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All Site ContentMacbethAct 4Scene 1
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"A deed without a name"
Allusion
Act 4,
Scene 1
Lines 48-50

An explanation of “a deed without a name” in Act 4, Scene 1 of myShakespeare’s Macbeth.

Macbeth

How now, you secret, black, and midnight hags.
What is't you do?

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A deed without a name.

Here, the witches reference historical religious beliefs. When someone was baptized, they were officially given a name and sanctioned by God. By referring to their actions as “a deed without a name,” they are suggesting that those actions are not sanctioned by God.