Macbeth
Genre: Historical/War/Drama
Director: Robert Eggers
Writer: Jimmy Ellis
Based on the play by William Shakespeare
Cast: Benedict Cumberbatch, Rebecca Ferguson, James McAvoy, Brian Cox, Fionn Whitehead, Aaron Taylor-Johnson, Samantha Colley, Jerome Flynn, Robert Carlyle, Paul Dano, Bonnie Aarons, Sophia di Martino, Dixie Egerickx
Plot: Thunder and lightning crash above a Scottish moor. Three haggard old women, the witches (Bonnie Aarons, Sophia di Martino & Dixie Egerickx), appear out of the storm. In a chanting tone, they make plans to meet upon the heath, after the battle, to confront Macbeth. As quickly as they appeared, the weird sisters vanish into the cold and bitter air.
At a military camp near his palace, King Duncan of Scotland (Brian Cox) asks a wounded captain (Jerome Flynn) for news about the Scots’ battle with the Irish invaders, who are led by the rebel Macdonwald. The captain, who was wounded helping Duncan’s son Malcolm (Fionn Whitehead) escape capture by the Irish, replies that the Scottish generals Macbeth and Banquo fought with great courage and violence. The captain then describes for Duncan how Macbeth slew the traitorous Macdonwald. As the captain is carried off to have his wounds attended to, the Thane of Ross (Paul Dano), a Scottish nobleman, enters and tells the king that the Thane of Cawdor has been discovered to be a traitor, aiding the army of Norway during battle. Duncan decrees that the Thane of Cawdor be put to death and that Macbeth, the hero of the victorious army, be given Cawdor’s title. Ross leaves to deliver the news to Macbeth.
A heavy fog eerily hovers over the battlefield as Macbeth (Benedict Cumberbatch) and Banquo (Aaron Taylor-Johnson) make their way to the camp, where Duncan awaits them. Macbeth is the first to realize the three witches standing before him, wearing long black cloaks that cover their entire body. The men shrink in horror at the sight of the horrid sisters; Banquo even asks them if they are human, for they don’t resemble inhabitants of the Earth. The weird sisters, in the same chanting tone as before, hail Macbeth as Thane of Glamis (his original title) and Thane of Cawdor. Macbeth is baffled at this second title, as he has not yet heard of King Duncan’s decision. The witches also prophesize that Macbeth will be king in the near future. Stunned and intrigued, Macbeth presses the witches for more information, but they have turned their attention to Banquo, speaking in yet more riddles as they claim that even though he will not rule Scotland, his future descendants will. Macbeth implores the witches to explain what they meant by calling him thane of Cawdor, but they vanish into thin air.
At the king’s palace, Duncan hears reports of Cawdor’s execution from his son Malcolm, who says that Cawdor died nobly, confessing freely and repenting of his crimes. Macbeth and Banquo enter; Duncan thanks the two generals profusely for their heroism in the battle, and they profess their loyalty and gratitude toward Duncan. Duncan announces his intention to name Malcolm the heir to his throne. Macbeth declares his joy but notes to himself that Malcolm now stands between him and the crown. Plans are made for Duncan to dine at Macbeth’s castle that evening, and Macbeth goes on ahead of the royal party to inform his wife of the king’s impending arrival.
In Macbeth’s Castle, Lady Macbeth reads to herself a letter she has received from Macbeth. The letter announces Macbeth’s promotion to the thaneship of Cawdor and details his meeting with the witches. Lady Macbeth murmurs that she knows Macbeth is ambitious, but fears he is too kind-hearted to take the steps necessary to make himself king. She resolves to convince her husband to do whatever is required to seize the crown. A messenger enters and informs Lady Macbeth that the king rides toward the castle, and that Macbeth is on his way as well. She resolves to put her natural femininity aside so that she can do the bloody deeds necessary to seize the crown. Macbeth enters, and he and his wife discuss the king’s forthcoming visit. Macbeth tells his wife that Duncan plans to depart the next day, but Lady Macbeth declares that the king will never see tomorrow. She tells her husband to have patience and to leave the plan to her.
Duncan, the Scottish lords, and their attendants arrive outside Macbeth’s castle. Duncan praises the castle’s pleasant environment, and he thanks Lady Macbeth, who has emerged to greet him, for her hospitality. She replies that it is her duty to be hospitable since she and her husband owe so much to their king. Duncan then asks to be taken inside to Macbeth, whom he professes to respect and admire dearly.
Inside the castle, as oboes play and servants set a table for the evening’s feast, Macbeth paces by himself, pondering his idea of assassinating Duncan. He declares his willingness to risk eternal damnation but realizes that even on earth, bloody actions result bloody consequences. Lady Macbeth enters and tells her husband that the king has dined and that he has been asking for Macbeth. Macbeth declares that he no longer intends to kill Duncan. Lady Macbeth, outraged, calls him a coward and questions his manhood. He asks her what will happen if they fail; she promises that as long as they are bold, they will be successful. Then she tells him her plan: while Duncan sleeps, she will give his chamberlains wine to make them drunk, and then Macbeth can slip in and murder Duncan. They will smear the fallen king’s blood on the sleeping chamber guards to frame them for the killing. y will smear the blood of Duncan on the sleeping chamberlains to cast the guilt upon them. Astonished at the brilliance and daring of his wife’s plan, Macbeth agrees to proceed with the murder.
Banquo and his son, Fleance, walk through the torch-lit halls of Macbeth’s castle. Fleance says that it is after midnight, and his father responds that although he is tired, he wishes to stay awake because his sleep has lately inspired cursed thoughts. Macbeth enters, and Banquo is surprised to see him still up. The latter says that the king is asleep and mentions that he had a dream about the “three weird sisters.” When Banquo admits that he is starting to believe the witches’ prophecy, Macbeth shuts him down and says that he must sleep and the two agree to discuss the witches’ prophecies at a later time.
Banquo and Fleance leave, and suddenly, in the darkened hall, Macbeth has a vision of a dagger floating in the air before him, its handle pointing toward his hand and its tip aiming him toward Duncan’s chamber. Macbeth tries to grasp the weapon and fails. He wonders whether what he sees is real or a “dagger of the mind.” Continuing to gaze upon the dagger, he thinks he sees blood on the blade, then abruptly decides that the vision is just a manifestation of his unease over killing Duncan. The night around him seems thick with horror and witchcraft, but Macbeth musters up the courage to do his bloody work.
Macbeth sneaks into the Duncan’s room and sees the two chamber guards sleeping on the floor beside his bed. He creeps towards the bed, grasping the dagger firmly in his right hand as he looks upon the sleeping king. He sits on the edge of the bed and is surprised when he sees Duncan’s eyes open slowly. Macbeth ruthlessly covers the king’s mouth as he slits his throat with the dagger; blood sprays on his face and floods the white sheets of linen. Lady Macbeth lays awake in her room, waiting for her husband to return. Macbeth enters, his hands and face covered in blood, and says that the deed is done. Lady Macbeth at first tries to steady her pale-faced husband, but she becomes angry when she notices that he has forgotten to leave the daggers with the sleeping chamberlains so as to frame them for Duncan’s murder. He refuses to go back into the room, so she takes the daggers into the room herself, saying that she would be ashamed to be as cowardly as Macbeth. As the door to their chamber shuts, Macbeth walks over to a bowl of water and begins washing the blood from his hands. The water suddenly turns into a viscous red liquid, reminding Macbeth of the blood coming from the king’s open throat. He yells out and throws the bowl against the wall, breaking it and looking down as he witnesses the water turns back to normal.
A porter stumbles through the hallway to answer the knocking, grumbling comically about the loud noise. Macduff (James McAvoy), a Scottish noble living in Fife, enters and complains about the porter’s slow response to his knock. Macbeth enters, and Macduff asks him if the king is awake, saying that Duncan asked to see him early that morning. Following a dry gulp, Macbeth says that Duncan is still asleep. Macbeth volunteers to guide him to the king’s chambers, Macduff accepts.
After walking into Duncan’s room, Macduff comes running from the room, shouting that the king has been murdered. Lady Macbeth, Malcom, and other noblemen rush towards the scene as Macduff explains the grisly details of the scene. Lady Macbeth feigns horror by fainting into the arms of two councilmen, who help her away from the scene. Macbeth, who entered the chamber following Macduff’s hollering, walks out and tells the remaining people at the scene that the king’s chamber guards were responsible for the murder, for their hands and faces were drenched with blood. He then declares that in his rage he has killed the chamberlains.
Alone in his room, Malcom realizes that he is not safe in Scotland, for he who murdered his father is probably trying to kill them next. He exits the castle and mounts a horse, riding off to England in utter fear and cowardice.
In the royal palace, Banquo paces and reflects upon the coronation of the new king, Macbeth. The witches foretold that Macbeth would be king and that Banquo’s children would eventually sit on the throne. If the first prophecy came true, Banquo thinks, feeling the stirring of ambition, why not the second? Macbeth enters, attired as king, and is followed by Lady Macbeth, his queen. The king and queen invite Banquo to attend the feast they will host that night; he accepts and says that he plans to go for a ride on his horse for the afternoon. Macbeth mentions that they should discuss the problem of Malcolm, since he has fled from Scotland and might be plotting to steal the crown. Banquo tells him not to fret about Malcom as he leaves the palace, leaving the paranoid king to his lonesome.
Macbeth enters a room where two assassins wait for him, comically remarking at the stormy weather outside. The king previously explained to the assassins the task at hand: kill Banquo and his son, Fleance. Macbeth reiterates the importance of Fleance’s death, for he knows the three witches foretold that Banquo’s children will take his place. The men fall to their knees as a show of loyalty to King Macbeth and pledge to successfully complete the task.
Elsewhere in the castle, Lady Macbeth expresses despair and sends a servant to fetch her husband. Macbeth enters and tells his wife that he too is discontented, saying that his mind is “full of scorpions.” He feels that the business that they began by killing Duncan is not yet complete because there are still threats to the throne that must be eliminated. Macbeth tells his wife that he has planned “a deed of dreadful note” for Banquo and Fleance and urges her to be jovial and kind to Banquo during the evening’s feast, in order to lure their next victim into a false sense of security.
It is dusk, and the two murderers linger in a wooded park outside the palace. Banquo and Fleance approach on their horses and dismount. They light a torch, and the murderers set upon them. The murderers kill Banquo, who dies urging his son to flee and to avenge his death. One of the murderers extinguishes the torch, and in the darkness Fleance escapes. The murderers leave with Banquo’s body to find Macbeth and tell him what has happened.
A large wooden table is heaped with a feast. Macbeth and Lady Macbeth enter as king and queen, thanking the nobles sitting at the table for attending their feast. On the corner of his eye, Macbeth catches one of the assassins beckoning him with his index finger. The king ushers the assassin into a separate room and asks him if the deed is done, to which the assassin replies that although Banquo was killed, Fleance was able to flee. Macbeth punches the wall in anger and says that if only the “worm” had died, his throne would be secure.
Returning to his guests, Macbeth goes to sit at the head of the royal table but finds Banquo’s ghost sitting in his chair. Horror-struck, Macbeth speaks to the ghost, which is invisible to the rest of the company. Lady Macbeth makes excuses for her husband, saying that he occasionally has such “visions” and that the guests should simply ignore his behavior. She then quietly snaps at Macbeth, questioning his manhood and berating him with a series of insults. The ghost disappears and Macbeth apologizes for his behavior, lifting his glass and offering a toast to his company. Suddenly, Banquo’s specter appears once more and shocks Macbeth into further reckless outbursts. Continuing to make excuses for her husband, Lady Macbeth sends the alarmed guests out of the room as the ghost vanishes again.
In their quarters, the king and queen discuss the feast and it’s abrupt ending. After berating her husband’s behavior once more, Lady Macbeth changes the subject by telling her husband that a servant-spy has told her that Macduff has fled to England and he is rumored to be plotting against the crown with Malcom, the former king’s son. Macbeth takes the warning into account and tells his wife that he will visit the witches again the next morning; the two go to sleep.
In a dark cavern, Macbeth gathers with the three weird sisters. He asks the witches to reveal the truth of their prophecies to him. To answer his questions, they summon horrible apparitions, each of which offers a prediction to allay Macbeth’s fears. First, a floating head warns him to beware Macduff, Macbeth says that he has already guessed as much. Then a bloody child appears and tells him that none of woman born shall harm him. A few hours later in the palace, Macbeth sits on his throne as the Thane Of Ross informs him that Macduff has been seen together with Malcom in England. The furious king demands for the Thane Of Ross to gather his best troops to capture Macduff’s castle and to kill Macduff’s wife and children.
Lady Macduff sits in her castle holding a piece of paper. The paper is a letter from Macduff telling her that he has fled to England; he gives her no reason as to why he did so. She begins sobbing before tearing the letter into pieces and cursing her husband under her breath. Suddenly, screams are heard from the palace as several of Macbeth’s troops begin killing everyone in the castle. Lady Macduff attempts to run away before a soldier is able to capture her and kill her with three stabs to the stomach.
The Thane Of Ross enters the throne room in Macbeth’s palace, informing the king that the deed is done and Lady Macduff, along with her children, have been slain. Macbeth expresses his delight and sends the Thane Of Ross away with nothing but a swat of his hand. Lady Macbeth enters and questions whether her husband is being too arrogant about what he can and cannot get away with. Corrupt with power, he shuts her up and claims that since none of woman born shall harm him, he is invincible.
In England, Malcom and Macduff take a stroll through a park and talk about the suspicious death of Duncan. Macduff says that he suspected Malcom at first, but after the death of Banquo he has his suspicion set on the king himself, Macbeth. Malcom states that the throne is rightfully his and that his decision to flee was rash and impulsive. The Thane of Ross approaches on horseback and it is revealed that he has been loyal to Malcom the whole time, working as a spy for the young prince. He frantically tells Macduff that his wife and children were slain; orders given from Macbeth. The furious Macduff convinces Malcom that now is the time to strike against the king and they begin preparing their plan of attack.
At the palace, a servant rushes into Macbeth’s room and tells him that there is an emergency, for Malcom and his troops are storming the castle. The king has an air of confidence behind him, for the witches told him none of woman-born could hurt him. He readies his sword and walks out of the throne room, striding toward the castle door with his head held high. However, as soon as he exits the room, he sees his queen’s dead body slumped on the floor, a bloody dagger beside her body, and her wrists slashed open. Macbeth begins a speech about how meaningless life is, saying that his wife was going to die someday. With little to no motivation, he continues his way towards the castle door.
As Malcom’s troops storm the castle, Macbeth strikes those around him vigorously, insolent because no man born of woman can harm him. Elsewhere on the battlefield, Macbeth at last encounters Macduff. They fight, and when Macbeth insists that he is +invincible because of the witches’ prophecy, Macduff tells the king that he is not of woman-born since he was born by caesarean section. Fear floods through Macbeth’s body and he loses his footing in the battle and Macduff begins taking the upper hand.
Malcom enters the battle. He doesn’t fight, but instead he watches as his generals dominate Macbeth’s troops. He sees Macduff fighting Macbeth and he can’t help but feel a sense of joy upon watching his father’s killer feel fear. Macbeth’s crown falls off of his head during battle and as he goes to grab it, Macduff takes the opportunity to behead him. Malcom’s troops ultimately slay all of Macbeth’s troops and stand over their dead bodies with pride.
The rightful heir, Malcom, walks through the dead bodies until he arrives at Macbeth’s head which has rolled a few feet away from his body. He picks it up by the hair and looks into it’s blank eyes while taking the crown off. Malcom looks around as his troops kneel and pledge their allegiance to the new king of Scotland.
Years later, Macduff walks through an empty field while wiping his battle-bloodied sword. He has just fought on a great battle to defend King Malcom and is now returning to Scotland in order to announce his success to the king. From the fog ahead, three cloaked figures appear, they are old and grizzled. Macduff asks the three weird sisters what they want of him and at the same time the three say, “all hail Macduff, who shall be king hereafter.”
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