Macbeth - Context

Question 1

Hamartia

Answer 1

a fatal flaw leading to the downfall of a tragic hero

Question 2

William Shakespeare

Answer 2

(1564-1616) playwright of Macbeth

Question 3

James I of England (James VI of Scotland)

Answer 3

the monarch of England during Macbeth’s first production who strongly believed in the divine right of kings and witchcraft

Question 4

Gunpowder Plot

Answer 4

a group of Catholics led by Guy Fawkes sought to assassinate James I by using explosives to blow up the Houses of Parliament

Question 5

5 November 1605

Answer 5

Bonfire Night, on which the failed Gunpowder Plot took place

Question 6

Guy Fawkes

Answer 6

Catholic extremist who led the Gunpowder Plot and was subsequently executed by James I

Question 7

Hecate

Answer 7

the Goddess of witchcraft

Question 8

Globe Theatre

Answer 8

(1599-1613) Shakespeare’s main theatre built along the south bank of the River Thames in London

Question 9

The divine right of kings

Answer 9

the political doctrine that states that God gives a monarch the power to rule, and that a monarch is second only to God Himself

Question 10

Regicide

Answer 10

the murder of a monarch

Question 11

Treason

Answer 11

the betrayal of one’s country and/or monarchy, punishable by execution

Question 12

Daemonologie

Answer 12

Influential book written by James I outlining his beliefs in witchcraft and the need to execute those suspected of witchcraft (1597)

Question 13

Robert Catesby

Answer 13

member of the Gunpowder Plot who was formerly regarded as one of James I’s dearest subjects - believed by some to be the model for the character of Macbeth

Question 14

Witchcraft

Answer 14

the practice of magic by people (usually women) who were believed to be acting on behalf of the devil. Those suspected of performing this were persecuted by Christians.

Question 15

Familiars

Answer 15

spirits given to witches by the Devil that often appear in the form of an animal, e.g. a black cat or a toad

Question 16

Patriarchal society

Answer 16

a society in which men hold the greatest control in both the private and the political spheres

Question 17

Great Chain of Being

Answer 17

a system in which species (including mankind) were positioned in a system of hierarchy; it was considered a sin against god for anybody to try and alter their station in the chain.

Question 18

1606

Answer 18

the year in which Macbeth was first believed to be performed

Question 19

The King’s Men

Answer 19

Shakespeare’s acting company whose patron was James I

Question 20

Tragedy

Answer 20

a play that deals with tragic events and which has a catastrophic ending

Question 21

Contemporary audience

Answer 21

an audience watching a play during the time period in which it was first performed

Question 22

Modern audience

Answer 22

an audience watching a play during the current time period

Question 23

Groundlings

Answer 23

Peasants - the lower class in Shakespeare’s time who paid the lowest price to stand in front of the stage and watch the play; likely to be illiterate

Question 24

Graymalkin and Paddock

Answer 24

familiars called upon by the three weird sisters

Question 25

Catharsis

Answer 25

a release of emotional tension

Question 26

The Scottish ‘hard man’ / Warrior Culture

Answer 26

Scottish archetypal man who was expected to be a hard-skinned warrior

Question 27

Norway

Answer 27

the country - led by the Scottish traitor Macdonwald - battling against Scotland at the start of the play

Question 28

Thane

Answer 28

a man who held land granted by the king; a military nobleman

Question 29

Tyrant

Answer 29

a cruel and oppressive ruler/dictator

Question 30

Banquo

Answer 30

believed to be an ancestor of James I

Question 31

Virtue

Answer 31

a quality believed by Elizabethans to be required of a monarch in order to ensure that the country is stable

Question 32

Darkness

Answer 32

a recurring theme; believed to be when evil is committed

Question 33

Macbeth

Answer 33

appointed King of Scotland in 1040

Question 34

Witch

Answer 34

believed to be able to predict the future; bring on night in the daytime; cause fogs and tempests; kill animals; curse enemies with disease and illness; take demonic possession of another person; use a concocted brew to summons evil; and to cause nightmares

Question 35

Patriotism

Answer 35

a sense of pride in one’s country and/or monarchy