They have tied me to a stake. I cannot fly,
But, bear-like I must fight the course.—What’s he
That was not born of woman? Such a one
Am I to fear, or none.
They have tied me to a stake. I cannot fly, But, bear-like I must fight the course.—What’s he That was not born of woman? Such a one Am I to fear, or none.
they have tied me to a stake. i cannot fly, but, bear-like i must fight the course.—what’s he that was not born of woman? such a one am i to fear, or none.
they have tied me to a stake. i cannot fly, but, bear-like i
What is thy name?
What is thy name?
what is thy name?
what is thy name?
Thou’lt be afraid to hear it.
Thou’lt be afraid to hear it.
thou’lt be afraid to hear it.
thou’lt be afraid to hear it.
No; though thou call’st thyself a hotter name
Than any is in hell.
No; though thou call’st thyself a hotter name Than any is in hell.
no; though thou call’st thyself a hotter name than any is in hell.
no; though thou call’st thyself a hotter name than any is in
My name’s Macbeth.
My name’s Macbeth.
my name’s macbeth.
my name’s macbeth.
The devil himself could not pronounce a title
More hateful to mine ear.
The devil himself could not pronounce a title More hateful to mine ear.
the devil himself could not pronounce a title more hateful to mine ear.
the devil himself could not pronounce a title more hateful t
No, nor more fearful.
No, nor more fearful.
no, nor more fearful.
no, nor more fearful.
Thou liest, abhorred tyrant. With my sword
I’ll prove the lie thou speak’st.
Thou liest, abhorred tyrant. With my sword I’ll prove the lie thou speak’st.
thou liest, abhorred tyrant. with my sword i’ll prove the lie thou speak’st.
thou liest, abhorred tyrant. with my sword i’ll prove the li
Young Siward has perhaps twelve lines in the play and dies in his first encounter with Macbeth. He is not individuated the way Banquo or the Macduff Boy is — he is essentially a brave young soldier. But his death serves a specific dramatic purpose: it gives Macbeth a false confirmation of his invincibility immediately before the real test. If Macduff were the first person to fight Macbeth in Act 5, the prophecy's equivocation would be immediately tested. Instead, Young Siward — who is genuinely of woman born — dies easily, and Macbeth feels vindicated. The dramatic irony is acute: we watch Macbeth grow more confident with each step toward his own death. Young Siward's other function is to prepare Siward's scene: the old general's stoic response to his son's death ('He only lived but till he was a man') is the play's hardest image of military grief, answered later by the news that Young Siward died facing the enemy — the only comfort available.
Thou wast born of woman.
But swords I smile at, weapons laugh to scorn,
Brandish’d by man that’s of a woman born.
Thou wast born of woman. But swords I smile at, weapons laugh to scorn, Brandish’d by man that’s of a woman born.
thou wast born of woman. but swords i smile at, weapons laugh to scorn, brandish’d by man that’s of a woman born.
thou wast born of woman. but swords i smile at, weapons laug
That way the noise is.—Tyrant, show thy face!
If thou be’st slain and with no stroke of mine,
My wife and children’s ghosts will haunt me still.
I cannot strike at wretched kerns, whose arms
Are hired to bear their staves. Either thou, Macbeth,
Or else my sword, with an unbatter’d edge,
I sheathe again undeeded. There thou shouldst be;
By this great clatter, one of greatest note
Seems bruited. Let me find him, Fortune!
And more I beg not.
That way the noise is.—Tyrant, show thy face! If thou be’st slain and with no stroke of mine, My wife and children’s ghosts will haunt me still. I cannot strike at wretched kerns, whose arms Are hired to bear their staves. Either thou, Macbeth, Or else my sword, with an unbatter’d edge, I sheathe again undeeded. There thou shouldst be; By this great clatter, one of greatest note Seems bruited. Let me find him, Fortune! And more I beg not.
that way the noise is.—tyrant, show thy face! if thou be’st slain and with no stroke of mine, my wife and children’s ghosts will haunt me still. i cannot strike at wretched kerns, whose arms are hired to bear their staves. either thou, macbeth, or else my sword, with an unbatter’d edge, i sheathe again undeeded. there thou shouldst be; by this great clatter, one of greatest note seems bruited. let me find him, fortune! and more i beg not.
that way the noise is.—tyrant, show thy face! if thou be’st
This way, my lord;—the castle’s gently render’d:
The tyrant’s people on both sides do fight;
The noble thanes do bravely in the war,
The day almost itself professes yours,
And little is to do.
This way, my lord;—the castle’s gently render’d: The tyrant’s people on both sides do fight; The noble thanes do bravely in the war, The day almost itself professes yours, And little is to do.
this way, my lord;—the castle’s gently render’d: the tyrant’s people on both sides do fight; the noble thanes do bravely in the war, the day almost itself professes yours, and little is to do.
this way, my lord;—the castle’s gently render’d: the tyrant’
We have met with foes
That strike beside us.
We have met with foes That strike beside us.
we have met with foes that strike beside us.
we have met with foes that strike beside us.
The Reckoning
A short scene of the battle's opening phase. Macbeth kills Young Siward in single combat and, hearing that the boy was born normally, takes the prophecy as confirmed: the second apparition was right. No man of woman born can harm him. The feeling is brief — Macduff is already looking for him. The scene also shows Siward's lines as almost comically brief, establishing him as the generic good general against Macbeth's complex villainy. The real drama is the search: Macduff moving through the battle specifically looking for one man. The personal encounter is still one scene away.
If this happened today…
In the middle of a firefight, the man they can't stop takes down one of the most promising soldiers on the other side and feels it as confirmation: untouchable. His enemy moves through the fighting specifically looking for him. He doesn't know that yet.