The Tragedy of Macbeth. Short, punchy, and action-packed, it’s the perfect Shakespeare play for beginners.
It's the play that inspired Tolkien to include walking trees and other elements in The Lord of the Rings. Most school-age kids enjoy it for its fight scenes and gore.
Even when the language in Macbeth seems dense, there’s still tons of action you can follow, from assassinations to battles.
In the moments between the action, Shakespeare balances the fast pace with sinister supernatural horror. This play is even haunted by its own superstitions that actors observe to this day.
Macbeth isn’t just Shakespeare’s take on an action flick or psych thriller, though.
As with all of Shakespeare’s works, there’s unexpected depth in the play. You’ll find that’s surprisingly relevant to your life.
The play combines elements of political drama, horror, and psychological thriller, so whether you like House of Cards, Rosemary’s Baby, or Split, it will resonate with you.
Ultimately, Macbeth is a warning about ambition, power, and betrayal - and how easy it is to wake up one day and discover that you’re the bad guy.
In this article, you’ll find a summary of Macbeth, analysis of the play, Macbeth’s main themes, and more. Keep reading to learn to love Shakespeare’s bloody, spooky Scottish tragedy.
Summary: What is the Basic Story of Macbeth?
On a battlefield in Middle Ages Scotland, an army general named Macbeth and his fellow commander Banquo survey the bloodshed. They’ve just won a decisive victory against a Norwegian invasion.
Three witches appear and approach Macbeth. They prophesy that in addition to his current title, Thane (Lord) of Glamis, he will soon be named Thane of Cawdor, and finally King.
When Banquo speaks to the witches, they prophesy for him too: that he will never be king, although his children will be.
The witches disappear. Macbeth is shaken by their prophecies, while Banquo brushes them off.
As the two friends ponder their supernatural encounter, a messenger rides up. The messenger informs Macbeth that the King has named him Thane of Cawdor to reward him for his valiant fighting.
Now that the Witches’ first prophecy has come true, Macbeth begins to believe that he will soon be king as well.
When Macbeth’s wife, Lady Macbeth, hears the story, she seizes on the idea that Macbeth will get the throne - as long as they take matters into their own hands. She convinces a reluctant Macbeth that the only way to get the crown is to kill the king themselves.
The opportunity to carry out the bloody deed arises when King Duncan and his noblemen come to stay the night at Macbeth’s castle.
During the night, Macbeth and his wife gather their courage to murder the king. Both nearly lose their nerve, but together, they commit the assassination.
Macbeth tries to frame servants for the murder, but Duncan’s sons sense treachery and flee. As intended, Macbeth gets crowned king.
However, Macbeth’s new taste for power isn’t satisfied.
Recalling the witches’ prophecy that Banquo’s sons will rule instead of Macbeth’s, he sends assassins to murder Banquo and his son Fleance. Banquo dies, but Fleance escapes.
Meanwhile, the horror of committing murder has left both Macbeth and Lady Macbeth unstable. While Lady Macbeth begins to hesitate at the idea of further murders, Macbeth suffers from disturbing hallucinations.
The rest of the Scottish nobility become suspicious and hostile toward their new and tyrannical king.
Seeing enemies on every side, Macbeth seeks out the three Witches again.
The Witches summon spirits who give Macbeth new advice. They assure him that he will never be killed by anyone born of a woman, and that he will never be vanquished “‘Til Birnam Wood come to Dunsinane” (the royal castle).
Since these two conditions seem impossible, Macbeth leaves the Witches reassured that his enemies will never overcome him.
While the Scottish nobles organize themselves to attack Macbeth at the royal castle Dunsinane, Macbeth orders even more hits - this time on the wife and children of a nobleman, Macduff.
Scottish noblemen beg Duncan’s son Malcolm to lead the battle against Macbeth and take his place as rightful king. Finally, Malcolm agrees, and he and Macduff prepare troops to march on Dunsinane.
Macbeth, now hardened by all the cruelty he has committed, prepares to fight. Even when he receives word that his wife has killed herself after being driven mad by guilt, he can barely bring himself to grieve.
As Malcolm and Macduff’s forces attack, Malcolm orders his soldiers to carry boughs from Birnam Wood to disguise their numbers. Soldiers inside Macbeth’s castle report that it looks like the forest itself is advancing on the castle.
Macbeth realizes that this fulfills the witches’ prophecy and that the witches meant to deceive him all along.
Still, he fights brutally until he encounters Macduff, who reveals that he was not born in the usual way - he was removed from his mother’s womb by a Cesarean section, so according to the Witches’ prophecy, he can kill Macbeth.
Macduff kills Macbeth, bringing complete victory to Malcolm and his army. Vowing to be a fair king, Malcolm promises to reward the noblemen according to their actions and bring peace to Scotland again.
Prominent Themes in Macbeth
Temptation: Is it the Universe or is it You?
No matter which Macbeth adaptation you watch, the Witches steal the show. They have a haunting presence that leaves you (and Macbeth) with questions and goosebumps.
Why do they show up to meet Macbeth? What do they really want?
Would Macbeth have made a play for the crown if they hadn’t shown up, or would he have continued to live an honorable life?
All we know is that the Witches set Macbeth up to reach for the crown. When the opportunity to seize it came along, it seemed like it was being served to him on a platter - and he didn’t resist.
Macbeth blamed his temptation on the Witches, since their prophecies made the opportunity seem irresistible. It seemed to Macbeth that fate, the universe, or a higher power coordinated his chance to kill the king.
However, in the words of Heraclitus, “Character is fate.”
As tempting as it was to kill King Duncan, Macbeth still had a choice.
Just check out the play’s title. Shakespeare is telling us that this story is about one man’s character, his choices, and his downfall.
Next time an opportunity arises to do something you know you shouldn’t but looks oh-so-tempting, remember Macbeth. No matter how enticing the opportunity looks, it’s your choices, not your circumstances, that determine how you act.
Courage vs Cruelty
Macbeth initially refuses to kill King Duncan, saying, “I do all that may become a man; who dares do more is none."
Later, though, he gives in to pressure from his wife, who tells him that killing the King is the brave, manly thing to do.
It’s important to push ourselves out of our comfort zone - otherwise, our personal growth will stall. But is it easy to tell the difference between pushing ourselves and crossing a moral line?
In Macbeth, Shakespeare suggests that it’s surprisingly easy to confuse the two. When we fail to keep courage within moral boundaries, it can turn into cruelty.
The Slippery Slope
Who hasn’t justified doing something wrong by saying, “It’s just this once”?
Well, according to Macbeth … it’s usually not.
The first time Macbeth murdered someone, he couldn’t imagine doing it again. The experience left him psychologically scarred and tormented by hallucinations.
However, before long, he found new justifications for even worse violence.
By the end of the play, he muses:
In other words, Macbeth is so used to committing evil that he doesn’t even register it anymore.
Whether it’s committing murder, cheating on your partner, or sneaking a little extra out of the tip jar, take it from Shakespeare: “just this once” will happen again and again.
Best Macbeth Movie Adaptations
The Tragedy of Macbeth (2021)
Joel Coen directs this neo-noir film version of Macbeth, with Denzel Washington in the lead role.
Designed to feel “untethered from reality,” the stylized costumes and architectural set make the play feel like a dark fever dream. Even bolder, the whole film is black-and-white, emphasizing the darkness that grows in Macbeth’s mind.
This film has an interesting aesthetic, and its star-studded cast makes it accessible. Overall, I’d say it’s arguably the best film adaptation of Macbeth out there!
Macbeth (2010)
Directed by Rupert Goold, this version features Patrick Stewart’s Macbeth. It places the story in a 20th-century war, complete with explosions, machine guns, and claustrophobic tunnels.
Patrick Stewart’s delivery of the famous “Tomorrow” soliloquy (see below) will leave you with chills, while the evil World War II nurse Witches may haunt your nightmares.
Macbeth (1971)
Roman Polanski’s adaptation keeps the traditional setting for Macbeth in Middle Ages Scotland, but don’t be fooled: this version is anything but conventional.
Polanski’s take on Macbeth is earthy, psychological, and at times disturbing. After all, Polanski also directed the supernatural horror film Rosemary’s Baby, and he brings out the same element of horror in Macbeth.
Famous Macbeth Quotes
“Tomorrow and tomorrow and tomorrow …”
When Macbeth learns that his wife is dead, he takes a moment to give a bleak soliloquy. He describes how meaningless life has become for him, comparing it to a bad play that’s over before you know it:
In this speech, Shakespeare shows us that betraying our principles isn’t worth it. When we ignore our conscience to get to the top, we’ll find that we’ve left behind everything worth living for.
“There’s daggers in men’s smiles.”
The Scottish nobles see through Macbeth’s flimsy cover-up of Duncan’s murder.
From victorious post-battle celebrations, the mood of the court darkens to cold suspicion, when one nobleman says this chilling line.
Quote it when you’re at a shady political meeting to tell others to be careful who they trust.
“Screw your courage to the sticking place and we’ll not fail.”
While preparing to murder King Duncan, Lady Macbeth reminds her husband that the most important factor in success is determination.
Does this iconic line sound familiar? You might have noticed it in Beauty and the Beast and Hamilton, where it gets quoted in big musical numbers. (Lin-Manuel Miranda is a big Shakespeare fan, hence his inclusion of this line in Hamilton.)
“Fair is foul and foul is fair.”
The play opens with the three Witches chanting this line as they cast a spell. Macbeth echoes it soon after as he surveys the battlefield, saying “So foul and fair a day I have not seen.”
As soon as the play begins, Shakespeare warns us that things are not all they seem to be. Remember this line when something seems too good to be true - whether it’s a supernatural prophecy or a date you met on an app.
What Is the Main Message of Macbeth?
Macbeth is a powerful parable for anyone who takes a position of power.
In the play, we watch Macbeth go from a loyal, upstanding general to a deposed tyrant king. We can see every decision that leads to that destruction, and we see that he came so close to making better choices.
In Macbeth, Shakespeare shows us that power doesn’t have to corrupt.
But when it does, it will happen before we know it.
It’s easier to abuse power than you expect it to be. Learn from Macbeth before you make his same mistakes.
Final Thoughts
Some of the Bard’s plays, like Romeo and Juliet, are all about the poetry.
Macbeth, on the other hand, is all about the action.
As one of Shakespeare’s most popular plays, Macbeth deserves a deep dive and endless re-watches. And by the way, it still has tons of great lines and poetry!
No matter how many times you see or read it, you’ll be pondering its meaning long after the last body hits the stage.
Ready to get more out of Shakespeare, and Macbeth in particular? I wrote a book to help you get started.
You’ll learn how to apply the Bard’s insights on power, politics, and personal integrity to your own life. In particular, Chapter 2 is all about Macbeth and elaborates on the main themes outlined in this article.
If you enjoyed this article, you’ll certainly enjoy my ebook. Click here to download your free copy of The Bard and the Bees: What Shakespeare taught me about sex, evil, and life in the modern world.
That’s all for now! Until next time,
-Evan