Act 5- Scene Summaries

Scene 1:

Characters: Lady Macbeth, Doctor, Gentlewoman

Location: A room in Dunsinane

Events:  A doctor and a gentlewoman discuss Lady Macbeth’s sleepwalking that has begun after Macbeth left to go to war.  Lady Macbeth enters, in a trance. She holds a candle and her eyes are open but do now see. She rubs her hands as if washing them of blood and says ‘ Yet here’s a spot, out damned spot”.  She seems to be reliving the night that Duncan was murdered, and she washes her hands of his blood. She cannot get the stain or smell of blood gone. Lady Macbeth exits and the doctor and woman agree to not speak of what they have heard or seen. She talks to imaginary ‘Macbeth’ and says that he should not look frightened because Banquo is dead and cannot leave is grave. This information that Lady Macbeth has spilled is very incriminating towards her and Macbeth, it basically tells the doctor that they killed Banquo.

Important Quotes:

Lady Macbeth- Out, damned spot! Out, I say!—One, two. Why, then, ’tis time to do ’t. Hell is murky!—Fie, my lord, fie! A soldier, and afeard? What need we fear who knows it, when none can call our power to account?—Yet who would have thought the old man to have had so much blood in him.

“The Thane of Fife had a wife. Where is she now?—What, will these hands ne’er be clean?—No more o’ that, my lord, no more o’ that. You mar all with this starting”

“Wash your hands. Put on your nightgown. Don’t look so frightened. I tell you again, Banquo is buried. He cannot come out of his grave.”

This act of Lady Macbeth desperately trying to wash off Duncan’s blood in her sleep is similar to Macbeth’s actions after he killed Duncan. He thought the whole sea couldn’t wash off the blood.  The two have both had a moment where they realize their actions can never be undone/forgiven. Their sins will stay with them forever and stain their hands. 

Scene 2: 

Characters: Menteith, Angus, Caithness, Lenox

Location: Country near Dunsinane

Events:  The 4 thanes march to Birnam wood with their soldiers to meet Malcolm who is leading the English army toward Scotland to fight Macbeth and take the throne back. They speak of rumors are Macbeth is mad and his army is fighting in fear, not in loyalty to him, I think because his mental state is worsening, he’s making rash reckless decisions. The thanes decide to purge Scotland of Macbeth’s sickness like he is a disease.

Important Quotes: 

Angus- ” Now does he feel, His secret murders sticking on his hands; Now minutely revolts upbraid his faith-breach: Those he commands move only in command, Nothing in love: now does he feel his title, Hang loose about him, like a giants robe upon a dwarfish body”

To me, this quote means that Macbeth is feeling the heaviness of his murders and his followers are revolting against him and rebelling because he is craaaaazzyyyyyyyyyyy. 

Scene 3:

Characters:  Macbeth, Doctors, Attendants

Location:  A room inside Dunsinane castle

Events:   In this scene, Macbeth is so full of himself that he refuses to hear any more reports on the upcoming battle because he is so sure that he will not and can not be harmed because no man of woman borne can kill him, and Birnam wood has not come to Dunsinane. He hears that Malcolm’s army has 10,000  soldiers and he prepares to fight until the flesh is hacked off his bones.

Important Quotes: 

Scene 4:

Characters:

Events:

Quotes:

Scene 5:

 

 

 

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *