Skip to main content

How are Macduff and his family important to the play Macbeth?

Macduff is important to the plot because he is the one who eventually kills Macbeth. His family is important because Macbeth sent the murderers that killed Macduff's family. This was one of Macduff's motivations to fight Macbeth.

Macbeth believed Macduff suspected Macbeth had killed Duncan. By this time, Macbeth was getting very paranoid. With hired murderers, Macbeth killed Banquo and tried to kill Banquo's son Fleance. Macbeth did not stop there. He sent the assassins to the Macduff house, where they killed his family.


When Macduff finds out, he is overcome with grief. He tells Malcolm, who tells him that he needs to be a man.



MACDUFF


… All my pretty ones?
Did you say all? O hell-kite! All?
What, all my pretty chickens and their dam
At one fell swoop?


MALCOLM


Dispute it 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 (Act 4, Scene 3). 



Basically, Malcolm is telling Macduff that instead of crying over his family, he should avenge their deaths. Macduff is supporting Malcolm, the king’s heir, who left when his father died but also raised an army to fight Macbeth. Macduff figures he has his best chance of defeating Macbeth by aligning with them. 


Macduff is important because the witches told Macbeth that no man born of woman could kill him. Macbeth interprets that to mean he is invincible. He learns that this prophecy, like the others, is tricky. Macduff gives Macbeth some surprising news as they fight:



MACBETH


… I bear a charmed life, which must not yield,
To one of woman born.


MACDUFF


Despair thy charm;
And let the angel whom thou still hast served
Tell thee, Macduff was from his mother's womb
Untimely ripp'd. (Act 5, Scene 8) 



Macduff was born by Caesarian section, so he is technically not born of woman. After this, Macbeth sort of loses his confidence. It is fairly easy for Macduff to behead him, therefore ending Macbeth’s reign of terror and proving you should not always listen to prophecies.

Labels:

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Can you analyze the poem "Absolution" by Siegfried Sassoon?

Sure! Siegfried Sassoon fought in World War I and was wounded in battle; he spent much of his life speaking out against war, and these pacifist feelings are easy to see in his poems. This one, "Absolution," was published in 1917, the same year that Sassoon was hospitalized for what we know today as post-traumatic stress disorder. "Absolution" is a short poem that contains three stanzas of four lines each. The word "absolution" means "forgiveness," and... Sure! Siegfried Sassoon fought in World War I and was wounded in battle; he spent much of his life speaking out against war, and these pacifist feelings are easy to see in his poems. This one, "Absolution," was published in 1917, the same year that Sassoon was hospitalized for what we know today as post-traumatic stress disorder. "Absolution" is a short poem that contains three stanzas of four lines each. The word "absolution" means "forgiveness," and the v...
Post a Comment
Read more

How and why does James Gatz become Jay Gatsby? Describe the young Gatsby/Gatz.

James Gatz, a poor Midwestern boy of probable Jewish lineage, becomes Jay Gatsby, a presumed WASP and wealthy socialite, when he moves to New York City and acquires his fortune. It is wealth that has allowed Gatz to transform himself into Gatsby. However, those who know his background (e.g., Daisy and Tom Buchanan) never allow him to forget that he is nouveau riche -- that is, an upstart who has just recently made his fortune,... James Gatz, a poor Midwestern boy of probable Jewish lineage, becomes Jay Gatsby, a presumed WASP and wealthy socialite, when he moves to New York City and acquires his fortune. It is wealth that has allowed Gatz to transform himself into Gatsby. However, those who know his background (e.g., Daisy and Tom Buchanan) never allow him to forget that he is nouveau riche -- that is, an upstart who has just recently made his fortune, whereas they arose from well-to-do families. Gatz became Gatsby through determination and discipline. At the end of the novel, the narr...
Post a Comment
Read more

In chapter one of The Great Gatsby, what advice does Nick's father give him? How does this make him a good person to tell this story?

Nick says that his father advised him that, before "criticizing anyone," he "remember that all the people in this world haven't had the same advantages" as Nick.  As a result, Nick claims that he is "inclined to reserve all judgments," presenting himself to the reader as a fair and dispassionate arbiter of character, and thus, a reliable narrator.   The problem is that Nick immediately reveals himself as anything but reliable, as he then launches... Nick says that his father advised him that, before "criticizing anyone," he "remember that all the people in this world haven't had the same advantages" as Nick.  As a result, Nick claims that he is "inclined to reserve all judgments," presenting himself to the reader as a fair and dispassionate arbiter of character, and thus, a reliable narrator.   The problem is that Nick immediately reveals himself as anything but reliable, as he then launches into a discussion of how pe...
Post a Comment
Read more