Macbeth
Macbeth, the Thane of Glamis, receives a prophecy from a trio of witches that one day he will become King of Scotland. Consumed by ambition and spurred to action by his wife, Macbeth murders his king and takes the throne for himself.
4 wins & 29 nominations
Plot Structure
Story beats plotted across runtime
Narrative Arc
Emotional journey through the story's key moments
Story Circle
Blueprint 15-beat structure
Arcplot Score Breakdown
Weighted: Precision (70%) + Arc (15%) + Theme (15%)
Macbeth (2015) demonstrates precise narrative design, characteristic of Marco Scalfi's storytelling approach. This structural analysis examines how the film's 15-point plot structure maps to proven narrative frameworks across 2 hours and 38 minutes. With an Arcplot score of 6.9, the film balances conventional beats with creative variation.
Structural Analysis
The Status Quo at 1 minutes (1% through the runtime) establishes Macbeth and Lady Macbeth bury their dead child in a desolate landscape, establishing the grief and emptiness that haunts them. This loss becomes the emotional void driving their ambition.. Structural examination shows that this early placement immediately immerses viewers in the story world.
The inciting incident occurs at 19 minutes when King Duncan names his son Malcolm as heir to the throne, blocking Macbeth's path to power. The prophecy now seems impossible through legitimate means, forcing a moral crisis.. At 12% through the film, this Disruption aligns precisely with traditional story structure. This beat shifts the emotional landscape, launching the protagonist into the central conflict.
The First Threshold at 38 minutes marks the transition into Act II, occurring at 24% of the runtime. This demonstrates the protagonist's commitment to Macbeth murders King Duncan in his sleep. This irreversible act of betrayal crosses him into a world of guilt, paranoia, and tyranny. No return is possible., moving from reaction to action.
At 79 minutes, the Midpoint arrives at 50% of the runtime—precisely centered, creating perfect narrative symmetry. The analysis reveals that this crucial beat Banquo's bloody ghost appears at the coronation feast, visible only to Macbeth. His public breakdown reveals his guilt and fracturing sanity. False victory becomes false defeat—he has the crown but is losing himself., fundamentally raising what's at risk. The emotional intensity shifts, dividing the narrative into clear before-and-after phases.
The Collapse moment at 117 minutes (74% through) represents the emotional nadir. Here, Lady Macbeth dies (implied suicide). Macbeth receives the news with hollow despair: "She should have died hereafter." His partner in ambition is gone, leaving him utterly alone with his crimes., indicates the protagonist at their lowest point. This beat's placement in the final quarter sets up the climactic reversal.
The Second Threshold at 126 minutes initiates the final act resolution at 80% of the runtime. Birnam Wood moves toward Dunsinane as soldiers carry branches. The prophecy's riddle unravels. Macbeth realizes he has been deceived, but chooses to fight anyway—defiant nihilism in the face of certain doom., demonstrating the transformation achieved throughout the journey.
Emotional Journey
Macbeth's emotional architecture traces a deliberate progression across 15 carefully calibrated beats.
Narrative Framework
This structural analysis employs a 15-point narrative structure framework that maps key story moments. By mapping Macbeth against these established plot points, we can identify how Marco Scalfi utilizes or subverts traditional narrative conventions. The plot point approach reveals not only adherence to structural principles but also creative choices that distinguish Macbeth within the drama genre.
Comparative Analysis
Additional drama films include Eye for an Eye, South Pacific and Kiss of the Spider Woman.
Plot Points by Act
Act I
SetupStatus Quo
Macbeth and Lady Macbeth bury their dead child in a desolate landscape, establishing the grief and emptiness that haunts them. This loss becomes the emotional void driving their ambition.
Theme
The Weird Sisters prophesy: "Fair is foul, and foul is fair." This inverted morality becomes the thematic spine—ambition corrupts, evil masquerades as good, and nothing is as it seems.
Worldbuilding
Macbeth leads King Duncan's forces to brutal victory against rebels. We see him as a loyal warrior, praised and trusted, yet haunted by violence and the witches' prophecy that he will be king.
Disruption
King Duncan names his son Malcolm as heir to the throne, blocking Macbeth's path to power. The prophecy now seems impossible through legitimate means, forcing a moral crisis.
Resistance
Lady Macbeth becomes the dark mentor, steeling her husband's resolve to murder Duncan. Macbeth debates internally, horrified by his own ambition, weighing loyalty against desire. She questions his manhood and courage.
Act II
ConfrontationFirst Threshold
Macbeth murders King Duncan in his sleep. This irreversible act of betrayal crosses him into a world of guilt, paranoia, and tyranny. No return is possible.
Mirror World
Banquo represents the thematic mirror—he also heard the prophecy but chooses honor over ambition. His integrity reflects what Macbeth has abandoned, making him both conscience and threat.
Premise
Macbeth becomes king but finds no peace. He orchestrates Banquo's murder, sees his ghost at the banquet, and spirals deeper into paranoid tyranny. Power delivers only terror and isolation.
Midpoint
Banquo's bloody ghost appears at the coronation feast, visible only to Macbeth. His public breakdown reveals his guilt and fracturing sanity. False victory becomes false defeat—he has the crown but is losing himself.
Opposition
Macbeth consults the witches again, receiving deceptive reassurances. He orders the massacre of Macduff's family. Malcolm and Macduff unite forces against him. Lady Macbeth descends into madness, sleepwalking and haunted by bloodstains.
Collapse
Lady Macbeth dies (implied suicide). Macbeth receives the news with hollow despair: "She should have died hereafter." His partner in ambition is gone, leaving him utterly alone with his crimes.
Crisis
Macbeth delivers "Tomorrow, and tomorrow, and tomorrow"—a nihilistic meditation on life's meaninglessness. He is spiritually dead, awaiting only physical death, numb to everything he once valued.
Act III
ResolutionSecond Threshold
Birnam Wood moves toward Dunsinane as soldiers carry branches. The prophecy's riddle unravels. Macbeth realizes he has been deceived, but chooses to fight anyway—defiant nihilism in the face of certain doom.
Synthesis
The final battle. Macbeth fights with savage fatalism. Macduff reveals he was "not of woman born" (caesarean), breaking the final prophecy. Macbeth fights to the death rather than surrender, ending as a tragic monster.
Transformation
Macbeth's severed head is presented. Malcolm is crowned. Order is restored, but the cost is absolute—Macbeth transformed from noble warrior to tyrant to corpse. Ambition consumed everything, leaving only death.