Here is the summary of an extremely popular story "Macbeth".
The play opens with Macbeth and Banquo, two of the Scottish
King
Duncan''s generals returning from battle when they encounter three
witches in the woods. The witches tell Macbeth of how he will become
the Thane of Cawdor and then the King of Scotland. For Banquo, they
prophesize that he will beget the line of Scottish Kings, though he
will never become king himself. The two are sufficiently skeptical and
continue their journey home. However, when the two come closer to the encampment, they are
presented with a messenger from King Duncan who announces that Macbeth
has been made the Thane of Cawdor,
immediately putting the prophecy
into perspective, making Macbeth wonder how he might become king. He
invites Duncan to dine at his
castle that evening and goes ahead to
tell his wife of the day''s events. Unlike Macbeth, Lady Macbeth is very sure of her
husband''s future, desiring the throne and telling him that they
must murder Duncan to ensure his ascension. Immediately upon returning
to his castle, Lady Macbeth is able to convince her husband to take
initiative and murder Duncan that very night.
The two plan to get Duncan''s chamberlains drunk enough
that they will not remember the evening and blame them for the murder.
When the body of Duncan is discovered in the morning, Macbeth quickly
kills the culprits and assumes the kingship. All the while,
Duncan''s sons flee the country, afraid for their own lives.
Immediately, Macbeth''s misgivings and trust in the
prophecies force his hand in the murder of Banquo and his son Fleance
as well, afraid that his heirs will seize the throne. Successfully
killing Banquo, the murderers fail to kill Fleance.
The night of his murder, Banquo''s ghost appears to Macbeth
and sends him into hysteria, scaring his guests and angering his wife.
His very presence as the king of Scotland has angered the other nobles
and further incites Macbeth''s misgivings and paranoia. To ease his fears, he visits the witches again and they offer
to him more prophecies. He must beware of Macduff, a chief opponent to
Macbeth taking the throne. He cannot be harmed by any man born of woman
and he is safe until Birnam Wood comes to Dunsinane Castle. He returns
home and finds that Macduff has fled to England to join Malcom. In
fear, Macbeth seizes Macduff''s castle and orders the murder of his
wife and children, inciting Macduff to further rage. With Malcom, the
two raise an army and ride to Scotland to take on Macbeth with the
support of the Scottish nobles who fear Macbeth''s tyranny and
murderous ways. While Macbeth awaits his opponents, Lady Macbeth is in the
process of going mad, unable to wash the blood from her hands. The news
of her suicide reaches Macbeth directly before the arrival of the
English forces and sends him into an even deeper despair. He awaits
confidently as the prophecy foretold his invulnerability. However,
Macduff''s forces arrive under the cover of boughs cut from Birnam
wood. When Macbeth is finally confronted by Macduff after his forces
have been overwhelmed, Macduff announces that he was ripped from
his mother''s womb not born and ultimately defeats and
beheads Macbeth, handing the crown back to Malcolm, the rightful heir.