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The Tragedy of Macbeth, Act IV, by William Shakespeare
Literary Analysis: Imagery
Imagery can create responses from any of the reader’s senses: sight, hearing, touch, smell,
or taste. Written images can illuminate for the reader the meaning of both individual moments
and patterns of meaning that run throughout the text. Many of the images Shakespeare calls
upon are archetypal, images and symbols that are expressed repeatedly in art and literature
across a variety of cultures. These archetypal images have a universal appeal and clearly
support the underlying meaning of the text. Look at this imagery-laden quotation from the First
Witch in The Tragedy of Macbeth, Act IV.
Pour in sow’s blood, that hath eaten
Her nine farrow, grease that’s sweaten
From the murderer’s gibbet throw into the flame.
This passage contains visual imagery: pig’s blood; a mother pig eating her nine young. It also
contains imagery of touch: grease from the noose that hangs a murderer; grease added to a
flame.
Paying attention to imagery can guide you to a deeper understanding of the text. As you
read, be on the lookout for repeated imagery; for example, think about the image of blood that
runs throughout the entire text of The Tragedy of Macbeth. Blood is an archetypal image that
can mean many different things: loyalty, guilt, revenge, death, brotherhood, parent-child
relationship, royalty, for example. Think about the significance of each of these ideas within the
plot of the play.
DIRECTIONS: Read the following passages from The Tragedy of Macbeth and identify the
imagery in each. Then write the connection, or what the image makes you think of.
1. “When shall we three meet again? / In thunder, lightning, or in rain?”
Imagery:
Connection:
2. “Stars, hide your fires; / Let not light see my black and deep desires . . .”
Imagery:
Connection:
3. “I have no spur / To prick the sides of my intent, but only / Vaulting ambition, which
o’er-leaps itself / And falls on th’ other . . .”
Imagery:
Connection:
4. “But now I am cabined, cribbed, confined, bound in / To saucy doubts and fears . . .”
Imagery:
Connection:
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The Tragedy of Macbeth, Act IV, by William Shakespeare
Reading Strategy: Analyze Text Structures
Text structures are the parts of a piece of writing that develop and support the theme, plot,
and other elements of the writing. Imagery—the language that writers use to re-create sensory
experiences—is a type of text structure. Shakespeare uses imagery to develop the theme in
Macbeth. As you read Act IV, look for ways in which Shakespeare uses imagery related to blood
and to babies and children. Notice when he uses these images and how they connect to each
other and to characters and events. Then, analyze how the images how convey the play’s themes
DIRECTIONS: Use the following chart to help you recognize how a pattern of images reinforces
the themes of the play.
Image Pattern
Examples:
Blood
Babies and Children
• IV, i 37
•
• IV, i 30
•
•
•
Relation to Theme:
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The Tragedy of Macbeth, Act IV, by William Shakespeare
Vocabulary Builder
Using the Root -credA. DIRECTIONS: Remember that the word root -cred- means “belief.” Use the following words to
complete the sentences. Consult a dictionary if necessary.
credibility
credence
credentials
1. The news reporter had to show his
into the crime scene.
2. The mayor’s
funds from his office.
, or proof of his profession, to get
was ruined when it was discovered that he had stolen
3. Those accusations are completely ridiculous; I give them no
whatsoever.
Using the Word List
avarice
credulous
intemperance
judicious
pernicious
sundry
B. DIRECTIONS: Match each word in the left column with its definition in the right column. Write
the letter of the definition on the blank next to the word it defines.
___
___
___
___
___
___
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
pernicious
judicious
sundry
intemperance
avarice
credulous
A.
B.
C.
D.
E.
F.
lack of restraint
greed
tendency to believe readily
showing good judgment
various
highly injurious or destructive
C. DIRECTIONS: Use words from the Word List to fill in the blanks.
1. King Duncan was known as a wise and
ruler.
2. When it comes to power and fortune, Macbeth shows great
3. Had Banquo been less
have been able to save his own life.
about Macbeth’s evil intentions, he might
4. Macbeth’s control of Scotland had a
effect upon the country.
5. The murderers had committed
6. Macbeth’s
.
crimes before they killed Banquo.
manifested itself when he had Banquo killed.
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The Tragedy of Macbeth, Act IV, by William Shakespeare
Support for Writing
Use the graphic organizer to record ideas about Macbeth's character and its evolution
throughout the play. Focus on the archetypal image of the "fall."
The Tragedy of Macbeth
Act I
Macbeth’s predominant qualities:
Major events:
Act II
Macbeth’s predominant qualities:
Major events:
Act III
Macbeth’s predominant qualities:
Major events:
Act IV
Macbeth’s predominant qualities:
Major events:
Act V
Macbeth’s predominant qualities:
Major events:
On a separate sheet, write an analysis of Macbeth’s fall. Use your notes on the evolution of his
character and the major events that inspire these changes as a basis for your analysis of the
archetype.
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The Tragedy of Macbeth, Act IV, by William Shakespeare
Selection Test A
Critical Reading Identify the letter of the choice that best answers the question.
1. What is the main purpose of Act IV?
A. to foreshadow the death of Macduff’s family
B. to foreshadow the fall of Macbeth
C. to foreshadow Malcolm’s future
D. to foreshadow the rise of Banquo’s son, Fleance
2. At the beginning of Act IV, a witch calls out, “Something wicked this way comes,” just
as Macbeth approaches. What can you infer from her comment?
A. Even the witches think Macbeth is evil.
B. Macbeth has not done anything evil yet.
C. The witches know that their evil masters will soon appear.
D. The witches think that Hecate is near.
3. What kind of person is Macduff’s son?
A. shy and innocent
B. fearful and confused
C. cheerful and silly
D. questioning and brave
4. To what senses do these lines appeal?
Fillet of a fenny snake, / In the caldron boil and bake; / Eye of newt and toe of frog, / Wool
of bat and tongue of dog, / Adder’s fork and blindworm’s sting . . .
A. sight, hearing, and touch
B. taste, smell, and touch
C. sight, taste, and smell
D. sight, hearing, and taste
5. What do the witches tell Macbeth to do?
A. to kill Macduff’s wife
B. to go to England
C. to fear Macduff
D. to cut down Great Birnam Wood
6. What is imagery?
A. formal language
B. language that evokes sensory experiences
C. Shakespearean language
D. blank verse
7. Which image is used repeatedly throughout the play?
A. armies in battle
B. ships at sea
C. rivers
D. blood
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8. Which senses are appealed to in these lines from Macbeth?
Nay, had I pow’r, I should / Pour the sweet milk of concord into hell, / Uproar the universal
peace. . . .
A. smell, taste, and touch
B. hearing, sight, and smell
C. sight, taste, and hearing
D. hearing, taste, and touch
9. What plan do Macduff and Malcolm settle on at the end of Act IV?
A. to invade Scotland
B. to escape Macbeth together
C. to fight each other for rule of Scotland
D. to remain in London
10. Why does Malcolm tell Macduff that he is not fit to rule Scotland?
A. He does not like Macduff and wants to make him leave.
B. He does not trust Macduff at first and wants to see if he is an enemy of Macbeth.
C. He is sick and sometimes does not know what he is saying.
D. He is trying to be honest with Macduff by telling him what he is really like.
11. What happens to Macduff’s wife and child?
A. They flee Scotland for London.
B. They leave Macduff because they think he is loyal to Macbeth.
C. They are killed by Macbeth’s men.
D. They follow Macduff to London to escape Macbeth.
12. Why does Macduff go to London?
A. to kill Malcolm
B. to find his wife and son
C. to protect Malcolm from Macbeth
D. to get Malcolm’s help in overthrowing Macbeth
Vocabulary
13. Which vocabulary word best completes this sentence?
During Macbeth’s
rule, many people died due to others’ treachery.
A. credulous
B. sundry
C. pernicious
D. judicious
14. Who is the most judicious character in the play?
A. Macbeth
B. Lady Macbeth
C. Macduff
D. Macduff’s small son
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15. Which word is closest in meaning to avarice?
A. greed
B. anxiety
C. jealousy
D. guilt
Essay
16. Some of the most vivid and memorable images of the play appear at the beginning of Act IV
as the witches dance around their boiling caldron. In an essay, describe how the imagery in
this scene reinforces the theme of evil that occurs throughout the play. For example, how
do the contents of the pot echo the evil we see in the play? How do the chanting and dancing of the witches suggest the deepening evil in Scotland? Give examples to support your
ideas.
17. During each act of The Tragedy of Macbeth, Macbeth seems to grow more and more evil. In
Act I, Macbeth listens to the witches’ prophecies and begins to think about committing
great evil. In Act II, Macbeth kills King Duncan. In Act III, Macbeth kills his friend Banquo.
In an essay, tell what crime is committed in Act IV. Why is it committed? How is it different
from the crimes that happened in the first three acts? How is it worse than the previous
crimes? Support your ideas with details and examples from the play.
18. Thinking About the Essential Question: What is the relationship of the writer
to tradition? Strong imagery in drama is a tradition that developed in Elizabethan times.
Some of the most vivid and memorable images of The Tragedy of Macbeth appear in Act IV
as the witches dance around their caldron. In an essay, describe the imagery Shakespeare
uses in this scene. Give examples to support your ideas.
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