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Macbeth

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Macbeth
Act IV, scene i

1. Compare the witches’ speech pattern with Macbeth’s.

2. What effect is Shakespeare creating by altering the speech patterns like this?

3. Describe the three apparitions and the significance of each? The first apparition tells Macbeth to beware and be afraid of Macduff, the first apprtion is very impatient does not want to be there. It looks like a head wearing a armored helmet.

The second apparition is a bloody child tells macbeth no one born from a woman will harm him meaning no one can ever physically harm him.

The third apparition is a child wearing a crown and holding a tree, it tells macbeth that no one will ever harm him as long as Birnam Wood doesnt march to fight Macbeth at Dunsinane Hill.

4. What, after this, does Macbeth resolve? The predicitions from the apparitions are very contradictory, one says to beware Macduff then another says no one will harm him, if this is true then Macduff is no threat and even the third tells Macbeth that no one will harm him aslong as this unbelievable thing happens. Macbeth comes to the conclusion that he must kill Macduff for no reason really just because he can. Again he is playing the role of death.

5. Pleased with the information, what one further thing does Macbeth desire to know and what is the answer he gets? Macbeth wants to know if Banquos sons will ever be kings but he is no longer worried about them taking him over. The weird sisters refuse to tell him either because they have no idea or that they do not want Macbeth to know and drive himself crazy over the "truth"

6. What is the significance of this scene? That Macbeth is going crazy and his conscience is catching up to him but in a very different way. Macbeth is very suspicous of everything and everyone around him I am beginning to believe that Macbeth may have a mental illness such as schizophrenic paranoia or may be bipolar, or it could just be he is

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