Act 1
Who is the king when the play starts?
Duncan
Why is Banquo up late?
He had nightmares about the witches.
What is a soliloquy?
A speech that an actor gives while he or she is alone onstage.
What do the witches prophesy?
Macbeth will be king and Banquo's children will be kings.
What eerie vision does Macbeth have before he kills Duncan?
He sees a bloody dagger floating in front of him.
How does a soliloquy differ from the other long speeches?
A soliloquy is unique because it is spoken by a character to himself or herself. It's not part of a dialogue with other characters.
Is this a dagger which I see before me,
This handle toward my hand? Come, let me clutch thee.
I have thee not, and yet I see thee still.
Macbeth
What title, predicted by the witches, does Macbeth receive?
Thane of Cawdor
Who kills the servants who look guilty of the murder?
Macbeth
Who is onstage during a soliloquy?
Only the character who speaks the soliloquy (though sometimes, there may be other characters who are hiding and overheard the soliloquy.
What is Lady Macbeth's plan for murdering Duncan?
Macbeth will stab him in his sleep and plant the bloody evidence on the servants.
How does Lady Macbeth publicly react to the news of the murder?
She says it is horrible and pretends to faint.
The theater audience (or reader) and the character who is speaking.
Make thick my blood,
Stop up th’access and passage to remorse,
That no compunctious visitings of nature
Shake my fell purpose, nor keep peace between
Th’ effect and it.
Lady Macbeth.
What do Lady Macbeth's words "unsex me here" mean?
She wants to set aside her feminine feelings so that she is able to kill Duncan.
Why do Malcolm and Donalbain run away from the court?
Which two countries did they run off to? +150 Bonus Points
Why do Malcolm and Donalbain run away from the court?
Ireland and England.
What is the function of a soliloquy?
The purpose of a soliloquy is to convey a character’s innermost thoughts to the audience.