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Act IV. sc. I
Setting: A cavern, in the middle of a boiling cavern
Summary:
- Witches brew their concoction for a spell while chanting.
- Macbeth goes to the witches to learn more about his future.
- Witches conjure their master to tell Macbeth his future.
- An armored head appears.
- The first witch tells Macbeth the apparition knows his thoughts, he must not speak.
- The armored head tells Macbeth to beware of Macduff.
- Armored head disappears.
- A bloody child appears.
- The child tells Macbeth to be a evil as possible because no one born of a woman can harm him.
- Bloody child disappears.
- Macbeth says he does not need to fear Macduff, but to be really sure Macduff will not harm him he will murder him.
- A crowned child with a tree in his hand appears.
- The child tells Macbeth to be proud and not to worry where traitors are because he will never be defeated until Birnam
Wood moves to Dunsinane Hill.
- Macbeth realizes that the forest cannot move.
- Macbeth asks if Banquo's lineage will be kings.
- The witches do not want to tell Macbeth the answer but he convinces them to tell him.
- Eight kings followed by Banquo with a glass in his hand appear.
- Macbeth sees all the kings look like Banquo, then sees Banquo with a glass showing him many more.
- Banquo smiles at Macbeth and points to the kings and Macbeth takes this as meaning these are Banquo's Descendants.
- Macbeth asks the witches if this is true and they tell him yes.
- The witches, along with Hecate, try to cheer Macbeth up by dancing.
- The witches vanish and Macbeth questions where they went.
- Macbeth asks Lennox if he saw the witches and Lennox says no.
- Macbeth says that those who trust the witches are fools.
- Lennox tells Macbeth that Macduff has fled to England.
- Macbeth says he will take action quickly.
- Macbeth plans to attack Macduff's castle and kill his family.
Act IV. sc. II
Setting: Fife, Macduff's castle.
Summary:
- Lady Macduff asks why Macduff fled and says that when our actions do not make us traitors our fears do.
- Ross says she does not know if he fled in wisdom or fear but Lady Macduff says it was not wise for him to leave his family
in a place he himself has fled.
- Ross tells Lady Macbeth that things at their worst either stop or get better.
- Lady Macduff says her son has a father but he is fatherless because his father is not there.
- Ross leaves.
- Lady Macduff and her son converse about Macduff.
- Sirrah says he will live as birds do with what he gets.
- Lady Macduff says that Macduff is a traitor because he swears and lies and traitors must be hanged by honest men.
- Sirrah tells her that traitors are fools because they outnumber the honest men and can beat them and hang them.
- Sirrah does not believe his father is dead because Lady Macduff does not cry, and if he was and she did not cry it would
be a sign he would quickly have a new father.
- A messenger arrives and tells Lady Macduff she is in danger so she and her family should flee.
- Lady Macduff says she did not do anything bad so why should she flee then realizes that sometimes being honest makes you
a traitor and being evil is highly acceptable.
- Murderers arrive, ask for Macduff, and call him a traitor.
- At this Sirrah proceeds to defend his father's honor and dies in the process.
- Lady Macduff runs away crying "Murder" followed by the murderers.
Act IV. sc. III
Setting: King Edward of England's
palace.
Summary:
- Macduff and Malcolm converse and Malcolm is cautious to trust Macduff right away.
- Malcolm questions why Macduff left his family and also questions Macduff's loyalty to him because Macbeth has not harmed
him yet.
- Macduff does not like his honor being questioned so he decides to leave.
- Malcolm tells Macduff not to be offended by his suspicions.
- Malcolm tests Macduff's loyalty to him by telling Macduff he is more evil than Macbeth, at first Macduff does not believe
this but Malcolm convinces him of this.
- Then Macduff says that Malcolm is not fit to govern or to live, and questions why he is so evil if his parents were so
holy.
- Macduff also regrets having fled from Scotland because now he can never return.
- Malcolm then tells Macduff all he said about himself was a test to see if Macduff was like one of the others Macbeth sent
to lead Malcolm straight to death.
- A doctor enters and says that the king is coming but he is healing people with his touch at the moment.
- Ross speaks to Malcolm and tells him of the chaos going on at home.
- Ross tells Macduff that his family is well but does not go into detail, so Macduff questions why and Ross finally tells
him everyone in his castle was massacred.
- Macduff then blames himself for their death but then decides to avenge their death by killing Macbeth.
- Malcolm and the others are going to begin the fight.
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