Macbeth study questions

Transcription

1 Name: Macbeth study questions Act I Act I Scene 1 1. Where does our story take place? 2. How many witches are there? 3. What is a hurly burly? Act I Scene 2 4. What does the Captain tell King Duncan about Macbeth s deeds on the battlefield? 5. What does the old Thane of Cawdor do to lose his title? 6. Who becomes the new Thane of Cawdor? Act I Scene 3 7. What two things do the witches predict for Macbeth? 8. What do the witches predict for Banquo? 9. What warning does Banquo give to Macbeth? 10. How does Macbeth first react to the idea of murdering the king? 11. What does Macbeth hope will happen to him by chance? Act I Scene What are two examples that show us that Duncan is a bad judge of character? 13. What announcement does King Duncan make about his son Malcolm? 14. What does this announcement mean for Macbeth s hopes of chance? 15. Who is the step that lies in the way of Macbeth s ambitions? Act I Scene What does Lady Macbeth fear? 17. What does Lady Macbeth mean when she says that Macbeth is too full of the milk of human kindness to catch the nearest way? 18. What prayer or request does Lady Macbeth make to the deadly spirits?

2 Scene Are there any examples of dramatic irony in this scene? Scene What are two of the arguments that Macbeth offers against killing the king? 21. What does Lady Macbeth say about Macbeth to get him to change his mind again? 22. What does Lady Macbeth say she would do if she had sworn it? 23. What is Lady Macbeth s plan to kill the king? Act II Act II Scene 1 1. What has Banquo upset? 2. What does Banquo say he dreamed of in his sleep? 3. What vision or hallucination does Macbeth see? Act II Scene 2 4. What does Lady Macbeth do to the guard s drinks? 5. What prevented Lady Macbeth from killing King Duncan herself? 6. What word is Macbeth unable to pronounce? 7. What does Macbeth s inability to say this word suggest? 8. Why does Lady Macbeth say these deeds must not be thought after these ways? 9. What prediction does Macbeth make? 10. What are Macbeth s hands stained with? 11. What does Macbeth say the stain of his hands would do to the sea? 12. What does Lady Macbeth mean when she says My hands are of your color, but I shame to wear a heart so white? 13. What does Lady Macbeth mean when she speaks the line A little water clears us of this deed? 14. How is water used as a metaphor in this scene? 15. What wish does Macbeth make? 16. Who is doing the knocking and why?

3 Act II Scene What is the porter complaining about? 18. How is the porter s complaint an example of dramatic irony? 19. How is Macbeth s response to Macduff s question an example of dramatic irony? 20. List four unnatural events that take place the night of King Duncan s murder. 21. What is the Lord s anointed temple that has been broken open? 22. Be able to find an example of understatement in the play. 23. Who first discovers the king s body? 24. What is death s counterfeit? 25. What does Macbeth do to the guards? 26. What reason does Macbeth give for killing the guards? 27. What is the real reason that Macbeth kills the guards? 28. What does Prince Malcolm mean when he says To show an unfelt sorrow is an office which the false man does easy.? 29. Why do Malcolm and Donalbain leave Scotland? Act II Scene Which persons are suspected of bribing the guards involved in the king s murder? 31. Why are they suspects? 32. What does Macduff mean when he says that our old robes may fit easier than our new, and why does he say this? Act III Scene 1 1. What does Banquo suspect that Macbeth might have done to get the crown of Scotland? 2. Who does Macbeth refer to as our chief guest? 3. How is this an example of verbal irony? 4. Explain the verbal irony in the exchange of words between Macbeth and Banquo: a. Tonight we hold a solemn supper, sir, And I ll request your presence. b. We should have else desired your good advice In this day s council: but we ll take tomorrow. c. MACBETH: Fail not our feast. BANQUO: My lord, I will not. 5. Who is Macbeth talking about when he speaks of our bloody cousins who are bestowed in

4 England? 6. What is parricide? 7. What does Macbeth mean when he says To be thus is nothing, but to be safely thus? 8. In his soliloquy, who does Macbeth say he fears? 9. Why does Macbeth say his crown is fruitless and his scepter barren? 10. Who is Macbeth afraid will receive all the benefits of his evil work and scheming? 11. How does Macbeth s technique of persuading the murderers resemble Lady Macbeth s earlier method of persuading Macbeth? 12. What does Macbeth mean when he says I require a clearness: and with him To leave no rubs nor botches in the work? 13. Who else are the murderers told to kill besides Banquo? Scene What does Lady Macbeth mean when she says Tis safer to be that which we destroy/than by destruction dwell in doubtful joy? 15. What does Macbeth say he might be better than the nightmares he is having? 16. Who does Macbeth say is sleeping well? 17. Besides sleep, Macbeth envies what else about this person? 18. How has Macbeth and Lady Macbeth s relationship changed at this point? 19. What does Macbeth mean when he says his mind is full of scorpions? Scene 3 / Scene Who escapes the murderer s trap? 22. Why is this extremely important? 23. Is this part of the story the climax? Explain. 24. Another alternate climax is when Macbeth actually learns about this person s escape from the First Murderer. Think about why this part instead might be the climax of the story. 25. What frightening sight does Macbeth see when he returns to the feast? 26. How does Lady Macbeth explain her husband s behavior? 27. What happens to make the frightening sight reappear? 28. What does Macbeth mean when he says he has a servant fee d in the house of Macduff? 29. What does Macbeth mean when he says I am in blood stepped in so far that, should I wade no more, Returning were as tedious as go o er.? 30. What does this statement suggest Macbeth will continue to do in the future?

5 Scene What is Hecate s plan to further tempt Macbeth? 32. What does Hecate say is man s chiefest enemy? Scene How does Lennox use sarcasm in his speech to his fellow lord? 34. Who is the tyrant that Lennox is referring to when he speaks of the tyrant s feast? 35. What are Lennox s real feelings about Macbeth? 36. What is Macduff trying to accomplish in England? 37. How does King Macbeth react to the news? Act 4 Act 4 Scene 1: 1. What are the three apparitions that appear to Macbeth? What does each of them say to him? 2. Why do the witches show Macbeth the eight kings? 3. What does Macbeth order to be done when he hears that Macduff has fled to England? 4. What statement does Macbeth make that shows his reluctance to murder has dramatically changed? Scene 2: 5. What has Ross just told Lady Macduff? 6. How does Lady Macduff react to this news? 7. In line 73, a messenger arrives. What does he tell Lady Macduff to do? 8. Who is killed in this scene? 9. Why are the murders even more terrible than those previously committed? 10. No essential movement of the plot occurs in this scene. What dramatic purpose does this scene serve in the play?

6 Scene 3: 11. Why are Macduff's lines 5-9 ironic? 12. Why doesn't Malcolm trust Macduff? 13. In lines 30-32, what does Malcolm ask Macduff? 14. What forces has Malcolm promised Scotland? 15. Of what three character faults in lines does Malcolm profess to have? 16. In lines , what does Malcolm tell Macduff? 17. Why had Malcolm lied about himself to Macduff? 18. In lines , what news about the condition of Scotland does Ross bring? 19. What personal information does Ross bring to Macduff? 20. In lines , what does Malcolm tell Macduff to do? Act 5 Scene 1: 1. How has Lady Macbeth deteriorated mentally? Act 5 2. What are the events to which Lady Macbeth alludes which happened earlier in the play? a. lines b. lines c. lines d. lines e. lines a. Write the lines said by the doctor that hint at what bothers Lady Macbeth and explain them. b. Write the lines that foreshadow Lady Macbeth's suicide. Act 5 Scene 2 4. Write and explain the lines that use a metaphor to show Macbeth has gotten out of control.

7 5. Write and explain the lines using a clothing simile that show Macbeth is losing the loyalty of his subjects. 6. Write and explain the lines that use images comparing Scotland to a sick patient and comparing Macbeth and Malcolm to plants. Act 5 Scene 3 7. Write and explain the lines that are allusions to the witches prophecies to Macbeth. 8. Write and explain the lines that show Macbeth has lost control of his people. Act 5 Scene 4 9. Write and explain the lines that show Macbeth's soldiers do not love him. Act 5 Scene In lines explain how Macbeth's past has affected him. 11. In lines 22 to 31, explain the images in Macbeth's view of life on Earth. 12. Write the lines that imply Macbeth might be contemplating suicide. Act 5 Scene Write and explain lines when Macbeth references suicide. What is he alluding to in his comment? 14. Write and explain the lines to show a) he compares himself to a baited bear and b)he is still a brave soldier. 15. Write the lines and explain a) that Macduff's mother had a caesarian section not a vaginal birth and b) how Malcolm refers to the dead Macbeths.