Act 4 Macbeth meets the witches a second

Act 4 Macbeth meets the witches a second time.

Scene 1 • Witches make a spell using rhyming couplets – the key phrase being double, double. • Macbeth is called wicked by the witches. • Macbeth reminds audience of what witches can do (cp. I iii), asks to see the witches masters: Beware the Thane of Fife, beware Macduff None of woman born shall harm Macbeth shall never vanquished be… then is shown a procession of 8 kings (see Marxist piece)

Macbeth tellingly, says of the witches: Infected be the air on which they ride And dammed be all that trust them. When he hears Macduff has fled to England, he decides to act on impulse Strange things I have in head that will to hand which must be acted ere they may be scanned (III iv 140 -41) The very firstlings of my heart shall be the firstlings of my hand (IV I 157 -8) This deed I’ll do before this purpose cool Macbeth is no longer thinking before he acts, so that neither the act (right/wrong) or its consequences are considered. Scene 2 – The murder of the Macduff family.

Scene 3 • James 1 st was probably as much interested in witches as he was in Kingship, having written books about both. This scene is about Kingship. It begins with Malcolm testing Macduff to see if he can trust him – Macduff having left his family defenceless. Note: Vices and virtues; personification of Scotland; wounds and illness imagery; reference to Siward, Earl of Northumberland; Edward the Confessor. Ross arrives with news about the fate of Macduff’s, family, giving him a personal motive for revenge.

Act 5 • Scene 1 – the Sleepwalking scene • Macbeth has called in a doctor to find a cure for Lady Macbeth’s ‘illness’: the blood which she washed off her hands has become her witch's mark – dammed spot, and she knows that hell is murky and she is afraid of the dark. (hence the light) • Scene 2 – a short linking scene (Scottish army) • References to Birnham Wood, clothing, the tyrant. • Scene 3 – linking scene (Macbeth’s castle) • References to Birnham Wood, mouth honour, tiredness. • Scene 4 – the explanation of Birnham Wood.

Scene 5 Death of Lady Macbeth The Tomorrow speech and the ‘actor’ analogy Scene 6 - interval scene – battle plan Scene 7 – Macbeth kills young Siward Scene 8 – Macbeth will not surrender to avoid public shame (cp Cleopatra committing suicide) Macduff kills Macbeth after telling him about his birth. Malcolm crowned king.