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Macbeth knows that MacDuff has fled to England and so he knows already he is having innocent people murdered.

There is a huge amount of irony in the conversation between Lady MacDuff and her son. Also it shows her genuine innocence and good character, therefore again highlighting the intense wickedness of Macbeth (her innocence is akin to Duncans). Lady MacDuff has morals and values, and is honourable and noble and true to the King. This juxtaposition between Lady MacDuff (her utter loyalty and devotion to the King, very much a typical expectation of the Jacobean time) and Macbeth is stark.  The irony that she calls her husband a traitor (when he is not) and yet she is betrayed by the very King she is loyal towards also shows the evilness of the actions. The speech between Lady MacDuff and her son surely provokes outrage in the audience who know what is about to happen.

Act 4 Scene 2 highlights the innocent people who are victims of Macbeth’s evil actions. This shows the absolute destruction caused by Macbeth’s ravenous hunger for power, he is out of control and is a terrible King who murders his innocent, loyal subjects: women and children.

Macbeth: “This tyrant, whose sole name blisters our tongues, was thought honest”.

1.    Word choice of tyrant: a cruel and oppressive ruler.

"the tyrant was deposed by popular demonstrations"

synonyms:

dictator, despot, autocrat,

Macbeth as King: “It [Scotland] weeps, it bleeds, and each new day a gash is added to her wounds”. This sums up the destructive reign of Macbeth and also we see the love for their country form Malcolm and MacDuff as they personify it.

Repetition of “tyrant”.

If we compare the victorious Scotland under Duncan to Macbeth’s Scotland as told by Ross in Act 4 Scene 3 we can see the stark contrast and further evidence of Macbeth’s wickedness and inability to be a good King.