Macbeth full summary with key quotes | Act 5

 

Macbeth Act 5 Summary

 Setting :Lady Macbeth's Bedroom, Dunsinane Castle.

Here are two new characters: a doctor and a gentlewoman who is Lady Macbeth's assistant. The gentlewoman has seen Lady Macbeth sleepwalking. She got out of bed, wrote a letter and then went back to bed. All the while, she was asleep!

 The doctor wants to know what Lady Macbeth said, but the gentlewoman won't tell him. She's overheard something she shouldn't know. The gentlewoman wants the doctor to hear for himself. Here's Lady Macbeth. She's sleepwalking. She looks like she's washing her hands.   

She says " Out damn'd spot!

                  Out I say!"

    Act 5, scene 1, line 35

There isn't any real blood on her hands, but she acts as if she can't wash her hands clean from blood.

 Then the sleepwalking Lady Macbeth says, "Who would have thought the old man to have had so much blood in him?"

Act 5, scene 1, line 39-40

She is still sleepwalking. She smells her hands and says..." Here's the smell of blood still. All the perfumes of Arabia will not sweeten this little hand".

Act 5, scene 1, line 50-51.

She imagines that even if she tried to cover up the blood smell with perfume, it would not work. This next quote is famous.   

Lady Macbeth says.." what's done cannot be undone "

Act 5, scene 1, line 68.

The doctor says that Lady Macbeth needs God more than medicine. Her problems are not physical, but spiritual and moral because she is involved with murder somehow. He tells the gentlewoman to take away anything that Lady Macbeth could use to kill herself.

Macbeth Act 5, Scene 2

Setting : The Scottish countryside

A group of Scottish soldiers are marching toward Macbeth's castle at Dunsinane Hill. They talk about who is arriving from England to help defeat Macbeth: Malcolm, the Prince of Cumberland, King Duncans' son, there is Malcolm's Uncle,  Old Siward, and Young Siward, his son and Macduff.

The Scottish soldiers hope to meet up with the English forces at a forest called Birnam Wood. Do you remember when the witches showed Macbeth some apparitions? The third apparition was of a child wearing a crown and holding a tree in his hand.

He told Macbeth,  "You will never be defeated until Birnam Wood moves up to Dunsinane Castle." Here's that important quote again.

   Macbeth shall never Vanquish'ed be until great Birnam wood to high Dunsinane Hill shall come against him "Act 4, scene 1, line 92-93

  The soldiers about Macbeth calling him the tyrant ( A tyrant is cruel leader) .

Macbeth Act 5, scene 3

Setting : Macbeth's castle, Dunsinane Hill.

Here is Seyton, Macbeth's servant. He has nothing to do with Satan, the devil. He has an unfortunate name and an unfortunate boss. Many of Macbeth's soldiers are deserting him. He doesn't want to hear about them.

Macbeth beliefs 100% in witches' prophecies. He is confident that no one will defeat him. He quotes what the witches told him. Macbeth says.." Till Birnam Wood remove to DunsinaneI cannot taint ( be infected ) with fear ".Act 5, scene 3, line 2-3

    A servant arrives with some news.10,000 English soldiers are approaching. Macbeth calls for his armour. He wants to put it on, even though it's too early to get ready for the actual battle.  Macbeth has been a warrior all his life and he will feel more prepared wearing his armour. He is ready to die fighting.

Macbeth says...." I'll fight till from my bones my flesh be hack'ed".Act 5, scene 3, line 32

  Macbeth ask the doctor for an update on Lady Macbeth's health. The doctor says that Lady Macbeth is suffering from hallucinations. Macbeth Macbeth orders the doctor to cure his wife andalso to cure the land, Scotland, of its disease.

   The doctor is glad to be leaving the castle and says he will not return for any amount of money.

Macbeth Act 5, scene 4

Setting : Country near Birnam wood.

Malcolm, Macduff and the English soldiers have joined forces with the Scottish soldiers. Malcolm tells every soldier to cut down a tree branch in the forest of Birnam Wood, hold it in front of themself and by this method, thesoldiers still in Macbeth's castle will not be able to clearly know the numberof attacking English and Scottish soldiers.

Macbeth Act 5 , scene 5

Setting : Dunsinane Castle

Macbeth says the castle walls are very strong and that attackers will not get in and they'll have to starve to death outside the castle walls. Suddenly the cries of women are heard.

Macbeth says...." I have almost forgot the taste of fears ".Act 5, scene 5, line 9.

   Macbeth has forgotten what dreadful things are like. He used to be afraid of a shriek in the night or a ghost story.    

Macbeth says..."  I have supp' ed full with horrors; Direness,

Meaning: I have eaten or experienced so many real horrors. 

" Familiar to my slaughterous thoughts,cannot once stop me "

Act 5, scene 5, line 12-14.

Meaning : I am used to horrible events,so nothing startles me anymore.

Macbeth is told that his wife is dead. The play doesn't say how she died. It's implied that she jumped to her death.  

Macbeth says..." She should have died hereafter".Act 5, scene 5, line 17

There are two possible meanings here. She should have had a longer life, but also we're getting ready for battle and so I can't properly mourned for her.

Macbeth pauses from preparing for theattack with one of his most famous speeches. He says tomorrow and  all tomorrow's lead to the end of time. He compares life to a series of four images. Macbeth compares dying to a candle losing its flame.

Macbeth compares..." a candle that is lit short time and then is blown outOut, out, brief candle! "

Then macbeth compares life by a walking shadow.." life's but a walking shadow "

Macbeth compares life to a poor actor who performs on the stage for an hour and then you don't hear anything about him.    

" a poor player ( actor),
That struts and frets his hour upon the stage, And then is heard no more "
He says..." It is a tale
Told by an idiot, full of sound and fury
signifying nothing"

The theme of this speech is that life is meaningless.

Act 5, scene 5, line 18-27

     A messenger  arrives and says that he saw the forest of Birnam Wood moving toward the castle. Macbeth begins to doubt the prophecies. He orders his soldiers to fight outside the castle.   He says at least we will die with armour on our backs.

Macbeth Act 5, scene 6

Setting : Outside Dunsinane Castle.

Malcolm, the Siwards  and Macduff lead the army to Macbeth's castle. Malcolm orders all the soldiers to drop the tree branches as they're close to the castle.   Malcolm announces that the Siwards are going to lead the first attack.

Macbeth Act 5, Scene 7.

Macbeth is confronted by Young Siward. Macbeth kills the young warrior and say...

" You were born from a women "
, Macbeth is still hanging onto the witches' prophecies. 

Macduff doesn't want to fight ordinary soldiers. He says the ghosts of his family will haunt him if he doesn't kill Macbeth.

Macbeth Act 5, Scene 8.

Setting : Outside Dunsinane

Macduff catches up to Macbeth. Macbeth says he doesn't want to see Macduff because he already killed Macduff's family. Macduff continues to be a man of few words.

Macduff says..." I have no wordsMy voice is in my sword "Act 5, scene 8, line 7

Macbeth says..." I bear a charmed life,Which must not yield to one of women born ".Act 5, scene 8, line 12-13.

  Macduff has news for him.

He says..." Macduff was from his mother's womb, untimely ripp'd "Act 5, scene 8, line 15.

 What does that mean?

Macduff's mother had a Cesarean birth. He was cut out of his mother's womb.

Macduff kills macbeth off stage.

Old Siward is told that his son was killed by Macbeth. The old man is sad, but  content that his son died a soldier's death.

Macduff enters carrying Macbeth's head and says that Malcolm is the new King of Scotland. 

Macduff says..." Hail, king! For so thou art " Act 5, scene 9, line 19.

Malcolm grants everyone who fought a new royal title. He invites everyone to Scone, the ancient place where kings of Scotland are officially crowned. This concludes the Tragedy of Macbeth by William Shakespeare.  

The End of the play Macbeth by William Shakespeare.