In Act IV, Scene 1, the witches summon three apparitions.
The first apparition tells Macbeth to beware Macduff. The second apparition tells
Macbeth that “none of woman born” shall harm him. The third apparition tells
him:
Macbeth
shall never vanquish’d be untilGreat Birnam wood to high
Dunsinane hillShall come against him
(4.1.92-94).
In Act V, Scene
4, Malcolm orders every soldier to cut down a branch from Birnam Wood to act as
camouflage. In Act V, Scene 5, a messenger reports to Macbeth that he thought he saw the
Birnam wood begin to move. He saw the troops, draped in branches moving toward
Dunsinane. The third prophecy is confirmed. In Scene 8, Macduff challenges Macbeth. The
first prophecy is confirmed. Macduff then reveals that he was “untimely” ripped from his
mother’s womb. He was born by Caesarean-section. Finally, on a verbal technicality, the
second prophecy is confirmed when Macbeth is killed by Macduff.
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