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Synopsis of Macbeth

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Synopsis of Macbeth Synopsis of Macbeth On the outskirts of a battlefield, three witches meet and plot to encounter Macbeth “after the deed is done,” then disappear. Duncan, King of Scotland, along with his sons, Malcolm and Donalbain, hears reports of Macbeth’s valor in battle and news that the rebel, Macdonwald, is slain and Norway driven back. In return for his bravery, Duncan sends a messenger to grant Macbeth the title Thane of Cawdor. Macbeth and his friend and fellow soldier Banquo make their way home after the victory and encounter the three witches. Taken aback by their unearthly appearance, Macbeth and Banquo listen amazed as the witches call Macbeth Thane of Glamis, then Thane of Cawdor and future King of Scotland. The witches go on to prophesy that Banquo, though never a king himself, will beget kings. Macbeth demands to know where the witches came by this information, but the witches disappear. Macbeth and Banquo agree never to speak about the witches’ words. Reeling from this seemingly supernatural occurrence, Macbeth and Banquo are further amazed when messengers from King Duncan, lords Ross and Angus, deliver the news that Macbeth has been granted the title Thane of Cawdor. Macbeth contemplates the witches’ predictions and wonders if he should assist fate by doing away with King Duncan himself. Suppressing these murderous thoughts, Macbeth accompanies Ross, Angus and Banquo to see the king. Duncan honors Macbeth and Banquo for their deeds in battle and then John Singer Sargent’s portrait of Dame Ellen declares his son, Malcolm, Prince of Cumberland, the Terry as Lady Macbeth (1889). official heir to the throne. The entire party departs to Inverness, Macbeth’s home: Macbeth hurries ahead to prepare for their coming. Early in the morning, Macduff and Lennox arrive to Having sent word home to his wife about the meet the king and discover his bloody body. Macbeth predictions of the three witches, Macbeth arrives to rushes into the chamber and kills the two sleeping find her already plotting the king’s murder. Macbeth, guards with their daggers. In the ensuing confusion, at first horrified by his wife’s plans, agrees to kill the Malcolm and Donalbain, the king’s sons, flee to king. That night, Lady Macbeth drugs the wine of the England and Ireland, respectively. The princes’ flight king’s guards, which lulls them to sleep. On the way arouses suspicion of their guilt, and Macbeth is to murder Duncan, Macbeth sees a dagger floating in crowned King of Scotland. the air before him, leading him to the king’s chamber. Macbeth kills Duncan with the guards’ daggers; Having achieved the throne, Macbeth begins to fear consumed by guilt, he flees with the daggers and Banquo, who witnessed the witches’ prophesy and describes the murders to Lady Macbeth. Confronted who—according to them—will beget a long line of by the reality of his actions, Macbeth is afraid to kings. Macbeth plans a great feast to which he invites return to the king’s chamber with the guards’ Banquo, then arranges to have him and his son, daggers; Lady Macbeth replaces them herself, setting Fleance, murdered. Banquo is killed, but Fleance the scene for the guards to be blamed for the king’s escapes. At the feast Macbeth sees the ghost of murder. 12 Banquo sitting at the table. The vision intensifies (the location of Macbeth’s castle.) Feeling confident Macbeth’s already erratic behavior and Lady Macbeth that the woods will never uproot and move sends the lords away. Tormented by guilt and fearing themselves to his home, Macbeth returns to prepare for his future as king, Macbeth decides to visit the for Malcolm’s attack. Back at the castle, Lady Macbeth witches again. is walking and talking in her sleep. Her nurse summons a doctor and together they watch as Lady Some of the Scottish lords have begun to suspect Macbeth, sleepwalking, relives the night of Duncan’s Macbeth’s involvement in the murders. Macduff murder. As Macbeth prepares for war, Lady Macbeth travels to England to meet with Malcolm, who has ends her life. been taken in by King Edward (Edward the Confessor, 1042-66), in hopes that Edward will Malcolm rallies the English forces and travels to support Malcolm by sending an army headed by Birnam Wood, where they are met by Scottish lords Siward, Earl of Northumberland. Upon learning of his who have abandoned “the tyrant” Macbeth. To hide flight, Macbeth sends murderers to surprise Macduff’s their number as they approach the castle, Malcolm castle in his absence and kill his wife and children. instructs the army to cut branches from the forest and Ross delivers this devastating news to Macduff in ride with them in front. Macbeth is horrified when a England. Macduff vows to avenge his family in battle messenger tells him that Birnam Wood appears to be with Macbeth and return the throne to Malcolm, the marching towards them. He dons his armor and rightful heir. prepares to fight, still convinced that none of woman born can hurt him. Macbeth meets Macduff on the Macbeth returns to the witches who summon a series battlefield and confesses this seeming infallibility, but of apparitions with three warnings: first to beware Macduff tells him he was “from his mother’s womb Macduff, second that “none of woman born shall untimely ripped.” Macduff defeats Macbeth, and harm Macbeth” and third that Macbeth will never be Malcolm is restored to the throne. defeated until Birnam Wood comes to Dunsinane Four Lady Macbeths: (clockwise from top left): Maggie Smith in the Stratford Festival production (1978), Judi Dench in the Royal Shakespeare Company’s film (1978), Francesca Annis in Roman Polanski’s film (1971), and Janet Suzman from a BBC production (1975). 13 Changing of the Guard: England from Elizabeth to James Queen Elizabeth I’s rule is often characterized as a time of glory, a time when England’s Imperialism: imperialism ruled the world and prosperity and success reigned. Under Elizabeth I, England The practice of defeated the Spanish Armada, sent settlers to America and maintained religious tolerance and extending the peace. However, the end of Elizabeth I’s reign was plagued by an increasingly unstable economy power and and conflict with Ireland. These problems became more apparent after King James I of Scotland wealth of a inherited the throne, causing the people of England to look back to Elizabeth’s rule as the “golden nation through years” in England’s history, marking James’ rule as one of darkness and corruption. territorial conquests. Queen Elizabeth held off choosing her successor until the very end of her life. Never having married and therefore having no heir, Elizabeth was the last legitimate descendant of King Henry Spanish Armada: VIII. When in 1603 it became apparent that the Queen was not going to recover from her Fleet of ships sickness and an heir must be named, James VI, King of Scotland, was suggested, and Elizabeth is launched by said to have made a gesture that showed her approval. Ironically, James was the son of Mary, Philip II of Spain in Queen of Scots, who had been a constant threat to Elizabeth’s rule. Because of her ancestry (Mary 1588 intended to was the granddaughter of Henry VIII’s sister and King James IV of Scotland), she felt she had a conquer England. better claim to England’s throne than Elizabeth since King Henry VIII married Anne Boleyn, Elizabeth’s navy, Elizabeth’s mother, after he divorced his first wife. Mary was a devout Catholic and did not believe led by Sir Francis in divorce; therefore, she viewed Elizabeth as an illegitimate child. Even though she posed a Drake, defeated threat, Elizabeth held off executing Mary until 1587, when it was discovered that she was them soundly. associated with a plot to kill Elizabeth. When James I succeeded Elizabeth, he united the countries of Scotland and England in a peaceful manner. Elizabeth’s chief ministers had been planning for this event and smoothed the way for the new king’s arrival. His succession was uncontested even though there were objections that could have been raised—one being that King Henry VIII’s will could be interpreted as excluding the Scottish royalty from inheriting the English throne. The people of England were optimistic about their new king, but incidents such as the Gunpowder Plot of 1605, where Catholic Parliament: dissenters contrived to blow up part of Parliament, cemented a climate of shock and suspicion England’s around his rule. Elizabeth’s courtiers had flattered and admired her, but such actions only made legislative branch James suspicious of possible hidden motives. of government, similar to The public’s view of their monarch greatly differed between Elizabeth and James. Queen Congress in the Elizabeth’s public facade was carefully manipulated into one of power. Elizabeth reserved the United States. right to destroy any portraits she deemed unacceptable, resulting in a carefully crafted image of a beautiful and powerful queen. In order to emphasize her importance, her portraits often showed her with symbolic images of her power. In one famous painting by George Gower, the Queen rests her hand on the globe and in the background there is a portrait of the Spanish Armada, alluding to England’s defeat of the Armada and its place in the world as an imperial power. Queen Elizabeth’s funeral procession, recorded in a series of drawings, took place on April 28th, 1603. 14 Whereas Elizabeth’s portraits positively influenced public opinion of the queen throughout her rule, James’ efforts to broaden his authority through the publication of his writings had neither the same control nor effect.
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