Macbeth is a tragedy by William Shakespeare, believed to have been written in the early 1600s. The play tells the story of Macbeth, a Scottish general who becomes obsessed with power after receiving a prophecy that he will become the Thane of Cawdor and eventually the king of Scotland.
The play begins with Macbeth and his comrade Banquo, who are returning from battle when they are met by three witches who predict that Macbeth will become the Thane of Cawdor and eventually the king of Scotland. The witches also tell Banquo that he will not be king, but that his descendants will be.
Macbeth is later named the Thane of Cawdor by King Duncan, and becomes consumed with the idea of becoming the king himself. He is encouraged by his wife, Lady Macbeth, to take action and kill Duncan in order to seize the throne. Macbeth follows through with the plan, and Duncan is murdered in his sleep.
After the murder, Macbeth becomes consumed with guilt and fear, and is plagued by hallucinations and insomnia. He becomes paranoid and begins to mistrust those around him, including his closest friends and allies.
As Macbeth's rule becomes increasingly tyrannical, the people of Scotland turn against him, and Macbeth is eventually confronted by a group of rebels led by Macduff, a nobleman who has been exiled by Macbeth. In the final battle, Macbeth is defeated and killed, and Macduff is hailed as the new king of Scotland.
Throughout the play, Macbeth is driven by his ambition and desire for power, but ultimately his downfall is caused by his own guilt and his inability to cope with the consequences of his actions. The play serves as a cautionary tale about the dangers of unchecked ambition and the corrupting influence of power.
