Act IV, Scene 1: TONE

      Act IV, scene 1, II. 79-105 highlights the darkness of Macbeth's character that dramatically opposes his original persona. 

Once given the choice between good and evil, Macbeth now submerges his mind within the witches' evil bidding and manifestations, ignoring goodness entirely. To reflect the irony in Macbeth's future, Shakespeare constructed each apparition reflecting the downfall of Macbeth. Intent audience members will notice that the characters portrayed by each apparition foreshadow Macbeth's death.

As Macbeth clings to the fingers of his evil desires, the witches' premonition beckons him back. Within their lair, he is met by three ghosts that tell—through rhyme—his future. The second apparition is that of a small bloody child who warns Macbeth that “none [no man] of woman born” can kill him: To this, the audience thinks that perhaps Macbeth can be killed only by powerful nonhuman being, but a man is mentioned and therefore, a man it must be who kills him. This bloody child both personifies the non-woman-born child as well as the soon to be death of Macbeth's murderer's son. In cold blood, as well, Macbeth then vows to kill Macduff to only secure his future: vowing also to slaughter Macduff's family. The third apparition represents the bloody child (Macduff) bringing the forest to the castle's doors (Great Birnam wood to high Dunsinane hill) and Macbeth will then die; however, Macbeth only hears that he cannot die until the forest comes to his doorstep...which he believes to be impossible. At last, Macbeth begs the witches to verify Banquo's future. The creatures tell this greedy man to “seek to know no more” of that which will cause him fear: He asks anyway.

Showing no second thoughts upon the murder he will commit, Macbeth has fallen far from where we first met him at the exposition's doors. Macbeth displays the taint of evil on the human soul and magnifies the choice we all have in our futures. From now on, only the fall of his character can continue as the tone of the script darkens.

Irony and darkness plague both this passage and this scene as Macbeth's story continues. Irony lies in the idea that Macbeth's downfall is twined within the words and images of the apparitions: Darkness drenches the tone with wicked images and selfish deeds. Through tone, the image of this scene reflects the darkest downfall of even a beautiful soul.