Drama club - Synopsis of Macbeth

Cast Handout for Macbeth

Synopsis of the play:

Scotland is at war with Norway and Macbeth and his friend, Banquo, are great generals for the Scottish army.  Macbeth battles heroically for his king, Duncan, and the Scots are victorious.  On their way to meet the king, Macbeth and Banquo encounter a coven of witches who predict that Macbeth will become the Thane (Lord) of Cawdor and then, the King of Scotland.  They also predict that Banquo will father a “line of kings”.  Macbeth sends a messenger to tell his wife about the prophecy.

Macbeth and Banquo meet Duncan and his lords and Duncan declares that Macbeth will take over the title “Thane of Cawdor”, because the original Thane of Cawdor has betrayed the Scottish cause.  Macbeth and Banquo are shocked, because it appears the witches’ prophecy is coming true.  Duncan tells Macbeth he plans to visit him at his castle.

Macbeth has sent a letter advising Lady Macbeth of the witches’ prophecy.  Lady Macbeth starts to think about how they can make the prophecy come true.  The Macbeths welcome Duncan to the castle and in the night, they kill him.  In the morning, after Macduff discovers the body of Duncan, Malcolm and Donalbain run away, making it look like they killed their father.

Macbeth discovers that his crime cannot end.  He needs to get rid of Banquo, so that he can ensure that his children inherit the throne.  He hires murderers to kill Banquo and his child, Fleance.  The murderers kill Banquo but Fleance escapes.

Macbeth returns to the witches for more information.  They give him three warnings – he should beware of Macduff, he need fear no one “of woman born”, and he will reign until Birnam wood moves to his castle (Dunsinane).  After hearing these predictions, he feels confident, but tells his associate, Lennox, that, just to make sure, he will kill Macduff and his entire family.  His henchmen go to Fife, Macduff’s castle, but Macduff has fled to England, leaving his family behind.  The murderers kill Macduff’s family.

Macduff and Malcolm have assembled an army and they attack Macbeth at his stronghold in Scotland.  Lady Macbeth, consumed with guilt, has gone insane and commits suicide. Malcolm’s soldiers decide to use the branches from Birnam Wood to camouflage their arrival at Dunsinane and Macbeth’s servants tell him the forest is moving towards the castle.  Macbeth fights bravely and ultimately encounters Macduff.  “I’m not afraid of you, because I cannot be harmed by anyone ‘by woman born’,” he tells Macduff.  But Macduff has the last laugh – he was delivered by Caesarean birth (“ripped from his mother’s womb”) and he defeats Macbeth and Malcolm takes over the throne of Scotland.