Acts IV & V
A
Act Iv, Scene i
“Double, double, toil, and
trouble….. trouble…..”
•
Macbeth meets w/ 3 weird
sisters and Hecate.
• Note imagery of darkness and creepiness
as seen in Act I, scene i.
• Witches are brewing a potion to make
apparitions (ghostly visions) appear to
Macbeth who wants answers as to what
his future holds. (He’s an insane mess).
Act Iv, Scene i
Macbeth to witches: “Show me
something….!”
1st message/prediction: “Beware Macduff! Beware
the Thane of Fife!” (lines 71,72)
Witches show “Armed Head”- stage
directions- symbol of Maduff (note he is in
England preparing for war).
Act Iv, Scene i
Macbeth to witches: “Show me
something….!”
2nd message/prediction: …For none of woman born/
Shall harm Macbeth” (lines 80,1)
Witches show bloody child- stage
directions….
Act Iv, Scene i
Arrogant Macbeth now thinks that
no human being can hurt himwhy?- we are all “born of woman”….
To make entirely sure no one can hurt him and get a
guarantee of fate, he decides he will have to kill
Macduff….. (Recall the first prediction- Beware
Macduff…).
“But yet I’ll make assurance double sure,/ And take a
bond of fate. Thou shall not live.” (lines 83,4)
Act Iv, Scene i
3rd message/prediction: “Macbeth shall
never be vanquished until Great Birnam
Wood to high Dunsinane Hill/ Shall come
against him.” (lines 92,3)
What does this mean in everyday language?.....
[Macbeth can only be beaten by an army if the woods
surrounding his castle actually move toward him, which
seems to make no sense since a forest cannot move.]
Act Iv, Scene i
At this point, Macbeth feels confident
he will always be king, but the prophecy
of Banquo’s descendants becoming kings is still on his mind
He demands the witches answer:“Shall Banquo’s issue
ever/ reign in this kingdom? (lines 102,3)- Is B still a threat?
Witches show Macbeth an apparition of Banquo and
his descendants holding “scepters” (a wand or staff that a
king would hold, see pic in upper corner).
Act Iv, Scene i
Macbeth- horrified, enraged that Banquo’s
descendants will be kings….
“Horrible sight! Now I see ‘tis true;” (line 122)
Witches show Macbeth more than 8 kings, some hold 2
“scepters.”
(More than 1 country will be ruled by all
Banquo’s kids, or “issue”,- England, Ireland, & Scotland
will unite in the future).
Act Iv, Scene i
Witches vanish into thin air….
Lennox (random nobleman from previous acts) enters….
- tells Macbeth Macduff “fled to England.” (line 142)
Macbeth’s reaction: “The castle of Macduff I will
surprise;/ Seize upon Fife’ give to th’ edge o’ th’ sword/ His
wife, his babes,…” lines 150-3 (He’s gone off deep enddecides to murder Macduff’s entire family in cold blood).
Act Iv, Scene ii
New character introduced- Lady
Macduff, wife of Macduff
She is upset that her husband has fled- she has no
idea why he has left and gone to England.
“His flight was madness.” (line 4)
Ross and Lady Macduff’s son try to calm her down.
Act Iv, Scene ii
the land? (line
“What had he done to make him fly
the land?” (line 1)
Imagery of birds is used
throughout the first part of scene to describe how she
feels trapped and abandoned like a teeny little bird in
a nest. (This is also an extended metaphor; she also
compares her ‘fatherless’ son to a hungry bird).
Messenger come in- tries to warn her that she needs
to run…. (We do not know how he knows Lady
Macduff is in danger from Macbeth)…..
Act Iv, Scene ii
is
Irony of Macduff’s son speech: he
is a little boy trying to show an
adult some common sense….
She is disgusted w/ Macduff; this
little boy is a voice of wisdom as he
tries to convince her that his father
is not dead AND is not a cowardly
traitor…
Act Iv, Scene ii
o
Lady Macbeth vs. Lady MacduffLady Macduff would not win “Wife
the of the Year Award”….Lady
Macbeth defends Macbeth’s plans
and desires at all costs….
Lady Macduff - quick to assume
Macduff is a traitor who
abandoned his family….
Act Iv, Scene ii
Murderers kill her son on stage- audience
assumes they go on to kill entire familybloodbath…..
[Exit LADY MACDUFF crying “Murder!”
followed by MURDERERS.]
Where in the play had this been
foreshadowed?.......
Consider the murder of Macduff’s sonHow is it a reversal of a previous plot
point?
Act Iv, Scene iiI
Action shifts from Scotland to England.
Macolm to Macduff: “This tyrant [Macbeth] ….you
have loved him well;/He hath not touched you yet…”
(lines 12,3)- shows his suspicion toward Macduff.
(Malcom’s thoughts: You were once very close...Maybe
you will hand me over to Macbeth….)
Act Iv, Scene iiI
“Angels are bright still, though the
brightest fell:/ line 22
Malcolm is using a metaphor here: Macduff could be a
backstabber who appears to be an honest “angel”- just
like Lucifer (God’s angel who turned into Satan himself)
Malcolm’s thoughts: If Lucifer could betray God, why
should I trust you?
Act Iv, Scene iiI
This is a very tricky scene…
When Malcolm learns Macduff left his family
behind unprotected (“in rawness”) in Scotland,
he figures Macduff must be loyal to Macbeth.
….After all, how could he leave his family
behind? If Macduff was disloyal to Macbeth,
Macbeth would hunt down Macduff’s family as
punishment….(lines 25-30)
Act Iv, Scene iiI
Malcolm goes on to test Macduff to
see if he is still loyal to Macbeth…
Malcolm’s words in lines 50-54 paraphrased:
When I come to power, I will be even more evil than
Macbeth….He will seem like a “lamb.” (I am capable of
every sin there is- great greed for power, lust, etc…)
Macduff says Duncan (Malcolm’s father) “was a most
sainted king”…. (line 109), talks kindly of the queen too
Act Iv, Scene iiI
Malcolm comes to trust
Macduff, most likely b/c of his kind words
about his late parents (esp his mom  ).
Malcolm goes on to say he was only trying
to mislead Macduff to test him with his
“false speaking.” (line 130)
Act Iv, Scene iii
Macduff learns of the complete slaughter
of his entire family from Ross; he blames
himself. (see quote below)
“And I must be from thence.” line 213
Malcolm to Macduff: Be a man! Now
Macbeth’s time has come! Instead of
focusing on grief at your family’s
murder, be strong! Use your grief as a
motivator to take Macbeth down….. Off
to Scotland we go!