Macbeth

Question 1

The three witches plot to meet Macbeth on his way home from battle

Answer 1

When shall we three meet again?
In thunder, lightning, or in rain?

Question 2

Macbeth praised for his bravery in winning the battle

Answer 2

• O valiant cousin! worthy gentleman! - Duncan
• brave Macbeth - Captain
• worthy thane - Ross

Question 3

The witches make a prophecy about Macbeth

Answer 3

First witch: All hail, Macbeth: Hail to thee, Thane of Glamis!
Second witch: All hail, Macbeth! Hail to thee, Thane of Cawdor!
Third witch: All hail, Macbeth, that shall be king hereafter!

Question 4

The witches’ prophecy for Banquo

Answer 4

First witch: Lesser than Macbeth, and greater
Second witch: Not so happy, yet much happier
Third witch: Thou shalt get kings, though thou be none

Question 5

Macbeth decides that if he is fated to be king, he will become king without having to do anything

Answer 5

If chance will have me king, why, chance may crown me,
Without my stir.

Question 6

Lady Macbeth calls on the spirits for strength to carry out Duncan’s murder

Answer 6

Come you spirits;
…unsex me here
And fill me from the crown to the toe top-full
Of direst cruelty.

Question 7

Lady Macbeth questions Macbeth’s courage

Answer 7

Art thou afeard?

Question 8

Lady Macbeth uses a metaphor to tell Macbeth that if he stays courageous they won’t fail

Answer 8

Screw your courage to the sticking place,
And we’ll not fail.

Question 9

Macbeth has a vision as he approaches King Duncan’s chamber to kill him

Answer 9

Is this a dagger which I see before me?

Question 10

Donalbain discusses with Malcolm how he feels they are in the company of the person who murdered their father

Answer 10

Where we are
There’s daggers in men’s smiles

Question 10

Macbeth hears voices after killing the king

Answer 10

Methought I heard a voice cry “Sleep no more!
Macbeth doth murder sleep

Question 11

Theme of appearance vs reality

Answer 11

• Fair is foul, and foul is fair
• There’s no art
  To find the mind’s construction in the face

Question 12

Macbeth seems to revel in the brutality of the battlefield

Answer 12

• with brandished steel, which smoked with bloody execution - Captain
• he unseam’d him from the nave to the chaps

Question 13

Macbeth echoing the words of the witches

Answer 13

So foul and fair a day I have not seen

Question 14

Lady Macbeth worries Macbeth is too kind to carry out the murder

Answer 14

too full of the milk of human kindness

Question 15

Lady Macbeth tells Macbeth to look innocent to deceive the others

Answer 15

look like the innocent flower/but be a serpent under’t

Question 16

Macbeth explains in his soliloquoy how violent actions often rebound on the perpetrator

Answer 16

Bloody instructions, which, being taught, return/To plague th’inventor

Question 17

Macbeth says that if he is too ambitious he may fail miserably when questioning whether he should kill Duncan

Answer 17

Vaulting ambition, which o’erleaps itself/And falls on th’other

Question 18

The captain praises Macbeth for winning the battle

Answer 18

For brave Macbeth - well he deserves that name

Question 19

Ross describing Macbeth as the goddess of war’s husband

Answer 19

That Bellona’s bridegroom

Question 20

Banquo describes how evil influences tell us truths to get us to believe lies

Answer 20

oftentimes, to win us to our harm,
the instruments of darkness tell us truths,
Win us with honest trifles, to betray’s
In deepest consequence

Question 21

Macbeth calling for night to kill Duncan

Answer 21

Stars, hide your fires!
Let not light see my black and deep desires

Question 22

Macbeth argues he is a man

Answer 22

I dare do all that may become a man;
Who dares do more, is none

Question 23

Macbeth lies about his thoughts about the prophecies

Answer 23

I think not of them

Question 24

Macbeth recognizes he has killed too many people to go back to being good

Answer 24

I am in blood
Stepp’d in so far, that, should I wade no more,
Returning were as tedious as go o’er

Question 25

Macduff describing how evil Macbeth is

Answer 25

Not in legions
Of horrid Hell can come a devil more damned
In evils, to top Macbeth

Question 26

Lady Macbeths gruesome declaration of what she would do had she promised to do it

Answer 26

plucked the nipple from his boneless gums,
And dashed the brains out

Question 27

Quotes that show Macbeth is not all bad

Answer 27

• If chance will have me king, why, chance may crown me
• too full of the milk of human kindness
• the illness should attend it

Question 28

Part of Macbeth wants to leave prophecies to chance

Answer 28

If chance will have me king, why, chance may crown me

Question 29

Macbeth’s nihilistic worldview towards the end of the play

Answer 29

Out, out, brief candle.
Life’s but a walking shadow, a poor player
That struts and frets his hour upon the stage
And then is heard no more. It is a tale
Told by an idiot, full of sound and fury,
Signifying nothing.