Chapter: SCENE IV.

Country nearDunsinane: a Wood in view.

[Enter, with drum and colours, Malcolm, old Siward and his Son,
Macduff, Menteith, Caithness, Angus, Lennox, Ross, and Soldiers,
marching.]

MALCOLM.
Cousins, I hope the days are near at hand
That chambers will be safe.

MENTEITH.
We doubt it nothing.

SIWARD.
What wood is this before us?

MENTEITH.
The wood of Birnam.

MALCOLM.
Let every soldier hew him down a bough,
And bear't before him; thereby shall we shadow
The numbers of our host, and make discovery
Err in report of us.

SOLDIERS.
It shall be done.

SIWARD.
We learn no other but the confident tyrant
Keeps still in Dunsinane, and will endure
Our setting down before't.

MALCOLM.
'Tis his main hope:
For where there is advantage to be given,
Both more and less have given him the revolt;
And none serve with him but constrained things,
Whose hearts are absent too.

MACDUFF.
Let our just censures
Attend the true event, and put we on
Industrious soldiership.

SIWARD.
The time approaches,
That will with due decision make us know
What we shall say we have, and what we owe.
Thoughts speculative their unsure hopes relate;
But certain issue strokes must arbitrate:
Towards which advance the war.

[Exeunt, marching.]

 Malcolm, Siward, Macduff and the English forces have met up with Menteith, Angus, Caithness and the Scottish soldiers. Malcolm orders each man to chop down a tree in Birnam Wood and carry it until they reach Macbeth's castle. He says that this will hide their true numbers until they are ready to attack. Thus, Birnam Wood is traveling towards Dunsinane-part of the witches' prophecy has come true and Macbeth is doomed. Siward reports to the group that Macbeth remains confident in his castle at Dunsinane. The now combined Scottish-English army continues to march towards Macbeth's domain

