Question

After reading "Macbeth"

In Act 5, Scene 8, Macbeth knows that Macduff will kill him because

Macduff knows Macbeth killed his family.
Macbeth decides not to fight back and let himself be killed.
Macduff says he was removed from his mother's womb.
The witches prophecy said this would happen.

Answer 1

In Act 5, Scene 8 of "Macbeth," Macbeth realizes that Macduff is destined to kill him because Macduff was "from his mother's womb untimely ripped," meaning he was born via caesarean section. This fulfills the witches' prophecy that no man born of a woman would harm Macbeth. However, since Macduff was not technically "born" in the usual way, he represents the exception to this prophecy. Therefore, the primary reason Macbeth believes Macduff will kill him is because of what Macduff states about his birth. So, the correct answer is:

**Macduff says he was removed from his mother's womb.**