Macbeth, a tragedy by William Shakespeare, explores themes of ambition, power, and guilt through the story of Macbeth, a Scottish nobleman. After receiving a prophecy from three witches, Macbeth, spurred on by his wife, Lady Macbeth, commits regicide to seize the throne. The play delves into the psychological consequences of their actions, leading to madness and despair. This No Fear edition presents the text in a modern format, making it accessible for students and readers alike. Ideal for high school literature classes and fans of classic drama.

Key Points

  • Explores themes of ambition, power, and guilt in Macbeth's rise and fall.
  • Features modern translations alongside the original text for easier understanding.
  • Includes character analyses of Macbeth, Lady Macbeth, and the witches.
  • Covers key scenes and their significance in the overall narrative.
  • Ideal for students studying Shakespeare in high school or college.
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No Fear Shakespeare – Macbeth (by SparkNotes) -1-
Original Text Modern Text
Act 1, Scene 1
Thunder and lightning. Enter three WITCHES Thunder and lightning. Three WITCHES enter
FIRST WITCH
When shall we three meet again?
In thunder, lightning, or in rain?
FIRST WITCH
When should the three of us meet again? Will it
be in thunder, lightning, or rain?
SECOND WITCH
When the hurly-burly’s done,
When the battle’s lost and won.
SECOND WITCH
We’ll meet when the noise of the battle is over,
when one side has won and the other side has
lost.
5
THIRD WITCH
That will be ere the set of sun.
THIRD WITCH
That will happen before sunset.
FIRST WITCH
Where the place?
FIRST WITCH
Where should we meet?
SECOND WITCH
Upon the heath.
SECOND WITCH
Let’s do it in the open field.
THIRD WITCH
There to meet with Macbeth.
THIRD WITCH
We’ll meet Macbeth there.
The WITCHES hear the calls of their spirit friends
or “familiars,” which look like animals—one is a
cat and one is a toad.
FIRST WITCH
I come, Graymalkin!
FIRST WITCH
(calling to her cat) I’m coming, Graymalkin!
10
SECOND WITCH
Paddock calls.
SECOND WITCH
My toad, Paddock, calls me.
THIRD WITCH
Anon.
THIRD WITCH
(to her spirit) I’ll be right here!
ALL
Fair is foul, and foul is fair
Hover through the fog and filthy air.
ALL
Fair is foul, and foul is fair. Let’s fly away through
the fog and filthy air.
Exeunt They exit.
Act 1, Scene 2
Alarum within. Enter KING
DUNCAN, MALCOLM,DONALBAIN, LENNOX, with
attendants, meeting a bleeding CAPTAIN
Sounds of a trumpet and soldiers fighting
offstage. KING DUNCAN enters with his
sonsMALCOLM and DONALBAIN, LENNOX,
and a number of attendants. They meet a
wounded and bloody CAPTAIN.
DUNCAN
What bloody man is that? He can report,
As seemeth by his plight, of the revolt
The newest state.
Who is this bloody man? Judging from his
appearance, I bet he can tell us the latest news
about the revolt.
5
MALCOLM
This is the sergeant
Who like a good and hardy soldier fought
'Gainst my captivity. Hail, brave friend!
Say to the king the knowledge of the broil
As thou didst leave it.
MALCOLM
This is the brave sergeant who fought to keep me
from being captured. Hail, brave friend! Tell the
king what was happening in the battle when you
left it.
CAPTAIN
Doubtful it stood,
As two spent swimmers that do cling together
CAPTAIN
For a while you couldn’t tell who would win. The
armies were like two exhausted swimmers
No Fear Shakespeare – Macbeth (by SparkNotes) -2-
Original Text Modern Text
10
15
20
And choke their art. The merciless Macdonwald—
Worthy to be a rebel, for to that
The multiplying villanies of nature
Do swarm upon him—from the Western Isles
Of kerns and gallowglasses is supplied,
And fortune, on his damnèd quarrel smiling,
Showed like a rebel’s whore. But all’s too weak,
For brave Macbeth—well he deserves that name—
Disdaining fortune, with his brandished steel,
Which smoked with bloody execution,
Like valor’s minion carved out his passage
Till he faced the slave;
Which ne'er shook hands, nor bade farewell to him,
Till he unseamed him from the nave to th' chops,
And fixed his head upon our battlements.
clinging to each other and struggling in the water,
unable to move. The villainous rebel Macdonwald
was supported by foot soldiers and horsemen
from Ireland and the Hebrides, and Lady Luck
was with him, smiling cruelly at his enemies as if
she were his whore. But Luck and Macdonwald
together weren’t strong enough. Brave Macbeth,
laughing at Luck, chopped his way through to
Macdonwald, who didn’t even have time to say
good-bye or shake hands before Macbeth split
him open from his navel to his jawbone and stuck
his head on our castle walls.
DUNCAN
O valiant cousin! Worthy gentleman!
My brave relative! What a worthy man!
Act 1, Scene 2, Page 2
25
30
CAPTAIN
As whence the sun 'gins his reflection
Shipwracking storms and direful thunders break,
So from that spring whence comfort seemed to come
Discomfort swells. Mark, King of Scotland, mark:
No sooner justice had, with valor armed,
Compelled these skipping kerns to trust their heels,
But the Norweyan lord, surveying vantage,
With furbished arms and new supplies of men,
Began a fresh assault.
CAPTAIN
But in the same way that violent storms always
come just as spring appears, our success against
Macdonwald created new problems for us. Listen
to this, King: as soon as we sent those Irish
soldiers running for cover, the Norwegian king
saw his chance to attack us with fresh troops and
shiny weapons.
DUNCAN
Dismayed not this our captains, Macbeth and
Banquo?
Didn’t this frighten our captains, Macbeth and
Banquo?
35
40
CAPTAIN
Yes, as sparrows eagles, or the hare the lion.
If I say sooth, I must report they were
As cannons overcharged with double cracks,
So they doubly redoubled strokes upon the foe.
Except they meant to bathe in reeking wounds,
Or memorize another Golgotha,
I cannot tell—
But I am faint, my gashes cry for help.
CAPTAIN
The new challenge scared them about as much
as sparrows frighten eagles, or rabbits frighten a
lion. To tell you the truth, they fought the new
enemy with twice as much force as before; they
were like cannons loaded with double
ammunition. Maybe they wanted to take a bath in
their enemies' blood, or make that battlefield as
infamous as Golgotha, where Christ was
crucified, I don’t know. But I feel weak. My
wounds must be tended to.
DUNCAN
So well thy words become thee as thy wounds;
They smack of honor both. Go get him surgeons.
Your words, like your wounds, bring you honor.
Take him to the surgeons.
Exit CAPTAIN with attendants The CAPTAIN exits, helped by attendants.
Enter ROSS and ANGUS ROSS and ANGUS enter.
45
Who comes here? Who is this?
MALCOLM
The worthy thane of Ross.
MALCOLM
The worthy Thane of Ross.
LENNOX
LENNOX
No Fear Shakespeare – Macbeth (by SparkNotes) -3-
Original Text Modern Text
What a haste looks through his eyes! So should he
look
That seems to speak things strange.
His eyes seem frantic! He looks like someone
with a strange tale to tell.
Act 1, Scene 2, Page 3
ROSS
God save the king.
ROSS
God save the king!
DUNCAN
Whence cam’st thou, worthy thane?
Where have you come from, worthy thane?
50
55
ROSS
From Fife, great king,
Where the Norweyan banners flout the sky
And fan our people cold.
Norway himself, with terrible numbers,
Assisted by that most disloyal traitor,
The thane of Cawdor, began a dismal conflict,
Till that Bellona’s bridegroom, lapped in proof,
Confronted him with self-comparisons,
Point against point, rebellious arm 'gainst arm,
Curbing his lavish spirit; and to conclude,
The victory fell on us.
ROSS
Great king, I’ve come from Fife, where the
Norwegian flag flies, mocking our country and
frightening our people. Leading an enormous
army and assisted by that disloyal traitor, the
thane of Cawdor, the king of Norway began a
bloody battle. But outfitted in his battle-weathered
armor, Macbeth met the Norwegian attacks shot
for shot, as if he were the goddess of war’s
husband. Finally he broke the enemy’s spirit, and
we were victorious.
DUNCAN
Great happiness!
Great happiness!
60
ROSS
That now
Sweno, the Norways' king, craves composition.
Nor would we deign him burial of his men
Till he disbursed at Saint Colme’s Inch
Ten thousand dollars to our general use.
ROSS
So now Sweno, the Norwegian king, wants a
treaty. We told him we wouldn’t even let him bury
his men until he retreated to Saint Colme’s Inch
and paid us ten thousand dollars.
65
DUNCAN
No more that thane of Cawdor shall deceive
Our bosom interest: go pronounce his present death,
And with his former title greet Macbeth.
The thane of Cawdor will never again betray me.
Go announce that he will be executed, and tell
Macbeth that Cawdor’s titles will be given to him.
ROSS
I’ll see it done.
ROSS
I’ll get it done right away.
DUNCAN
What he hath lost, noble Macbeth hath won.
The thane of Cawdor has lost what the noble
Macbeth has won.
Exeunt They all exit.
Act 1, Scene 3
Thunder. Enter the three WITCHES Thunder. The three WITCHES enter.
FIRST WITCH
Where hast thou been, sister?
FIRST WITCH
Where have you been, sister?
SECOND WITCH
Killing swine.
SECOND WITCH
Killing pigs.
THIRD WITCH
Sister, where thou?
THIRD WITCH
And you, sister?
FIRST WITCH
A sailor’s wife had chestnuts in her lap,
FIRST WITCH
A sailor’s wife had chestnuts in her lap and
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FAQs

What is the main theme of Macbeth?
The main theme of Macbeth is the corrupting power of ambition. The play illustrates how unchecked ambition can lead to moral decay and destruction. Macbeth's desire for power drives him to commit heinous acts, including murder, which ultimately leads to his downfall. This theme is further emphasized by Lady Macbeth's manipulation and the witches' prophecies, showcasing how ambition can distort one's values and lead to tragic consequences.
How does Lady Macbeth influence Macbeth's actions?
Lady Macbeth plays a crucial role in influencing Macbeth's actions by questioning his masculinity and ambition. She pushes him to commit regicide, arguing that he must seize the opportunity to become king. Her ruthless ambition and manipulation drive Macbeth to act against his better judgment. However, as the play progresses, her initial strength deteriorates, leading to her own madness and guilt, which contrasts with Macbeth's increasing ruthlessness.
What role do the witches play in Macbeth?
The witches in Macbeth serve as catalysts for the events that unfold. Their prophecies spark Macbeth's ambition and set him on a path of destruction. They represent the theme of fate versus free will, as their predictions lead Macbeth to believe he is invincible. However, their ambiguous nature also highlights the deceptive qualities of appearances, as they manipulate Macbeth's perceptions and contribute to his tragic downfall.
What is the significance of the blood imagery in Macbeth?
Blood imagery in Macbeth symbolizes guilt and the consequences of one's actions. After committing murder, Macbeth and Lady Macbeth are haunted by the blood on their hands, representing their guilt and remorse. This imagery recurs throughout the play, illustrating how their violent actions lead to psychological torment. The phrase 'Out, damned spot!' encapsulates Lady Macbeth's descent into madness, emphasizing the inescapable nature of guilt.
How does Macbeth's character change throughout the play?
Macbeth's character undergoes significant transformation from a noble warrior to a tyrannical ruler. Initially, he is portrayed as a brave and honorable man, but after encountering the witches and succumbing to ambition, he becomes increasingly ruthless and paranoid. His moral decline is marked by a series of violent acts, leading to isolation and madness. By the end of the play, he is a tyrant consumed by fear and guilt, ultimately facing the consequences of his actions.

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