Macbeth

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Macbeth Act IV and Imagery

• By Julia M., Joon-Ha, and Anastasia, and Marina

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Agenda

1. Quiz
2. Characters in Act IV
3. Summary of Act IV
4. Enactment
5. Imagery throughout the play
6. Discussion

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Quiz

• Which was not a prophecy in Act IV?
• Birnam Wood must rise for Macbeth to be defeated
• Beware of Macduff
• Macbeth will fight Macduff heroically
• Nobody born from woman may hurt Macbeth
• Macbeth was freaked out by Banquo in scene I
  because
• He was trying to kill Macbeth
• He was dead and came back as a ghost
• He and Macbeth had the same outfit
• He was drunk and babbling

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• 3. Who are Lady Macduff and her son discussing?
• a. Banquo b. Fleance c. Donalbain
• d. Macduff
• 4. Which character believes that Scotland is
  suffering and will later succeed Macbeth?
• a. Ross b. Hecate c. Macduff d. Malcom
• 5. What does Ross report to Macduff about his
  family?
• a. Theyre in France b. They ran way
  c. Theyre dead d. He didnt see them

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Quiz Answers

1. C
2. B
3. D
4. D
5. C

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Characters

• The Witches conjure the three apparitions that
  predict Macbeths future
• 2. Macbeth - the Thane of Glamis. Made Thane of
  Cawdor after prophecy. At beginning-noble, brave
  and loyal, but as his temptation leads him to
  murder. Turns selfish.
• 3. Lady Macbeth - Macbeths wife, ambitious,
  strong, ruthless, urges her husband to kill
  Duncan and seize the crown. Is eventually guilty.
  Very strong and independent.

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Characters

• 4. Macduff - A Scottish nobleman. Leads against
  Macbeth. wants Malcolm to be king wants to kill
  Macbeth as revenge for murdering his family.
• 5. Malcolm - The son of Duncan, whose restoration
  to the throne signals Scotlands return to order,
  flees Scotland when his father, King Duncan, is
  killed, but later takes over and fixes his
  country.

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Characters

• 6. Lady Macduff - Macduffs wife. Loving mother
  and wife -very different from Lady Macbeth. She
  is sweeter, kinder and not as independent and
  strong as Macbeths wife.
• 7. Lennox and Ross - Scottish noblemen-act as
  messengers

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Scene I

• Macbeth comes to the witches and demands to know
  the truth about his prophecy.
• They call upon the 4 apparitions
• Beware of Macduff
• He will not be killed by a man born from a woman
• He is safe until the Birnam Wood moves to
  Dunsinane Hill.
• 8 kings appear and Banquos ghost walks at the
  end of the line carrying a mirror.

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Scene I contd

• 2. Lennox tells Macbeth that Macduff has fled to
  England.
• 3. Macbeth decides to send murderers to kill
  Macduffs wife and children.

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Eye of newt and toe of frog, wool of bat and
tongue of dog (IV.i).
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Scene II

• Lady Macduff is angry that her husband fled and
  left her and her children defenseless, but does
  not flee when told to because she argues that she
  is innocent.
• Lady Macduff tells her son that his father is
  dead, but he doesnt agree.
• Murderers come and
• kill Lady Macduff
• and her children

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Scene III

• 1.Malcom tests Macduffs loyalty to Scotland by
  falsely telling him that Malcom will be a
  horrible king because he is lustful, greedy, and
  violent. Macduff, after disagreeing at first, is
  scared for Scotland, and therefore passed the
  test.
• 2. Doctor enters and tells Macduff that King
  Edward has the power to cure anyone just by
  touching him or her.
• 3. Ross comes from Scotland and informs the men
  the horrors of Scotland .
• At first hesitant , he later confesses to Macduff
  that his wife and children are dead.
• 4. Crushed by the news, Macduff announces that he
  will use his anger to get revenge and kill
  Macbeth .

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Enactment
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Blood Imagery

1. What bloody man is that? He can report, As
   seemeth by his plight, of the revolt the newest
   state (I.ii.1)
2. "Which smok'd with bloody execution"(I.ii.20)
3. Will all great Neptunes ocean wash this blood
   Clean from my hand? No this hand will rather the
   multitudinous seas incarnadine, making the green
   one red. (II. ii. 78-81)
4. And on thy blade and dudgeon gouts of blood,
   Which was not so before. Theres no such thing
   It is the bloody business which informs thus to
   mine eyes. (II.i.58)

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• 5. What, will these hands neer be clean?Heres
  the smell of the blood still all the perfumes of
  Arabia will not sweeten this little hand. (V.
  i.45,53-55)
• 6. "I am in blood stepped in so far, that, should
  I wade no more, returning were as tedious go
  o'er."
• (III. iv. 168-170)

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Dagger Imagery

• 1. Theres daggers in mens smiles. The near in
  blood, the nearer bloody. (II.iii.165-166)
• 2.Stepped in the colors of their trade, their
  daggers unmannerly breeched with gore.
  (II.iii.134)
• 3.That my keen knife see not the wound it makes,
  nor heaven peep through the blanket of the dark
  to cry Hold, hold! (I.v.59)

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4.Is this a dagger which I see before me, the
handle toward my hand? (II.i.44) 5.This is the
air-drawn dagger which you said led you to
Duncan. (III.iv.75) 6.Be this the whetstone of
your sword. Let grief convert to anger. Blunt not
the heart enrage it. (IV.iii.268)
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Baby Imagery

• 1. And pity, like a newborn babe striding the
  blast, or heavens cherubin horsed Upon the
  sightless couriers of the air, shall blow the
  horrid deed in every eye,that tears shall drown
  the wind (I.vii.21)
• 2. "Each new morn / New windows howl, new orphans
  cry, new sorrows / Strike heaven on the face..."
  (IV.iii.5-8).
• 3.. I have given suck, and know how tender tis
  to love the babe that milks me. I would, while it
  was smiling in my face, have plucked my nipple
  from his boneless gums and dashed the brains
  out (I.vii.62)

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• 4."O treachery! Fly, good Fleance, fly, fly, fly!
  Thou mayst revenge--O slave!" (III.iii.25-26).
   
• 5."Murderer He's a traitor. Son Thou liest,
  thou shag-eared villain!Murderer What, you egg?
  Stabbing him. Young fry of treachery!Son He has
  killed me mother. Run away, I pray you"
  (IV.ii.92-98)
• 6.Thunder. 2nd Apparition, a Bloody Child."Be
  bloody, bold, and resolute. Laugh to scorn The
  power of man, for none of woman born Shall
  harm Macbeth" (IV.i.90-92)

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Nature Imagery

• 1. Bear welcome in your eye, your hand, your
  tongue look like the innocent flower, but be the
  serpent under 't" (I.v.63-65)
• 2. As hounds and greyhounds, mongrels, spaniels,
  and curs, shoughs, water-rugs, and demi-wolves
  are clept(III.i.103)
• 3. A falcon, towring in her pride of place, was
  by a mousing owl hawked at and killed.
  (II.iv.15)
• 4. There the grown serpent lies. The worm thats
  fled hath nature that in time will venom breed.
  (III.iv.32)

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Nature Imagery contd

• 5. Scale of dragon, tooth of wolf, witchs
  mummy, maw and gulf of the ravined salt-sea
  shark,gall of goat and slips of yew slivered in
  the moons eclipse, Nose of Turk and Tartars
  lips, finger of birth-strangled babe(IV.i.22)
• 6. Now God help thee, poor monkey! (IV.ii.65)
• 7. And Duncans horsesturned wild in nature,
  broke their stalls, flung out, contending gainst
  obedience
• (II.iv.17)

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Other Imagery

• 1. When shall we three meet again?  In thunder,
  lightning, or in rain?(I.i.1)
• 2. "By the clock tis day, and yet darknight
  strangles the traveling lamp" (II. iv.6-7)
• 3. New honors come upon him like strange
  garments, cleave not to their mould but with the
  aid of use.  (I. iii. 144-145)
• 4. The Thane of Cawdor lives why do you dress
  me in borrow'd robes?" (I.iii.114)

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Discussion Questions
1. In Act IV, Scene i, in which the Three Witches
show the three apparitions, Shakespeare has them
speak an almost riddle-like prophecy.  Why do you
think Shakespeare intended to do this? 2. If you
were writing a scene in which a character's
critical future was to be said, how would you
word it?  Would you just blurt it out, or also
try to riddle it up? 3. In Act IV, Scene iii,
Malcolm tests Macduff by saying he will be an
even worse king than Macbeth.  What
characteristics make Duncan and Malcolm good
kings, and what traits make Macbeth a tyrant?
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