Act 4 Study Questions

1. SCENE 1
1. An armed head tells him to beware of Macduff. A bloody child tells him no man born of a woman (Caesarean section) shall harm Macbeth. A crowned child holding a tree says Macbeth shall rule until Birham woods comes against Dunsiane Hill (where Macbeth's castle is). The fourth vision is eight kings, the last has a cup in his hand, and they are followed Banquo's ghost. This vision tells Macbeth that Banquo's sons shall become king.
2. Visions 2- A bloody child tells him no man born of a woman (Caesarean section) shall harm Macbeth. He thinks that he is invincible because he misunderstands. 
3. Macduff has fled to England.
4. Macbeth has decided to go to Macduff castle and kill everyone inside.
5. Macbeth thinks he is invincible. He is going to do something stupid that is going to get himself killed. 
2. SCENE 2
1. Shakespeare put in this scene to show that Macduff basically up and left. He left his family defenseless. Lady Macduff can't understand why he would do this. But because Macduff left she thinks he is a traitor and he is pretty much dead to her. She doesn't really care is Macduff comes back or not. Her son, wonders why Lady Macduff says his father is dead. After the messenger tells Lady Macduff that he fears something evil is coming and she should leave, Lady Macduff doesn't understand why something evil is coming because she has done nothing wrong.
2. It gives Macduff one more reason to kill Macbeth. Macbeth is also still having the murderer do his dirty work. 
3. '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.' Lady Macduff compares herself to a wren, a small bird, who is left alone to fight the 'owl' (Macbeth).
3. SCENE 3
1. He has come to enlist the help of the King of England, (and Malcolm). Macduff wants to take down Macbeth. 
2. He says that Macbeth has hurt many people, and Macduff is not one of them. Malcolm is afraid that Macduff might take him to Macbeth as a sacrifice.
3. The lamb represents Malcolm. Malcolm thinks Macduff might be in England to bring Malcolm back to Macbeth as a sacrifice.
4. There are still some bright shining angels, even thought the brightest has fallen (Lucifer). This might mean that Malcolm is comparing Macbeth to Lucifer. Macbeth used to be one of Duncan's most loyal and best men. Like Lucifer, Macbeth rebelled by killing Duncan. Now Macduff and Malcolm and going to act as God and 'caste Macbeth out of heaven' by killing him.
5. The country is going to pay because Macbeth is a bad king, and a lot of people are going to die.
6. 'I grant him bloody, l

   uxurious, avaricious, false, deceitful, s

   udden, malicious, smacking of every sin t

   hat has a name'. 

   I admit that he’s murderous, lecherous, greedy, lying, deceitful, violent, malicious, and guilty of every sin that has a name.
7. Malcolm has gotten brave. Before, when the everything around him got tough, he fled to England. Now, he Macduff has convinced him to help him kill King Macbeth.
8. There is now some hope for Scotland, because Macduff and Malcolm plan to take down Macbeth and they have 10,000 Englishmen backing them up. 
9. Malcolm asks the doctor if the king is coming out. The doctor tells him that there is a line of people out the door waiting to be healed. Modern medicine can't help them but when the king touches them they are miraculously healed. It is symbolic because only a true king is able to touch and heal his subjects. This alludes to god curing the sick and injured. 
10. Old Siward's 10,000 warlike men.
11. Macduff has just learned that his wife and children have been murdered. Malcolm tells him turn his grief into revenge and fight the pain like a man. Macduff tells him that he will but he must also feel grief. He can't help but think about the things that were most precious to him.