macduff

• "Most sacrilegious murder hath broke ope the Lord's anointed temple" A2S3

  • Macduff clearly does not put on a facade and is entirely dedicated to the king.

  • Hyperbolic language and reaction reinforce this and how he abides strictly to the religious moral code and his strong principles. Moreover, the religious semantic field creates an image of sacredness and holiness

  • Reinforces Macduff's extreme distress that the king, divinely ordained by God as believed by in Divine Right of Kings, has been callously murdered despite his sacredness

  • Superlative suggests regicide is the worst crime
• "O horror, horror, horror."A2S3

  • Shakespeare makes use of repetition here to emphasise the strength of Macduff's devastated emotions, and to emphasise his loyalty to the late king.

  • Here, we see Macduff express grief and sorrow, despite the societal expectations of men not being vulnerable - he is the most personable character who remains noble and honourable throughout.

  • His raw emotions against Macbeth's rehearsed and poetic reaction highlight his loyalty and patriotic nature.
• "I have no words; my voice is my sword." A5S8

  • This emphasises Macduff's heroic qualities and draws on a key idiom - actions speak louder than word - Macbeth's ungodly actions are not worthy of words anymore.

  • Macduff believes that order can only be restored by terminating tyranny

  • The motif of sword highlights his utter loyalty to Duncan

  • He has become Macbeth's nemesis - and will not be destroyed until Macbeth's death
• "Bleed, bleed poor country."
 A4S3

  • His lamenting of Scotland shows what fuels his ambition to restore order.

  • Suggests Scotland is sickly and dying under Macbeth's reign, captivating Macbeth's misanthropic nature - a quality which juxtaposes the role of a king.

  • The personification of Scotland reveals how much Macduff values Scotland

  • Under Macbeth, Scotland has become severely wounded, without hope of aid, and this image of blood is a dichotomy of the living, nurtured ​“harvest”​ Duncan created
• "He loves us not."
A4S2

  • On one level, it shows his lack of masculinity as he is abandoning his family, and is not fulfilling his duty to provide for them and protect them.

  • On another level, it paints Macduff as a Christlike figure, who was so desperately patriotic, that he sacrificed his family for the greater good, in order to save Scotland.

  • This scene represents the slaughter of the innocence, which lambasts Macbeth's tyrannical nature as he has reached a point where there is no human goodness left within him.
• "Turn, hell-hound, turn"
A5S8

  • Repetition emphasises the extent to which Macbeth has turned order on it's head, while the epithet is used to highlight the true nature of the tyrant king.

  • Unlike to Macbeth, Macduff is not ambitious to make himself more powerful, but ambitious to restore justice and order in Scotland.

  • Paints Macduff as the foil to Macbeth, as he has been able to control his ambition, and placing his morals and principles above them.
• "O Scotland, O Scotland... O nation miserable"
A4S2


  • Shakespeare portrays Macduff as a man who prioritises his country, with his sole purpose throughout the play being saving Scotland from Macbeth's tyranny.

  • His quick recognition of Macbeth's narcissism and the effect it has on Scotland forces him to rise to action.

  • Macduff seems to be something of a microcosm for Scotland, emphasising the way his own emotions mirror the state of the country - Duncan's murder may have had personal motivations, but it affects the whole country in the same way it affects Duncan's most loyal subject."
• "Here you may see the tyrant"
A5S8

  • This is the last thing Macbeth hears before dying.

  • The poignancy of Macduff's words shine through, signifying an end to Macbeth's destruction, and the beginning of the restoration of the natural order.
• "New widows howl, new orphans cry, new sorrows strike"
A4S3

  • Shakespeare employs anaphora to show the overwhelming nature of the tyranny Scotland is now subjected to.

  • Alludes to the slaughter of the innocence, and destroying families.

  •Also presents Macduff's consideration and care for his country; he is selfless in thinking of the others, who were more vulnerable, rather than just himself.
• macduff “most sacrilegious murder hath broke ope the lords anointed temple”
• macduff “O horror, horror, horror”
• macduff “ i have no words my voice is my sword”
• macduff “bleed bleed poor country”
• macduff “he loves us not”
• macduff “turn hell-hound turn
• macduff “o scotland o scotland O nation miserable”
• macduff “here you may see the tyrant”
• macduff “ new widows howl new orphans cry new sorrows strike”