Chapter: SCENE VII.

The same. Another part of the Plain.

[Alarums. Enter Macbeth.]

MACBETH.
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.

[Enter young Siward.]

YOUNG SIWARD.
What is thy name?

MACBETH.
Thou'lt be afraid to hear it.

YOUNG SIWARD.
No; though thou call'st thyself a hotter name
Than any is in hell.

MACBETH.
My name's Macbeth.

YOUNG SIWARD.
The devil himself could not pronounce a title
More hateful to mine ear.

MACBETH.
No, nor more fearful.

YOUNG SIWARD.
Thou liest, abhorred tyrant; with my sword
I'll prove the lie thou speak'st.

[They fight, and young Seward is slain.]

MACBETH.
Thou wast born of woman.--
But swords I smile at, weapons laugh to scorn,
Brandish'd by man that's of a woman born.

[Exit.]

[Alarums. Enter Macduff.]

MACDUFF.
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.

[Exit. Alarums.]

[Enter Malcolm and old Siward.]

SIWARD.
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.

MALCOLM.
We have met with foes
That strike beside us.

SIWARD.
Enter, sir, the castle.

[Exeunt. Alarums.]

 Macbeth appears on stage and compares himself to a bear in a bear-baiting contest . History Snack: Bear-baiting is a blood sport that involves chaining a bear to a stake and setting a pack of dogs on it. Elizabethans thought this was good clean family fun. Bear-baiting arenas were located in the same neighborhoods as the theaters, just in case anyone wanted to take in a play and then top off their day of fun with a little animal cruelty. Young Siward enters and...quickly dies. Macbeth talks some evil smack over the dead body, to the effect of "your swords and weapons can't touch me because you're of woman born." Macduff runs on stage looking for Macbeth and screams for the evil tyrant Macbeth to come out and show his ugly face. Macduff is hot to kill Macbeth with his own sword because he'll likely be haunted by the ghosts of his wife and kids if he doesn't. He begs "fortune" to let him find Macbeth so he can stab him in the guts. Siward and Malcolm note that Macbeth's castle has basically been surrendered without a fight. They're winning battles with little effort, mainly because the people they're fighting aren't really trying. Even Macbeth's soldiers hate him. So. Many. Enemies.

