1. Macbeth meets the witches a second time.
Act 4
Macbeth meets the witches a second time.

2. 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
Macbeth shall never vanquished be…
then is shown
a procession of 8 kings (see Marxist piece)

3. 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 )
The very firstlings of my heart 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.

4. Scene 3 James 1st 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.

5. 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.

6. 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.