Act IV
Macbeth resolves to find the
witches and demand further
assurances.

He encounters them on their
dismal heath, where they answer him
with a procession of ghostly
appearances:
Armed Head – warns Macbeth to
 ________________________________
beware Macduff.




Bloody
Child – “none of woman
________________________________
born” shall harm Macbeth.
Crowned
Child Holding Tree Limb
________________________________
– Macbeth will be safe until
“Birnam Wood” comes to
Dunsinane Hill.
8 Kings followed by Banquo’s
________________________________
Ghost, smiling and pointing to
his descendants.



Leaving, Macbeth
encounters the
nobleman Lennox who
denies having seen “the
weird sisters” and tells
that Macduff has fled to
England.
Vengefully, Macbeth
vows to kill Macduff’s
wife and children
A messenger arrives at
Fife, Macduff’s castle, to
warn her, but it is too
late, and Lady Macduff
and her children are
killed by Macbeth’s
assassins.
 Malcolm
is at the
kings palace in
England where he
tests Macduff’s
loyalty to the cause
against Macbeth.
 Satisfied, Malcolm
welcomes Macduff as
an ally.
 When
Ross enters
with the terrible
news of the massacre
of Macduff’s wife and
children, Macduff
swears to kill
Macbeth with his
own sword.
 What
ingredients go into the witches’ stew?
What is the purpose of this vile concoction?
Poisoned entrails
 _____________
that under a cold stone days and nights has thirty “Toad,
________________________________________
one swelt’red venom sleeping got.”
Fillet of a fenny snake.
Blindworm’s sting
 _________________________________________
 _________________________________________
Eye of newt
Lizard’s leg
 _________________________________________
Toe of frog
Howlet’s wing
Wool of bat
 _________________________________________
Adder’s fork
Tooth of wolf
Tongue of dog
 ___________________________________
 Describe
the three apparitions Macbeth sees
when he visits the witches. What does each
apparition tell him?
 _________________________________________
1st Apparition – An Armed Head.

_____________________________________________
Beware Macduff, the Thane of Fife.
2nd Apparition – A Bloody Child.
 _________________________________________
of woman born shall harm Macbeth (i.e. Macduff).
 None
_____________________________________________
3rd Apparition - A Child Crowned, with a tree in his hand
 _________________________________________

Macbeth will never be vanquished until Great Birnam
_____________________________________________
Wood to high Dunsinance Hill come against him.
 What
question has Macbeth come to ask the
witches, and how do they answer?
Macbeth comes to ask the witches his future as king.
 __________________________________________
 However,
__________________________________________
because Macbeth is so rude to them the witches say
that Macbeth can hear it from their mouths or their masters.
 Which
nobleman does Macbeth plan to
murder after talking with the witches? How
is his plan foiled?
Macbeth plans to kill Macduff, but Macduff has fled to England.
 __________________________________________
 At
the end of Scene 1, what does Macbeth
vow? Describe the way his vow is carried out
in Scene 2.
Macbeth vows to seize upon Fife and kill everyone there.
 __________________________________________
 According
to the conversation between
Malcolm and Macduff in Scene 3, what has
happened to Scotland during Macbeth’s
reign?
 __________________________________________
Scotland is no longer a safe haven.
 What
does Malcolm “confess” about his own
faults?
he is lustful and covetous and he has no virtues which
 That
__________________________________________
would entitle him to become King.
 How
does Macduff respond to Malcolm’s
“confession”?
 __________________________________________
Macduff states that Scotland has enough wealth for everyone.
 In
this act, Macbeth seeks out the witches,
just as they took the initiative in approaching
him in Act 1. How has his situation changed
since he last talked with them? How has his
character changed?
 __________________________________________
He is a murderer now.
He no longer feels regret, he only wants what he wants.
 __________________________________________
 Do
you think the witches have caused any
indirectly? these changes, directly or
indirectly? Explain your reasons for thinking
as you do.

__________________________________________
 In
Scene 1, the eight kings appear in what
was called in Shakespeare’s day a dumb show
– an interpolated brief scene in which
nothing is said. What is the point of this
particular dumb show?
are the kings of Banquo’s line and the mirror suggests an
 These
__________________________________________
infinite number of descendants. Banquo appears last laughing
at Macbeth.
 In
Scene 2, the lines spoken by Macduff’s
wife and son illustrate Shakespeare’s great
skill at characterization. Using only a few
words, he brings the woman and the child to
life, showing both the faults and virtues in
each. How would you describe Lady
Macduff? How would you describe the boy?
Lady Macduff is a strong person who loves her family and misses
 __________________________________________
her husband. She appears to have a sense of humor.
 __________________________________________
The son seems happy and close to his parents, and when faced
with the murderer he shows bravery by attacking him for
saying his father is a traitor.
 The
murder of Macduff’s wife and small son
is one of the most pitiful and shocking scenes
in Shakespeare’s plays. Why do you suppose
he decided to show it onstage, rather than
just having it reported after it happens?
scene brings home the horror of the event and the evil
 This
__________________________________________
to which Macbeth has fallen.
 Both
the murderer and Lady Macduff herself
call Macduff a traitor. In what sense does
each mean it? Do you think Macduff is a
traitor, in either sense?
Lady Macduff calls her husband a traitor because he left
 __________________________________________
their castle unguarded and she is angry with him.
murderer calls Macduff a coward as an offense to Lady
 The
__________________________________________
Macduff and her son.
 In
Scene 3, Malcolm deliberately lies to
Macduff. Why does he do this? What does
this behavior, and the reason for it, reveal
about Malcolm?
Malcolm is testing Macduff by lying to him.
 __________________________________________
It shows that he knows the “art/to find the mind’s construction
 __________________________________________
in the face” (1.4.11-12), and uses it to discern Macduff’s true
character. Remember: Duncan was deceived twice by traitors.
TRUE
 _____________In
response to Macbeth’s
questions, the witches call upon the
apparitions who answer most of his questions
but warn him not to probe too deeply.
 ______________When
FALSE
Macbeth hears that no
one born of woman will harm him, he
decides to spare Macduff’s life.
 ______________Lady
TRUE
Macduff misses her last
chance for escape, which comes when an
anonymous messenger warns her to flee.
TRUE
 ___________Malcolm
pretends that he is too
evil to become king in order to ascertain
Macduff’s loyalty.
FALSE
 _______When
Macduff receives the news of
his family, Malcolm urges him to grieve
peacefully.
The crowned child
 __________________Who
says Macbeth will
not be vanquished until Birnam Wood
marches to Dunsinane?
Ross
 __________________Who
says that Macbeth
has killed Macduff’s family?
The bloody child
 __________________Who
says that no man
born of woman will harm Macbeth?
An armed head
 __________________Who
warns Macbeth to
beware of Macduff?
A crowned child
 __________________Who
reveals the future
kings of Scotland?
 __________________What
lineage do the
Banquo
future kings of Scotland represent?
 When
the witches say “Something wicked
this way comes,” to whom are they
referring?
The witches are referring to Macbeth.
 __________________________________________
 What
is the first apparition?
An Armed Head.
 __________________________________________
 What
does the first apparition say?
Beware Macduff! Beware the Thane of Fife.
 __________________________________________
 What
is the second apparition?
A Bloody Child
 __________________________________________
 What
does the second apparition say?
No man born of woman shall harm Macbeth.
 __________________________________________
 What
is the third apparition?
A crown Child with a tree in his hand.
 __________________________________________
 What
does the third apparition say?
Macbeth shall never be vanquished until Great Birnam Wood to
 __________________________________________
high Dunsinane Hill comes against him.
 What
is significant about the line of eight
kings, followed by Banquo, that the witches
show Macbeth?
eight kings signifies that they are Banquo’s decedents.
 The
__________________________________________
 Who
murders Lady Macduff and her children?
Macbeth has murderer’s kill the Macduff family and people.
 __________________________________________
 How
does Malcolm test Macduff’s loyalty?
test’s Macduff’s loyalty by sharing with Macduff
 Malcolm
__________________________________________
that he is lustful and envious and all things unbecoming.
B
____
1. In response to Macbeth’s questions,
the witches
a. tell him everything and predict the course of
his entire life
b. call upon the apparitions, who answer most
of his questions but warn him not to probe too
deeply
c. conjure up the ghost of the king, who
answers the questions
d. attempt to intimidate Macbeth and threaten
him with a curse
C
____
2. When Macbeth hears that no one
born of a woman will harm him, he decides
to
a. leave Macduff alone
b. kill all the wives of his peers
c. kill Macduff anyway
d. kill everyone in line for the throne, but spare
their families
A
____
3. Lady Macduff misses her last chance
for escape, which comes when
a. an anonymous messenger warns her to flee
b. her son suggests a plot for their escape
c. Ross defends her husband’s good character
d. the murderers make too much noise at the
door
____
4. Malcolm pretends that he is too evil
B
to become king in order to
a. avoid the responsibilities of ruling Scotland
b. ascertain Macduff’s loyalty
c. fulfill the witches’ prophecies
d. ensure that his brother inherits the throne
C
____
5. When Ross joins Malcolm and
Macduff in Scene 3, he says to Macduff,
“Let not your ears despise my tongue
forever, / Which shall possess them with
the heaviest sound / That ever yet they
heard.” He means
a. do not listen too closely to what I am saying
b. I am about to warn you of impending disaster
c. please do not hate me because I bring bad
news
d. do not worry about my next statement
A
____
6. When Macduff receives the news of
his family, Malcolm urges him to
a. rouse his anger
b. grieve peacefully
c. stay away from Scotland
d. try not to think about it
____
7. Macbeth will not be vanquished until
A
Birnam Wood marches to Dunsinane
____
8. Macbeth has killed Macduff’s family
E
____
9. no man born of a woman will harm
B
Macbeth
D
____
10. beware of Macduff
C
____
11. the eight ghostly kings are Banquo’s
offspring
12. Which of the following characters in Act
IV arouses the most sympathy? On the
lines provided, write the letter of the
character you choose, describe the
character’s situation in Act IV, and give
reasons for your opinion. Use at least one
example from the selection to support your
ideas. There is more than one possible
answer.
a. Macbeth
b. Lady Macduff
c. Son of Macduff
a. Macbeth arouses the most sympathy
because he is flawed; the witches, who lure
 _____________________________________
him into evil by using supernatural powers,
 _____________________________________
exploit his weaknesses.
 _____________________________________
b. Lady Macduff arouses the most sympathy
because she is an innocent victim.
 _____________________________________
c. Macduff’s son arouses the most sympathy
even though he is only a child and is not actively involved
 _______________________________________
in the conflict
_.
d.because
Macduff
arouses
the
sympathy
he loses
his family
andmost
feels that
his flight is the reason for the
murders.
 _______________________________________
__.
13. On a separate sheet of paper, write a
paragraph describing how Macbeth
changes from the beginning of the play to
Act IV. Is he more good than evil in Act IV?
more evil than good? Rate Macbeth’s moral
character on a scale of ten, with 1 being
absolute good and 10 being absolute evil.
Provide at least two examples of Macbeth’s
words or deeds that support your answer.
At the beginning of the play, Macbeth hesitates
to kill Duncan and then is tormented by the
murder of the king, yet in Act IV, Macbeth
coldly decides without hesitation to kill
Macduff.
Early in the play, the mere sight of blood
disturbs Macbeth, yet in Act IV, he easily
decides to slaughter Macduff’s wife, children,
and any other heirs.