Appearance and Reality / Deception and Deceit

Question 1

Appearance and reality / deception and deceit

Answer 1

TS1 – From the beginning of the play, the witches deceive Macbeth

TS2 – Macbeth hides his ambition to become king after hearing the witches’ prophecies but Lady Macbeth encourages him to be a deceitful murderer

TS3 – At the end of the play, Macbeth realises that he has been deceived by the witches and they have led him to damn his soul

Question 2

[ Witches ]
‘fair is foul, foul is fair’

Answer 2

L - Paradox : good can be evil and vice-versa

The prediction that Macbeth will become king seems to be good but leads him to commit evil.

Question 3

[ Macbeth ]
‘stars hide your fires. Let not light see my black and deep desires.’

Answer 3

C - Divine right of king
Killing a kings is an act against God.

L
- Rhyming couplets ,
- Light symbolizes heaven
- Adjectives :
‘black’ represents evil
‘deep’ represents how deep Macbeth’s ambition is but knows killing the king is morally wrong

Question 4

[ Lady Macbeth ]
‘look like the innocent flower but be the serpent underneath’

Answer 4

C - James I had a medal struck bearing a flower and snake commemorate discovery of
Gunpowder plot

R - Jacobean audience would recognise this. Showing murders like Macbeth will be discovers and punished

L - Metaphor : serpent represents sin, evil

D - Lady Macbeth like Eve in Genesis tempting Macbeth to commit sin

Question 5

[ Donalbain ]
‘There’s daggers in men’s smiles’

Answer 5

L - Metaphor
Malcolm and Donalbain realise another Thane murdered their father. They cannot trust anyone and must flee to safety.

Question 6

[ Macbeth ]
‘I have a strange infirmity’

Answer 6

Lady Macbeth and Macbeth lie and claim Macbeth seeing a ghost is because he suffers from fits and has done since childhood. They are trying to conceal the murder of Banquo.

R - The audience despise Macbeth for lying and for murdering an innocent friend.

Question 7

[ Macbeth ]
‘Juggling fiends’

Answer 7

C - Warns of dangers of witchcrafts ; James I wrote ‘Daemonology’ on the subject.

L
- Adjective :
Macbeth knows the witches have tricked him and he can be defeated.

• Noun :
  Shows he knows they are evil and have led him to commit evil.