Macbeth Act 4 quotes

witch predicts with a sense of foreboding Macbeth’s arrival By the pricking of my thumbs, Something wicked this way comes.
Start of witches chant, menacing atmosphere double, double toil and trouble; Fire burn, and cauldron bubble.
Macbeth demands answers from the witches and references them corrupting mother nature Though the treasure Of nature’s germens tumble all together, Even till destruction sicken; answer me To what I ask you.
Apparition warns Macbeth of the threat Macduff poses to his position on the throne Macbeth! Macbeth! Macbeth! beware Macduff. Beware the thane of Fife. Dismiss me. Enough. Apparition 1 armed head
Apparition number 2 prophesises that no one born of man shall harm Macbeth. Be bloody, bold, and resolute. Laugh to scorn the power of man, for none of woman born shall harm Macbeth. Apparition 2- bloody Child.
Apparition number 3- Macbeth asks the witches to shed further light on whats to become of him if he kills Banquo’s and Macduff’s families. He is told that he cannot be hurt unless a forest comes to his castle. The prophecies seem ridiculous, so macbeth feels safe. Be lion-mettled, proud, and take no care … Macbeth shall never vanquished be until Great Birnam Wood to high Dunsinane hill Shall come against him. Apparition 3- child crowned
Macbeth is thrilled,giddy with the relief of the knowledge of his safety. he knows that forests cannot move. That will never be: Who can impress the forest, bid the tree Unfix his earthbound root? (Witches: seek to know no more)
The eight kings look too much like Banquo’s sons who were to be kings. Macbeth is pained by their appearance Thou art too like the spirit of Banquo. Down! Thy crown does sear mine eyeballs.
Macbeth tells of plans to kill Macbeth, and his intentions to act on these plans immediately so as not to lose momentum as he did with the murder of banquo. This castle of Macduff I will surprise, Seize upon Fife, give to th’ edge o’ th’ sword his wife, his babes, and all unfortunate souls that trace him in his line. No boasting like a fool. This deed I’ll do before this purpose cool.
Lady Macbeth uses analogy of bird/ animal imagery to describe her husband fleeing them. He loves us not; He wants the natural touch. For the poor wren, The most diminutive of birds, will fight, her young ones in her nest, against the owl. All is the fear and nothing is the love
Lady Macbeth describes that Even if you’re not actually traitor, fears of being accused of being traitors can make you appear to be traitors. He had none: his flight was madness: when our actions do not, our fears do make us traitors.
Lady Macbeth affectionately addresses her son and wonders what he will do without a father Now, God help thee, poor monkey! But how wilt thou do for a father
Macduff’s son dialogue during appearance of the murderers Thou liest, thou shag-haired villain! He has killed me mother. Run away, I pray you.
Malcolm references Macduff’s relationship with Macbeth this tyrant, whose sole name blisters our tongues, Was once thought honest: you have loved him well. He hath not touch’d you yet
Malcolm laments that even someone with a good and virtuous nature might give way to a royal command. But I beg your pardon. My fears can’t actually make you evil. Angels are still bright even though Lucifer, the brightest angel, fell from heaven. Even though everything evil wants to look good, good still has to look good too. A good and virtuous nature may recoil in an imperial charge. But I shall crave your pardon: that which you are, my thoughts cannot transpose; angels are bright still, though the brightest fell. Though all things foul would wear the brows of grace, yet grace must still look so.
Malcolm describes Macbeth’s vices and ends by deeming his own worse than that of Macbeth I grant him bloody, bloodthirsty, luxurious, self-indulgent, avaricious, materialistic, fake, dishonest, deceitful, untrustworthy, sudden, impulsively violent, malicious, spiteful, smacking of every sin that has a name. But there’s no bottom, none, in my voluptuousness. better macbeth than such a one to reign.
Malcolm references the fact that he has none of the king becoming graces, and that if we was king, peace and earthly order would face uproar But I have none. The king-becoming graces,As justice, verity, temperance, stableness,Bounty, perseverance, mercy, lowliness,Devotion, patience, courage, fortitude,I have no relish of them but aboundIn the division of each several crime,Acting it many ways. Nay, had I power, I shouldPour the sweet milk of concord into hell,Uproar the universal peace, confoundAll unity on earth.
Malcolm says that in contrast to his own darkness, macbeth would be as an angel Black Macbeth will seem as pure as snow, and the poor state esteem as a lamb, being compared with my confineless harms.
Macduff takes offence at Malcolm’s ill-presumptions of his character saying he wouldn’t be so cruel for all of the land in Macbeth’s power Fare thee well, lord: I would not be the villain that thou think’st for the whole space that’s in the tyrant’s grasp
Macduff describes the dismal state of Scotland Each new morn, new widows howl, new orphans cry, new sorrows strike heaven on the face, that it resounds as if it felt with Scotland and yell’d out like syllable of dolour.
Macduff heavily grieves over the damage a tyrant inflicted on his country, and Shakespeare personifies the country for dramatic effect. personification conveys Macduff’s deep affection for his country and how he considers its damage as disturbing as damaging a human being Bleed, bleed, poor country! Great tyranny, lay thou thy basis sure for goodness dare not check you
Macduff states that there is no one imaginably worse than macbeth Not in the legions of horrid hell can come devil more damned in evils to top Macbeth.
Malcolm comes clean that he is not as he described himself previously, but rather an innocent embodiment of goodness. For I am yet unknown to woman, never was forsworn, scarcely have coveted what was mine own, at no time broke my faith, would not betray the devil to his fellow
Ross describes the murder of Macduff’s family in the least graphic terms possible to save Macduff the loss Your castle is surprised, your wife and babes savagely slaughtered. To relate the manner, were, on the quarry of these murdered deer To add to the death of you
Psychological wisdom of Shakespeare conveyed in Malcolm’s advise to macduff Give sorrow words. The grief that does not speak Whispers the o’erfraught heart and bids it break
Malcolm tells macduff to deal with it like a man dispute it like a man
Macduff says that malcolm is a bachelor so does not understand. He looks for confirmation that all of them are dead using affectionate imagery He has no children. All my pretty ones? Did you say all? O hell-kite! All? What, all my pretty chickens and their dam at one fell swoop?
Ross laments the state of scotland, no longer a motherland. Alas, poor country almost afraid to know itself. It cannot be call’d our mother, but our grave, where nothing, but who knows nothing, is once seen to smile; where sighs, and groans, and shrieks that rend the air are made, not mark’d; where violent sorrow seems a modern ecstasy
Ross states that Malcolm leading an army would spur a fighting spirit in both Scottish men and women now is the time of help; your eye in Scotland would create soldiers, make our women fight, to doff their dire distresses.
September 10, 2019