The story in one page
A Scottish general encounters three mystical figures who prophesy he will hold the crown. Spurred by his wife's sharp tongue and his own growing hunger for power, he murders the sitting King Duncan while he is a guest in their home. The couple seizes the throne but finds the seat uncomfortable; paranoia takes root, leading them to order a series of bloody hits on friends and rivals alike. As the realm crumbles and the usurper’s sanity frays, the rightful heir returns with an army. The play ends with a sword fight and a severed head, settling the succession dispute quite permanently.
Who's who
- Macbeth
A general who trades his peace of mind for a crown.
- Lady Macbeth
A strategist who finds murder easier to plan than to forget.
- Duncan
A king who picks the wrong place to spend the night.
- Macduff
A nobleman who loses his family and gains a vendetta.
- Malcolm
The rightful heir who manages to fix the broken kingdom.
What it's really about
- Ambition
- The kind that burns the house down.
- Guilt
- It manifests as hallucinations and insomnia.
Why it's memorable
- A cauldron boiling with terrible ingredients.
- A severed head on a pike.
The ending, explained
Spoilers — show the ending
Macduff enters carrying the usurper's head. The new king is crowned, and the reign of the "butcher" and his "fiend-like queen" officially concludes.
For your book club
- The high cost of office redecoration.
- Why ghosts are terrible dinner guests.