Macbeth Group

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mani12345
mani12345
Student
High School - 10th Grade

What is the importance of Macbeth's commands about Macduff's family?

Macbeth act4

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Posted by mani12345 on Tuesday May 27, 2008 at 6:14 AM and tagged with act iv, characters, commands, macbeth, macduff.

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  1. lit24
    lit24 Teacher
    Doctorate

    eNotes Editor

    In Act4 sc1 Macbeth meets the three witches who show him four startling "apparitions" which make mysterious predictions about his future: "Beware Macduff" ; "for none born of woman/ Shall harm Macbeth" ; "Macbeth shall never vanquish'd be, until/Great Birnam Wood to high Dunsinane hill/Shall come against him" ; the future kings of Scotland who are the descendants of Banquo.

    It is then that he decides to murder Lady Macduff's family and her entire household.

    These four "apparititions" which prompt Macbeth to murder lady Macduff and her household  reveal the extent of his  paranoia:

    1.IRRATIONAL FEAR: The apparitions have told him to fear only Macduff and not his family members. However, Macbeth  over reacts because of his irrational fears and orders the killing of Macduff's  wife and household instead of hunting down and killing only Macduff.

    2.COWARDICE AND CRUELTY: His instantaneous decision  to kill a defenceless lady and her children and the servants are  clearly indicative of his  cowardice and cruelty. He has successfully killed the voice of his conscience.

    3.PURPOSELESSNESS: Macbeth's impulsive decision to murder Lady Macduff and her children is totally unnecessary. If at all he should murder someone it should be only Fleance and Macduff.

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    Posted by lit24 on Tuesday May 27, 2008 at 9:17 AM