Story Summary

Question 1

Act 1, Scene 1

Answer 1

• We are presented with the three Witches in their bleak setting of thunder and lightning.
• We see their malevolent supernatural powers and chants.

Question 2

Act 1, Scene 2

Answer 2

• Duncan receives the news that Macbeth was heroic during the battle against the rebels.
• He crowns him Thane of Cawdor (this is the position above from what Macbeth was currently). It is important to note, Macbeth does not know about this promotion of title yet.

Question 3

Act 1, Scene 3

Answer 3

• The Witches appear in front of Banquo and Macbeth as they’re coming off battle.
• They give him the prophecy (prediction) that he will be Thane of Cawdor (you can see why he starts to believe them), and the King of Scotland.
• They tell Banquo he will father a line of Kings
• Ross then comes to present Macbeth with the title of Thane of Cawdor - he has begun to believe in the supernatural powers

Question 4

Act 1, Scene 4

Answer 4

• Duncan announces that Malcolm (his son) will be the Prince of Cumberland. Macbeth sees this as an obstacle, obstructing his ‘rightful’ way of being King

Question 5

Act 1, Scene 5

Answer 5

• Lady Macbeth reads a letter from Macbeth explaining the Witches’ prophecies. She now begins to believe she could be queen of Scotland
• She recognises her femininity constrains her, so she calls upon dark spirits to strip her of “remorse” so she could be a barbaric male. She doubts Macbeth’s ability to commit regicide (killing of the king)
• She begins to convince Macbeth to kill King Duncan.

Question 6

Act 1, Scene 6

Answer 6

• Duncan and his sons (Donalbain and Malcolm) come to Macbeth’s castle to celebrate the victory in battle

Question 7

Act 1, Scene 7

Answer 7

• Macbeth is doubting the decision to kill Duncan - he acknowledges the immorality of this act in his soliloquy
• Lady Macbeth can see Macbeth is wracked with uncertainty. She uses a tool of emasculation (using his masculinity against him) in order to coerce him into committing regicide (killing of the king).
• She gives Macbeth the plan of murder - they will get the guards drunk and then once Duncan is dead,plant the dagger on them
• Macbeth agrees to committing regicide

Question 8

Act 2, Scene 1

Answer 8

• Banquo expresses his concerns about the Witches’ prophecies to Macbeth, and Macbeth pretends he hasn’t given the prophecies a second thought (we can really see his deception coming through)
• Macbeth sees the bloody dagger after the murder. He reflects on the extreme consequences on his actions, and the permanence of what he will do
• Macbeth ignores this guilty hallucinations and proceeds with committing regicide

Question 9

Act 2, Scene 2

Answer 9

• Macbeth has committed the murder and is alarmed he heard noises. He speaks of how no amount of water will be able to wash the blood off his hands
• Macbeth, in his panicked state, brings back the bloody daggers with him. Lady Macbeth insists that he goes back so they can frame the guards. He is too paralysed with guilt and shock.
• Lady Macbeth has to return the bloody daggers.
• Macbeth begins to hallucinate and hear voices
“Macbeth does murder sleep” - the beginning of his true mental downfall

Question 10

Act 2, Scene 3

Answer 10

• Macduff finds the body of Duncan - he is truly devastated.
• Macbeth kills the guards in rage (he is just covering up his actions) so they avoid questioning him
• Donalbain and Malcolm flee (Duncan’s sons) as they fear they too will be murdered

Question 11

Act 2, Scene 4:

Answer 11

• Macduff tells Ross that Macbeth has been named King of Scotland and will soon be crowned
• Malcolm and Donalbain are the key suspects for King Duncans’ murder

Question 12

Act 3, Scene 1

Answer 12

• Banquo becomes increasingly weary of Macbeth and voices his concerns.
• Macbeth enters as King for the first time. He articulates how the prophecies the Witches gave Banquo (that he will father the line of Kings) are unnerving and he is fearful they will threaten his position as King.
• Macbeth arranges for Banquo and Fleance (Banquo’s son) killed by assasains

Question 13

Act 3, Scene 2

Answer 13

• Lady Macbeth becomes increasingly wary about Macbeth’s mental state, and tries to urge him to forget about the murder
• Macbeth clearly explains how his mind is plagued with guilt and “full of scorpions”
• She doesn’t know about his plans of getting Banquo and Fleance murdered

Question 14

Act 3, Scene 3

Answer 14

• The murderers kill Banquo, but Fleance manages to escape.

Question 15

Act 3, Scene 4

Answer 15

• Macbeth and Lady Macbeth hold a banquet.
• Macbeth is informed that the murder of Banquo was successful but not Fleance
• During the banquet, Macbeth begins to hallucinate and sees Banquo’s ghost taking his seat at the table
• Lady Macbeth dismisses the Scottish thanes who attended the banquet and says that Macbeth is not feeling well

Question 16

Act 3, Scene 5

Answer 16

• Hecate (the goddess of the Withes) and the Witches meet.
• They speak about how Macbeth’s overwhelming hubris (pride) is obstructing him from seeing their deceptions.
• Hecate instructs the Witches to amplify their deceptions with their next prophecies

Question 17

Act 3, Scene 6

Answer 17

• Lennox is discussing with another lord about how many of the lords are joining Malcolm to combat and bring down Macbeth.
• They speak of their suspicions around how Macbeth got his power

Question 18

Act 4, Scene 1

Answer 18

• Macbeth comes to the Witches, and as Hecate instructed, they amplify their deceptive prophecies
• They tell Macbeth: beware of Macduff, no man born of a woman can harm him, he won’t be defeated until Birnam Wood marches against him.
• Macbeth concludes that his must kill Macduff and his family (bit irrational isn’t it - what can we expect from him at this point tut tut)

Question 19

Act 4, Scene 2

Answer 19

• Ross and Lady Macduff are speaking. It is revealed that Macduff has fled to England, and therefore Lady Macduff is worried for her safety
• Lady Macduff and their children are murdered by the murderers sent by Macbeth

Question 20

Act 4, Scene 3

Answer 20

• Malcolm and Macduff (who have both fled to England) are speaking.
• Malcolm (Duncan’s son) wants to test Macduff’s loyalty, so pretends to confess multiple sins to him.When Macduff remains patriotic (love for his country).Malcolm reveals he was lying and that Macduff has gained his loyalty
• They decide to pair together to bring down Macbeth and restore Scotland

Question 21

Act 5, Scene 1

Answer 21

• Lady Macbeth is accompanied by a doctor and gentlewoman who are explaining she has a ‘troubled mind’
• We see she is sleepwalking, holding a handle next to her. She begins to mirror Macbeth’s past hallucinations of seeing blood, as she sees a “spot” of blood and is plagued by this sight
• Lady Macbeth has lost all sanity

Question 22

Act 5, Scene 2

Answer 22

• The Scottish lords and English forces begin to be led towards Macbeth’s castle in Dunsinane by Malcolm and Macduff
• They are marching towards the castle holding branches cut from Birnam Woods so they are disguised (the first of the Witches’ deceptive prophecies to become true - Birnam Woods is moving)

Question 23

Act 5, Scene 3

Answer 23

• Macbeth’s arrogance is mockable in this scene. He Is boasting to the doctors and others around him that he is invincible due to the Witches’ prophecies (no man born of a woman can harm him, and he is safe until Birnam Woods moves)
• Macbeth begins to worry when he hears that Birnam Woods has begun to move towards him

Question 24

Act 5, Scene 4

Answer 24

• Malcolm and Macduff’s charge towards Macbeth’s castle

Question 25

Act 5, Scene 5

Answer 25

• Macbeth hears about Lady Macbeth’s death and begins to realise the futility of this power and ponder on the meaning of life
• A messenger confirms that Birnam Woods is moving towards the castle

Question 26

Act 5, Scene 6

Answer 26

• Malcolm and Macduff’s charge towards Macbeth’s castle, Malcolm instructs for the lords and the English force to throw their branches down so Macbeth can see the large amount of people who are ready to oppose him

Question 27

Act 5, Scene 7

Answer 27

• Macbeth comes onto the battlefield to his inevitable death. He is still clinging to the idea that no man born of a woman can harm him.
• Macduff and Malcolm are head to head in battle, Macduff reveals that he was not born from a woman, instead a caesarean (c- section). This is the third prophecy to deceive him
• Macbeth is beheaded by Macduff
• Malcolm is restored as the rightful king of Scotland

Question 28

Act 1 Summarised

Answer 28

• Noble and commended for bravery
• Weak minded and easily manipulated and emasculated by his wife

Question 29

Act 2 summarised

Answer 29

• First hallucination of bloody dagger (guilty conscience before the murder
• Paralysed with guilt and shock when sees the blood on his hands after the murder
• Has to kill the guards (more murder) to maintain his cover

Question 30

Act 3 Summarised

Answer 30

• Macbeth is on his tyrannical rampage, setting out to kill Banquo +
  Fleance (Banquo’s son)
• His conscience is being completely tormented and engulfed with guilt
• He hallucinates and sees Banquo’s ghost at the banquet

Question 31

Act 4 Summarised

Answer 31

• His hubris (excessive pride) and ambition obstructs him from seeing the deceptive prophecies of the Witches
• His heinous nature is revealed when he gets Lady Macduff and her children killed unjustifiably

Question 32

Act 5 Summarised

Answer 32

• Macbeth’s arrogance is reinforced again despite Birnam Woods moving towards him
• He realises the futility of life and its meaning when he finds out about Lady Macbeth’s death
• His hubris and ignorance is shattered when Macduff reveals he was born through a C- section
• He is beheaded