Act 4 ~~~ Study Questions~!

Scene 1
1.) What are the four visions that Macbeth sees?
          A knight's helmet, a bloody child, A crowned child with a tree in his hand, and 8 kings followed by the ghost of Banquo.

2.) Which visions does he misread or misunderstand and why?
          The 3rd. He will be defeated when the Birnam Woods move. Since forests don't just up and move from their position in the soil, Macbeth feels he will be king for the rest of his life! However, it's the final trick from the witches and you know that they can't be telling the truth through these visions.

3.) What news does Lennox bring Macbeth?
          He tells Macbeth that Macduff has fled to England.

4.) What does Macbeth decide from Lennox's news?
          He decides to act on his decisions and plans to raid Macduff's castle, conquer Fife, and kill everyone in his family!!

5.) How might this scene be a possible climax for the play?
          Macbeth takes his final meeting with the witches which begins his fall due to their trickery.

Scene 2
1.) Why does Shakespeare include a scene with Lady Macduff and her son?
          To transition from Macbeth taking action from his decisions to the people who will feel his latest decision of murdering all in the bloodline of Macduff.

2.) What is important about this scene?
               To reinforce the people who are going to be slain by Macbeth mentioned in the previous scene.

3.) List one motif or symbol from this scene.
          When Lady Macduff asks her son how he will live, and they strike up a conversation involving birds.

Scene 3
1.) Why has Macduff Come to England?
          He came to prepare an army to take down the tyrannical Macbeth.

2.) What is Malcolm's fear in lines 10-19?
          He's scared that since Macbeth has already killed his father yet hasn't done anything to Macduff because he's been away. Because of this, Malcolm feels that Macduff could be using him as a sacrifice to get on Macbeth's good side by letting Macbeth kill him to ensure the bloodline being destroyed further.

3.) Who does the lamb represent in these lines?
          Malcolm and the Angry God is Macbeth.

4.) What is significant in the lines, "Angels are bright still, though the brightest fell. Though all things foul would wear the brows of grace, yet grace must still look so."?
          Angels are still bright, even though the brightest angel (Lucifer) fell from God's gace. Though this is true, even the evilest still wish to be pure and hold good intentions, even the greatest and most graceful must do the same.
               Malcolm is comparign Macbeth to Lucifer. Once a brave warrior, worthy to receive the title of Thane of both Glamis and Cawdor. However, he has taken a great fall in his journey to becoming King and going crazy and freaking out at everyone then killing them.

5.) What is significant in the line, "Bleed, bleed, poor country!"?
          The country is Scotland and it is bleeding under the oppression and corruption of Macbeth.
          
6.) What does Malcolm call Macbeth? What list of adjectives does he use?
          A big, tyrannical sinner. A bloody, luxurious, avaricious, (VOCAB WORD!) false, deceitful, sudden, malicious, and smacking of every sin that has a name.

7.) How has Malcolm changed since act II?
          He has developed a strong hate for Macbeth. He didn't really feel any hate towards him in act II because the only thing on his mind back then was fleeing the country for fear of being death-ed. (Killed!)

8.) What is the atmosphere of this scene? Why is this important?
          Secretive, troublesome, and filled with hate. Macbeth's image as a brave warrior (eagle) and good guy is gone. Now everyone finds him to be a tyrannical, corrupt murderer and Malcolm and Macduff are plotting behind his back secretively to rebel against his army and take him down for the good of Scotland.

9.) What news does the doctor bring? How is this symbolic to the scene, especially to Malcolm?
          News of many sick people waiting for the King's touch to heal them from their horrible disease. The king can be symbolic to Jesus/God contrasted with Macbeth (King of Scotland) being compared to Satan/Lucifer. Since all previous spoken hate of Macbeth that happened earlier in the scene, King Edward is used to support the Good vs. Evil/Dark vs. Light theme.

10.) How many men did England lend Macduff?
          Ten Thousand

11.) What does Macduff mean when he says, "But I must also feel it as a man."?
          Malcolm tells Macduff to dispute the slaughtering of his family like a man by getting revenge on Macbeth in the most malicious way possible, but Macduff must feel it as a man. The current situation with Macduff holds so much grief that he can't act back upon Macbeth due to his lack of having any children. The first step Macduff takes in feeling his predicament as a man is blaming himself for their deaths, calling him self a dreaded sinner for being away while he should've been protecting them.