Characters
What is the name of the King of Scotland in the beginning of the play?
Duncan
Who is sentenced to death in the very first Act?
Macbeth says, "Stars, hide your fires, Let not light see my black and deep desires." What are his black and deep desires?
He wants to kill Duncan so he can be king.
Banquo mentions the witches to Macbeth at one point. What lie does Macbeth tell Banquo about it?
He says he doesn't ever think about the witches.
Where was Shakespeare born?
Stratford-upon-Avon
Which two characters try to revolt against the king in Act 1?
Macdonawald and the Thane of Cawdor
What is the plan to assassinate the King? Who formulates the plan?
Lady Macbeth wants to drug the king's guards and then have Macbeth go into the king's room and kill him.
Who is witch # 2 talking about when she says, "By the pricking of my thumb, Something wicked this way comes." ?
Macbeth
What are the three predictions the witches give Macbeth? The prediction they give to Banquo?
Macbeth will have three titles:
Thane of Glamis, Thane of Cawdor, and King
Banquo will not be king, but his descendants will be kings.
How did Shakespeare's father provide for their family?
He made and sold gloves.
What is the name of the King of Scotland at the end of the play?
Malcolm
How does Macbeth die?
Macduff cuts off his head.
With regards to the witches, Macbeth says "Infected be the air whereon they ride, And damned all those that trust them!"
What is he saying about himself?
He trusted them, therefore he is damned.
When Macbeth approaches the witches while they are throwing things into the cauldron, what is his attitude?
He is demanding and rude, trying to take charge.
What was the cause of theaters in London shutting down between 1592-1594?
Who believes that Macbeth is not hard-hearted enough to do what it takes to be king?
Lady Macbeth
Which relatives of Macduff does Macbeth have murdered and why?
Lady Macduff and their son. He's angry that Macduff is disloyal and supports Malcolm in England.
Macbeth analyzes the situation he has found himself in being the new king with people on the hunt to kill him. He says "I am in blood Stepped in so far that should I wade no more, returning were as tedious as go o'er." What does he mean?
He will do whatever it takes to stick to his guns and remain king.
What do the witches tell Macbeth regarding Birnam wood? What do they tell him regarding who will vanquish him?
Macbeth will never be defeated until Birnam Wood marches to fight at Dunsinane Hill.
Nobody born from a woman will ever harm Macbeth.
What was Shakespeare's son's name? What happened to him?
Hamnet. He died.
Macbeth is startled by the sound of knocking shortly after he commits murder. Who is actually knocking at the gate?
Lennox and Macduff
What is the name of the character who first tries to fight and kill Macbeth but ends up being killed himself?
Young Siward.
Why does Macbeth say the following to Macduff while they are fighting?
"But get thee back, my soul is too much charged With blood of thine already."
He's recognizing that he already killed all of Macduff's family and doesn't want to have to kill Macduff too.
What does Hectate want the witches to do to Macbeth?
Give him false hope to believe that he might win.
Why do scholars refer to the late 1580's as the "Lost Years" of Shakespeare's life?
He "disappeared" for a while. Nobody knows how he moved from his hometown to the London theater scene.