord, of Cawdor. They confirm what the sergeant said and said that the battle was victorious for Scotland. Norway is going to pay Scotland $10,000 dollars in exchange for Norway being able to collect and bury their war dead. In addition, Duncan plans to execute the Thane of Cawdor and give that title to this brave lord and soldier, Macbeth.
KS: Then, since the battle is done, the king and his noblemen exit and we are back with the witches. We get them talking about some of their powers and get a sense of the type of magical beings they arES: they control the wind and they are pretty vengeful. One is going to basically torture a sailor because his wife wouldn’t share chestnuts with her. Doesn’t seem like a proportional response to me... But they are interrupted by a drum and the appearance of Macbeth and Banquo!
ES: Finally! We as the audience have heard SO much about Macbeth and how great he is before he even enters and now here he is. Macbeth and Banquo are on their way from the battle at Fife to Duncan’s camp when they see the witches. The witches hail Macbeth and call him Thane of Glamis, Thane of Cawdor, and King hereafter. Banquo comments that Macbeth seems startled and frightened by this--which is a little different from the depictions of Macbeth that we’ve heard up until this point. Banquo then demands that the witches address him too; they say that he is lesser than Macbeth and greater, not so happy yet much happier, and that he shall beget kings but never be one himself.
KS: Macbeth finally gets up the courage to ask the witches to tell him more because he is confused by that Thane of Cawdor comment--as far as he knows, Cawdor lives, and becoming king is as unbelievable as becoming Cawdor. BUT BUT BUT, the audience knows that Cawdor is a traitor and that Duncan is going to give that title to Macbeth. And then the witches just up and vanish instead of answering.
ES: Banquo is all, “are we high?” and they recount what the witches said just as Ross and Angus, another lord, show up to deliver the news that we, the audience, know is coming. The announcement that Macbeth is now Thane of Cawdor flips Macbeth and Banquo out. It’s what the witches said! Angus explains that while Cawdor lives, he is being tried as a traitor.
KS: Macbeth sees this as proof that the rest of the witches’ prophecies will come true--Banquo remarks that sometimes the devil will tell truths if it works to lead people astray. And Banquo, Angus, and Ross talk amongst themselves while Macbeth gives the audience the first of many monologues, or direct addresses, they’ll be seeing tonight during the show. He muses on whether or not the prophecies are likely bad or good--as they have come true, but they’ve also planted the seed of murdering the king in order to advance to that step faster. He lands on leaving it up to chance and not doing anything to make himself king. They all head back to the king’s palace, with Macbeth and Banquo agreeing that they need to talk more later about what happened today with the weird witches.
ES: At Duncan’s palace, we get an update on the execution of Cawdor. Duncan’s son, Malcolm, reports that he heard through the grapevine that Cawdor confessed to treason before his execution. And Duncan gives us some great irony, remarking that you can’t tell what’s going on in someone’s mind and that he completely trusted Cawdor--just as Macbeth (who, remember, has just thought “hmm maybe I’ll murder Duncan...nah”) walks in. Duncan is effusive in his praise of Macbeth, who has a hard time taking a compliment. Then, he names Malcolm as his successor, giving him the title Prince of Cumberland, and says, “now let’s all go to Macbeth’s house!”
KS: Fun fact: at this point in Scotland’s history, the line of succession for the King wasn’t hereditary--anyone could have been named Prince of Cumberland. Macbeth is like “oh cool cool cool, let me ride ahead to tell my wife that you’re coming” then turns to the audience to remark on how he has to become Prince of Cumberland or somehow leapfrog that title to become king--and he is thinking some dark thoughts about THAT.
ES: We jump to Macbeth’s castle, Inverness, where his wife, Lady Macbeth is reading a letter from Macbeth that shares the news about the witches’ prophecies for Macbeth and becoming Thane of Cawdor, but weirdly, no mention of the prophecies for Banquo. Huh. Lady Macbeth is motivated by this news that Macbeth will become king but comments that, although Macbeth has ambition, he often lacks the will to make things happen. He would gladly benefit from the cheating and lying of others, but is weird about having to cheat or lie (or kill) himself. She’s pumped to help him get over that.
KS: A messenger arrives and informs her of Duncan’s arrival TONIGHT. She sees this as great news and once the messenger leaves, she invokes spirits of darkness to help her accomplish what she feels she needs to do without remorse to help her husband become king. Macbeth arrives and, while they don’t explicitly talk about what they have both been thinking about, the way the scene is written suggests they are on the same wavelength. Lady Macbeth tells her husband to fix his face and be a good host and let her arrange some things.
ES: Duncan arrives with everyone that we last saw at his palace. He and Banquo have a conversation about how nice Inverness is before Lady Macbeth arrives to greet him. We then jump to later in the evening during dinner. Macbeth is alone and talking to himself (or rather, the audience) about whether or not he should go through with assassinating Duncan. He is all too aware of the dangers of being motivated by ambition alone, and that it may be driving his possibly unnecessary desire to murder the king. Lady Macbeth enters and asks why Macbeth left dinner so suddenly. Duncan is almost done eating and has been asking where Macbeth is. Macbeth wants to 86 the assisination plan, but Lady Macbeth calls him out on breaking their promises to each other and says that he is letting his fear get in the way of getting what he wants.
KS: She points out that when he promised her he’d do this, the opportunity to actually do it didn’t exist and they were going to have to plan the time and place to do it. Now, the opportunity has landed in their laps and he’s chickening out. She says that she would have killed her baby as it nursed her if she had promised Macbeth she’d do it, like how he was supposed to follow through with this.
ES: Now, let me take a moment to talk about this line because it throws a lot of people because we never see a Macbeth child on stage, and spoiler alert, later in the script another character talks about how Macbeth has no children. So this line causes directors to do things like put a child funeral at the top of the show or make Lady Macbeth pregnant. Here’s the thing. Let’s not forget that this play was being written during the transition of power between Elizabeth I’s reign and James I’s. And if you haven’t listened to our Intro Series about Elizabethan England, now’s a great time to maybe pause this, go back and listen to that to learn more about that transition. Now a lot of elements in this play are in it for James. And that’s a whole other episode in itself that we are planning to do. But I just want to say, remember that this is historical fiction as are so many of the plays Shakespeare wrote. That said, Gruoch, the historical Lady Macbeth did have a child from a previous marriage before marrying Macbeth. So, in my opinion this is a line that Shakespeare threw in for James to be like “ooh I get that reference.”
KS: Now back to the action. Lady Macbeth explains the plan again for Macbeth but the first time for the audience. She is going to get Duncan’s guards so drunk that they fall asleep instead of keeping watch and then, they can sneak in and do the deed. Macbeth realizes that if they smear the sleeping guards with blood, it will look like the guards did it. Courage and faith in their plan renewed, Macbeth and Lady Macbeth rejoin the dinner party.
ES: Later that night, Banquo and Fleance (Banquo’s son) are walking through the castle and note that it is after midnight. This is the first time we meet Fleance or see him in a stage direction, so, I don’t know, maybe he’s been hanging out at Inverness during the battle? Again, I see so many directors put so much thought into the baby Lady Macbeth has but usually so little asking “Well, where has Fleance been this whole time?” Anyway. Macbeth surprises them, and Banquo talks about how happy the king is with Macbeth. Fleance leaves and Banquo tells Macbeth that he has dreamt of the three witches. Macbeth says that he hasn’t (which we know is a lie) but he would like to talk further with Banquo about them at a different time.
KS: Banquo leaves, and Macbeth tells a servant to tell Lady Macbeth that when his drink is ready she should ring the bell. Left alone, Macbeth suddenly sees a dagger appear before him. Its handle is pointed towards him, like an invitation to seize it rather than a threat. He tries to grab it but can’t, even though it looks as real as the one he has on him. It seems to direct him towards Duncan’s chamber. Macbeth starts to doubt the reliability of his eyes and other senses, then sees the dagger covered in blood. Macbeth declares that it doesn’t actually exist and must be a symptom of the time of night--it is the witching hour when only murderers are working. Macbeth asks the ground, which he is sure is real, to keep his steps silent. The bell rings off stage and he goes to kill Duncan.
ES: Lady Macbeth enters, emboldened by what she has had to drink with the guards. She’s probably a little tipsy--at least, she’s drunk with excitement! She claims that if Duncan had not resembled her father as he slept, she’d have done the murdering. Macbeth returns having done the deed. Both are freaking out, Macbeth more than Lady Macbeth, about noises they are hearing and whether or not they’ll be caught. Macbeth claims to have heard some voices and Lady Macbeth says she did not. Lady Macbeth realizes that Macbeth brought the used daggers out with him and she tells him to go back. He refuses, so she takes the daggers and heads into the chamber. There is a knocking off stage as Macbeth is appalled at the sight of his bloody hands. Lady Macbeth returns with hands that are equally bloody. She also hears a knocking at the south gate and urges Macbeth to come with her and put on their nightgowns so they can pretend they’ve been asleep. Oh, and also take a minute to wash the blood off of their hands.
KS: The knocking continues and we meet The Porter, a doorman who is very drunk, and who has a hilarious soliloquy about what it would be like to be the porter at the doors of hell and the types of people who he’d encounter. Fun fact: during this stand up comedy routine about hell, there is continued knocking at the south entry. In medieval cycle plays, the south was associated with Heaven while the north was the devil, and in one set of plays, the person knocking at the south door is Christ.
ES: But who is knocking at Macbeth’s south door? It is Lennox, and Macduff, a guy we’ve never met or heard of before. Both of them apparently didn’t spend the night in the castle (maybe the majority of the army is camped outside while the nobles are inside? But then these two are also outside?) Anyway. They’ve arrived this morning to wake the king. Macbeth enters looking like he just woke up (but we know he did not--and yes this means Macbeth and Lady Macbeth pulled an all-nighter to murder Duncan!)
KS: Macbeth shows Macduff to where Duncan is supposedly just sleeping, then is left alone with Lennox. Lennox shares that there was some crazy wind that howled all night, owls were super loud, and some people said they felt an earthquake. Macbeth agrees that it was a rough night. Hold for laughter. Macduff enters, raising the alarm about Duncan’s murder. Macbeth and Lennox run off to go check out the scene of the crime themselves. Macduff yells to wake everyone else in the house up. Lennox declares to the group that it seemed like the guards were the murderers. Macbeth reveals that in a crime of passion (supposedly) he killed the guards for killing Duncan. The room side-eyes him and he gives this great speech about how could anyone NOT have killed the guards if they loved Duncan as much as he did. Lady Macbeth faints. Malcolm and Donalbain (Duncan’s sons, did we mention Donalbain earlier? Probably not. He’s just not as important because he goes to Ireland, and this play’s original audience was more concerned with England and Scotland). Anyway, Duncan’s sons talk together about why they stay silent when many would say that Macbeth’s argument should be theirs--they should have been the ones who loved their dad, the king, so much that they’d kill for him. They agree that it is probably best that they try to get away before someone tries to murder them too. Banquo and everyone else agree to get dressed and meet back there to further investigate who could have murdered King Duncan. Malcolm decides to go to England while Donalbain decides to flee to Ireland.
ES: Then we have a scene with Ross and a random old man where we hear more about how weird the night was. Basically any time Ross is on stage he is delivering some sort of exposition or news. He’s Ross with the hot goss. Macduff enters and shares the news of Malcolm and Donalbain fleeing and that shifts suspicion to them for the murder of Duncan. Then, Ross says, it is most likely that Macbeth will be named king. Macduff confirms and says that Macbeth is already on the way to be crowned at Scone (which is spelled like scone, the pastry, but pronounced Skoon and is an ancient royal city--another fun reference for King James to get). Macduff refuses to go to Scone for the ceremony and says that he is going home to Fife.
KS: Hey. Remember Fife? The besieged city that Macbeth and Banquo saved from Norwegians before the show started? Yeah. That Fife. Macduff is the Thane of Fife, so basically where was he during that battle? Anyway. Now we have a small time jump as Macbeth is officially king, and we find Banquo by himself talking about how everything the witches promised to Macbeth has come true and that he (Banquo) fears that Macbeth cheated the timing of the prophecy a little. He wonders aloud that if what the witches said to Macbeth came true, doesn’t it stand to reason that what they said about Banquo and his lineage would too? So good news for one is good news for the other.
ES: Macbeth then enters as the newly crowned King of Scotland with Lady Macbeth, Lennox, and Ross, in tow. Macbeth invites Banquo to a celebratory feast that night, and Banquo tries to leave to go riding. Macbeth wants his BFF Banquo to consult on the news about Donalbain and Malcolm--their flight to England and Ireland has gotten back to Scotland and, apparently, they are telling their version of Duncan’s murder to the kings of those two countries. And their version, of course, is that they are innocent. But Banquo insists on riding out this afternoon and promises to return by the feast.
KS: Macbeth then excuses everyone else until the feast and asks a servant to bring in some men who are waiting outside the palace gate. While he waits for them to arrive in this chamber, Macbeth reveals that he is beginning to fear that Banquo suspects Macbeth’s treason. Furthermore, all Macbeth has done thus far has set up Banquo’s children to be kings of Scotland--according to the witches, no child of Macbeth’s will inherit the throne. Macbeth invites fate to fight--some scholars read this line as him asking fate to fight against Banquo’s prophecies, others read it as Macbeth deciding to challenge fate.
ES: The servant arrives with two murderers who, it quickly becomes clear, have talked with Macbeth before. Macbeth has thoroughly convinced them that any wrongs they’ve experienced in their life--any time the world has seemed against them--has been because of Banquo. They consider Banquo their enemy, and Macbeth confirms that Banquo is his enemy too, and appeals to the murderers to do what he asks of them with incredible discretion. Macbeth declares that while he could easily execute Banquo because, well, he’s the king, he can’t publicly be involved because of political alliances that Banquo has that are more important for Macbeth to keep.
KS: The murderers agree to the job and Macbeth tells them that he will meet with them within the hour to advise them further and that the murder must be done tonight. Furthermore, Fleance, Banquo’s son, must die too. We then see Lady Macbeth in another room asking if Banquo has gone from court and the servant agrees--so just in case you missed part of the last scene to get a beer or hang out with an orange girl, you’re now caught up. She asks the servant to ask the King to come see her. Alone on stage, she reveals that she already knows that Macbeth is becoming paranoid and discontent even though they have everything they wanted. Macbeth enters and talks of terrible dreams he is having and how they aren’t safe. After all, if someone could assassinate Duncan, someone else could assassinate Macbeth. Lady Macbeth encourages Macbeth to pull himself together and be joyful for the party they are having that night. Macbeth asks Lady Macbeth to think well of Banquo even while Banquo’s existence threatens their own. He references that a dark deed will be done tonight, but will not say more until after the deed is done. Lady Macbeth is left speechless, but they exit this scene together--perhaps for the last time in unison.
ES: In the next scene, the murderers are meeting and a third has joined them. Now there has been a LOT of speculation about who this third murderer could be. Some directors cast Macbeth or Lady Macbeth as this character, but Macbeth prior to this scene has plenty of reasons why he can’t do it and in the next scene, has to ask the murderers about what is about to go down. Plus, he and Lady Macbeth are prepping for that party right now. And to be honest, that is a really quick costume change--Shakespeare usually includes time for actors to change if they needed to in his productions. Other options, according to the footnotes in the Arden 3rd Edition, include Seyton (who we haven’t met yet but is a servant of Macbeth’s in a later scene) and Ross. I’ve also seen it be one of the witches. Anyway, Banquo and Fleance enter and the murderers surprise them, killing Banquo. Fleance is able to escape.
KS: Back at the castle, a feast is just beginning and Macbeth seems to be in a much better mood. Then one of the murderers enters with blood upon his face. Macbeth intercepts the murderer before any guests notice and asks if they were successful in killing Banquo and Fleance. When he learns that Fleance escaped, Macbeth’s anxiety and paranoia begin again and he reconfirms that Banquo is 100% dead.
ES: Lady Macbeth calls Macbeth back to the party to raise a toast to begin the meal. Macbeth toasts to everyone’s general health and digestion, then publicly notes that the party would be perfect if Banquo had made it back on time from that ride he went on. During this, Banquo, as a ghost, enters the party and sits at the one empty chair. Ross asks Macbeth to please sit, but Macbeth says the table is full. Lennox points to the chair the ghost is sitting in and says it is empty, but Macbeth (and the audience) can see the ghost. Macbeth at first asks the party if any of them are pulling a practical joke on him, then he directly addresses the ghost. No one knows who he is talking to or what about, so Ross suggests they all leave. Lady Macbeth tells the guests to stay and she tells them that this is totally normal behavior for Macbeth.
KS: She then confronts Macbeth and tells him that he is seeing whatever he is seeing just like he saw that floating dagger. She tells him that these visions aren’t things to be truly afraid of because there is nothing there. The ghost disappears. This further distresses Macbeth, as he notes that people have murdered each other since before the start of civilization, but never before has a murdered individual risen from the grave to haunt the murderer. Lady Macbeth draws Macbeth’s attention back to the party, as his friends are still sitting in this room while he is doing things like talking to the air and to himself. He gives another toast--just as the ghost reappears. Macbeth confronts the ghost and dares it to assume any other shape or become alive again--because he’d fight it then. The ghost disappears again, and Macbeth feels fine again and he tries to keep the party going but the mood has been killed--Lady Macbeth says as much. She ushers the guests away. Macbeth comments that Macduff did not show up to this gathering even though he was invited. He knows Macduff got the invitation because he pays Macduff’s servants to be spies for him. He also decides to go to visit the witches the next day and get more prophecies, no matter what it may cost him.
ES: Now, the witches are meeting with another witch, Hecate. Now, for the purposes of this play, Hecate is pronounced with two syllables (Heck-et) based on how the line is written. This is different than the pronunciation of the Greek goddess Hecate (Heck-uh-te) even though they appear likely to be the same. Hecate is angry with the witches because they chose to make Macbeth king and tell him prophecies. That was a BAD choice because Macbeth will serve his own purposes--not theirs--and he is too paranoid about everything and his actions have messed with their plans. And she’s also mad that they didn’t ask her for help because she would have steered them away from Macbeth. Now, Macbeth is coming to get more prophecies and Hecate will clean up the witches’ mistakes by making Macbeth overconfident, which will lead to his demise and set everything right in the world again.
KS: Now, before we dive into the next scene I do want to mention that there is debate over whether or not this Hecate scene was actually written by Shakespeare or at least recognize it wasn’t in the script when the show was originally performed. Some scholars say it was added at some point after the first production in 1606, but before the First Folio was written in 1623. Many scholars attribute it to Thomas Middleton, who wrote a play called The Witch, that uses the songs referenced in the scene and who also uses similar styles of stage directions and verse. Scholars who question the authorship of this scene also point to Hecate never having been mentioned before by the witches as evidence that it was inserted later. However, there is evidence that the songs existed in the world before either play was written and that Middleton may have been referencing Shakespeare’s play in The Witch. Furthermore, the differences in verse are similar to verse styles used in other Shakespeare plays for gods, goddesses, and fairies. I would also like to take a moment and point out that this play is full of characters who aren’t mentioned at all until their first scenES: Fleance, Macduff, Seyton--Hecate at least is mentioned by Macbeth in the dagger speech. According to the Arden Third Edition, there is no objective proof that the entire scene (and the next witch scene) were later inserts, however it is most likely that the songs and some sections were added. We cannot know if it was Middleton who personally made the inserts or a later King’s Men production did it as a reference to The Witch... or if the editors of the Folio made the inserts.
ES: Now, back to the story. We next see Lennox and a nameless lord talking about what people say has been happening in the kingdom. People have been getting murdered left and right around Scotland--first, Malcolm and Donalbain killed Duncan and that made Macbeth so sad. There is also suspicion that maybe Fleance killed Banquo as Fleance fled, like Malcolm and Donalbain. And now, Macduff has disgraced himself by not showing up to that dinner party.
KS: Despite this very pro-Macbeth stance on the actions of the play so far, Lennox also refers to Macbeth as a tyrant, and the tone of the scene shifts a little. He asks the lord if he knows where Macduff has been. The lord shares that Macduff has gone to England, where Malcolm has been living in the court of Edward the Confessor (who ruled England from 1042-1066). Macduff is trying to convince Edward to give him aid from Siward, who is the earl of Northumberland, a county in the north of England. With England and God’s help, the lord hopes Macduff will be able to restore peace, safety, and prosperity to Scotland. Apparently, the English king is so astounded by what is happening in Scotland that he is preparing to wage war against Macbeth.
ES: Lennox again asks if Macbeth reached out to Macduff, and the lord confirms that he did and Macduff refused what Macbeth offered. Lennox and the lord end the scene hoping that Macduff will be successful and bring order back to their country. We’ve finally reached the scene where we will see Macbeth get his new prophecies. The witches have met and are working on a spell--this is the bubble bubble toil and trouble scene! Once they have completed putting all of their spell ingredients into their cauldron, Hecate enters and says, “hey, good job!” Then, Macbeth enters and demands that they give him the answers he seeks. They ask if he’d rather hear it from their mouths or the powers that govern them. He says he’d like to hear it from those at the top! The witches add a couple more ingredients to their cauldron and the first apparition appears!
KS: It is a head, wearing a helmet. This may represent Macbeth’s head, foreshadowing what will happen at the end of the play, or the head of Macdonald--the former thane of Cawdor, who was beheaded for treason, remember?--it could also represent Macduff. The head tells Macbeth to beware Macduff. Another apparition appears as a bloody child. This again, could foreshadow information about Macduff, Fleance (or children to come in Banquo’s line through Fleance who will become king), and it could also call back to Lady Macbeth’s child. This apparition tells Macbeth that no man of woman born can harm him.
ES: Macbeth is getting more confident as apparition number three appears: a child that is wearing a crown and holding a tree. This appears to foreshadow Malcolm’s Birnam Wood strategy (which we’ll discuss later!), and it tells Macbeth that he will not be vanquished until Birnam Wood (a forest near Macbeth’s castle) rises up against him and comes towards Dunsinane, which is Macbeth’s castle). Macbeth is elated now because, you know what? Trees don’t just get up and walk! However, he still isn’t satisfied because he needs to know if anyone descended from Banquo will ever rule Scotland. The witches don’t want to show him but he threatens to curse them if they don’t.
KS: Logical response to threaten witches… Anyway (laughs) A line of eight kings and Banquo appear. All of the kings bear a resemblance to Banquo, and the last one holds up a mirror that shows the line stretching on towards infinity. Banquo smiles at Macbeth and signals that yes, these are all his descendents. The witches leave with a very “well you wanted to know” vibe. Macbeth calls in Lennox who apparently has been outside the meeting the whole time and he asks if he saw the witches walk by. Lennox says no and delivers news that Macduff is fled to England--so it is possible that the scene between Lennox and the lord that we saw earlier in this act happens at the same time, or close to the same time, as this one.
ES: Macbeth chastises himself for not acting on his plans sooner and promises that, from this moment forward, he will act as soon as he has formed the thought and not spend time thinking anything over. He reveals that he will seize upon Fife, Macduff’s home, and kill Macduff’s wife, children, and all of his relatives. We now move to Fife, where Lady Macduff is talking to Ross about what could have made Macduff flee to England. She recognizes that a sudden departure from Scotland might make him look like a traitor to some, and that it can’t be wise or honorable to leave his family behind in the place he decided he needs to flee. Ross counsels her to calm down as he can’t tell her everything right now, but it will hopefully become clear in the future. Ross leaves, and we get a cute little scene between a mom and son talking about what being a traitor means. Then a messenger enters and pleads with her to leave ASAP because danger is coming. She doesn’t know why she should have to go or why she would be in danger seeing as she hasn’t done anything wrong. Then the murderers enter and ask if she knows where Macduff is. She refuses to tell and then the murderers kill her son on stage. She runs away screaming “Murder.”
KS: The setting shifts to England, just outside the court of Edward the Confessor, where Macduff is meeting with Malcolm. Malcolm has a bit of a defeatist attitude, while Macduff argues that they should take action to protect their country, which is now in a lamentable state. Malcolm is unsure of Macduff’s motives--he believes Macduff could be a spy for Macbeth or be trying to trick Malcolm to come back to Scotland in order to win favor with Macbeth. While he knows Macduff to be virtuous, Macduff could have been corrupted under Macbeth’s command. He doesn’t understand why, if Macduff feels Scotland has fallen so far, why Macduff would leave his wife and child there. He repeatedly says that if Macduff is truly virtuous, then Macduff shouldn’t take Malcolm’s thoughts as an offense against him. Malcolm just has to think like this for his own protection. Macduff is willing to leave since Malcolm is so critical of him. Malcolm stops him and admits that he agrees that the country is in a bad way since Macbeth became king, but, while some people may celebrate Malcolm’s rule, the country would be worse under him.
ES: Malcolm says that, as king, he would make Macbeth look as pure and innocent as snow. Macduff counters that even hell doesn’t have a devil as evil as Macbeth. Malcolm continues that he is so lustful that he could never be satisfied. Macduff counters that plenty of kings have been lustful and are able to carry on affairs in secret with willing partners and still be king. Malcolm counters that he is also greedy and would kill nobles for their lands, jewels, and houses, and that the more he obtained, the more he would want. He says he would destroy even the most loyal nobles to satisfy his greed. Macduff says basically, well that combined with your lust isn’t ideal, but it could be tolerated when weighed against what virtues Malcolm does have. Malcolm claims to have zero virtues, and that if he was given power, he would ruin any chance of peace on earth. He then dares Macduff to tell him if one such as him is fit to govern.
KS: Macduff flies into a rage, as he believes someone that sinful isn’t fit to live, let alone govern. He bemoans Scotland’s fate--to have Macbeth on the throne and only someone just as bad or worse with the only other claim to challenge Macbeth’s. Macduff says he now considers himself banished from Scotland if that is how Scotland will continue to be ruled. Seeing and hearing this, Malcolm changes and admits that everything he claimed to be before was a lie--it was a test that Macduff has passed--and he no longer has doubts about Macduff’s motives. He reveals that Macbeth has been trying to trick him into returning to Scotland by sending others (like Macduff) to meet with him, and he has had to be careful about who he trusts. But now, he knows Macduff is not allied with Macbeth. He reveals that he is, in many ways, the opposite of what he previously claimed to be. He’s not lustful--he’s a virgin; he’s not greedy; and in fact, he has never lied except for just a few minutes ago about himself. He also shares that Siward is already getting ready to wage war against Scotland. Macduff is a little overwhelmed by the whiplash of Malcolm’s test.
ES: Then, a doctor enters, cutting off further discussion between Malcolm and Macduff. Malcolm and the doctor have a brief banter about Edward the Confessor, who Malcolm expects to meet with later in the day. The King is said to be getting ready to heal sick people with his touch--a practice that King James I also did, which is why scholars believe this little scene may be an insertion created to flatter King James because it basically ends with “wow the King of England is so great and so holy and #blessed.”
KS: The doctor leaves and Ross, who Macduff recognizes immediately, enters--they are cousins after all. Ross relates that Scotland is even more miserable than when Macduff left--people are dying so quickly that people don’t even notice funeral bells. Another woe comes before people can even process the previous grief. Macduff asks about his wife and Ross remarks that she is well and at peace. Macduff is like, “why are you being so succinct with your speech? Out with it!” Ross says that he has news to share, but first he notes that on his way, he noticed the stirrings of rebellion (or at least Macbeth’s army was mobilizing against a rebellion) and that Malcolm would be a welcome sight to those who are rebelling against Macbeth. Malcolm informs Ross that he and Siward are basically on their way, with English support.
ES: Ross says that that is great news, but he wishes he had good news to answer it with. Unfortunately, he has really really really bad news instead, just for Macduff. He tells Macduff that his castle was taken by surprise and that his wife and children were murdered. Now, if you are wondering, “but wait, Ross JUST said that Macduff’s wife was FINE, so why did he lie?” Well, while Macduff didn’t realize it at the time, and it is an excellent moment of equivocation by Ross, Ross was actually referencing the proverb, “He is well since he is in heaven.” So he wasn’t outright lying, but more getting up the nerve to tell his cousin the bad news.
KS: Macduff is in shock and has to ask Ross multiple times if his wife is dead, and all of his children. Malcolm convinces Macduff to turn his sorrow into action, and Macduff prays that God will bring him face to face with Macbeth so that he can get his revenge. The three leave together to meet with King Edward the Confessor.
ES: Now, back at Dunsinane/Macbeth’s castle, a Doctor and a Gentlewoman are talking. The Doctor comments that he has stayed up for two nights with the Gentlewoman but hasn’t seen proof of what she has told him. The Gentlewoman repeats what she has seen to the Doctor (after all, this is the first time the audience is learning about this): she says she has seen Lady Macbeth get out of bed, throw on her nightgown, get a piece of paper from a cabinet, fold it, write something on it, read it, seal it, and then go back to bed all while fast asleep. The Doctor asks if the Gentlewoman has heard Lady Macbeth say anything while sleepwalking, but the Gentlewoman won’t repeat it as there were no other witnesses. Then, Lady Macbeth enters, and the Gentlewoman notes that she is fast asleep.
KS: They talk about how Lady Macbeth is carrying a candle, as she demands to always have light nearby, and that her eyes are open even though she is asleep. Then, they describe how Lady Macbeth begins to mime washing her hands. Lady Macbeth then begins to speak about a spot that she can’t get off of her hands. She appears to hear a sound such as the tolling of a bell. She comments that no one can be said to actually KNOW what she and Macbeth have done. Then, she mentions that there was a lot of blood in the old man, and wonders about what happened to Macduff’s wife--which suggests she has knowledge of the murders of Macduff’s wife and children. She returns to washing her hands, then seems to chastise Macbeth for his reactions to the murders or his visions (like in the scene with Banquo’s ghost). Lady Macbeth seems to switch between talking about the night of Duncan’s murder and assuring Macbeth that Banquo couldn’t have been at the party. Then she returns to bed.
ES: The Doctor and Gentlewoman comment on what Lady Macbeth talked about, and the Doctor admits that whatever is troubling Lady Macbeth is beyond his ability to cure--it’s between her and God. He instructs the Gentlewoman to look after her and remove any instruments that Lady Macbeth could use to harm herself. We now get to meet some of the Scottish rebels who will be joining Malcolm and Macduff: Menteith, Caithness, Angus, and our pal Lennox. They talk about how the English army is on the move and they will meet the army near Birnam Wood. Donalbain, still in Ireland, will not be joining them. Caithness shares that Macbeth is fortifying Dunsinane--some say that he has gone mad. Angus replies that Macbeth must be feeling his secret murders showing on his hands, and that those who serve him do so only out of duty, not because they truly love and support Macbeth as king. The crown is starting to slip through Macbeth’s fingers. They march on.
KS: Inside Dunsinane, Macbeth refuses to listen to any more reports of the English and the rebellion’s movements, since he can’t be worried until Birnam Wood comes to Dunsinane. He scorns Malcolm and those who have teamed up with him. A servant reports that there are 10,000 English soldiers. Macbeth tells him to get out of here. He calls in another servant, Seyton--and yes while it is spelled S-e-y-t-o-n, it is likely a pun on s-a-t-a-n--to confirm the reports and help him put on his armor. He asks the Doctor about Lady Macbeth’s condition and tells the Doctor to cure her, but the Doctor says that her affliction is one that only she herself can cure. Macbeth banters with the Doctor--or tries--and asks if there is any drug that could cure Scotland of the rebellion. Macbeth exits, incredibly confident, and the Doctor, alone on stage, comments that if he wasn’t already in Dunsinane, no amount of money would make him come here again.
ES: Now, Malcolm, Siward, Macduff, and the Scottish rebels we saw earlier are meeting near Birnam Wood. Malcolm instructs every soldier to cut down a bough of a tree to use as camouflage. They know that Macbeth intends to stay in Dunsinane and endure their attack, so they get ready.
KS: Back to Macbeth, who is in a defiant mood. He thinks the castle is enough of a stronghold that they should be able to outlast a siege of any length. The only reason they aren’t meeting the army with an army of their own is because so many of Macbeth’s troops have joined the rebellion. Then there is a cry of women that previously would have scared Macbeth, but not anymore. Seyton delivers the news that Lady Macbeth is dead. Macbeth responds “she should have died hereafter” which can either be taken to mean “well, she would have died eventually” or “she ought to have died at another time.” The former fits the defiant nihilism Macbeth has shown up until this point, the latter is a better fit for the rest of the speech, as Macbeth continues to talk about the nature of life and time.
ES: A messenger enters and delivers the news that he thinks he saw the wood of Birnam moving closer to Dunsinane. This freaks Macbeth out, as that prophecy he thought would never happen now appears to be happening. He calls out for someone to ring the alarm and heads out into battle. It might not end well, but at least he’ll die a soldier.
KS: We are now in a sort of Scooby Doo door sequence of the war, where we go back and forth between Malcolm or Macduff and Macbeth’s perspective. When one exits, another enters. First, we see Malcolm and his troops throw down their tree camouflage and head into battle.
ES: Then Macbeth encounters Siward’s son and kills him, since Siward’s son was woman-born. As Macbeth exits, we see Macduff in hot pursuit and praying that fortune leads him to Macbeth. He exits, Malcolm and Siward talk about how the castle was surrendered without a fight, and that Malcolm has won the day without much struggle seeing as those on Macbeth’s side are basically throwing the battle. Malcolm and Siward enter the castle.
KS: At last, Macbeth and Macduff encounter each other on the battlefield. They fight, then Macbeth declares that Macduff is wasting his energy since Macbeth can’t be killed by anyone who was born of woman. Macduff reveals that he was “from his mother’s womb untimely ripped,” or born by a cesarean section before full term. In early modern England, c-sections were performed either just before or shortly after the death of a mother. So while Macbeth interpreted the prophecy to mean “any man,” Macduff presents a loophole. Macbeth declares that he will fight Macduff to the death, and they do. They either head offstage at some point or Macbeth is killed onstage and Macduff removes the body, depending on the production.
ES: We shift into the castle, where Malcolm, Siward, and Ross note that Macduff is still missing in action but otherwise the day has been without a lot of bloodshed. Ross informs Siward of his son’s death, and Siward asks if his son was wounded in the front of his body instead of in the back. When he learns that his son died with wounds on his front, he is proud that at least his son didn’t die running away. Macduff enters with Macbeth’s head and hails Malcolm as king of Scotland. He invites the other thanes to join him in hailing Malcolm. Malcolm promises to quickly settle any debts he may owe to them and declares that from this day forward, thanes shall be called earls (this helps make them more English). He also says that they must call home the allies who fled Scotland and search out anyone who supported Macbeth. Side note, Malcolm also notes that rumor has it Lady Macbeth committed suicide. But anyway, he will do everything he needs to do for Scotland in the appropriate time and place. For now, he invites everyone to his coronation.
KS: And that’s the play!
ES: In our next episode, we will give you a little more we’re calling it “Stuff to Chew On.” Things like major themes or things that are interesting about the play that don’t quite fit into an episode of their own, but don’t fit within a synopsis.
KS: So, join us next time on our Stuff to Chew On with the Macbeth series.
Quote of the episode:
KS: From As You Like It act three, scene one, spoken by Duke Fredrick, “Thy lands and all things that thou dost call thine/Worth seizure do we seize into our hands,/Till thou canst quit thee by thy brother's mouth of what we think against thee.”
Shakespeare Anyone? is created and produced by Kourtney Smith and Elyse Sharp.
Macbeth: Synopsis was written by Elyse Sharp.
Music is "Neverending Minute" by Sounds Like Sander.
Follow us on Instagram at @shakespeareanyonepod for updates or visit our website at shakespeareanyone.com
You can support the podcast at patreon.com/shakespeareanyone
Works referenced:
Shakespeare, William. Macbeth. Arden Shakespeare, 2015.
