Quotes
“Fair is foul, and foul is fair.”
Which group speaks this line?
Who are the Witches?
This character becomes King of Scotland after Duncan’s murder.
Who is Macbeth?
This event occurs when three mysterious figures deliver prophecies that change the course of the play.
What is Macbeth and Banquo meeting the witches?
True or False: People in Shakespeare’s England believed witches were real and dangerous.
True
A brave warrior becomes obsessed with rising to power after hearing a prophecy.
What theme is this?
Ambition
“Is this a dagger which I see before me…?”
In what context is this line spoken?
It is spoken in Macbeth’s soliloquy before he kills King Duncan, as he hallucinates a dagger leading him toward the murder.
This character is haunted by guilt, shown through sleepwalking and obsessive handwashing.
Who is Lady Macbeth?
This event marks the moment Macbeth first chooses murder without being pressured by anyone else.
What is planning and ordering Banquo’s murder?
True or False: King James I disliked plays that included witchcraft and banned them from being performed.
False (He was fascinated by witchcraft and encouraged its inclusion).
Strange storms, earthquakes, and horses eating each other occur after a king is murdered. What theme is this?
Disruption of the natural order (or Order vs. chaos).
“Look like the innocent flower, but be the serpent under’t.”
What key idea about appearances does this quote suggest?
It suggests that appearances can be deceiving, something may look innocent on the outside while hiding danger or evil underneath.
This character serves as a contrast to Macbeth by remaining honourable and loyal throughout the play.
Who is Banquo?
This event leads Malcolm and Donalbain to flee for their lives, causing suspicion to fall on them.
What is the murder of King Duncan?
True or False: The belief in the “Divine Right of Kings” meant that killing a king was seen as a sin against God.
True
A character sees a bloody dagger floating in the air and later cannot wash imaginary blood from their hands. What theme is this?
Guilt
"Full of scorpions is my mind.”
What does this metaphor reveal about the speaker’s state of mind?
The metaphor reveals a mind filled with anxiety, guilt, and chaotic, poisonous thoughts that won’t leave the speaker alone.
This character is the rightful king’s son who flees to Ireland after Duncan’s death.
Who is Donalbain?
This event signals Macbeth’s complete moral collapse as he orders the killing of innocents who pose him no direct threat.
What is the murder of Macduff’s family?
True or False: The Gunpowder Plot happened after Shakespeare wrote Macbeth.
False (It happened in 1605; Macbeth was written around 1606.)
Prophecies promise safety, but each one contains a trick that leads to a false sense of security. What theme is this?
Fate vs. free will (or Deception).
“Out, out brief candle!”
What does the “candle” symbolise in this moment, and how does this relate to the play’s exploration of fate and mortality?
The “candle” symbolises the fragility and brevity of human life; the quote reflects the idea that life is fleeting, meaningless, and controlled by forces beyond human power.
This character is called “a most sainted king,” representing ideal leadership in contrast to Macbeth’s tyranny.
Who is King Duncan?
This event fulfils the prophecy and proves Macbeth’s confidence was built on misunderstanding.
What is Macduff revealing he was “from his mother’s womb untimely ripped”?
True or False: According to the Great Chain of Being, if a king was murdered, nature and society would fall into chaos.
Answer: True.
Characters present themselves as loyal on the outside while secretly planning betrayal and murder. What theme is this?
Appearance vs. reality.