y to England. She doesnt understand why he left without bidding her farewell andfears that rumors of his being a traitor are true. A group of hired assassins burst into Macduffscastle to find two of their targets, Lady Macduff and her son together, engaged in a conversation.The Thanes son is killed, and Lady Macduff flees from the house screaming, the assassins givechase and she too is apparently killed.In Holinsheds it is said that Makbeth and his forces laid siege to Makduffes castle,opened the gates without any resistance, entered, and killed everyone inside. Makbeth thentook all of Makduffes goods, proclaimed him a traitor, and banished him from Scotland.Makduffe, however, had already escaped from danger and was already in England.Macduff meets Malcolm and tells him about the bad times that have befallen theirhomeland. Macduff speaks of the evil Macbeth now ruling the country and asks Malcolm to claimhis right to the throne. Macduff tells of his plan to overthrow the tyrannical Macbeth. Malcolmsays that he has none of the qualities that are required in a leader. He claims that he has theopposite traits and that he would harm the country even more. Malcolm claims that he isadulterous (seeking the nightly company of others wives, daughters, matrons, and maids).Macduff replies that even though many other rulers have fallen from power for the same fault,there are enough willing women in Scotland to satisfy even the hungriest of men. Malcolm alsoclaims that if he were King, he would divest the nobles of their lands and riches, and that all theseill-gotten gains would only make him want more. Macduff still tries to convince Malcolm to joinhim by saying that there is enough wealth in Scotland to appease his hunger and that these viceswont outweigh his virtues. Malcolm then replies that he has none of the virtues found in a properking such as verity, temprance, stableness(IV, iii, 92). Macduff then passionately admits that Malcolm was his l...
