Act IV Notes

1. Act IV Notes

2. Scene i • Witches meeting in cave-making something gross • Eye of newt and toe of frog • Macbeth is coming-they call him wicked • There is no difference now between witches and Macbeth-they’re both wicked and evil

3. Scene i Apparitions • Macbeth demands to know his future • There are three apparitions

4. Apparition 1 • Head • beware Macduff

5. Apparition 2 • Bloody Baby • No man of woman born will harm you • Happy because all men are of woman born • Therefore he doesn’t have to worry about Macduff

6. Apparition 3 • Child wearing a crown and holding a tree • Won’t be defeated until Birnam wood marches to Dunsinane Hill • Macbeth pleased since a forest doesn’t move

7. Last Apparition • Wants to know one more thing: • Will Banquo’s sons become king? • Sees a line of eight kings and the last one is holding a mirror • This looks like the lineage goes on forever • Macbeth is mad and demands an answer from Hecate but she mocks him and witches leave

8. Lennox brings information that Macduff is on his way to England to go against Macbeth • Macbeth upset at himself that he hasn’t killed him • Resorting to killing his family and anyone that is close to him • Here we see that this is done not only by impulse but temptation of the prophecies

9. Scene ii • At Macduff’s castle (Fife) • Lady Macduff mad that her husband has gone off to England and just left her • Question of manhood-who leaves their wife in this kind of situation? • Tells her son that his father is dead-really they end up talking about being a traitor • Lady Macduff says traitors are hanged • Servant warns them of danger-murderer comes in and kills everyone • At this point-Macbeth’s seeds for his own destruction are sown. He’s no longer human by committing these crimes

10. Scene iii • Back in England-Edward and Macduff want Malcolm to form an army against Macbeth • Malcolm a bit suspicious that Macduff is working for Macbeth-why else would he leave his family unprotected in Scotland? • Malcolm is scared that he might be a bad ruler so he’s a bit hesitant about going after Macbeth

11. continued • Malcolm describes himself as greedy and vicious • Macduff then will leave Scotland if there’s no good ruler • Malcolm reveals that he was just joking to see if Macduff was actually loyal or a traitor • Macduff has an army of 10,000 men in England under command of Lord Siward to march in on Macbeth

12. We get a comparison-King Edward is a kind king as opposed to vicious Macbeth • Ross comes in and states that the Scottish people will back him up to go against Macbeth • Ross tells Macduff his family has been murdered • He cries-Malcolm tells him that he needs to be a man-he needs to use it to fuel his revenge • Macduff realizes that a true man not only needs strength and honour, but also emotion and love

13. Darkness in Act IV • Darkness= evil • Symbols of evil-black cats, dark place, dark night, bad weather, etc. • Act iv agents of disorder: Macbeth, Scotland and Witches

14. Macbeth • Consulted with witches • Murdered macduff’s family • Creates chaos in Scotland as ruler • Described as “untitled tyrant” • Goes from “noble” Macbeth in Act I to “tyrant” and “black Macbeth” • Place that Macbeth lives in is Dunsanine-kind of sounds like dungeon

15. Scotland • Ruled by Macbeth • “Shrouded in darkness” said by Malcolm • Filled with “sighs” and “groans” • Described as “dying”

16. Witches • Meet in dark cave-indicative of evil • Appearance-“secret, black, and midnight hags” • Dark meeting tells of the decent into chaos