Act 4 Scene 2 Flashcards
overview of act IV scene ii
lady macduff questions ross about her husband’s flight and then tries to explain the situation to her son. a messenger warns her to make a quick getaway, but macbeth’s murderers burst into the room before she can take his advice
How does Lady Macduff feel about Macduff leaving?
- She feels abandoned and betrayed and scared
- She calls him a ‘traitor’ for fleeing Scotland.
- Shows a contrast between her emotions and Macduff’s sense of duty.
- Shakespeare starts this scene mid-dialogue - highlights the confusion LM feels about her husband leaving
Lady Macduff’s fear
- shows how afraid people are under Macbeth’s rule
- her comment - ‘to do harm / Is often laudable’ - shows how the morals of Scotland have been turned upside down by Macbeth’s tyranny
Finish the quote: ‘He loves us not…’
"’…he wants the natural touch.’”
‘He loves us not; he wants the natural touch.’
- Lady Macduff believes Macduff lacks natural parental love.
- Suggests she does not understand his political motives.
- Highlights the tension between duty and family.
finish the quote: ‘for the poor…
…wren’
finish the quote: ‘as birds do..
…mother’
‘the poor wren’
‘as birds do, mother’
- bird imagery
- fragility
- Lady Macduff talks with her son
- their witty dialogue shows their maternal bond
- the caring character of Lady Macduff contrasts with Lady Macbeth - who would have ‘dashed the brains out’ of her own child
- LM compares herself to a wren - a tiny powerless bird protecting her nest from an owl (Macbeth)
- reminds the audience of the imagery of the owl killing the falcon in Act II Scene iv - Macbeth is now killing defenceless prey
Finish the quote: ‘Whither should I fly?’
"’…I have done no harm.’”
‘Whither should I fly? I have done no harm.’
- Lady Macduff questions why she should be in danger.
- Shows her innocence and vulnerability.
- Highlights Macbeth’s tyranny, as even the innocent are not safe.
Finish the quote: ‘I am in this earthly world…’
"’…where to do harm is often laudable
‘I am in this earthly world, where to do harm is often laudable, to do good sometime accounted dangerous folly.’
- Reflects the moral corruption of Scotland under Macbeth.
- Suggests that evil is rewarded while goodness is punished.
- Links to the theme of order vs. chaos.
Finish the quote: ‘What, you egg!…’
"’…young fry of treachery!’”
‘What, you egg! Young fry of treachery!’
”- Spoken by the murderer before killing Lady Macduff’s son.
- The child represents innocence
- Highlights how young he is - Macbeth is willing to kill defenceless children
- He is too cowardly to commit the murders himself
What is the significance of the murder of Lady Macduff and her son?
- Shows how far Macbeth has fallen—killing innocent women and children.
- Demonstrates that Macbeth no longer hesitates to use extreme violence.
- Motivates Macduff’s revenge, leading to Macbeth’s downfall.
Where does the murder of Lady Macduff happen?
- on stage
- symbolic of the fact that Macbeth no longer cares if people see his terrible crimes
How does this scene contrast with earlier scenes?
- Previously, Macbeth hesitated before killing Duncan; now he orders murders without guilt.
- The domestic setting (Lady Macduff and her son) contrasts with the battlefield and court politics.
- Emphasizes the horror of Macbeth’s tyranny.
How does this scene link to the theme of fate vs. free will?
- Macduff’s family’s death is not fated—it is a result of Macbeth’s choices.
- Shows that Macbeth is actively making himself a tyrant, not just following fate.
- Highlights how violence leads to further violence.
Why is the messenger’s warning important?
- The messenger warns Lady Macduff to flee.
- Suggests that not everyone supports Macbeth’s reign.
- Creates tension as Lady Macduff does not take the warning seriously.
How does this scene foreshadow later events?
- Macduff will seek revenge for his family’s murder.
- Macbeth’s cruelty ensures he will lose support.
- Shows that Macbeth’s unchecked violence will ultimately lead to his downfall.
