St. Francis Prep
Giknis
English 10
Macbeth Act Four Review Notes
1. 4.1: A cavern. In the middle, a boiling cauldron. Thunder. Enter the Three
Witches
a. Skip to line 45
i. Witches brew ingredients in cauldron
1. Sets atmosphere for scene
b. Three apparitions (visions)
i. Armored head
1. “Beware Macduff” (4.1.70).
ii. Bloody child
1. “None of woman born shall harm Macbeth” (4.1.80).
iii. Child crowned with a tree in his hand
1. “Macbeth shall never vanquished be until Great Birnam Wood
to high Dunsinane Hill shall come against him” (4.1.93-95).
iv. Macbeth’s interpretation of these things
c. Macbeth’s question and the line of kings
i. Banquo’s descendants
d. Macduff’s movements
i. “Macduff is fled to England” (4.1.141).
1. Significance
e. Macbeth’s decision and full transformation
i. “From this moment the very firstlings of my heart shall be the
firstlings of my hand” (4.1.147).
2. 4.2: Fife. Macduff’s castle. Enter Lady Macduff, her son, Ross.
a. The conversation between Lady Macduff, her son, and Ross indicates that
Macduff has fled Scotland without warning and has left his castle
unprotected
i. Why would Shakespeare include an extensive conversation between
characters who are just about to be slaughtered?
b. Macbeth’s killers arrive and murder Lady Macduff and her son
St. Francis Prep
Giknis
English 10
i. The significance (or insignificance) of this pointless act, especially
amidst Macduff’s absence
3. 4.3: England. Before the King’s palace. Enter Macduff and Malcolm
a. Skip to line 159
i. The longest scene of the play, the first portion is Macduff convincing
Malcolm to return to Scotland, overthrow Macbeth, and claim the
throne.
ii. Malcolm also tests Macduff’s loyalties, and admits he was planning to
return with the assistance of Siward, the English earl of
Northumberland, a region on the border of England and Scotland
b. Enter Ross, messenger of bad news
i. Hesitant to share the disastrous news that Macduff’s family
slaughtered
c. Macduff’s reaction
i. Truly devastated
1. Significance
ii. “I must feel it as a man…sinful Macduff, they were all struck for thee!”
(4.3.220-225)
iii. “Front to front bring thou this fiend of Scotland and myself, within
my sword’s length set him” (4.3.235).