Act 2 Scene 4

Scene Summary

Some time after the previous scene, the thane Ross talks with an old man about the strange occurrences in nature after Duncan’s murder, including a falcon killed by an owl and Duncan’s horses going mad and gruesomely eating each other in their stables. Macduff enters and they ask him for any important news. Macduff tells them it is believed that Duncan’s servants were the ones who killed the king, mentioning that Macbeth had killed them, while Malcolm and Donalbain have fled Scotland, marking them as suspects in the murder. Ross thinks the crown shall be granted to Macbeth, to which Macduff replies that Macbeth has already travelled to be crowned, while Duncan is to be buried with his ancestors. Ross questions if Macduff will attend Macbeth’s coronation but Macduff responds that he is heading home instead. Bidding them goodbye, the men disperse as the act ends.

Scene Analysis

As the final scene of the act, much like many of the shorter scenes that have come before, this serves more of a reminder of events that have happened, and foreshadows what is to come. Once again, Shakespeare uses the motif of supernatural disorder plaguing Scotland. This time, much like Duncan’s death, incidents occur off-stage, adding to the eerie atmosphere of the play, and heralding Macbeth’s dark reign as king, for in the same scene in which the audience hears that Duncan’s horses have eaten each other, they find out alongside Macduff that Macbeth is travelling to be crowned. Shakespeare’s weaving of motifs, symbolism, and foreshadowing is incredibly effective in setting up the tragic action to come.

This is also the scene in which Macduff’s suspicions of Macbeth are first hinted at, as when asked if he is going to travel to attend Macbeth’s coronation, he says he is not, and notes he is riding home. Though on an explicit level such an action is seemingly innocent of suspicious intent, upon closer inspection of Macduff’s character (especially considering his loyalty to the crown displayed in the previous scene), it is telling that the same dedication shown to Duncan as king is not shifted to Macbeth. Macduff is not blindly loyal to whoever happens to be the king (especially under suspicious circumstances!) – he is loyal to the rightful king, hence his eventual allegiance with Malcolm.