In a moment of dramatic irony, Macduff begins the conversation urging Malcolm to fight for Scotland rather than to grieve, not knowing that Malcolm has already arranged for English military support ( 4. 3. 134-136 ).

Depicted, counter clockwise from top-left, are: Macbeth and Banquo meet the witch es ; just after the murder of King_Duncan | Duncan ; Banquo's ghost ; Macbeth duels Macduff ; and Macbeth.

Shakespeare's source for the tragedy are the accounts of King Macbeth of Scotland, Macduff, and Duncan in Holinshed's Chronicles ( 1587 ), a history of England, Scotland and Ireland familiar to Shakespeare and his contemporaries.

A porter opens the gate and Macbeth leads them to the king's chamber, where Macduff discovers Duncan's body.

Macduff is immediately suspicious of Macbeth, but does not reveal his suspicions publicly.

Lennox enters and tells Macbeth that Macduff has fled to England.

Macbeth orders Macduff's castle be seized, and, most cruelly, sends murderers to slaughter Macduff ’ s wife and children.

Prince Malcolm, Duncan ’ s son, has succeeded in raising an army in England, and Macduff joins him as he rides to Scotland to challenge Macbeth ’ s forces.

Macbeth boasts that he has no reason to fear Macduff, for he cannot be killed by any man born of woman.

Macbeth has a long, ten-year reign before eventually being overthrown by Macduff and Malcolm.

Macbeth finds that there are always potential threats to the throne — such as Banquo, Fleance, and Macduff — and he is tempted to use violent means to dispose of them.

When Macduff learns of the murders of his wife and child, Malcolm consoles him unsympathetically with encouragement to take the news in “ manly ” fashion and use it to fuel his hatred of Macbeth.

Davenant's revision also enhanced the role of Lady Macduff, making her a thematic foil to Lady Macbeth.

He later makes an appearance in Act 4. 3, where he talks to Macduff about Macbeth and what to do.

In Act 5. 8 he watches the battle against Macbeth and Macduff with Siward and Ross.

Shakespeare was either unaware of or indifferent to this, and adopted, then adapted some of their features, including the five act structure and the aforementioned train of bad decisions, culminating in an eventual ' stoic calm ' of the protagonist, in which the character virtuously accepts the consequences of their error ( s )-" Lay on, Macduff ," in " Macbeth ".

* Macduff, Macbeth ( opera ) ( Verdi )

Abbott and Portillo have known each other since school, when they appeared in joint school productions of Romeo and Juliet ( although not in the title roles ), and of Macbeth as Lady Macduff and Macduff respectively.

His first American film role was as Macduff in Orson Welles ' version of Macbeth ( 1948 ).

He toured with Charles Doran's company for five seasons, gradually being promoted to larger parts including Macduff in Macbeth and Mark Antony in Julius Caesar.

The later prophecy by the first apparition of the witches that Macbeth should " Beware Macduff " is also a self-fulfilling prophecy.

If Macbeth had not been told this, then he might not have regarded Macduff as a threat.

Therefore he would not have killed Macduff's family, and Macduff would not have sought revenge and killed Macbeth.

Macduff plays a pivotal role in the play: he suspects Macbeth of regicide and eventually kills Macbeth in the final act.

Macduff makes his first appearance in the play in 2. 3 when he discovers the corpse of King Duncan in Macbeth ’ s castle.

This interpretation is supported by Macduff ’ s reaction upon his discovery of Duncan ’ s corpse and the echo of Macduff ’ s words when Macbeth responds to the news of Lady Macbeth ’ s death.

This becomes most evident in 4. 3 when Macduff joins Malcolm in England.

Macduff ’ s fear for their safety and guilt is apparent, especially when he questions, “ The tyrant has not battered at their peace ?”.

Lady Macduff is a domestic and caring figure: her scene is one if the few times when child and parent are seen together, parallel to an earlier scene between Banquo and his son Fleance.

It takes place in the beginning of the 5th scene of Act 5, during the time when the English troops, led by Malcolm and Macduff, are approaching Macbeth's castle to besiege it.

" Macbeth's henchmen arrive, and, when they declare Macduff a traitor, the boy leaps forward to defend his absent father.

To Malcolm ’ s suggestion, “ Dispute it like a man ,” Macduff replies, “ I shall do so.

Interestingly, Macduff ’ s name does not appear in this scene ; rather, Banquo refers to him as “ Dear Duff ” ( 2. 3. 75 ).

The Witches warn Macbeth to “ beware Macduff, beware the Thane of Fife ” ( 4. 1. 87-88 ).

Although Macbeth believes that he cannot be killed by any man born of a woman, he soon learns that Macduff was “ from his mother ’ s womb / Untimely ripped ” ( 5. 10. 15-16 ).

In an exchange between the Scottish thane Lennox and another lord, Lennox talks of Macduff ’ s flight to England and refers to him as “ some holy angel ” ( 3. 6. 46 ) who “ may soon return to this our suffering country / Under a hand accursed ” ( 3. 6. 48-49 ).

Macduff struggles to find the words to express his rage and anguish, crying, “ O horror, horror, horror ” ( 2. 3. 59 ).

Although Macduff comes to represent a type of “ goodness ” in the dark world of Macbeth, Shakespeare also allows for some instability in his character.

He replies to Macbeth: “ Despair thy charm, / And let the angel whom thou still hast served / Tell thee, Macduff was from his mother ’ s womb / Untimely ripped ” ( Act V, scene 8 ).

Though he may not have been of a woman born in the conventional sense ( thus fulfilling the prophecy ), Macduff ultimately originates from woman, asserting that he was “ from his mother ’ s womb.

Lady Macduff challenges her husband ’ s actions, questioning, “ What had he done to make him fly the land ?” and raising a question of loyalty that the play never fully resolves.

Lady Macduff and Lady Macbeth are two who, “ share some basic qualities but diverge in others ”.

Lady Macbeth believes her husband to be too full of the “ milk of human kindness ”, while Lady Macduff is furious at her husband for his unkind abandonment of his family.

Davenant greatly expanded Lady Macduff ’ s role, having her appear in four new scenes: “ the first with Lady Macbeth, the second with her husband in which they are visited by the witches, the third in which she tries to dissuade him from opposing Macbeth, and the fourth where, hearing of Banquo ’ s murder, she urges Macduff to flee to England .” These revisions greatly increased her role as a foil to Lady Macbeth, with Lady Macbeth dedicated to evil and Lady Macduff dedicated to good.