ISC Class 12 English Drama Macbeth Act 4 Scene 1 Summary, Theme, Explanation along with difficult word meanings
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ISC Class 12 – Macbeth Act 4 Scene 1
By William Shakespeare
In Macbeth Act 4 Scene 1, Macbeth talks to the Witches in their dark cave. They show him three strange visions: an armed head, a bloody child, and a crowned child holding a tree. These visions give him confusing prophecies about threats from Macduff and offer him false hope about being safe because he was born of a woman. A vision of a ceremonial march of eight kings, all followed by the ghost of Banquo, makes Macbeth angrier and leads him to kill Macduff’s family after he learns Macduff has fled to England.
- Macbeth Act 4 Scene 1 Summary
- Macbeth Act 4 Scene 1 Summary in Hindi
- Macbeth Act 4 Scene 1 Theme
- Macbeth Act 4 Scene 1 Explanation
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Macbeth Act 4 Scene 1 Summary
In Act 4 Scene 1 of Macbeth, the story takes a dark and supernatural turn as Macbeth seeks out the Three Witches to learn more about his future. The scene opens in a dark cavern where the witches are gathered around a boiling metal pot, throwing in repulsive ingredients like a toad, a lizard’s leg, and a wolf’s tooth. As they chant their famous refrain, ‘Double, double, toil and trouble’, they are creating a powerful spell. Hecate, the goddess of witchcraft, briefly appears to praise their work before Macbeth arrives, demanding answers about his destiny, even if it means causing chaos in the world.
To answer his questions, the witches summon three terrifying Apparitions i.e. ghosts, each offering a specific prophecy. The First Apparition, an armored head, warns Macbeth to beware of Macduff, confirming Macbeth’s existing suspicions about the Thane of Fife. The Second Apparition, a bloody child, provides a more comforting but deceptive message: it tells him that no one born out of women shall harm him. Feeling undefeatable, Macbeth decides he no longer needs to fear Macduff, yet he resolves to kill him anyway just to be double sure.
The Third Apparition appears as a crowned child holding a tree. It tells Macbeth that he will never be defeated until Great Birnam Wood moves to high Dunsinane Hill. Since trees cannot walk, Macbeth takes this as a sign that he will reign until a natural death. However, Macbeth’s curiosity gets the better of him, and he asks if Banquo’s descendants will ever rule Scotland. Despite the witches’ warnings to seek to know no more, they show him a final vision: a ceremonial march of eight kings, all followed by the ghost of Banquo, who smiles at Macbeth. This confirms that Banquo’s line will indeed inherit the throne, leaving Macbeth furious and shaken.
As the witches vanish, the nobleman Lennox enters and informs Macbeth that Macduff has fled to England. This news angers Macbeth, who feels he has been too slow to act. He decides that from now on, he will act on his first impulses without hesitation. To punish Macduff and secure his power, he vows to immediately attack Macduff’s castle in Fife and slaughter his wife, his children, and anyone else in his bloodline. This marks a shift in Macbeth’s character, as he moves from targeted assassinations to the senseless massacre of innocent families.
Summary of Macbeth Act 4 Scene 1 in Hindi
मैकबेथ के एक्ट 4 सीन 1 में, कहानी एक अंधेरा और अलौकिक मोड़ लेती है क्योंकि मैकबेथ अपने भविष्य के बारे में अधिक जानने के लिए तीन चुड़ैलों की तलाश करता है। दृश्य एक अंधेरी गुफा में खुलता है जहाँ चुड़ैलों को एक उबलते धातु के बर्तन के चारों ओर इकट्ठा किया जाता है, जो एक टोड, एक छिपकली के पैर और एक भेड़िये के दांत जैसी प्रतिकारक सामग्री में फेंकते हैं। जब वे अपने प्रसिद्ध राग, ‘दोहरा, दोहरा, परिश्रम और परेशानी’ का जाप करते हैं, तो वे एक शक्तिशाली जादू पैदा कर रहे होते हैं। जादू-टोना की देवी, हेकेट, मैकबेथ के आने से पहले उनके काम की प्रशंसा करते हुए दिखाई देती है, अपने भाग्य के बारे में जवाब मांगती है, भले ही इसका मतलब दुनिया में अराजकता पैदा करना हो।
उसके सवालों का जवाब देने के लिए, चुड़ैलों ने तीन भयानक प्रेतछाया को बुलाया। भूत, प्रत्येक एक विशिष्ट भविष्यवाणी प्रदान करता है। द फर्स्ट एपेरिशन, एक बख्तरबंद सिर, मैकबेथ को मैकडफ से सावधान रहने की चेतावनी देता है, जो ठाणे ऑफ फाइफ के बारे में मैकबेथ के मौजूदा संदेहों की पुष्टि करता है। दूसरा भूत, एक खूनी बच्चा, एक अधिक आरामदायक लेकिन भ्रामक संदेश प्रदान करता हैः यह उसे बताता है कि महिलाओं से पैदा हुआ कोई भी व्यक्ति उसे नुकसान नहीं पहुंचाएगा। अजेय महसूस करते हुए, मैकबेथ ने फैसला किया कि उसे अब मैकडफ से डरने की जरूरत नहीं है, फिर भी वह डबल सुनिश्चित होने के लिए उसे वैसे भी मारने का फैसला करता है।
तीसरा भूत एक पेड़ पकड़े हुए एक मुकुट वाले बच्चे के रूप में दिखाई देता है। यह मैकबेथ को बताता है कि जब तक ग्रेट बिरनाम वुड ऊँची डनसिनेन पहाड़ी पर नहीं जाता, तब तक वह कभी पराजित नहीं होगा। चूँकि पेड़ चल नहीं सकते हैं, मैकबेथ इसे एक संकेत के रूप में लेता है कि वह एक प्राकृतिक मृत्यु तक शासन करेगा। हालाँकि, मैकबेथ की जिज्ञासा उससे बेहतर हो जाती है, और वह पूछता है कि क्या बैंको के वंशज कभी स्कॉटलैंड पर शासन करेंगे। चुड़ैलों की चेतावनी के बावजूद कि वे और नहीं जानना चाहते हैं, वे उसे एक अंतिम दृष्टि दिखाते हैंः आठ राजाओं का एक औपचारिक मार्च, जिसके बाद बैंको का भूत आता है, जो मैकबेथ पर मुस्कुराता है। यह इस बात की पुष्टि करता है कि बैंको का वंश वास्तव में सिंहासन का उत्तराधिकारी होगा, जिससे मैकबेथ क्रोधित और हिल जाएगा।
जैसे ही चुड़ैलों गायब हो जाती हैं, रईस लेनोक्स मैकबेथ में प्रवेश करता है और सूचित करता है कि मैकडफ इंग्लैंड भाग गया है। यह खबर मैकबेथ को क्रोधित करती है, जिसे लगता है कि वह कार्रवाई करने में बहुत धीमा रहा है। वह निर्णय लेता है कि अब से, वह बिना किसी हिचकिचाहट के अपने पहले आवेगों पर कार्य करेगा। मैकडफ को दंडित करने और अपनी शक्ति को सुरक्षित करने के लिए, वह तुरंत फाइफ में मैकडफ के महल पर हमला करने और अपनी पत्नी, अपने बच्चों और अपने खून में किसी और को मारने की कसम खाता है। यह मैकबेथ के चरित्र में बदलाव का प्रतीक है, क्योंकि वह लक्षित हत्याओं से निर्दोष परिवारों के मूर्खतापूर्ण नरसंहार की ओर बढ़ता है।
Theme of Macbeth Act 4 Scene 1
Equivocation
One of the biggest themes in this scene is how evil forces use ‘half-truths’ to trick people. The witches tell Macbeth prophecies that sound like they make him invincible such as the idea that ‘none of woman born’ can harm him. This gives Macbeth a false sense of security. The theme here is equivocation, which means telling the truth in a way that is meant to hide the real meaning. The witches aren’t lying, but they are being dishonest by letting Macbeth believe he is safe when he is actually in great danger.
Fate vs. Free Will
This scene explores whether Macbeth’s life is controlled by destiny or his own choices. The witches show him visions of the future, which suggests that his fate is already written. However, Macbeth’s reaction to these visions is his own choice. For example, even though he is told he is safe from Macduff, he chooses to murder Macduff’s family anyway. This shows the theme that while fate might set the stage, Macbeth’s own free will and violent choices are what lead to his ultimate downfall.
The Corruption of Power
At the start of the play, Macbeth was a brave soldier; by this scene, he has become a tyrant. His hunger for power has completely corrupted his personality. He enters the cave and demands answers from the witches, even saying he wouldn’t care if the whole world was destroyed as long as he got what he wanted. This theme shows that unchecked ambition turns a good person into a monster who no longer cares about the lives of others or the order of nature.
Appearance vs. Reality
This scene is filled with illusions. The apparitions i.e. the ghosts or visions look like one thing but mean another. For instance, the child wearing a crown and holding a tree represents how the woods will move, but Macbeth takes it literally and thinks it’s impossible. The theme of appearance vs. reality reminds the audience that in the world of the play, ‘fair is foul, and foul is fair’, nothing is exactly what it seems to be.
Cruelty and Tyranny
By the end of the scene, we see the theme of pure cruelty. Macbeth decides to kill Macduff’s wife and children. Unlike his previous murders, which were done to get the throne, this act is done out of pure spite and anger. It shows that Macbeth has moved past being a person who feels guilt; he is now a total tyrant who uses violence as his first response to any problem.
Setting of the Scene
The setting of Act 4, Scene 1 is designed to be one of the most eerie and unsettling locations in the entire play. It takes place in a dark, lonely large cave, far away from the civilization of the royal court. In the center of this cave sits a boiling metal pot, which serves as the focal point for the witches’ dark magic. The atmosphere is immediately established as chaotic and threatening because the scene begins with the sound of thunder, a recurring signal in the play that something evil or unnatural is about to happen. The environment is supernatural, meaning it exists outside the normal rules of the world. By placing the action in a cave during a storm, Shakespeare creates a feeling of isolation and secrecy. This is not a place where honest men go; it is a black and midnight space where witches can brew their hell-broth using disgusting and forbidden ingredients. The darkness of the cave mirrors the darkness growing inside Macbeth’s soul as he prepares to commit even more violent acts to keep his power. When Macbeth enters the scene, the setting highlights how much he has changed. Earlier in the play, the witches found him on an open battlefield, but now he has sought them out in their own hidden, dark territory. The cavern represents a descent into the underworld of his own mind.
Macbeth Act 4 Scene 1 Explanation
Scene 1. A cavern. In the middle, a boiling cauldron. Thunder. Enter the three Witches
Play
First Witch
Thrice the brinded cat hath mew’d.
Second Witch
Thrice and once the hedge-pig whined.
Third Witch
Harpier cries “Tis time, ’tis time.’
First Witch
Round about the cauldron go;
In the poison’d entrails throw.
Toad, that under cold stone
Days and nights has thirty-one
Swelter’d venom sleeping got,
Boil thou first i’ the charmed pot.
All
Double, double toil and trouble;
Fire burn and cauldron bubble.
Word Meanings
brinded cat: cat streaked with black or brown fur.
hedge-pig: hedgehog.
Harpier: A demon. The third witch’s attendant spirit.
entrails: bowels.
Swelter’d venom: poison coming out in drops like sweat.
Double, double: To increase the strength or intensity of the spell.
Explanation of the above dialogues— The First Witch begins by observing that the brindled cat has meowed three times, signaling the start of their ritual. The Second Witch adds that the hedgehog has whined four times in total, while the Third Witch notes that their spirit-friend, Harpier, is crying out that it is finally time to begin. The First Witch then commands the others to circle around the cauldron and start throwing in the poisoned innards of animals. She specifies that a toad, which has spent thirty-one days and nights sleeping under a cold stone while producing poisonous sweat, must be the first ingredient boiled in the magical pot. Together, all three witches chant that they must double their efforts and hard work so that the fire continues to burn and the cauldron continues to bubble with their dark spell.The ingredients mentioned toads, snakes, and poisoned entrails are all things that would normally be considered disgusting or dangerous. By making these the food for their metal pot, the Witches show that they live in a world where fair is foul. They take things that are naturally cold or dead and turn them into a boiling source of supernatural energy. The chant ‘Double, double toil and trouble’ describes Macbeth’s life at this point. His hard work to stay king is doubling, and his guilt and enemies are also doubling. The cauldron is a metaphor for Macbeth’s mind, which is messy, boiling with evil, and full of poisoned thoughts. Shakespeare uses the number three repeatedly in this scene to create a rhythmic, ritualistic feeling that suggests the Witches are tapping into a power far beyond the human world.
Play
Second Witch
Fillet of a fenny snake
In the cauldron boil and bake;
Eye of newt, and toe of frog,
Wool of bat and tongue of dog,
Adder’s fork and blind-worm’s sting,
Lizard’s leg and howlet’s wing,
For a charm of powerful trouble,
Like a hell-broth boil and bubble.
All
Double, double toil and trouble;
Fire burn, and cauldron bubble.
Third Witch
Scale of dragon, tooth of wolf,
Witches’ mummy, maw and gulf
Of the ravin’d salt-sea shark,
Root of hemlock digg’d i’ the dark,
Liver of blaspheming Jew,
Gall of goat, and slips of yew,
Sliver’d in the moon’s eclipse,
Nose of Turk, and Tartar’s lips
Finger of birth-strangled babe
Ditch-deliver’d by a drab,
Make the gruel thick and slab:
Add thereto a tiger’s chaudron
For the ingredients of our cauldron.
All
Double, double toil and trouble;
Fire burn and cauldron bubble.
Second Witch
Cool it with a baboon’s blood,
Then the charm is firm and good.
Enter Hecate
Word Meanings
Fillet of a fenny snake: a slice of snake living in a marshy place.
newt: lizard-like creature.
Adder: snake.
fork: forked tongue.
howlet: young owl.
hell-broth: thick soup.
Scale: scaly skin.
Mummy: Dried or preserved flesh used in old medicines/potions.
Maw and gulf: The stomach and the throat, the parts that swallow.
Sliver’d: Sliced or broken off into small pieces.
Drab: A common prostitute or a woman of low character.
Slab: Thick, slimy, or sticky.
Chaudron: The internal organs or entrails, specifically of a tiger here.
Explanation of the above dialogues— The Second Witch adds a slice of a swamp snake to the pot to be boiled and baked. She follows this with a variety of animal parts: the eye of a newt, the toe of a frog, the fur of a bat, and the tongue of a dog. She further adds the forked tongue of an adder, the stinger of a blind-worm, a lizard’s leg, and the wing of a young owl. She explains that these ingredients will create a charm full of powerful trouble, causing the mixture to bubble like a soup from hell. Once again, all the witches join together in their chant, calling for the fire to burn and the cauldron to bubble as they double their efforts. The Third Witch then contributes even more exotic and dark items. She adds a dragon’s scale, a wolf’s tooth, and the preserved flesh of a witch. She includes the stomach and throat of a hungry shark, along with hemlock root that was dug up in the middle of the night. She adds the liver of a non-believer, the gall of a goat, and twigs from a yew tree that were broken off during a lunar eclipse. To make the mixture thick and sticky, she adds the nose of a Turk, the lips of a Tartar, and the finger of a baby born in a ditch to a prostitute. Finally, she adds a tiger’s entrails. To complete the spell, the Second Witch cools the mixture with the blood of a baboon, declaring that the charm is now solid and effective. The ingredients move from disgusting to truly evil. The Second Witch uses mostly animal parts, which represents a violation of nature. However, the Third Witch moves into human remains and religious taboos. The inclusion of a Turk, Tartar, and Jew reflects the prejudices of the Elizabethan era. To the audience of that time, these people represented outsiders who were not Christian. By putting their body parts in the metal pot, the Witches are using things that the audience would have found foreign, scary, and unholy. Many ingredients must be collected at specific times, such as ‘digged i’ the dark’ or ‘in the moon’s eclipse’. In Shakespeare’s time, an eclipse was seen as a terrible omen that predicted the fall of kings.
Play
Hecate
O well done! I commend your pains;
And everyone shall share i’ the gains:
And now about the cauldron sing,
Like elves and fairies in a ring,
Enchanting all that you put in.
Music and a song, Black spirits, etc.
[Hecate retires]
Second Witch
By the pricking of my thumbs,
Something wicked this way comes:
Open locks,
Whoever knocks!
Enter Macbeth
Macbeth
How now, you secret, black, and midnight hags!
What is’t you do?
All
A deed without a name.
Macbeth
I conjure you, by that which you profess,
Howe’er you come to know it, answer me:
Though you untie the winds and let them fight
Against the churches; though the yeasty waves
Confound and swallow navigation up;
Though bladed corn be lodged and trees blown down;
Though castles topple on their warders’ heads;
Though palaces and pyramids do slope
Their heads to their foundations; though the treasure
Of nature’s germens tumble altogether,
Even till destruction sicken, answer me
To what I ask you.
Word Meanings
Commend: To praise or express approval of something.
Pains: Hard work or great effort.
Pricking: A tingling or stinging sensation.
black… hags: those who practise black magic.
A deed… name: a nameless act.
conjure: charge.
profess: claim to know.
winds: storms.
Against the churches: Destroy the churches.
yeasty: frothy.
Confound… up: Destroy and drown ships.
Lodged: Flattened or beaten down, referring to crops in a storm.
Germens: The seeds or blueprints of all living things in nature.
Explanation of the above dialogues— Hecate enters and praises the witches for their hard work, promising that everyone involved will benefit from the results. She instructs them to sing around the cauldron like magical creatures in a circle, casting a spell on everything they have added to the pot. After Hecate leaves, the Second Witch feels a tingling sensation in her thumbs and realizes that something evil i.e. Macbeth is approaching. She commands the locks to open for whoever is knocking. When Macbeth enters, he rudely addresses them as secret, dark, and midnight hags, asking what they are doing. The witches respond mysteriously, calling their work a deed that has no name. Macbeth then demands that they answer his questions using their magical powers. He declares that he must have his answers even if it causes total destruction, even if they release winds that tear down churches, create waves that sink ships, destroy crops and trees, or cause palaces and pyramids to collapse. He insists they speak to him even if the very seeds of nature are destroyed and the world itself grows sick of the chaos. His own need for power is more important than the survival of the entire world. This highlights his extreme selfishness and his tyrant status. Hecate told the witches to sing like elves and fairies who are light or playful spirits. Using ironic language for a group of hags boiling human body parts creates a creepy contrast, showing how the witches find joy in things that are horrifying to humans. The fact that the Second Witch senses ‘something wicked’ coming shows that Macbeth has become so evil that even the witches, who are the embodiment of evil, recognize him as a monster.
Play
First Witch
Speak.
Second Witch
Demand.
Third Witch
We’ll answer.
First Witch
Say, if thou’dst rather hear it from our mouths,
Or from our masters?
Macbeth
Call ’em, let me see ’em.
First Witch
Pour in sow’s blood, that hath eaten
Her nine farrow; grease that’s sweaten
From the murderer’s gibbet throw
Into the flame.
All
Come, high or low;
Thyself and office deftly show!
Thunder. First Apparition, an armed Head
Macbeth
Tell me, thou unknown power,-
First Witch
He knows thy thought:
Hear his speech, but say thou naught.
First Apparition
Macbeth! Macbeth! Macbeth! beware Macduff:
Beware the thane of Fife. Dismiss me: enough.
[Descends]
Word Meanings
our masters: the evil spirits served by the witches.
sweaten: exuded.
office: duty.
sow’s: adult female pig.
Nine farrow: A litter of nine piglets.
farrow: litter.
Sweaten: Sweated or dripped, here grease from a body.
Gibbet: A gallows or a post where the bodies of executed criminals were hung.
Office: A person’s role, function, or power.
deftly: skilfully.
Apparition: ghost-like vision.
Armed Head: A head wearing a helmet or battle armor.
Thane of Fife: Macduff’s official title in Scotland.
Explanation of the above dialogues— The three witches invite Macbeth to ask his questions, with each offering to speak or listen to his demands. The First Witch asks him if he would prefer to hear the answers from their own mouths or from their powerful masters. Macbeth boldly commands them to call these spirits so he can see them for himself. To summon the spirits, the First Witch pours in the blood of a sow i.e. a female pig that has eaten her own nine piglets. She also adds grease that has dripped from a murderer’s gallows into the fire. The witches collectively call for the spirits, whether they are from high or low places, to appear and show their power. Suddenly, thunder rolls and the First Apparition appears in the form of a head wearing armor. When Macbeth tries to question the spirit, the First Witch stops him, explaining that the spirit already knows what he is thinking. She tells him to listen but to stay silent. The Apparition calls Macbeth’s name three times and warns him specifically to beware of Macduff, the Thane of Fife. Having given its warning, the spirit tells Macbeth to let it go and then vanishes. Interestingly, the First Apparition gives Macbeth a very clear and honest warning, ‘Beware Macduff’. Unlike the prophecies that follow, this one is not a riddle. The ‘sow that hath eaten her nine farrow’ represents a complete violation of a mother’s natural instinct to protect her young. The First Apparition, the Armed Head, is highly symbolic. It represents the head of Macbeth that will eventually be cut off by Macduff at the end of the play. It also symbolizes the head of Macduff leading an army. The armor suggests that the conflict has moved past words and politics, and is now a matter of war and physical violence.
Play
Macbeth
Whate’er thou art, for thy good caution, thanks;
Thou hast harp’d my fear aright: but one word more,-
First Witch
He will not be commanded: here’s another,
More potent than the first.
Thunder. Second Apparition, a bloody Child
Second Apparition
Macbeth! Macbeth! Macbeth!
Macbeth
Had I three ears, I’d hear thee.
Second Apparition
Be bloody, bold, and resolute; laugh to scorn
The power of man, for none of woman born
Shall harm Macbeth.
[Descends]
Macbeth
Then live, Macduff: what need I fear of thee?
But yet I’ll make assurance double sure,
And take a bond of fate: thou shalt not live;
That I may tell pale-hearted fear it lies,
And sleep in spite of thunder.
Thunder. Third Apparition, a Child crowned, with a tree in his hand
What is this,
That rises like the issue of a king,
And wears upon his baby-brow the round
And top of sovereignty?
All
Listen, but speak not to’t.
Word Meanings
harp’d: expressed.
potent: powerful.
Resolute: Determined and firm in one’s path.
laugh to scorn: hate.
None of woman born: No one who was born naturally from a woman.
Assurance: A guarantee or a feeling of being certain.
bond: contract, legal assurance.
pale-hearted fear: fear that dwells in a timid mind.
issue: descendant.
round: crown.
top of sovereignty: crown of an absolute ruler.
Explanation of the above dialogues— Macbeth thanks the first spirit for its helpful warning, noting that it has correctly identified his own secret fears regarding Macduff. However, when he tries to ask another question, the First Witch informs him that the spirit cannot be commanded. She tells him that a second spirit, even more powerful than the first, is arriving. Amid the sound of thunder, a Second Apparition appears in the form of a bloody child. It calls Macbeth’s name three times. Macbeth responds that if he had three ears, he would listen with all of them. The spirit tells him to be violent, bold, and firm. It encourages him to laugh at the power of other men, promising that no person born from a woman shall ever harm him. After the spirit vanishes, Macbeth initially decides to let Macduff live, since he believes Macduff cannot hurt him. However, he quickly changes his mind, deciding to make his safety double sure by killing Macduff anyway. He wants to force fate to keep its promise so he can conquer his own fear and finally sleep peacefully. Just then, a third spirit appears: a child wearing a crown and holding a tree. Macbeth is surprised and asks what this new vision represents, noticing that it looks like the son of a king and wears the symbol of royalty. The witches command him to listen but stay silent. The Second Apparition is the perfect example of equivocation i.e. telling a truth that is meant to deceive. It tells Macbeth that ‘none of woman born’ can harm him. This is technically true because Macduff was born via C-section, i.e. considered as an unnatural birth at that time, but Macbeth interprets it to mean he is immortal. This creates the false security that the witches intend to use to destroy him. The image of the bloody child is ironic on two levels. First, it represents Macduff as a baby being ripped from his mother’s womb. Second, it represents the innocent children Macbeth is about to murder.
Play
Third Apparition
Be lion-mettled, proud; and take no care
Who chafes, who frets, or where conspirers are.
Macbeth shall never vanquish’d be until
Great Birnam wood to high Dunsinane hill
Shall come against him.
[Descends
Macbeth
That will never be:
Who can impress the forest, bid the tree
Unfix his earth-bound root? Sweet bodements! good!
Rebellion’s 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?
All
Seek to know no more.
Macbeth
I will be satisfied: deny me this,
And an eternal curse fall on you! Let me know.
Why sinks that cauldron? and what noise is this?
[Hautboys
First Witch
Show!
Second Witch
Show!
Third Witch
Show!
Word Meanings
Lion-mettled : Having the courage and spirit of a lion.
chafes: worries.
frets: fumes or complains.
Vanquish’d: Defeated thoroughly.
Birnam: a high hill, twelve miles from Dunsinane.
impress: force.
Bodements: Prophecies or omens.
lease of nature: normal span of life.
pay: deliver
breath: life.
Mortal custom: Natural death
Issue: Children or descendants.
Hautboys: Oboes; high-pitched wooden wind instruments.
Explanation of the above dialogues— The Third Apparition tells Macbeth to be as brave as a lion and to be proud. It advises him not to worry about those who are angry with him, those who complain, or those who are secretly plotting against him. The spirit prophesies that Macbeth will never be defeated until the great Birnam Wood physically moves to high Dunsinane Hill to fight against him.Macbeth responds with great relief, declaring that such an event will never happen. He asks rhetorically who could possibly draft a forest into an army or command a tree to pull its roots out of the earth. He calls these sweet omens and concludes that since trees cannot move, rebellion is effectively dead. He believes he will now live a full, natural life and die of old age. However, he admits his heart still aches to know one more thing: whether Banquo’s descendants will ever rule Scotland. When the witches tell him to stop asking questions, Macbeth becomes furious, threatening them with an eternal curse if they do not answer. Suddenly, the cauldron sinks into the ground, and the sound of hautboys fills the air. The Third Apparition, a crowned child holding a tree, represents Malcolm, the rightful king, who will order his soldiers to cut down branches from Birnam Wood to hide their approach. The prophecy about the forest suggests that Macbeth has disturbed the natural order so much that nature itself must rise up to stop him. Macbeth thinks he is safe because he thinks only in literal, physical terms as trees can’t walk. He fails to realize that the supernatural forces are using metaphors to describe his downfall. Macbeth’s reaction , ‘Sweet bodements! good!’ shows his hubris. He feels he is smarter than fate. His language changes from fearful to arrogant. He even tries to curse the witches, which is ironic because he has no power over them.
Play
All
Show his eyes, and grieve his heart;
Come like shadows, so depart!
A show of Eight Kings, the last with a glass in his hand; Banquo’s Ghost following
Macbeth
Thou art too like the spirit of Banquo; down!
Thy crown does sear mine eyeballs: and thy hair,
Thou other gold-bound brow, is like the first;
A third is like the former. Filthy hags!
Why do you show me this? A fourth? Start, eyes!
What, will the line stretch out to the crack of doom?
Another yet? A seventh? I’ll see no more:
And yet the eighth appears, who bears a glass
Which shows me many more; and some I see
That twofold balls and treble sceptres carry:
Horrible sight! Now I see ’tis true;
For the blood-bolter’d Banquo smiles upon me,
And points at them for his. What, is this so?
First Witch
Ay, sir, all this is so: but why
Stands Macbeth thus amazedly?
Come, sisters, cheer we up his sprites,
And show the best of our delights.
I’ll charm the air to give a sound,
While you perform your antic round;
That this great king may kindly say,
Our duties did his welcome pay.
Music. The Witches dance, and then vanish, with Hecate
Word Meanings
sear: burn.
gold-bound: crowned.
Filthy: foul.
Start, eyes: eyes jump out from their sockets.
twofold balls: the two crowns (the English and the Scottish).
treble sceptres: Three kingdoms under James I (England, Wales and Scotland).
Blood-bolter’d: Having hair matted or clumped with blood.
Amazedly: In a state of total shock or confusion.
Sprites: Spirits or moods.
Antic round: A strange or fantastic circular dance.
Explanation of the above dialogues— The witches collectively call for a vision to appear that will both show Macbeth the truth and cause him deep emotional pain. They command the spirits to come like shadows and disappear the same way. A procession of eight kings appears, with the last king holding a mirror in his hand, followed by the ghost of Banquo. Macbeth is horrified, telling the first king that he looks too much like the spirit of Banquo and ordering him to disappear. He cries out that the sight of the crown is painful to his eyes. As each king passes, Macbeth notices they all look alike, sharing the same golden hair and royal brow. He becomes hysterical, asking the witches why they are showing him this and wondering if the line of kings will stretch on until the end of the world. He is especially shaken by the eighth king, whose mirror shows a reflection of even more kings, some of whom carry the symbols of multiple kingdoms. Macbeth realizes the vision is true when he sees the blood-covered ghost of Banquo smiling at him and pointing at the kings to claim them as his descendants. When the vision vanishes, the First Witch mocks Macbeth’s shocked expression. She suggests that they cheer him up by performing a dance and playing music so that he can say the witches welcomed him properly. They dance and then suddenly vanish along with Hecate. Macbeth uses extreme language like ‘sear mine eyeballs’. The ‘gold’ of the crowns, which he once desired more than anything, has now become a source of physical pain. This shows his total psychological breakdown; the very symbol of his ambition has turned into a weapon used against him. The ‘Twofold Balls and Treble Sceptres’ are symbols of the Union of the Crowns. King James I was the first monarch to rule England, Scotland, and Ireland simultaneously. The witches’ final dance is deeply insulting. This emphasizes their demonic nature, they find Macbeth’s suffering funny.
Play
Macbeth
Where are they? Gone? Let this pernicious
hour Stand aye accursed in the calendar!
Come in, without there!
Enter Lennox
Lennox
What’s your grace’s will?
Macbeth
Saw you the weird sisters?
Lennox
No, my lord.
Macbeth
Came they not by you?
Lennox
No, indeed, my lord.
Macbeth
Infected be the air whereon they ride,
And damn’d all those that trust them! I did hear
The galloping of horse: who was ‘t came by?
Lennox
‘Tis two or three, my lord, that bring you word
Macduff is fled to England.
Macbeth
Fled to England?
Lennox
Ay, my good lord.
Macbeth
Time, thou anticipatest my dread exploits;
The flighty purpose never is o’ertook
Unless the deed go with it: from this moment,
The very firstlings of my heart shall be
The firstlings of my hand. And even now,
To crown my thoughts with acts, be it thought and done:
The castle of Macduff I will surprise;
Seize upon Fife; give to the edge o’ the 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,
But no more sights. – Where are these gentlemen?
Come, bring me where they are.
[Exeunt]
Word Meanings
pernicious: deadly.
aye: forever
Accursed: Under a curse; doomed or ill-fated.
without there: whoever is standing outside.
Anticipatest: To act before someone else; to get ahead of.
dread: terrible.
Exploits: Bold or daring feats
Flighty: Moving quickly; changing rapidly.
Firstlings: The first things i.e. the first thoughts or the first actions
crown: fulfill.
surprise: attack suddenly.
Seize upon: capture.
trace him in his line: have descended from his family.cool: loose its heat.
sights: visions or apparitions.
fly the land: go away from his country.
Explanation of the above dialogues— Macbeth is shocked to find that the witches have vanished into thin air. He curses the time he spent with them, declaring that this hateful hour should be forever marked as cursed on the calendar. He calls out to whoever is waiting outside, and Lennox enters. Macbeth asks him if he saw the weird sisters leave, but Lennox replies that he saw no one. Macbeth then curses the air the witches travel on and declares that anyone who trusts them should be damned. Macbeth mentions that he heard the sound of galloping horses and asks who arrived. Lennox informs him that two or three messengers have arrived with the news that Macduff has fled to England. Macbeth is frustrated, realizing that time has moved faster than his own plans for revenge. He decides that from that moment on, he will no longer hesitate; as soon as he has a thought or a desire in his heart, he will act on it immediately with his hands. To put this new philosophy into action, he vows to surprise Macduff’s castle in Fife and kill Macduff’s wife, his children, and anyone else related to him. He promises to do this before his anger cools down and tells Lennox to lead him to the messengers. There is deep irony when Macbeth says, ‘damn’d all those that trust them!’ He is literally cursing himself, as he is the one who has just based his entire future on the witches’ prophecies. By making his hand act as fast as his heart, he is essentially murdering his own conscience. He will no longer stop to wonder if an action is right or wrong. Earlier in the play, Macbeth killed for a reason i.e. to become king or to stop a specific threat i.e. Banquo. However, killing Macduff’s wife and children serves no political purpose. Macduff is already in England; killing his family won’t bring him back or help Macbeth keep the throne. This represents the theme of Tyranny, where a ruler kills simply to spread fear and express his own anger.
Conclusion
In Macbeth Act 4 Scene 1, Macbeth talks to the Witches in their dark cave. They show him three strange visions: an armed head, a bloody child, and a crowned child holding a tree. Students can take help from this post to understand Act 4, Scene 1 and also learn the difficult word meanings to get a better grasp of Macbeth. This post includes a summary of Macbeth, which will help students of ISC class 12, to get a quick recap of the play.