In Macbeth, Macbeth acquires enemies as the play moves forward. The more he lies and kills, the more enemies he creates for himself. In Act IV Scene 1, Macbeth has had enough. He is so tired of living in constant fear that one of his enemies will overtake him and kill him. Therefore, in Act IV Scene 1 Macbeth goes to the witches and demands that they tell him his future. He wants to...
In Macbeth, Macbeth acquires enemies as the play moves forward. The more he lies and kills, the more enemies he creates for himself. In Act IV Scene 1, Macbeth has had enough. He is so tired of living in constant fear that one of his enemies will overtake him and kill him. Therefore, in Act IV Scene 1 Macbeth goes to the witches and demands that they tell him his future. He wants to know what is going to happen to him. In this prophecy, the witches tell Macbeth to beware Macduff. Macbeth is so paranoid at this point in the play that he is willing to do anything to keep his kingship safe. Therefore, after the witches give this prophecy, Macbeth says,
From this moment
The very firstlings of my heart shall be
The firstlings of my hand. And even now,
To crown my thoughts with acts, be it thought and done:
The castle of Macduff I will surprise,
Seize upon Fife, give to th' edge o' th' sword
His wife, his babes, and all unfortunate souls
That trace him in his line. (Act IV Scene 1)
In this quotation, Macbeth is saying that he is going to act on what he heard from the witches right away. Since the witches said to beware Macduff, he decides to raid Macduff's castle and kill him and his family. He decides this huge decision in a matter of seconds because of his paranoia and the witches' prophecy.
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