Act 5 Scene Summaries Characters Themes Motifs

Lady Macbeth: This is the moment we see

all of the fears and conscience finally catch
up to Lady Macbeth. The moment that she
finds out about the murder of Macduff’s Blood: Blood is used to show the guilt
wife and children, and that of Banquo, she Lady Macbeth is living with. “Out
collapses. Macbeth and Lady Macbeth damned spot! Out, I say!” is what she
shared a beautiful and passionate says thinking that there is blood on her
relationship, one with a respect that was hands, and maybe not physical blood,
quite rare for the time. There was Nature representing how the but she is filled with guilt for the
honestly and love, he referred to her as his moral order turned upside down: murders she committed. She reflects
“dearest partner of greatness.” That’s a on her evil thinking about Duncan, and
Scene 1 beautiful title and demonstrates a trusting states “Who would have thought the
relationship. Lady Macbeth was crushed The doctor speaks of unnatural old ma to have so much blood in him.”
Lady Macbeth sleepwalks,
by not knowing the evil her husband was troubles and paranormal acts. Blood plagues her mind.
acting out washing her
hands doing. She feels guilt for all of the murder This because sleepwalking was
that happened, even though there is no seen as a cursed and paranormal
actual blood on her hands she keeps act back in the times this play was Light & Dark:
scrubbing, but she can’t wash away guilt. written.
She cries in horror “Out damned spot! Out, It is stated that Lady Macbeth demands
I say! – Hell is murky!” Then she continues to sleep with a candle at all times. She
to go on in hellish horror “ The thane of refuses to be in the dark, that’s when
Fife had a wife. Where is she now?- What, the thoughts and images can come
will these hands ne’er be clean?” P 180 back to haunt her.
After this scene she comes to her demise
at her own hands as the guilt, and
confusion destroy her.

Scene 2 Macbeth: This man is poisonous, he isn’t Blood: Angus refers to Macbeth saying
 that Macbeth will feel the wrath of
their revenge, for he feels “his secret
murders sticking on his hands”.

even loved by his own soldiers, they only

fight because it’s in their job description. Borrowed robes:

Scottish Lords discuss the It’s pitifully easy for the English army to
It is said he is unfit for the title of king
military situation infiltrate the castle, as they don’t really
and he achieved that name through
want to fight for the tyrant Macbeth.
unjust methods. Angus questions “does
he feel his title hand loose bout him,
like a giant’s robe upon a dwarfish
fish.” Saying he shouldn’t be wearing
the King’s crown.

Scene 3 Macbeth: He has reached such indigence Nature representing how the
that he fears nothing. He lives with the moral order turned upside down:
belief that he cannot be hurt. He will run Macbeth says he’s safe until
into the war convinced he is untouchable Birnam wood gets up and moves
Macbeth boasts that he has
by all of the men on the field. He is in a to Dunsinane. He is sure this will
nothing to fear until the
delusional, mad, absolutely insane state of not happen, so he gets cocky. He
wood moves. He finds out
mind. When he finds out about his wife, he keeps using this as an excuse to
that the army is approaching
wants her to get better, he wants to have keep his confidence up.
and puts on his armor. The
her cured. Sadly there’s no simple cure for
doctor tells him of Lady
a broken mind. He asks “Can’t you treat a
Macbeth’s illness and he tells
diseased mind? Use some drug to ease the
the doctor to cure her.
troubling thought from her brain and ease
her heart?” p 195
 Macbeth is determined to die honorable
and states “I’ll fight until they hack off my
bones. Give me my armor.

Scotland: All of Scotland is against

Macbeth. They want a good, noble leader,
not this tyrant.

Malcolm: He is continuing to develop

intelligence as he uses the branches of
Birnam wood as camouflage. He Nature representing how the
demonstrating all of the qualities needed moral order turned upside down:
Scene 4 Borrowed robes: – ?
as a king. Now we see that the impossible
happens. Birnam wood appears to
be moving. This is due to the
The army decided to take camouflage plan of the English Light & dark: There is shade caused by
Macduff: He is a strong, valiant man. He
branches off the trees to use army. The apparitions causing an the branches. They are hidden within
doesn’t want to go ahead and rest on his
as camouflage over-abundance of ambition will the shadows. Ready to strike.
laurels for he says, “We shouldn’t make
any judgments until we achieve our goal. be his ruin.
Let’s go fight like hardworking soldiers.”
This proves the type of man he is.

Scene 5 Macbeth: It is tragic. He is cold and unable Light & Dark: The dark takes over his
to show his emotions. He has already mind. Nothing else is keeping a spark
accepted the fact that it’s over now, and of hope in Macbeth. Nothing but the
here is where he dies. He responds to the delirious thought that ‘no one born to a
Macbeth finds out that Lady
tragic news by saying, “She should have woman can harm him.”
Macbeth is dead. He then
died hereafter.” Saying how it was
finds out that the wood is
inevitable anyway. Then he breaks down,
starting to move and
saying life has no meaning anymore in the
becomes terrified.
tragic famous speech, “She should have
died hereafter. There would have been a
time for such a word. Tomorrow, and
tomorrow, and tomorrow, Creeps in this
petty pace from day to day To the last
syllable of recorded time, And all our
yesterdays have lighted fools The way to
dusty death. Out, out, brief candle! Life’s
but a walking shadow, a poor player That
struts and frets his hour upon the stage
And then is heard no more. It is a tale Told
by an idiot, full of sound and fury,
Signifying nothing.”

There are many ways to interpret this

soliloquy, all as tragic as the rest.

1 – She should have died after the war, so

there would be the right time to mourn.

2 – She should have waited for me, my

death is near too.

3 – It would have happened eventually,

either now or later

4 – She should have died at the battle, but

now I know I will not win.

It shows he is giving up on the beliefs now

 she’s dead. It’s total desolation.

Scene 6

The battle commences

outside the castle

Macbeth: In his feeling of invincibility he

fights and kills the young Siward, for no
reason. Showing his absolute delusion.

Scene 7

Macduff: He walks up to the tyrant

without fear in mind. Strong and powerful
Macbeth strikes everyone he
he demands to kill Macbeth. He states,
can see, afraid of nothing.
“Tyrant, show thy face! If thou beest slain,
and with no stroke of mine, my wife and
children’s ghosts will haunt me still.” P
210

Scene 8 Macbeth: Even in these last moments of Tyranny: The evil Macbeth is
life, Macbeth wishes to hold on to honor. dead, and the era of Tyranny that
The scene starts with him saying, “why follows his retched name is now
should play the Roman fool and die on over. Let’s not speak of this man
Macbeth and Macduff meet:
mine own sword?” p-212. He still sickly except for in horror novels, of
Macbeth finds out that
believes he’s invincible, screaming to what ambition can do to a man.
Macduff was born by
Macduff, “thou loest labor. As easy mayst
cesarean but vows not to
thou the in trenchant air, with thy keen
give in. Macduff emerges
 sword impress as make me bleed.” But his
end came when Macduff announced he
was a cesarean. Alas, he was not formally
‘born’. Despite it all, even as he dies he
wishes to retain honor, stating, “I will not
yield.”

Macduff: He is a fighter who will do

anything for his country. He knew
Macbeth was a dangerous man and boldly
(maybe foolishly) went into battle with
the man. Even as Macbeth expressed his
with Macbeth’s head, having feeling of invincibility, Macduff did not
killed him. yield. This is why he risked everything he
had to put his country back into order. He
is also a man very much fuelled by
revenge, and rage. He makes it so he must
be the one to put an end to the man who
killed his family.

Malcolm: He is kind of good, very much

like his father and, the kind that Scotland
deserves. He says, “I wish all of our friends
could have survived this battle.” A man
living with so much peace is the only type
of man who can bring nobility, back upon
a wounded country.