Macbeth Book Summary - Macbeth Book explained in key points
Listen to the Intro
00:00

Macbeth summary

William Shakespeare

Regicide and Revenge in one of the World's Most Famous Tragedies

4.8 (83 ratings)
20 mins
Table of Contents

    Macbeth
    Summary of 6 key ideas

    Audio & text in the Blinkist app
    Key idea 1 of 6

    Act One

    Thunder booms and lightning crackles as three bearded women enter the stage. They’re witches –⁠ and they must decide when next to meet. Perhaps when the nearby battle is finished? Yes, that’ll do. At sunset, they’ll meet upon the heath and speak to Macbeth. “Fair is foul, and foul is fair,” they chant as they exit.

    Elsewhere, King Duncan of Scotland receives a battlefield report. His generals, Banquo and Macbeth, have defeated the opposing Norwegians, led by the traitorous general Macdonwald. Due to his betrayal, King Duncan strips Macdonwald of his title –⁠ Thane of Cawdor –⁠ and awards it to Macbeth. 

    In the next scene, thunder strikes again, ushering in the three witches. They hear a drumbeat: here comes Macbeth!

    Macbeth, accompanied by Banquo, approaches. Each witch hails Macbeth differently: as the Thane of Glamis, the Thane of Cawdor, and finally as king. As for Banquo, they hail him as “lesser than Macbeth and greater” and say that his children shall be kings.

    Macbeth is Thane of Glamis –⁠ this he already knows. But Thane of Cawdor? And king? Why would the witches address him as such?

    Before any of his questions can be answered, the witches vanish. While Macbeth and Banquo stand, puzzled, two other Scottish nobles enter. They tell Macbeth that Duncan has just pronounced him Thane of Cawdor. Macbeth is shocked –⁠ one of the witches’ pronouncements has already come true. Can he truly be destined to be king, too?

    Afterward, Macbeth and Banquo greet King Duncan. Duncan names his son Malcolm his heir, then declares that he’ll soon visit Macbeth at his castle, Dunsinane. 

    Hearing Duncan’s declaration regarding Malcolm, Macbeth is incensed –⁠ Malcolm clearly stands in the way of the kingship. Immediately, he feels himself struck by “black and deep desires” and asks the stars to “hide [their] fires” so his wishes remain invisible. He’s beginning to imagine the terrible deeds he might soon need to commit to obtain kingship.

    Next, in advance of his own and Duncan’s arrival at Inverness, Macbeth writes a letter to his wife, Lady Macbeth, informing her of his new title and the witches’ predictions.

    Immediately, Lady Macbeth begins to have megalomaniacal visions. They must plan for Macbeth to murder Duncan so Macbeth can take the kingship. But is Macbeth enough of a man to do the deed? She worries about his nature –⁠ it’s “too full o’ th’ milk of human kindness.” She’ll have to influence him with some of her own, much more ruthless nature.

    A messenger enters to announce Macbeth and the King’s imminent arrival, and Lady Macbeth resumes her machinations. She calls for “spirits” to “unsex” her and fill her from head to toe with “direst cruelty.” She wishes to feel no remorse, for her womanly nature to disappear so as not to interfere with her bloody mission.

    After the chilling speech, Macbeth enters, and Lady Macbeth tells her husband what she wants him to do. Macbeth stops short of agreeing but says they’ll speak again.

    In the final scene of Act One, Macbeth wishes for the assassination to be over as quickly as possible. He admits feeling guilty about the plot –⁠ Macbeth is the host, after all, and should be protecting the king from prospective murderers, not planning to do the deed himself. Plus, the king’s virtues are obvious –⁠ won’t the heavens object to him being so cruelly killed?

    Here, Lady Macbeth enters. Macbeth tells her that he no longer wants to go through with the murder, but Lady Macbeth won’t hear it. She questions his manhood and tries to rile him up. She tells him that she, who has felt a mother’s tender love, would murder her own baby –⁠ and brutally, at that –⁠ if she’d previously committed to doing so. She tells Macbeth to “screw [his] courage to the sticking place” and get it over with. She and his two chamberlains will get Duncan drunk and then Macbeth will murder him. At last, he agrees.

    Want to see all full key ideas from Macbeth?

    Key ideas in Macbeth

    More knowledge in less time
    Read or listen
    Read or listen
    Get the key ideas from nonfiction bestsellers in minutes, not hours.
    Find your next read
    Find your next read
    Get book lists curated by experts and personalized recommendations.
    Shortcasts
    Shortcasts New
    We’ve teamed up with podcast creators to bring you key insights from podcasts.

    What is Macbeth about?

    Macbeth (1606) is the Shakespearean tragedy of Scottish general Macbeth and his doomed attempt to seize his country’s throne. His ambitions ignited by a prophecy spoken to him by three witches, Macbeth’s path to power begins with anxiety and reticence and ends with callousness and cruelty. His story is a timeless exploration of guilt, paranoia, madness, prophecy, and the evils of ambition.

    Who should read Macbeth?

    • Shakespeare lovers who haven’t had the chance to read Macbeth 
    • Those who find Shakespeare’s original language difficult to enjoy
    • Macbeth fans who want a refresher

    About the Author

    William Shakespeare is perhaps the most famous writer in all of English literature. He lived at the height of the English Renaissance and penned such iconic plays as Hamlet, A Midsummer Night’s Dream, and Richard III, as well as a series of over 100 sonnets and other poetry.

    Categories with Macbeth

    Books like Macbeth

    People ❤️ Blinkist
    Sven O.

    It's highly addictive to get core insights on personally relevant topics without repetition or triviality. Added to that the apps ability to suggest kindred interests opens up a foundation of knowledge.

    Thi Viet Quynh N.

    Great app. Good selection of book summaries you can read or listen to while commuting. Instead of scrolling through your social media news feed, this is a much better way to spend your spare time in my opinion.

    Jonathan A.

    Life changing. The concept of being able to grasp a book's main point in such a short time truly opens multiple opportunities to grow every area of your life at a faster rate.

    Renee D.

    Great app. Addicting. Perfect for wait times, morning coffee, evening before bed. Extremely well written, thorough, easy to use.

    People also liked

    Start growing with Blinkist now
    28 Million
    Downloads on all platforms
    4.7 Stars
    Average ratings on iOS and Google Play
    91%
    Of Blinkist members create a better reading habit*
    *Based on survey data from Blinkist customers
    Powerful ideas from top nonfiction

    Try Blinkist to get the key ideas from 7,000+ bestselling nonfiction titles and podcasts. Listen or read in just 15 minutes.

    Start your free trial