Act IV: I and II
Plot summary.
The scene occurs in a cavern in the middle of which is a boiling cauldron.
The Three Witches enter. They begin their ritual, adding many foul things to a bubbling cauldron
- "scale of dragon, tooth of wolf
- witch's mummy, maw and gulf
- of the ravined salt-sea shark, root of hemlock digged i'th' dark
- liver of a blaspheming Jew", etc. [lines 22-26]),
chanting what are probably the most famous lines in Macbeth:
As the second witch pours in baboon's blood to cool the mixture, Hecate and three other witches enter. Hecate commends the witches for their excellent work, and incites the witches to sing and dance 'round the caldron, to enchant it. Hecate and the other three witches exit after the song, macbeth's entrance is heralded by the words:
- "By the pricking of my thumbs,
- something wicked this way comes:
- open, locks,
- whoever knocks!" (lines 44-47).
Macbeth insists that the Witches answer his questions. It makes no difference to him, he says, whether or not the universe is totally destroyed in the process; he will have his answer. They agree, but first they inquire as to whether he would have the answer from them or from their masters; Macbeth prefers the latter.
The Witches then throw into the boiling cauldron some unappetising liquids: the blood of a sow who has eaten her young and the sweat that fell from a murderer as he was being hanged. This addition to the Witches' brew brings forth the apparition of an armed head.
Macbeth enquires of the witches as to what they are doing. They say that it is a deed without a name. He then challenges the witches to answer him, almost in effect saying that he can be more evil than they.
The witches implore him to speak, saying that they will answer. Then first witch then asks Macbeth if he would rather hear it from their masters or from them. Macbeth tells them to call their masters. They throw in sow's blood to complete the conjuration. Thunder rolls and the first apparition appears: an armed head. Macbeth begins to speak to it, but is stopped by the first witch, who tells him to listen, that the apparition does not know him. The apparition gives Macbeth a warning:
The apparition descends into the cauldron. Macbeth attempts to speak to it, and is again shushed by the first witch. The witch then speaks of the coming of a second apparition, more powerful than the first. More thunder, and the second apparition rises from the cauldron: a bloody child. The apparition speaks to Macbeth:
Macbeth laughs at the first apparition's warning, thinking that he has nothing to fear from Macduff, and also swearing to kill him, just to insure that the prophecy does not come true. The third apparition arises: a child crowned, with a tree in his hand. Macbeth asks what this means, and is immediately chastised by all three witches and told not to speak to it. The third apparition then gives Macbeth this message:
The third apparition descends into the cauldron, as Macbeth gloats over the apparently well-boding prophecies. He claims that the wood will never move, asking
- "who can impress the forest, bid the tree
- unfix his earthbound root? Sweet bodements, good!" (lines 95-96).
He asks one last question of the witches: whether or not Fleance will ever rule the kingdom, but the witches tell him to ask no more questions. Macbeth says that he must know, and says that the witches will be cursed if they do not show him. The witches all cry "Show!", and eight Kings (one with a mirror in hand) and Banquo appear. Macbeth cries out, horrified, as the image of Banquo, blood-stained and battered, smiles at him and points at the other Kings.
Macbeth begs of the first witch to know if this is so. Her response is that of course it is so, but asks why he stands there so amazed at this grotesque scene. She implores the other two witches to perform a short dance to cheer him up, and says that
- "this great king may kindly say
- our duties did his welcome pay.",
pointing out that Macbeth learned what he wanted to know, though it was not what he wanted to hear. The witches dance and vanish. Macbeth, thoroughly distraught, cries out, looking for the witches, and condemns the day, saying
- "Let this pernicious hour
- stand aye accursed in the calendar!" (lines 133-134).
He hears someone outside and tells them to enter. Lennox enters the haunt and inquires what Macbeth wants. Macbeth asks him if he saw the weird sisters (the witches), to which the response was no. He then asks if the witches came by him on, but again the answer is no. Macbeth condemns the very air where the witches are ("filthy air" [I,i,11]) and then asks what the hoof beats were that he heard before. Lennox replies that it was several riders attempting to find him and tell him that Macduff had fled to England.
Macbeth, in a short aside , laments that an idea is worth nothing if not acted upon, and that, from that point on, "the very firstlings of my heart shall be the firstlings of my hand." (lines 147-148). He then decides that he will surprise the family of Macduff and destroy his family, thus removing the threat that Macduff represents.
Questions 1. What impression of the supernatural is given by Shakespeare’s way of representing the witches in this scene?2. Describe the apparitions Macbeth is shown.
3. How do these apparitions fit in to the plot of the play as a whole?
4. How does Macbeth respond to the apparitions?
The TextPlot summary.
This scene takes place in Macduff's castle at Fife. Lady Macduff, her son, and Ross enter. Lady Macduff is speaking to Ross. She does not understand why her husband has run away from Scotland. "His flight was madness," she says. She implies that even though Macduff is not a traitor, his fear makes him look like one. Ross tells Lady Macduff that she cannot know whether it was fear or wisdom that made her husband run. But, she questions, how can his flight be wise when he leaves his wife and children in a place from which he himself runs away. "All is the fear, and nothing is the love . . .," she comments. Macduff's flight, she insists, was unreasonable.
Ross tells Lady Macduff that her husband is a wise and trustworthy man. He understands the cruel times in which men "float upon a wild and violent sea ...." Ross, however, breaks off the conversation to say that he must leave. But he will soon be back. He comforts Lady Macduff by saying that things at their worst will either come to an end or improve. He gives his blessing to young Macduff, whom Lady Macduff calls "fatherless." Ross feels he cannot prevent himself from weeping, and so he departs at once.
An amusingly pathetic dialogue now ensues between Lady Macduff and her son. Lady Macduff says to her son that his father is dead. "How will you live?" she asks. He will live as the birds do, he replies. "Poor bird!" she calls him, and she hopes that he need never fear a trap as birds fear it. The son now reverts to their former conversation and says that he does not believe that his father is dead. His mother insists that his father is dead, and they joke a bit about a consequent search for another husband. The son then asks, "Was my father a traitor, mother?" Lady Macduff replies that his father was. The son now asks, "What is a traitor?" "Why, one that swears and lies," she answers.
The question arises whether all that swear and lie must be hanged. To Lady Macduff's affirmative response, the son says that "the liars and swearers are fools." They are fools because there are more of them than there are honest men. If the liars and swearers were smart, they would band together and hang the honest man. Lady Macduff now returns to her former theme: "But how wilt thou do for a father?" The boy still does not believe that his father is dead. If his father were really dead, the boy insists, she would weep for him. A messenger suddenly enters. He is not known to Lady Macduff, he tells her, although he is looking out for her honour. He warns her to run away, for danger is fast approaching her. He blesses her, says that he dare not stay longer, and exits. Lady Macduff exclaims that she does not know where to run. "I have done no harm," she says. But, she reflects, in this world it is often praiseworthy to do harm; to do good is often thought to be "dangerous folly." Why, then, does she bother saying that she has done no harm?
Murderers suddenly interrupt her. "Where is your husband?" one Murderer asks. Lady Macduff replies that she hopes that he is in no place so unholy that he can be found by the Murderers who, she implies, would ordinarily frequent only places that are damned). The Murderer says that Macduff is a traitor. Macduff's son cries, "Thou liest, thou shag hair'd villain!" At this the Murderer stabs the boy, who tells his mother to run away. The scene ends with Lady Macduff running off the stage crying "Murder!" followed by the Murderers.
Questions
1. What reasons does Lady Macduff give for her husband’s flight?
2. Do you think she is correct?
3. In what ways do you think the dialogue between Lady Macduff and her son is pathetic?
4. What happens to the two at the end of the scene?
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