Paige Rowley

English 12
Cindy Rogers
October 28, 2016
English 12 A9 Macbeth

1.) Refer to Act 1, Scenes 1 & 2. Up to this point, who do you consider foul? Who is
fair? Explain and support your answers.
Up to this point in the play, I consider Macdonwald to be foul and the Captain to
be fair. I think Macdonwald is foul because he is referred to as the villainous rebel in
the story, and there seems to be an implication that he is foul. I consider the Captain to
be fair because again, that is how it is implied. The other characters treat him like a
valiant and brave soldier. In scene 2, Duncan calls the Captain a brave relative and a
worthy man, and Malcolm says that the Captain fought to keep him from being captured.

2.) Refer to Act 1, Scene 3. How is Banquo different from Macbeth? Use examples from
Scenes 2 and 3 to indicate their differences.
Banquo is different from Macbeth because he is not as heavily affected by the
fortunes of the three witches. The fortunes went to Macbeths head, and he found himself
plotting against the king and talking to himself. Banquo doesnt seem to take as much
stock or interest in the witches fortunes, and is a bit suspicious of their motives. For
example, when Macbeth asks Banquo what he thinks of his fortunes, he replies with,
But this whole thing is strange. The agents of evil often tell us part of the truth in order

to lead us to our destruction. They earn our trust by telling us the truth about little things,
but then they betray us when it will damage us the most.

3.) Refer to Act 1, Scene 4. When Macbeth offers to act as messenger, is he acting out of
gratitude and respect for the King, or might he have other motives for arriving at
Inverness before Duncan? Explain your response.
I think that Macbeth has other motives for acting as a messenger. I think he has
respect for the King, but has resolved himself to get the throne. I believe that Macbeth
has gone to tell his wife all that has happened with the witches, and create a plan of
action to get the throne. The quote, Malcolm is now the prince of Cumberland! To
become king myself, Im either going to have to step over him or give up, because hes in
my way. Stars, hide your light so no one can see the terrible desires within me. I wont let
my eye look at what my hand is doing, but in the end Im still going to do that thing Id
be horrified to see, supports my hunch. This is when Macbeth resolves to get the throne
one way or another, and I cannot see why else Macbeth would want to act as a messenger
to his wife after such a confession, if not to share what has happened and what he plans,
with her.

4.) Refer to Act 1, Scene 5. What is your opinion of Lady Macbeth? Use examples from
this scene to support your opinion.

I think that Lady Macbeth is power hungry, corrupt, and malevolent. In scene 5
after Macbeth reads the letter Macbeth has written her, her immediate thoughts go
towards how she can help Macbeth murder the King and commit treason. She says
Macbeth is too kind-hearted to achieve such a goal. She automatically resolves to murder
the King for Macbeth without a second thought. She then says, So the messenger is
short of breath, like a hoarse raven, as he announces Duncans entrance into my fortress,
where he will die. Come, you spirits that asist murderous thoughts, make me less like a
woman and more like a man, and fill me from head to toe with deadly cruelty! Thicken
my blood and clog up my veins so I wont feel remorse, so that no human compassion
can stop my evil plan or prevent me from accomplishing it! Come to my female breast
and turn my mothers milk into poisonous acid, you murdering demons, wherever you
hide, invisible and waiting to do evil! Come, thick night, and cover the world in the
darkest smoke of hell, so that my sharp knife cant see the wound it cuts open, and so
heaven cant peep through the darkness and cry, No! Stop! In my opinion, only an
evil person can say this or plan these things without hesitation.

5.) Refer to Act 1, Scenes 6 & 7. What arguments does Macbeth's wife use to convince
him to go ahead with the plan? How do you feel about her comments and his reaction?

What are his fears and how does she reassures him? Are her arguments logical or
emotional?
The argument Lady Macbeth uses to convince Macbeth to carry out his crime is
that if he does not, he will cease to be a man. From hearing the comments of Lady
Macbeth, I think she is manipulative. She seems more interested to achieve this goal for
her own means. From seeing Macbeths reaction, he seems unsure. He seems to be good
at heart, but has been corrupted and manipulated by his wife. Macbeth fears that they
will fail in this endeavor, and will be caught in the act. Lady Macbeth reassures shim by
telling him her plan to get the guards drunk, murder Duncan, and blame the drunk guards,
who cannot remember anything. They will report the crime, clean up the mess, and
spread the news, looking as if they were destroyed by the death of their King. Lady
Macbeths arguments seem to come from logic rather than emotion.