Act 4 Scene Summaries

Act 4

scene one: 

At the start of this scene the three witches are in a dark cave making a potion with disturbing ingredients such as ‘sow’s blood, that hath eaten her nine farrow’. This is also where the witches say the iconic line ‘double, double, toil and trouble ‘.  Hecate, the chief witch appears for the first time. When Macbeth comes and demands more information Hecate gives the information in the form of three apparitions. The first apparition is and armed head, the second a bloody child and the third, a child crowned with a tree in his hand. The apparitions say that Macbeth should be weary of Macduff but they also say no person could harm him and he has no worries until trees walk. Finally, Lenox arrives and is asked by Macbeth if he saw the ‘weird sisters’. Lenox says he didn’t then tells Macbeth of the news, Macduff has fled to England, confirming what the witches said.

“Macbeth! Macbeth! Macbeth! beware of Macduff; beware of Thane of Fife. – Dismiss me. – Enough. ”

“Be bloody, bold and resolute: laugh to scorn the power of a man, for none of woman born shall harm Macbeth”

“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. ”

 

scene two: 

This scene is a discussion between Lady Macduff and her son. She is telling him Macduff is a liar and a traitor, and that he has been put to death. The son does not believe his mother. He doubts because Lady Macduff is not sad. He is right to think this because Macduff is not dead, only dead to her. 

“If he were dead, you’ld weep for him: if you would not, it were a good sign that I should quickly have a new father”

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