On a barren Scottish heath, the three Weird Sisters await the coming of Macbeth and Banquo, Scottish generals on their way home after a victorious battle. At the same time, on a battlefield not far away, the wounded Macduff tells Duncan, king of Scotland, of Macbeth’s great courage in battle, then the Thane of Ross arrives to inform the king of the traitorous actions of the Thane of Cawdor. The king immediately sentences Cawdor to death and confers that title upon Macbeth, sending Ross to tell Macbeth of the new honor.
Macbeth and Banquo are intercepted by the Weird Sisters who prophesy that Macbeth (still uninformed of his new title) shall become the Thane of Cawdor and later on shall be king, while Banquo shall be the father of kings although not one himself. The Thane of Ross arrives and addresses Macbeth with the new title, and so the Weird Sisters’ prophecies already seem to be coming true, and Macbeth wonders if the kingship could really be within his reach. However, when he reports to King Duncan, the king announces two intentions: first, of visiting Macbeth’s castle in gratitude of his valor and, second, denying the Thanes their traditional vote and instead making his son Malcolm heir to his throne.
Macbeth sends a letter ahead to his beloved wife, Lady Macbeth which details the witches’ prophecies and their accuracy thus far. When the couple reunite, they devise a plan to murder Duncan and take the throne.
That evening, while the king sleeps in his home, Macbeth murders King Duncan in his bed and Lady Macbeth frames Duncan’s servants with Macbeth’s bloody daggers. Duncan is found by Macduff, Thane of Fife, the next morning and wakes up the castle by yelling murder and ringing the bells. Scared for their lives, the king’s sons flee the country and Macbeth is crowned king of Scotland. But he is haunted by the prediction that Banquo’s children are to inherit the throne. Therefore, Macbeth brutally arranges for the murder of Banquo and his only son, Fleance; Banquo is killed but Fleance escapes.
Meanwhile, the Macbeths host a grand banquet and as Macbeth is about to take his seat when he cannot because it’s already taken by the ghost of Banquo. Unmoved by Lady Macbeth’s pleas to act normal, Macbeth’s frenzied remarks end the feast and raise Macduff’s suspicions.
Desperate for answers, Macbeth interrupts the Weird Sisters and demands further prophecies: their mistress of witchcraft, Hecate, warns him to beware Macduff; that “none of woman born” can harm Macbeth; and he cannot be defeated until Birnam Wood comes to Dunsinane Hill. After this he is greeted with the news that Macduff has gone to meet Malcolm in England, whereupon Macbeth orders the murder of Lady Macduff and her children.
Ross witnesses the murderers descending on Fife and hurries to England to tell Macduff. Meanwhile, Macduff urges Malcolm to gather an army to take back to Scotland. Malcolm tests Macduff to ensure that he is not an agent of Macbeth’s, and when Macduff proves sincere Malcolm reveals that he already has an army led by the mighty Siward. Ross arrives and the three vow to march on Macbeth.
Back in Scotland, a doctor fails to cure Lady Macbeth of her unsettled and fractured mind. Amidst Macbeth losing the support of most of the Thanes, Lady Macbeth dies. With nothing left to lose, Macbeth prepares to defend his throne.
Malcolm and his forces cover their advance with branches cut from the trees of Birnam Wood, making it appear that Birnam Wood is coming to Dunsinane. This shakes Macbeth’s nerves, but he still cannot be harmed by any “of woman born.” Macduff shakes Macbeth to the core when he reveals that he was “from his mother’s womb untimely ripped” thus born via Caesarean. Macbeth realizes he is doomed but, rather than being captured alive, fights to his death. Macduff kills him, cuts off his head, and announces Scotland’s freedom from tyranny.
