Macbeth Glossary

Nose of Turk and Tartar's lips,
Finger of birth-strangled babe. (4.1.29-30)

birth-strangled ] i.e., killed right after birth and before baptism, thus making the baby damned like the unbaptized Turk, Tartar and Jew.

For more on prejudices in Shakespeare's England, please click here.

Back to the Witches' Chants (4.1)

How to cite this article:

Mabillard, Amanda. Macbeth Glossary. Shakespeare Online. 20 Aug. 2000. (date when you accessed the information) < http://www.shakespeare-online.com/plays/macbeth/macbethglossary/macbeth1_1/macbethglos_births.html >.

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