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Epic structure basics
Types of Quotations
Key Moments by Act
Rising Action Events
Themes & Structure
100


  • What part of an epic introduces the setting and main characters?



  • The exposition


100


This type of quotation uses quotation marks and repeats the author’s exact words.



direct quotation




100


  • In which act are the witches introduced, setting up the main conflict?



  • Act 1


100


  • What prophecy first plants the idea of power in Macbeth’s mind?



  • That he will become King of Scotland


100


  • What theme is most closely connected to Macbeth’s tragic flaw?



  • Ambition


200


  • Which structural element introduces the main conflict in Macbeth?



  • The inciting incident (the witches’ prophecy)


200


  • How does Macbeth fit the definition of a tragic hero at the beginning of the play?



  • He is noble, brave, and respected


200


  • In which act does Macbeth murder King Duncan?



  • Act 2


200


  • Who pressures Macbeth to act on the prophecy?



  • Lady Macbeth


200


  • Which theme explains how power corrupts Macbeth over time?



  • Corruption of power


300


  • What term describes the series of events that build tension after the inciting incident?



  • The rising action


300


  • What moment shows Macbeth’s moral decline becoming irreversible?



* his hallucination/ killing king Duncan 

300


  • Which act contains Banquo’s ghost, showing Macbeth’s guilt?



  • Act 3


300


  • What crime deepens the rising action after Duncan’s murder?



  • The murder of Banquo


300


  • What theme is reinforced by the witches’ misleading prophecies?



  • Appearance vs. reality


400


  • What is the turning point of the play where Macbeth’s fate becomes unavoidable?



  • the murder of King Duncan


400


  • What realization does Macbeth have near the end of the play that reflects tragic awareness?



  • That life is meaningless and his actions were pointless/ and that Macduff is torn from his mother womb 
400


  • In which act does Lady Macbeth begin to unravel mentally?



  • Act 5


400


  • Why does Macbeth fear Banquo more than other characters?



  • Because Banquo’s sons are prophesied to be kings


400


  • How does fate vs. free will affect the structure of the play?



  • The prophecies influence events, but Macbeth freely chooses his actions


500


  • What part of the structure shows the consequences of Macbeth’s actions?



  • The falling action (leading to the resolution)


500


  • What quality makes Macbeth a tragic hero rather than a villain?



  • He begins as a noble and honorable man whose downfall is caused by his own tragic flaw


500


  • Which act serves as the resolution where order is restored?


  • Act 5


500


  • What supernatural event represents Macbeth’s growing paranoia and guilt?



  • Banquo’s ghost


500


  • Why does Shakespeare use supernatural elements to shape the epic structure?



  • To foreshadow events and influence the hero’s choices