LRJ #4

The scene with Lady Macduff is important for several reasons. First of all it marks Macbeths decent in to absolute madness. He is killing neither for political gain nor to silence his enemies. Simply out of anger, distress and insanity. Also it may have been the author’s goal to allow the reader to meet the family before they were killed, “Why, I can buy me twenty at any market.” (Shakespeare 4.2 41 – 42) Adding a sense of humor and the ability to make jokes in a time of such crisis make a character more likable and perhaps the reader more grief-stricken when they are killed.

In act four the reader learns that they can trust Macduff through a test that Malcolm devised. “But I have none. The king-becoming graces, as justice verity… fortitude, I have no relish of them” Here Malcolm tests Macduff by listing a number of qualities necessary to be king that he is without. “Fit to govern? No, not fit to live. O nation miserable, with an untitled tyrant bloody-sceptered” (Shakespeare 4.3 103 – 105) Macduff passes Malcolm’s test with flying colors by saying they’d not be fit to live. Also seen in this quotes is Macduff’s deep-seated skepticism hate for Macbeth.

Macbeth has now lost his mind completely. There’s almost no trace of the Macbeth from act one. He now has gone mad with power, killing Macduff’s family for no real reason “The castle of Macduff I will surprise, seize upon Fife, give to th’edge o’th’sword His wife, his babes, and all unfortunate souls that trace him in his line.” (Shakespeare 4.2 150 – 153) This shows Macbeth plotting against Macduff, and the reader can see that Macbeth truly has gone crazy about murdering people. As Macbeth said himself, he could not go back to leading a normal life, not after all that he’s done.