William SHAKESPEARE: M A C B E T H.

Main characters:
 Duncan – the king of Scotland
 Malcolm and Donalbain – his sons
 Macbeth – Thane of Glamis and Cawdor, later king of Scotland
 Lady Macbeth – his wife
 Banquo – Thane of Scotland
 Fleance – his son
 Macduff and Ross – Thanes of Scotland

Plot:

The Scotland is in war with Norway. The Thane of Cawdor has been assisting Norway in this conflict, so Duncan command to kill him. He appoint Macbeth to be the new Thane of Cawdor because he was doing well in the battle. But Macbeth doesn´t know it. He is surprised when three witches appear and greet him like Thane of Glamis (that is what he is in the moment), Thane of Cawdor and the future king. Stay, you imperfect speakers! Tell me more!
By Sinell´s death I know I am Thane of Glamis;
But how of Cawdor? The Thane of Cawdor lives
A prosperous gentleman. And to be king
Stands not within the prospect of belief –
No more than to be Cawdor. Say from whence
You owe this strange intelligence, or why
Upon this blasted heath you stop our way
With such prophetic greeting? Speak, I charge you
Macbeth do not understand it, but when he meet Ross and Angus and they tell him what happened he say: “Whatever is going to happen, will happen inevitably. After that they all meet king Duncan. He established his son Malcol for the future king. Macbeth is disappointed because he thinks that he should be the new king, like the three witches said. That is a step
On which I must fall down, or else o´erleap,
For in my way it lies. Stars, hide your fires,
Let not light see my black and deep desires.
The eye wink at the hand; yet let that be
Which the eye fears, when it is done, to see.
After that king Duncan receives the offer to spend the night at the castle of Macbeth and Macbeth starts to thinking about assassination. But he is really confused and can not decide what he shall do.
He´s here in double trust:
First, as I am his kinsman and his subject,
Strong both against the deed; then, as his host,
Who should against his murderer shut the door,
Not bear the knife myself.
His wife wants him to be the king, so she advises him to do this crime. And after this Macbeth decided to murder Duncan, the king of Scotland. And so he did. He murders Duncan with a dagger. But suddenly he has a guilty conscience.