Question

1. What are the four apparitions Macbeth sees? What do the first three visions say?

Answer 1

Answer:    The three apparitions that Macbeth sees in Act 4 symbolize a threat towards Macbeth in their own way. The third apparition takes the form of a child wearing a crown and holding a tree. This apparition tells Macbeth that he will never be defeated, not until the day Birnam Wood moves to Dunsinane Hill.     First Vision: The first vision warns Macbeth to beware Macduff. This vision is the most straightforward of the three because it is Macduff who kills Macbeth in the end.

Second Vision: The second vision tells Macbeth that no one of woman born will kill him. Macbeth takes that to mean that no one will kill him, but what it really means is that someone who was removed from his mother's womb early will kill Macbeth.

Third Vision: The third vision tells Macbeth that he will see his end only when Birnam wood moves to Dunsinane Hill. Macbeth believes that that means that he will never fall from the throne or be killed. However, the witches have set Macbeth up to be confident in his own invincibility when really he is near his end.

Explanation: