a
character in the
play Macbeth by
William Shakespeare.
Macbeth is accosted by three mysterious witches and hailed as the
future king of Scotland. At the urging of his wife he murders the
king (Duncan) and is then proclaimed
king himself. Macduff,
Macbeth's former friend, turns against him after the
murder and joins Duncan's son in raising an army to unseat him. In the last
scene of the
play Macduff challenges
Macbeth to fight; one part of
Macbeth's response is "
Lay on Macduff." This is a well-known and often quoted
line from the
play.
—SHSBC Binder 4 Approved Glossary