Background, Act I, and Act II of Macbeth Flashcards
What is the second Shortest play Shakespeare wrote?
Macbeth
What is Macbeth classified as?
A tragedy
What other types plays did Shakespeare write besides tragedies?
Comedies and histories
For who and when was Macbeth performed for?
The royal family of James I in 1606
Why were many things written into Macbeth considering the audience?
To flatter King James I
What is the setting of Macbeth?
Medieval Scotland in the 11th century when Jame’s family, the Stuarts, first came to the Scottish throne
Who is the protagonist in Macbeth and what is their tragic flaw
Macbeth and his greed and ambition for power is his tragic flaw
What did the beginning scene of Shakespeare’s plays usually have?
Comedy, fighting, or vulgarity
What did people in Shakespeare’s day believe in that James I was considered an authority on and even wrote a book about?
Witches and witchcraft
What writing style was Macbeth written in?
Iambic Pentameter
How did James I take the throne?
Elizabeth died and was childless
Who was James I’s mother
Mary Queen of Scots who Elizabeth beheaded
What were a few important evens that occurred during James I’s reign?
The establishment of Jamestown, Virginia, He appointed a council of men to write the King James Version of the Bible, His people persecuted the Puritans so they left for America and settled at Plymouth in 1620, and Guy Fawkes along with catholic conspirators tried to blow up Parliament and the King by hiding barrels of gunpowder in the cellar under the House of Lords but they were discovered and taken to to Tower of London on November 5th, 1605 and is celebrated as Guy Fawkes Day in England as a national holiday
Why did Shakespeare put the witches in the opening scene in Macbeth?
To capture the attention of the groundlings
Who meets in Scene 1 of Macbeth?
The 3 witches
When do the 3 witches plan to meet in Macbeth
In a heath
Who do the 3 witches plan to meet in Macbeth?
Macbeth
What is the mood of Scene 1 of Act I in Macbeth?
Uneasiness and gloom
What country is Scotland fighting with in Macbeth?
Norway
What does King Duncan receive a report about in scene 2 of Act I in Macbeth?
The war Scotland was fighting in
Who is praised very highly in the repot King Duncan received in Macbeth?
Macbeth
What is Macbeth praised very highly about in the report King Duncan received in Macbeth?
Being brave and killing Macdonwald
Who is the traitor to King Duncan in Macbeth?
Macdonwald and The Thane of Cawdor
What honor is given to Macbeth at the end of Scene 2 of Act I in Macbeth?
The Thane of Cawdor’s former title
What words of Macbeth in scene 3 echo the withes from scene 1 of Act I in Macbeth?
foul and fair
What is another name for the three witches in Macbeth?
The weird sisters
What are the three titles that the witches greet Macbeth with in Macbeth?
Thane of Glamis, Thane of Cawdor, and future King
What does Banquo ask of the witches in Macbeth?
What he is
What is the witches reply to Banquo in Macbeth?
That his is less than Macbeth but greater, less happy than Macbeth but happier, and a father of kings but not one himself
Who arrives to confirm part of the witches predictions and how in Macbeth?
Ross announces Macbeth as The Thane of Cawdor
Why are Banquo and Macbeth suspicious of the witches predictions in Macbeth?
The predictions seemed impossible
What does Macbeth experience after hearing the witches prophecies in Macbeth?
A thrilling fear, a desire for more details, and the temptation to murder
What does Macbeth not experience after hearing the witches prophecies in Macbeth?
A scornful disbelief
Of whom does Malcom report the execution of in scene 4 of Act I in Macbeth?
Thane of Cawdor
What is notable about The Thane of Cawdor’s execution in Macbeth?
He confessed to his crimes and seemed totally apologetic
What does Duncan mean when he says “There’s no art/To find the mind’s construction in the face” in Macbeth?
You can’t read a persons mind by looking at their face
Who does Duncan name as his heir in Macbeth?
Malcolm
How does Macbeth reveal his true nature at the end of scene 4 of Act I in Macbeth?
He reveals he wants to kill the king
How does Lady Macbeth first learn of the witches predictions regarding Macbeth in Macbeth?
From a letter from Macbeth
What in Macbeth’s personality does Lady Macbeth fear may get in the way of him becoming king in Macbeth?
His kindness
What action does Lady Macbeth plan to take during the King’s visit in Macbeth?
Murder the king
How does Lady Macbeth advise Macbeth to act in King Duncan’s presence in Macbeth?
To look like an innocent flower but be the snake underneath
What is the irony in the description of the air surrounding Macbeth’s castle in scene 6 of Act I in Macbeth?
It seems pleasant and sweet but we know there is a planned murder in there
Which character changes their mind about murdering the king in Macbeth?
Macbeth
Who is the brains behind the murder in Macbeth?
Lady Macbeth
What is Macbeth’s long speech that reveals his innermost thoughts aloud at the beginning of scene 7 of Act I in Macbeth an example of?
A soliloquy
What is dramatic irony?
When the reader knows things that the characters don’t know
What is paradox?
When two opposite things are in a phrase together
What gift has the king bestowed upon Lady Macbeth in Macbeth?
a dimond
What does Macbeth tell Banquo he would like to talk to him about in Macbeth?
The 3 witches
What signal is Lady Macbeth to use to signal all is ready for the murder in Macbeth?
Ring a bell
What does Macbeth see before him as he readies himself for the murder in Macbeth?
A bloody dagger
What does Lady Macbeth say has given her courage in Scene 2 of Act II in Macbeth?
Alcohol
Why does Lady Macbeth say she could not kill the king herself in Macbeth?
He looked like her father
Who else was sleeping in the room with the king besides his bodyguards in Macbeth?
Malcom and Donalbain
Macbeth thinks he hears a voice that says Macbeth murders what in Macbeth?
sleep
What vital mistake does Macbeth make in committing the murder in Macbeth?
He brought the bloody daggers with him when he left
Who corrects Macbeth’s mistake of bringing the daggers with him and how in Macbeth?
Lady Macbeth framed the servants with the daggers
What disturbs Macbeth and Lady Macbeth as they finish their job?
Knocking
Who appears with instructions to wake the king in scene 3 of act II in Macbeth?
Macduff and Lennox
Why does Lennox report that the night has been very disturbing in Macbeth?
There were people screaming and the Earth shook
Who finds Duncan in Macbeth?
Macduff
How does Lady Macbeth respond to the news of Duncan’s murder in Macbeth?
She acted surprised it happened in their house
Who decides to run away feeling they will be blamed for the murder and where do they each go in Macbeth?
Malcolm goes to England and Donalbain goes to Ireland
What happens to the bodyguards in scene 3 of act II in Macbeth?
They were blamed and killed for Duncan’s murder
What were the 3 unnatural occurrences mentioned by the Old Man and Ross in Macbeth?
The clock says it’s daytime but it’s dark like night outside, a falcon was killed by a regular owl that usually eats mice, and Duncan’s horses broke out of their stables and ate eachother
What is comic relief?
A funny scene after a tense scene
What is an example of comic relief in Macbeth?
The porter scene where he is pretending to let people into hell
What is anachronism?
A mistake in time
What is an example of anachronism in Macbeth?
They mentioned a clock but they were not invented in the 11th century
