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Scenes
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Scenes
Scenes at a glance
Macbeth has 25 scenes.
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Scenes25 items
Act 1, Scene 1: The Three Witches
Three witches meet briefly on a heath during a storm and agree to find Macbeth after a battle ends. The scene is short but sets the tone: the world of this play is one where super…
Act 1, Scene 2: The Wounded Captain
A bleeding soldier reports to King Duncan on the battle against the rebel Macdonwald and the Norwegian forces. Macbeth is described as a ferocious, almost savage fighter who turne…
Act 1, Scene 3: Macbeth and Banquo Meet the Witches
Macbeth and Banquo encounter the three witches on the heath. The witches greet Macbeth with three titles: his current one, the Thane of Cawdor, and future king.
Act 1, Scene 4: Duncan Praises Macbeth
Duncan learns that the former Thane of Cawdor was executed and died with dignity. Macbeth and Banquo arrive and Duncan thanks them warmly.
Act 1, Scene 5: Lady Macbeth Reads the Letter
Lady Macbeth reads a letter from Macbeth describing the witches' prophecy. She immediately starts planning.
Act 1, Scene 6: Duncan Arrives at Inverness
King Duncan and his entourage arrive at Macbeth's castle, praising its pleasant air and welcoming atmosphere. Lady Macbeth greets the king with gracious hospitality, playing the p…
Act 1, Scene 7: Macbeth's Soliloquy and Resolve
Macbeth steps away from Duncan's welcome feast and thinks through the reasons not to kill the king. He lists them clearly: Duncan is his guest, his king, and a good man.
Act 2, Scene 1: The Dagger Soliloquy
Late at night, Banquo and his son Fleance are walking the castle grounds. Banquo tells Fleance he is fighting sleep because his mind is troubled.
Act 2, Scene 2: The Murder of Duncan
Lady Macbeth waits while Macbeth goes to kill Duncan. She has drugged the guards.
Act 2, Scene 3: The Discovery of the King's Murder
A porter answers the gate in a comic scene full of dark jokes, letting in Macduff and Lennox. Macbeth greets them.
Act 2, Scene 4: The Old Man and Ross
An old man and Ross stand outside and compare the night of Duncan's murder to other terrible events in nature. Macduff joins them and reports that Duncan's sons, Malcolm and Donal…
Act 3, Scene 1: Macbeth Plans Banquo's Murder
Banquo suspects Macbeth killed Duncan to fulfill the witches' prophecy, but he stays quiet and hopes his own sons will one day be kings, as the witches predicted.
Act 3, Scene 2: Macbeth and Lady Macbeth Confer
Lady Macbeth sends for her husband because she is troubled. When they meet, both admit they are not at peace despite getting what they wanted.
Act 3, Scene 3: The Murder of Banquo
Three murderers wait for Banquo and Fleance on a road near the palace. A third murderer has joined the original two, sent by Macbeth, though his identity is never explained.
Act 3, Scene 4: The Banquet and Banquo's Ghost
Macbeth hosts a royal feast. A murderer arrives at the door and reports that Banquo is dead but Fleance escaped.
Act 3, Scene 5: Hecate and the Witches
Hecate, queen of the witches, confronts the three witches for dealing with Macbeth without her involvement. She's angry that they helped someone who only cares about himself, not…
Act 3, Scene 6: Lennox and a Lord Speak Treason
Lennox talks with another lord in a way that sounds polite but is clearly sarcastic. He lays out all the suspicious deaths under Macbeth's reign and makes it obvious he thinks Mac…
Act 4, Scene 1: The Witches' Cauldron and Apparitions
The witches brew their cauldron and summon three apparitions for Macbeth. The first warns him to beware Macduff.
Act 4, Scene 2: The Murder of Lady Macduff
Lady Macduff is angry and confused that her husband has left without explanation. Ross tries to reassure her but quickly leaves.
Act 4, Scene 3: Malcolm Tests Macduff
Macduff arrives in England and urges Malcolm to return to Scotland and fight Macbeth. Malcolm is suspicious and tests Macduff by pretending to be even more corrupt than Macbeth, c…
Act 5, Scene 1: Lady Macbeth's Sleepwalking
A doctor and a gentlewoman watch Lady Macbeth sleepwalk through the castle, compulsively washing her hands and muttering about the murders she and Macbeth committed.
Act 5, Scene 2: The Scottish Lords March
A group of Scottish nobles marches toward Birnam Wood to join Malcolm and the English forces. They discuss Macbeth's increasingly erratic behavior and note that even his own offic…
Act 5, Scene 3: Macbeth's Defiance
Macbeth receives reports that his thanes are deserting him, but he refuses to accept that he's losing. He leans on the witches' prophecies, particularly the one saying no man born…
Act 5, Scene 4: Birnam Wood Moves
Malcolm orders each soldier to cut a branch from Birnam Wood and carry it as camouflage, so the army's true size stays hidden from Macbeth's scouts.
Act 5, Scene 5: Macbeth Hears of Lady Macbeth's Death
Macbeth hears a cry from within the castle and learns Lady Macbeth has died. His response is a detached speech about how meaningless life is.
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