How many witches are in the opening scene of Macbeth?
Three Witches
What 3 prophecies do the witches give Macbeth in Act 4?
The First Apparition: “Beware Macduff; Beware the Thane of Fife.” The Second Apparition: “none of women born Shall harm Macbeth.” The Third Apparition: “be lion-mettled, proud, and take no care who chafes, who frets… until Great Birnam wood to high Dunsinane Hill /Shall come against him [Macbeth].”
What are the actions that Lady Macbeth is referring to?
She cannot sleep in the dark: “She has light by / her continually” (lines 24–25). Lady Macbeth acts like she is washing her hands, trying to remove invisible blood (“Out, damned spot, out, I say!” line 37) and the smell of blood: “Here’s the smell of the blood still” (line 53).
How does Macbeth kill Lady Macduff?
Although he views Macduff as a threat, Macbeth believes that Macduff is not capable of defeating him. By massacring Macduff’s family, Macbeth is baiting him to come back to Scotland, where Macbeth plans to defeat Macduff in hand-to-hand combat.
Is siward Duncan’s brother?
Siward, Earl of Northumberland As Duncan’s brother, he leads the English army against Macbeth.
Why does Macbeth kill Macduff family?
The witches told Macbeth to “beware Macduff,” and when Macbeth learns that Macduff has gone to England to help Malcolm (Duncan’s son) rally an army to return to Scotland and defeat Macbeth, he hires murderers to kill Macduff’s family, thinking that this will cause Macduff to submit out of fear and grief.
How do the witches change throughout Macbeth?
In the play the witches, with their spells, plan the downfall of Macbeth. They cannot directly harm him themselves, so they tell Macbeth predictions for his possible future, in order to make him act on them. The witches tell Macbeth that he will become the thane of Cawdor and then king of Scotland.
What is the opening scene of Macbeth?
Summary and Analysis Act I: Scene 1 In a desolate place blasted by thunderstorms, Three Witches meet to predict the future. Macbeth begins in “an open place” — a place without any landmarks or buildings — with the appearance of the three “weird sisters,” as they later call themselves.