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.

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

This unnamed MacDuff appears frequently in stories connected to the rise of Malcolm III to the throne, and was later immortalised in the Shakespearean character Macduff.

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

Having succeeded his father as the 6th Earl of Fife, he was elevated to Duke of Fife and Marquess of Macduff in the Peerage of the United Kingdom two days after his marriage in 1889 to Princess Louise of Wales, the eldest daughter of Albert Edward, Prince of Wales ( later King Edward VII ) and Alexandra of Denmark.

After this, he used a courtesy title from his mother, Earl of Macduff, and later, upon inheriting his grandfather's dukedom, the Duke of Connaught and Strathearn.

Before breaking into film and television work, he was a regular actor with the Royal Shakespeare Company alongside Ian McKellen, Donald Sinden and Judi Dench, and appeared on stage ( and later on television ) in the RSC production of The Life and Adventures of Nicholas Nickleby as " John Browdie " and " Sir Mulberry Hawk ", and as Macduff in Trevor Nunn's acclaimed 1976 stage and 1978 television production of Macbeth.

Lady Macduff is alarmed and moments later, the scene is invaded by a group of murderers sent by Macbeth.

* Macbeth suffers from hubris, leading to the murder of Duncan I of Scotland ; he later becomes paranoid, leading him to order the deaths of Banquo and the family of Macduff: Macbeth

The supporting cast, which Harold Hobson denigrated, included many actors who went on to successful Shakespearean careers: Ian Holm played Donalbain, Keith Michell was Macduff, and Patrick Wymark the Porter.

* Helen ferch Llywelyn ( before 1230-after 16 Feb 1295 ) who married firstly Máel Coluim II, Earl of Fife, son of Duncan Macduff of Fife & his wife Alice Corbet.

Alexander William George Duff, 1st Duke of Fife KG, KT, GCVO, PC, VD ( 10 November 1849 – 29 January 1912 ), styled Viscount Macduff between 1857 and 1879 and known as The Earl Fife between 1879 and 1889, was a British Peer who married Princess Louise of Wales, the third child and eldest daughter of King Edward VII and Alexandra of Denmark.

Macduff, who is still in England, learns of his family ’ s deaths through Ross, another Scottish thane.

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 ).

La Belle gives examples of " the strangled babe " whose finger is thrown into the witches ’ cauldron ( 4. 1. 30 ); Macduff ’ s babes who are " savagely slaughter ’ d " ( 4. 3. 205 ); and the suckling babe with boneless gums whose brains Lady Macbeth would dash out ( 1. 7. 57 – 58 ) to argue that Lady Macbeth represents the ultimate anti-mother: not only would she smash in a baby ’ s brains but she would go even further to stop her means of procreation altogether.

Lady Macduff ’ s entire portrait as a character is painted in this one scene, though it is clear through her actions that she is a fiercely protective mother and a woman who is not afraid to speak out against others.

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

Like Lady Macbeth, Lady Macduff has a husband who has abandoned her with the intention to manipulate power.

However, Macduff flees to England to join Malcolm, the slain King Duncan ’ s elder son, and convinces him to return to Scotland and claim the throne.

Although characterized sporadically throughout the play, Macduff serves as a foil to Macbeth, a figure of morality, and an instrument to the play ’ s desired excision of femininity.

Malcolm manipulates Macduff, questioning his loyalty, facilitating his emotional responses, and testing to see how much Macduff ’ s, and perhaps the audience ’ s, morality can ultimately be compromised.

Macduff may also be read as a precursor for ethical philosophy.

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.

Macduff may refer to:

The donation of the royal hunting estate of Falkland by King Malcolm IV to Duncan Macduff, 6th Earl of Fife in 1160, may actually have led to any previous hunting lodge being replaced by the castle.

Shakespeare follows Holinshed's account of Macduff closely, with his only deviations being Macduff's discovery of Duncan's body in 2. 3, and Macduff's brief conference with Ross in 2. 4.

On high ground, about a mile southwest at, stand the remains ( only the pedestal ) of Macduff's Cross, which ( in legend ) marks the spot where the clan Macduff in return for its chief's services against Macbeth was granted rights of sanctuary and composition for murder done in hot blood.

David Charles Carnegie, Earl of Southesk ( b. 3 March 1961, Marylebone, London ), styled Earl of Macduff until 16 February 1992, is the only son of the 3rd Duke of Fife, and his former wife, now The Hon.

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

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

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 ).

While Macbeth and Lady Macbeth insist that manhood implies a denial of feeling ( 1. 7. 45-57 ), Macduff insists that emotional depth and sensitivity are part of what it means to be a man.

" If, as Macbeth believes, true manhood cannot derive from or be tainted by femininity, then Macduff ’ s very existence fundamentally counters this idea.

However, despite the antagonist often being classified the " bad guy ", the antagonist can be a good person ( one notable example being Macduff from Macbeth )

Clan Macduff is the first Scottish clan to be recognized as a clan by the Scottish Parliament, by legislation dated November 1384.

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.

A further provocation came in a case brought by Macduff, son of Malcolm, Earl of Fife, in which Edward demanded that Balliol appear in person before the English Parliament to answer the charges.

Macduff shoots Macbeth and takes a ring ( representing his high status ) off Macbeth's finger.

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.

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.

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.

In 1306 her grandfather King Edward I arranged for her to wed Duncan Macduff, 8th Earl of Fife.

In 1966, Juliá was cast for the role of Macduff in a Spanish version of Macbeth and performed in The Ox Cart, a stage play written by Puerto Rican play writer René Marqués.

From 1993-96, he was a Procurator Fiscal Depute for Edinburgh and Aberdeen, and from 1996-2001 was a solicitor with Aberdeen and Macduff.

Macduff first appears in Holinshed's narrative of King Duncan after Macbeth has killed the monarch and reigned as King of Scotland for 10 years.

Macduff leaves Scotland for England to prod Duncan's son, Malcolm, into taking the Scottish throne by force.

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

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 ).

In deciding to leave his family, Macduff deserts those values and pays bitterly for it.

As Macbeth assassinates Duncan, so MacBird is responsible for the assassination of Ken O ' Dunc ; and as Macbeth is defeated by Macduff, so MacBird is defeated by Robert O ' Dunc ( i. e. Robert Kennedy ).

Northern was the largest operator in the north east of Scotland and was responsible for urban, rural and interurban services in the towns of Alford, Ballater, Braemar, Buckie, Elgin, Forres, Fraserburgh, Fyvie, Macduff, Mintlaw, Peterhead and Stonehaven as well as city services in Aberdeen.

The two scenes in which murderers attack Banquo and Fleance, Lady Macduff and Macduff's son, have been compared to Herod's attempt to murder Christ and save the throne for himself by killing all new-born children in Bethlehem.

In 2000 he appeared for the first time at the Berlin State Opera-as Macduff in Macbeth.

Holinshed ’ s Chronicles was Shakespeare ’ s main source for Macbeth, though he diverged from the Chronicles significantly by delaying Macduff ’ s knowledge of his wife ’ s murder until his arrival in England.

Lady Macduff is left with her son, whom she speaks with, her fury toward Macduff mingling with her affection for her child.

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