When Macbeth meets with the witches in Act 4 Scene 1, the witches call up an apparition, an Armed Head, which tells Macbeth “Beware Macduff,” who ends up killing Macbeth. Then, a Bloody Child appears, that says “none of woman born / Shall harm Macbeth,” which reassures him, because he doesn’t know Macduff had a Caesarean birth. A Crowned Child appears next, holding a tree in his hand, who tells him that he will not be “vanquished” until “Great Birnam Wood to high Dunsinane Hill / Shall come against him,” which turns out to be the way his enemies creep up on him, hidden in trees cut from Birnam Wood, at the final battle on Dunsinane Hill. The fourth apparition is a “row of eight kings,” the last holding a mirror, and then Banquo, smiling. The apparition says nothing, but the image foretells that Banquo will not be king but related to a king, clearly the subsequent king, of Scotland. These follow the 2 earlier prophesies made at the beginning in Act 1, Scene 3, when the witches predict Macbeth will become Thane of Cawdor, then King of Scotland (54). However, they follow this up by telling Banquo, “thou shalt get kings, though thou be none,” meaning kings will be in his lineage, although he himself will not be king (70). All the predictions come true.
Here is the film adaptation of the witch scene:
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