ISC Class 11 English Drama Macbeth Act 2 Scene 4 Summary, Theme, Explanation along with difficult word meanings
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ISC Class 11 – Macbeth Act 2 Scene 4
By William Shakespeare
In Macbeth Act 2 Scene 4, Ross and an old man talk about King Duncan’s murder and strange events like darkness at noon and birds attacking each other. Macduff arrives and reports that Malcolm and Donalbain have fled, making them suspects. Macbeth becomes king, and the scene shows the chaos and unnatural changes caused by the murder, setting up Macbeth’s rule.
- Macbeth Act 2 Scene 4 Summary
- Macbeth Act 2 Scene 4 Summary in Hindi
- Macbeth Act 2 Scene 4 Theme
- Macbeth Act 2 Scene 4 Explanation
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Macbeth Act 2 Scene 4 Summary
This scene takes place just outside Macbeth’s castle, the morning after King Duncan’s murder. Ross and an Old Man are discussing the strange, disturbing events of the night. The Old Man says that in his seventy years of life, he has never witnessed anything as dreadful or unnatural as what happened. Ross agrees, pointing out that even though it is daytime according to the clock, darkness has covered the sky, as if the heavens themselves are angry and threatening mankind for the wicked deed.
The Old Man then recounts two unnatural portents he witnessed, which he links directly to the murder. First, he describes how a noble falcon was suddenly attacked and killed by a common mousing owl, showing a violent inversion of the natural hierarchy. Ross adds to this by describing Duncan’s beautiful and swift horses, the best of their breed, which suddenly went wild, broke out of their stalls, and, unbelievably, ate each other. Both men agree that these strange events in nature mirror the unnaturalness of the King’s murder.
Macduff enters, bringing the latest news. Ross asks who is believed to have committed the murder. Macduff confirms that the guards whom Macbeth killed are being blamed. He explains that since King Duncan’s sons, Malcolm and Donalbain, immediately and secretly fled the country, people suspect that they bribed the guards to kill their father. Ross expresses shock at this ‘thriftless ambition’, calling it another act against nature for sons to destroy the source of their own lives.
Finally, Macduff reveals the result of the political vacuum: Macbeth has been chosen as the new King and has already gone to Scone to be crowned and formally invested with the title. Duncan’s body has been taken to Colme-kill, the sacred burial place for Scottish royalty. Ross announces he will go to Scone for the coronation. However, Macduff refuses, stating he will return to his own castle in Fife. He parts with an ominous warning to Ross, suggesting he hopes things will be handled well at Scone, adding that he fears their old rule i.e. Duncan’s will be easier than their new one Macbeth’s. The scene ends with the Old Man giving a final blessing, hoping that good may come out of the evil.
Summary of Macbeth Act 2 Scene 4 in Hindi
यह दृश्य राजा डंकन की हत्या के ठीक बाद की सुबह मैकबेथ के महल के बाहर होता है। रॉस और एक बूढ़ा आदमी रात की अजीब, परेशान करने वाली घटनाओं पर चर्चा कर रहे हैं। द ओल्ड मैन का कहना है कि अपने सत्तर वर्षों के जीवन में, उन्होंने कभी भी इतना भयानक या अप्राकृतिक कुछ नहीं देखा जितना कि हुआ था। रॉस सहमत होता है, यह इंगित करते हुए कि भले ही घड़ी के अनुसार दिन का समय है, अंधेरे ने आकाश को ढक लिया है, जैसे कि आकाश स्वयं क्रोधित है और मानव जाति को इस दुष्ट कार्य के लिए धमकी दे रहा है।
द ओल्ड मैन तब दो अप्राकृतिक संकेतों को याद करता है जिन्हें उसने देखा था, जिसे वह सीधे हत्या से जोड़ता है। सबसे पहले, वह वर्णन करता है कि कैसे एक कुलीन बाज़ पर अचानक एक आम मूसिंग उल्लू द्वारा हमला किया गया और मार दिया गया, जो प्राकृतिक पदानुक्रम के हिंसक व्युत्क्रम को दर्शाता है। रॉस डंकन के सुंदर और तेज घोड़ों का वर्णन करते हुए कहते हैं, उनकी नस्ल के सबसे अच्छे घोड़े, जो अचानक जंगली हो गए, उनके स्टालों से बाहर निकल गए, और अविश्वसनीय रूप से, एक-दूसरे को खा गए। दोनों लोग इस बात से सहमत हैं कि प्रकृति की ये अजीब घटनाएं राजा की हत्या की अप्राकृतिकता को दर्शाती हैं।
मैकडफ नवीनतम समाचार लाते हुए प्रवेश करता है। रॉस पूछता है कि माना जाता है कि हत्या किसने की है। मैकडफ पुष्टि करता है कि जिन गार्डों को मैकबेथ ने मार डाला था, उन्हें दोषी ठहराया जा रहा है। वह बताते हैं कि चूंकि राजा डंकन के बेटे, मैल्कम और डोनलबैन, तुरंत और गुप्त रूप से देश से भाग गए, लोगों को संदेह है कि उन्होंने अपने पिता को मारने के लिए गार्डों को रिश्वत दी थी। रॉस इस ‘मितव्ययी महत्वाकांक्षा’ पर आश्चर्य व्यक्त करते हैं, इसे बेटों के लिए अपने जीवन के स्रोत को नष्ट करने के लिए प्रकृति के खिलाफ एक और कार्य कहते हैं।
अंत में, मैकडफ राजनीतिक शून्य के परिणाम का खुलासा करता हैः मैकबेथ को नए राजा के रूप में चुना गया है और पहले ही स्कोन में ताज पहनने और औपचारिक रूप से शीर्षक के साथ निवेश करने के लिए जा चुका है। डंकन के पार्थिव शरीर को स्कॉटिश राजघराने के लिए पवित्र दफन स्थल कोल्म-किल ले जाया गया है। रॉस घोषणा करता है कि वह राज्याभिषेक के लिए स्कोन जाएगा। हालांकि, मैकडफ ने यह कहते हुए मना कर दिया कि वह फाइफ में अपने महल में लौट आएगा। वह रॉस को एक अशुभ चेतावनी के साथ भाग लेता है, यह सुझाव देते हुए कि उसे उम्मीद है कि स्कोन में चीजों को अच्छी तरह से संभाला जाएगा, यह कहते हुए कि वह अपने पुराने नियम i.e से डरता है। डंकन उनके नए मैकबेथ की तुलना में आसान होगा। दृश्य का अंत बूढ़े आदमी के अंतिम आशीर्वाद देने के साथ होता है, इस उम्मीद में कि बुराई से अच्छा निकल सकता है।
Theme of Macbeth Act 2 Scene 4
The Disruption of Nature
The central theme of this scene is the idea that the murder of King Duncan is a violation of the moral order that has caused a literal disruption in the natural world. This is often called the pathetic fallacy, where nature reflects human emotion or action. The Old Man notes that the night has made all his past experiences insignificant, and Ross points out that though it is day, darkness strangles the sun. The most powerful examples are the falcon being killed by the owl and Duncan’s noble horses eating each other. These events show a complete reversal of the natural order and hierarchy, symbolizing that the world has been turned upside down by Macbeth’s crime.
Guilt and Suspicion
Although Macbeth is physically absent from this scene, his actions dominate the conversation, creating a theme of pervasive guilt and suspicion. The official version of events, that Duncan’s own sons, Malcolm and Donalbain, bribed the guards to kill their father is used to cover the truth. Ross and Macduff discuss this story, but Macduff’s reaction shows his deep skepticism. The very fact that the most powerful nobles are having this hushed conversation outside the castle shows that nobody truly believes the clean story. Macduff’s refusal to attend the coronation is the first clear signal that the Scottish lords suspect Macbeth’s guilt.
Disillusionment and Foreboding
This scene marks a transition from the dark intensity of the murder to a bleak future under Macbeth’s rule. There is a strong sense of disillusionment and a foreboding atmosphere. Ross and Macduff talk about the change in power, but instead of celebrating the new King, they express pessimism. Macduff’s final, famous line, ‘Lest our old robes sit easier than our new’, is a metaphor for this fear. He means that he is worried the new regime under Macbeth’s rule will be far more uncomfortable and painful to wear than the old, peaceful reign of Duncan, signaling political misfortune ahead.
Political Chaos and Tyranny
The rapid shift in power from the murder of the rightful king to the crowning of Macbeth highlights the theme of political chaos leading quickly toward tyranny. Because Malcolm and Donalbain fled, they gave up their claim to the throne, allowing Macbeth, a distant relative, to step in. Macbeth being ‘already named, and gone to Scone / To be invested’ shows how quickly ambition and cunning can seize power when legitimacy i.e. the princes leaves the stage. Macduff’s decision to retreat to Fife rather than participate in the new political order emphasizes that for the honorable lords, the rule of law has broken down and a perilous, uncertain time has begun.
Setting of the Scene
The setting of Act II, Scene 4 of Macbeth is deliberately chosen to emphasize the dark, chaotic aftermath of Duncan’s murder, moving the action away from the immediate site of the crime and into the public eye. The scene takes place outside Macbeth’s castle on the morning following Duncan’s assassination. This physical location is significant because it marks a transition. The bloody deed occurred inside the castle walls, shrouded in darkness and secrecy. By moving the conversation outside, the play shows the consequences of the murder spilling out into the world. It is no longer a private crime but a public catastrophe that affects the whole kingdom. The setting allows Ross, the Old Man, and Macduff to discuss the news and the unnatural phenomena witnessed by the general populace, confirming that the disorder is widespread. Crucially, the scene’s timing i.e. the daytime, yet it’s unnaturally dark is a vital part of the setting. Ross observes that by the clock, it is morning, but ‘dark night strangles the travelling lamp’, the ‘lamp’ here is the sun. This is not just a weather condition; it is a supernatural gloom that visually represents the pervasive evil and political chaos that has descended upon Scotland. This constant, unnatural darkness, even when the sun should be shining, creates a bleak and ominous atmosphere that reflects the spiritual and moral state of the kingdom now ruled by a murderer. The lack of natural light is a direct sign that the world is literally reflecting the killing of a king.
Macbeth Act II, Scene 4 Explanation
Play
Scene 4. Outside Macbeths castle.
Enter Ross and an Old Man
Old Man
Threescore and ten I can remember well;
Within the volume of which time I have seen
Hours dreadful and things strange; but this sore night
Hath trifled former knowings.
Ross
Ah, good father,
Thou seest, the heavens, as troubled with man’s act,
Threatens his bloody stage: by the clock ’tis day
And yet dark night strangles the travelling lamp:
Ist night’s predominance, or the day’s shame,
That darkness does the face of earth entomb,
When living light should kiss it?
Old Man
‘Tis unnatural,
Even like the deed that’s done. On Tuesday last,
A falcon, towering in her pride of place,
Was by a mousing owl hawk’d at and kill’d.
Word Meanings
Threescore and ten: seventy years.
Volume of which time: The whole span of time; the duration of his life.
sore: dreadful.
Hath… knowings: Made the past experience insignificant.
Threatens his bloody stage: Refers to the heavens threatening the world where the murder took place.
strangles: throttles.
travelling lamp: the Sun.
predominance: superior influence.
entomb: hide or bury.
Unnatural: Against the laws or typical behavior of nature; monstrous or abnormal.
Falcon, towering in her pride of place: A falcon, a high-status bird, flying high in the air,
its most dignified position.
Mousing owl: A small, low-flying owl that typically hunts mice or other small prey.
Hawk’d at and kill’d: Attacked aggressively and murdered.
Explanation of the above dialogues— Ross and an Old Man are talking outside Macbeth’s castle after the murder of King Duncan. The Old Man began by saying that he could vividly remember the last seventy years of his life. He explained that during that long span of time, he had seen dreadful hours and strange things happen. However, he declared that this terrible night had made all his previous knowledge seem insignificant; nothing he had ever seen before compared to it. Ross responded to the Old Man, calling him a good father, and acknowledged that the heavens looked extremely troubled by the awful act that man had committed. He observed that the sky seemed to be threatening the Earth, which he called its bloody stage. Ross noted the contradiction that, even though the clock indicated it was daytime, the dark night was strangling the sun i.e. the travelling lamp. He questioned whether this lasting darkness was due to the night’s great power or the day’s shame because the darkness was covering the face of the earth when the natural light should have been shining. The Old Man affirmed that the darkness was unnatural, just like the murder that had been committed. He then offered a specific example of this unnatural disorder, he described how, just the Tuesday before, a noble falcon, which was soaring proudly at its highest point, was attacked and killed by a lowly mousing owl. This conversation is steeped in the literary device of pathetic fallacy, where the setting or natural environment reflects the emotional or moral state of humanity. The central theme established here is the disruption of the natural order, the belief that the hierarchy of the cosmos is linked to the hierarchy of the state. Because Macbeth committed the murder of a king, who was God’s anointed representative, nature is reacting violently. The image of a ‘mousing owl’ killing a ‘falcon, towering in her pride of place’, where the falcon represents the noble, rightful King Duncan, who was at the height of his dignity and status, while the owl represents the base, nocturnal, and dark figure of Macbeth. This inversion of the predator-prey relationship explicitly foreshadows and symbolizes the political inversion that has just occurred: the lesser man, Macbeth, has violently overthrown the superior, legitimate ruler, Duncan.
Play
Ross
And Duncan’s horses – a thing most strange and certain–
Beauteous and swift, the minions of their race,
Turn’d wild in nature, broke their stalls, flung out,
Contending ‘gainst obedience, as they would make
War with mankind.
Old Man
“Tis said they eat each other.
Ross
They did so, to the amazement of mine eyes,
That look’d upon’t. Here comes the good Macduff.
Enter Macduff
How goes the world, sir, now?
Macduff
Why, see you not?
Ross
Is’t known who did this more than bloody deed?
Macduff
Those that Macbeth hath slain.
Ross
Alas the day
What good could they pretend?
Macduff
They were suborn’d.
Malcolm and Donalbain, the king’s two sons,
Are stol’n away and fled; which puts upon them
Suspicion of the deed.
Word Meanings
minions of their race: best of their breed.
amazement: astonishment.
Contending ‘gainst obedience: Fighting or struggling against the usual control or submission expected of them.
more than bloody deed: the murder of the king is not an ordinary deed.
Hath slain: An archaic term meaning ‘has killed’.
pretend: put forward as legitimate.
suborn’d: incited.
stol’n … fled: fled secretly.
Suspicion of the deed: The state of being believed to be responsible for the crime.
Explanation of the above dialogues— Ross continued the discussion by talking about King Duncan’s horses. He called what happened to them as the most strange and certain thing. Ross described the horses as beautiful and swift, the best examples of their breed, but they suddenly turned wild in nature. They broke out of their stalls and ran out, actively fighting against their obedience as if they wanted to wage war against humans. The Old Man responded by confirming that he had heard the horses had eaten each other. Ross confirmed that this unbelievable event did happen, stating that he saw it with his own eyes, which looked on in amazement. He then immediately greeted the entering character, Macduff, asking him about the latest news or political situation. Macduff replied with a question, asking why Ross did not already know what was happening, implying the turmoil was obvious. Ross then asked who was known to have committed the exceedingly bloody crime. Macduff revealed that the supposed murderers were those whom Macbeth had already killed. Ross cried out sadly, wondering what possible benefit or excuse those servants could have claimed for such a terrible act. Macduff answered that the grooms were bribed by someone else. He then reported that Malcolm and Donalbain, the King’s two sons, had slipped away and fled, and that their sudden flight placed the full suspicion for the murder upon them. The ultimate irony of this conversation is known to the audience, is that while Macbeth eliminated the grooms, the actual perfect outcome for him is the flight of the true heirs, Malcolm and Donalbain. Their escape, driven by fear for their own lives, tragically seals their guilt in the eyes of the public and the nobles, clearing the path for the usurper Macbeth to seize the crown without contest. Macduff’s guarded, brief responses throughout this exchange further hint at his immediate and deep suspicion of Macbeth.
Play
Ross
‘Gainst nature still:
Thriftless ambition, that wilt ravin up
Thine own life’s means! Then ’tis most like
The sovereignty will fall upon Macduff.
Macbeth
He is already named, and gone to Scone
To be invested.
Ross
Where is Duncan’s body?
Macduff
Carried to Colme-kill,
The sacred storehouse of his predecessors,
And guardian of their bones.
Ross
Will you to Scone?
Macduff
No, cousin, I’ll to Fife.
Ross
Well, I will thither.
Macduff
Well, may you see things well done there: Adieu!
Lest our old robes sit easier than our new.
Ross
Farewell, father.
Old Man
God’s benison go with you, and with those
That would make good of bad, and friends of foes!
[Exeunt
Word Meanings
‘Gainst nature still: like all other natural happenings.
Thriftless: not profitable.
ravin up: greedily swallow.
own life’s means: source of their own life i.e., father.
Sovereignty: Royal rank, authority, or power; the right to rule.
named: chosen.
Scone: the abbey in Scone where Scottish kings used to be crowned.
Colme-kill: The island of lona, where Scottish kings were buried.
Fife: Macduff’s ancestral home.
will thither: will go there.
Adieu: goodbye.
Lest our old robes sit easier than our new: A proverbial warning that the new condition i.e. Macbeth’s rule may prove worse than the former condition i.e.Duncan’s rule
Benison: A blessing.
Explanation of the above dialogues— Ross continued the discussion about the princes’ suspected guilt by claiming that the murder was still an act against nature. He called their ambition wasteful and unprofitable because it has consumed or devoured the very source of their life and power i.e. their father, Duncan. Ross then suggested, as a result of the princes’ flight, that the kingship would most likely fall to Macduff. Macduff corrected Ross, informing him that Macbeth was already named the new king and had left for Scone to be officially invested with the royal robes. Ross then asked where King Duncan’s body was taken. Macduff explained that Duncan’s body was carried to Colme-kill, the Island of Iona, which he described as the sacred burial place of Duncan’s ancestors and the protector of their remains. Ross then asked Macduff if he would be going to Scone for the coronation. Macduff firmly refused, saying that he would instead go home to Fife. Ross accepted the decision, stating that he would go to Scone. Macduff then offered a chilling goodbye, hoping that Ross would see things handled well at Scone, adding a warning that he hoped they would not find the new era under Macbeth i.e. the new robes to be less comfortable or harder than the peaceful time under Duncan i.e. the old robes. Ross said his farewell to the Old Man. The Old Man offered a final blessing, wishing God’s blessing upon Ross and Macduff, and upon all those who wished to bring good out of evil and peace out of conflict. They then all exited the stage. Ross, believing the princes are guilty, condemns their ‘thriftless ambition’. The audience understands this condemnation actually applies perfectly to Macbeth, the true killer, who sacrificed his honor and soul for the crown. When Ross asks if he will go to Scone, Macduff’s refusal to attend the coronation in favor of going home to Fife is an act of political dissent. Macduff’s final line is famous for its use of the clothing metaphor. The ‘robes’ represent the title and authority of the monarchy. He fears that Macbeth’s rule, ‘new robes’ will be so tyrannical and ill-fitting that the memory of Duncan’s peaceful reign, ‘our old robes’ will feel far easier and better by comparison. This line crystallizes the emerging theme of tyranny and foreshadows the widespread rebellion Macduff will eventually lead.
Conclusion
In Macbeth Act 2 Scene 4, Ross and an old man talk about King Duncan’s murder and strange events like darkness at noon and birds attacking each other. Macduff arrives and reports that Malcolm and Donalbain have fled, making them suspects. Macbeth becomes king, and the scene shows the chaos and unnatural changes caused by the murder, setting up Macbeth’s rule. Students can take help from this post to understand Act 2, 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.