Macbeth Act 4 Summary

Macbeth Act 4 summary: Deceptive prophecies fuel Macbeth's tyranny, leading to the slaughter of Macduff's household. Macduff and Prince Malcolm unite their forces, vowing revenge and rebellion against the king.

Macbeth Act 4 scene 1

Summary

The scene opens with the three Witches in a desolate place, gathered around a cauldron at night. They chant as they throw grotesque ingredients (poisoned entrails, toad, snake fillet, eye of newt, etc.) into their "hell-broth," casting a spell. Their goddess Hecate appears briefly, praises them, and departs. As they finish, the Second Witch senses Macbeth's approach: "Something wicked this way comes."

Macbeth enters and demands answers from the witches, commanding them to speak no matter what cosmic chaos it causes. The witches offer to call their "masters" (apparitions) to deliver the prophecies.

First Apparition: An Armed Head emerges. It warns Macbeth to "Beware Macduff, the Thane of Fife."

Second Apparition: A Bloody Child appears. It tells Macbeth to "Be bloody, bold, and resolute," for "none of woman born shall harm Macbeth." This fills Macbeth with confidence; he decides he will kill Macduff anyway, "to make assurance double sure."

Third Apparition: A Child Crowned, with a tree in his hand rises. It tells Macbeth to be proud and fearless, for he will never be vanquished until "Great Birnam Wood to high Dunsinane Hill shall come against him." Macbeth is jubilant, believing this to be impossible.

However, Macbeth's mind is still troubled by the witches' earlier prophecy about Banquo's heirs. He demands to know if Banquo's line will ever rule Scotland. Reluctantly, the witches show him a horrific vision: a parade of eight kings, the last holding a mirror reflecting many more, all resembling Banquo. The ghost of Banquo, blood-smeared ("blood-boltered"), smiles and points to them as his descendants. The vision confirms that Banquo's line, not Macbeth's, will inherit the throne.

The witches and apparitions vanish. Lennox enters and informs Macbeth that Macduff has fled to England. Enraged and now acting on impulsive, violent instinct, Macbeth declares that from now on, the first thought in his heart will be the first act of his hand. He resolves to attack Macduff's castle immediately and slaughter his wife, children, and all his kin.

Macbeth Act 4 scene 2

Summary

The scene shifts abruptly from the supernatural to the domestic, taking place in Macduff's castle at Fife. Lady Macduff is in distress, conversing with her cousin Ross. She is furious and bewildered by her husband's sudden flight to England, leaving her and their children unprotected. She argues that his action makes him look like a traitor, and that even a tiny wren will fight an owl to protect its young—implying Macduff lacks natural, paternal instinct.

Ross, fearful and speaking in the ambiguous, cautious language of a subject under tyranny, tries to defend Macduff as "noble, wise, judicious" and hints that these are cruel times when people are called traitors without knowing why. He is clearly terrified of staying too long and departs hastily.

Left with her young Son, Lady Macduff, in her grief and anger, tells the boy his father is dead. What follows is a poignant, witty, and heartbreaking conversation. The boy displays a child's logic and intelligence, questioning what a traitor is and humorously undermining his mother's claims. He instinctively defends his father's honor. Their banter reveals their close bond and the child's unsettling precociousness in a world turned upside down.

A Messenger rushes in, warning Lady Macduff of imminent danger and urging her to flee with her children. After he leaves, she delivers a moment of profound despair, recognizing that in Macbeth's Scotland, "to do harm / Is often laudable, to do good sometime / Accounted dangerous folly."

Before she can act, Murderers sent by Macbeth burst in. They demand to know Macduff's whereabouts. Lady Macduff responds with defiant scorn. When one Murderer calls Macduff a traitor, the son cries out, "Thou liest, thou shag-eared villain!" The Murderer calls him an "egg" (a fragile, young thing) and stabs him. The boy's dying words to his mother are, "Run away, I pray you." Lady Macduff flees, crying "Murder!" with the Murderers in pursuit.

Macbeth Act 4 scene 3

Summary

The scene is set at the court of King Edward the Confessor in England. Malcolm, Duncan's son and the rightful heir to the Scottish throne, is in exile. Macduff arrives to plead with him to return and overthrow Macbeth.

1. Malcolm's Test:

Macduff immediately urges military action, describing Scotland's suffering under Macbeth. Malcolm, however, is suspicious. He fears Macduff is an agent of Macbeth sent to lure him to his death. To test Macduff's loyalty, Malcolm engages in an elaborate deception. He claims to be utterly unfit to rule, listing a cascade of vices worse than Macbeth's:

• Unbounded Lust: His lust would violently prey upon the noblewomen of Scotland.
• Insatiable Greed (Avarice): He would steal the lands and wealth of his own nobles.
• Complete Lack of Kingly Virtues: He claims to possess none of the "king-becoming graces" like justice, mercy, or temperance.

Macduff initially tries to excuse these flaws but is ultimately horrified, declaring Scotland lost if its rightful heir is even more damned than Macbeth. He laments, "O Scotland, Scotland!" and prepares to leave in despair.

2. The Oath and the Alliance:

Seeing Macduff's genuine, patriotic despair, Malcolm immediately retracts his confession. He reveals it was a test: "My first false speaking / Was this upon myself." He proclaims his true innocence (he is a virgin, never sworn falsely, etc.) and swears allegiance to Macduff and Scotland. He further reveals that King Edward has provided Siward with ten thousand troops for the invasion. The alliance is sealed.

3. The Holy King and the Diseased State:

A brief interlude features an English Doctor who speaks of King Edward's miraculous power to heal "the evil" (scrofula, known as "the King's Evil"). This portrait of Edward as a holy, healing king stands in stark contrast to Macbeth, the disease infecting Scotland.

4. Ross's News and Macduff's Grief:

Ross arrives from Scotland. His report is bleak: the country is a living tomb where good men die daily. When Macduff anxiously asks after his family, Ross, with terrible hesitation, finally reveals the horrific truth: Macbeth's murderers have slaughtered Lady Macduff, their children, and all the household servants.

Macduff is shattered. Malcolm urges him to convert his grief into vengeful rage: "Let grief / Convert to anger. Blunt not the heart; enrage it." After a moment of profound, silent sorrow, Macduff accepts this, vowing to face Macbeth in combat. The scene ends with the resolution to depart for Scotland: "Macbeth / Is ripe for shaking."