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.

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.

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.

When this news of his family ’ s execution reaches him, Macduff is stricken with grief and vows revenge.

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

Malcolm ’ s comment shows that he has learned the lesson Macduff gave him on the feeling nature of true masculinity.

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.

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

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

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.

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

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 ).

As a supporting character, Macduff serves as a foil to Macbeth ; his integrity directly contrasts with Macbeth ’ s moral perversion.

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, hearing of his family ’ s death, reacts with a tortured grief.

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.

In some stage interpretations, Macduff ’ s character transitions from a state of shock to one of frenzied alarm.

First, they conjure an armed head, which tells him to beware of Macduff ( 4. 1. 72 ).

Macduff carries Macbeth's head onstage and Malcolm discusses how order has been restored.

Rather than fatally stabbing Macbeth and then beheading the dead body, Macduff kills Macbeth by slashing off his head.