Act 1
Which three supernatural figures open the play and what is their first prophecy about Macbeth?
The three Weird Sisters (the witches); they prophesy that Macbeth will become Thane of Cawdor and later king.
What vision or hallucination does Macbeth experience before killing Duncan, and what does it symbolize?
Macbeth sees a floating dagger pointing toward Duncan’s chamber; it symbolizes his murderous intent, the path he will take, and the blurred line between imagination and action.
Why does Macbeth feel threatened by Banquo in Act 3, and what decision does he make about Banquo?
Macbeth fears Banquo because the witches prophesied Banquo’s descendants would be kings; Macbeth hires murderers to kill Banquo (and Fleance).
What do we learn about Macduff in England with Malcolm?
He is loyal to Scotland and determined to overthrow Macbeth, even at great personal cost. His wife is upset with him for leaving.
Who dies at the end of the play?
Macbeth
Identify the title Macbeth receives early in Act 1 and explain how this title contributes to his initial reputation.
Thane of Cawdor; it marks him as a celebrated, rewarded warrior and enhances his reputation for honor and valor.
Summarize Lady Macbeth’s actions immediately after Duncan’s murder and how she attempts to manage Macbeth.
She takes the daggers back to the scene to frame the guards, smears them with blood, and urges Macbeth to wash and compose himself, attempting to control the fallout and conceal their guilt.
Describe the purpose and effect of the banquet scene where Banquo is absent but his presence is felt. What happens to Macbeth there?
At the banquet, Macbeth sees Banquo’s ghost and reacts with fear and guilt, exposing his instability to guests; the scene heightens dramatic tension and reveals Macbeth’s inner torment.
What does Macbeth plan to do after visiting the witches?
He decides to kill Macduff’s wife and children immediately, showing his cruelty and impulsiveness.
Where does Lady Macbeth appear in Act 5 and what is her condition? Summarize briefly.
Lady Macbeth appears sleepwalking and distraught, obsessively attempting to wash imagined blood from her hands (e.g., “Out, damned spot!”), showing overwhelming guilt and psychological breakdown
Explain Lady Macbeth’s concern in her first major scene about Macbeth’s nature and what she asks the spirits to do.
She fears Macbeth is "too full o' the milk of human kindness" to seize the crown; she asks spirits to "unsex" her and fill her with cruelty so she can carry out murder.
Identify the dramatic irony in the scene when Duncan’s sons are told the news of his death.
Dramatic irony: the audience knows Macbeth murdered Duncan, but Duncan’s sons and others do not; they either suspect treachery among the guards or are unaware of Macbeth’s guilt.
Evaluate the dramatic importance of Fleance’s escape; how does this outcome complicate Macbeth’s plans and the play’s trajectory?
Fleance’s escape preserves the witches’ prophecy about Banquo’s heirs and leaves Macbeth insecure; it maintains the threat to his throne and propels further ruthless actions.
Interpret the meaning of the famous prophecy “none of woman born / shall harm Macbeth.” How does Macbeth initially interpret this?
Macbeth interprets it to mean he is invincible against any human since all humans are born of women; he becomes overconfident
Identify the strategy Malcolm and the English forces use to approach Macbeth’s stronghold and explain its symbolic meaning (Think trees)
Soldiers cut branches from Birnam Wood to camouflage their number as they march on Dunsinane, making it appear as if Birnam Wood moves, symbolically fulfilling the witches’ prophecy and representing the natural world opposing tyranny(Macbeth)
What does this quote mean: “If it were done when ’tis done, then ’twere well / It were done quickly.” said by Macbeth
Macbeth wishes the murder could be completed cleanly without consequences; he hesitates because he fears moral, legal, and spiritual repercussions.
Explain the significance of the Porter scene (the gatekeeper) — what purpose does it serve in tone, theme, and pacing?
The Porter scene provides comic relief and a grotesque inversion of hell’s gate, but also highlights themes of equivocation and guilt; it slows the action briefly while underscoring the play’s dark moral atmosphere.
How does Macbeth convince the murderers to kill Banquo and Fleance?
He tells them Banquo is their enemy and the cause of their misfortunes, manipulating them into believing Banquo must die.
What motivates Macduff at the end of Act 4?
He is overtaken with grief and vows to get revenge on Macbeth.
Analyze Macbeth’s final confrontation with Macduff, include how the earlier prophecy about “not of woman born” is resolved
In the final battle, Macduff reveals he was “from his mother’s womb untimely ripped” (a Caesarean birth), meaning he was not technically “of woman born”; thus the prophecy is literally fulfilled and Macduff kills Macbeth, resolving the apparent invulnerability.
Describe the role of Banquo in Act 1 and how his reaction to the witches’ prophecies contrasts with Macbeth’s.
Banquo is a loyal friend and a skeptical, cautious foil to Macbeth; he doubts the witches and questions their motives, whereas Macbeth is excited and quickly tempted by the prophecy.
Discuss the consequences of Duncan’s murder for the kingdom’s natural order (mention signs in nature, porter, or servants’ behavior) and explain how these details reflect the play’s theme of disorder.
Consequences: unnatural occurrences (day turned to night, owls shrieking, horses eating each other), servants behaving oddly, and social unrest; these physical disruptions mirror moral disorder and suggest that regicide has upset the cosmos.
What does Lennox’s conversation at the end of Act 3 suggest about how people in Scotland view Macbeth now?
People are beginning to doubt Macbeth’s rule and suspect that he is responsible for Duncan’s and Banquo’s deaths.
What are the apparitions the witches summon for Macbeth and what basic messages do they give? (List briefly.)
Apparitions: (1) an armed head warning Macbeth to beware Macduff; (2) a bloody child saying “none of woman born shall harm Macbeth”; (3) a crowned child holding a tree saying Macbeth won’t be defeated until Birnam Wood comes to Dunsinane.
Evaluate the tragic arc of Macbeth: synthesize his rise and fall, noting key choices that led to his downfall and discuss whether Shakespeare presents Macbeth as primarily a victim of fate, his own ambition, or external manipulation.
Macbeth rises as a noble warrior, then, spurred by prophecy and Lady Macbeth’s urging, chooses regicide. His subsequent murders, paranoia, and reliance on witches escalate his tyranny. Shakespeare depicts a complex interplay: Macbeth’s ambition and choices (free will) drive much of his ruin, but prophecies and supernatural manipulation also shape events—so he is neither pure victim nor pure author of fate.