Prophetic Fallacy
Lady Macbeth says 'It was the owl that shriek'd, the fatal bellman' (Act 2: Scene 2). What is the significance of the bird?
What is The owl is compared to a bellman who had the job of ringing the parish bell when a person in the town was near death.
In Act 3: Scene 4, Lady Macbeth tells her husband 'You lack the season of all natures, sleep.' Why is Macbeth not able to sleep?
What is Macbeth cannot sleep due to his increasing guilt over his murdering of Duncan.
In Act 1: Scene 3 Banquo states, 'If you can look into the seeds of time, And say which grain will grow and which will not' . What is he referring to?
What is Banquo is referring to the prophecies of the witches'.
Graymalkin and Paddock are allusions to?
What is familiars of the witches' or evil spirits in animal form.
When Macbeth says.. 'A dagger of the mind, a false creation, Proceeding from the heat-oppressed brain?' Act 2: Scene 1, he experiencing what motif seen throughout the play?
What is a hullucination.
What do Ross' lines in Act 2: Scene 4 suggest?
'Thou seest, the heavens, as troubled with man's act, Threaten his bloody stage: by the clock, 'tis day, And yet dark night strangles the travelling lamp' .
What is the fact that the political disorder is Scotland is being reflecting in the natural world and that the sun is not rising. It is suggested that Scotland was in the dark whilst Macbeth ruled.
In Act 4: Scene 2, Macduff Son says, 'Then the liars and swearers are fools, for there are liars and swearers enow to beat the honest men and hang up them'. What theme is referring to and how?
What is Appearance vs Reality (Betrayal/Loyalty). He is suggesting that men are not what they seem and honest men (like his father Macduff) are the target of those who cannot be trusted.
In Act 1:Scene Lady Macbeth talks about the nature of her husband, 'too full o' the milk of human kindness, To catch the nearest way: thou wouldst be great; Art not without ambition, but without, The illness should attend it: what thou wouldst highly, That wouldst thou holily; wouldst not play false'. What is she suggesting that is capable and not capable of?
What is Lady Macbeth states that her husband's nature is too loyal and honourable and that he lacks the motivation to take the title of King, whilst suggesting that he is not capable of bretrayal.
The lines of Third Witch in Act 1: Scene 1 'There to meet with Macbeth' could suggest?
What is Foreshadowing that Macbeth is the target of the witches' and implying that his fate is decided.
'Lesser than Macbeth, and greater. Not so happy, yet much happier. Thou shalt get kings, though thou be none' Act 1: Scene 3. This is an example of?
What is Equivocation.
Banquo lines, 'Fears and scruples shake us:
In the great hand of God I stand; and thence
Against the undivulged pretence I fight
Of treasonous malice' Act 2: Scene 3 confirm what about him?
What is Banquo is loyal to Scotland and a man of honourable nature who is not influenced by the predictions of the weird sisters.
How do the Doctor's lines in Act 5: Scene 1 make reference to the supernatural and natural order in the play? 'Foul whisperings are abroad: unnatural deeds, Do breed unnatural troubles: infected minds To their deaf pillows will discharge their secrets: More needs she the divine than the physician.'
What is the doctor is suggesting that Lady Macbeth has engaged with supernatural forces, therefore leading to her declining mental state and that her soul is now damned.
In Act 2: Scene 3, Macbeth's Porter provides comic relief with series of 'Knock,knock, knock!' lines. What is the significance of this line 'Knock, knock; never at quiet! What are you? But this place is too cold for hell'?
What is The Porter allows people to enter Macbeth's Inverness Castle... he is linking the castle to hell.
How does Shakespeare organise the dramatic action in each Act using the 5 act tragedy structur?
What is
Act 1 - Exposition, Rising Action
Act 2 - Hamartia
Act 3 - Climax
Act 4 - Falling Action (Hubris)
Act 5 - Catastrophe, Restoration
Duncan's line 'This castle hath a pleasant seat; the air' Act 1: Scene 6 is an example of?
What is dramatic irony?
Malcolm's lines in Act 4: Scene 3 are an example of what and suggest what?
'I think our country sinks beneath the yoke; It weeps, it bleeds; and each new day a gash, Is added to her wounds'
What is personification and Malcolm is suggesting that people of Scotland are suffering under the rule of Macbeth.
How does Lady Macbeth's lines 'Here's the smell of the blood still: all the perfumes of Arabia will not sweeten this little hand' Act 5: Scene 1 show the significance of blood throughout the play?
What is Shakespeare uses the symbol of blood to represent violence, death, treachery and guilt. The motif of blood changes with the character transitions across the five acts.
In Act 3: Scene 2 Macbeth states, 'O, full of scorpions is my mind, dear wife!' What does this reveal about his journey as the tragic hero at this stage of the play?
What is Macbeth is paranoid about Banquo and thinking he is potential rival as the witches suggest his sons will be kings. He is moving towards the climax of the play and planning the most significant murder in the play.
What is the significance of 'Liver of blaspheming Jew, Gall of goat, and slips of yew, Silver'd in the moon's eclipse, Nose of Turk and Tartar's lips' that the witches' use for their charm in Act 4: Scene 1?
What is the recipe for monster and symbolic of Macbeth. According to Christian belief the the Turk, Tartar, and the Jew were considered considered damned and unable to go to heaven.
In Act 2: Scene 2 Lady Macbeth uses evocation/emotive language stating, 'That which hath made them drunk hath made me bold; What hath quench'd them hath given me fire.' What is she suggesting about her character?
What is she is referencing her own ambition to be queen and he motivation to excute a plan to achieve this.
In Act 2: Scene 3 Shakespeare uses Prophetic Fallacy for Lennox' lines to suggest?
'The night has been unruly: where we lay,Our chimneys were blown down; and, as they say, Lamentings heard i' the air; strange screams of death, And prophesying with accents terrible'
What is Lennox is making a reference to the unnatural world and supernatural forces are impacting the current political situation in Scotland.
Macbeth saying, 'Methought I heard a voice cry 'Sleep no more! Macbeth does murder sleep' the innocent sleep' Act 2: Scene 2, draws attention to what important motif and why is it important?
What is sleep and Shakespeare use's the motif of sleep (or lack of) throughout the play to enforce the power of the supernatural and to reflect the increasing guilt felt by Macbeth and Lady Macbeth.
In Act 5: Scene 5 Macbeth says, 'Out, out, brief candle! Life's but a walking shadow, a poor player, That struts and frets his hour upon the stage, And then is heard no more: it is a tale, Told by an idiot, full of sound and fury, Signifying nothing.' What is he saying to the audience?
What is Macbeth is reflecting upon the futility of all of his actions: his ‘vaulting ambition’, which has spurred him on to commit murder and take the kingdom for himself. He saying that is has all been for nothing now he is truly alone (upon hearing of Lady Macbeth's suicide), with most of the lords rallying to Macduff and standing against Macbeth.
Why does Shakespeare use this allusion in Act 3: Scene 1, 'My Genius is rebuked; as, it is said, Mark Antony's was by Caesar' ?
What is Macbeth compares his relationship with Banquo to Mark Antony and Caesar and the fear that his sons will be kings.
In Act 4: Scene 2 Lady Macduff states, 'He loves us not; He wants the natural touch: for the poor wren, The most diminutive of birds, will fight, Her young ones in her nest, against the owl. All is the fear and nothing is the love'. What is she saying about her husband and her role as a mother?
What is Lady Macduff is judging her husband's decision to go to England to avoid the being Macbeth's target and uses the reference to the wren (small bird) and owl to suggest even the weaker bird would fight for her babies. She is suggesting he has chosen fear, rather than love as he has chosen to leave his family unprotected.