Semester 1 School Exam (Macbeth Questions) Flashcards
Act 1, Scene 1
What is the purpose of this scene?
Scene 1 makes the viewer curious, as they want to know how Macbeth is connected to the witches. The scene is important to ‘Macbeth’ as it introduces the witches who are inspired by prophetic spirits. These witches influence Macbeth’s future and he becomes more reliant on their prophecies as the play progresses. Their ominous chant that ‘fair is foul and foul is fair’ sets a dark mood and mysterious atmosphere to the play. This makes the viewer anticipate that something bad will happen in the future.
Act 1, Scene 2
[class discussion]
Macbeth has not yet appeared, but in this scene he has been talked about a lot. What have we learnt about Macbeth so far? What is he like?
patriot, loyal courageous, honourable, respected, won 2 battles, King likes Macbeth a lot, Macbeth is King’s cousin
Act 1, Scene 2
Scene 2 has some rich imagery. Pick one image and discuss what meaning is conveyed by it.
In the scene, the Captain told King Duncan about Macbeth - he was fighting against a group of soldiers, “The multiplying villainies of nature// Do swarm upon him.” The “multiplying villainies of nature” represents all evil that can be found in nature “swarm” or in this case, raids Macbeth as if attracted to Macbeth like flies to the meat.
Act 1, Scene 3
What prophecies are given by the witches to Banquo and Macbeth? What dilemma is Macbeth faced with once the prophecy starts becoming a reality?
The witches prophesied, “All hail, Macbeth! hail to thee, Thane of Glamis!// Thane of Cawdor!// King of Scotland!” Macbeth is trapped in a dilemma between saving his respect for the King and let his fate make him king, and Macbeth will boldly chase after the position of a King himself but will include some murders.
Act 1, Scene 4 [class discussion] Dramatic irony occurs when the audience knows something that the characters in the play do not. Explain the dramatic irony in this scene.
“The Prince of Cumberland! - That is a step// On which I must fall down, or else o’erleap, // For in my way it lies. Stars, hide your fires! // Let not light see my black and deep desires: // The eye wink at the hand; yet let that be, // Which the eye fears, when it is done, to see” Duncan did not hear Macbeth saying this. Macbeth has “black and deep desires” that are dangerous and he wanted to do anything to hide it. Duncan doesn’t know of this, but the audience do.
Act 1, Scene 5
Lady Macbeth reads Macbeth’s letter about what the witches said and is excited. When Macbeth arrives, Lady Macbeth encourages him to follow her devious plan.
What are Lady Macbeth’s fears about her husband? What is she planning and why does she pray to be ‘unsexed’?
“…is too full o’ the milk of human kindness” Lady Macbeth knows her husband well enough to feel sure that, however brave he is on the field of battle, he will hesitate to commit a murder.
Lady Macbeth wanted to obtain the position of a King (or queen) by planning to murder King Duncan. “The raven himself is hoarse // That croaks the fatal entrance of Duncan // Under my battlements” The raven represents death, who usually croaks over the corpses of soldiers in battlefields. The raven croaks the entrance of Duncan, which means it is death for Duncan when he comes under her battlements or her house.
She prays to be “unsexed” which means “take away my excessive womanly feelings of compassion and fear and make me a warrior.”
Act 1, Scene 7
Macbeth almost talks himself out of killing the King but Lady Macbeth gives her husband a tongue-lashing that makes him commit to their plan to murder the King.
Explain Macbeth’s struggle with his conscience. Does he seem to be an evil tyrant?
He is struggling between:
a.) Following his ambitions by killing King Duncan
b.) Keep his respects for King Duncan
Quotes:
a.) “I have no spur// To prick the sides of my intent, but only// Vaulting ambition”
b.) “First, as I am his kinsman and his subject, // Strong both against the deed: then, as his host, // Who should against his murderer shut the door, // Not bear the knife myself.”
Is he a tyrant at this point? No, he is not a tyrant, but someone who is struggling to decide between good and bad.
Act 1, Scene 7
Macbeth almost talks himself out of killing the King but Lady Macbeth gives her husband a tongue-lashing that makes him commit to their plan to murder the King.
How does Lady Macbeth respond to Macbeth’s decision and how does she manipulate this decision?
Lady Macbeth provokes him by calling him a coward and not a man. “When you durst do it, then you were a man”.
She also said that she could be more brutal than any man or woman, especially Macbeth. “I would, while it was smiling in my face, // Have pluck’d my nipple from his boneless gums // And dash’d the brains out”
Lady Macbeth compared Macbeth’s cowardly decision to her brutal decision that is better than any man.
Act 2, Scene 1
Contrast Macbeth and Banquo’s character
Banquo:
a.) He obey anything as long as he is still honourable “So I lose none [honour]”, crystal clear and true loyalty “and allegiance is clear”
b.) Banquo believed when Macbeth said that he doesn’t think of the weird sisters
c.) Promised to follow his advice, as long as Banquo could remain loyal towards the King
Macbeth:
a.) When Banquo said that he dreamed of the 3 weird sisters last night, Macbeth said “I think not of them,” even though Macbeth was plotting to kill King Duncan BECAUSE he thinks about the prophecies a lot
b.) “I think not of them” is a blatant lie towards his best friend
c.) Macbeth is manipulative towards his friend
d.) Speaking with a carefully planned words, with secrecy, sly personality
e.) “Hear not my steps, which way they walk, for fear // they very stones prate of my whereabout” Macbeth was no longer loyal towards his king = ‘independently’ doing a treason against the king
Act 2, Scene 2
How was this murderous act affected Macbeth and does Lady Macbeth show herself to be stronger than her husband?
Macbeth:
a. ) No longer stable: sensitive to all sounds, paranoid about people might find him killing Duncan. “How is’t with me, when every noise appals me?”
b. ) Felt guilty and no salvation: “I had most need of blessing, and ‘Amen’ // Stuck in my throat”
c. ) Afraid and anxious: when he was asked to take the daggers back “I’ll go no more: I am afraid to think what I have done”
d. ) Bearing guilt: “… this my hand will rather // The multitudinous seas incarnadine, // making the green one red.” Guilt cannot be undone, not even the sea can wash it
e. ) Kills sleep: “Sleep no more! // Macbeth does murder sleep” Caused by a heavy burden of guilt
Lady Macbeth:
a.) She was the one who yells at Macbeth “Infirm of purpose!” which means weakness
b.) The one who smeared soldiers with blood IN STEAD OF Macbeth
c.) Lady Macbeth lightly says, “My hands are of your colour”. Compares it with Macbeth and said “but I shame // To wear a heart so white” that means Macbeth has a heart as pale as paper. Hers is wild and unshaking
d.) “A little water clears us of this deed: // How easy it is then” taking lightly of her deeds
BUT LADY MACBETH EXCUSED;
a.) “Had he not resembled // My father as he slept, I had done’t” She did NOT do any of the dirty work
Act 2, Scene 3
Who are Malcolm and Donalbain, what do they suspect and what decision do they make?
Malcolm and Donalbain = sons of King Duncan.
Quote: To Donalbain from Macbeth,”… the head, the fountain of your blood // Is stopp’d”
To Malcolm from Macduff, “Your royal father’s murdered.”
Donalbain suspected that if Malcolm and himself were together, they will be in grave danger.
Quote: “the near in blood, // The nearer bloody”
Malcolm suggested that both of them should avoid the murdering place.
Quote: “and our safest way // Is to avoid the aim [the murderer]”
Malcolm said “I’ll go to England”
Donalbain said “To Ireland, I”
Act 2, Scene 4
What additional natural or “unnatural” events add to the atmosphere?
1.) The scene was held at daytime, but sky was dark as night.
Quote: “by the clock ‘tis day, // And yet dark night strangles the travelling lamp.” (the travelling lamp = the sun)
2.) Owl, that usually hunts mice, killed a hunting bird or a falcon. “A falcon, towering in her pride of place, // Was by a mousing owl hawk’d at and kill’d” (Owl represents Macbeth, Falcon represents Duncan)
3.) King Duncan’s beautiful and fast horses broke out of their stalls wildly and ate each other.
Quote: “And Duncan’s horses, // beauteous and swift, the minions of their race, // Turn’d wild in nature, broke their stalls, flung out,” “‘Tis said they ate each other”
Act 3, Scene 1
Banquo expresses his suspicion of Macbeth, and wonders if the witches’ predictions will come true for himself, as they have for Macbeth. Macbeth persuades two Murderers that Banquo is their enemy
Even though Macbeth had become king, he was not satisfied. “To be thus is nothing.” Macbeth does not feel safe because he fears Banquo and he felt that he was the only dangerous threat to his throne. “There is none but he // Whose being I do fear” Macbeth recalled that Banquo’s sons would be kings or be a father of kings. “They hail’d him father to a line of kings.” And this struck Macbeth that there will be no one of his blood who would take his place after he rules the country, but someone else’s son. “No son of mine succeeding.” He realised that if this was to be true, then all Macbeth had done was for nothing but for Banquo’s children who are yet to be kings. “If’t be so, // For Banquo’s issue have I fil’d my mind”. He stated that for them, he had to murder Duncan “For them the gracious Duncan have I murder’d”. This clearly stated that Macbeth cleared the obstacles or opened the road to the throne for not him, but for Banquo’s sons, his common enemy. “Only for them; and mine eternal jewel // Geven to the common enemy of man.” This is why Macbeth felt that all he had done was clearing a path for Banquo’s sons and creating more obstacles for Macbeth himself.
Act 3 Scene 2
What is Macbeth’s state of mind in this scene?
Macbeth’s state of mind is a mess. “O, full of scorpions is my mind, dear wife!” The word “scorpion” is used as a metaphor to something that would be chaotic, continuous panic and definitely not at ease. Macbeth is afraid in pretty much anything “Ere we will eat our meal in fear, and sleep”. Macbeth felt restless “Than on the torture of the mind to lie // In restless ecstasy”
Act 3 Scene 4
Macbeth and Lady Macbeth welcome the guests to their banquet. The bloody Ghost of Banquo, which only Macbeth can see, appears among the guests.
What is the significance of Banquo’s ghost? Is it a reference to the supernatural or to his guilty conscience?
Banquo sitting on Macbeth’s seat or throne represents that Banquo is a father of kings. The significance of his ghost is to intimidate Macbeth and trigger his guilty conscience. Because of Macbeth’s guilty conscience that he only felt the guilt after he is told something relevant to it. In this case, Macbeth was informed and assured by the murderer that Banquo, his precious, best friend, was dead. “his throat is cut; that I did for him.” Only then Macbeth knows that his friend is dead and what he saw sitting on his throne was Banquo in the form of a ghost.
