Macbeth SparkNotes Literature Guide: Volume 43 (SparkNotes Literature Guide Series)

Product Information

They get Duncan’s guards drunk! And then Macbeth kills Duncan! He then plants the dagger on the drunk guards, then kills ‘em all and says they did it! Yeah, so never get drunk at a party kids! never! Macbeth is made king! Wow! Macbeth must think those witches are the business! Everything they’ve said so far, has come true!

Macduffemerges and searches the chaos frantically for Macbeth, whom he longs to cut down personally. He dives again into the battle.Banquo’s son, who survives Macbeth’s attempt to murder him. At the end of the play, Fleance’s whereabouts are unknown. Presumably, he may come to rule Scotland, fulfilling the witches’ prophecy that Banquo’s sons will sit on the Scottish throne. Lennox

Banquo and Fleance walk the halls of Macbeth’s castle at night. Macbeth has a vision of a dagger in the air before him. Macbeth heads to Duncan's bedchamber. Scene 2

Adam Bede

Malcolm and Siward walk together in the castle, which they have now effectively captured. Ross tells Siward that his son is dead. Macduff emerges with Macbeth’s head in his hand and proclaims Malcolm King of Scotland. Malcolm declares that all his thanes will be made earls, according to the English system of peerage. They will be the first such lords in Scottish history. Cursing Macbeth and his “fiend-like” queen, Malcolm calls all those around him his friends and invites them all to see him crowned at Scone (5.8.35). Banquo’s knowledge of the witches’ prophecy makes him both a potential ally and a potential threat to Macbeth’s plotting. For now, Macbeth seems distrustful of Banquo and pretends to have hardly thought of the witches, but Macbeth’s desire to discuss the prophecies at some future time suggests that he may have some sort of conspiratorial plans in mind. The appearance of Fleance, Banquo’s son, serves as a reminder of the witches’ prediction that Banquo’s children will sit on the throne of Scotland. We realize that if Macbeth succeeds in the murder of Duncan, he will be driven to still more violence before his crown is secure, and Fleance will be in immediate and mortal danger.

Macbeth and Banquo fought with great courage in recent battles. King Duncan of Scotland receives a report that the traitorous Thane of Cawdor has been defeated, and decides to give Cawdor's title to Macbeth. Scene 3 Lady Macduff is frustrated over her husband’s decision to leave the country. A group of murderers arrive, killing Macduff’s son and chasing after Lady Macduff. Scene 3 Macduff discovers Duncan's murder, along with the murder of the two chamberlains, who Macbeth claims he killed upon realizing they murdered Duncan. Duncan’s sons flee the country. Scene 4The three witches prophesize that Macbeth will become Thane of Cawdor and King of Scotland, and that Banquo will have sons who are kings. Shortly after, Macbeth is indeed given the title Thane of Cawdor. Scene 4