Context & Big Ideas
When was Macbeth written, who was the monarch, and what era was this?
Around 1606, during the reign of King James I, in the Jacobean era.
How is Macbeth presented at the beginning?
Brave, loyal, and highly respected after winning battle for Scotland.
How does Macbeth begin? (plot)
With witches on a stormy heath (uncultivated, infertile land) discussing when they will meet Macbeth.
What purpose do the witches serve?
To create chaos, manipulate Macbeth, and drive the plot forward.
Why does Lady Macbeth sleepwalk?
She is overwhelmed by guilt over Duncan’s murder.
What was Shakespeare’s “big idea” when writing Macbeth?
To explore the destructive power of unchecked ambition.
What is Lady Macbeth’s opinion of Macbeth?
She thinks he is weak and too kind (“too full o’th’ milk of human kindness”).
What sound “invites” Macbeth to kill Duncan?
A bell (a “knell” like a funeral bell).
What setting is used for witches’ scenes?
Isolated, stormy places
What does “Out, damned spot!” symbolise?
Her guilt and inability to wash away her crimes.
What is regicide and how was it viewed in the Jacobean era?
Regicide is the murder of a king; it was seen as a crime against God.
How does Lady Macbeth advise Macbeth to act around Duncan? (give a specific quote)
“Look like th’ innocent flower, but be the serpent under’t.”
How does Macbeth break the Chain of Being?
By murdering King Duncan.
Act 1 prophecies?
Macbeth will be Thane of Cawdor, then king; Banquo will father kings.
What is iambic pentameter?
A rhythmic pattern of 10 syllables with unstressed/stressed beats.
What is the Chain of Being?
A belief that everything has a fixed place in the universe and cannot be changed.
How does Duncan reward Macbeth?
He makes him Thane of Cawdor.
What disturbs Macbeth’s ambition to become king?
Duncan names Malcolm Prince of Cumberland (heir to the throne).
Act 4 prophecies?
Beware Macduff; no man born of woman can harm Macbeth; Birnam Wood will move.
What is a rhyming couplet?
Two consecutive lines that rhyme.
What is pathetic fallacy?
When weather reflects human emotions or events.
Why is Banquo a threat to Macbeth?
The witches predict Banquo’s descendants will be kings.
Why is Macbeth present in less than half of Act 5? (infer, critical thinking, symbolism)
His power is declining; Scotland is slipping from his control.
How do the Act 4 prophecies spur Macbeth?
They make him feel invincible, especially the “none of woman born” prophecy.
What does the “tomorrow” soliloquy reveal about Macbeth? (Act 5, Scene 5)
Macbeth feels empty, hopeless, and life feels meaningless.