

Shakespeare’s other major tragedies explore the intellectual dilemmas faced by the characters, while Macbeth meteorically rises and plummets from beginning to end.

Macbeth is not Shakespeare’s most complex play, but it is one of his most thrilling and emotionally intense. Banquo accepted this fate with patience while Macbeth took action against Banquo and his son, Fleance. They said that, although Banquo would never be a king, he would produce a line of kings. Macbeth’s good friend, Banquo also was also given a prophecy by the witches. He resorts to killing others to secure his place, and, as the bloodbath continues, this drives both Macbeth and Lady Macbeth to arrogance, madness, and their eventual deaths. He becomes tyrannical, paranoid, and suspicious. Having done so, and ascended to the throne, Macbeth is consumed by guilt and fear. He is further led down his treacherous path by his wife, Lady Macbeth, who urges him to murder King Duncan and seize the throne without hesitation. This prediction inevitably consumes him with ambition and greed. The play follows his descent from noble soldier to nefarious traitor.Īs the play begins, Macbeth receives a prophecy from three witches that one day he will become king. The shortest (and one of the bloodiest) of Shakespeare's tragedies, the story begins with victory and honors for the brave Scottish general, Macbeth. The Tragedy of Macbeth play is one of William Shakespeare's best-known works. Please note: This summary comprises the full story of Macbeth and therefore contains spoilers!


In this moment, he becomes not a king, but a tyrant, and ultimately it is this flaw in his character, his violent ambition, that leads to his downfall. We watch Macbeth as he is tempted by the lure of the crown, and ultimately-with prodding from Lady Macbeth-decides to murder King Duncan and usurp the throne. While it is not one of his more elaborately constructed works, it nonetheless examines the complicated nature of the human soul, especially when tempted with power and ambition. William Shakespeare's Macbeth continues to be one of his most celebrated plays, even today.
