ENGLISH LITERATURE (CBSE/UGC NET)

Detailed explanation-1: -Although Macbeth believes that he cannot be killed by any man born of a woman, he soon learns that Macduff was “from his mother’s womb / Untimely ripped” (Act V Scene 8 lines 2493/2494)-meaning that Macduff was born by caesarean section. The two fight, and Macduff slays Macbeth offstage.

Detailed explanation-2: -Macduff is finally able to kill Macbeth as he was, as the witches’ prophecy stated, “from his mother’s womb untimely ripped”.

Detailed explanation-3: -DAVINA: Macduff is saying that he wasn’t born through the normal birthing process. Instead, his mother’s abdomen was cut open and he was removed directly from the womb, presumably because his mother was dying.

Detailed explanation-4: -Macduff’s ability to kill Macbeth suggests that his mother was irrelevant and he was born only to his father and was not “woman born". Thus ignoring her role in his birth.

Detailed explanation-5: -The quote means that nobody born from a woman can ever kill Macbeth. Since Macduff is able to kill him, the quote suggests that women birthing via Cesarean sections are not mothers in the same way as mothers birthing naturally, and that their babies are not born to them.