Shakespeare's Macbeth

Like all of Shakespeare's plays, Macbeth follows a five act structure.

The structure

• The introduction
• The conflict
• The rise
• The flaws are revealed
• The downfall

Act 1

• The Witches plant the idea of being King into Macbeth's head
• Macbeth tells his wife, who sets the regicide plan in motion

The Witches

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• Act 2 sees Lady Macbeth put her plan into action
• Macbeth hallucinates a dagger, foreshadowing his decent into madness.
• The King is killed

Lady Macbeth

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• The plan works!
• The Macbeths now rule as king and queen.
• Macbeth's paranoia has him target enemies, both real and imagined.

Macbeth Ascends

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• Macbeth returns to the witches, seeking answers.
• The offer him predictions that seem to promise him victory.
• Meanwhile, his enemies gather their forces.

The Witches Return

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• Lady Macbeth takes her life.
• The witches prophecies were a trick - they foreshadowed Macbeth's doom, not his victory.

Macbeth's Downfall