Macbeth Act 5, Scene 1 Summary & Analysis - LitCharts

Macbeth Introduction + Context Plot Summary Detailed Summary & Analysis Act 1, scene 1 Act 1, scene 2 Act 1, scene 3 Act 1, scene 4 Act 1, scene 5 Act 1, scene 6 Act 1, scene 7 Act 2, scene 1 Act 2, scene 2 Act 2, scene 3 Act 2, scene 4 Act 3, scene 1 Act 3, scene 2 Act 3, scene 3 Act 3, scene 4 Act 3, scene 5 Act 3, scene 6 Act 4, scene 1 Act 4, scene 2 Act 4, scene 3 Act 5, scene 1 Act 5, scene 2 Act 5, scene 3 Act 5, scene 4 Act 5, scene 5 Act 5, scene 6 Act 5, scene 7 Act 5, scene 8 Act 5, scene 9 Act 5, scene 10 Act 5, scene 11 Themes All Themes Ambition Fate Violence Nature and the Unnatural Manhood Quotes Characters All Characters Macbeth Lady Macbeth Banquo Macduff King Duncan Malcolm Weird Sisters Symbols All Symbols Visions and Hallucinations Blood Sleep Literary Devices All Literary Devices Allusions Dramatic Irony Ethos Foil Foreshadowing Genre Hyperbole Imagery Irony Logos Metaphors Mood Motifs Paradox Pathos Personification Setting Situational Irony Soliloquy Style Tone Quizzes All Quizzes Act 1, scene 1 Quiz Act 1, scene 2 Quiz Act 1, scene 3 Quiz Act 1, scene 4 Quiz Act 1, scene 5 Quiz Act 1, scene 6 Quiz Act 1, scene 7 Quiz Act 2, scene 1 Quiz Act 2, scene 2 Quiz Act 2, scene 3 Quiz Act 2, scene 4 Quiz Act 3, scene 1 Quiz Act 3, scene 2 Quiz Act 3, scene 3 Quiz Act 3, scene 4 Quiz Act 3, scene 5 Quiz Act 3, scene 6 Quiz Act 4, scene 1 Quiz Act 4, scene 2 Quiz Act 4, scene 3 Quiz Act 5, scene 1 Quiz Act 5, scene 2 Quiz Act 5, scene 3 Quiz Act 5, scene 4 Quiz Act 5, scene 5 Quiz Act 5, scene 6 Quiz Act 5, scene 7 Quiz Act 5, scene 8 Quiz Act 5, scene 9 Quiz Act 5, scene 10 Quiz Act 5, scene 11 Quiz Download PDF Download Teacher Edition Sign In Sign up for A+ AI Tools

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Sign In Sign up for A+ Sign up Introduction Intro Plot Summary Plot Summary & Analysis

• Act 1, scene 1
• Act 1, scene 2
• Act 1, scene 3
• Act 1, scene 4
• Act 1, scene 5
• Act 1, scene 6
• Act 1, scene 7
• Act 2, scene 1
• Act 2, scene 2
• Act 2, scene 3
• Act 2, scene 4
• Act 3, scene 1
• Act 3, scene 2
• Act 3, scene 3
• Act 3, scene 4
• Act 3, scene 5
• Act 3, scene 6
• Act 4, scene 1
• Act 4, scene 2
• Act 4, scene 3
• Act 5, scene 1
• Act 5, scene 2
• Act 5, scene 3
• Act 5, scene 4
• Act 5, scene 5
• Act 5, scene 6
• Act 5, scene 7
• Act 5, scene 8
• Act 5, scene 9
• Act 5, scene 10
• Act 5, scene 11

Themes

• All Themes
• Ambition
• Fate
• Violence
• Nature and the Unnatural
• Manhood

Quotes Characters

• All Characters
• Macbeth
• Lady Macbeth
• Banquo
• Macduff
• King Duncan
• Malcolm
• Weird Sisters

Symbols

• All Symbols
• Visions and Hallucinations
• Blood
• Sleep

Lit Devices

• All Literary Devices
• Allusions
• Dramatic Irony
• Ethos
• Foil
• Foreshadowing
• Genre
• Hyperbole
• Imagery
• Irony
• Logos
• Metaphors
• Mood
• Motifs
• Paradox
• Pathos
• Personification
• Setting
• Situational Irony
• Soliloquy
• Style
• Tone

Quizzes

• All Quizzes
• Act 1, scene 1 Quiz
• Act 1, scene 2 Quiz
• Act 1, scene 3 Quiz
• Act 1, scene 4 Quiz
• Act 1, scene 5 Quiz
• Act 1, scene 6 Quiz
• Act 1, scene 7 Quiz
• Act 2, scene 1 Quiz
• Act 2, scene 2 Quiz
• Act 2, scene 3 Quiz
• Act 2, scene 4 Quiz
• Act 3, scene 1 Quiz
• Act 3, scene 2 Quiz
• Act 3, scene 3 Quiz
• Act 3, scene 4 Quiz
• Act 3, scene 5 Quiz
• Act 3, scene 6 Quiz
• Act 4, scene 1 Quiz
• Act 4, scene 2 Quiz
• Act 4, scene 3 Quiz
• Act 5, scene 1 Quiz
• Act 5, scene 2 Quiz
• Act 5, scene 3 Quiz
• Act 5, scene 4 Quiz
• Act 5, scene 5 Quiz
• Act 5, scene 6 Quiz
• Act 5, scene 7 Quiz
• Act 5, scene 8 Quiz
• Act 5, scene 9 Quiz
• Act 5, scene 10 Quiz
• Act 5, scene 11 Quiz

Theme Wheel Theme Viz Download this Chart (PDF) Download the Teacher Edition Download this Chart (PDF)

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Macbeth: Act 5, scene 1 Summary & Analysis New! Understand every line of Macbeth. Read our modern English translation of this scene.

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Themes and Colors Key LitCharts assigns a color and icon to each theme in Macbeth, which you can use to track the themes throughout the work. Ambition Fate Violence Nature and the Unnatural Manhood Summary Analysis It is night in Macbeth's castle of Dunsinane. A doctor and a gentlewoman wait. The gentlewoman called the doctor because she has seen Lady Macbeth sleepwalking the last few nights, but she refuses to say what Lady Macbeth says or does. When he killed Duncan, Macbeth thought he heard a voice say he had murdered sleep. Well, he did: Lady Macbeth's sleep. Active Themes Quiz Test Yourself Lady Macbeth enters, holding a candle, but asleep. Lady Macbeth keeps rubbing her hands as if to wash them while saying "out, damned spot" (5.1.30). Then Lady Macbeth seems to relive her attempt to convince Macbeth to kill Duncan, concluding with the words: "Yet who would have thought the old man to have had so much blood in him" (5.1.33-34)? Lady Macbeth, who once naively thought she could just wash her hands and forget Duncan's murder, is now sleepwalking and so full of guilt that she imagines her hands are always covered in blood. Active Themes Quotes Literary Devices Quiz Test Yourself The horrified doctor and gentlewoman watch as Lady Macbeth then relives conversations with Macbeth after the murder of Banquo and hears an imaginary knocking and rushes off to bed. The doctor says the disease is beyond his power to cure, and that "unnatural deeds do breed unnatural troubles" (5.1.61-62). He also says he dares not speak about what he's just witnessed. Lady Macbeth's guilt makes it impossible for her to hide the horrors that she and Macbeth have committed. Her conscience is rebelling against the unnatural fiend that ambition has turned her into. Active Themes Literary Devices Quiz Test Yourself Previous Act 4, scene 3 Previous Act 4, scene 3 Next Act 5, scene 2 Next Act 5, scene 2 Cite This Page Close Company About Us Our Story Support Help Center Contact Us Connect Facebook Twitter Legal Terms of Service Privacy Policy Privacy Request Home About Contact Help LitCharts, a Learneo, Inc. business Copyright © 2025 All Rights Reserved Terms Privacy Privacy Request Save time. Stress less. Sign up!

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