Macbeth full summary with key quotes | Act 2 & Act 3

Macbeth Act 2 Summary

Act 2 starts in Macbeth's castle. Inside Macbeth's castle, Banquo (Macbeth's buddy) talks with his teenage son named Fleance. Fleance  says there is no moon in the sky. Banquo  adds  there are no stars in the sky. The setting of this scene is a very dark night.

Macbeth joins them. When Banquo says he dreamed of the three witches,  Macbeth answers..."I think not of them"

Act 2, Scene 1, line 22

Well Macbeth is lying.  He's been thinking about the witches nonstop.  Banquo and his son leave to go to sleep. Now, Macbeth sets out to kill the sleeping king. Out of nowhere a bloody dagger appears before Macbeth.  He doesn't know if it's real or just his imagination. 

"Is this a dagger I see before me, the handle towards my hand ?"

Act 2, Scene 1, line 33

The dagger leads the way to room where king Duncan was sleeping.  Macbeth walks past the King Duncan's drugged servants and enters Duncan's room. Macbeth murders King Duncan.

Macbeth Act 2, Scene 2

Lady Macbeth waits for her husband.  She would have killed Duncan herself, but he looked too much like her father. Macbeth arrives bloody and upset.

Macbeth hears an imaginary voice

" Sleep no more
macbeth does murder sleep " 

Act 2, scene 2, line 35- 36

Lady Macbeth sees that Macbeth has brought the bloody daggers from the murder scene.  "Take them back!"   Macbeth refuses.

"I am afraid to think

What I have done"

Act 2, scene 2, line 51

Lady Macbeth grabs the daggers and takes them back to the murder scene. There is someone knocking on the castle entrance. Lady Macbeth's hands are bloody. 

"A little water clear us of this deeds"

Lady Macbeth thinks that after washing the blood off their hands that will be the end of their problems.  

Macbeth says "To know my deeds twere best not know myself"

Act 2, Scene 2 , line 74

He is sorry already that he Killed King Duncan.

Macbeth Act 2 , Scene 3

At the entrance of Macbeth's castle the porter answers the door. He pretends that he is opening the door way to Hell. The man knocking on the door is Macduff, the hero of this play. Macduff has arrived to accompany the king on the day's journey. 

Macbeth leads Macduff to the king's room. Macduff discovers the murder and he wakes everyone up including the king's two sons, Malcolm and Donalbain.

While everyone is confused, Macbeth kills the drugged servants. Macduff informs Malcolm and Donalbain that their father is dead.They decide they should leave quickly. They don't know who the killer is and they could be killed next. Secretly, they leave.

Macbeth Act 2, Scene 4

Minor characters discuss recent events. After the murder of King Duncan, Nature has been thrown into chaos (chaos means everything messed up).

Nature in chaos " It should be light outside, but it is still dark".

Ross says " by th' clock 'tis day

And yet dark night

Triangles the traveling lamp".

Act 2, Scene 4, line 6 and 7.

Duncan's horses

" Turn'd wild in nature"

" they ate each other "

Act 2, Scene 4, line 16-18.

                       

Macduff arrives and shares the latest news. People think that Malcolm and Donalbain hired the two servants to kill their father. Macbeth is going to be crowned as king, but Macduff isn't going to see that. He is going home instead.  

The End of Act 2.   

Macbeth Act 3 Summary

Macbeth and Banquo they were very close friends. They fought together in battles. They know each other very well. Now that Macbeth is king they're suspicious of each other. 

Banquo  says,

"Everything's come true for Macbeth just as the witches said.  He became Thane of Cawdor and then King of Scotland!"

Banquo says, "I think Macbeth did something bad to become king."

Here's the quote :

" I fear thou play'ds

most foully for't "

Act 3, Scene 1, line 2-3.

  Banquo thinks " The witches told me there will be kings in my family. I hope that comes true" .

"What they said to Macbeth came true."

The Macbeths enter and remind Banquo of the feast that evening. Banquo hide his true feelings and is very polite.  Banquo is going to go out for a horse ride during the afternoon with his son, Fleance. Macbeth worries that Banquo knows he had something to do with King Duncan's death.  

Macbeth says " Our fears in Banquo stick deep".

Act 3, Scene 1, line 47-48.

Macbeth is mad that he is the one that did the dirty work of killing King Duncan. According to the witches it's going to be Banquo's children who are going to be kings in the future. So, Macbeth is feeling quite ripped off here.

Macbeth says " For Banquo's issue have

I fil'd my mind ".

Act 3, Scene 1, line 64.

Macbeth meets with two murderers in secret. He has planned how and when they are going to kill his 'good friend' Banquo. Also, Macbeth orders Banquo's son, Fleance, to be killed at the same time! Macbeth doesn't wanted Banquo's children to become kings.

Act 3, Scene 2

Lady Macbeth find Macbeth and wants to know why he's keeping to himself. Lady Macbeth tells him to leave his gloomy thoughts behind.

She says..." What's done is done ".

Act 3, Scene 2, line 12.

Macbeth isn't enjoying being king. He is suspicious of people around him. 

Macbeth says " O full of scorpions is my mind, dear wife!".

Act 2, scene 2, line 36.

What scorpions are in his mind? He's sorry that he killed King Duncan. He can't sleep. He's suspicious of Banquo and becoming suspicious of other people. Those are the scorpions in his mind. Lady Macbeth wants to know, "What's going on?" 

Macbeth says " Be innocent of the knowledge"

Act 3, Scene 2, line 44-45.

So, Macbeth here is starting to act all on his own and leave his wife out of his plans.

Macbeth Act 3, Scene 3

Three murderers wait for Banquo and his son, Fleance. When they are attacked, Banquo knows immediately what's going on and yells to his son . 

Banquo to Fleance " Fly, good Fleance,

fly, fly, fly! "

Act 3, scene 3, line 17.

Banquo is murdered; Fleance escapes and he is never mentioned again in this play. 

Macbeth Act 3, Scene 4.

  The Macbeth are enjoying a banquet. Macbeth is told by one of the murderers that Banquo has been killed and Fleance has escaped. One of the guests invites Macbeth to sit at his table.

 Macbeth says, 

"There are no empty seats." "Yes,  right here is an empty seat." 

Macbeth doesn't see an empty seat. He sees Banquo's ghost, shaking his head his hair is full of blood.  Macbeth freaks out and says to the ghost... 

" never shake thy gory locks at me".Act 3, scene 4, line 49-50.

Guests can't see the ghost and they wonder why Macbeth is yelling at the air. Lady Macbeth thinks fast and lies to the group. "Oh Macbeth always has these fits. Don't worry about it!"

Then she grabs Macbeth trying to calm him down. Macbeth does calm down. The banquet continues and Macbeth makes a toast to Banquo who still hasn't arrived at the party. Banquo's ghost comes back and Macbeth freaks out again! The ghost disappears.

Lady Macbeth orders all the guests to leave.  She wants them to leave before Macbeth says something he shouldn't say. Macbeth is alone with his wife.  His thoughts turn to Macduff. Macduff hasn't been hanging around in the court. He's been off on his own and this disturbs Macbeth. Does it mean he's not loyal? 

" macbeth denies his person at our great bidding".

Act 3, scene 4, line 128-129.

A metaphor alert :

Macbeth compares his situation to wading through blood.

  Macbeth is comparing his murderous life to walking in blood. So, if you think of a river of blood that will help you out. Macbeth says he's stepping in blood so deeply, by killing people, that returning to where he started from would be just as tedious(boring) as moving forward and continuing to kill people. 

Quote : " I am in blood stepp'd in so far that , should I wade no more, Returning were as tedious as go o'ver."

Act 3, scene 4, line 135-138

This is very different from the Macbeth at the beginning of the play who really wanted to be king.

Macbeth Act 3, Scene 5

This scene wasn't written by Shakespeare. It features witches so I'm just going to skip it because there are no major plot developments in this scene.

Macbeth Act 3, Scene 6

Minor characters are discussing recent events. Two men agree that things are strange! So, from this scene we know that people around Scotland are talking about these strange event even though they don't accuse Macbeth directly. In this scene, we learn some new information.

 Remember when King Duncan was murdered and his sons ran away without telling anyone where they were going? Now we Hear that Duncan's oldest son, Malcolm, is now living in the English court (with the English king ).

  Macduff, the hero of the play has also travelled to England to try and get together an English army to come back and defeat Macbeth.

The End of Act 2 & Act 3