Macbeth - Overall

Question 1

Shows that Macbeth is bravery’s favourite (Act 1 Scene 2)

Answer 1

Valour’s minion

Question 2

Shows Macbeth to be the husband of war (Act 1 Scene 2)

Answer 2

Bellona’s bridegroom

Question 3

Shows Banquo thinks the witches are evil (Act 1 Scene 3)

Answer 3

What! Can the devil speak true?

Question 4

Shows Macbeth is keen to hear what the witches have to say (Act 1 Scene 3)

Answer 4

Would they had stayed!

Question 5

Shakespeare uses dramatic irony about Macbeth’s impending regicide (Act 1 Scene 4)

Answer 5

There’s no art / To find the mind’s construction in the face

Question 6

Contrasting description Macbeth’s castle, the scene of murder (Act 1 Scene 6)

Answer 6

Loved maisonry

Question 7

Manipulative Lady Macbeth lies easily to Duncan while planning his murder (Act 1 Scene 6)

Answer 7

Honours deep and broad wherewith / Your majesty loads our house

Question 8

Macbeth alludes to his wife being more masculine than him (Act 1 Scene 7)

Answer 8

undaunted mettle should compose / Nothing but males

Question 9

Banquo senses darkness - evil (Act 2 Scene 1)

Answer 9

Candles are all out

Question 10

Banquo suggests darkness - evil - in the air has a physical effect on him (Act 2 Scene 1)

Answer 10

A heavy summons lies like lead upon me

Question 11

Macbeth sees a dagger and is unsure as whether it is real or not. Because he has become evil he can see things others can’t. (Act 2 Scene 1)

Answer 11

false creation / proceeding from the heat oppressèd brain

Question 12

Macbeth asks if “Will all Great Neptune’s oceans [wash away the guilt] then uses more sophisticated vocabulary to cloud his actions (Act 2 Scene 2)

Answer 12

Multitudinous seas incarnadine

Question 13

Porter implies that the killing of Duncan has cast the world into a dark, hellish, underworld. (Act 2 Scene 3)

Answer 13

Hell-gate

Question 14

Porter implies that the killing of Duncan has made the natural world go mental all night (Act 2 Scene 3)

Answer 14

strange screams of death

Question 15

The old man uses a metaphor to describe the killing of Duncan (Act 2 Scene 4)

Answer 15

Falcon towering in her pride of place / Was by a mousing owl hawked at and killed

Question 16

Macbeth shows his contempt for the murderers by replying to the murderers speech about loyalty ironically (Act 3 Scene 1)

Answer 16

Your spirits shine through you

Question 17

Macbeth recognises his evil ways and how they bring about death (Act 3 Scene 2)

Answer 17

O, full of scorpions my mind is

Question 18

The murderers show the audience the effect of killing Banquo (Act 3 Scene 3)

Answer 18

Before Banquo is killed,
First Murderer: “The West yet still glimmers with some streaks of light”
After Banquo is killed,
Third Murderer:”Who did strike out the light?”

Question 19

Although Macbeth is terrified by Banquo’s apparition at the feast he appears casual about the event afterwards (Act 3 Scene 4)

Answer 19

We are yet but hound in the deed

Question 20

Macbeth indicates how important the monarchy is to his wife (Act 3 Scene 4)

Answer 20

Our hostess keeps her state

Question 21

Hecate foreshadows Macbeth’s downfall (Act 3 Scene 5)

Answer 21

A dismal and a fatal end

Question 22

Hecate links Macbeth to her, being evil (Act 3 Scene 5)

Answer 22

Wayward son

Question 23

Macduff is wary, suspicious, of Macbeth (Act 2 Scene 3)

Answer 23

Wherefore did you so

Question 24

The witches describe Macbeth badly (Act 4 Scene 1)

Answer 24

Something wicked

Question 25

Macbeth shows how his whole life is falling apart (Act 4 Scene 3)

Answer 25

All my pretty chickens / and their dam, at one fell swoop

Question 26

Lady Macbeth shows how guilty she is (Act 5 Scene 1)

Answer 26

Whats done cannot be undone

Question 27

Angus says Macbeth is not worthy of the crown (Act 5 Scene 2)

Answer 27

Does feel his title / hang loose about him like a giant’s robe / Upon a dwarfish thief

Question 28

Macbeth notices how Scotland is in danger (Act 5 Scene 4)

Answer 28

Disease

Question 29

Macbeth recognises that he could have had a different life (Act 5 Scene 4)

Answer 29

Troops of friends

Question 30

Macbeth does not care if he lives or dies (Act 5 Scene 5)

Answer 30

I ‘gin to be aweary of the sun

Question 31

Macbeth doesn’t give up (Act 5 Scene 6)

Answer 31

Yet I will try the last

Question 32

Macbeth foreshadows his betrayal (Act 1 Scene 7)

Answer 32

We but teach / Bloody instructions, which, being taught, return / To plague the inventor

Question 33

Why is Macbeth written mostly in iambic pentameter?

Answer 33

Most important words are stressed, giving them greater prominence

Question 34

Why is prose used?

Answer 34

The switch from blank verse signifies a change in tone from seriousness to humour