"Macbeth" by William Shakespeare is a tragedy first performed in 1606. When a Scottish general receives a prophecy that he will become king, his latent ambition awakens. Spurred by his wife, Macbeth murders his way to the throne, then descends into paranoia and tyranny as he commits further killings to secure his power. The play explores the devastating psychological and physical effects of unchecked political ambition, tracing how the violent pursuit of power leads to guilt, madness, and ultimately destruction. (This is an automatically generated summary.)