6.5

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Act 4 Macbeth

Scene 1°

[A cauldron.] Thunder. Enter the three Witches.

FIRST WITCH Thrice the brinded° cat hath mewed.

SECOND WITCH Thrice, and once the hedgepig° whined.

THIRD WITCH Harpier° cries.° ’Tis time, ’tis time!

FIRST WITCH Round about the cauldron go;

5 In the poisoned entrails throw.

Toad, that under cold stone

Days and nights has thirty-one

Sweltered venom, sleeping got,°

Boil thou first i’ the charmèd pot.

ALL [as they dance round the cauldron]

10 Double, double, toil and trouble;

Fire burn, and cauldron bubble.

SECOND WITCH Fillet° of a fenny° snake,

In the cauldron boil and bake;

Eye of newt and toe of frog,

15 Wool of bat and tongue of dog,

Adder’s fork° and blindworm’s° sting,

Lizard’s leg and owlet’s wing,

For a charm of powerful trouble,

Like a hell-broth boil and bubble.

20 ALL Double, double, toil and trouble;

Fire burn, and cauldron bubble.

THIRD WITCH Scale of dragon, tooth of wolf,

Witches’ mummy,° maw and gulf°

Of the ravined° salt-sea shark,

25 Root of hemlock digged i’ the dark,

Liver of blaspheming Jew,

Gall° of goat, and slips° of yew°

Slivered° in the moon’s eclipse,

Nose of Turk and Tartar’s lips,

30 Finger of birth-strangled babe

Ditch-delivered by a drab,°

Make the gruel thick and slab.°

Add thereto a tiger’s chaudron°

For th’ ingredience° of our cauldron.

35 ALL Double, double, toil and trouble;

Fire burn, and cauldron bubble.

SECOND WITCH Cool it with a baboon’s blood,

image
image
This painting by English artist Michael Ayrton was created as part of the costume design for the witches in the 1942 rendition of Macbeth, produced by the famous Shakespearean actor John Gielgud at the Piccadilly Theatre in London.
What effect do you think Ayrton is going for in this design, and how would it affect the telling of this tale?
© Estate of Michael Ayrton. Photo: Courtesy of Peter Nahum at the Leicester Galleries, London/Bridgeman Images

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Then the charm is firm and good.

Enter Hecate to the other° three Witches.

HECATE O, well done! I commend your pains,

40 And everyone shall share i’ the gains.

And now about the cauldron sing

Like elves and fairies in a ring,

Enchanting all that you put in.°

Music and a song: “Black spirits,”° etc.
[Exit Hecate.]



SECOND WITCH By the pricking of my thumbs,

45 Something wicked this way comes.

Open, locks,

Whoever knocks!

Enter Macbeth.

MACBETH How how, you secret, black,° and midnight hags?

What is ’t you do?

ALL A deed without a name.

50 MACBETH I conjure you, by that which you profess,

Howe’er you come to know it, answer me.

Though you untie the winds and let them fight

Against the churches, though the yeasty° waves

Confound° and swallow navigation up,

55 Though bladed corn° be lodged° and trees blown down,

Though castles topple on their warders’ heads,

Though palaces and pyramids do slope°

Their heads to their foundations, though the treasure

Of nature’s germens° tumble all together,

60 Even till destruction sicken,° answer me

To what I ask you.

FIRST WITCH Speak.

SECOND WITCH Demand.

THIRD WITCH We’ll answer.

FIRST WITCH Say if thou’dst rather hear it from our mouths

Or from our masters?

MACBETH Call ’em. Let me see ’em.

FIRST WITCH Pour in sow’s blood, that hath eaten

65 Her nine farrow;° grease that’s sweaten°

From the murderer’s gibbet° throw

Into the flame.

ALL Come high or low,°

Thyself and office° deftly show!

Thunder. First Apparition, an armed Head.°

MACBETH Tell me, thou unknown power —

FIRST WITCH He knows thy thought.

70 Hear his speech, but say thou naught.

FIRST APPARITION Macbeth! Macbeth! Macbeth! Beware Macduff,

Beware the Thane of Fife. Dismiss me. Enough. He descends.°

MACBETH Whate’er thou art, for thy good caution, thanks;

Thou hast harped° my fear aright. But one word more —

75 FIRST WITCH He will not be commanded. Here’s another,

More potent than the first.

Thunder. Second Apparition, a bloody Child.°

SECOND APPARITION Macbeth! Macbeth! Macbeth!

MACBETH Had I three ears, I’d hear thee.

SECOND APPARITION Be bloody, bold, and resolute; laugh to scorn

80 The power of man, for none of woman born

Shall harm Macbeth. Descends.

MACBETH Then live, Macduff; what need I fear of thee?

But yet I’ll make assurance double sure,

And take a bond of° fate. Thou shalt not live,

85 That I may tell pale-hearted fear it lies,

And sleep in spite of thunder.

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image
image
This painting depicts one of the most fantastical and imaginative scenes in the entire play. As in the opening scenes of the play, Macbeth is offered several prophecies and must decide how to interpret them. This scene has some historical significance as well, as many of the ghostly descendants that the witches reveal are rooted in actual royal figures contemporary to Shakespeare.
Examine the painting carefully, noting all of the details that the artist included. Then, explain how the details work together to capture the moment.
Set design depicting witches’ cave, watercolor for performance of Macbeth, 1847, opera by Giuseppe Verdi (1813–1901).
De Agostini Picture Library/G. Cigolini/Bridgeman Images

Thunder. Third Apparition, a Child crowned, with a tree in his hand.°

What is this

That rises like° the issue of a king

And wears upon his baby brow the round

And top° of sovereignty?

ALL Listen, but speak not to ’t.

90 THIRD APPARITION Be lion-mettled, proud, and take no care

Who chafes, who frets, or where conspirers are.

Macbeth shall never vanquished be until

Great Birnam Wood to high Dunsinane Hill

Shall come against him. Descends.

MACBETH That will never be.

95 Who can impress° the forest, bid the tree

Unfix his earthbound root? Sweet bodements,° good!

Rebellious dead,° rise never till the wood

Of Birnam rise, and our high-placed Macbeth

Shall live the lease of nature,° pay his breath

100 To time and mortal custom.° Yet my heart

Throbs to know one thing. Tell me, if your art

Can tell so much: shall Banquo’s issue ever

Reign in this kingdom?

ALL Seek to know no more.

MACBETH I will be satisfied. Deny me this,

105 And an eternal curse fall on you! Let me know.

[The cauldron descends]. Hautboys.

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Why sinks that cauldron? And what noise° is this?

FIRST WITCH Show!

SECOND WITCH Show!

THIRD WITCH Show!

110 ALL Show his eyes, and grieve his heart;

Come like shadows, so depart!

A show of eight Kings° and Banquo last, [the eighth King] with a glass° in his hand.

MACBETH Thou art too like the spirit of Banquo. Down!

Thy crown does sear mine eyeballs. And thy hair,

Thou other° gold-bound brow, is like the first.

115 A third is like the former. Filthy hags,

Why do you show me this? A fourth? Start,° eyes!

What, will the line stretch out to th’ crack of doom?°

Another yet? A seventh? I’ll see no more.

And yet the eighth appears, who bears a glass

120 Which shows me many more; and some I see

That twofold balls° and treble scepters° carry.

Horrible sight! Now I see ’tis true,

For the blood-boltered° Banquo smiles upon me

And points at them for his.° [The apparitions vanish.] What, is this so?

125 FIRST WITCH Ay, sir, all this is so. But why

Stands Macbeth thus amazedly?°

Come, sisters, cheer we up his sprites°

And show the best of our delights.

I’ll charm the air to give a sound,

130 While you perform your antic round,°

That this great king may kindly say

Our duties did his welcome pay.°

Music. The Witches dance, and vanish.

MACBETH Where are they? Gone? Let this pernicious hour

Stand aye accursèd in the calendar!

Come in, without there!

Enter Lennox.

135 LENNOX What’s Your Grace’s will?

MACBETH Saw you the Weird Sisters?

LENNOX No, my lord.

MACBETH Came they not by you?

LENNOX No, indeed, my lord.

MACBETH Infected be the air whereon they ride,

And damned all those that trust them! I did hear

140 The galloping of horse.° Who was ’t came by?

LENNOX ’Tis two or three, my lord, that bring you word

Macduff is fled to England.

MACBETH Fled to England!

LENNOX Ay, my good lord.

MACBETH [aside]

Time, thou anticipat’st° my dread exploits.

145 The flighty° purpose never is o’ertook

Unless the deed go with it.° From this moment

The very firstlings of my heart shall be

The firstlings of my hand.° And even now,

To crown my thoughts with acts, be it thought and done:

150 The castle of Macduff I will surprise,°

Seize upon Fife, give to th’ edge o’ the sword

His wife, his babes, and all unfortunate souls

That trace him in his line.° No boasting like a fool;

This deed I’ll do before this purpose cool.

155 But no more sights! — Where are these gentlemen?

Come, bring me where they are.

Exeunt.



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Scene 2°

Enter Macduff’s Wife, her Son, and Ross.

LADY MACDUFF What had he done to make him fly the land?

ROSS You must have patience, madam.

LADY MACDUFF He had none.

His flight was madness. When our actions do not,

Our fears do make us traitors.°

ROSS You know not

5 Whether it was his wisdom or his fear.

LADY MACDUFF Wisdom? To leave his wife, to leave his babes,

His mansion, and his titles° in a place

From whence himself does fly? He loves us not,

He wants the natural touch;° for the poor wren,

10 The most diminutive of birds, will fight,

Her young ones in her nest,° against the owl.

All is the fear and nothing is the love,

As little is the wisdom, where the flight

So runs against all reason.

ROSS My dearest coz,°

15 I pray you, school° yourself. But, for° your husband,

He is noble, wise, judicious, and best knows

The fits o’ the season.° I dare not speak much further,

But cruel are the times when we are traitors

And do not know ourselves,° when we hold rumor

20 From what we fear,° yet know not what we fear,

But float upon a wild and violent sea

Each way and none.° I take my leave of you;

Shall° not be long but° I’ll be here again.

Things at the worst will cease, or else climb upward

25 To what they were before. — My pretty cousin,

Blessing upon you!

LADY MACDUFF Fathered he is, and yet he’s fatherless.

ROSS I am so much a fool, should I stay longer

It would be my disgrace and your discomfort.°

30 I take my leave at once. Exit Ross.

LADY MACDUFF Sirrah,° your father’s dead;

And what will you do now? How will you live?

SON As birds do, Mother.

LADY MACDUFF What, with worms and flies?

SON With what I get, I mean; and so do they.

35 LADY MACDUFF Poor bird! Thou’dst never fear

The net nor lime,° the pitfall nor the gin.°

SON Why should I, Mother? Poor birds they are not set for.°

My father is not dead, for all your saying.

LADY MACDUFF Yes, he is dead. How wilt thou do for a father?

40 SON Nay, how will you do for a husband?

LADY MACDUFF Why, I can buy me twenty at any market.

SON Then you’ll buy ’em to sell again.

LADY MACDUFF Thou speak’st with all thy wit,

And yet, i’ faith, with wit enough for thee.

45 SON Was my father a traitor, Mother?

LADY MACDUFF Ay, that he was.

SON What is a traitor?

LADY MACDUFF Why, one that swears and lies.°

SON And be all traitors that do so?

50 LADY MACDUFF Every one that does so is a traitor,

And must be hanged.

SON And must they all be hanged that swear and lie?

LADY MACDUFF Every one.

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SON Who must hang them?

55 LADY MACDUFF Why, the honest men.

SON Then the liars and swearers are fools, for

there are liars and swearers enough to beat

the honest men and hang up them.

LADY MACDUFF Now, God help thee, poor

60 monkey! But how wilt thou do for a father?

SON If he were dead, you’d weep for him; if you

would not, it were a good sign that I should

quickly have a new father.

LADY MACDUFF Poor prattler, how thou talk’st!

Enter a Messenger.

65 MESSENGER Bless you, fair dame! I am not to you known,

Though in your state of honor° I am perfect.°

I doubt° some danger does approach you nearly.

If you will take a homely° man’s advice,

Be not found here. Hence with your little ones!

70 To fright you thus, methinks, I am too savage;

To do worse° to you were fell° cruelty,

Which is too nigh your person.° Heaven preserve you!

I dare abide no longer. Exit Messenger.

LADY MACDUFF Whither should I fly?

I have done no harm. But I remember now

75 I am in this earthly world, where to do harm

Is often laudable, to do good sometimes

Accounted dangerous folly. Why then, alas,

Do I put up that womanly defense

To say I have done no harm?

Enter Murderers.

What are these faces?

80 FIRST MURDERER Where is your husband?

LADY MACDUFF I hope in no place so unsanctified

Where such as thou mayst find him.

FIRST MURDERER He’s a traitor.

SON Thou liest, thou shag-haired villain!

FIRST MURDERER What, you egg?   [He stabs him.]

Young fry° of treachery!

SON He has killed me, Mother.

85 Run away, I pray you! [He dies.]
Exit [Lady Macduff] crying “Murder!”
[followed by the Murderers with the Son’s body].




Scene 3°

Enter Malcolm and Macduff.

MALCOLM Let us seek out some desolate shade, and there

Weep our sad bosoms empty.

MACDUFF Let us rather

Hold fast the mortal° sword, and like good men

Bestride° our downfall’n birthdom.° Each new morn

5 New widows howl, new orphans cry, new sorrows

Strike heaven on the face, that it resounds°

As if it felt with Scotland and yelled out

Like syllable of dolor.°

MALCOLM What I believe, I’ll wail;

What know, believe;° and what I can redress,

10 As I shall find the time to friend,° I will.

What you have spoke it may be so, perchance.

This tyrant, whose sole° name blisters our tongues,

Was once thought honest. You have loved him well;

He hath not touched you yet.° I am young;° but something

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15 You may deserve of him through me,° and wisdom°

To offer up a weak, poor, innocent lamb

T’ appease an angry god.

MACDUFF I am not treacherous.

MALCOLM But Macbeth is.

20 A good and virtuous nature may recoil°

In an imperial charge.° But I shall crave your pardon.

That which you are my thoughts cannot transpose;°

Angels are bright still, though the brightest° fell.

Though all things foul would wear the brows of grace,

Yet grace must still look so.°

25 MACDUFF I have lost my hopes.°

MALCOLM Perchance even there° where I did find my doubts.°

Why in that rawness° left you wife and child,

Those precious motives,° those strong knots of love,

Without leave-taking? I pray you,

30 Let not my jealousies be your dishonors,

But mine own safeties.° You may be rightly just,

Whatever I shall think.

MACDUFF Bleed, bleed, poor country!

Great tyranny, lay thou thy basis° sure,

For goodness dare not check° thee; wear thou thy wrongs,°

35 The title is affeered!° Fare thee well, lord.

I would not be the villain that thou think’st

For the whole space that’s in the tyrant’s grasp,

And the rich East to boot.°

MALCOLM Be not offended.

I speak not as in absolute fear° of you.

40 I think our country sinks beneath the yoke;

It weeps, it bleeds, and each new day a gash

Is added to her wounds. I think withal°

There would be hands uplifted in my right;°

And here from gracious England° have I offer

45 Of goodly thousands. But, for all this,

When I shall tread upon the tyrant’s head,

Or wear it on my sword, yet my poor country

Shall have more vices than it had before,

More suffer, and more sundry° ways than ever,

By him that shall succeed.

50 MACDUFF What should he be?°

MALCOLM It is myself I mean, in whom I know

All the particulars of vice so grafted°

That, when they shall be opened,° black Macbeth

Will seem as pure as snow, and the poor state

55 Esteem him as a lamb, being compared

With my confineless harms.°

MACDUFF Not in the legions

Of horrid hell can come a devil more damned

In evils to top° Macbeth.

MALCOLM I grant him bloody,

Luxurious,° avaricious, false, deceitful,

60 Sudden,° malicious, smacking of every sin

That has a name. But there’s no bottom, none,

In my voluptuousness. Your wives, your daughters,

300

Your matrons, and your maids could not fill up

The cistern of my lust, and my desire

65 All continent° impediments would o’erbear

That did oppose my will.° Better Macbeth

Than such an one to reign.

MACDUFF Boundless intemperance

In nature° is a tyranny; it hath been

Th’ untimely emptying of the happy throne

70 And fall of many kings. But fear not yet°

To take upon you what is yours. You may

Convey° your pleasures in a spacious plenty,

And yet seem cold;° the time you may so hoodwink.°°

We have willing dames enough. There cannot be

75 That vulture in you to devour so many

As will to greatness dedicate themselves,

Finding it so inclined.

MALCOLM With this there grows

In my most ill-composed affection° such

A stanchless° avarice that, were I king,

80 I should cut off the nobles for their lands,

Desire his° jewels and this other’s° house,

And my more-having would be as a sauce

To make me hunger more, that° I should forge

Quarrels unjust against the good and loyal,

Destroying them for wealth.

85 MACDUFF This avarice

Sticks deeper, grows with more pernicious root

Than summer-seeming° lust, and it hath been

The sword° of our slain kings. Yet do not fear;

Scotland hath foisons° to fill up your will

90 Of your mere own.° All these are portable,°

With other graces weighed.°

MALCOLM But I have none. The king-becoming graces,

As justice, verity, temperance, stableness,

Bounty, perseverance, mercy, lowliness,°

95 Devotion, patience, courage, fortitude,

I have no relish° of them, but abound

In the division° of each several° crime,

Acting it many ways. Nay, had I power, I should

Pour the sweet milk of concord into hell,

100 Uproar° the universal peace, confound

All unity on earth.

MACDUFF O Scotland, Scotland!

MALCOLM If such a one be fit to govern, speak.

I am as I have spoken.

MACDUFF Fit to govern?

No, not to live. O nation miserable,

105 With an untitled° tyrant bloody-sceptered,

When shalt thou see thy wholesome days again,

Since that the truest issue of thy throne

By his own interdiction° stands accurst

And does blaspheme his breed?° Thy royal father

110 Was a most sainted king; the queen that bore thee,

Oft’ner upon her knees than on her feet,

Died every day she lived.° Fare thee well.

These evils thou repeat’st upon thyself

Hath banished me from Scotland. O my breast,°

Thy hope ends here!

115 MALCOLM Macduff, this noble passion,

Child of integrity,° hath from my soul

Wiped the black scruples, reconciled my thoughts

To thy good truth and honor. Devilish Macbeth

By many of these trains° hath sought to win me

120 Into his power, and modest wisdom plucks me°

From over credulous haste. But God above

Deal between thee and me! For even now

I put myself to thy direction and

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Unspeak my own detraction,° here abjure

125 The taints and blames I laid upon myself

For° strangers to my nature. I am yet

Unknown to woman,° never was forsworn,

Scarcely have coveted what was mine own,

At no time broke my faith, would not betray

130 The devil to his fellow, and delight

No less in truth than life. My first false speaking

Was this upon° myself. What I am truly

Is thine and my poor country’s to command —

Whither indeed, before thy here-approach,

135 Old Siward with ten thousand warlike men,

Already at a point,° was setting forth.

Now we’ll together; and the chance of goodness

Be like our warranted quarrel!° — Why are you silent?

MACDUFF Such welcome and unwelcome things at once

140 ’Tis hard to reconcile.

Enter a Doctor.

MALCOLM Well, more anon. — Comes the King forth, I pray you?

DOCTOR Ay, sir. There are a crew of wretched souls

That stay° his cure. Their malady convinces°

The great essay of art;° but at his touch —

145 Such sanctity hath heaven given his hand —

They presently° amend.

MALCOLM I thank you, Doctor.

Exit [Doctor].

MACDUFF What’s the disease he means?

MALCOLM ’Tis called the evil.°

A most miraculous work in this good king,

Which often, since my here-remain° in England,

150 I have seen him do. How he solicits° heaven

Himself best knows; but strangely-visited° people,

All swoll’n and ulcerous, pitiful to the eye,

The mere° despair of surgery, he cures,

Hanging a golden stamp° about their necks

155 Put on with holy prayers; and ’tis spoken,

To the succeeding royalty he leaves

The healing benediction.° With this strange virtue°

He hath a heavenly gift of prophecy,

And sundry blessings hang about his throne

That speak him full of grace.

Enter Ross.

160 MACDUFF See who comes here.

MALCOLM My countryman,° but yet I know° him not.

MACDUFF My ever-gentle° cousin, welcome hither.

MALCOLM I know him now. Good God betimes° remove

The means that makes us strangers!

ROSS Sir, amen.

MACDUFF Stands Scotland where it did?

165 ROSS Alas, poor country

Almost afraid to know itself. It cannot

Be called our mother, but our grave; where nothing

But who° knows nothing is once° seen to smile;

Where sighs and groans and shrieks that rend the air

170 Are made, not marked;° where violent sorrow seems

A modern ecstasy.° The dead man’s knell

Is there scarce asked for who, and good men’s lives

Expire before the flowers° in their caps,

Dying or ere they sicken.°

MACDUFF O, relation°

Too nice,° and yet too true!

175 MALCOLM What’s the newest grief?

302

ROSS That of an hour’s age doth hiss° the speaker;

Each minute teems° a new one.

MACDUFF How does my wife?

ROSS Why, well.°

MACDUFF And all my children?

ROSS Well too.

MACDUFF The tyrant has not battered at their peace?

180 ROSS No, they were well at peace when I did leave ’em.

MACDUFF Be not niggard of your speech. How goes ’t?

ROSS When I came hither to transport the tidings

Which I have heavily° borne, there ran a rumor

Of many worthy fellows that were out,°

185 Which was to my belief witnessed the rather°

For that° I saw the tyrant’s power° afoot.

Now is the time of help. [To Malcolm.] Your eye in Scotland

Would create soldiers, make our women fight,

To doff ° their dire distresses.

MALCOLM Be ’t their comfort

190 We are coming thither. Gracious England° hath

Lent us good Siward and ten thousand men;

An older and a better soldier none°

That Christendom gives out.°

ROSS Would I could answer

This comfort with the like! But I have words

195 That would° be howled out in the desert air,

Where hearing should not latch° them.

MACDUFF What concern they?

The general cause? Or is it a fee-grief °

Due to° some single breast?

ROSS No mind that’s honest

But in it shares some woe, though the main part

Pertains to you alone.

200 MACDUFF If it be mine,

Keep it not from me; quickly let me have it.

ROSS Let not your ears despise my tongue forever,

Which shall possess them with° the heaviest sound

That ever yet they heard.

MACDUFF Hum! I guess at it.

205 ROSS Your castle is surprised, your wife and babes

Savagely slaughtered. To relate the manner

Were, on the quarry° of these murdered deer,

To add the death of you.

MALCOLM Merciful heaven!

What, man, ne’er pull your hat° upon your brows;

210 Give sorrow words. The grief that does not speak

Whispers° the o’erfraught° heart and bids it break.

MACDUFF My children too?

ROSS Wife, children, servants, all

That could be found.

MACDUFF And I must° be from thence!

My wife killed too?

ROSS I have said.

MALCOLM Be comforted.

215 Let’s make us medicines of our great revenge

To cure this deadly grief.

MACDUFF He has no children.° All my pretty ones?

Did you say all? O hell-kite! All?

What, all my pretty chickens and their dam

220 At one fell swoop?°

MALCOLM Dispute it° like a man.

MACDUFF I shall do so;

But I must also feel it as a man.

I cannot but remember such things were,

303

225 That were most precious to me. Did heaven look on

And would not take their part? Sinful Macduff,

They were all struck for thee!° Naught° that I am,

Not for their own demerits, but for mine,

Fell slaughter on their souls. Heaven rest them now!

230 MALCOLM Be this the whetstone of your sword. Let grief

Convert° to anger; blunt not the heart, enrage it.

MACDUFF O, I could play the woman with mine eyes

And braggart with my tongue! But, gentle heavens,

Cut short all intermission.° Front to front°

235 Bring thou this fiend of Scotland and myself;

Within my sword’s length set him. If he scape,

Heaven forgive him too!°

MALCOLM This tune goes manly.

Come, go we to the King. Our power° is ready;

Our lack is nothing but our leave.° Macbeth

240 Is ripe for shaking, and the powers above

Put on their instruments.° Receive what cheer you may.

The night is long that never finds the day.

Exeunt.



Understanding and Interpreting

  1. What does Macbeth demand to know from the witches in the first scene, and why is he so determined to get this information?

  2. Each of the apparitions that appear in Scene 1 share a different prophecy with Macbeth, all of which are both specific and ambiguous. Based on your understanding of the play and the characters at this point, predict what each of the prophecies means and how each one will influence Macbeth.

  3. After the witches leave in Scene 1, Macbeth is disturbed to find out that Lennox did not see them. Macbeth then declares that “all those who trust” the witches should be “damned” (l. 139). Does this indicate that Macbeth himself does not trust them, or is he trying to deal with his own fears that the witches may be telling the truth? Explain.

  4. Macbeth is deeply concerned when Lennox reports that Macduff has fled to England at the end of Scene 1. What about the witches’ prophecy can still come true if Macduff is alive?

  5. In Scene 2, Ross will not tell Lady Macduff why her husband has fled to England, leaving her alone. Instead, he describes why the times are “cruel” (ll. 17–26). Using text from his response, describe the current state of affairs in Scotland.

  6. At the end of Scene 2, Macduff’s wife and young son are murdered by a killer hired by Macbeth. Unlike the murder of King Duncan, this one happens onstage. What is the effect of including this particular scene onstage in the play?

  7. Summarize the qualities Malcolm ascribes to Macbeth (Scene 3, ll. 58–61) and discuss how those qualities have been revealed through Macbeth’s actions so far in the play.

  8. Malcolm lies about himself to Macduff, suggesting “black Macbeth / [would] seem as pure as snow” when compared to Malcolm’s “confineless harms” (Scene 3, ll. 53–56). In what line does Malcolm admit that he was not telling the truth when he was describing his character flaws, and what reason does he give for lying to Macduff?

  9. Ross shares news of Scotland with Malcolm and Macduff (Scene 3, ll. 165–174). What is the current state of affairs, according to Ross?

304

Analyzing Language, Style, and Structure

  1. In the first scene of this act, the witches stir a cauldron and utter one of their most famous and often quoted lines: “Double, double, toil and trouble” (l. 10). The witches’ lines are intended to evoke terror, yet the sing-song rhyming may not produce the effect that was intended when originally performed.

    Directors will often cut lines or even entire scenes from Shakespeare’s plays in order to appeal to a contemporary audience. Looking back over Act 4, Scene 1, identify five lines or phrases that you think would still evoke fear in a modern audience and explain why those lines should not be cut from the scene.

  2. During the procession of the eight ghostly kings in Scene 1 (ll. 112–124), Macbeth makes numerous references to sight and seeing. Identify these references, and discuss how they highlight Macbeth’s current mental state.

  3. Right before she is murdered, Lady Macduff declares that “in this earthly world [. . .] to do harm / Is often laudable, to do good sometimes / Accounted dangerous folly” (Scene 2, ll. 75–77). How does her ironic statement reflect the current state of affairs in Scotland?

  4. In discussing his attitude toward Macbeth, Malcolm says, “Angels are bright still, though the brightest fell” (Scene 3, l. 23). Explain the meaning behind this allusion to Lucifer.

  5. Malcolm finally tells Ross and Macduff that he plans to take up arms against Macbeth in Scotland (Scene 3, ll. 132–136). What is the effect of his waiting until this point to reveal this important information, and why does he not reveal his plan sooner?

  6. Ross must deliver the terrible news to Macduff that his entire family has been murdered by Macbeth. Though he knows Macduff is grief-stricken over the news, Malcolm uses this moment in Scene 3 as an opportunity to recruit Macduff and tells him to “dispute it [his feelings about his loss] like a man” (l. 221). He later commends Macduff’s willingness to fight Macbeth as a “tune [that] goes manly” (l. 237). How do these statements further develop a theme in the play about the nature of men and women?

  7. There are many different revelations and events in Scene 3. Analyze the effect of Shakespeare’s choices regarding the order in which he introduces the different events in this scene.

Connecting, Arguing, and Extending

  1. The appearance of the witches, Hecate, and three different apparitions at the beginning of Act 4 are among the most visually interesting and terrifying moments in the play. Historians believe that the reason Shakespeare included witches in the play was that King James I, who was the king of England at the time Macbeth was written, was fascinated by witches and witchcraft.

    Witches have long been present in plays, television shows, and movies. Find images of witches in various productions throughout the years, and then select images that you believe most match your idea of what the witches and apparitions in Macbeth should look like. Provide a brief explanation as to why your selected images are most appropriate for a production of this play.

  2. In Scene 3, Malcolm lists the qualities he believes contribute to someone’s being a great king. First, make a list in which you provide examples of each of the qualities that Malcolm lists. Then, write an argument in which you discuss whether or not those qualities are still a part of being a great leader, or if they are irrelevant to the modern age. Use specific examples of current leaders to support your claims.

  3. Consider the type of headlines that you read whenever you visit a news website. These headlines attempt to capture the “big idea” behind the story, such as “Brave Boy Breaks Leg While Attempting to Rescue Cat from Tree.” The headline provides the general idea and invites you to read on for the details. For each of the events in this Act, create a headline that captures the essence or main idea of the event. Once you have a headline for each event, draw (or describe) a picture that would logically accompany the headline. For example, with the cat headline above, you might expect a picture of the boy proudly displaying his cast.