6th April 2017

ACT 4 MACBETH

Scene 1:

Characters: The three witches, Macbeth, apparitions, Lenox

Location: A dark cave with a boiling cauldron in the center.

Time: Unknown

Events: The three witches gather in a dark cave, and prepare their magic brew in provision for Macbeth’s meeting. Macbeth arrives and wants the witches to answer his question, no matter the consequences it could cause. The witches call upon their masters who take the form of apparitions. The first apparition (Shaped as a armed head) warns Macbeth of Macduff. The second (Shaped as a bloody chind) reports that Macbeth will not be harmed by any man to whom a woman has given birth. The third (Shaped as a crowned child with a tree in its hand) tells Macbeth that he will not be defeated until Great Birman wood (a forest) comes to Dunsinane. Macbeth thinks it hard to believe and fills himself with false confidence. Finally the last apparitions appear, a show of eight kings (Banquo’s descendants) with Banquo’s ghost following, proving to Macbeth that inevitably Banquo’s offspring will become kings and his will not. Lenox enters after the witches vanish and reports that Macduff has fled to England. Macbeth resolves to attack his castle and kill his family.

Quotes: “Double, double, toil and trouble: Fire, burn; and cauldron, bubble”

Scene 2: 

Characters: Lady Macduff, Rosse, Son,

Location: Fife, a room in Macduff’s castle

Time: Unknown

Events: Lady Macduff confides in Rosse about her unease against her husband running off instead of protecting her and his family, to which Rosse defends Macduff. Lady Macduff’s son questions his father’s supposed death. Lady Macbeth and her family are all killed by Macbeth’s henchmen.

Quote: “What, you egg! Young fry of treachery”

Join the conversation! 1 Comment

  1. Your summary is detailed and insightful – I’d challenge your selection of the quotation though, because I think it carries less significance or weight than many of the events that you describe in the scene. Try to select quotations that support the most nuanced or complicated ideas that you explain in your summaries. You’ll find them very useful later on.

    Reply

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Category

Writing