Act 4 Scene 1


Scene Summary 


The witches chant spells and throw ingredients into a cauldron.  Macbeth visits the witches.


 He is shown three apparitions: an armed head, a bloody child and a crowned child. 


Each apparition gives Macbeth advice: to beware of Macduff, that Macbeth cannot be killed by a man born of a woman and that Macbeth is safe until BirnamWood moves to Dunsinane Hill.





Macbeth demands to know more and is shown a procession of eight kings. The last holds amirror suggesting that the line continues further. The procession is followed by Banquo’s ghost.


 Macbeth hears from Lennox that Macduff has gone to England.  Macbeth decides to kill all in Macduff’s castle.


A cavern. In the middle, a boiling cauldron1 Thunder. Enter the ThreeWitches


FIRSTWITCH Thrice the brinded2


cat hath mewed.


SECONDWITCH Thrice and once the hedge-pig3


THIRDWITCH Harpier4


whined. cries 'Tis time, 'tis time.


FIRSTWITCH Round about the cauldron go; In the poisoned entrails5


throw.


Toad, that under cold stone Days and nights has thirty-one Sweltered venom6


10 Double, double toil8 sleeping got,7


Boil thou first i' the charmed pot. ALL


and trouble; Fire burn, and cauldron bubble.


SECONDWITCH Fillet of a fenny snake,9 In the cauldron boil and bake; Eye of newt10


and toe of frog, Wool of bat and tongue of dog, 84


fenny snake:marsh snake 10 newt: a type of salamander


9 8 . 1 cauldron: a large pot 2 brinded: brindled/striped/tabby 3 hedge-pig: hedgehog 4 Harpier: The third witch’s creature/pet 5 entrails: intestines


6 Sweltered venom: sweated venom 7


sleeping got: taken while he was sleeping


toil: work/struggle


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