Literary Term Application
"When the hurly-burly's done, when the battle's lost and won." (Act I, scene i)
Paradox
Who did Lady Macbeth and Macbeth blame Duncan's murder on? (Act II, scene iii)
Duncan's chambermaids
What is Macbeth expressing when he says "Thou sure and firm-set earth, Hear not my steps, which way they walk, for fear Thy very stones prate of my whereabouts." (Act II, scene i)
He is scared of being caught on his way to murder Duncan
"Fair is foul and foul is fair; Hover through the fog and filthy air." (Act 1, scene i)
Alliteration/Parallelism
"Out, out, brief candle!" (Act V, scene v)
Metaphor for Lady Macbeth's life and/or allusion to futility of life
"To offer up a weak, poor, innocent lamb T'appease an angry god" (Act IV, scene iii)
Allusion to Christ, the "lamb of God."
Why does King Duncan pronounce the first Thane of Cawdor's "present death"? (Act I, scene iii)
He was a traitor and aided a Norwegian revolt against the crown
What does Macbeth mean when he says, "For Banquo's issue have I filed my mind; For them the gracious Duncan have I murdered, Put rancors in the vessel of my peace. Only for them, and mine eternal jewel given to the common enemy of man to make them kings, the seeds of Banquo's kings." (Act III, scene i)
He feels like he murdered Duncan only for Banquo's sons to inherit the crown as the witches predicted, and he is upset and resentful about it.
What does Macbeth mean when he says "False face must hide what false heart doth know." (Act I, scene vii)
He and Lady Macbeth must pretend to be amicable to the King and their guests to hide their murderous intent
What does Siward mean when he says, "Some must go off; and yet by these I see so great a day as this is cheaply bought." (Act V, scene viii)
The battle went well for Macduff and Malcolm; there were few casualties
"Why should I play the Roman fool and die on mine own sword?" (Act V, scene viii)
Allusion to Brutus and Cassius's death from Julius Caesar
How do the witches plan to make Macbeth more ruthless and brutal? (Act III, scene v)
By using magical tricks to deceive him into thinking he is totally secure and invincible
What does Lady Macduff mean when she says "Fathered he is, and yet he's fatherless." (Act IV, scene ii)
Her son's father (Macduff) is alive, but he has fled Scotland and so he is not around to be her son's father
"I know this is a joyful trouble to you, but yet 'tis one." (Act II, scene iii)
Who is Malcolm contrasting when he says, "With this strange virtue, he hath a heavenly gift of prophecy, and sundry blessings hang about his throne that speak him full of grace." (Act IV, scene iii)
King Edward of England and King Macbeth of Scotland
"These deeds must not be thought After these ways; so, it will make us mad." (Act II, scene ii)
Foreshadowing
Why does Macbeth attack Fife and kill Macduff's entire family? (Act IV, scene i)
He felt threatened by Macduff and wanted to kill him and his entire bloodline
What does Macbeth mean when he says "So foul and fair a day I have not seen." (Act 1, scene iii)
He is returning from battle, and is commenting on how they lost many soldiers but won the battle
"Angels are bright still, though the brightest fell." (Act IV, scene iii)
Allusion to Lucifer/Satan
Why did Lady Macbeth not kill Duncan herself? (Act II, scene ii)
She said that Duncan sleeping resembled her father
"There the grown serpent lies. The worm that's fled Hath nature that in time will venom breed, No teeth for th' present." (Act III, scene iv)
Metaphor for Fleance
Why was Macduff able to kill Macbeth? (Act V, scene viii)
Macduff was not "woman-born" as the witches declared Macbeth to be immune from; his mother died right before giving birth to him, and he was taken out of her.
What does the Siward mean when he says "Had he his hurts before?" (Act V, scene viii)
He wants to know that his son died valiantly, with wounds in front of him that he got during battle
"Here's our chief guest."
"If he had been forgotten, It had been as a gap in our great feast and all-thing unbecoming."
(Act III, scene i)
Blank Verse
What has Macbeth realized when he says, "Accursed be that tongue that tells me so, for it hath cowed my better part of man! And be these juggling fiends no more believed that palter with us in a double sense, that keep the word of promise to our ear and break it to our hope." (Act V, scene viii)
Macbeth has realized the witches have tricked him