Macbeth, Shakespeare’s play about a Scottish nobleman and his wife who murder their king for his throne, charts the extremes of ambition and guilt. First staged in 1606, Macbeth’s three witches and other dark imagery have entered our collective imagination. Read a character analysis of Macbeth, the plot summary, and important quotes.

Summary

Read the detailed scene-by-scene Summary & Analysis, the Full Play Summary, or the Full Play Analysis of Macbeth.

Characters

See a complete list of the characters in Macbeth and in-depth analyses of Macbeth, Lady Macbeth, the Three Witches, Banquo, Macduff, King Duncan, and Macolm.

Literary Devices

Here's where you'll find analysis of the literary devices in Macbeth, from the major themes to motifs, symbols, and more.

Essays

Get ready to ace your Macbeth paper with our suggested essay topics, helpful essays about historical and literary context, a sample A+ student essay, and more.

Further Study

Go further in your study of Macbeth with background information, movie adaptations, and links to resources around the web.