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Act 4

Macbeth visits the witches again and they show him visions that seem to predict he cannot be harmed. However, the visions also contain warnings. Macduff flees to England to join Malcolm's army against Macbeth. Enraged, Macbeth orders Macduff's family killed to remove any threat. His tyrannical rule has left Scotland in ruin, and more followers desert Macbeth due to his cruel acts. The theme of supernatural forces gaining power over Macbeth is prominent in this act.

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383 views

Act 4

Macbeth visits the witches again and they show him visions that seem to predict he cannot be harmed. However, the visions also contain warnings. Macduff flees to England to join Malcolm's army against Macbeth. Enraged, Macbeth orders Macduff's family killed to remove any threat. His tyrannical rule has left Scotland in ruin, and more followers desert Macbeth due to his cruel acts. The theme of supernatural forces gaining power over Macbeth is prominent in this act.

Uploaded by

api-436869436
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
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Download as DOCX, PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
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Act 4 Revision

DNA: Why do you think Macbeth saw Banquo’s ghost at the banquet? What does this reveal about
his state of mind?

A murderer tells Macbeth that he managed to kill Banquo, but that Fleance escaped. Throughout
the banquet, Macbeth sees Banquo's ghost seated at the table, at his place. That serves as an
indicator of the return of Macbeth 's consciousness to plague his thoughts. It shows that greed has
driven him to orchestrate the murder of his closest friends showing how brutal and cruel Macbeth
is becoming.

a) Reading the Act Read pages 39-47 to remind yourself what happened in Act 4 of Macbeth.

b) Act 4 Cloze Activity Fill in the blanks to test your knowledge on what happens in each chapter

Macbeth decides to pay the witches another visit and they show him three apparitions . The first is
an armoured head (this represents Macbeth’s own severed head, later), the second is a bloody child
(who is likely to be Macduff torn from his mother’s womb), and the third is a crowned child with a
tree in its hand (this is meant to represent Malcolm and Birnam Wood). The first apparition tells
Macbeth to beware Macduff , the second that he will never be defeated by anyone born of woman ,
and the third tells Macbeth that he will never be beaten until Birnam Wood comes to Dunsinane.

Macduff is sure that Macbeth has murdered Duncan and decides to join Malcolm in England. He
raises an army of ten thousand Englishmen in order to kill Macbeth and reclaim the throne.

In rage that Macduff has fled the country, Macbeth orders his henchmen to kill Macduff’s family
and this act disgusts his followers, who start to desert him.

a) Act 4 Short Answer Questions:

1. What has Macbeth come to ask the witches? How do they answer?

He ask the witches to reveal the truth of their prophecies to him. To answer his questions, they
summon horrible apparitions, each of which offers a prediction to allay Macbeth’s fear. First a
floating head warns him to beware Macduff. Second a bloody child tells him that none of woman
born shall harm him and third, a crowned child holding a tree tells him that is safe until Birnam
Wood comes to Dunsinane Hill.
2. How has Macbeth changed since he last saw the witches? How has is moral character
deteriorated? Do you think the witches are to blame?

When the witches met Macbeth in Act 1, he was a hero returning from battle, having saved his
nation from a traitor. Now the first prophecies have been fulfilled, but he has become a murderer
and traitor himself, he has betrayed his country and honour.

Yes, I do believe the witches are to blame in Macbeth’s behaviour. Macbeth resists as best but
fate overcomes him.

3. Why do you think Shakespeare had Macbeth murder Macduff’s wife and children? What
does this symbolise about his character?

Macduff poses a threat to Macbeth because he’s working with Duncan’s son, Malcolm, to raise an
army and defeat Macbeth. Therefore, Macbeth begins to prepare for war, knowing it’s the only
way to retain his throne.

His resolve strengthened by the Three Witches, who told him he will not be defeated until Birnam
Wood comes to Dunsinane Hill, Macbeth decides that Macduff is an enemy to be removed. While
he’s confident that he can defeat Macduff in battles, he still worries about losing the throne in the
future to any heirs who might seek revenge.

4. According to Malcolm and Macduff, what has happened to Scotland during Macbeth’s reign?
What do you think Shakespeare’s message about kingship is here?

When Macduff and Malcolm meet in England, they speak of how their “poor” country is reeling
under Macbeth’s “Great Tyranny”. Macduff wants to act without delay because with each passing
day there are more atrocities as “New widows howl, new orphans cry..” suggesting the men are
dying mercilessly under Macbeth’s reign.

Plenary: Which theme is most prominent in this act (ambition, supernatural, power and corruption,
gender or fate and free will)? Explain why below.

Act 4 is where the forces of supernatural completely take hold of Macbeth’s fevered imagination.

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