CRILD

Question 1

What message is Shakespeare sending when MB says: ‘I have no spurs to prick the sides of my intent, only vaulting ambition’?

Answer 1

Shakespeare is sending a message to all traitors.

Question 2

What is Shakespeare doing when B says: ‘It was said… that myself should be the root and father of many kings’?

Answer 2

Shakespeare was deliberately flattering James 1.

Question 3

Is MB the play a piece of political propaganda?

Answer 3

Yes.

Question 4

What are the main themes of MB?

Answer 4

Ambition and power.
The supernatural.
Appearances and reality.

Question 5

Was Jacobean England a Patriarchy or a Matriarchy?

Answer 5

A Patriarchy.

Question 6

Is Macbeth a Comedy, Tragedy or Romance?

Answer 6

A Tragedy.

Question 7

What key national event took place before the writing of MB?

Answer 7

The gunpowder plot.

Question 8

Did Jacobean England believe in the supernatural?

Answer 8

Yes

Question 9

Which character was a descendant of James the first?

Answer 9

Banquo.

Question 10

What country does MB take place in?

Answer 10

Scotland.

Question 11

What is the name of the era MB was written in?

Answer 11

Jacobean era.

Question 12

What is the name of the belief that king were appointed by god?

Answer 12

Divine right of kings.

Question 13

What is the name for the act of killing a king?

Answer 13

Regicide.

Question 14

What was the book that James the first wrote about?

Answer 14

The supernatural .

Question 15

Why did Shakespeare want to flatter King James?

Answer 15

He was the patron of his theatre company.

Question 16

What device is:’Stars hide your fires, let not light see your black and deep desires.

Answer 16

Adjective

Question 17

‘A poor player that struts and fret his hour around the stage and then is heard no more’

Answer 17

Metaphor

Question 18

‘Why do I yield to such suggestion whose horrid image does unfix my hair.’

Answer 18

Adjective and verb

Question 19

‘To full o’th milk of human kindness’

Answer 19

Metaphor

Question 20

‘There’s daggers in men’s smiles’. (Donalbain)

Answer 20

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

Question 21

‘I have a strange infirmity’ (Macbeth)

Answer 21

LMBg and MB lie and claim MB seeing a ghost is because he suffers from fits and has done since childhood. They are tryingg to conceal the murder of Banquo.
R = audience despise MB for lying and for murdering an innocent friend.

Question 22

Juggling fiends’ (Macbeth)

Answer 22

L = adj – 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.

Question 23

Look like the innocent flower but be the serpent under it.’ (Lady Macbeth)

Answer 23

metaphors. Serpent represents sin and evil. D = LMB like Eve in Genesis tempting MB to commit sin.
C = James I had a medal struck bearing a flower and snake to commemorate discovery of Gunpowder plot. R = Jacobean audience would recognise this. Shows murderers like MB will be discovered & punished.

Question 24

Stars hide your fires. Let not light see my black and deep desires.’ (Macbeth)

Answer 24

rhyming couplet. Light symbolizes heaven. Adjectives ‘black’ represents evil; ‘deep’ how deep his ambition is BUT knows killing King is morally wrong.
C= DRK. Killing a king = act against God.

Question 25

Fair is foul, and foul is fair’. (Witches)

Answer 25

paradox. That which is good can be evil and vice-versa. The prediction that MB will become king seems to be good but leads him to commit evil.

Question 26

‘his virtues will plead like angels… against his taking off’ (Macbeth)

Answer 26

L = simile. Duncan is such a morally good king, heaven will react with horror to his murder and make sure the murderer is discovered.
C = DRK. Jacobeans believed King was appointed by God. To kill a king = act against God. God will punish murderer.

Question 27

‘The earth was feverous and did shake’

Answer 27

L= personification. The murder of King Duncan negatively affects the whole country D = MB’s act of murder has brought moral sickness to the land.
C= Gunpowder Plot had just tried to murder James 1. Play warns of terrible consequences of murdering a king.

Question 28

‘barren sceptre’

Answer 28

L = adjective. MB is obsessed with his own descendants becoming kings and not Banquo’s children, as the witches predicted. Fears he’s damned himself for benefit of Banquo’s children.
C = Flatters James 1 – he was one of Banquo’s descendants.

Question 29

‘it weeps, it bleeds, and each new day a gash is added to her wounds’

Answer 29

L = personification. Macbeth’s bloody kingship has destroyed the country in contrast to King Edward who heals his subjects. Scotland is like a whipped slave or beast of burden suffering under his rule.
C = The Jacobeans believed that a king should be like a father to his subjects. Macbeth is the opposite!

Question 30

‘justice, verity’
‘bloody, false’

Answer 30

L = Malcolm and Macduff’s conversations describes the virtues a king should have – honesty and fairness. These are contrasted with adjectives used to describe Macbeth as king – he is murderous and a liar, not fit to be a king.

Question 31

‘by the grace of Grace’

Answer 31

C – Malcolm says that, as king, he will do whatever God calls him to do. He is the rightful king and a morally good man.
R = audience is reassured that the natural order has been restored.

Question 32

“Was the hope drunk” LMB

Answer 32

Personification, doesn’t have the bravery (plays with masculinity)

Question 33

“Dash the brains out, had I sworn as you”

Answer 33

Inverts idea of gentle and nurturing. Puts pressure on MB

Question 34

“Come you spirits…unisex me here”

Answer 34

Ties her to the supernatural as she wants spirits to make her something she isn’t.

Question 35

“Get on your nightgown”

Answer 35

Shows her being in charge of the relationship. Despite the fact that the male was traditionally in charge of the family.