Macbeth, Act 5, Scene 3 summary
Act 5, Scene 3 of 28 · 3 min to read the scene
In Act 5, Scene 3, Macbeth trusts the spirits’ promises despite desertions and news of ten thousand English soldiers, and he demands his armor for battle. His complaints expose his loneliness, while the Doctor’s inability to cure his patient’s troubled mind prompts Macbeth to reject medicine and imagine treating his country instead.
What happens
- Macbeth dismisses reports of desertion and trusts the spirits’ assurances about his safety.
- A Servant reports ten thousand English soldiers, and Macbeth abuses him for showing fear.
- Macbeth mourns his lack of love and genuine respect, then demands armor and orders action against fearful talk.
- The Doctor describes his patient’s troubled thoughts and says she must treat herself.
- Macbeth imagines cleansing his country of the English, repeats his confidence, and leaves; the Doctor wishes to escape Dunsinane.
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In this scene
What to notice
The Doctor sets a limit on his power to cure mental suffering. Macbeth responds by rejecting medicine, then asks the Doctor to imagine healing the country.
Quick check
What does Seyton say when Macbeth first demands his armor?
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