Study Questions
1. What are the Witches doing at the beginning of Act IV?

2. What are the three statements made by the Apparitions?

3. What is the significance of the Witches having the Apparitions give the information to Macbeth?

4. What does Macbeth decide to do with the information the Witches have given him?

5. What does Lady Macduff say is the reason for her husband leaving?

6. What does Lady Macduff tell her son about his father? How does he respond to her?

7. What happens to Lady Macduff and her son?

8. Why does Malcolm question Macduff?

9. What is Malcolm’s reaction to the news? What is Macduff’s?

10. What do Malcolm and Macduff plan to do?

Answers
1. The Witches are standing over a cauldron preparing a spell for Macbeth.

2. The Apparitions say: 1) That Macbeth should beware of Macduff, 2) That no man born of a woman can harm Mac¬beth, and 3) Macbeth will not be harmed unless Great Birnam Wood comes to high Dunsinane.

3. The Apparitions are dressed in such a way to give insight to Macbeth. He is blinded by his quest for power and does not recognize the significance of the appearance.

4. He plans on going to England to kill Macduff.

5. Lady Macduff feels her husband is scared and is a traitor.

6. Lady Macduff tells her son his father is dead. Her son does not believe her.

7. Lady Macduff and her son are murdered.

8. Malcolm wants to know if Macduff is sincere and that he has not been sent by Macbeth.

9. Malcolm is enraged by the news of Lady Macduff’s death. Macduff is in shock at first then he vows to seek revenge against Macbeth.

10. Malcolm and Macduff plan on killing Macbeth and restoring the peace in Scotland.