Act 5, Scene 8 – Macbeth and Macduff Fight
Macbeth and Macduff meet face to face. Macduff kills Macbeth.
“My soul is too much changed with blood of thine family” – Character: Macbeth
Macbeth doesn’t want to fight – he feels guilty about killing Macduff’s family. He has still
got some humanity left.
“My voice is in my sword” – Character: Macduff
Macduff is a soldier. He lets his soldier do the talking.
“Macduff was from his mother’s womb untimely ripped”
Macbeth thought that he can’t be harmed by any ‘one of woman born’, but Macduff
reveals that he was born by Caesarean section.
“Be these juggling fiends no more believed” – Theme: Fate and Free Will
Macbeth accepts that he has been misled by the Witches. All the Witches’ prophecies
have come true. The prophecies are partly self-fulfilling, because Macbeth has brought
about his own downfall through his actions.
“I will not yield and, to kiss the ground before young Malcolm’s feet” – Character:
Macbeth
Mabeth is trapped but refuses to back down, even though he knows he is doomed, so he
chooses to fight and die. This is a return to the brace warrior of Act 1, and shows that he
is in his element fighting man to man rather than having people murdered.
“Macbeth slain”
The audience feels relief when Macbeth dies – this shows how evil he has become.
Macbeth and Macduff meet face to face. Macduff kills Macbeth.
“My soul is too much changed with blood of thine family” – Character: Macbeth
Macbeth doesn’t want to fight – he feels guilty about killing Macduff’s family. He has still
got some humanity left.
“My voice is in my sword” – Character: Macduff
Macduff is a soldier. He lets his soldier do the talking.
“Macduff was from his mother’s womb untimely ripped”
Macbeth thought that he can’t be harmed by any ‘one of woman born’, but Macduff
reveals that he was born by Caesarean section.
“Be these juggling fiends no more believed” – Theme: Fate and Free Will
Macbeth accepts that he has been misled by the Witches. All the Witches’ prophecies
have come true. The prophecies are partly self-fulfilling, because Macbeth has brought
about his own downfall through his actions.
“I will not yield and, to kiss the ground before young Malcolm’s feet” – Character:
Macbeth
Mabeth is trapped but refuses to back down, even though he knows he is doomed, so he
chooses to fight and die. This is a return to the brace warrior of Act 1, and shows that he
is in his element fighting man to man rather than having people murdered.
“Macbeth slain”
The audience feels relief when Macbeth dies – this shows how evil he has become.
