While returning to Scotland as war heroes, Macbeth and his friend Banquo come across three witches. The witches foretell the future of both Macbeth and Banquo. The three weird sisters tell Macbeth that he will become the king of Scotland, and Banquos sons will sit on the throne. In the meantime, the current king of Scotland, King Duncan names his son Malcolm, the heir to his throne. Lady Macbeth encourages her husband to implement a murderous plan of killing the king and taking over the throne.
Macbeth stabs the king while they are having dinner at the castle. Lady Macbeth retrieves the dagger Macbeth used to kill the king and places it in the servants rooms. She frames the guards for the death of the king and spreads blood on them. Macbeth descending further into madness kills the guards. The following morning one of the kings royal servants Macduff, finds the king and his guards dead in the castle. When the two kings sons learn of their fathers death, they flee the country fearing for their lives. Macduff suspects that the kings sons, Malcolm and Donalbain hired the guards to kill the king. Macbeth is named the new king of Scotland (Folger Shakespeare Library).
After becoming king, Macbeth invites Banquo and his family to the castle with the intention of killing him and his sons. Macbeth wants to ensure the witches predictions that Banquos sons would become king one-day do not come true. Macbeth holds a feast for Banquo and hires three men to kill him. The murderers succeed in killing Banquo but his son, Fleance escapes unharmed. After Macbeth learns of Banquos death, he sees his ghost sitting on his chair at the feast. Macbeth returns to the three weird sisters who give him a false sense of security. The witches inform Macbeth that he is invincible to any man born of a woman. Macbeth interprets this to be everyone, but Macduff was born different. Some of the lords in Scotland suspect Macbeth for the death of King Duncan and Banquo. Macduff is also increasingly suspicious of Macbeth and flees to find Malcolm, the rightful heir to the throne. Macbeth learns of Macduffs betrayal from the witches and sends men to kill his family. When Macduff learns about the fate of his family, he vows to return to Scotland and avenge the death of his son and wife (Delaney 7).
Malcolm agrees to lead an army of 10,000 men to Scotland and reclaim his throne. By this time, Lady Macbeth is experiencing mental breakdown, she sleepwalks and talks in her sleep. Some of her servants follow her around as she sleepwalks in the house. She sees the blood of King Duncan on her hands when she sleeps and always tries to clean it. She also talks about the murders in her sleep with the servants listening. She dies as Malcolm and his army approaches the castle. The witches had prophesied that Macbeth was invincible to anyone born of a mother. Because of this fact, Macbeth is arrogant as the army approaches and engages him in a battle. Macduff was not born naturally, therefore can kill Macbeth (Folger Shakespeare Library). They engage in a fight and later Macduff returns with the Macbeths head. Malcolm is declared the king of Scotland.
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