macbeth act 1

Question 1

what is the significance of the storm that’s happening in this scene?

Answer 1

the storm foreshadows the disruption of the natural order that both the witches and Macbeth bring out.

Question 2

what does ‘fair and foul and foul and fair’ mean?

Answer 2

it means the natural or correct order of the world is disrupted, where beauty is ugliness and ugliness is beauty. everything is the complete opposite.

Question 3

Who are Graymalkin and Paddock?

Answer 3

They are the familiars or servants of the witches – Graymalkin is a cat and Paddock is a toad.

Question 4

How does the Captain describe Macbeth?

Answer 4

The Captain says that Macbeth is a brave soldier, who took on Macdonwald single-handedly and killed him without hesitation.

Question 5

What did the Norwegian king do in the battle?

Answer 5

Once King Duncan’s army had defeated the Irish, the Norwegian king decided to invade to take advantage of the fact that they were tired
and depleted.

Question 6

Why is the Thane of Cawdor a ‘disloyal traitor’?

Answer 6

The Thane of Cawdor has joined forces with the King of Norway against King Duncan.

Question 7

What has Macbeth ‘won’ by the end of scene 2?

Answer 7

By the end of the scene, Macbeth has won the title of Thane

of Cawdor.

Question 8

What do the witches plan to do to avenge the first witch?

Answer 8

They plan to sink the ship of a sailor by sending wind to buffet the ship. The first witch also says she will drain him of energy, stop him from sleeping and let him die a slow miserable death without being able to reach the shore. All of this is because the sailor’s wife wouldn’t give the first witch a chestnut!

Question 9

How does this link to King James I who was one of the first people to see Macbeth performed?

Answer 9

King James had a strong belief in the power of witches and actually blamed witchcraft for the storms that stopped his wife from reaching England when she came from Denmark to marry him.

Question 10

Why are Macbeth’s words ‘So foul and fair a day I have not seen’ significant?

Answer 10

Macbeth’s words echo the words the witches said in scene one. This shows his link with the witches.

Question 11

Why does Banquo doubt the witches are women?

Answer 11

The witches are old women who have ‘beards’ – hairs on their chin, which is why Banquo hesitates to call them women.

Question 12

What do the witches tell Macbeth?

Answer 12

They tell Macbeth that he is Thane of Cawdor and that he will be king.

Question 13

What do they promise Banquo?

Answer 13

They say Banquo will not be king, but will be the father of a line of kings.

Question 14

What news does Ross bring?

Answer 14

Ross says King Duncan is pleased with Macbeth and so has given him the title of Thane of Cawdor.

Question 15

What does Banquo mean by ‘What, can the devil speak true?’

Answer 15

Banquo is surprised that the witches were speaking the truth. Witches and witchcraft were associated with the devil at this time.

Question 16

In his speech that starts ‘Two truths are told…’, what are Macbeth’s thoughts about what has just happened?

Answer 16

Macbeth thinks that as the witches got two of his titles right (Glamis and Cawdor) that they may also be right about him becoming king. Macbeth tries to work out whether their words are good or evil and doesn’t really come to a conclusion. He frightens himself because his thoughts turn to murder and he finds his mind in turmoil about the events of the day.

Question 17

What has happened to the first Thane of Cawdor and how is it described?

Answer 17

The first Thane of Cawdor has been executed. But first he confessed his crimes against the king, asked for his forgiveness and truly regretted his actions. He died nobly.

Question 18

What mistake did Duncan make in his relationship with the first Thane of Cawdor?

Answer 18

King Duncan says he ‘built an absolute trust’ on the Thane of Cawdor. He says you can’t tell what a man is really like by looking at his face. This suggests that Duncan is perhaps not a good judge of character and trusts the wrong people.

Question 19

Where does Macbeth say his duty lies?

Answer 19

Macbeth is very clear that his loyalty is to the king ‘…our duties/Are to your throne…’

Question 20

How does Macbeth react when the king says he is bequeathing the throne to his son Malcolm?

Answer 20

The first thing Macbeth thinks is that Malcolm stands in between him and the throne! He hopes his hidden thoughts are not visible to the world and that his eyes may not see his evil deeds if he does them.

Question 21

How does King Duncan feel about Macbeth?

Answer 21

King Duncan believes Macbeth is brave and valiant and cannot be equalled by anyone.

Question 22

Why does Lady Macbeth fear Macbeth’s ‘nature’?

Answer 22

Lady Macbeth thinks Macbeth may be too ‘soft’ to carry out a plan that will make him king quickly ‘…To catch the nearest way…’

Question 23

What does Lady Macbeth plan to do once Macbeth returns to her?

Answer 23

She says she will ‘pour my spirits in thine ear’ which means she will use her powers of persuasion to dispel Macbeth’s qualms and push him to kill King Duncan.

Question 24

Why will Duncan’s arrival be a ‘fatal entrance’?

Answer 24

Lady Macbeth has no intention that King Duncan will leave the castle alive, thus he is entering to meet his death.

Question 25

What does Lady Macbeth mean by ‘unsex me here’?

Answer 25

Women are traditionally associated with nurturing and giving life. Lady Macbeth does not want these feelings as she wants to be able to drive forward the plan to kill the king. Thus, she asks the spirits to take away her sex and any soft-heartedness that goes along with it.

Question 26

When Lady Macbeth says, ‘…I feel now/ The future in the instant’, what does she mean?

Answer 26

Lady Macbeth feels that the future is here now because they know the future and can take action to make it happen.

Question 27

Lady Macbeth advises Macbeth ‘Look like th’innocent flower,/But be the serpent under’t’. What is she telling him to do?

Answer 27

Lady Macbeth is telling Macbeth that he will have to conceal his evil and his murderous thoughts under a façade of friendliness and kindness so that no one will suspect what they are up to.

Question 28

What are Duncan’s and Banquo’s observations about Macbeth’s castle?

Answer 28

Ironically, both Duncan and Banquo think the castle is very pleasant and in a place where the air is fresh ‘The air nimbly and sweetly recommends itself…’. Duncan observes that martins are nesting there and says that only happens in places where the air is clean.

Question 29

How does Lady Macbeth greet King Duncan?

Answer 29

Lady Macbeth is the perfect hostess. She says whatever they do for the king, it won’t be enough to make up for the honour of having him in their home. She says the honours he has given them makes them grateful and that they will always support him.

Question 30

In his soliloquy, what issues does Macbeth see with killing the king?

Answer 30

Macbeth is concerned that once he commits the act of murder, he could be found out and have to take the consequences. Not only that, but he would be judged again in the afterlife. He feels guilty because he is both a relative of the king and is supposed to be his loyal soldier. Macbeth says he should be stopping him from getting murdered and not thinking of doing it himself.

Question 31

What does Macbeth decide to do about the planned murder?

Answer 31

Macbeth backs out of the plan to kill Duncan and says he has honours and good opinions and should be celebrating them not thinking about doing something that would destroy them.

Question 32

How does Lady Macbeth persuade Macbeth to continue with the plan?

Answer 32

Lady Macbeth basically tells Macbeth he is not a man if he does not carry out their plan. She says her will is stronger as she would have ‘dashed the brains out’ of a baby if she had promised to do so. She also says that he does not properly love her if he will not do this.

Question 33

What are the details of the plan?

Answer 33

Lady Macbeth says she will get Duncan’s servants drunk while he sleeps, so much so that they too will fall asleep, leaving him unguarded. Then it will be easy to kill him with the servants’ daggers and blame them.

Question 34

Why does Macbeth say ‘Bring forth men-children only’ to his wife?

Answer 34

He thinks that Lady Macbeth’s spirit is so strong that she would only be able to create male babies. There is a sense that she has taken on male characteristics.

Question 35

What does Macbeth’s ‘I am settled’ mean?

Answer 35

This means he is decided – he will carry out the plan.