Act I

 scene i 

(short scene) Three witches discuss an ongoing war, and make plans to meet Macbeth after the battle is done.

 scene ii

The victorious King Duncan, impressed by reports of the Thane of Glamis Macbeth’s valor in battle against the rebellious Thane of Cawdor, rewards Macbeth by conferring that title upon him. 

 scene iii

Macbeth and Banquo, two of Duncan’s generals, meet the three witches. They tell Banquo that his descendants will be kings, although Banquo isn’t promised any kingdom himself. They also call Macbeth Thane of Cawdor and tell him that he will be King of Scotland. The generals want to hear more, but the witches disappear. Ross and Angus arrive and confirm that Macbeth really is now the Thane of Cawdor. Macbeth wonders which of the witches’ other predictions will come true.

 scene iv

Duncan names his son, Malcolm, heir to the throne, then invites himself to stay at Macbeth’s castle at Inverness. Macbeth sets off ahead to tell his wife, aware that Malcolm now stands between him and the crown.

 scene v

Macbeth’s wife has received a letter from Macbeth about the prophecy and she’s already envisioning herself as queen; when she learns that Duncan will be visiting, she plots to kill him, fearing that Macbeth might not have the fortitude to do it.

 scene vi

Duncan arrives and is warmly welcomed by Lady Macbeth.

 scene vii

Macbeth weighs the idea of killing the king, and decides against it. Lady Macbeth scolds him for his timidity, and vows to help him. She finally wears him down.  

Act II

 scene i

Macbeth steps outside and banters uneasily with Banquo, who reminds Macbeth about the witches. After Banquo leaves, Macbeth frets about the murder he must commit.

 scene ii

Macbeth’s wife gives the guards drugged wine so they will fall asleep, and Macbeth, goaded by his wife, kills Duncan. She criticizes him for taking the murder weapons out of the room rather than planting them on the drunken guards. Macbeth, extremely distressed at the murder, refuses to go back. His wife takes them and smear the blood on the hands of the guards. and the murder is discovered when Macduff, the thane of Fife, arrives to call on the king.

 scene iii

Macduff and Lennox call upon the king. Macbeth must feign innocence until he sends Macduff into the king’s chamber, where he discovers the murder. Macbeth slays the guards, blaming his rash temper, and preventing them from contradicting his story. Nevertheless, Duncan’s sons, Malcolm and Donalbain, fear that they will be blamed for the murder, and flee.

 scene iv

Macduff and Ross, noting how Malcolm and Donalbain have fled, cast suspicion on them for the crime. With Duncan’s two sons out of the picture, this clears the path for Macbeth to become king.

Act III

 scene i 

Macbeth and his wife settle very easily into their new roles as king and queen. Macbeth, fearing the prophecy that Banquo’s descendants will inherit the throne, arranges for Banquo and his son Fleance to be killed. He recruits two murderers to kill them.

 scene ii

In private, Macbeth still broods over the murder. His wife urges him to hide his melancholy better.

 scene iii

In the darkness, Banquo is murdered, but his son escapes the assassins. 

 scene iv

Macbeth worries his court with his unhinged behavior: in fact he is being haunted by Banquo’s ghost, whom no one else can see. He decides to visit the witches again for more information.  

scene v

Hecate, goddess of magic, criticizes the witches for not including her in their dealings with Macbeth, and demands to join them in their next meeting.

scene vi

Lennox clarifies the recent history: Duncan is dead, and his two sons bring suspicion upon themselves for fleeing. Likewise Banquo is dead, and Lennox finds it suspicious that his son Fleance survived. Currently Macduff is in England, asking King Edward the Confessor to bring peace to Scotland.

Act IV

 scene i 

The witches put on a seance, in which spirits inform Macbeth that he must “Beware Macduff”, although he will be safe until Birnam Wood comes to the castle in Dunsinane, and that no one “of woman born” shall harm him.

The apparitions also prophesy that the line of succession will come from Banquo’s blood, not his own.

Learning that Macduff had gone to seek Malcolm at the court of the English king, Macbeth orders the slaughter of Macduff’s wife and children.

 scene ii

Despite repeated warnings from both Ross and a messenger advising Macduff’s wife to flee, she is caught by Macbeth’s assassins, and dies with her young son.  

 scene iii

In England Macduff learns of his slaughtered family, and convinces Malcolm to lead an army against Macbeth. Malcolm is young and unsure of himself, but seeing Macduff’s grief, is persuaded.

Act V

 scene i 

Lady Macbeth’s guilty conscience manifests itself in sleepwalking and talking, and obsession with washing the blood off her hands.

 scene ii

Many Scottish lords join Malcolm’s army and prepare to face Macbeth.  

 scene iii

Macbeth feels safe in his remote castle at Dunsinane, and dismisses the news of approaching forces. The doctor tells Macbeth that he cannot cure his wife’s ailments.

 scene iv

When Malcolm’s army advances on Dunsinane, they take branches from Birnam Wood and carry them as camouflage.   

 scene v

Macbeth is told that his wife is dead. He muses on the futility of life.

When sees the army carrying branches for their assault, he understands that the prophecy is fulfilled, and loses heart, but resolves to die fighting.

 scene vi

Malcolm tells the soldiers to drop the branches and attack.

 scene vii

Macbeth kills an opponent, gloating about the prediction that no one “of woman born” can kill him. Malcolm takes the castle.  

 scene viii

Macduff challenges Macbeth, who learn to his dismay that Macduff is the child of a caesarean birth, and realizes he is doomed by the prophecy.

 scene ix

Macduff triumphs and brings the head of Macbeth to Malcolm and proclaims him King of Scotland. Malcolm declares peace and goes to Scone to be crowned king.