ACT I
Who/what influenced Macbeth to murder the King?
Lady M &/or the Witches' prophecy.
Why didn’t Lady Macbeth want to kill Duncan herself?
She says he reminds her too much of her father.
Why does Macbeth hire three men?
a) to protect him from assassins
b) to kill Macduff and his family
c) to find the witches to talk to them
d) to kill Banquo and his son
D) to kill Banquo and his son
As the witches are chanting “By the pricking of my thumbs, something wicked this way comes”, who arrives (scene i)?
Macbeth arrives.
In what way is Macduff not born from a woman?
He was born by a c-section.
What do the witches predict (scene iii) for Macbeth and for Banquo?
Macbeth will be Thane of Cawdor, and King. Banquo’s descendents will be king.
Why do Malcom and Donalbain run away from the court?
They fear they’re next to be murdered.
What was one way in which Macbeth attempt to control the future and to bury the past?
What was Macbeth's reason for plotting Banquo's murder?
What plan does Macduff and Malcom come up with at the end of Act IV?
Macduff decides he will avenge his family by defeating Macbeth in battle with the help of Macduff’s army.
What is Macbeth’s reaction to Lady Macbeth’s death (scene v)?
He’s not affected at all by it and says she would’ve died eventually.
What literary device is this quote an example of? ”All hail, Macbeth, that shalt be King hereafter!“
Foreshadowing.
What inference can be made from the following lines (scene i)... “Macbeth: If you shall cleave to my consent, when ‘tis, I shall make honor for you.
Banquo: In seeking to augment it, but still keep my bosom franchised and allegiance cleared. I shall be counseled” (25-28)?
Banquo is suspicious of Macbeth and only agrees to serve Macbeth as long as it doesn’t go against his morals.
What was the significance of the appearance of Banquo’s ghost at the banquet (scene iv)?
The ghost is a manifestation of Macbeth’s guilt and emphasizes the fact that he can’t escape the consequences/ hauntings of his actions.
Which three apparitions do the witches show Macbeth (scene i)?
An armed head, a bloody child, and a child crowned with a tree in his hand.
What was happening to Lady M as she muttered, “To bed, to bed. There’s knocking at the gate. Come, come, come, come, give me your hand. What’s done cannot be undone. To bed, to bed, to bed. (5.1)”
She reveals her guilt, but no matter how much she repents the violence and death cannot be undone.
In his soliloquy at the beginning of Scene vii, what reason(s) does Macbeth give for not murdering King Duncan?
1: ”First, as I am his kinsman and his subject, Strong both against the deed; (he should always protect him)
2: “as his host, Who should against his murderer shut the door, Not bear the knife myself"
What can be interpreted from the conversation between Old Man, Ross, and Macduff (scene iv)?
The suspicion of Macbeth being Duncan’s murderer is lifted because they believe Malcolm and Donalbein are guilty since they fled.
What happened in scene vi that caused Macbeth to prepare for war?
He finds out that Macduff is joining Malcolm in asking England’s King Edward for aid.
What were the three messages Macbeth received from the three apparitions?
He should beware of Macduff, nobody born from a woman can harm him, and he will never be defeated until Birnam woods marches to fight him at Dunsinane Hill.
What/why does Lady Macbeth see on her hands in scene i?
She sees blood of the people she helped murder on her hands. This represents her guilt.