Macbeth act 4 scene 1

explanation for act 4 scene 1 macbeth

1. Macbeth Act 4 Scene 1 Enjoy By: Tadisa Blessing Chelsea

2. Where is the scene taking place This scene takes place at the pit by the river because in Act 3 Scene 5 Hecate says to the three witches “ Meet me i ’ th ' morning”. Go away now and in the morning meet me in the pit by the river in hell They meet in a desolate place far away from all humanity because what they did was to evil for humans to witness. This Photo by Unknown Author is licensed under CC BY This Photo by Unknown Author is licensed under CC BY-NC-ND

3. Charactices in the scene The three witches Hecate Macbeth The three apparition (minor Charactices) Lennox

4. One of the witches has a sharp pain in her thumb and she senses that something wicked is coming (Macbeth)…..she says: “by the pricking of my thumbs, something wicked this way comes” act 4 scene 1 lines 44-45 This Photo by Unknown Author is licensed under CC BY-NC-ND

5. Events that take place ents that take place The three witches meet and they mix up different ingredients to come up with a charm that would cause trouble. We think that the charm that they were making was for Macbeth so that they would cause trouble for him because in Act 3 Scene 5 Hecate said she was going to trick Macbeth that he was greater than fate. She was going to make him mock death.

6. In the scene we also meet Hecate for the second time. She praises the witches by saying “Oh done! I commend your pains, And every one shall share i ' th ' gains. Well done! I admire your efforts, and all of you will share the rewards. This Photo by Unknown Author is licensed under CC BY

7. The aparitions Apparation 1: line 71 The witches show Macbeth an apparition(a ghostly image) The first vision is of a mans head wearing armour “beware Macduff” line 71 Apparition 2: line 80-81 A bloody child who says that Macbeth will not be a threatened to anyone born of a woman “None of woman born shall harm Macbeth” Apparition 3: line 91 This one is of a child wearing a crown holding a tree “Macbeth shall never vanquished be until Great Birnam Wood to high Dunsinane Hill Shall vome against him” This Photo by Unknown Author is licensed under CC BY-SA-NC

8. When the first apparition appears he says to Macbeth “Macbeth! Macbeth! Macbeth! Beware Macduff. Beware the thane of Fife”. This shows us that Macbeth was worried that Macduf knew his secret ( his killing to king Duncan), this is confirmed when Macbeth says “ Whate'er thou art, for thy good caution, thanks. Thou hast harped my fear aright ” meaning that Whatever you are, thanks for your advice. You have guessed exactly what I feared . The second apparition appears and misleads Macbeth by telling him that he should be violent, bold and firm. He also tells him that he should laugh at the power of other man because nobody born from a woman will be able to harm Macbeth. The quotation reads Be violent, bold, and firm. Laugh at the power of other men, because nobody born from a woman will ever harm Macbeth.

9. The third apparition appears and says to Macbeth “ Be lion-mettled, proud, and take no care Who chafes, who frets, or where conspirers are. Macbeth shall never vanquished be until Great Birnam Wood to high Dunsinane Hill Shall come against him,” meaning that Be brave like the lion and proud. Don’t even worry about who hates you, who resents you, and who conspires against you. Macbeth will never be defeated until Birnam Wood marches to fight you at Dunsinane Hill. When Macbeth heard this he said “That will never be. Who can impress the forest, bid the tree Unfix his earthbound root? Sweet bodements! Good! Rebellious dead, rise never till the wood Of Birnam rise, and our high-placed Macbeth Shall live the lease of nature, pay his breath To time and mortal custom. Yet my heart Throbs to know one thing. Tell me, if your art Can tell so much: shall Banquo’s issue ever Reign in this kingdom?” meaning - That will never happen. Who can command the forest and make the trees pull their roots out of the earth? These were sweet omens! Good! My murders will never come back to threaten me until the forest of Birnam gets up and moves, and I will be king for my entire natural life. But my heart is still throbbing to know one thing. Tell me, if your dark powers can see this far: will Banquo’s sons ever reign in this kingdom

10. The ghost of Banquo appears once again to Macbeth. He appears with eight of his descendants and many more showing in the mirror that was being held by one of the men who were with Banquo . Macbeth tells the ghost of Banquo to go away when he says “ Thou art too like the spirit of Banquo . Down! ” meaning You look too much like the ghost of Banquo . Go away!

11. Lastly Lennox came to Macbeth and told him that Macduf fled to England. Macbeth says from there on forth he will not think about anything he will just act and he will act immediately. He says that he is going to raid Macdufs castle, seize the town of Fife and kill Macdufs wife and children. He also says he was going to kill anyone else unfortunate enough to stand in line for his inheritance. This Photo by Unknown Author is licensed under CC BY-NC-ND

12. Important quotations. Act 4 scene 1 lines 10-11 The witches chant “double ,double, toil and trouble Fire burn and cauldron bubble This is a chant and they are saying whoever drinks the potion will have double hard work and double trouble. This Photo by Unknown Author is licensed under CC BY

13. Themes in the scene The theme of Ambition is revealed when Macbeth decides that he will do anything he has to do to get want he wants. He is going to kill anyone who comes in his way Quotation The 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.

14. Analysis The Witches' charm is fantastic: Its ingredients, thrown into a bubbling cauldron, are all poisonous. Moreover, these ingredients are all the entrails or body parts of loathed animals or human beings, which, taken together, can be interpreted as making a complete monster: tongue, leg, liver, lips, scales, teeth, and so on. The strong implication is that Macbeth himself is no longer a complete human being; he himself has become a half-man, half-monster, a kind of chimera. This Photo by Unknown Author is licensed under CC BY-ND

15. Macbeth arrives at the Witches' lair with extraordinary boldness, knocking at the entrance in a way that ironically recalls the entry of Macduff into Macbeth's castle in Act II, Scene 3. When he "conjures" the Witches to answer him, his language is uncompromising: He matches their power with a powerful curse of his own, demanding to have an answer even if it requires the unleashing of all the elements of air, water, and earth; even if all the universe

16. The cauldron sinks and a strange sound is heard. The witches now show Macbeth a procession of kings, the eighth of whom holds a mirror in his hand, followed by Banquo. As Banquo points at this line of kings, Macbeth realizes that they are indeed his family line. After the witches dance and disappear,  Lennox  enters with the news that Macduff has fled to England. Macbeth resolves that he will henceforth act immediately on his ambitions: the first step will be to seize Fife and kill Macduff's wife and children.

17. Act 4 scene 1 summary The witches circle a cauldron, mixing in a variety of grotesque ingredients while chanting "double, double toil and trouble; / Fire burn, and cauldron bubble" (10-11). Hecate appears, they sing all together, and Hecate leaves. Macbeth then enters, demanding answers to his pressing questions about the future. The witches complete their magic spell and summon forth a series of apparitions. The first is an armed head that warns Macbeth to beware the Thane of Fife (Macduff). The second apparition is a bloody child, who tells him that "none of woman born / Shall harm Macbeth" (96-97). This news bolsters Macbeth spirits. The third apparition is a crowned child with a tree in its hand, who says that "Macbeth shall never vanquished be until / Great Birnam Wood to high Dunsinane Hill / Shall come against him" (107-09). This cheers Macbeth even more, since he knows that nothing can move a forest. Macbeth proceeds to ask his last question: will Banquo's children ever rule Scotland?