Smarr Publishers. English for Classical Studies. A Student s Companion to. Macbeth. by Robert W. Watson

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1 Smarr Publishers English for Classical Studies A Student s Companion to Macbeth by Robert W. Watson Copyright Watson Educational Services, Inc., 2006 All rights reserved. No part of this work may be reproduced or transmitted in any form by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying and recording, or by any information storage or retrieval system, without permission in writing from the publisher. For information, please write Smarr Publishers, 4917 High Falls Road Suite 201, Jackson, Georgia or call (678) Any edition of the text is compatible with the study guide. $9.95 IN USA

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3 Macbeth / 1 Introduction to Macbeth T HE story of Macbeth is based on historical records. Shakespeare uses the events surrounding two murders in order to create his Macbeth: the murders of King Duff (967) and King Duncan (1040). The play is arguably the darkest of all of Shakespeare s tragedies with its obsession to explore fear and cruelty to its limit. The use of the witches in the play was no fairy tale to audiences in 17th-century England. The belief in evil men consorting with familiar spirits was a common belief held by both king and commoner. Nevertheless, in the play hope now exists since Scotland is in its darkest hour and that a new light will dispel the darkness. Many scholars agree that the purpose of Macbeth was to provide a history of the establishing of the first Stuart king, of whom King James I (James VI of Scotland) descended. The tragedy reminds all people that great men even to this day are subjected to evil. Yet, while Shakespeare s audiences appreciated the presence of personified evil, whether in the witches or the Devil, modern readers have a problem with recognizing the sort of evil that Macbeth encounters. Indeed, Macbeth was tempted by the witches, but he did not have to yield to the temptation. In order to kill King Duncan, Macbeth has to ignore all of his scruples, something that is difficult to believe, even with the most wicked of men. However, it is not hard to believe that good men are deceived. Since this is true, then the witches in Macbeth represent an evil that deceives and mocks the human will. The power of the weird sisters is the ability to persuade, not to coerce. This is why the most important possession of the individual is his heart, the seat of his affections. Macbeth had ambition, an ambition that is quelled as he realizes that he had advanced as far as he could in his society. In spite of his gallant deeds in battle, Macbeth could never rise above the title of thane. In his heart, Macbeth wanted more, but he was willing to allow events to unfold naturally, until his wife attacks his manliness. Lady Macbeth gives herself completely over to evil; but she too can only persuade Macbeth to usurp the throne, because she cannot force him against his will. Macbeth has the makings of being a great man, who possesses courage and devotion to duty; but he also possesses a tragic flaw: he is too easily moved by his anger and fears. At the same time, Macbeth is contrasted with the king whom he murders. Duncan has children; Macbeth does not. Duncan is a peaceful and benign king; Macbeth is a warrior accustomed to blood and becomes a tyrant. With Duncan, there is orderliness arising out of chaos; with Macbeth, there is chaos arising out of orderliness. What makes Shakespeare s tragedies truly great, however, is that evil is always extinguished in the end. Evildoers receive their just recompense for their wicked deeds. Time is on the side of good, and good triumphs because evil has to eventually burn out. The Macbeths not only upset their internal souls, but they upset the external social structure as well. Social structures cannot remain out of balance forever. Justice will properly realign the social, political, and religious spheres, because these human activities belong to the providence of God, not to impersonal chance, witches, or even welfare states. Therefore, one of the many lessons to be learned from the reading of Macbeth is that tyranny is ultimately doomed, because time is against it. ROBERT W. WATSON

4 2 / Macbeth Macbeth Lesson One 1.1 Vocabulary hurly-burly n. compunctious adj. art n. trammel v. 1.2 Vocabulary Exercise 1. The fact that Philip could never save enough money while living in the city seemed to his desire to buy a small farm in Alabama. 2. When the wildcat got inside the house, you can imagine the as lamps were knocked down, curtains were ripped, and the women were screaming. 3. After Sam took the money off the coffee table, his thoughts made him return the money, because he knew stealing was wrong. 4. As mayor, my father had a natural for mediating satisfactorily the demands of the several factions in our small town. 1.3 Reading Assignment: Macbeth, Act I 1.4 Recall Questions 1. Who does Macbeth kill during the battle? 2. Whose army surrenders after Macbeth s and Banquo s forces defeat it? 3. With what three titles do the three weird sisters greet Macbeth? 4. What is the fate of the previous thane of Cawdor? 5. To whom does Malcolm refer when he states nothing in his life / Became him like the leaving it? 6. Who does the king of Scotland, Duncan, announce as his successor to the throne? 7. As Macbeth gets ready to leave, to whose castle does Duncan say he will visit? 8. What does Lady Macbeth fear the most about her husband s nature? 9. What does Macbeth mean when he states that King Duncan is at Inverness in double trust?

5 10. What does Lady Macbeth propose to do to the two soldiers who guard Duncan? Macbeth / Critical Thinking In Act I, discuss some of the things that are foul and some of the things that are fair. Discuss the witches prophesies as religious truth. Can the Devil speak truth? Discuss some of the irony associated with Duncan s opinion of Inverness and of Lady Macbeth. 1.6 Bonus Thoughts Witches and the Totalitarian State: Witchcraft is the attempt to control the future outside the providence of God, and thus means a rebellion against God. In the Bible we find the interesting account of King Saul who consorts with the witch of Endor. Such is the way of men who merely have the façade of conforming to God s commandments, because in times of crisis, they will appeal to anything but the true and living God. This is especially true when the state claims to have total jurisdiction (totalitarianism) over its citizens. At this point, the state becomes a god itself, while demanding total sacrifice to it and while attempting to influence the future of its citizens by controlling all social, religious, and political affairs through education, science, and technology. Notice as you read how the witches in Macbeth seem to control not only the future events of the play, but Macbeth as well. Trochaic Meter and Supernatural Creatures: The English language has a natural rhythm that resembles the iambic foot, a metric foot with two syllables where the first syllable is unstressed, followed by a stressed one. For an example, this is the first line spoken by Duncan: What BLOOD-y MAN is THAT? He CAN re-port However, Shakespeare generally uses trochees for dialogue whenever supernatural or otherworldly characters speak. The trochaic foot has two syllables with the accent on the first syllable, which gives the verse a sing-song rhythm like all nursery rhymes. Notice the following example. FAIR is FOUL, and FOUL is FAIR. HOV-er THROUGH the FOG and FILTH-y AIR. It is common with the trochaic foot for the last foot to have only an accented syllable and to drop the unstressed one. Wyrd, or weird (wîrd) is an Anglo-Saxon and Nordic concept roughly corresponding to fate. The word comes from the Anglo-Saxon verb meaning to become. In its literal sense, wyrd refers to the past, or that which has become. However, more broadly wyrd refers to how past actions continually affect and influence the future. The stress is upon the interdependence of all actions, and how they influence each other. This is not like predestination, however, because the concept of wyrd implies that while we are affected and constrained by our past actions, we are constantly creating our own wyrd through how we respond to present situations. In Greek mythology, three sisters called the Fates controlled the course of men. Shakespeare s three weird sisters, who control the course of Macbeth s life is an allusion to these three sisters in mythology.

6 4 / Macbeth Macbeth Lesson Two 2.1 Vocabulary largess n. marshal v. surfeited adj. equivocator n. 2.2 Vocabulary Exercise 1. The substantial donation was an unexpected during the time when the small school was struggling to continue its educational mission. 2. The modern politician is a true, because he refuses to make any explicit statement about how he believes on any issue. 3. The trouble with modern welfare states is their budgets provide for functions that are not in the domain of civil government and their having an insatiable desire to centralize all power. 4. There is no denying that the way the councilman the facts, his report proves that the city is on the verge of bankruptcy. 2.3 Reading Assignment: Macbeth, Act II 2.4 Recall Questions 1. About whom does Banquo tell Macbeth he dreamed the night before? 2. After Macbeth dismisses his servant, what does he think he sees before him? 3. What is the signal used by Lady Macbeth that informs Macbeth to kill Duncan? 4. What is the reason Lady Macbeth offers for her not killing Duncan herself? 5. Who takes the daggers and returns them to the sleeping guards? 6. According to Lady Macbeth, a little of what will clear Macbeth and herself of murder? 7. According to Lennox, what strange things happened during the night? 8. Who killed the two guards outside of Duncan s room?

7 Macbeth / 5 9. Where do Duncan s sons, Malcolm and Donalbain, decide to go after learning of their father s murder? 10. According to the Old Man and Ross, what did the horses of Duncan do? 2.5 Critical Thinking Explain how the conscience becomes an accuser to both Lady Macbeth and Macbeth. Discuss the use of the supernatural in Act II. How do these events add to the tone of the play? 2.6 Bonus Thoughts I have not heard the clock : According to historical records, we know that 11th-century Scotland did not have clocks. Did Shakespeare make a mistake? Actually, the playwright is using poetic license, a device that John Dryden expresses as the liberty which poets have assumed to themselves, in all ages, of speaking things in verse which are beyond the severity of prose. In other words, poets can get away with saying some things that writers of prose cannot. Typically, this license extends to the words and syntax of the poem, but it also includes putting events and persons in the wrong time period. This form of poetic license is called anachronism, a device that is common in Shakespeare s plays, like the clock s striking in The Tragedy of Julius Caesar and the Egyptian queen s using a corset in Antony and Cleopatra. Hecate: One of the lesser goddesses in mythology, Hecate was the goddess of the Dark of the Moon, believed to rule on the nights when the moon did not shine. The deeds of darkness are associated with her, and she reigned over the Crossways, a place of evil magic. Oddly, Diana, the goddess of the Moon and Hunt, is identified as Hecate in later ancient poetry. Thus, the goddess is both good and evil, much like the Sumerian deity, Ishtar, who was the goddess of Love and War. In the Bible, Diana is referred to in Acts 19. Comic Relief: Because of the great tension in tragedies, the playwright will employ the device called comic relief. In Macbeth, the audience knows that a murder most foul is taking place. The imagination is much more powerful than the actual seeing of the act. Therefore, to break the tension, the scene with the porter helps the audience to laugh, to momentarily forget about the murder. In addition to this, comic relief helps to give variety to the play, and the most successful use of comic relief is when the scene is a part of the overall plot, as in the case with the porter and later with Lady Macduff and her son.

8 6 / Macbeth Macbeth Lesson Three 3.1 Vocabulary verity n. parricide n. avouch v. rue v. 3.2 Vocabulary Exercise 1. The of the expression, Beauty is in the eye of the beholder, is arguably wrong, because beauty is connected with God s holiness, which cannot be modified by subjective reasoning. 2. Having known Mr. Kittle for many years, I was able to his sincerity and truthworthiness. 3. Fewer crimes are more heinous than when a child commits, because it shows an ungrateful and unthankful heart for one s parents. 4. John the day when he drank his first beer; his life has been marked by sorrow and troubles ever since that first drink. 3.3 Reading Assignment: Macbeth, Act III 3.4 Recall Questions 1. Before Banquo comes to supper, what activity does he decide to participate in? 2. What does Macbeth mean when he states, Upon my head they place a fruitless crown / Thence to be wrench d with an unlineal hand? 3. How is Macbeth able to persuade the murderers to kill Banquo? 4. The murderers are to kill Banquo and who else? 5. Why does Macbeth tell his wife that Duncan is better off than he is? 6. During the attack of the murderers, who escapes? 7. After Macbeth speaks with the murderer, who visits the feast? 8. Who was bidden to the feast, yet did not show? 9. Who goes to England to help Malcolm to reclaim the throne of Scotland?

9 Macbeth / Critical Thinking Support or criticize the following statement: Scene 5 in Act III was probably added later by another writer other than Shakespeare, because the scene is out of character with the rest of the tragedy. Explain how the initial orderliness of Scene 4 deteriorates into chaos. 3.6 Bonus Thoughts Genius: In the Roman religion, it was believed that every man had his own Genius. The Genius was a guardian spirit who gave the individual his life and being. For women, they had a Juno. These guardian spirits came into the world at the time of the birth of the child. Therefore, the celebration of birthdays was important with fresh white garments being worn, friends making visits or letters of congratulation being sent, the receiving of presents from friends and family, and the eating of a feast. However, the honored individual was to offer gifts of flowers, wine, and cake to his Genius. This practice seems better than the modern birthday party where the emphasis is on getting, and the neglect of the true and living God who gives all of us life. Nevertheless, the birthday party only shows that there are many things we do that have a pagan origin. Rook: Macbeth refers to rooky woods. The rook is a bird that is found only in Europe, and it resembles the North American crow. Rooks create colonies by making their nests in the tops of trees. Admired disorder : This paradoxical combination of words is called an oxymoron, a combining of two terms that in ordinary usage are contraries. The most pious Edward : The lord tells Lennox that Macduff had gone to England, which was being ruled by Edward the Confessor ( ). Edward was known to live a saintly life. However, his one failing was that he spent many years in Normandy before coming to England as king. Therefore, Edward was foreign in his ways and received most of his advice from his Norman friends, rather than the Anglo-Saxon lords. Dissatisfied with Edward, Godwin, the earl of Wessex, created a political faction that tried to pressure Edward to recognize the noblemen as having a role in the affairs of England. Edward dies in 1066, leaving no heir to the throne. Godwin s son, Harold, claimed the throne, but he had to repel two invasions. The first invasion came from Norway, because King Harold Hardrada of Norway claimed England under the lineage of Canute. Harold defeated the king of Norway at Stamford Bridge near York. However, the Duke of Normandy, William, also claimed the crown, saying that Edward had given it to him. William of Normandy defeated the Anglo-Saxon forces of Harold in 1066, thus marking the end of Anglo-Saxon rule in England.

10 8 / Macbeth Macbeth Lesson Four 4.1 Vocabulary cauldron n. apparition n. niggard n. homely adj. 4.2 Vocabulary Exercise 1. When truth is presented, it is most, but at the same time, it is the most attractive. 2. Be not a of your speech: how goes t? MacDuff. 3. One of our favorite sports as children was to go inside the old, haunted house; our friend Albert always claimed to see ghosts, but these we figured came from his vivid imagination. 4. The Pilgrims were surprised to find an English-made in the deserted Indian village near the shores of the new land. 4.3 Reading Assignment: Macbeth, Act IV 4.4 Recall Questions 1. What is the warning of the first apparition to Macbeth? 2. What does the second apparition say to Macbeth? 3. What does the third apparition say to Macbeth? 4. What does Macbeth plan to do to those at the castle of Fife? 5. According to Lady Macduff, what makes us traitors? 6. What paradox does Lady Macduff express before the entry of the murderers? 7. To what does Malcolm refer when he states, It weeps, it bleeds, and each new day a gash is added her wounds? 8. How does Malcolm test the loyalty of Macduff? 9. According to Malcolm, Macduff should convert his grief into what?

11 Macbeth / Critical Thinking Discuss how the fleeing of the several characters from the presence of Macbeth gives the appearance of evil. Consider the proverb, The wicked flee when no man pursueth; but the righteous are bold as a lion (Proverbs 28:1). 4.6 Bonus Thoughts Apostrophe: In Act IV, you have read several passages where the characters addressed Scotland directly. This device is a rhetorical figure called an apostrophe, which is the direct address either to an absent person or to an inanimate entity. However, if the address is directed to a god or a muse, then the rhetorical figure is called an invocation, like in John Milton s Paradise Lost: And chiefly Thou, O Spirit. Macbeth and the Three Weird Sisters

12 10 / Macbeth Macbeth Lesson Five 5.1 Vocabulary perturbation n. mortified adj. weal n. oblivious adj. 5.2 Vocabulary Exercise 1. Having been expelled from college, the young man feared to go home, because he realized that he had brought shame to his family. 2. Since Mr. Lucas lost his wallet, he has suffered a dreadful, which is understandable since he had over five thousand dollars in it. 3. As Patsy walked along the lane, she became to the cold, because the falling snow created a winter wonderland for her to admire. 4. The citizens of Smallsville believe that they enjoy an uncommon for a small town, a prosperity that promoted the common good for everyone. 5.3 Reading Assignment: Macbeth, Act V 5.4 Recall Questions 1. Whom do the doctor and gentleman observe sleep-walking? 2. What does Lady Macbeth always have near her at all times? 3. What does Lady Macbeth appear to be doing while she is asleep? 4. After Macbeth asks whether the doctor can minister to a mind diseased, what is the doctor s reply? 5. What order does Malcolm give to his troops regarding Birnam Woods? 6. How does Lady Macbeth die? 7. What report is given to Macbeth concerning Birnam Woods? 8. What does Macduff mean when he states that he was from his mother s womb / Untimely ripp d?

13 9. When Macduff sees Malcolm and Siward again, what is he holding in his hand? Macbeth / Critical Thinking Compare and contrast the reactions of Macbeth and of Siward upon hearing the deaths of their wife and son respectively. Discuss how Macbeth could have been so easily influenced by the witches. Consider Macbeth s irrational fears and bouts of anger. Agree or disagree with the following statement: Macbeth represents the typical human being. 5.6 Bonus Thoughts Cesarean Section: You read where Macduff was delivered by being pulled from the womb of his mother. It is not clear whether his mother suffered an accident ( untimely ripped ) or underwent a surgical procedure. It is believed that Julius Caesar was delivered by this method, and therefore the operation is named after him.

14 12 / Macbeth Glossary for Macbeth art (ärt) n. Skill arising from the exercise of intuitive faculties; stratagems, and tricks; cunning apparition (²p -r¹sh n) n. A ghost; a specter; an appearance avouch ( -vouch ) v. To declare the provable truth or affirm; to accept responsibility for; acknowledge cauldron (kôl dr n) n. A large vessel, such as a kettle, used for boiling; figuratively, a state of great distress or unrest compunctious (k m-p¾ngk -sh s) adj. Characterized by a strong uneasiness caused by a sense of guilt; guilty of wrongdoing or the prospect of wrongdoing equivocator (¹-kw¹v -k³t ) v. One who uses vague language intentionally and who avoids making an explicit statement homely (h½m l ) adj. Not attractive or good-looking; of an unpretentious nature; plain hurly-burly (hûr l -bûr l ) n. Noisy confusion; tumult largess (lär-zhμs ) n. Generosity of spirit or attitude; liberality in bestowing gifts, especially in a lofty or condescending manner; money or gifts bestowed marshal (mär sh l) v. To arrange, place, or set in methodical order mortified (môr t -fºd ) v. To cause to experience shame, humiliation, or wounded pride; humiliate; to discipline by self-denial or self-inflicted privation niggard (n¹g rd) n. A stingy person; miser oblivious ( -bl¹v - s) adj. Lacking all memory; forgetful; lacking conscious awareness; unmindful parricide (p²r ¹-sºd ) n. The murdering of one s father, mother, or other near relative; one who commits such a murder perturbation (pûr t r-b³ sh n) n. The state of being upset; agitation rue (r ) v. To feel regret, remorse, or sorrow for surfeited (sûr f¹-tºd) adj. Characterized by eating or supplying to excess, satiety, or disgust; overindulged trammel (tr²m l) v. To hinder the activity or free movement of verity (vμr ¹-t ) n. The quality or condition of being true, factual, or real; something, such as a statement, principle, or belief, that is true, especially an enduring truth weal (w l) n. Prosperity; happiness; the welfare of the community; the common good

15 Macbeth Vocabulary Quiz Instructions: Match the word with its definition. A. hurly-burly B. compunctious C. art D. trammel E. largess F. marshal G. surfeited H. equivocator I. verity J. parricide K. avouch L. rue M. cauldron N. apparition O. niggard P. homely Q. perturbation R. mortified S. weal T. oblivious 1. to hinder the activity or free movement of 2. stingy; miserly 3. the murdering of one s father, mother, or other near relative 4. to cause to experience humiliation; to discipline by self-denial 5. a strong uneasiness caused by a sense of guilt 6. lacking memory or awareness; unmindful 7. to arrange, place, or set in a methodical order 8. not attractive; plain 9. quality of being true, factual, or real 10. a ghost; a specter 11. prosperity; happiness 12. liberality in bestowing gifts, especially in a condescending manner 13. to feel regret, remorse, or sorrow for 14. one who avoids making explicit statements 15. large vessel, such as a kettle, used for boiling 16. noisy confusion; tumult 17. state of being upset; agitation 18. to feed or supply to excess; to overindulge 19. to declare the provable truth or affirm 20. skill arising from the exercise of intuitive faculties; cunning

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17 Answer Keys to Macbeth Vocabulary Exercise, Lesson 1 1. trammel 2. hurly-burly 3. compunctious 4. art Lesson 1 1. Macbeth kills Macdonwald. 2. The army was the troops of the king of Norway. 3. Macbeth is called thane of Glamis, thane of Cawdor, and king. 4. The thane is to be executed for his part in the rebellion against the king of Scotland. 5. Malcolm is referring to the thane of Cawdor. 6. Duncan names his oldest son, Malcolm, to be the next king. 7. Duncan is to visit with Macbeth, whose castle is in Inverness 8. Macbeth is too full o the milk of human kindness. 9. Duncan is related to Macbeth, and Duncan is a guest, both relationships should secure a man against the treachery of murder. 10. Lady Macbeth proposes to get the guards drunk (she will drug them). Vocabulary Exercise, Lesson 2 1. largess 2. equivocator 3. surfeited 4. marshaled Lesson 2 1. Banquo dreamed about the three weird sisters. 2. Macbeth believes that he sees a dagger. 3. Lady Macbeth uses a bell as the signal. 4. Duncan looked too much like her father as he slept. 5. Lady Macbeth takes the daggers back. 6. Lady Macbeth says a little water will clear them of the deed. 7. Lennox said that chimneys were blown down, screams of death were heard, and an owl clamored all night long. 8. Macbeth kills the two guards. 9. Malcolm is to go to England, and Donalbain is to go to Ireland. 10. The horses turned wild and ate each other. Vocabulary Exercise, Lesson 3 1. verity 2. avouch 3. parricide 4. rued 1

18 Lesson 3 1. Banquo will go riding. 2. Macbeth has no heir to the throne, and Banquo was told that his sons would rule Scotland, who is not of the lineage of Macbeth. 3. These particular men were the enemies of Banquo. 4. The murderers are to kill Fleance, the son of Banquo. 5. Duncan can no longer fear treason, weapons, poison, or anything else. 6. Fleance escapes. 7. The ghost of Banquo visits the feast. 8. Macduff was absence from the feast. 9. Macduff goes to England. Vocabulary Exercise, Lesson 4 1. homely 2. niggard 3. apparitions 4. cauldron Lesson 4 1. Macbeth is to beware of Macduff. 2. Macbeth is not to fear any man born of a woman. 3. Macbeth will remain king until Birnam Woods moves to the hill of Dunsinane. 4. Macbeth plans to kill the wife and children of Macduff. 5. Our fears make us traitors. 6. Lady Macduff expresses that in this world those who do evil are praised, and those who do good often must suffer. 7. Malcolm refers to Scotland. 8. Malcolm states that he will be a worse tyrant than even Macbeth by taking many women, by taking the nobles lands, and by destroying all peace on earth. 9. Macduff s grief should be converted into anger. Vocabulary Exercise, Lesson 5 1. mortified 2. perturbation 3. oblivious 4. weal Lesson 5 1. Lady Macbeth was observed walking in her sleep. 2. Lady Macbeth has to have light nearby. 3. Lady Macbeth appears to be washing her hands. 4. In such cases, the patient must minister to himself. 5. The soldiers are to cut down branches in order to disguise themselves as they approach Dunsinane. 6. Lady Macbeth commits suicide by jumping from the castle s wall. 7. The servant thought he saw the woods moving towards Dunsinane. 2

19 8. Macduff was not born by normal childbirth, but by cesarean section. 9. Macduff is holding the head of Macbeth. Macbeth 1. D 2. O 3. J 4. R 5. B 6. T 7. F 8. P 9. I 10. N 11. S 12. E 13. L 14. H 15. M 16. A 17. Q 18. G 19. K 20. C 3

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