© Pearson Education, Inc., or its affiliates. All rights reserved.NOTESMacduff. He has no children. All my pretty ones?
Did you say all? O hell-kite!^65 All?
What, all my pretty chickens and their dam
At one fell swoop?
Malcolm. Dispute it^66 like a man.
Macduff. I shall do so;
But I must also feel it as a man.
I cannot but remember such things were,
That were most precious to me. Did heaven look on,
And would not take their part? Sinful Macduff,
They were all struck for thee! Naught^67 that I am.
Not for their own demerits but for mine
Fell slaughter on their souls. Heaven rest them now!
Malcolm. Be this the whetstone of your sword. Let grief
Convert to anger; blunt not the heart, enrage it.
Macduff. O, I could play the woman with mine eyes,
And braggart with my tongue! But, gentle heavens,
Cut short all intermission; front to front^68
Bring thou this fiend of Scotland and myself;
Within my sword’s length set him. If he ’scape,
Heaven forgive him too!
Malcolm. This time goes manly.
Come, go we to the King. Our power is ready;
Our lack is nothing but our leave.^69 Macbeth
Is ripe for shaking, and the pow’rs above
Put on their instruments.^70 Receive what cheer you may.
The night is long that never finds the day. [Exit.]CLOSE READ
ANNOTATE: Mark the word
that Macduff repeats in lines
216–219.
QUESTION: Why does he repeat
the word?
CONCLUDE: How does this
repetition suggest the intensity
of both Macduff’s disbelief and
his grief?- hell-kite hellish bird of prey.
- Dispute it Counter your grief.
220225(^230) 67. Naught wicked.
- front to front face to face.
235- Our... leave We need only to
take our leave. - Put... instruments urge us
240 onward as their agents.
The Tragedy of Macbeth, Act IV 329LIT17_SE12_U03_A4C_WC.indd 329 3/14/16 1:12 AMCLOSE READ
Remind students to pay attention to the
repetition in Macduff’s response when he learns
that his entire family has been murdered. You
may wish to model the Close Read using the
following think-aloud format. Possible responses
to questions on the Student page are included.
ANNOTATE: As I read lines 216–219, I am struck
by Macduff’s repetition of the word all. I also
notice his repetition of the -ll consonant in the
words, hell and fell.
QUESTION: It seems to me that Macduff’s
repetition of the word all reflects his grief as well
as his disbelief. He repeats all over and over, as if
hoping that Ross’s response may change.CONCLUDE: I think the repetition shows the
audience that Macduff is experiencing intense
shock over the calamity that has just struck him.
He had fled Scotland, fearing for his own life but
never considering that Macbeth could commit
such a heinous deed. To him, an honorable
man, such an act was unimaginable, until now.
The repetition of all four times, along with the
consonance of the repeated -ll sound, in the
words hell and fell, creates an onomatopoetic
effect that brings to mind a death knell, a bell
tolling to announce a death. It’s as if Macduff
needs to hear those words (and sounds) over and
over in order to reinforce the truth of the deed.CROSS-CURRICULAR PERSPECTIVES
Humanities Interpret a Speech Emotions run high in Act IV,
Scene iii. Have students select a speech or a segment from this
scene to present to the class. Encourage them to choose a selection
that they find powerful and interesting. Allow time for practice
and presentation. Afterward, invite respectful discussion of student
interpretations.Whole-Class Learning 329
LIT17_TE12_U03_A4_WC.indd 329 4/9/16 1:57 PM