Macbeth (1971) Timeline Explained – Every Event in Order

Macbeth kills Duncan after the witches prophecy names him future king and Duncan names his son Malcolm as heir, creating an obstacle to the throne. Lady Macbeth urges him to act, and when Duncan stays at their castle, they seize the opportunity to murder him and frame the guards. The prophecy and his wife's relentless ambition combine to overcome his initial doubts.

Foreshadowing: The witches' prophecy first sparks Macbeth's ambition when they hail him as Thane of Cawdor and future king.

• duncan murder
• regicide
• lady macbeth influence
• three witches prophecy

Lady Macbeth fears her husband lacks the ruthlessness needed to seize power, stating that he is 'too full o' the milk of human kindness' to act. She resolves to steel herself to cruelty and push him toward killing Duncan, believing the throne is their rightful destiny. Her ambition matches or exceeds his own.

Foreshadowing: Lady Macbeth's initial scene shows her reading Macbeth's letter and immediately plotting how to make him king.

• lady macbeth ambition
• macbeth weakness
• push toward murder
• marriage dynamics

Macbeth orders Banquo and his son Fleance killed because the witches prophesied that Banquo's descendants would become kings, while Macbeth himself would have no heirs. Fearing this threat to his unstable throne, Macbeth hires murderers to eliminate Banquo, though Fleance escapes.

Foreshadowing: After becoming king, Macbeth recalls the witches' prophecy about Banquo and becomes paranoid about his lineage.

• banquo murder
• fleance escape
• witches prophecy
• macbeth paranoia

Fleance escapes because one of the murderers is separated from the others during the attack, allowing Fleance to flee into the night. His escape is crucial because the witches prophesied that Banquo's line would produce future kings, making his survival a direct threat to Macbeth's rule.

Foreshadowing: The murder plot deliberately targets both Banquo and Fleance to prevent the prophecy from coming true.

• fleance escape
• banquo son
• witches prophecy fulfillment
• macbeth threat

The English army, led by Malcolm and Siward, uses branches from Birnam Wood to camouflage their numbers as they advance on Dunsinane. This fulfills the witches' prophecy that Macbeth cannot be defeated 'till Birnam Wood comes to Dunsinane.' The living forest literally moves toward the castle.

Foreshadowing: The witches explicitly warn Macbeth that he cannot be harmed until Birnam Wood moves to Dunsinane.

• birnam wood
• dunsinane
• witches prophecy
• english invasion
• macbeth invincibility

Macduff defeats Macbeth because he was delivered by Caesarean section, making him 'not of woman born' in the traditional sense. The witches had prophesied that Macbeth cannot be harmed by any man 'of woman born,' creating a loophole Macduff exploits in their final duel.

Foreshadowing: The witches' equivocal prophecy gives Macbeth false confidence in his invincibility.

• macduff birth
• caesarean section
• not of woman born
• witches prophecy loophole

Malcolm and Donalbain flee Scotland because they fear for their lives, suspecting the murder may be a conspiracy to eliminate the royal line. Their fleeing casts suspicion on them and inadvertently makes Macbeth appear innocent, while they seek safety in England and Ireland to preserve themselves.

Foreshadowing: Before the murder, Lady Macbeth notes that Duncan's sons would be suspected if anything happened to their father.

• malcolm fled
• donalbain fled
• duncan sons
• suspicion
• succession crisis

Ross appears as the third murderer in the plot against Banquo, though his exact motivation remains ambiguous in the film. He later travels to Macduff's castle and leaves the doors ajar, allowing Macbeth's killers to enter, demonstrating his shift from courtly ally to complicit facilitator in Macbeth's atrocities.

Foreshadowing: Ross's initial role as a noble who delivers news makes his betrayal more striking.

• ross betrayal
• third murderer
• macduff family killed
• noble court

Lady Macbeth succumbs to guilt and madness from her involvement in Duncan's murder and the subsequent bloodshed. Her mental state deteriorates as the consequences of their actions escalate, and she becomes increasingly consumed by the psychological weight of their crimes, eventually breaking down completely.

Foreshadowing: Early hints of Lady Macbeth's psychological fragility appear in her sleepwalking scene and obsessive hand-washing.

• lady macbeth madness
• guilt
• sleepwalking
• psychological breakdown

The witches' prophecies control Macbeth because the first prophecy immediately comes true, the Thane of Cawdor is executed and Macbeth receives the title. This confirmation makes him believe his destiny is predetermined, emboldening him to seize the throne. However, the prophecies are deliberately equivocal and deceptive, leading Macbeth to misinterpret them as guarantees of safety.

Foreshadowing: The very first encounter proves the prophecy correct when Macbeth is named Thane of Cawdor.

• three witches
• prophecy
• fate versus choice
• macbeth downfall
• equivocation

Macduff travels to England to join Malcolm and gather forces against Macbeth, leaving his family in Fife. While this leaves them vulnerable to Macbeth's revenge, Macduff's departure serves the larger cause of overthrowing the tyrant. His family pays the ultimate price when Macbeth orders their murder.

Foreshadowing: Macduff's departure is framed as necessary for the resistance, though it proves fatal for his household.

• macduff family
• fife
• macbeth revenge
• resistance against tyranny

Macbeth loses control because his tyrannical rule and widespread murders alienate the Scottish nobles. As Macduff and Malcolm gather English support and march on Dunsinane, the nobles desert Macbeth. His paranoia and violence create the very rebellion he tried to prevent, ultimately leading to his isolation and defeat.

Foreshadowing: The gradual desertion of Scottish nobles mirrors the escalating violence of Macbeth's reign.

• macbeth tyranny
• noble rebellion
• macbeth isolation
• downfall
• scotland lost