Act One
Two paradox's used in the witches opening speech
1. Fair is foul, foul is fair
2. When the battle's lost and won
In what way do Macbeth and Lady Macbeth’s reactions to King Duncan's murder differ?
Macbeth is freaking out, Lady Macbeth is keeping her composure
Why does Macbeth decide to kill Banquo?
He is jealous/upset that Banquo's children will become king rather than his children - he wants to prevent that by killing them.
Why does Macbeth search out the witches for a second time?
He wants more information about his future.
Why is it significant that the Messenger reports that Birnam Woods is moving up Dunsinane Hill?
Malcolm’s men cut down tree branches to cover themselves as they advance up Dunsinane Hill, and Macbeth is horrified by this because this fulfills the witches’ prophecy that he won’t be overthrown until Birnam Woods moves up the hill.
What does Macbeth mean when he says:
MACBETH: The thane of Cawdor lives: why do you dress me In borrow’d robes?
He is confused as he doesn't think the title belongs to him
What is the symbolism of the bloody dagger that Macbeth see's in front of him while going to murder the King?
The blood on the dagger symbolizes Macbeth’s guilt, and the dagger itself symbolizes the bloody path he is choosing when he murders the king.
How does the banquet scene show the effects of guilt on Macbeth?
How does MacDuff view manliness? (Based off of his explanation of what "feeling it as a man" tell us post his family being killed.)
MacDuff views manliness as being able to cry and express your grief and sadness
What is symbolic of Lady Macbeth’s lament, “will these hands ne'er be clean?”
ady Macbeth’s unclean hands symbolize her guilt which shows her being driven to madness by guilt.
Give one example of how Lady Macbeth uses a rhetorical device in her attempt to convince Macbeth to kill Duncan. Name the paradox as well.
Answers will vary
What does "Macbeth doth murder sleep" foreshadow?
Macbeth's guilt which leads to his inability to sleep
What does Macbeth mean in this scene after seeing Banquo's ghost?
Macbeth
"It will have blood, they say. Blood will have blood.
Stones have been known to move, and trees to speak"
Macbeth believes the dead will have their revenge, and the blood represents his guilt or the blood on his hands.
What type of figurative language is used in the following sentence:
“This tyrant, whose sole name blisters our tongues,/ Was once thought honest.”?
Hyperbole because it exaggerates the effect that saying Macbeth’s name has on Malcolm and Macduff because they hate him so much.
How does Macbeth respond to hearing that Lady Macbeth had died?
Macbeth is dismissive of Lady Macbeth's death, saying that everyone dies eventually.
What are Macbeth's feelings when he first becomes Thane of Cawdor?
Macbeth is conflicted about his further desire for power once he becomes Thane of Cawdor
What is at least one supernatural event that occured after King Duncan was murdered?
Falcons were killed by owls, horses ate each other, horses rebelled against their owners
What type of figurative language is used in the following sentence?
“I am cabined, cribbed, confined, bound…”
Alliteration
What does Lady MacDuff reveal in her conversation with her son about her feelings on MacDuff leaving the country?
Lady Macduff feels betrayed by her husband who has left her unprotected, and she feels that is a traitor for leaving Scotland.
Fill in the blanks with the character's names to complete the end of the story:
__________ kills themself, ________ beheads _______, and __________ becomes King.
Translate these lines, said by Macbeth:
Stars, hide your fires;
Let not light see my black and deep desires.
The eye wink at the hand, yet let that be
Which the eye fears, when it is done, to see.
Macbeth asks the stars to not shed light on his actions, and he won’t acknowledge what his own hands are going to do.
Will also accept - he is hiding his dark desires to be king as he is afraid of what he might do
How is sleep used as a symbol of guilt? (must have more than just "Macbeth can't sleep")
Answers will vary
What shift takes place when Fleance is able to escape the murderers sent by Macbeth?
Until now, the events of the play have gone according to the Macbeths’ plans, but now things are no longer under their control.
What is the night symbolic of in this passage?
Malcolm
"This tune goes manly.
Come, go we to the king. Our power is ready;
Our lack is nothing but our leave. Macbeth
Is ripe for shaking, and the powers above
Put on their instruments. Receive what cheer you may.
The night is long that never finds the day."
The night symbolizes Macbeth’s reign as king, and Malcolm’s words are a call to action to end it.
BONUS QUESTION:
What language does Shakespeare write in?
Elizabethan English