Act V

The witches' prophecies are literally true but deliberately worded to give Macbeth a false sense of security — they are equivocations that appear protective but are ultimately destructive.

Step 1: The witches told Macbeth he would not be defeated 'till Birnam Wood do come to Dunsinane.' Macbeth interpreted this as impossible — forests don't move. Step 2: However, Malcolm's tactical use of branches makes the wood literally 'move.' The prophecy was literally true, but the meaning was hidden. Step 3: This is equivocation — a key theme in Macbeth — where the witches speak the truth in a way that misleads. Macbeth himself later says they 'palter with us in a double sense.' Step 4: Option A is wrong — the prophecies do come true, they are not false. Option C oversimplifies — the play

Repetition and metaphor — the triple repetition of 'to-morrow' creates a sense of endless, meaningless time, and the extended metaphor of life as an actor and a candle conveys nihilism and despair.

Step 1: The repetition of 'to-morrow' three times mimics the slow, grinding passage of time — each tomorrow is the same as the last, creating a sense of hopelessness. Step 2: The metaphor 'Life's but a walking shadow, a poor player' compares life to an actor — brief, performative, and ultimately forgotten. Step 3: The candle image ('Out, out, brief candle') suggests life is fragile and easily extinguished. Taken together, these devices create Macbeth's nihilistic worldview at his lowest point. Step 4: Option A is wrong — there is no simile comparing life to a river. Option C is wrong — there i

He is so numb and desensitised from years of violence and crime that he cannot feel grief properly — death has lost its emotional impact for him.

Step 1: Macbeth's response is strikingly cold — he says she would have died eventually anyway, not that he loved her and mourns her. Step 2: Earlier in the play, Macbeth and Lady Macbeth had a close, intimate partnership. His inability to grieve shows his complete moral and emotional deterioration. Step 3: He immediately launches into the 'Tomorrow' soliloquy, which is about the meaninglessness of all life — not specifically about Lady Macbeth. This confirms his emotional numbness. Step 4: Option A is wrong — a grief-stricken person would express personal sorrow, not philosophical detachment.

Macbeth recognises that the witches (fiends) spoke truths that were deliberately misleading — technically true but designed to deceive him into a false sense of safety.

Step 1: 'Fiend' refers to the witches, who are associated with demonic forces throughout the play. Step 2: 'Equivocation' means using ambiguous language — saying something that is technically true but meant to mislead. For example, 'Birnam Wood coming to Dunsinane' was possible but was meant to sound impossible. Step 3: 'Lies like truth' perfectly captures equivocation — the witches' words appeared to be comforting truths but were, in fact, carefully constructed deceptions. Step 4: Option A is wrong — Macbeth's statement is about the witches, not the Messenger. Option C is wrong — Macbeth neve