Macbeth Act 1
Macbeth says, "That is a step / On which I must fall down, or else o'erleap" when this man is named heir to the throne by King Duncan.
Who is Malcolm?
Macbeth hallucinates this before he kills Duncan.
What is a dagger?
100: In Shakespeare’s time, what did the word thane mean?
Answer: A Scottish nobleman or lord.
100: Who kills King Duncan?
Answer: Macbeth.
100: Where do the witches first meet Macbeth?
Answer: On a heath (a deserted plain).
100: What theme is introduced by the witches’ line, “Fair is foul, and foul is fair”?
Answer: Appearance vs. reality.
The Witches' line, "Fair is foul and foul is fair" is an example of this.
What is a paradox?
The character of Porter offers the audience this at the beginning of Scene 3.
What is comic relief?
200: What does the word treason mean, as used in Act 1?
Answer: Betraying one’s country or king.
200: Which character is suspicious of Macbeth after Duncan’s murder?
Answer: Banquo.
200: Where is King Duncan murdered?
Answer: In Macbeth’s castle at Inverness.
200: Macbeth struggles with the decision to kill Duncan. What theme does this show?
Answer: Ambition vs. morality (the corrupting power of unchecked ambition).
Macbeth receives this title, predicted by the witches, for bravery and loyalty to Duncan.
What is Thane of Cawdor?
These two men run away after Duncan's murder out of fear they might be murdered next.
Who are Malcolm and Donalbain?
300: In Act 2, Macbeth says he hears a voice cry “Macbeth does murder sleep.” What does murder sleep symbolize?
Answer: The loss of peace and innocence.
300: Which character faints after Duncan’s death is discovered?
Answer: Lady Macbeth (though some think she fakes it).
300: In Act 2, what strange natural events occur the night of Duncan’s murder?
Answer: Darkness during the day, storms, owls killing falcons, and Duncan’s horses eating each other.
300: Lady Macbeth calls on spirits to “unsex” her. What theme does this connect to?
Answer: Gender roles and power.
Lady Macbeth think Macbeth lacks this, necessary for her plan.
What is the "manliness" to follow through?
When Donalbain says, "There's daggers in men's smiles," he using this literary device to indicate that former friends could now be enemies.
What is metaphor?
400: Lady Macbeth tells Macbeth to “look like the innocent flower, but be the serpent under’t.” What literary device is used here?
Answer: A metaphor (or imagery).
400: Which character is named Duncan’s heir to the throne in Act 1?
Answer: Malcolm.
400: Where do Malcolm and Donalbain flee after Duncan’s death?
Answer: Malcolm to England, Donalbain to Ireland.
Answer: Malcolm to England, Donalbain to Ireland.
400: What theme is shown when Macbeth feels guilty and cannot say “Amen” after the murder?
Answer: Guilt and conscience.
This is Lady Macbeths plan for the murder of Duncan.
What is Macbeth will kill him while he sleeps and then plant evidence on the servants.
Horses eating each other and an owl killing a falcon are evidence of this.
What is disruption of the Great Chain of Being?
500: What does the word valiant mean when Duncan calls Macbeth a “valiant cousin”?
Answer: Brave, courageous.
500 In Act 1, the witches greet Macbeth with three titles. What are they?
Answer: Thane of Glamis, Thane of Cawdor, and King hereafter.
500 When Macbeth sees the bloody dagger in Act 2, what is this vision called in literary terms?
Answer: A hallucination (or an example of imagery/foreshadowing).
DAILY DOUBLE
What does the word thane of Cawdor come to symbolize in the play?
Answer: Betrayal and treason against the king.