Act 1
What three titles do the witches greet Macbeth with at the beginning of the play?
Thane of Glamis, Thane of Cawdor, and King
What imaginary object does Macbeth see floating in the air before he kills Duncan?
A dagger
Who does Macbeth hire murderers to kill in this Act because of a prophecy?
Banquo and Fleance
The Second Apparition (the Bloody Child) tells Macbeth that no man born of ____ shall harm him.
Woman
What is Lady Macbeth doing while she is sleepwalking?
Washing her hands/trying to get "out" a spot of blood.
Which character is the first to come up with the specific plan to kill King Duncan?
Lady Macbeth
Why did Lady Macbeth say she couldn't kill the King herself?
He resembled her father as he slept.
Whose ghost sits in Macbeth’s seat at the royal banquet?
Banquo’s
Why does Macbeth order the execution of Macduff’s entire family?
Macduff fled to England to join Malcolm, and Macbeth wants to punish him/assert power.
How does the prophecy about Birnam Wood moving to Dunsinane Hill actually come true?
Malcolm’s soldiers cut branches to use as camouflage as they march.
Throughout Act I, Macbeth’s new honors are repeatedly compared to what?
Borrowed Robes / Ill-fitting Clothing.
Why: This motif suggests that Macbeth’s new titles don’t "fit" his character and were stolen or unearned. It’s a key visual metaphor that shows Macbeth is an impostor.
What "witness" or evidence does Macbeth accidentally bring out of the room, which Lady Macbeth has to take back?
The bloody daggers
How has the relationship between Macbeth and Lady Macbeth changed in this Act?
Macbeth now acts without her advice; he keeps his plans for Banquo a secret from her.
What is the "show of eight kings" that the witches show Macbeth?
A line of Banquo’s descendants ruling as kings
What is Macbeth’s reaction to the news of his wife’s death?
He is cynical and cold, saying "She should have died hereafter" and that life is meaningless
Why does Macbeth initially decide not to kill Duncan?
He is Duncan’s kinsman, his subject, and his host; also, Duncan is a good king
In the "Porter Scene," the Porter pretends to be the gatekeeper of which location? And what does that represent?
Hell and that Macbeth as sentenced the King to go to hell.
What is the significance of Fleance escaping the murderers?
It means the witches’ prophecy about Banquo’s descendants becoming kings can still come true
In Scene 3, why does Malcolm lie to Macduff about being a greedy and lustful person?
To test Macduff’s loyalty to Scotland vs. his loyalty to a crown.
Why is Macduff able to kill Macbeth despite the "born of woman" prophecy?
He was "from his mother's womb untimely ripped" a C-section.
How does the "Captain’s" description of Macbeth in battle (unseaming a man from "nave to chops") create dramatic irony regarding his future actions?
It establishes him as a hero for his violence, which later becomes his tragic flaw when used for evil.
Immediately after the murder, Macbeth says he has "murdered" something besides the King. What is it, and what does it symbolize?
Sleep, symbolizes peace of mind and innocence.
According to Hecate, what is "mortals' biggest enemy," which she plans to use to ruin Macbeth?
Overconfidence
How does the "Armed Head" apparition's warning connect back to the very first Act of the play?
It warns "Beware Macduff," foreshadowing that the Thane who replaces Cawdor will be the one to end Macbeth.
Upon hearing of Lady Macbeth’s death, Macbeth delivers his "Tomorrow, and tomorrow, and tomorrow" soliloquy. In this speech, what three metaphors does he use to describe the pointlessness and fragility of life?
A Brief Candle, A Walking Shadow, and A Poor Player (Actor).
Why: This is the peak of Macbeth’s nihilism. By comparing life to an actor who "struts and frets his hour upon the stage," he is acknowledging that his own "play" is about to end in total insignificance.