ISC Class 12 English Drama Macbeth Act 4 Scene 3 Summary, Theme, Explanation along with difficult word meanings
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ISC Class 12 – Macbeth Act 4 Scene 3
By William Shakespeare
In Macbeth Act 4 Scene 3, Malcolm and Macduff are in England. Malcolm tests Macduff’s loyalty by pretending to have bad qualities, but Macduff proves he loves Scotland. Ross then arrives with news that Macduff’s family has been murdered. This makes Macduff vow to get revenge and leads to the final fight with Macbeth.
- Macbeth Act 4 Scene 3 Summary
- Macbeth Act 4 Scene 3 Summary in Hindi
- Macbeth Act 4 Scene 3 Theme
- Macbeth Act 4 Scene 3 Explanation
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Macbeth Act 4 Scene 3 Summary
In Act 4 Scene 3, the setting shifts to England, where Malcolm and Macduff meet to discuss the terrible state of Scotland. At first, Malcolm is extremely suspicious of Macduff. He worries that Macduff might be a spy sent by Macbeth to lure him back to Scotland to be killed. To test Macduff’s true intentions and his loyalty to the country, Malcolm pretends to be an even worse person than Macbeth. He claims that he is filled with uncontrollable lust and greed, lacking all the virtues required to be a good king. He insists that if he were to take the throne, he would be a far more destructive tyrant than the one they are currently trying to overthrow.
Macduff is initially patient and tries to find excuses for Malcolm’s supposed flaws, but eventually, he reaches a breaking point. Horrified by the idea that Scotland’s only hope for a ruler is actually a wicked man, Macduff gives up all hope and cries out in despair for his miserable country. This emotional outburst proves to Malcolm that Macduff is a man of integrity who truly cares for Scotland rather than his own personal gain. Satisfied that Macduff is not a traitor, Malcolm takes back all his lies. He reveals that he is actually a person of high character and tells Macduff that an English army led by Siward is already prepared to march against Macbeth.
During their conversation, a doctor briefly enters and describes the healing powers of the English King, Edward the Confessor. This serves to contrast the holy and healing nature of a rightful king with the sick and evil nature of Macbeth’s rule. Shortly after, Ross arrives from Scotland with devastating news. He initially hesitates but eventually informs Macduff that Macbeth has sent murderers to murder Macduff’s entire family, including his wife, children, and servants.
The news leaves Macduff paralyzed with grief and guilt, as he blames himself for leaving them unprotected. Malcolm encourages Macduff to turn his private sorrow into a powerful, vengeful anger. Macduff vows to meet Macbeth face-to-face on the battlefield to end his reign. The scene ends with the characters ready to go to war, signaling the beginning of Macbeth’s downfall.
Summary of Macbeth Act 4 Scene 3 in Hindi
एक्ट 4 सीन 3 में, सेटिंग इंग्लैंड में स्थानांतरित हो जाती है, जहाँ मैल्कम और मैकडफ स्कॉटलैंड की भयानक स्थिति पर चर्चा करने के लिए मिलते हैं। सबसे पहले, मैल्कम को मैकडफ पर बहुत संदेह है। उसे चिंता है कि मैकडफ एक जासूस हो सकता है जिसे मैकबेथ ने उसे मारने के लिए स्कॉटलैंड वापस जाने का लालच देने के लिए भेजा था। मैकडफ के सच्चे इरादों और देश के प्रति उसकी वफादारी का परीक्षण करने के लिए, मैल्कम मैकबेथ से भी बदतर व्यक्ति होने का नाटक करता है। वह दावा करता है कि वह अनियंत्रित वासना और लालच से भरा हुआ है, जिसमें एक अच्छा राजा बनने के लिए आवश्यक सभी गुणों की कमी है। वह इस बात पर जोर देता है कि अगर वह सिंहासन संभालता है, तो वह उस तानाशाह की तुलना में कहीं अधिक विनाशकारी तानाशाह होगा जिसे वे वर्तमान में उखाड़ फेंकने की कोशिश कर रहे हैं।
मैकडफ शुरू में धैर्य रखता है और मैल्कम की कथित खामियों के लिए बहाने खोजने की कोशिश करता है, लेकिन अंत में, वह एक निर्णायक बिंदु पर पहुंच जाता है। इस विचार से भयभीत कि एक शासक के लिए स्कॉटलैंड की एकमात्र आशा वास्तव में एक दुष्ट व्यक्ति है, मैकडफ सारी आशा छोड़ देता है और अपने दयनीय देश के लिए निराशा में रोता है। यह भावनात्मक प्रकोप मैल्कम को साबित करता है कि मैकडफ एक ईमानदार व्यक्ति है जो वास्तव में अपने व्यक्तिगत लाभ के बजाय स्कॉटलैंड की परवाह करता है। इस बात से संतुष्ट होकर कि मैकडफ गद्दार नहीं है, मैल्कम अपने सभी झूठ वापस ले लेता है। वह बताता है कि वह वास्तव में एक उच्च चरित्र वाला व्यक्ति है और मैकडफ को बताता है कि सिवर्ड के नेतृत्व में एक अंग्रेजी सेना पहले से ही मैकबेथ के खिलाफ मार्च करने के लिए तैयार है।
उनकी बातचीत के दौरान, एक डॉक्टर संक्षेप में प्रवेश करता है और अंग्रेजी राजा, एडवर्ड द कन्फेसर की उपचार शक्तियों का वर्णन करता है। यह मैकबेथ के शासन के बीमार और दुष्ट स्वभाव के साथ एक सही राजा के पवित्र और उपचार प्रकृति की तुलना करने का काम करता है। कुछ ही समय बाद, रॉस स्कॉटलैंड से विनाशकारी खबर लेकर आता है। वह शुरू में हिचकिचाता है लेकिन अंततः मैकडफ को सूचित करता है कि मैकबेथ ने मैकडफ के पूरे परिवार की हत्या करने के लिए हत्यारों को भेजा है, जिसमें उसकी पत्नी, बच्चे और नौकर शामिल हैं।
यह खबर मैकडफ को दुख और अपराधबोध से लकवाग्रस्त कर देती है, क्योंकि वह उन्हें असुरक्षित छोड़ने के लिए खुद को दोषी ठहराता है। मैल्कम मैकडफ को अपने निजी दुःख को एक शक्तिशाली, प्रतिशोधपूर्ण क्रोध में बदलने के लिए प्रोत्साहित करता है। मैकडफ ने अपने शासन को समाप्त करने के लिए युद्ध के मैदान में मैकबेथ से आमने-सामने मिलने की कसम खाई। दृश्य युद्ध में जाने के लिए तैयार पात्रों के साथ समाप्त होता है, जो मैकबेथ के पतन की शुरुआत का संकेत देता है।
Theme of Macbeth Act 4 Scene 3
The Qualities of a Good King
A major part of this scene is dedicated to defining what makes a ruler fit to lead. By listing a long series of virtues like justice, patience, and courage, and then contrasting them with vices like greed and lust, the scene creates a blueprint for the ideal monarch. Malcolm’s father and the King of England are presented as sainted and holy examples of leadership. This theme suggests that a true king is not just someone who holds power through force, but someone who is morally upright and serves as a representative of God’s goodness on earth.
Loyalty and Patriotism
The scene examines the difference between being loyal to a person and being loyal to a country. Macduff proves his true character when he refuses to support Malcolm after hearing about his supposed vices. This shows that Macduff’s primary devotion is to the well-being of Scotland, not just to a specific royal bloodline. Malcolm’s initial suspicion of Macduff also highlights how difficult it is to trust anyone in a world ruled by a tyrant, where people often betray their friends for survival or reward.
Appearance vs. Reality
This is a recurring theme throughout the play, but in this scene, it takes the form of a deliberate test. Malcolm wears a mask of wickedness to see if Macduff is truly honest. He pretends to be a villain to find out if Macduff is a hero. This reflects the confusing atmosphere of the play where fair is foul, and it shows that in a world of deception, even a good person must sometimes use lies to discover the truth. It also reminds the audience that people’s outward words do not always reflect their inner hearts.
Grief and Masculinity
When Macduff receives the news that his family has been murdered, the scene explores how a man should deal with deep sorrow. Malcolm tells Macduff to dispute it like a man by turning his sadness into immediate violence and revenge. However, Macduff offers a more complex view of masculinity by stating that he must also feel it as a man. He argues that being a man involves having emotions and grieving for those you love, not just being a cold-hearted warrior. This provides a more sensitive and human definition of what it means to be manly.
Grace vs. Evil
The contrast between the holy King of England and the evil Macbeth is a central theme here. The King of England is shown as a healer who can cure diseases with a touch and has the gift of prophecy, representing heaven’s blessing. In contrast, Macbeth is described as a disease himself, a tyrant whose very name causes pain and who brings death rather than healing. This reinforces the idea that Macbeth’s rule is a violation of the natural and spiritual order, while the forces gathering in England are divinely sanctioned to restore peace.
Setting of the Scene
In Act 4 Scene 3, the setting shifts away from the dark, eerie, and claustrophobic atmosphere of Scotland to the English court. This change in location is very important because England is presented as a place of safety, honesty, and healing, providing a sharp contrast to the blood-soaked and paranoid environment of Macbeth’s kingdom. The scene takes place outdoors, before the palace of King Edward the Confessor, which represents a stable and divinely protected government. By moving the action to England, Shakespeare highlights the distance Macduff has traveled to find a real solution to Scotland’s problems. While Scotland is described as a ‘grave’ where people are constantly dying, England is shown as a thriving land ruled by a holy king who has the power to cure the sick. This setting serves as a sanctuary where the heroes can safely plan their counter-attack. The bright and virtuous atmosphere of the English court gives the audience a sense of hope, suggesting that the ‘light’ from England will soon return to Scotland to drive out Macbeth’s darkness.
Macbeth Act 4 Scene 3 Explanation
Scene 3. England. Before the King’s palace.
Enter Malcolm and Macduff
Play
Malcolm
Let us seek out some desolate shade, and there
Weep our sad bosoms empty.
Macduff
Let us rather
Hold fast the mortal sword, and like good men
Bestride our down-fall’n birthdom; each new morn,
New widows howl, new orphans cry, new sorrows
Strike heaven on the face, that it resounds
As if it felt with Scotland and yell’d out
Like syllable of dolour.
Malcolm
What I believe, I’ll wail;
What know, believe; and what I can redress,
As I shall find the time to friend, I will.
What you have spoke, it may be so perchance.
This tyrant, whose sole name blisters our tongues,
Was once thought honest: you have loved him well;
He hath not touch’d you yet. I am young; but something
You may deserve of him through me, and wisdom
To offer up a weak, poor, innocent lamb
To appease an angry god.
Macduff
I am not treacherous.
Malcolm
But Macbeth is.
A good and virtuous nature may recoil
In an imperial charge. But I shall crave your pardon;
That which you are, my thoughts cannot transpose:
Angels are bright still, though the brightest fell:
Though all things foul would wear the brows of grace,
Yet grace must still look so.
Macduff
I have lost my hopes.
Word Meanings
Desolate shade: A lonely, abandoned spot of shadow.
Mortal sword: A deadly weapon; a sword used for killing.
Bestride: To stand over something with legs apart to defend it.
Birthdom: One’s motherland or country of birth i.e. Scotland.
Like syllable of dolour: similar cry of pain.
What … believe: I believe that which I know to be true.
redress: put right
time to friend: suitable time.
perchance: perhaps.
sole: mere.
blisters: causes blisters.
Appease: To satisfy or calm an angry person usually by giving them a gift.
Recoil: To shrink back or give way under pressure or a command.
Imperial charge: A command or order from a King.
Transpose: To change or transform the nature of something.
Brows of grace: The outward appearance of being a good, holy person.
Explanation of the above dialogues— In this opening part of the scene, Malcolm and Macduff meet in England to discuss the tragic state of their homeland. Malcolm begins by suggesting that they should find a quiet, lonely place in the shade where they can sit down and cry until they have emptied their hearts of sadness. However, Macduff disagrees with this passive approach. He argues that instead of weeping, they should grip their swords tightly and stand over their fallen country like brave men defending a fallen comrade. He describes the daily horrors in Scotland, explaining that every morning brings the screams of new widows and the cries of new orphans. He says that these sorrows are so loud and painful that they seem to strike heaven itself, making the sky echo with a cry of grief as if it felt Scotland’s pain personally. Malcolm responds cautiously. He says he will only cry for what he knows is true and will only act when he finds the right opportunity. He admits that what Macduff said might be true, but he reminds Macduff that the tyrant Macbeth, whose very name is painful to speak, was once considered an honest man. He points out that Macduff used to be a friend of Macbeth and hasn’t been harmed by him yet. Malcolm suspects that Macduff might be trying to win Macbeth’s favor by betraying a young, inexperienced person like himself. He compares himself to a weak, innocent lamb that Macduff might sacrifice to please an angry god like Macbeth. Macduff firmly defends his honor, stating that he is not a traitor. Malcolm counters by saying that even though Macduff might be good, even a virtuous person might change when following a powerful king’s orders. He asks for Macduff’s forgiveness for being suspicious but explains that his thoughts cannot change who Macduff actually is. He uses a religious metaphor, noting that even though the brightest angel i.e.Lucifer fell from heaven, the other angels remain bright. He concludes that even if evil things try to look good, goodness itself must still keep its appearance. Feeling defeated and untrusted, Macduff declares that he has lost all his hope. Malcolm is wary because Macduff was once a friend of Macbeth and has not yet been physically harmed by him. He fears Macduff is a spy trying to ‘offer up a weak, poor, innocent lamb’ i.e. Malcolm to ‘appease an angry god’ i.e. Macbeth. This metaphor highlights Malcolm’s vulnerability and Macbeth’s god-like, terrifying power. Malcolm’s line, ‘Angels are bright still, though the brightest fell’, is a direct reference to Lucifer, the devil, who was once the most beautiful angel. He is saying that even if something looks good, it might be evil inside.
Play
Malcolm
Perchance even there where I did find my doubts.
Why in that rawness left you wife and child,
Those precious motives, those strong knots of love,
Without leave-taking? I pray you,
Let not my jealousies be your dishonours,
But mine own safeties: you may be rightly just,
Whatever I shall think.
Macduff
Bleed, bleed, poor country!
Great tyranny, lay thou thy basis sure,
For goodness dare not check thee! wear thou thy wrongs,
The title is affeer’d! Fare thee well, lord:
I would not be the villain that thou think’st
For the whole space that’s in the tyrant’s grasp,
And the rich East to boot.
Malcolm
Be not offended:
I speak not as in absolute fear of you.
I think our country sinks beneath the yoke;
It weeps, it bleeds, and each new day a gash
Is added to her wounds: I think, withal,
There would be hands uplifted in my right;
And here from gracious England have I offer
Of goodly thousands: but, for all this,
When I shall tread upon the tyrant’s head,
Or wear it on my sword, yet my poor country
Shall have more vices than it had before,
More suffer and more sundry ways than ever,
By him that shall succeed.
Word Meanings
Perchance: Perhaps or maybe.
Rawness: A state of vulnerability or lack of preparation; a hasty departure.
Motives: Reasons for living or acting
jealousies: suspicions.
title: the title of kingship of Macbeth.
affeer’d: legally confirmed since Malcolm refuses to contest it.
space: kingdom.
grasp; power.
rich East: wealth from the eastern countries.
to boot: in addition.
Yoke: A heavy wooden frame placed on the necks of oxen; a symbol of slavery or burden.
Withal: In addition; also.
In my right: In support of my legal claim to the throne.
Sundry: Various; many different kinds.
Explanation of the above dialogues— In this section of the scene, Malcolm continues to question Macduff’s motives, specifically asking why he left his wife and children in such a vulnerable and dangerous state without even saying goodbye. He refers to Macduff’s family as the most important ties of love and questions how a man could abandon them if he weren’t secretly safe with the tyrant. Malcolm asks Macduff not to take his suspicions as an insult to his honor, but rather as a necessary precaution for his own safety. He acknowledges that Macduff might truly be an honest man, regardless of what his own suspicious mind thinks. Deeply hurt and insulted, Macduff cries out in despair for his poor, bleeding country. He tells Scotland that tyranny can now safely establish its foundation because goodness is too afraid to stop it. He tells the tyrant Macbeth to wear his stolen crown proudly, as his title is now legally confirmed since the rightful heir, Malcolm, refuses to fight. Macduff prepares to leave, telling Malcolm that he wouldn’t be the villain Malcolm suspects him of being for all the land in Macbeth’s kingdom and all the riches of the East combined. Malcolm quickly tries to calm him down, asking him not to be offended. He explains that he doesn’t speak out of a total fear of Macduff, but out of genuine concern for Scotland. He agrees that the country is sinking under a heavy burden; it is weeping and bleeding, and every day a new wound is added to its suffering. He mentions that there are many people ready to fight for his right to the throne and that the King of England has already offered thousands of soldiers. However, Malcolm introduces a shocking new claim. He tells Macduff that even after he defeats Macbeth and puts the tyrant’s head on his sword, Scotland will suffer more than ever before. He argues that the person who succeeds Macbeth, meaning himself, will have even more vices and will make the country suffer in more ways than the current tyrant does. The country is no longer just a piece of land; it is personified as a dying, suffering woman. Malcolm describes her as sinking like an overworked animal and bleeding from a new ‘gash’ every day. This vivid, gruesome imagery justifies the upcoming war, it is presented not as a political conquest, but as a life-saving surgery for a wounded patient.
Play
Macduff
What should he be?
Malcolm
It is myself I mean: in whom I know
All the particulars of vice so grafted
That, when they shall be open’d, black Macbeth
Will seem as pure as snow, and the poor state
Esteem him as a lamb, being compared
With my confineless harms.
Macduff
Not in the legions
Of horrid hell can come a devil more damn’d
In evils to top Macbeth.
Malcolm
I grant him bloody,
Luxurious, avaricious, false, deceitful,
Sudden, malicious, smacking of every sin
That has a name: but there’s no bottom, none,
In my voluptuousness, and my desire
All continent impediments would o’erbear,
That did oppose my will; better Macbeth
Than such a one to reign.
Macduff
Boundless intemperance
In nature is a tyranny; it hath been
The untimely emptying of the happy throne
And fall of many kings. But fear not yet
To take upon you what is yours you may
Convey your pleasures in a spacious plenty,
And yet seem cold, the time you may so hoodwink.
Word Meanings
Particulars: Specific details or individual types.
Grafted: Firmly attached or joined like a branch joined to a tree.
state: country.
confineless: unlimited.
harms: wicked deeds.
legions: battalions.
I grant him: I grant that Macbeth is.
bloody: blood-thirsty.
Luxurious: Lustful.
avaricious: greedy.
Voluptuousness: Intense indulgence in luxury or sexual desire.
Continent impediments: Barriers of self-restraint or legal obstacles.
O’erbear: To overwhelm, crush, or push past.
Intemperance : Lack of moderation or self-control.
Convey: To manage or carry out secretly.
Hoodwink: To trick, deceive, or blind someone to the truth.
Explanation of the above dialogues— Macduff asks who this terrible successor could possibly be. Malcolm shockingly reveals that he is talking about himself. He explains that his soul is so full of every kind of evil that, once his true nature is revealed, even the wicked Macbeth will look as pure as white snow. He claims that Scotland will eventually look at Macbeth as if he were an innocent lamb when compared to the unlimited harm Malcolm would cause as king. Macduff argues against this, stating that not even in the deepest parts of hell could there be a devil more evil than Macbeth. Malcolm agrees that Macbeth is bloodthirsty, lustful, greedy, dishonest, and guilty of every sin imaginable. However, he insists that his own lust is a bottomless pit. He claims that his desires are so powerful they would break through any barriers or laws that tried to stop him. He argues that it would actually be better for Scotland to keep Macbeth as a ruler than to have someone as depraved as himself on the throne. Macduff responds by admitting that uncontrolled lust is a form of tyranny that has caused many kings to lose their thrones prematurely. Despite this, he urges Malcolm not to be afraid to take the crown that rightfully belongs to him. He suggests that Malcolm can find ways to satisfy his private desires in secret while appearing respectable and cold in public. He believes they can trick the world and keep his reputation clean while he enjoys his pleasures in plenty. Malcolm uses hyperbole to describe his supposed flaws. He claims his sins are so deeply attached to his soul that once they are revealed, the murderous Macbeth will look ‘pure as snow’ or like an innocent lamb. This is a clever test; if Macduff truly hates tyranny, he should eventually reject a leader who promises to be even more destructive than the current one. Yet, Macduff is willing to tolerate a hypocritical king just to get rid of a murderous one. It reveals the level of desperation Scotland is facing.
Play
Malcolm
With this, there grows
In my most ill-composed affection such
A stanchless avarice that, were I king,
I should cut off the nobles for their lands;
Desire his jewels and this other’s house:
And my more-having would be as a sauce
To make me hunger more that I should forge
Quarrels unjust against the good and loyal,
Destroying them for wealth.
Macduff
This avarice
Sticks deeper, grows with more pernicious root
Than summer-seeming lust, and it hath been
The sword of our slain kings: yet do not fear;
Scotland hath foisons to fill up your will
Of your mere own: all these are portable,
With other graces weigh’d.
Malcolm
But I have none: the king-becoming graces,
As justice, verity, temperance, stableness,
Bounty, perseverance, mercy, lowliness,
Devotion, patience, courage, fortitude,
I have no relish of them; but abound
In the division of each several crime,
Acting it many ways. Nay, had I power, I should
Pour the sweet milk of concord into hell,
Uproar the universal peace, confound
All unity on earth.
Macduff
O Scotland, Scotland!
Word Meanings
ill-composed affection: unbalanced disposition.
stanchless: unquenchable.
avarice: greed.
cut off: put to death.
Macduff: O Scotland, Scotland!
more-having: having more and more.
as a sauce… more: as a motive to desire more.
Sticks deeper: more firmly rooted.
pernicious: dangerous.
Summer-seeming: Temporary or passing quickly.
Sword of our slain kings: The cause of death or downfall for previous monarchs.
Foisons: Plentiful harvests; extreme abundance or wealth.
Portable: Bearable or tolerable; something that can be put up with.
Verity: Truthfulness and honesty.
Lowliness: Humility; the quality of not being arrogant.
Milk of concord: The sweet, nourishing quality of peace and social harmony.
Confound: To destroy, ruin, or throw into total confusion.
Explanation of the above dialogues— Malcolm continues his test by claiming that, along with his lust, he possesses an unbalanced nature filled with an unquenchable greed. He tells Macduff that if he were to become king, he would execute the noblemen just to seize their lands. He would steal one man’s jewels and another man’s house. He explains that having more wealth would only act like a sauce that makes him even hungrier for more. He claims he would create false legal quarrels against good and loyal people, destroying them simply to take their riches. Macduff admits that this kind of greed is a much deeper and more dangerous problem than temporary lust, noting that it has been the cause of death for many former kings. However, he tells Malcolm not to fear, because Scotland has plenty of riches to satisfy him using only the King’s rightful property. He argues that these flaws are portable, meaning they can be tolerated or balanced out when weighed against other good qualities a king might have. Malcolm then insists that he possesses no good qualities at all. He lists the virtues that a king should have such as justice, honesty, self-control, stability, generosity, mercy, and courage; and claims he has no taste for any of them. Instead, he says he is full of every possible version of every crime. He goes so far as to say that if he had the power, he would take the peaceful milk of human harmony and pour it into hell. He claims he would destroy world peace and shatter all unity on earth. Hearing this final claim of total wickedness, Macduff cries out in absolute grief for his country. Malcolm describes his supposed greed as ‘stanchless’ i.e. unstoppable. He uses a vivid culinary metaphor, saying that getting more wealth would act like a ‘sauce’ that makes him even hungrier. This is a brilliant psychological observation: while lust may fade with age, greed often grows stronger. He admits that greed is far more dangerous than lust, noting it has been the ‘sword’ that killed many previous kings referring to rebellions caused by greedy monarchs. The test ends when Malcolm claims he has no virtues at all. His final claim is the most terrifying: that he would ‘pour the sweet milk of concord into hell’. This imagery suggests he would intentionally destroy the very peace and unity of the world. At this point, Macduff can no longer compromise. His cry of ‘O Scotland, Scotland!’ signifies that he has realized the country is doomed whether Macbeth stays or Malcolm takes over.
Play
Malcolm
If such a one be fit to govern, speak:
I am as I have spoken.
Macduff
Fit to govern!
No, not to live. O nation miserable,
With an untitled tyrant bloody-scepter’d,
When shalt thou see thy wholesome days again,
Since that the truest issue of thy throne
By his own interdiction stands accursed
And does blaspheme his breed? Thy royal father
Was a most sainted king: the queen that bore thee,
Oftener upon her knees than on her feet,
Died every day she lived. Fare thee well!
These evils thou repeat’st upon thyself
Have banish’d me from Scotland.
O my breast, Thy hope ends here!
Malcolm
Macduff, this noble passion,
Child of integrity, hath from my soul
Wiped the black scruples, reconciled my thoughts
To thy good truth and honour. Devilish Macbeth
By many of these trains hath sought to win me
Into his power, and modest wisdom plucks me
From over-credulous haste: but God above
Deal between thee and me! for even now
I put myself to thy direction, and
Unspeak mine own detraction, here abjure
The taints and blames I laid upon myself,
For strangers to my nature. I am yet
Unknown to love, I never was forsworn,
Scarcely have coveted what was mine own,
At no time broke my faith, would not betray
The devil to his fellow, and delight
No less in truth than life: my first false speaking
Was this upon myself: what I am truly,
Is thine and my poor country’s to command:
Whither indeed, before thy here-approach,
Old Siward, with ten thousand warlike men,
Already at a point was setting forth.
Now we’ll together; and the chance of goodness
Be like our warranted quarrel! Why are you silent?
Word Meanings
untitled: illegitimate.
bloody-scepter’d: holding the sceptre through bloodshed.
wholesome: good.
interdiction: legal restraint.
accursed: cursed, damned.
blaspheme: slander, blame.
breed: race.
Died every day: Lived a life of constant religious devotion and self-denial.
Black scruples: Dark doubts, suspicions, or hesitations.
Trains: Tricks, plots, or clever traps used to deceive.
Modest wisdom: Sensible or cautious judgment.
Over-credulous: Too quick to believe; gullible.
Abjure: To formally reject or take back a previous belief or statement.
was forsworn: broke pledge.
coveted: desired greedily.
here-approach: coming here.
Old Siward: The Earl of Northumberland.
Be like: proportionate to.
warranted quarrel: justice of our cause.
Explanation of the above dialogues— Malcolm challenges Macduff to say if someone as wicked as he has described himself is fit to rule. Macduff erupts in anger, declaring that such a person is not only unfit to govern but not even fit to live. He mourns for his miserable nation, which is already being crushed by a bloodthirsty tyrant who has no right to the throne. He despairs that the rightful heir to the crown has cursed himself by his own confession and has shamed his royal family. Macduff reminds Malcolm that his father, Duncan, was a holy king and his mother was a deeply religious woman who spent more time praying on her knees than standing. Heartbroken, Macduff says goodbye, stating that the evils Malcolm admitted to have driven him out of Scotland forever and destroyed all his hope. Seeing this sincere display of grief and integrity, Malcolm immediately changes his tone. He tells Macduff that this noble outburst has cleared away all his doubts and convinced him that Macduff is truly honorable. He explains that the devilish Macbeth has tried to use similar tricks to lure him into a trap, which is why he had to be cautious and not trust too quickly. Malcolm then takes back everything bad he said about himself, explaining that those vices are completely foreign to his true nature. He reveals that he has never been with a woman, has never broken a promise, has never even been greedy for things he already owned, and loves the truth as much as he loves life. He confesses that the lies he just told about his own character were actually the first lies he has ever told. He places himself and his power at the service of Macduff and Scotland. Finally, Malcolm shares the good news that even before Macduff arrived, the English Lord Siward had already gathered ten thousand soldiers and was ready to march. He invites Macduff to join them so they can fight for their just cause together, then asks why Macduff has suddenly become so quiet. Macduff invokes the memory of Malcolm’s parents to shame him. He describes King Duncan as ‘sainted’ and the Queen as a woman who ‘died every day she lived’ i.e. meaning she lived a life of daily spiritual discipline and sacrifice. This reinforces the theme of Divine Right; Malcolm’s supposed vices are portrayed as a ‘blasphemy’ against a holy bloodline. The scene shifts from psychological testing to military planning. The mention of Old Siward and the ten thousand men changes the tone from despair to hope. The night of Macbeth’s reign is finally beginning to see the day of liberation.
Play
Macduff
Such welcome and unwelcome things at once
‘Tis hard to reconcile.
Enter a Doctor
Malcolm
Well; more anon.
Comes the king forth, I pray you?
Doctor
Ay, sir; there are a crew of wretched souls
That stay his cure: their malady convinces
The great assay of art: but at his touch—
Such sanctity hath heaven given his hand,—
They presently amend.
Malcolm
I thank you, doctor.
[Exit Doctor
Macduff
What’s the disease he means?
Malcolm
‘Tis call’d the evil:
A most miraculous work in this good king;
Which often, since my here-remain in England,
I have seen him do. How he solicits heaven,
Himself best knows: but strangely-visited people,
All swoln and ulcerous, pitiful to the eye,
The mere despair of surgery, he cures;
Hanging a golden stamp about their necks
Put on with holy prayers: and ’tis spoken,
To the succeeding royalty he leaves
The healing benediction. With this strange virtue,
He hath a heavenly gift of prophecy,
And sundry blessings hang about his throne,
That speak him full of grace.
Macduff
See, who comes here?
Malcolm
My countryman; but yet I know him not.
Enter Ross
Macduff
My ever-gentle cousin, welcome hither.
Malcolm
I know him now: good God, betimes remove
The means that makes us strangers!
Ross
Sir, amen.
Macduff
Stands Scotland where it did?
Word Meanings
Reconcile: To find a way to make two different ideas exist together.
More anon: We will speak more about this soon.
Wretched souls: Miserable, suffering, or unfortunate people.
Stay his cure: Wait for him to heal them.
Convinces the great assay of art: Defeats or defies the best efforts of medical science.
Sanctity: Holiness or godliness.
Presently amend: Immediately get better.
The Evil: A specific skin disease i.e. scrofula believed to be cured by a king’s touch.
my here-remain: my stay.
solicits: prays for help.
strangely-visited: affected by strange disease.
swoln and ulcerons: body swollen due to ulcers.
succeeding royalty: following generation of kings.
healing benediction: gift of healing.
virtue: power.
Betimes: Soon or quickly.
Explanation of the above dialogues— Macduff responds that it is difficult to make sense of such positive and negative news arriving at the same time. As a Doctor enters, Malcolm puts their conversation on hold, promising to talk more later. He asks the Doctor if the King is coming out. The Doctor confirms that he is, explaining that a crowd of miserable people is waiting for him to heal them. He describes their illness as something that defeats all medical knowledge and skill, yet the King has such heavenly power in his hands that they are cured instantly at his touch. After the Doctor leaves, Macduff asks about the specific disease they were discussing. Malcolm explains that it is known as evil and calls it a miracle performed by the King. He says that during his time in England, he has often seen the King do this. He describes how the King cures people who are covered in painful ulcers and swelling, people who would be considered hopeless cases by any surgeon. The King heals them by hanging a gold coin around their necks and saying holy prayers. Malcolm adds that this gift of healing is passed down to the King’s descendants. Furthermore, he mentions that the King has the divine gift of prophecy and many other blessings that prove he is a man full of God’s grace. This description of a holy, healing ruler serves as a sharp contrast to the murderous and disgusting rule of Macbeth in Scotland. Their conversation is interrupted when Macduff notices someone approaching. Malcolm initially does not recognize the man, but as he gets closer, he realizes it is their countryman, Ross. Malcolm prays that God will soon change the circumstances that have made them strangers to their own people. Macduff greets his cousin warmly and immediately asks the most urgent question on his mind: if Scotland is still the same as it was when he left. Macbeth brings disease to his country; Edward cures it. This reinforces the Jacobean belief in the Divine Right of Kings, suggesting that a legitimate, God-appointed ruler has supernatural powers to protect his people. The disease mentioned, ‘the Evil’, refers to scrofula, a skin disease. By curing the ‘unhealable’, Edward proves his connection to the divine. Malcolm mentions that Edward also possesses the ‘gift of prophecy’. This is a direct counter to the prophecies of the Weird Sisters. While Macbeth relies on hellish, deceptive prophecies from witches, the true King receives heavenly guidance
Play
Ross
Alas, poor country,
Almost afraid to know itself! It cannot
Be call’d our mother, but our grave: where nothing,
But who knows nothing, is once seen to smile;
Where sighs, and groans and shrieks that rent the air
Are made, not mark’d; where violent sorrow seems
A modern ecstasy: the dead man’s knell
Is there scarce ask’d for who; and good men’s lives
Expire before the flowers in their caps,
Dying or ere they sicken.
Macduff
Too nice, and yet too true!
O, relation
Malcolm
What’s the newest grief?
Ross
That of an hour’s age doth hiss the speaker;
Each minute teems a new one.
Macduff
How does my wife?
Ross
Why, well.
Macduff
And all my children?
Ross
Well, too.
Word Meanings
Rent the air: To tear or rip through the air
nothing: no one.
mark’d: not noticed.
modern ecstacy: commonplace emotion.
knell: death bell.
ere: before.
relation: report.
nice: accurate.
newest grief: latest cause of grief.
Hiss the speaker: To mock
Teems: To give birth to or be full of
Explanation of the above dialogues— Ross begins by painting a terrifying picture of Scotland, lamenting that the country is so full of horror that it is almost afraid to recognize itself. He explains that Scotland can no longer be called a mother that nurtures its people; instead, it has become a grave. In this environment, the only people who ever smile are those who are too ignorant to understand what is happening. He describes a land filled with sighs, groans, and screams that tear through the air so frequently that people have stopped noticing them. He notes that extreme sorrow has become so common it is seen as a normal emotion, and when a funeral bell rings, no one even bothers to ask who has died. He sadly concludes that good men are dying faster than the flowers they wear in their hats, often killed before they even have a chance to fall ill. Macduff is deeply moved by this report, commenting that the description is painfully accurate and detailed. Malcolm asks what the most recent cause of grief is. Ross responds that a story only an hour old is already considered old news because every single minute brings a fresh tragedy to report. Anxious about his own family, Macduff asks Ross how his wife is doing. Ross answers briefly, saying that she is well. When Macduff follows up by asking about all of his children, Ross gives the same short answer, stating that they are also well. At this point in the conversation, Ross is using careful, double-meaning language; he says they are well because, in his mind, they are at peace in death, though he has not yet found the courage to tell Macduff the brutal truth.Ross uses a powerful paradox to describe Scotland. A ‘mother’ is supposed to give life and nurture; however, Scotland has become a ‘grave’. This imagery suggests that the natural order has been completely inverted by Macbeth’s ‘unnatural’ kingship. The country no longer supports life; it only consumes it. Ross describes a psychological state where the population has become numb to trauma. He uses the phrase ‘modern ecstasy’ to describe violent sorrow, suggesting that extreme grief is now so common it is seen as a standard, everyday emotion. This reflects a society in total emotional and social breakdown.The metaphor of good men’s lives expiring ‘before the flowers in their caps’ is particularly tragic. In the Elizabethan era, people often wore fresh flowers in their headgear. Ross is saying that men are being killed so quickly and violently that they die while the flowers they picked that morning are still fresh.When Macduff asks about his family, Ross replies they are ‘well’. This is a heartbreaking use of equivocation, using language with double meanings. In a spiritual sense, they are ‘well’ because they are in heaven and beyond the reach of the tyrant’s pain. However, Ross is also hesitating because the truth is too heavy to deliver immediately.
Play
Macduff
The tyrant has not batter’d at their peace?
Ross
No; they were well at peace when I did leave ’em.
Macduff
Be not a niggard of your speech: how goes’t?
Ross
When I came hither to transport the tidings,
Which I have heavily borne, there ran a rumour
Of many worthy fellows that were out;
Which was to my belief witness’d the rather
For that I saw the tyrant’s power a-foot.
Now is the time of help; your eye in Scotland
Would create soldiers, make our women fight,
To doff their dire distresses.
Malcolm
Be’t their comfort
We are coming thither: gracious England hath
Lent us good Siward and ten thousand men;
An older and a better soldier none
That Christendom gives out.
Ross
Would I could answer
This comfort with the like. But I have words
That would be howl’d out in the desert air,
Where hearing should not latch them.
Macduff
What concern they?
The general cause? or is it a fee-grief
Due to some single breast?
Word Meanings
batter’d: attacked.
niggard: miserly.
to transport the tidings: to bring the news.
heavily: with a heavy heart.
that were out: those who rebelled.
For that: because.
power a-foot: forces in motion.
eye: presence in person.
Doff: To take off or get rid of like taking off a hat.
Dire distresses: Terrible or life-threatening troubles.
Christendom: The collective world of Christian nations; all of Europe.
Latch: To catch, grab, or seize referring to ears hearing a sound.
General cause: A public matter concerning the whole country.
Fee-grief: A private, personal sorrow belonging to one individual.
Explanation of the above dialogues— Macduff continues to press for details, asking specifically if the tyrant Macbeth has attacked the peace of his family. Ross answers evasively again, stating that they were very much at peace when he last left them. Sensing that Ross is holding something back, Macduff urges him not to be stingy with his words and demands to know the full truth of how things are going. Ross explains that while he was traveling to deliver his heavy news, he heard rumors that many brave men in Scotland had begun to rebel against Macbeth. He believes these rumors are true because he saw the tyrant’s own army preparing for battle. He tells the two men that now is the perfect time for them to return; he believes that Macduff’s mere presence in Scotland would inspire people to join the army and would even give women the courage to fight to rid themselves of their terrible suffering. Malcolm tries to offer some comfort by revealing their plan. He tells Ross that they are indeed coming back to Scotland. He shares that the King of England has lent them the noble Old Siward along with ten thousand soldiers, noting that there is no better or more experienced soldier in all of the Christian world. However, Ross responds sadly, wishing he could match their good news with equally good news of his own. Instead, he says he has words so terrible that they should only be screamed out in a vast, empty desert where no one could ever hear them. Macduff becomes alarmed and asks what the news is about. He wants to know if it concerns the general cause of the country or if it is a private grief belonging to only one person.Ross argues that Macduff’s presence in Scotland would be so inspiring it would ‘make our women fight’. This highlights Macduff’s status as a symbol of hope and a legendary warrior, contrasting his potential to ‘create soldiers’ with Macbeth’s ability only to create corpses.
Play
Ross
No mind that’s honest
But in it shares some woe, though the main part
Pertains to you alone.
Macduff
If it be mine,
Keep it not from me, quickly let me have it.
Ross
Let not your ears despise my tongue forever,
Which shall possess them with the heaviest sound
That ever yet they heard.
Macduff
Hum! I guess at it.
Ross
Your castle is surprised; your wife and babes
Savagely slaughter’d; to relate the manner
Were, on the quarry of these murder’d deer,
To add the death of you.
Malcolm
Merciful heaven!
What, man! ne’er pull your hat upon your brows:
Give sorrow words: the grief that does not speak
Whispers the o’er-fraught heart and bids it break.
Macduff
My children too?
Ross
Wife, children, servants, all
That could be found.
Word Meanings
Pertains: Belongs to or relates to.
Despise: To hate or loathe intensely.
shares some woe: has some share in the sorrow.
possess them with: put them in possession of.
surprised: stormed.
Savagely: brutally.
Quarry: A heap of slaughtered animals at the end of a hunt.
pull… your brows: Macduff is trying to hide his grief.
o’er-fraught: overburdened.
bids it: ruins it.
Explanation of the above dialogues— Ross replies that while every honest person in Scotland feels a share of this sorrow, the heaviest part of the news belongs to Macduff alone. Hearing this, Macduff demands that Ross not keep the news from him and asks to hear it immediately. Ross begs Macduff not to hate him forever for what he is about to say, warning him that he is about to deliver the most painful news Macduff has ever heard. Macduff admits that he is already beginning to guess what the news might be. Finally, Ross reveals the brutal truth: Macduff’s castle was attacked by surprise, and his wife and children were savagely murdered. He explains that the details of the massacre are so horrific that describing them would likely kill Macduff with grief, just as the family was killed by the sword. Malcolm is shocked and calls out to heaven for mercy. He notices Macduff pulling his hat down over his eyes to hide his face and urges him not to hide his pain. Malcolm tells him to put his sorrow into words, warning that the grief which is kept silent will only overburden the heart and cause it to break. Stunned, Macduff asks in disbelief if his children were killed too. Ross confirms the total devastation, stating that his wife, his children, his servants, and everyone else who could be found in the castle were all slaughtered.Ross describes the massacre using the language of hunting: ‘on the quarry of these murder’d deer’. This is a pun on the word ‘dear’. By comparing the family to ‘deer’ i.e. prey, he emphasizes their innocence and vulnerability against Macbeth’s predatory nature.
Play
Macduff
And I must be from thence!
My wife kill’d too?
Ross
I have said.
Malcolm
Be comforted.
Let’s make us medicines of our great revenge,
To cure this deadly grief.
Macduff
He has no children. All my pretty ones?
Did you say all? O hell-kite! All?
What, all my pretty chickens and their dam
At one fell swoop?
Malcolm
Dispute it like a man.
Macduff
I shall do so;
But I must also feel it as a man:
I cannot but remember such things were,
That were most precious to me. Did heaven look on,
And would not take their part? Sinful Macduff,
They were all struck for thee! naught that I am,
Not for their own demerits, but for mine,
Fell slaughter on their souls. Heaven rest them now!
Malcolm
Be this the whetstone of your sword: let grief
Convert to anger: blunt not the heart, enrage it.
Word Meanings
Must be from thence: Had to be away from there expressing regret for his absence
Medicines of revenge: Using the act of vengeance as a way to heal the emotional pain.
He has no children: It may mean two things – (i) Malcolm has no children so he cannot feel the loss of children; and (ii) Macbeth has no children on whom Macduff can take revenge.
hell-kite: vulture.
dam: mother.
Dispute: fight.
like a man: bravely.
Demerits: Faults, sins, or failures.
Naught that I am: Worthless or wicked as I am.
Whetstone: A stone used to sharpen the blade of a tool or weapon.
Blunt not the heart: Do not allow your heart to become numb or dull with sadness.
Explanation of the above dialogues— Macduff is overcome with horror, lamenting that he was away from home when the attack happened. He asks once more for confirmation that his wife was also killed, and Ross sadly affirms that he has already said it is true. Malcolm tries to offer some comfort, suggesting that they should use their desire for revenge as a medicine to heal this terrible emotional wound. However, Macduff is trapped in his shock. He observes that Macbeth has no children, implying that he can never truly understand this pain or be punished in the same way. He asks repeatedly if all his children are really gone. He compares Macbeth to a hell-kite, a vicious bird of prey, and asks if he really killed all his pretty children and their mother in one single, cruel swoop. Malcolm urges him to fight back and handle the situation bravely like a man. Macduff replies that he will indeed fight, but he insists that he must also allow himself to feel the loss as a man. He explains that he cannot simply forget the people who were most precious to him. He wonders how God could watch such a horror happen without stepping in to help. He then blames himself, calling himself a sinful man because he believes his family was killed because of his actions, not because of anything they did wrong. He prays for their souls to rest in peace. Malcolm tells him to let this grief act as a ‘whetstone’ for his sword, a stone used to sharpen a blade. He encourages Macduff to turn his sadness into a sharp, focused anger, telling him not to let his heart be dull or numb with grief, but to let it be filled with rage instead. The most important part of this exchange is the dialogue between Malcolm and Macduff regarding what it means to be a man. Malcolm urges him to ‘dispute it like a man’ i.e. fight back immediately. Macduff’s response ‘I shall do so; / But I must also feel it as a man’ is revolutionary. He argues that true manhood is not just about violence and aggression, but also about the capacity for love, sensitivity, and the courage to acknowledge deep emotional pain.
Play
Macduff
I could play the woman with mine eyes,
And braggart with my tongue. But, gentle heavens,
Cut short all intermission, front to front
Bring thou this fiend of Scotland and myself;
Within my sword’s length set him; if he scape,
Heaven forgive him too!
Malcolm
This tune goes manly.
Come, go we to the king; our power is ready;
Our lack is nothing but our leave:
Macbeth Is ripe for shaking, and the powers above
Put on their instruments. Receive what cheer you may:
The night is long that never finds the day.
[Exeunt
Word Meanings
Play the woman: To cry or weep
braggart: boast.
intermission: delay.
front to front: face to face.
fiend: enemy.
scape: escape.
Heaven forgive him: God forgive him.
This tune goes manly: Now you speak like a man.
Our power is ready: Our army is fully prepared for battle.
Lack… but our leave: The only thing we are missing is the King’s permission to depart.
Ripe for shaking: Ready to be overthrown
Put on their instruments: Preparing their soldiers for action.
Receive what cheer: Take whatever comfort or encouragement you can find.
Explanation of the above dialogues— Macduff declares that he could easily spend his time crying like a woman or boasting with his words about what he plans to do. However, he prays to the heavens to skip any further delays. He asks for the opportunity to come face-to-face with the ‘fiend of Scotland’, Macbeth, and to be placed within a sword’s length of him. He is so determined for justice that he says if Macbeth somehow manages to escape his blade, then heaven might as well forgive the tyrant for his sins too. Malcolm is impressed by this change in tone, remarking that Macduff is now speaking like a true man and a soldier. He tells Macduff that it is time to see the English King. He explains that their army is fully prepared and the only thing left to do is to take their formal leave. Malcolm metaphorically describes Macbeth as a fruit that is ripe and ready to be shaken from the tree. He believes that the heavenly powers are already preparing them as the tools to carry out justice. He encourages Macduff to find whatever comfort he can in this plan, concluding with the hopeful thought that even the longest, darkest night must eventually give way to the morning sun. With their minds set on war and the liberation of Scotland, the two men depart.Malcolm describes Macbeth as being ‘ripe for shaking’. This metaphor suggests that Macbeth’s power has reached its peak and is now ready to fall, like overripe fruit that drops from a tree with the slightest nudge. It implies that the tyrant’s downfall is not just a military goal but a natural and inevitable conclusion to his crimes.
Conclusion
In Macbeth Act 4, Scene 3, Malcolm and Macduff are in England. Malcolm tests Macduff’s loyalty by pretending to have bad qualities, but Macduff proves he loves Scotland. Ross then arrives with news that Macduff’s family has been murdered. This makes Macduff vow to get revenge and leads to the final fight with Macbeth. Students can take help from this post to understand Act 4, Scene 3 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.