Prophecies & Power Plays
The witches greet Macbeth with three titles: Thane of Glamis, Thane of Cawdor, and this.
What is The King?
Murder of King Duncan
Who is Macbeth?
Before murdering Duncan, Macbeth hallucinates this object floating before him.
What is a dagger?
Lady Macbeth exclaims this as she imagines blood on her hands.
What is “Out, damned spot!”?
This nobleman opposes Macbeth and ultimately kills him.
Who is Macduff?
Unlike Macbeth, Banquo is told that his descendants will wear the crown, though he never will.
What is Banquo's prophecy?
Even after becoming king, Macbeth feels threatened by this friend and fellow nobleman.
Who is Banquo?
Lady Macbeth says this about washing Duncan’s blood from their hands.
What is “A little water clears us of this deed”?
This phrase spoken by the witches introduces the theme of appearance vs. reality.
What is “Fair is foul, and foul is fair”?
Macbeth chooses ambition and murder, while this character remains loyal and honorable, creating a contrast.
Extra: Compare Macbeth and this character as foils. How do their choices reflect different values?
Who is Banquo?
This character is cautious of the witches and warns Macbeth that they may be instruments of darkness.
Who is Banquo?
This character questions Macbeth’s manhood and encourages him to kill Duncan.
Who is Lady Macbeth?
After killing Duncan, Macbeth says he has murdered this symbolic concept.
What is sleep?
Macbeth wonders if he sees this object before him, leading to a famous soliloquy.
What is “Is this a dagger which I see before me?”
These two minor characters reflect larger themes — one provides comic relief, the other witnesses a mental breakdown.
Extra: How do the minor characters contribute to the play’s larger themes?
Who are the Porter and the Doctor?
The witches speak in riddles and half-truths, planting the idea of kingship, knowing his ambition will drive him.
How do the witches give Macbeth a false sense of security and manipulate him?
How does Macbeth’s relationship with Lady Macbeth change after Duncan’s murder?
He becomes more independent and secretive, while she begins to unravel mentally.
Analyze how hallucinations (like Banquo’s ghost) reflect Macbeth’s internal conflict.
The visions show his overwhelming guilt and inability to separate reality from paranoia.
Analyze the quote: “Life’s but a walking shadow…a tale told by an idiot, full of sound and fury, signifying nothing.”
Macbeth reflects on the futility of life, revealing his despair and loss of meaning after Lady Macbeth’s death.
This character is suspicious of Macbeth early on, fleeing to England after his father’s murder, and later helps raise an army against him.
Extra: What does his departure symbolize?
Who is Malcolm?
Extra: His departure casts suspicion on him at first, but later reveals his role as a symbol of rightful leadership.
Analyze how the later apparitions ("none of woman born shall harm Macbeth") give Macbeth a false sense of security. How does this reflect the theme of fate vs. free will?
By using vague language, which Macbeth misinterprets as invincibility. This highlights how he chooses to act based on his flawed understanding, blending fate and personal agency.
Compare the betrayal of Duncan to Macbeth’s later betrayal of Macduff’s family. What does this show about Macbeth’s moral descent?
The first murder is hesitant and guilt-ridden, the later one is ruthless and emotionless, showing Macbeth’s complete loss of conscience and descent into tyranny.
How does the theme of madness develop differently in Macbeth and Lady Macbeth? Provide evidence from key scenes.
Macbeth grows desensitized and violent, while Lady Macbeth becomes consumed by guilt, leading to her breakdown. Her sleepwalking and hand-washing scenes show her unraveling.
Choose a quote that uses dramatic irony and explain how Shakespeare uses it to build tension.
Example: Duncan says Macbeth’s castle feels “pleasant.” The audience knows he will be murdered there, increasing tension and irony.
This character is described as being "from his mother's womb untimely ripped,"
Extra: Why is this line important?
Who is Macduff?
Extra: He was born via Caesarean section, which means he was not “born of woman” in the usual way — allowing him to defeat Macbeth.