ISC Class 11 English Drama Macbeth Act 1 Scene 4 Summary, Theme, Explanation along with difficult word meanings
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ISC Class 11 – Macbeth Act 1 Scene 4
By William Shakespeare
In Act 1, Scene 4 of Macbeth, King Duncan is at his palace and learns about the execution of the traitor Thane of Cawdor. He praises Macbeth and Banquo for their loyalty and bravery. This scene is important because it’s when Macbeth first sees Malcolm, Duncan’s son, as a hurdle to his ambition, especially after Duncan names Malcolm as his heir to the throne.
- Macbeth Act 1 Scene 4 Summary
- Macbeth Act 1 Scene 4 Summary in Hindi
- Macbeth Act 1 Scene 4 Theme
- Macbeth Act 1 Scene 4 Explanation
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Macbeth Act 1 Scene 4 Summary
The scene opens at the royal castle in Forres, where King Duncan is asking his son, Malcolm, if the execution of the rebellious Thane of Cawdor has been completed. Malcolm reports that the former Thane has been executed. He describes how Thane confessed his treason and asked for the King’s pardon, dying with a dignity that redeemed his life’s errors. Duncan reflects on the man’s betrayal, stating that there’s ‘no art / To find the mind’s construction in the face,’ meaning it’s impossible to truly know a person’s thoughts just by looking at them, as he had completely trusted Cawdor.
Macbeth, Banquo, Ross, and Angus then arrive and are greeted warmly by the King. Duncan is unrestrained in his thanks to Macbeth for his loyal and valiant service in the recent battles, admitting that his attempts to repay Macbeth’s debt of gratitude are inadequate. Macbeth humbly replies that his service and loyalty are their own reward, and that their duty is to protect the King, just as children and servants are bound to their father and master.
Duncan expresses his desire to nurture Macbeth’s success, saying, ‘I have begun to plant thee, and will labor / To make thee full of growing.’ He then praises Banquo as equally deserving. To the surprise of some, Duncan announces his decision to name his eldest son, Malcolm, as his successor and the Prince of Cumberland. This title, he declares, is just the first of many honors that will be bestowed upon all those who deserve them. As a further honor, Duncan announces he will visit Macbeth at his castle in Inverness. Macbeth departs quickly to prepare his wife for the King’s arrival, saying the effort to serve the King is a pleasure.
Left alone for a moment, Macbeth reveals his immediate conflict in a short aside. He recognizes that Malcolm, the newly named Prince of Cumberland, is a huge obstacle, a ‘step / On which I must fall down, or else overleap’, that stands between him and the throne. He calls upon the stars to ‘hide your fires, / Let not light see my black and deep desires,’ showing his murderous ambition is now fully formed. He wishes for his eye to ignore what his hand is doing, and for the dark deed to happen even though he fears to see the result. Duncan, unaware of Macbeth’s thoughts, finishes the scene by calling Macbeth a ‘peerless kinsman’ and follows after him to Inverness.
Summary of Macbeth Act I Scene 4 in Hindi
दृश्य फोरेस में शाही महल में खुलता है, जहाँ राजा डंकन अपने बेटे मैल्कम से पूछ रहे हैं कि क्या कावडोर के विद्रोही ठाणे का निष्पादन पूरा हो गया है। मैल्कम ने बताया कि पूर्व ठाणे को फांसी दे दी गई है। वह वर्णन करता है कि कैसे ठाणे ने अपने राजद्रोह को स्वीकार किया और राजा से माफी मांगी, एक गरिमा के साथ मरते हुए जिसने उसके जीवन की गलतियों को भुनाया। डंकन उस आदमी के विश्वासघात पर विचार करते हुए कहते हैं कि ‘चेहरे पर मन के निर्माण को खोजने की कोई कला नहीं है’, जिसका अर्थ है कि किसी व्यक्ति के विचारों को केवल उन्हें देखकर वास्तव में जानना असंभव है, क्योंकि उन्होंने पूरी तरह से कावडोर पर भरोसा किया था।
इसके बाद मैकबेथ, बैंको, रॉस और एंगस आते हैं और राजा उनका गर्मजोशी से स्वागत करते हैं। डंकन हाल की लड़ाइयों में अपनी वफादार और बहादुर सेवा के लिए मैकबेथ को धन्यवाद देने में अनियंत्रित हैं, यह स्वीकार करते हुए कि मैकबेथ के कृतज्ञता के ऋण को चुकाने के उनके प्रयास अपर्याप्त हैं। मैकबेथ विनम्रता से जवाब देता है कि उसकी सेवा और निष्ठा उनका अपना इनाम है, और उनका कर्तव्य राजा की रक्षा करना है, जैसे बच्चे और नौकर अपने पिता और स्वामी से बंधे होते हैं।
डंकन मैकबेथ की सफलता को पोषित करने की अपनी इच्छा व्यक्त करते हुए कहते हैं, ‘मैंने आपको लगाना शुरू कर दिया है, और आपको बढ़ने से परिपूर्ण बनाने के लिए/श्रम करूंगा।’ फिर वह बैंको को समान रूप से योग्य बताते हुए उसकी प्रशंसा करता है। कुछ लोगों को आश्चर्यचकित करते हुए, डंकन ने अपने सबसे बड़े बेटे, मैल्कम को अपने उत्तराधिकारी और कंबरलैंड के राजकुमार के रूप में नामित करने के अपने फैसले की घोषणा की। उन्होंने घोषणा की कि यह उपाधि उन कई सम्मानों में से पहला है जो उन सभी को प्रदान किया जाएगा जो उनके हकदार हैं। एक और सम्मान के रूप में, डंकन ने घोषणा की कि वह इनवर्नेस में अपने महल में मैकबेथ का दौरा करेंगे। मैकबेथ राजा के आगमन के लिए अपनी पत्नी को तैयार करने के लिए जल्दी से निकल जाता है, यह कहते हुए कि राजा की सेवा करने का प्रयास एक खुशी की बात है।
एक पल के लिए अकेला छोड़ दिया गया, मैकबेथ थोड़े समय में अपने तत्काल संघर्ष का खुलासा करता है। वह पहचानता है कि मैल्कम, कंबरलैंड का नव नामित राजकुमार, एक बहुत बड़ी बाधा है, एक ‘कदम/जिस पर मुझे गिरना चाहिए, या फिर ओवरलीप’, जो उसके और सिंहासन के बीच खड़ा है। वह तारों से आह्वान करता है कि ‘अपनी आग को छुपाएं,/प्रकाश को मेरी काली और गहरी इच्छाओं को न देखने दें,’ यह दर्शाता है कि उसकी जानलेवा महत्वाकांक्षा अब पूरी तरह से बन गई है। वह चाहता है कि उसकी आंख इस बात को नजरअंदाज कर दे कि उसका हाथ क्या कर रहा है, और परिणाम देखने से डरने के बावजूद अंधेरा कार्य हो। डंकन, मैकबेथ के विचारों से अनजान, मैकबेथ को एक ‘अद्वितीय रिश्तेदार’ कहकर दृश्य को समाप्त करता है और इनवर्नेस में उसका पीछा करता है।
Theme of Macbeth Act I Scene 4
Appearance vs. Reality
This scene immediately highlights the theme of appearance versus reality through the execution of the original Thane of Cawdor. King Duncan trusted Cawdor completely, only to be betrayed. Duncan admits, ‘There’s no art / To find the mind’s construction in the face. / He was a gentleman on whom I built / An absolute trust.’ This sets a crucial precedent: a person’s outward look and behavior i.e. ‘face’ or ‘construction’ may completely hide their true, treacherous thoughts i.e. ‘mind’.
Ambition and the Temptation of Evil
The theme of ambition is central to this scene, particularly in Macbeth’s closing ‘aside’. When Duncan names his son, Malcolm, the Prince of Cumberland and heir to the throne, Macbeth realizes this new honor is a major obstacle. He recognizes he must either ‘fall down’ i.e. give up his own ambition or ‘overleap’ it i.e. commit a great evil, like murder, to take the throne. His secret thoughts, ‘Stars, hide your fires, / Let not light see my black and deep desires’, reveal that he is now actively contemplating an act of treason to fulfill the Witches’ prophecy. His ‘black and deep desires’ are his murderous ambition.
Kingship, Loyalty, and Gratitude
The scene explores the nature of kingship and loyalty through the interaction between Duncan, Macbeth, and Banquo. Duncan is portrayed as a generous and gracious king. He expresses profound gratitude to Macbeth for his service, saying his own thanks and payment are insufficient. He uses the metaphor of gardening, telling Macbeth, ‘I have begun to plant thee, and will labor / To make thee full of growing,’ showing his intent to reward and nurture his loyal Thanes. Macbeth, in turn, assures Duncan of his unwavering loyalty, comparing their duties to the King to the natural duty of ‘Children and servants’ who do everything ‘safe toward your love / And honor.’ However, the audience knows and Macbeth’s aside confirms that this outward show of loyalty is a lie, making the subsequent dramatic irony extremely powerful. Duncan, once again, fails to ‘find the mind’s construction in the face’ and tragically calls Macbeth ‘My worthy Cawdor’ just before Macbeth departs to plot against him.
Setting of the Scene
The scene takes place at Forres, which is the King’s royal castle. It’s a formal and public location, which immediately establishes an atmosphere of authority and state business. The arrival of King Duncan, his sons, and attendants, accompanied by trumpets, highlights that this is a place for royal pronouncements and official duties, reinforcing the power structure of 11th-century Scotland. The castle setting is important because it is here that the King rewards loyalty and punishes treason. At the beginning of the scene, King Duncan is discussing the execution of the rebel, the previous Thane of Cawdor. Soon after, when Macbeth and Banquo arrive, Duncan publicly expresses his gratitude for their victory in battle. However, the scene also becomes the place where Duncan makes a key decision: naming his son, Malcolm, as the Prince of Cumberland and therefore the heir to the throne. This proclamation immediately transforms the setting for Macbeth from a place of public honor to a space where he views the newly named heir as an obstacle he must overcome. Macbeth’s private, sinister thoughts about this new barrier occur right before he leaves the royal castle for his own home, Inverness.
Macbeth Act I Scene 4: Scene Explanation
Play
The scene takes place in the royal palace at Forres. Commenting on the execution of the former thane of Cawdor, Duncan says that one cannot judge the disposition of a man’s mind from his face. Then he proclaims his son Malcolm as Princeof Cumberland and his successor to the throne. Furthermore, Duncan discloses his intention of following Macbeth to his castle as his guest. Macbeth sees the opportunity to take matters into his hands.
Word Meanings
Forres: The name of the location (a royal castle/palace) where the scene takes place.
Commenting: Expressing an opinion or providing a remark about something.
Execution: The act of officially killing someone as a legal punishment (here, for treason).
Thane: A Scottish title of nobility, similar to an English Earl.
Disposition: A person’s inherent qualities of mind and character; one’s nature or temperament.
Proclaims: Announces something officially or publicly.
Successor: A person or thing that immediately follows another and takes up a title or role.
Discloses: Makes secret or new information known; reveals.
Intention: An aim or plan; what one means to do.
Opportunity: A set of circumstances that makes it possible to do something.
Explanation of the above setting of the Scene— The scene began in the royal palace at Forres. King Duncan, commenting on the execution of the previous Thane of Cawdor, stated that a person could not judge what a man was truly thinking just by looking at his face. Following this reflection, the King publicly proclaimed that his son, Malcolm, would be given the title Prince of Cumberland and would be the next successor to the throne. Furthermore, Duncan disclosed his intention to go to Macbeth’s castle as a guest and follow him there immediately. Macbeth then saw this sequence of events as a perfect opportunity to take the matter of becoming king into his own hands.
Scene 4. Forres. The palace. Flourish.
Enter Duncan, Lennox, Malcolm, Donalbain and Attendants
Play
Duncan
Is execution done on Cawder? Are not
Those in commission yet return’d?
Malcolm
My liege,
They are not yet come back. But I have spoke
With one that saw him die: who did report
That very frankly he confess’d his treasons,
Implored your highness’ pardon, and set forth
A deep repentance: nothing in his life
Became him like the leaving it; he died
As one that had been studied in his death,
To throw away the dearest thing he owed
As ’twere a careless trifle.
Duncan
There’s no art
To find the mind’s construction in the face:
He was a gentleman on whom I built|
An absolute trust.
Enter Macbeth, Banquo, Ross, and Angus
O worthiest cousin!|
The sin of my ingratitude even now
Was heavy on me: thou art so far before,
That swiftest wing of recompense is slow
To overtake thee. Would thou hadst less deserved
That the proportion both of thanks and payment
Might have been mine! Only I have left to say,
More is thy due than more than all can pay.
Word Meanings
Flourish: A fanfare or short ceremonial tune played on brass instruments, usually trumpets.
execution done: death sentence
Those in commission: those given the task of execution.
My liege: My Lord.
frankly: openly.
Confess’d his treasons: Admitted his crimes of betrayal against the state/king.
Implored: Begged or pleaded earnestly.
set fourth: expressed.
Repentance: Sincere regret or remorse for one’s wrongdoings.
Became him: Suited him or was most fitting/honorable for him.
studied: practised.
Dearest thing he owed: The most valuable thing he possessed i.e. his life.
Careless trifle: Something insignificant or worthless; a small thing treated as unimportant.
No art: No skill or means.
Mind’s construction: The thoughts, intentions, or character of a person’s mind
Absolute trust: Complete and unconditional faith or confidence.
worthiest cousin: Most honorable kinsman (a respectful form of address).
ingratitude: Lack of thankfulness or failure to reward someone who deserves it.
recompense: reward.
proportion: The correct or suitable balance or amount.
due: Deserved
Explanation of the above dialogues— The scene opens at the palace in Forres with a trumpet fanfare. King Duncan entered with Lennox, his sons Malcolm and Donalbain, and other attendants. King Duncan asked if the execution of the former Thane of Cawdor had been completed and whether the men sent to carry it out had returned. Malcolm replied to the King, saying that the men had not yet come back. However, he reported that he had spoken with someone who witnessed the death. This person reported that Cawdor very openly confessed his treasons, begged the King for pardon, and showed deep repentance. Malcolm concluded that nothing in his life was as honorable as the way he died, suggesting that Cawdor faced death as if he had prepared for it, giving up his life, which was the dearest thing he owned, as if it were an insignificant item. King Duncan then reflected that there was no way to discover what a person was thinking by simply looking at their face. He stated that Cawdor was a nobleman in whom he had placed complete trust. As Macbeth, Banquo, and other lords entered, King Duncan immediately greeted Macbeth as his ‘worthiest cousin.’ The King confessed that the fault of his own insufficient gratitude felt heavy upon him. Duncan stated that Macbeth’s achievements and merit were so great that the King’s swiftest possible reward was too slow to reach him. He added that he wished Macbeth had deserved less so that the measure of the King’s thanks and payment could have been appropriate for the service. Duncan concluded by telling Macbeth that he deserved more than all the rewards the King could possibly provide. Duncan’s line, ‘There’s no art / To find the mind’s construction in the face’, is perhaps the most famous and ironic in this scene. He laments his misplaced trust in the first Thane of Cawdor just moments before the second Thane of Cawdor i.e. Macbeth, who is already plotting treason, enters. The audience knows Macbeth’s ambition, making Duncan’s genuine trust immediately tragic and highlighting the King’s fatal flaw: his inability to suspect deceit.
Play
Macbeth
The service and the loyalty I owe,
In doing it, pays itself. Your highness’ part
Is to receive our duties; and our duties
Are to your throne and state, children and
servants; Which do but what they should, by
doing everything Safe toward your love and honour.
Duncan
Welcome hither:
I have begun to plant thee, and will labour
To make thee full of growing. Noble Banquo,
That hast no less deserved, nor must be known
No less to have done so; let me enfold thee and hold thee to my heart.
Banquo
There if I grow,
The harvest is your own.
Duncan
My plenteous joys,
Wanton in fullness, seek to hide themselves
In drops of sorrow. Sons, kinsmen, thanes,
And you whose places are the nearest, know,
We will establish our estate upon
Our eldest, Malcolm, whom we name hereafter
The Prince of Cumberland: which honour must
Not unaccompanied invest him only,
But signs of nobleness, like stars shall shine
On all deservers. [To Macbeth] From hence to Inverness
And bind us further to you.
Word Meanings
Pays itself: The act of service is its own reward; no payment is necessary.
Highness’ part: The King’s role or duty.
Which: king’s servants
Safe towards: caring
Hither: Here; to this place.
Plant thee: A metaphor meaning to start your growth or success; to invest in you.
Enfold thee: To embrace you or hold you close.
plenteous joys: plentiful joy.
Wanton: unrestrained.
hide: conceal.
Kinsmen: Relatives.
Thanes: Scottish noblemen or lords.
Establish our estate upon: To legally transfer the right to the throne to.
Prince of Cumberland: The title designating the heir apparent, next in line for the throne.
Invest him only: To give the honor only to him.
signs of nobleness: titles of honour.
stars: stars as the insignia of honour or the stars of the sky.
Inverness: Macbeth’s castle.
Explanation of the above dialogues— Macbeth said that the act of providing his service and the loyalty he owed was itself his reward. He told Duncan that the King’s role was to receive their duties, and he compared their duties to the throne and the kingdom to those of children and servants. Macbeth insisted that they were only doing what they should by keeping the King safe and honoring his love and position in every way. King Duncan welcomed Macbeth and declared that he had started to cultivate Macbeth’s success using a planting metaphor and promised that he would work hard to ensure his full growth. Duncan then turned to the noble Banquo and affirmed that Banquo had deserved no less honor, and his actions must be recognized equally. He then invited Banquo to embrace him and hold him close to his heart. Banquo replied that if he were to achieve success or ‘grow,’ the resulting benefit or harvest would entirely belong to the King. Duncan continued, saying that his overwhelming happiness, which was so full that it was almost unruly, was seeking to hide itself in tears of sorrow. He then addressed his sons, relatives, lords, and all those in the highest positions, informing them that he would legally transfer the right to the throne to his eldest son, Malcolm, whom he named the Prince of Cumberland. Duncan declared that this honor would not be given only to Malcolm, but that signs of nobility, like stars, would also shine on all worthy people. Then, speaking directly to Macbeth, Duncan commanded them to proceed from that location to Macbeth’s castle, Inverness, intending to further strengthen their bond. Duncan’s praise upon Macbeth, confirms his fatal flaw: a generous but naive inability to judge character. Macbeth’s response, professing that his loyalty ‘pays itself,’ heightens this irony, as the audience knows his mind is already fixed on treason. Duncan’s use of the ‘planting and growing’ metaphor portrays kingship as a nurturing, benevolent force. Macbeth’s subsequent action of plotting to kill Duncan becomes not just political murder, but a horrifying violation of this natural, benevolent order. The declaration of Malcolm as the Prince of Cumberland transforms Macbeth’s passive ambition into an active, criminal one. This moment shifts the play from prophecy to plot.
Play
Macbeth
The rest is labour which is not used for you:
I’ll be myself the harbinger, and make joyful
The hearing of my wife with your approach:
So humbly take my leave.
Duncan
My worthy Cawdor!
Macbeth
[Aside] The Prince of Cumberland! that is a step,
On which I must fall down, or else o’erleap,
For in my way it lies. Stars, hide your fires;
Let not light see my black and deep desires;
The eye wink at the hand; yet let that be,
Which the eye fears, when it is done, to see.
[Exit
Duncan
True, worthy Banquo; he is full so valiant,
And in his commendations I am fed;
It is a banquet to me. Let’s after him,
Whose care is gone before to bid us welcome:
It is a peerless kinsman.
[Flourish, Exeunt
Word Meanings
Labour: Hard work; effort; anything that is a burden or struggle.
harbinger: forerunner
Aside: A dramatic device where a character speaks directly to the audience or to another character without being overheard by others on stage.
step: obstacle
O’erleap: To leap over; to overcome an obstacle, in this context, to bypass or remove the barrier by criminal means.
Wink at the hand: To close the eye; figuratively, to ignore or pretend not to see a wrongful act (the act of the ‘hand’).
Valiant: Possessing or showing courage or determination; heroic; brave.
Commendations: Formal praise; strong approval or recommendations.
Banquet: A lavish, large, formal meal; symbolically, something that provides rich nourishment or satisfaction.
Peerless: Unequalled; unrivalled; one who is the finest or best without matching.
Explanation of the above dialogues— Macbeth told the King that any time he spent not serving Duncan felt like hard work or a struggle. He volunteered to go ahead of the royal party, saying he would be the first messenger to bring his wife the joyful news of Duncan’s approach and planned visit. Macbeth then humbly asked permission to leave. King Duncan replied, calling Macbeth ‘My worthy Cawdor,’ reinforcing his high opinion of him. Macbeth, speaking to himself, stated that Malcolm, as ‘The Prince of Cumberland,’ was a major obstacle to his ambition. He saw only two choices: he must either fail and give up, or he must overcome and step over that obstacle, because it was directly in his path. Macbeth then desperately commanded the stars to hide their light, pleading that no light should shine on or reveal his ‘black and deep desires.’ He wished for his own eyes to ignore what his hands were about to do, but insisted that the awful deed must be done, the deed that his eyes would be terrified to look at once it was finished. Macbeth then exited. King Duncan continued his conversation with Banquo, affirming that Banquo was indeed ‘worthy’ and saying that Macbeth was very brave. Duncan explained that just hearing praise of Macbeth was nourishing to him, like eating a feast. Duncan then suggested that they all follow Macbeth, whose advance care had already gone ahead to prepare a welcome for them. The King concluded by referring to Macbeth as a ‘peerless kinsman’, an unmatched relative. Trumpets sounded, and all exit. Malcolm’s appointment as Prince of Cumberland changes Macbeth’s passive reliance on ‘chance’ into active, immediate criminal intent. The metaphor of the ‘step’ crystallizes his options: accept fate and ‘fall down,’ or violate morality and ‘o’erleap’ the obstacle. By choosing the latter, Macbeth consciously rejects the moral order, sealing his path toward evil. Macbeth’s closing lines are a desperate invocation of darkness that shows that he is fully aware of the moral depravity of his intentions.
Conclusion
In Act 1, Scene 4 of Macbeth, King Duncan is at his palace and learns about the execution of the traitor Thane of Cawdor. He praises Macbeth and Banquo for their loyalty and bravery. This scene is important because it’s when Macbeth first sees Malcolm, Duncan’s son, as a hurdle to his ambition, especially after Duncan names Malcolm as his heir to the throne. Students can take help from this post to understand Act 1, Scene 4 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 11, to get a quick recap of the play.