Macbeth Study Guide Questions Act I and II

Transcription

1 Macbeth Study Guide Questions Act I and II Act I Scene i 1. When the witches planned on meeting next, they planned to meet with whom? 2. Looking at the last two lines of scene 1, what is the theme expressed by this couplet? How is it a paradox? 3. What paradoxal line does the Captain offer the king? 4. What happened after Macbeth beat Macdonwald? 5. What does the Captain report about the battle to Duncan? 6. What fate did Duncan issue for the traitor Cawdor? Why? i 7. Macbeth was thane of what? 8. How do the witches greet Macbeth after the battle? 9. Why was the prophecy of royal kingship beyond belief for Macbeth? 10. List the three ironic statements made to Banquo by the witches. 11. What caution does Banquo give to Macbeth? 12. Which nobleman of Scotland first called Macbeth Thane of Cawdor? 13. According to Banquo, how would the devil tempt one to evil? 14. To himself, what murder was Macbeth thinking about? 15. Whom did Duncan choose as the new Prince of Cumberland and his eventual successor (to be king of Scotland)? 16. How did Macbeth view Malcolm? 17. How are Duncan s comments about the old Thane of Cawdor ironic in the terms of the new Thane of Cawdor? 18. What does Duncan express about Macbeth to Banquo? Scene v 19. In Macbeth s letter to Lady Macbeth, They in sentence one referred to whom? 20. What greatness was in store for Lady Macbeth? 21. In Lady Macbeth s assessment of her husband s nature, she saw him possessing what qualities? 22. In order to toughen her heart to the task of conquest, Lady Macbeth summoned whom? 23. Does Lady Macbeth encourage Macbeth to let her make the master plan for murder? Scene vi 24. Who was hiding contempt for the other- Duncan or Lady Macbeth? How do you know? 25. Explain the use of dramatic irony in Act I, Scene vi. 26. What is a hautboy? 27. What is Duncan asking Lady Macbeth and what does he explain to her?

2 28. How does the scene end, and what is Duncan s attitude or mood during this time? Scene vii. 29. Which was not mentioned or depicted in this scene? a. Macbeth s abandonment of the murderous plot b. Macbeth s re-commitment to the foul scheme of murder c. Lady Macbeth s prodding d. Lady Macbeth s fret over being caught 30. Look at Macbeth s soliloquy (ln1-28) what reasons does he give for deciding not to kill Duncan? 31. How does Lady Macbeth persuade Macbeth to murder the king? 32. What do we learn about Lady Macbeth s personality in this scene? 33. What are the details of the plan that Macbeth lays out? Be specific. 34. what do you think Macbeth s thoughts and feelings are at the end of scene vii? General Act I questions 35. what news do Ross and Angus bring? 36. What happens that causes Macbeth to recalculate his ease of becoming king? 37. What is significant of Lady Macbeth s unsex me scene? 38. Why does the King come to Macbeth s castle? 39. What is the central theme of Act I? 40. What important role do the witches play in Act I? 41. In what way is Lady Macbeth stronger than her husband? Act II Scene i 1. Banquo will talk with Macbeth about the witch s prophecies as long as he could remain what? 2. What has King Duncan given to Lady Macbeth? 3. Do Banquo s words weaken Macbeth s courage to kill Duncan? 4. T/F Lady Macbeth would have killed Duncan herself except he had given her a diamond for being such a good hostess. 5. Why did Lady Macbeth return to the scene of the crime? 6. What is Macbeth s attitude and wish at the end of scene 2/ i 7. Do Macduff s wild eyes accuse Macbeth of the murder(s)/ 8. A drunken porter, unhappy with his life in the castle, fantasizes he is the gatekeeper to the gates of Hell while answering the knock at the castle gate, which turns out to be Macduff. They have a brief discussion of the habit of drinking. What do they have to say about it? What is Shakespeare s commentary about drinking? 9. In whose presence did Macbeth kill the scapegoat servants? 10. How does Lennox describe their journey? How does this fit with the happenings at the castle? 11. How does Shakespeare describe sleep in this scene?

3 12. Why did Malcolm and Donalbain leave in haste? 13. what do the old men and Ross feel is the cause for the strange happenings as of late? Give examples 14. Which upheaval s of nature does Shakespeare use to symbolize and reflect the topsy-turvy turbulence of ambitious murder? 15. Who felt men were hired to kill Duncan? 16. ended with what platitude? General Questions to Act II 17. What is Macbeth doing in his soliloquy? 18. How guilty does Macbeth feel after committing the murder? 19. What does Macbeth wish the knocking could do? 20. What is the first reaction to the king s death, and whose is it? 21. What symbolism does Lady Macbeth s fainting have and how is it ironic? 22. What does Macbeth do to the supposed murderers and why? 23. What is the central idea of Act II? 24. Why does Lady Macbeth drug the servants in scene ii? 25. What symbol in scene ii signals that the murder has been committed? Act III Scene i 1. How did Macbeth plan to alter the witch s prophecy? 2. What is happening in lines ? Be precise and give examples? 3. What is the emotional condition of the Macbeths in lines 15-29? 4. What effect would showering Banquo with looks and words have upon him? 5. In line 50 what does Lady Macbeth ask her husband, and then what does he recommend to her and what is he planning? i 6. Using lines 6-10, what time of day is it? 7. How were the two murderers surprised at the outset of Act III? 8. What do the murderers decide to do in line 3 9. Why did Macbeth feel closed in, cramped, and confined? 10. Does Macbeth chastise the first murderer for wasting so many stabs on Banquo and not one on Fleance? 11. Who out of the ordinary appeared at the evening ceremony? 12. Does Lady Macbeth encourage the guest to ask Macbeth questions about war as a means of helping him snap out of his fantasy vision?

4 13. Why did Lady Macbeth hustle the guests home? 14. Interpret Blood will have blood with the context of Macbeth s utterance. 15. What did Macduff s absence from the ceremonial supper indicate? 16. How does Macbeth react to what he sees throughout the rest of the scene? 17. In lines , upon what does Lady Macbeth blame her husband s strange behavior? What does Macbeth think about the possible cause? Scene v 18. Why did Hecate Chastise the three witches? Scene vi 19. In lines 1-27 what coincidences does Lennox sarcastically cite as being suspiciously connected to Macbeth? Give examples. What is Lennox beginning to suspect? 20. What eight men did Lennox summarize as having been adversely affected by M acbeth s actions thus far? 21. When the Lord responded to Lennox, tyrant referred to whom? 22. Why was Macbeth preparing for war? General Act III questions 23. Why does Macbeth have Banquo killed? 24. Why does Macbeth hire murderers to kill Banquo? 25. What happens when the murderers try to kill Banquo and his son? 26. What does the ghost of Banquo do to Macbeth s paranoia and why does he see it? 27. How does Lady Macbeth make her husband feel better after seeing the ghost? 28. What does Macbeth plan on doing tomorrow and why? 29. How has Macbeth changed since the beginning of the play? 30. Examples of Internal and external conflict in Act III. 31. Why does Macbeth fear Banquo? Act IV Scene I 32. Who forewarned Macbeth to beware of Macduff? 33. Why did Macbeth pledge to kill Macduff after the second apparition assured him that Nobody born of woman shall harm Macbeth? 34. Why has Macbeth come to see the witches this time? 35. What is the first apparition Macbeth sees and what does it tell him? 36. What form does the second apparition take? Why is this an appropriate symbol? To what things in the story could it be connected? 37. How is the form of the third apparition symbolic? What does it tell Macbeth? 38. To Macbeth s questions about Banquo s offspring ever reigning in this kingdom, how did the witches show him his answer? 39. Does the scene end with Macbeth focusing his vengeance upon Fleance. If so why?

5 40. In evaluating Macduff s flight, How does Lady Macduff criticized her husband? 41. What does the messenger tell Lady Macduff in lines 71-79? 42. In lines what comment about life in this world does Lady Macduff make? What is Shakespeare s little lesson? 43. Does Lady Macbeth accept Ross s assessment of Macbeth s actions? 44. T/F At the scene s end, Lady Macbeth was being pursued by the honest good guys, and she cried out, why has thou forsaken me? i. 45. All of the following occurred in i except. a. With self-deprecation and for self-preservation, Malcom tested Macduff s intention and loyalty. b. Despair, hope, grief and courage were felt by Macduff. c. Ross ruined the bond between Malcolm, Macduff, and King Edward. d. Violence and sorrow were everyday experience in Scotland. e. Ross came with the good news that many worthy men were up in arms. f. Malcolm encouraged Macduff. General Questions to Act IV 46. What are the witches doing at the beginning of this act? 47. What three things does Macbeth learn from the witches and apparitions and how does he react to them? 48. How does Macbeth react to Macduff s departure? 49. Why does Macbeth order the death of Macduff s family? 50. What is the main purpose of Act IV? 51. What do the witches mean by something wicked this way comes 52. The end of Act IV foreshadows an important conflict. Who is it between? Act V. Scene i. 53. Who was the guilt-ridden woman trying to wash off an imaginary spot from her hand? 54. What is the damned spot? Who does it represent? 55. Who did the doctor suggest the one with unnatural troubles needed to see for a cure? 56. Anti-Macbeth Men were on their way to meet Malcom where? 57. Who are the three people leading the English army against Macbeth at the beginning? 58. What is Angus feeling about the morale and loyalty of Macbeth s men and his ability to lead and inspire them in lines 19-25? i.

6 59. What did Macbeth realize about that which should accompany his own old age? 60. In lines Macbeth is reflecting on his life. What is he saying? What is he concluding? 61. Why could the doctor not help Lady Macbeth? 62. What was the intent of every soldier cutting down a bough, a branch, of Birnam Wood? 63. It was assumed that whose hearts were elsewhere? 64. What is Malcolm saying in lines 6-9? Scene v. 65. Having not taken the offensive toward Malcolm and forces, where did Macbeth harbor at the opening of Scene v. 66. What was Macbeth s reaction to the death of his wife? 67. When did Macbeth give the order to arms, to arms, and to the field! 68. According to Macbeth s soliloquy in lines 20-31, what attitude has Macbeth taken, and how does Shakespeare describe a certain frame of mind about life and death? 69. What prophesy of the witches comes true in Scene v? what is really happening? What is the irony, then, in the prophecy? Scene vi. 70. What honorous fated did Siward and his son incur in this scene? Scene vii. 71. How did Macbeth boast after slaying young Siward? 72. What news took the wind out of Macbeth s invincibility? 73. Did Macduff offer Macbeth safe exile in Rome if Macbeth would surrender and confess all dastardly deeds to Malcolm. 74. Which soldier did not live to hail King Malcom? 75. Where was Macbeth s head when hails were hurled toward King Malcom? 76. As King, what does Malcom promise to do? Scene viii. 77. What does Macbeth try to tell Macduff in lines 15-16? 78. How does Macduff respond to Macbeth in lines 17-20? What does this mean? 79. What is the irony in the witches prophesy played-out in lines 11-20? 80. What does Macbeth have to say about the witches in lines 23-24? 81. How does Siward react to the news of the death of his son? General Act V Questions 82. What significance does the doctor have? 83. Why won t the doctor or gentlewoman tell anyone what they have seen or heard?

7 84. How is the prophecy of Birnam Wood moving to Dusinane Hill fulfilled 85. Why doesn t Macbeth put his armor on when he goes out to do battle? 86. What is said that Frightens Macbeth before his is killed by Macduff? 87. How do the apparitions prophecies play themselves out? 88. What is the message of Act V scene i? 89. When does Macbeth realize that he was tricked by the prophecies? 90. How does Macbeth revert to his former self?