Act 1
- Three witches prophesy that Macbeth will become king.
- Macbeth, a loyal warrior in King Duncan's army, is praised for defeating the traitors.
- Macbeth and his wife, Lady Macbeth, plot to kill King Duncan and seize the throne.
Act 2
- Macbeth murders King Duncan and becomes king.
- Lady Macbeth suffers from guilt and eventually goes mad.
Act 3
- Macbeth becomes paranoid about Banquo, who knows about the witches' prophecy and is also a threat to his throne.
- Banquo and his son Fleance are murdered.
Act 4
- The witches appear again and give Macbeth three new prophecies.
- Macbeth is filled with fear and insecurity and begins to lose his grip on reality.
Act 5
- Malcolm, King Duncan's son, invades Scotland with an army.
- Macbeth is defeated and killed by Macduff, who was Banquo's best friend.
- Malcolm is crowned king of Scotland.