Macbeth

Question 1

What era was Macbeth written in?

Answer 1

Jacobean - under the rule of James I of England (a patron of Shakespeare’s acting company - Macbeth reflects their close relationship)

Question 2

Explain the context behind the real Macbeth

Answer 2

Macbeth = a figure from Scottish history. James was first James VI of Scotland - Macbeth pays homage to his Scottish lineage.
Prophecy that Banquo would found a line of kings nods to James’ family’s claim to have descended from the historical Banquo

Question 3

How did the theme of Kingship vs Tyranny reflect real life at the time?

Answer 3

Would have resonated at the royal court, where James was developing an English version of the theory of divine right to prove he deserved the throne.

Question 4

How did James I become king of England and how was he received?

Answer 4

He was a distant cousin of Elizabeth I (“Good Queen Bess”) and succeeded her after her death.

Was not respected due to his fear of black magic (made him seem uneducated even though he was a well-educated man and author of many books)

Question 5

When did James’ fear of witches start and what did he do about it?

Answer 5

Before his reign he visited Denmark, where witches were actively hunted. His journey back was rough and witches were blamed.

10 years later he wrote “Daemonologie” - an 80 page book about witchcraft to add to the intellectual debate in Europe.

Question 6

Describe the persecution of witches under James VI (of Scotland)

Answer 6

Evidence suggests he began the persecution - before him, witchcraft was illegal but action against them was limited

Particularly shown in the trial of an allegedly pregnant woman arrested for consulting a witch. He ordered that if the court found she wasn’t pregnant, she would be burned.

When he became king of England he denied this.

Question 7

Describe the public’s opinion on witches under James in both Scotland and England

Answer 7

Scotland - under him Scotland fully accepted the Christian witch theory , so when one was found, others were hunted

England - the issue of demonic behaviour (Christian witch theory) was never accepted - James quickly dropped his self-imposed expert tag on witchcraft.

Question 8

Describe the Divine Right of Kings

Answer 8

Kings were appointed by God. Questioning the king was questioning God, amounting to blasphemy. Regardless of what the king did, nobody could criticise him, only God in his own time

Question 9

Describe the context around treason in Macbeth

Answer 9

In 1590, 300 witches were accused of gathering to plot James’s murder. He had a morbid fear of violent death, so he was specially interested in the trial, heightening his interest in witchcraft

In 1605, Gunpowder Plot was discovered - the plan to blow up the houses of Parliament to kill James and replace him with a Catholic monarch

Question 10

Describe the theme of corruption of ambition in Macbeth

Answer 10

Shown in Macbeth + LM. LM desperately wants to be queen + convinces Macbeth to commit regicide.
Her ambition leads to complete insanity + death. Macbeth’s leads to arrogance (hubris) and his eventual beheading.
Ambition corrupts their minds, leading to death.
You can argue Macbeth’s is caused by manipulations (LM + witches) but LM’s is self-inflicted

Question 11

What plot points show the theme of corruption of ambition?

Answer 11

-First + second set of prophecies
-Macbeth’s letter to LM
-LM’s soliloquy explaining her intentions
-Dagger hallucination
-Duncan’s murder
-Banquo’s murder
-Banquo’s ghost
-LM’s guilt and death
-Macbeth’s arrogance and beheading

Question 12

Describe the theme of the supernatural in Macbeth

Answer 12

Shown through witches, Macbeth, Banquo (+LM?).
Witches manipulate Macbeth by giving him 2 sets of 3 prophecies. Banquo is strong enough to resist but Macbeth is not
A popular theory says that LM is one of the witches
Also presented through the hallucinations

Question 13

What plot points show the theme of the supernatural in Macbeth?

Answer 13

-First + second set of prophecies
-Dagger hallucination
-Banquo’s ghost
-The witches

Question 14

Describe the theme of cruelty vs masculinity in Macbeth

Answer 14

LM believes you have to be cruel to be masculine. In Jacobean era masculinity = power so by extension you must be cruel to be royalty - a fairly common belief in 1600s
However Duncan, Malcolm, Banquo + Macduff can be masculine without treachery.
After Macduff’s family is killed he says he must “feel it like a man” = men show compassion too

Question 15

What plot points show the theme of cruelty vs masculinity in Macbeth?

Answer 15

-Macbeth described as a valiant warrior
-LM questions Macbeth’s masculinity
-LM manipulates Macbeth
-Macbeth murders Duncan
-Macbeth orders Fleance + Banquo’s deaths
-Macbeth sends murderers to kill Macduff’s family

Question 16

Describe the theme of kingship vs tyranny in Macbeth

Answer 16

Shown by Macbeth + Duncan (the positive + negative aspects of being a ruler)
Macbeth is the tyrant - acts purely for himself, often at detriment of his own subjects
Duncan was a good, fair king, respected by all (including Macbeth)

Question 17

What plot points show the theme of kingship vs tyranny in Macbeth?

Answer 17

-Duncan rewards Macbeth for his bravery
-Everyone’s reactions to Duncan’s murder
-Everyone’s reactions to Macbeth’s death
-Malcolm’s coronation as the rightful king + everyone’s reactions

Question 18

What does darkness symbolise in Macbeth?

Answer 18

Evil. Witches described as “instruments of darkness”. Macbeth describes his evil intentions as “black”.
Macbeth wants to hide his evil thoughts in darkness (“stars hide your fires…”).
Duncan’s murder happens on a dark, starless night.
Light associated with goodness - Duncan compares his loyal lords to “stars” that “shall shine”

Question 19

What does nature symbolise in Macbeth?

Answer 19

Represents correct order of the world. Duncan’s murder disrupts natural order (horses “turned wild in nature”).
Plant imagery - Duncan says Macbeth + Banquo are like plants he can harvest, but then Macbeth is compared to “weeds” and Malcolm is the “sovereign flower”.
At end of play, natural order is restored when Duncan’s son is crowned. Malcolm says his kingly acts will be “planted newly” - resembles Duncan’s imagery

Question 20

What does disease symbolise in Macbeth?

Answer 20

Represents the state of Scotland. Macbeth asks the doctor to cure Scotland (ironic because he is the disease).
Macduff sees Macbeth’s reign as causing injury to Scotland (“each day a new gash is added to her wounds”)
Malcolm is described as the “medicine” that will cure Scotland, reinforcing the belief that he is the rightful king

Question 21

Describe the witches in Macbeth

Answer 21

Have beards = unnatural + evil. Ambiguous and strange. Act out of malice
Pathetic fallacy - usually accompanied by “thunder and lightning”
Take advantage of Macbeth’s ambition by confusing him with paradoxes.
Hecate gives him a false sense of security that leads to his death. However you can argue it’s Macbeth’s insecurity that causes his downfall (needing to kill Duncan = Banquo). Hecate punishes him with apparitions

Question 22

Describe the Macduff family in Macbeth

Answer 22

Macduff - honest, sincere, brave. Loyal to Scotland. Doesn’t attend Macbeth’s coronation. Puts his country before his family = lack of wisdom. Contrasts with other men when he says he must “feel” his grief “like a man”

Lady Macduff contrasts with LM. When she speaks with her son, they speak in prose not blank verse - makes the scene feel homely

Question 23

Describe Banquo in Macbeth

Answer 23

Brave, noble, wise (doesn’t trust witches, questions if they are real, cautious but intrigued to hear what they say)
Ambitious - wants prophecies to be true but doesn’t act on them (not corrupted)
Suspects Macbeth of Duncan’s murder but doesn’t act on it - surprised at Macbeth’s betrayal

Question 24

Describe Duncan in Macbeth

Answer 24

Kind + generous. His flaw = too trusting.
A model king that everyone loves (“most sainted king” -Macduff)
Unselfish, gentle, not aggressive or a soldier + not afraid to show emotion. Not qualities associated with masculinity so audience questions if a good leader has to be a violent warrior

Question 25

Describe Malcolm and Donalbain in Macbeth

Answer 25

Fair and honest but (unlike their father) know they’re in danger and have the common sense to flee
Malcolm tests Macduff’s loyalty by pretending to be a tyrant before trusting him
Not impulsive (don’t react to Duncan’s death immediately -wait until the right time = sensible)
Malcolm earns trust of the Scottish thanes. Disguises soldiers with branches = clever.
He rewards people who fought for him. Same qualities as Duncan but less naive = a better king

Question 26

Describe the character of Macbeth

Answer 26

Brave, ambitious, guilty (often doubts himself).
Most comfortable on battlefield (doesn’t have to worry about morality)
Cyclical - starts and ends as a warrior. A cold + calculating killer.
Easily influenced (but that declines after Duncan’s murder) by LM and supernatural.
At end of play, he is cynical + world-weary - doesn’t feel guilt because he thinks a person’s actions don’t matter + life means “nothing”

Question 27

Describe the character of Lady Macbeth

Answer 27

Ambitious (ruthless - links masculinity to strength e.g “unsex me” but proves women can be cruel too, exploits Macbeth’s weak spots (cowardly))
Clever + quick-witted (planned Duncan’s murder, faints after Duncan’s death to draw attention from Macbeth - exploits stereotypes of women)
Thinks maternal instincts make women weak. Can only achieve her ambition through Macbeth (a man)/.
Her + witches are androgynous = power.
Dominant + confident at start, goes mad with guilt + isolation so kills herself. Has a softer side - can’t kill Duncan

Question 28

Give some quotes that the witches say

Answer 28

“Fair is foul and foul is fair”
“security is mortal’s chiefest enemy” - Hecate
“something wicked this way comes”- about Macbeth
“lesser than Macbeth, and greater” - about Banquo

Question 29

Give some quotes that Banquo says about the witches

Answer 29

“look not like th’inhabitants of the earth”
“you should be women but your beards forbid me to interpret that you are so”
“What, can the devil speak true?”
“the instruments of darkness”

Question 30

Give some quotes about Duncan

Answer 30

“he was a gentleman on whom I built an absolute trust” - Duncan about the previous Thane of Cawdor
“his virtues will plead like angels” - Macbeth when planning his murder
“the owl that shrieked”, “I heard the owl scream and the crickets cry” - after the murder
“his silver skin laced with his golden blood”
“his gashed stabs looked like a breach in nature”

Question 31

Give some quotes from Macbeth relating to Duncan’s murder

Answer 31

“whose murder is yet but fantastical”
“starts hide your fires. Let not light see my black and deep desires”
“false face must hide what the false heart doth know”
“Is this a dagger which I see before me, the handle toward my hand?”
“I could not say ‘Amen’ when they did say ‘God bless us’”
“Will all great Neptune’s ocean wash this blood clean from my hand?”

Question 32

Give some quotes about Macbeth at the start of the play

Answer 32

“Brave Macbeth”
“Valour’s minion”
“Bellona’s bridegroom”

Question 33

Give some quotes about Macbeth at the middle/end of the play

Answer 33

“upon my head they placed a fruitless crown and put a barren sceptre in my gripe”
“O, full of scorpions is my mind, dear wife!” - to Lady Macbeth
“I’ll fight till from my bones my flesh be hacked”
“bear-like, I must fight the course”
“I will not yield”

Question 34

Give some quotes the other characters say about Macbeth

Answer 34

“this tyrant whose sole name blisters our tongues”, “black Macbeth” - Malcolm

“not in the legions of horrid hell can come a devil more damned in evils to top Macbeth” - Macduff

“giant’s robes on a dwarfish thief” - Rosse

Question 35

Give some quotes that Lady Macbeth says about Macbeth

Answer 35

“I fear thy nature, it is too full o’th’milk of human kindness”
“I may pour my spirits in thine ear and chastise with the valour of my tongue”
“look like th’innocent flower but be the serpent under’t”

Question 36

Give some quotes that show how cruel Lady Macbeth is

Answer 36

“Come you spirits that tend on mortal thoughts, unsex me here and fill me from the crown to the toe topfull of direst cruelty”
“come to my woman’s breasts and take my milk for gall you murd’ring ministers”

“I have given suck and know how tender t’is to love the babe that milks me” …
“I would … have plucked my nipple from his boneless gums and dashed the brains out”

Question 37

Give some quotes that show Lady Macbeth is not so cruel / guilty

Answer 37

“Had he not resembled my father as he slept, I had done’t” - about Duncan

“Out, damned spot! Out I say!”
“all the perfumes of Arabia will not sweeten this little hand”

Question 38

What does Malcolm call Lady Macbeth?

Answer 38

“fiend-like queen”

Question 39

Give a quote about Macduff’s family

Answer 39

“Your wife and babes, savagely slaughtered”