Video SparkNotes: Shakespeare's Macbeth summary

Check out Shakespeare's Macbeth Video SparkNote: Quick and easy Macbeth synopsis, analysis, and discussion of major characters and themes in the play. For more Macbeth resources, go to www.sparknotes.com/shakespeare/macbeth. For a translation of the entire play into modern English, go to No Fear Shakespeare at nfs.sparknotes.com/macbeth/.

[@Sykikbiohazrd]

I thought it was funny how Macbeth really believed that he couldn't be killed by anyone born from a woman..... That C-Section caught him off-guard though, haha! :D

[@AyushSharma-xr5le]

yeah, apparently C section turns women into men

[@johnmartinez8041]

when they say born of woman they mean out of the vagina

[@user-hb9bf3kn3n]

Alpha AI Core the opposite actually, there were no female actors

[@aabe1189]

That means I'd be able to kill Macbeth as well, lul.

[@edra2005]

I thought the witches said "no man born from a woman" which at first i thought it was going to be a woman that kills Macbeth

[@AGJ117]

Macbeth: *Freaks out over killing King Duncan.* Lady Macbeth: "Get over it, you pansy!" Macbeth: *Freaks out over seeing Banquio's ghost.* Lady Macbeth: "Suck it up, buttercup!" Lady Macbeth: *Kills herself after having a sleepwalking nightmare.* Macbeth: "Welp, that's life...."

[@dude9318]

Lady Macbeth was worse than Macbeth

[@coolmanpantsman]

@@dude9318 key word 'was'

[@parkout95]

U just saved 2 weeks of confusing reading into 10 min lol

[@creamcheese1048]

Why don't you read it and one day you'll be capable of critical thinking.

[@HYKANTUS]

Cream Cheese my test is day after tmrw

[@DiscoLizzard]

@@creamcheese1048 shut up nerd

[@SomeonerapsTV]

Anybody else got a test for this coming up? haha

[@technoturkey5528]

SomeonerapsTV yep. Tommorow

[@brandonballinger9682]

Yep

[@kirstensee6459]

SomeonerapsTV hahah yeah and i thought i was alone having an exam on monday!

[@EvLvXConFlicTX]

SomeonerapsTV Tommoz

[@Two6784]

Homework actually lol

[@mesomeone8684]

I think I'm the only one just here watching this for fun and not for class. 32 yrs old and been out of school for a while. But I keep coming come back to this. Hey I am high-key cheering for all of you, I hope you pass with flying colors!! This is gold.

[@_alicia__]

"What, you egg?" *_stabs him_*

[@makandcheese7086]

my teacher read that part in class and i spit out my water

[@randomrosa1116]

Do you understand the insult though!? 😂

[@oliverslicey]

@@randomrosa1116 no what does it mean 😂

[@randomrosa1116]

@@oliverslicey By calling someone an egg you’re calling them immature. It like the equivalent of saying “you’re such a baby” except using the chicken’s baby (egg) as an insult. Whenever this line came out, the scene was McDuff’s younger son told Macbeth what to do and Macbeth didn’t like that cause he took it as disrespect since he is a man and the son is a young boy so he raged said “What, you egg?🤨” and then stabs him.

[@omarmagdi2732]

I couldn't have thought that the old man have had so much blood in him

[@smidgen]

lmao writing my macbeth essay without reading any of it, let's see how this goes

[@SamHayHorn]

Same dude lol

[@leslie7872]

Hey 😚 can y'all send me your essays??? My email is [e-mail] Thank you so much. I haven't read the. Boon either and my essay is due on Tuesday. Help me out pls!!!! 😇😇😇

[@stefanristicmovies]

hj hfj do it yourself

[@doniellejohnson3251]

Have to write a macbeth essay for my English exam tmrw but idk anything 💀💀

[@anthonyt7383]

midge EXACTLY ME ROGHT NOW

[@DoctorWho3311]

SparkNotes is the only way I'll pass year 10 english

[@chrisyue]

It's called 10th grade not year 10

[@AlMashihAdDajjal]

Christopher Yue Damn, Yue. Just got rekt, son.

[@DoctorWho3311]

Pedro Sepulveda The US definitely influences many aspects of culture around the world, but the world does not revolve around a country that is too occupied with themselves and putting down other countries that pose as a threat to them. It is impossible to simply 'bomb' someone back to the stone age, but maybe us Europeans can 'bomb' the close minded Americans that cannot seem to look past their own arrogance, such as yourself, to Europe. Perhaps you will learn a thing or two about culture and world history. Although, when you arrive my main concern would have to be your manners.

[@lachlanlangmead6689]

Pedro Sepulveda You sound like a mexican, shut up

[@Cheeeeeezz]

IWrite EKTOE Shhhhh

[@laxisque]

Grade 11 literature exam tomorrow.. Thanks for this!

[@somerando79]

yo same

[@MrsDirectioner777]

Duuude same

[@Taylor-mi6ou]

I have mine tomorrow

[@tessadeighton4034]

mines tomorrow too lmao

[@stevenbenji5166]

+Taylor Ball-Myderwyk How'd it go?

[@redskittlez12]

when your too lazy to read sparknotes lmao

[@MrsDirectioner777]

Omg literally 😂😂😂

[@ieatass4226]

yup

[@superhacker35]

We are taking procrastination to a whole new level

[@user-yn1eb6ug5i]

Or spell you're

[@aquagreengaming9938]

When your too lazy to read the book or the notes

[@franzchick66]

didn't know C-sections existed back then.

[@jubi0622]

yeah it dates back to ancient greece when they did it for Julius Caesar, hence calling it the Caesarian Section. Wow I guess i DID listen in history class, unlike in english which is why im here O_o

[@jodu626]

Julia H they existed but mothers wouldn’t survive it

[@aquagreengaming9938]

My english teacher told us it wasnt a c section. He was ripped from his mothers womb which means his mom was killed as he was removed

[@jodu626]

AquaGreen Gaming she was wrong. Ripped from the womb “untimely”. C section

[@fionagao8364]

@@aquagreengaming9938 ya you see, this is what's wrong with the world. Why do women have to go thru this shit. Like being pregnant was hard enough and being discriminated for being a women back then and that back then giving birth either by having a c-sections or give birth naturally, they had a high chance of dying. Like come on, can this world be more unfair.

[@Ascorbicon]

"MacBeth isn't used to murder" Did he not fight and murder in the battle at the beginning?! What is this hypocrisy?

[@helioskitty9328]

+Marco Antonio Islas Fighting in a battle is not the same as murdering somebody in cold blood.

[@Ascorbicon]

+HeliosKitty Murder is murder isn't it? I can respect the fact that perhaps it is different from our time when war was "honorable" but still, isn't that something to consider?

[@helioskitty9328]

Marco Antonio Islas I can't speak with complete authority on this, since I've only been in one potentially lethal situation and I was fighting in self-defense rather than as an aggressor or a mutually aggressive party, but what I gathered from that event and my understanding of human psychology is that killing somebody would be massively easier to handle when you know that person is themselves trying to kill you. Killing somebody on a battlefield is possible to justify to yourself, especially if you're on the defender's side (though that's a whole 'nother discussion); most people would have a harder time self-justifying killing a defenseless person in their sleep. (An innocent, no less; you can assume most soldiers are at least as guilty as yourself of killing other people.)

[@litmus7325]

Difference between killing a bad guy and killing your leader

[@Amanrajput-nn3yr]

I was thinking the same

[@iamspikefire]

Helped me study for an English test on Macbeth, thanks! :D

[@kartikjain3195]

+Alex Van Aert mee too...I have to write an essay tomorrow xD

[@XxJaimeSGxX]

+Kartik For tomorrow? God damn, dude. I have to write an essay within the next hour and I have no idea what is Macbeth about! PLS HELP ME

[@PEAXTstudios]

+XxJaimeSGxX Dude i have to write an essay in ten minutes, pls send halp.

[@edwardng1496]

I read Macbeth 60 years ago! It took this to make me understand. Thanks.

[@greatsea]

Macbeth captures the essence of doing evil in a dream where it is strange to you that you are doing such things and yet you are clearly doing them.

[@Ghostgal4]

I absolutely love Shakespeare's plays, but I often have trouble understanding them when I read them. Thank God for Sparknotes!

[@courtneymessina1708]

why is it that Shakespeare's plays are so emphasized in public schools while there are many other good old English and earlier-century writers? Am I wrong?

[@katievigunas2497]

because shakespeare is legit a genius lol and the themes are still relevant to today

[@janeswurld]

Can you suggest some please id love to get som recommendations :)

[@andrewlankford9634]

Why do public schools spend so much time "emphasizing", no matter what the curriculum?

[@omarmagdi2732]

Well Macbeth Is still cool though I just dislike the old English thing and I prefer the modern translation

[@MrBear-cq6to]

Yeah I’m getting tired of reading Shakespeare luckily we got to read a new book for once Ethan frome

[@sophienachbaur6516]

As a german who has to read shakespeare in their english class I'm pretty relieved to see that native speakers have their troubles with understanding shakespeares language as well... :D Ugh he uses so many weird metaphors ^^

[@modedealer8155]

So do you

[@jodiehawkes04]

Me: *writing my GCSE literature exam tomorrow morning* “Well I guess I better find some way to at least have an idea on what to talk about” *finds this video* “Perfect”

[@TheFGnat]

All you teenies here complaining about how this is boring shit, think of it like THIS: stories like Hamlet or Macbeth are pretty much early versions of Game of Thrones. You may not have noticed but Shakespeare's really good at gory powerplays mixed with epic battles and sex. Now that doesn't sound boring. ;) Another thing: DO NOT READ SHAKESPEARE! *WATCH* it! You wouldn't read a movie's screenplay, would you? This is the same. Find a good adaptation, watch it, THEN read the play. That's how I came to love Shakespeare. BTW: there's a new adaptation of Macbeth coming out with Micheal Fassbender. *Look it up!* It looks good and should apeal to a younger audience as well.

[@Fattimithy]

+TheFGnat Good point here. Im going to watch it tonight, wanted to brush up on my knowledge first.

[@oganesson2620]

"You wouldn't read a movie's screenplay, would you?" Most teens are willing to read the Bee Movie script continuously.

[@TheJoker137]

Also watch it live! There are some great film adaptations (Brannaugh's "Hamlet", Finnes' "Coriolanus", Tennant's "Hamlet", and Patrick Stewart's recent "Macbeth") but ultimately these are still plays and meant to be witnessed live. There's a lot of bad Shakespeare out there but you can still find the good stuff. Look around your city and region and see what theatre companies there are and get a ticket!

[@snowyyzoe]

Actually really enjoyed the play, plus we got to act out parts in English class which was great

[@carloshernandez81794]

I disagree, in order to love Shakespeare, you have to immerse yourself in the text. Watch yhe play after because when you read without watching anything, you allow your imagination to take place and imagine the scenes. Then you can watch a play on whichever story you prefer.

[@Amanrajput-nn3yr]

Two things you have forgotten about how lady Macbeth just " ask the evil spirits to unsex her " And how Macbeth suspicious of everyone describes as he has scorpion all over his mind ..

[@chidike9424]

this guy missed out some parts that are asked about in exams for example when Lady Macbeth has a soliloquy on having her feminity taken out of her so she can commit the evil act of helping Macbeth kill Duncan

[@takasec4946]

Unsex me here. And fill me from the crown to toe. Top full of direst cruelty!

[@TheFishyboii118]

Much quicker than the book ;) saved me a lot of time.

[@Maji1]

Macbeth: hahaha No one born from a woman can kill me!! Macduff: I was born from the C-Section lol

[@NnoKu90]

*sobs bc I have no idea what's going on*

[@Avetho]

I have to do a compressed exam to jump from college level English to university level, likewise with chemistry. I need shortcuts, more like accelerated info gathering, and I wasn't going to waste 1 hour 50 to watch the play, or use about 3 hours to rapidly skim the content of the grade 11 chemistry course. Wish me luck everybody!

[@gorantheboss926]

got the test today, God Bless this Video, wish me luck

[@yixil7416]

Good luck I got a test coming as well

[@anowlateme]

I saw my school production of this play today, it was absolutely incredible! The witches were my favorite characters.

[@BecksBunnies]

In year 11. I have an exam on Macbeth on the 1st of June. Thanks for this! It really helped

[@justanotherarmy4404]

When you're trying to figure out Macbeth over a zoom meeting. Happy 2020/2021😭

[@louisbradbury2347]

im reading this 1 day before my macbeth exam :/

[@zainabjagani2247]

Louis Bradbury how was it n what was it about it

[@anotherone3284]

@@zainabjagani2247 yeah

[@leya73]

Lol same. We call it english paper 2

[@Leandro-ik2lx]

How did it went?

[@minabozorgian7325]

I have a presentation about it on Tuesday, dear Shakespeare please be there for me. 😁

[@skink04]

Currently watching this when I have an hour until my year 12 EA exam. haven't read the book yet! wish me luck :P

[@sabrinahaque9681]

In the end, Duncan's son Malcolm became king. So were the witches lying when they said that Banquo's sons were going to be kings?

[@coreyscott7296]

Banquo's son, i think his name was Fleance or something, escapes the assassins. I believe this means that he flee'd to another country and his descendants became kings there.

[@JinWeiSeeToh]

In real life, this is quoted from Wikipedia page on Fleance. "His later descendants gain the throne and begin the Stuart line of kings in England. James I, who was king during the writing of Macbeth, was a descendant of the Stuart line of Scottish kings." In the play, most probably, this is quoted from SparkNotes, "Fleance’s whereabouts are unknown. Presumably, he may come to rule Scotland, fulfilling the witches’ prophecy that Banquo’s sons will sit on the Scottish throne."

[@masoomehabdolahzadeh7897]

we study these dramas in our university classes and i love this. i think those who are complaining about these they don't know what is literature and its value. i hope everybody care about world literature

[@ragi6505]

yeah

[@mollierutty3975]

Anyone else got an English lit exam on Monday 😂😂

[@joyjerryodjugo5001]

Mollie Rutty jhk

[@peachygig]

🙋brit lit on monday (tomorrow)

[@komun225]

Literally today😂

[@Zayedjazzar]

thursday, but its an analysis exam

[@GoCaptainBaconOne]

Next week

[@jessicas.2373]

watching because Macbeth is the hardest thing to read and ive fallen asleep reading it. love the story, and this really helps. thanks!

[@tsniebeling]

Macbeth is totally confused.

[@Harambae613]

@Jcy434 according to legend, the real Banquo's son marries into a promenient family in Scotland, which then marries into the Scottish royal family. Their descendant, King James I, also becomes king of not only Scotland, Britain as well. So the modern Royal Family is techincally descendants of Banquo.

[@cristianorover5261]

Best summary ever. wonder how did u blend all the acts into one whole so perfectly

[@VampirezZ4]

This is the only website carrying me through English

[@johnchin1865]

five minutes before the test,thank you!

[@tristanferdinand1047]

I don’t get how we have to read this. It is a play from like 400 years ago. What relevance does it hold

[@stijndbr]

seriously, you guys are gonna save me for tomorrows test

[@pyromaanit]

anywhere else in my country they dont go macbeth through almost at all but HERE we have to even do a video drama about it and have quizzez on it EVERY week.. thank you sparknotes, even though i read the whole thing i didnt understand a word.. i'm saved ToT!!

[@arberielajqi2046]

These videos are great summaries but if you don’t read the plays you’re missing out on a lot of great dialogue/monologue.

[@emmahachey7208]

Got a essay to write in a few hours🙏🙏thank god for summary videos

[@alexanderwood4379]

In grade 11 and have an exam in 2 hours

[@coolkidsahib]

3 hours

[@kurttheking5582]

3 hours

[@ethanpoole4656]

less than one

[@XxEdWyatt353xX]

got an exam in 15 minutes (year 10)

[@jenniahgaudette-stephenson3741]

i have this video on replay while im doing the test online

[@GhostPlanetFilms]

In the manga of Osamu Tezuka, his character Rock developed a Macbeth-esque characteristic. When he turns bad, Rock is renamed "Rockuro Makube;" 'Makube' meaning 'Macbeth.'

[@talkingpoints8020]

Ten years and still no one gives a fuck

[@edwhitehouse4155]

Just saved me about 2 weeks of non-stop reading!

[@nicoleivanov9531]

Thanks to sparknotes - I can party AND do my homework! Thanks Sparknotes!! XD

[@nicoleivanov9531]

yo it was ajoke chill

[@nicoleivanov9531]

WHAT DID I SAY

[@iwriteektoe6865]

You said everything just leave

[@nimaehsani2046]

+IWrite EKTOE damn looks like you need to learn how to chill

[@dom_g3765]

Lol ignore them.. They're just retarded.. And take everything seriously.. And too far

[@pinkbean22]

Now I get it! I had to go to the play and spent two hours of my life staring blankly it!

[@tessawhitaker8562]

Haha! I'm here to study for my role as one of the witches. But I recommend it to any one planning on seeing it.

[@abbasrufaei4612]

Who is watching it because u gonna have a test😭😭

[@tessadeighton4034]

my grade 11 exam is in 12 hours lmao thanks for the vid

[@Forest9528]

So yeah I have an exam on this in exactly 10 hours so thanks for this blessing from the lord

[@4ypno]

this is for my online work ffs

[@gabrieldo440]

In 8th grade, this helped me to study for my test about Macbeth tomorrow.

[@ethanl886]

I have one tomorrow too haha

[@lonley2222]

i can`t believe i was reading this novel for three days instead of this helpful video : (

[@CarterKench]

1.1 million views? more like 1.1 million students that are too lazy to read so they put it off until the night before and watch this video to make up for it.

[@DGsa1661]

I wish I had these videos when I was in college 😅

[@TadCornell]

I take great issue with some of the ways this guy explains Macbeth. It's a bit misleading.

[@edra2005]

If Malcolm is crowned king at the end of the play, how do Banquo's descendants eventually become king?

[@tau2791]

yup this is a good video for when you just don't have any time left before a lit exam...

[@zainabjagani2247]

Tausiqul Iraj how was it n what came

[@amelia-qo2fi]

english lit gcse tomorrow, wish me luck! xx

[@heartsandhauls]

I LOVE YOU VIDEO SPARKNOTES

[@VCAndrewsForever]

Why is everyone complaining about what grade they are? This stuff is easy. I'm in 11th grade and got 100's on all the tests I had to take. I love this video, thank you for uploading it!

[@lzbyth]

i'm going to miss my right ear

[@BekkiBoo2002]

Im sorry for u

[@Leandro-ik2lx]

⚰️➡️👂😞

[@amritasingharay3095]

It's wonderful how the video was made 11years ago and still it's great 👍😃

[@dangoodwinsupercars]

DAMN ASSESMENT ON MONDAY ! create notes ? more like spark notes ohhhhhhh

[@punkinnugget]

Macbeth and Lady Macbeth have a sort of role reversal from the beginning and end. At the beginning, he is not sure about killing and she is gung-ho about it. In the end, she has gone crazy while he is on a killing rampage. Just thought that was interesting.

[@swachithataduru8665]

Macbeth is McBoring

[@theowodepot7992]

LMAO

[@sirapfifita]

I'm writing an essay on this tomorrow FML!!!!!

[@akilakavisinghe7189]

This actually reminds me of Death Note A LOT

[@Mikachu2407]

im 2 years late lmao, but I will ask anyway. How does this remind you of Death Note? Light Yagami and Macbeth dont have the same intentions at all. Light believes his killing is justice and Macbeth just wants power. Light doesnt regret a thing and Macbeth is haunted by it

[@maxassasin911]

Took my class about 4 months, yet it took me about about 5 hours with the proper translation on spark notes. Kids these days have literally no attention spans that's why we are going to have an inflation on fry cooks in the next 4 years.

[@steadyeddie8076]

my right ear enjoyed this

[@amazinhaydz2032]

Nice animation and summary!

[@fahad025]

exam tmro

[@tunnelvision7906]

that's _x_Fahadi Yh I’m so done man srsly

[@HyaenusDominae]

Macbeth is probably my favorite of Shakespeare's plays.

[@Wajoodify]

this shit is so boring at class.I sleep everytime,even every damn scene is a whole story itself smh.

[@valmercado4682]

+melvi c LMAOOO RIGHT???

[@fnaffan1559]

wejdan not me and almost everyone in the class cried when Mcduff's family is killed

[@lopinjop]

6 days of class-room reading condensed into 9 minutes. Very nice.

[@FixTheFoxOfficial]

12 yrs later... r u alive?

[@lopinjop]

@@FixTheFoxOfficial indeed i am

[@FixTheFoxOfficial]

@@lopinjop outstanding

[@budddwyer7829]

Senpai Macbeth? 5:16 SSEENNPPPAAAIIII!!!!

[@TheSymphisis]

Marionne Dj LOOOOL

[@granttrashman5466]

Only a hour before my test, watching this and wishing for luck XD

[@aesonswampmonster2958]

My right ear enjoyed this lol

[@jacobjorgenson9285]

Iarfhlaith Farrell damn, you tubers are fragile

[@Supersagar09]

One of the best explanation of Macbeth

[@randomrosa1116]

I’ll be honest, I already read Macbeth in high school, I’m just here for the fun of it😂

[@virendrarai5035]

very nice I like SparkNotes I do spark notes because it is brilliant

[@mrkhanchannelstreaming2025]

anyone come here because dont understand macbeth film plot

[@kimberlynarvaez911]

Well i understood everything but I only watched this to prove to my brother that I wasn't lying.About how ambition and fear . it's hard to understand Shakespeare's writing . it's complex and you have to really know what your reading to understand.

[@imas6637]

Good summary! It will be good to add another video explaining what some important lines means

[@kartiksingh4207]

hope so it will help in my english test.. N thnkx.. :)

[@caressa1393]

I think there might be a slight problem in this retelling. I think it was actually unclear as to what Lady MacBeth's cause of death was. It has been widely debated on .Cool video though ! I really enjoyed it !

[@MrAboy97]

the artwork is great, it must have taken forever to draw

[@yogi2436]

Does fate/destiny exist, or is it a state of mind that can be brought on by en external stimulus, and this state of mind can be compunded by other desires like for power and glory or simply filfilment of the ego. The possiblilty of tragedy arises when Macbeth es not fully head his small inner voice which warns him against it. However Shakespeare shows how weakness can allow people to be pursuaded by immoral people. Murder is an all too human act but Mac does not count on his own inner reaction against it, however he continues to building on his crimes as a means of attempting to fix things. Crime needs more crime to succeed. Sh's prediction that it is impossinle to cover up crimes. Only psychopths can hold it together, but most people can do bad things but will regret it. Sh shows that crime is a form of madness that sometimes cannot easily be resited. There is also the claim that society needs laws to be respected, and that crime destroys the criminal, and much innocent lief; also that crime escalates, and that noone is indestructable. Mac based his life on baseless illusions, and that he would have done much better staying a baron and being grateful and useful. Lady mac is also a poerful study of someone who wants everythin,but who crashes and burns

[@JiPPY13]

When among us hits the Middle Ages🤔

[@zachostroff8656]

I got a test tomorrow and you are saving me ❤️

[@Chase_H]

We started this at the beginning of the year and I was thinking that we would eventually move on to something else so I didn't bother reading the boring ass book. But now we have to write an essay about it so here I am. I've made good grades for years being half ass and doing things like this while the nerds actually go out of their way to do more work and kiss up to the teachers while trying to tell you what to do. Lmao what a bunch of annoying people to be around. If any of them was as half as smart as they thought they were their damn head wouldn't be able to fit on their shoulders. You'll learn more by getting out into the real world and making mistakes doing things on your own than you ever will in school. If I had my way I wouldn't ever go back

[@drewgauthier1521]

i have long comp tomorrow morning, thank you so much

[@rolyngeorges2494]

Macbeth is a great story.

[@paulcooper8818]

True

[@liveforlife2494]

Why did I not know about these when I started doing Shakespeare in 9th grade? Haha

[@archelogyfx]

anyone else studying this for a exam? 🤔

[@henrysgame4023]

Sam I have to do an essay of this for finals 💀

[@steemdup]

So if Malcolm becomes king after Macbeth's death, when does Fleance (Banquo's son) become king? Or was that another lie from the witches? It's interesting how Shakespeare created so much betrayal, double crossing and murder with the women portrayed as less than virtuous, and the men easily swayed by promises of riches. Rings so true today.