Macbeth Revision Guide

Act 2, Scene 3
'O horror, horror, horror, / Tongue nor heart cannot conceive, nor name thee'
~ Said by Macduff after finding King Duncan's body.
~ He is struggling to speak about what he has seen.
~ The fact that he can't speak properly here highlights the difference between him and Macbeth, Macbeth is always using words to explore his ideas and feelings. Macduff tells the others to go and see for themselves: 'Do not bid me speak'
~ Macduff's inability to speak could also show that he cannot believe what has happened: that someone has murdered their king, the man they should protect and be loyal to.
~ He would also be aware of the Divine Right of Kings, and the idea that God had chosen King Duncan to rule Scotland - for someone to go against this would mean that they would spend eternity in hell. Macduff may not be able to understand why someone would disobey God like this.

Act 3, Scene 4
'How sayst thou that Macduff denied his person / At our great bidding?'
~ This indicates that Macduff does not support Macbeth's rule over Scotland.
~ When Macduff flees to England (once Macbeth is king), Malcolm initially distrusts Macduff because he was once Macbeth's friend. But Malcolm finds that Macduff hates the tyrant king. Macduff wishes to save Scotland from him and have Scotland returned to 'wholesome days' (Act 4, Scene 3)
~ Macduff firmly believes that King Duncan's line was chosen by God to rule Scotland, and he wants to restore the natural order and place Duncan's son on the throne.

Act 4, Scene 1
'Thou hast harped my fear'
~ This is said by Macbeth when he meets with the witches. The first apparition (ghostly image) that he sees warns him to beware of Macduff.
~ The spirit is echoing Macbeth's doubts about Macduff.

Act 4, Scene 1
'None of woman born / Shall harm Macbeth'
~ This quote is an example of how arrogant Macbeth was before learning about Macduff's type of birth. He thought that no one on Earth could kill him because of the witches' prophecy.

Act 4, Scene 3
'All my pretty ones? / Did you say all? O hell-kite! All?'
~ This is how Macduff responds after Ross tells him that Macbeth murdered his family.
~ His broken speech here shows how distressed he is by the news.
~ Macduff then seems bloody revenge: 'Front to front / Bring thou this fiend of Scotland and myself; / Within my sword's length set him'.

Act 5, Scene 7
'Tyrant, show thy face! / If thou be'st slain, and with no stroke of mine, / My wife and children's ghosts will haunt me still.'
~ This is said by Macduff when looking for Macbeth after he kills Macduff's family.
~ Macduff becomes the wronged hero who wants to avenge the death of his loved ones.
~ This suggests that Macduff feels haunted by the ghosts of his family. He may feel guilty that he could not protect them because he was away - in the Jacobean era, men were protectors of their wives and children.

Act 5, Scene 8
'Turn, hell-hound, turn.'
~ Macduff gives this order when he finally finds Macbeth.
~ His imperative (ordering) language shows that he is taking control and challenging Macbeth to fight.
~ The insult, 'hell-hound', reminds the audience of Macbeth's evil. This has become a fight between good and bad.

Act 5, Scene 8
'I bear a charmed life, which must not yield / To one of woman born'
~ Here there is a surprise twist for the audience as we discover that Macduff was not born in the traditional way.
~ The audience and Macbeth realise that he can kill him - the dramatic tension here is hugely increased, as we see Macbeth's arrogance vanish in this instant.

Act 5, Scene 8
'Macduff was from his mother's womb / Untimely ripped'
~ When Macbeth tells Macduff that he cannot be harmed by anyone born of woman, Macduff says this famous line.
~ The verb 'ripped' is aggressive as if the action of his birth has led him to this destiny now. It's likely that his mother died in childbirth, so the baby was taken from her before she died.

Act 5, Scene 9
'Lay on Macduff, / And damned be him, that first cries, 'Hold, enough''
~ Macbeth curses those that told him the prophecies and refuses to fight on.
~ Macduff tells him to surrender, but Macbeth refuses, saying those words.
~ They exit the stage fighting and Macduff returns carrying Macbeth's head.

~Taken from SenecaLearning