Macduff and Lady Macduff

• Act 2, Scene 3: 'Look to the lady' 


  When LM pretends to faint to take the attention away from Macbeth, it is Macduff and Banquo who show genuine concern for her. Ironically, it is these two who are betrayed by Macbeth.

  The guilt from this betrayal contributes to LM losing her mind.
• Act 4, Scene 3: 'Oh Scotland! Scotland! Nation miserable'


  Macduff displays physical pain for the country he loves while it is under Macbeth's evil rule.

  Repeated use of exclamation marks shows the emotional state he is in.

  This emotion is out of the empathy for his homeland, while Macbeth only has concern for himself.
• Act 4, Scene 2: 'Why do I put up that womanly defence to say I have done no harm?'


  Adjective 'womanly' connotes weakness and shows how women are viewed as kind and innocent. They are seen as incapable of being able to commit a crime.

  Since Macbeth is attacking this figure of innocence, he is portrayed even more brutally.

  Conext: Women in the Jacobean era were seen as weak, while men were viewed as strong.
• Act 5, Scene 8: 'Macduff was from his mother's womb untimely ripp'd'


  This final twist shows Macbeth and the audience that Macduff is going to be the one to defeat Macbeth in a dramatic fashion.

  Macduff was born by caesarean and therefore not strictly born of a woman.

  Presents the Witches evil mind games as they gave Macbeth a sense of false hope.
• Act 5, Scene 8: 'Turn, hell-hound, turn'


  Macduff compares Macbeth to a creature of hell, which echos his language in Act 4 where he refers to him as a 'Hell-kite'.

  Macduff sees Macbeth for who he truly is- evil.

  The use of imperative contrasts with Macbeth's in earlier scenes and shows that Macduff is now the one in control.