Macbeth (1605-1606)

Macbeth is one of Shakespeare's most stimulating and popular dramas. Renaissance records of
Shakespeare's plays in performance are scarce, but a detailed account of an original production
of Macbeth has survived, thanks to Dr. Simon Forman.
Earliest known text: First Folio (1623).

Shakespeare's Sources for Macbeth

Shakespeare's chief source for Macbeth was Holinshed's Chronicles (Macbeth), who based his account of Scotland's
history, and Macbeth's in particular, on the Scotorum Historiae, written in 1527 by Hector Boece. Other minor sources
contributed to Shakespeare's dramatic version of history, including Reginald Scot's Discovery of Witchcraft,
and Daemonologie, written in 1599 by King James I. Macbeth's words on dogs and men in Act 3, scene 1, (91-100),
likely came from Colloquia, the memoirs of Erasmus (edition circa 1500). The plays of Seneca seem to have had great
influence on Shakespeare, and, although no direct similarities to the work of Seneca can be seen in Macbeth, the
overall atmosphere of the play and the depiction of Lady Macbeth can be attributed to the Latin author.

An examination of Macbeth and Shakespeare's sources leads us to formulate several conclusions concerning the
motives behind the dramatists alterations. It can be argued that the changes serve three main purposes: the dramatic
purpose of producing a more exciting story than is found in the sources; the thematic purpose of creating a more
complex characterization of Macbeth; and the political purpose of catering to the beliefs of the reigning monarch, King
James the First. And, in the grander scheme, Shakespeare's alterations function to convey the sentiment echoed in
many of his works – that there is a divine right of kings, and that to usurp the throne is a nefarious crime against all of
humanity.

Contemporary References to King James I in Shakespeare's Macbeth (1605-06)

One can connect Shakespeare's patron, King James I, to almost every significant dramatic alteration Shakespeare
made to his source material on the historical Macbeth, as we can see in Shakespeare's Sources for Macbeth. But
fascinating contemporary references and compliments to James also are found throughout the play.

The two-fold balls and treble sceptres (4.1) is a reference to the double coronation of James, at Scone and
Westminster, and the most overt homage to James in the play. The balls or globes "were the royal insignia which King
James bore in right of his double kingship of England and Scotland, and the three sceptres were those of his three
kingdoms of England, Scotland and Ireland" (Lilian Winstanley, Macbeth, King Lear and Contemporary History).

Another obvious tribute to James is Malcolm's reference to the evil (4.3) or scrofula, which James believed he could
cure by his touch; a power supposedly inherited from Edward the Confessor.

A probable allusion to the Gunpowder Plot to assassinate James can be found in Lady Macbeth's words, look like the
innocent flower, but be the serpent under't (1.5) and even more riveting is an allusion to a Jesuit priest named Father
Henry Garnet, who had concealed his knowledge of the conspiracy:

Faith, here's an equivocator, that could swear in both the scales against either scale; who committed treason enough
for God's sake, yet could not equivocate to heaven. O, come in, equivocator. (2.3)

Macbeth also, more so than any of Shakespeare's works, is overflowing with Biblical imagery, and, of course, one of
King James's great passions was Scripture, culminating in the King James Version of the Bible in 1611. Another of
James's interests was witchcraft, and woven into Macbeth are portions of James's own book on the
subject, Daemonologie.

It is not surprising that Shakespeare aimed to please James. Shortly after his arrival in London, James insisted that
Shakespeare's troupe come under his own patronage, giving them unlimited opportunities and making Shakespeare a
wealthy man.
The Metre of Macbeth

From Macbeth. Ed. Thomas Marc Parrott. New York: American Book Co.

In order to enjoy to the full the poetry of such a play as Macbeth the student should be able to read it rhythmically, and to do this
demands some knowledge, at least, of the general principles of Shakespearean versification. The metre of Macbeth is, as is well
known, very irregular. This is due, perhaps, in some few places to the corrupt state of the text, but more generally to the fact that by
the time he wrote Macbeth Shakespeare had acquired such a mastery of language and metre that he often disregarded the rules
which earlier poets, and he himself in his earlier works, had carefully observed.

One often feels in reading Macbeth that Shakespeare did not compose the drama line by line, but rather in groups of lines, and that
so long as each group produced the rhythmical effect he sought, it mattered little to him whether or not the individual lines
conformed to strict metrical rule. At the same time it is necessary for us to know these rules, if only to appreciate the freedom with
which Shakespeare departs from them.

The simplest division of the drama is into prose and verse. There is comparatively little prose in Macbeth, The letter in i. 5 is
naturally in prose; the porter in ii. 3 talks prose as do most of Shakespeare's low comedy characters; the dialogue between Lady
Macduff and her son in iv. 2 wavers between verse and prose in a rather curious fashion (see note on this passage, page 260); and
finally the sleep-walking scene, v. i, is for the most part in prose.

This may be explained by the fact that Shakespeare almost without exception puts prose rather than verse into the mouths of the
insane, and Lady Macbeth's somnambulism is meant by him to be regarded as a symptom of her mental disorder.

The verse of the drama falls naturally into two parts: (a) blank verse, that is, unrhymed lines in iambic pentameter; (b) rhymed lines
in various metres.

Blank verse — The normal blank verse line is an iambic pentameter, that is, it contains five feet of two syllables each, the second
of which is accented; or, to use a more modern terminology, it is a sequence of ten alternately unstressed and stressed syllables.
We may denote this line most simply by placing an accent over each stressed syllable, as,

To point out the stresses of a line in this way corresponds in the study of English metre to the elaborate system of scanning
classical verse which has sometimes been applied to English poetry.

It is evident that a prolonged succession of such regular lines would be extremely monotonous. This may easily be seen by reading
aloud some of the longer passages in Shakespeare's earlier plays, such as the Comedy of Errors, where many of these regular
lines occur in unbroken succession. In order to avoid such monotony Shakespeare soon began to make use of a number of
variations from the normal line. Some of these from their frequent occurrence in Macbeth deserve particular notice.

Instead of ending with a stressed syllable Shakespeare frequently added an unstressed syllable to the line. This so-called feminine
ending, appears in something over a quarter of the blank verse lines of Macbeth:

Sometimes two such syllables are added, making what is called the triple, or the double feminine, ending.

The Alexandrine or line of six feet resembles the line with the double feminine ending in having twelve syllables, but differs from it in
closing with a stressed syllable. Thus:

Sometimes an Alexandrine takes on an extra unstressed syllable at the close. Thus:

Akin to the feminine ending is the addition of an unstressed syllable to the foot preceding the caesura, i.e. the pause in the middle
of the line. Thus:

Occasionally two unstressed syllables are added here. Thus:

On the other hand Shakespeare often dropped an unstressed syllable from the line. Thus:

Occasionally a stressed syllable is omitted giving us a line of four feet:

We find also lines in which one or more feet are entirely omitted. Thus:

Of these fragmentary lines it may be remarked that lines of two and three feet are by no means uncommon, twenty-nine of the first
class, and fifty-one of the second, occurring in Macbeth. Lines of four feet are rarer, and lines of one foot rarest of all.

Another method of varying the normal line is the substitution of some other foot for the iamb in one or more places of the line. The
commonest substitution is that of the trochee, i.e. a, foot of two syllables with the stress on the first. This substitution is sometimes
called "stress-inversion." As a rule it appears in the first foot or after the caesura; but it may occur in any foot of the line. Thus we
have it in the first foot,

in the second,

in the third,

in the fourth,

in the fifth,

Occasionally we find two and very rarely three such inversions in one line.

Sometimes an anapaest, i.e. a foot consisting of two unstressed and one stressed syllable, is substituted for an iamb. This
substitution is often more apparent than real, for many such cases can be explained by the contraction of words common in
Shakespeare's day; but there are some cases where contraction is impossible. Thus we have.

and

In scanning, attention must, of course, be paid to differences of pronunciation between the English of Shakespeare's time and our
own. Some of the more striking of these have been pointed out in the notes. Attention must also be paid to the frequent contraction
of two words or two syllables into one. Such contractions as "I'll" for "I will," "I've " for "I have" are sometimes indicated in the text,
but frequently are left to the judgment of the reader. An unaccented syllable in the middle of a word is often slurred over in
scanning; thus in such a line as
the second syllables of "corporal" and "terrible" are barely heard, if at all. On the other hand there are a few cases where one
syllable is expanded into two for the sake of the metre. Thus in the line

"worst" is practically equivalent to "worest." The same word is sometimes pronounced differently in different places according to the
requirement of the meter. Thus the termination "-ion" is pronounced as two syllables in i. 2. 18, but is contracted to one in i. 4. I.
Compare also the pronunciations of "remembrance" in ii. 3. 67 and iii. 2. 30. No rule can be given for such cases; the reader's ear
for rhythm must serve as his guide.

We must not forget that Shakespeare wrote his verse to be declaimed from the boards of a theatre, not to be puzzled over in a
schoolroom. Many lines that tax the ingenuity of scholars who attempt to fit them into an exact metrical scheme, would flow
smoothly enough when spoken by a good actor.

Rhymed Lines — The rhymed lines in Macbeth may be divided into

(1) Heroic couplets. i.e. iambic pentameter lines, each pair of lines rhyming as

Such couplets frequently occur at the end of a scene, where they are called rhymed "tags." Out of twenty-eight scenes
in Macbethnineteen end with a "tag" of this kind. Heroic couplets, however, appear occasionally in the middle of a scene in blank
verse. See lines 90-101 of iv. i. There are some fifty-four such couplets inMacbeth.

(2) Lyrical passages. The ordinary dialogue of the witches, as has been pointed out in the notes is thrown into rhymed verse,
consisting for the most part of trochaic tetrameter, i,e. lines of four feet, having two syllables to a foot, with the stress falling on the
first. Thus:

As a rule the second syllable of the last foot is wanting in this metre; but see i. 3. 14. Occasionally we find iambic lines in the
speeches of the witches as

In the speeches of Hecate on the other hand (see iii. 5. and iv. i.) the rhythm is iambic. There is occasional stress inversion but not
a single trochaic line. This is one of several arguments against the Shakespearean authorship of these passages. The same
argument would hold against the speech of the First Witch iv. i. 125- 132. Here and there in the witches' speeches we have lines
that exceed the regular number of feet as

or fall short of it as

There are about 120 short rhyming lines in the whole play.
 Introduction to the Main Characters in Macbeth
Macbeth

The horrific and detestable acts perpetrated by Macbeth mirror the crimes of Shakespeare's great villains -- Aaron the
Moor, Iago, Richard III, Edmund -- all at the ready to slaughter women and children, usurp divinely appointed kings,
and butcher their closest friends to satisfy ambitious cravings. Yet, despite his villainous deeds, Macbeth is not among
the list of Shakespeare's most base evildoers. What sets Macbeth apart is his penchant for self-reflection. Although
ultimately he cannot resist his dark desires, his struggle to regain his goodness is constant, and the part of his
character that is capable of much love and compassion, although ever fading, is always present. There is no moral
dilemma with Shakespeare's true villains. They relish every moment of their immorality. Thus, rather than a villain,
Macbeth is considered to be one of Shakespeare's tragic heroes. He is by no means the epitome of the Aristotelian
tragic hero, as is Hamlet, but he is a tragic hero nonetheless, because we, the audience, can see ourselves in him.

Lady Macbeth

Lady Macbeth is Shakespeare's most evil feminine creation. Her satanic prayer to the forces of darkness in Act 1 is
chilling to modern readers and it would have been absolutely terrifying to Jacobean groundlings watching the horror
unfold in Shakespeare's own Globe Theatre. Most critical analysis of Lady Macbeth focuses on her as catalyst for
Macbeth's first murder, that of Duncan, and the linear progression of her deteriorating mental state, culminating in her
sleepwalking scene.

However, the most interesting facet of Lady Macbeth's character is hardly ever
explored: that she herself intends to commit the murder of Duncan, while her
husband merely plays the smiling host. This precious detail gives Lady Macbeth's
invocation new weight and her character new depth. John Dover Wilson, the editor
of the first edition of The Cambridge Macbeth, was one of the first scholars to bring
this hypothesis to light. As he writes in his introduction to the play:
The whole point of Lady Macbeth's invocation is that she intends to murder Duncan
herself. She speaks of 'my knife' and of 'my fell purpose.' And the same resolve is
implied in everything she says to Macbeth after his entry. She bids him put "This
night's great business into my dispatch"...she tells him he need do nothing but look
the innocent and kindly host; she dismisses him with the words 'Leave all the rest to
me'. All this seems obvious directly it is pointed out, though once again no one
appears to have noticed it before, simply because in the end the murder is of course
performed by Macbeth himself; and must be, however the drama is shaped. I
suggest, by means of a further dialogue between husband and wife, preceded
perhaps by a scene in which, going to the bedroom knife in hand, she cannot bring
herself to the action; and I further suggest that when he reached this point in 1606
Shakespeare found he had no room for such developments and had to extricate
himself as best he could. And how triumphantly he does it! First he writes a soliloquy
('If it were done, when 'tis done') for the beginning of scene 1.7, which conveys the
impression that Macbeth was intending all along to do the deed himself; he then
later in the same scene makes the guilty pair talk as if they were proposing to do it together; and finally, though he
sends Macbeth to the bedroom alone, he brings Lady Macbeth on to inform us that she has already been there, and
that
Had he not resembled
My father as he slept, I had done't.

(Shakespeare, William. Macbeth. Ed. John Dover Wilson. Cambridge: UP, 1968. p.p. xxxvii)

Duncan

Duncan, the King of Scotland, is Macbeth's first victim en route to obtaining the crown for himself. As is evident here
and in all of the history plays, Shakespeare was, at least in the public arena, a firm believer in the divine right of kings.
Usurping a divinely appointed ruler was always the most serious of crimes, but to usurp a valiant and benevolent
monarch was wicked beyond comprehension. Thus, for reasons both dramatic and political, Shakespeare had to make
notable changes to the historical Duncan. The real King Duncan, according to Shakespeare's sources, was your
regular nasty warlord; nastier, it appears, than the actual historical Macbeth. If Shakespeare's Macbeth planned to kill
this Duncan he would be justified, and hence there would be no play. So Duncan morphs into a delightful and much
beloved ruler, kind to the point of annoyance. With his 'silver skin' and 'golden blood' (2.3.97), Shakespeare's Duncan
epitomizes the perfect ruler. Shakespeare's changes to Duncan's character are also in keeping with other changes he
made to his sources, all seemingly intended to cater to his king and patron, James I.
Banquo

Shakespeare's Banquo is the antithesis of Macbeth -- his pure, moral character foil. Banquo has no 'vaulting ambition'
and thus can easily escape the trap of the Witches' prophesies. Wise and steadfast, Banquo warns Macbeth that
Oftentimes, to win us to our harm,
The instruments of darkness tell us truths,
Win us with honest trifles, to betray's
In deepest consequence. (1.3.132)
Banquo ultimately falls victim to Macbeth, but his son, Fleance, escapes.

Macduff

Macduff, the thane of Fife, arrives at Macbeth's castle the morning after Duncan has been murdered. Macduff
pronounces the king dead, and is suspicious of Macbeth almost immediately. Macduff quickly sides with Malcolm,
Duncan's son and rightful heir to the throne. As punishment for his betrayal, Macbeth hatches a plan to kill Macduff
and his whole family. Macbeth's assassins do murder Lady Macduff and his son, but Macduff, who is in England at the
time, lives to take his revenge on Macbeth at the end of the play, when he slays in him battle and carries his head to
the new king, Malcolm.

The Three Witches

Shakespeare's Three Witches, or the Three Weird Sisters, are characters in Macbeth, answering to the fates of
mythology. They appear first in 1.1 and they make their prophecy known to Macbeth and Banquo in 1.3. In 4.1. they
show Macbeth the three apparitions.

The following analysis of Shakespeare's Weird Sisters is an excerpt from the book, Shakespeare and his Times, by
Nathan Drake:
In the very first appearance, indeed, of the Weird Sisters to Macbeth and Banquo on the blasted heath, we discern
beings of a more awful and spiritualized character than belonged to the vulgar herd of witches. "What are these,"
exclaims the astonished Banquo, --
What are these,
So wither'd, and so wild in their attire?(1.3).
Even when unattended by any human witnesses, when supporting the dialogue merely among themselves,
Shakespeare has placed in the mouths of these agents imagery and diction of a cast so peculiar and mysterious as to
render them objects of alarm and fear, emotions incompatible with any tendency towards the ludicrous. But when,
wheeling round the magic cauldron, in the gloomy recesses of their cave, they commence their incantations, chanting
in tones wild and unearthly, and heard only during the intervals of a thunder-storm, their metrical charm, while flashes
of subterranean fire obscurely light their haggard features, their language seems to breathe of hell, and we shrink
back, as from beings at war with all that is good. Yet is the impression capable of augmentation, and is felt to have
attained its acme of sublimity and horror, when, in reply to the question of Macbeth,
How now, you secret, black, and midnight hags?
What is't you do?
They reply,-- A deed without a name.

Much, however, of the dread, solemnity, and awe which is experienced in reading this play, from the intervention of the
Witches, is lost in its representation on the stage, owing to the injudicious custom of bringing them too forward on the
scene; where, appearing little better than a group of old women, the effect intended by the poet is not only destroyed,
but reversed. Their dignity and grandeur must arise, as evil beings gifted with superhuman powers, from the undefined
nature both of their agency and of their eternal forms. Were they indistinctly seen, though audible, at a distance, and,
as it were, through a hazy twilight, celebrating their orgies, and with shadowy and gigantic shape flitting between the
pale blue flames of their caldron and the eager eye of the spectator, sufficient latitude would be given to the
imagination, and the finest drama of our author would receive in the theatre that deep tone of supernatural horror with
which it is felt to be so highly imbued in the solitude of the closet. (589)
ACT – I
 1. In what country is the play set?
o A. England B. Scotland C. Ireland D. Denmark
 2. At the start of the play, who is the King?
o A. Macbeth B. Duncan C. Banquo D. Donaldbain
 3. Who is the Thane of Glamis?
o A. Fleance B. Macbeth C. Banquo D. Lennox
 4. Who says, "Fair is foul, and foul is fair"?
o A. Macbeth B. Lady Macbeth C. Banquo D. The Weird Sisters
 5. Who does the First Witch say she will deprive of sleep?
o A. Macbeth B. Ross C. the Sea Captain D. Lennox
 6. Of whom do the witches prophesy, "Thou shalt get kings, though thou be none"?
o A. Banquo B. Macbeth C. Duncan D. Malcolm
 7. Who says, "If it were done when 'tis done, then 'twere well/ It were done quickly"?
o A. Lady Macbeth B. First Witch C. Macbeth D. Third Witch
 8. Who advises, "Screw your courage to the sticking-place'?
o A. Banquo B. Lady Macbeth C. Macbeth D. The Weird Sisters
 9. Who does Banquo name as the Prince of Cumberland?
o A. Macbeth B. Donaldbain C. Malcolm D. Ross
 10. Who says, "And oftentimes, to win us to our harm/ The instruments of darkness tell us truths,/
Win us with honest trifles, to betray's/ In deepest consequence"?
o A. Lady Macbeth B. Macbeth C. Banquo D. Duncan

 1. Who are the first characters to appear in this play?

(a) Macbeth and Duncan.
(b) Messengers.
(c) Three Witches.
(d) Soldiers.
 2. What is the weather like at the beginning of the play?
(a) Lightning and thunder.
(b) Sunny and bright.
(c) Dark and misty.
(d) Torrential rain.
 3. What do the witches vow to do at the beginning of the play?
(a) Fool the soldiers.
(b) Confuse the messengers.
(c) Meet again.
(d) Kill Macbeth.
 4. When do the witches want to meet?
(a) At the turn of the year.
(b) After a mighty battle.
(c) The dawn before Macbeth's death.
(d) Before the sun sets.
 5. Where does the sun seem to set at the beginning of the play?
(a) The heath.
(b) The ground.
(c) The ocean.
(d) The witches' cauldron.
 6. Where is this play set?
(a) Ireland.
(b) England.
(c) Scotland.
(d) Wales.
 7. Who do the witches plan to meet after parting in Act 1, Scene 1?
(a) McBride.
(b) MacDonwald.
(c) Macbeth.
(d) Duncan.
  8. What do the witches sense in the air in Act 1, Scene 1?
(a) Something unexpected.
(b) Something astonishing.
(c) Something murky.
(d) Something hopeful.

9. What are the witches anticipating at the beginning of the play?

(a) The death of Macbeth.
(b) Something to happen on a larger scale.
(c) To meet their master.
(d) The assasination of the king.
10. What do the witches say are their greatest pleasure in life?
(a) Conjuring.
(b) Killing.
(c) Serving.
(d) Deceiving.
11. How many witches are there?
(a) Three.
(b) Five.
(c) Four.
(d) Six.
12. What kind of land is featured in Act 1, Scene 1?
(a) Desert.
(b) Forest.
(c) Cave.
(d) Meadow.
13. Who of the following is NOT found in Act 1, Scene 2?
(a) Malcolm.
(b) Macbeth.
(c) Lennox.
(d) Duncan.
14. Where does Duncan decide to camp at the beginning of the play?
(a) Florence.
(b) Innerwith.
(c) Triamond. (d) Forres.

15. Who does Duncan meet as he sets up camp at the beginning of the play?
(a) One of the witches.
(b) Malcolm.
(c) A messenger.
(d) A wounded soldier.
16. What title does Duncan hold?
(a) General.
(b) Magistrate.
(c) Duke.
(d) King.
17. What did Macbeth do to Macdonwald?
(a) Cut off his head.
(b) Ripped him in half with his sword.
(c) Poisoned him.
(d) Stabbed him in the heart.
18. Who is the main enemy of Scotland at the time of this play?
(a) England.
(b) Germany.
(c) Scandinavia.
(d) Norway.
19. In Act 1, Scene 2, why does the sergeant not finish telling Duncan of the
battle?
(a) He is too overcome with emotion.
(b) He falls asleep.
(c) He dies.
(d) He faints from loss of blood.
20. Who is assisting the main enemy of Scotland at the time of this play?
(a) MacDuff.
(b) Macbeth.
(c) The Thane of Cawdor.
(d) The Witches.
21. Who is sent for to help the wounded sergeant in Act 1, Scene 2?
(a) A nurse.
(b) A surgeon.
(c) Another soldier.
(d) Duncan.

160. What does Macbeth fear his future will be after finding out the source of the
shrill cry in Act 5, Scene 5?
(a) Great glory.
(b) Sadness and sorrow.
(c) Reigning and ruling.
(d) Dusty death.
161. How does Macbeth hear that Birnam Wood is moving towards the castle?
(a) He sees it in a dream.
(b) A witch prophecies it to him.
(c) He sees it out his window.
(d) His sentry tells him.
162. How does Lady Macbeth die?
(a) Mistaken for a witch by a servant.
(b) Poison.
(c) Captured by the enemy.
(d) Suicide.
163. What does the army at Dunsinane do when they reach the castle?
(a) Begin bombarding the castle.
(b) Pound their drums.
(c) Rest.
(d) Wait for Macbeth.
164. What does Malcolm tell the army to do when they reach the castle at
Dunsinane?
(a) Put down their branches.
(b) Get some good rest before the action begins.
(c) Wipe off their camouflage.
(d) Chant against Macbeth.
165. Who will lead the first assault on the castle in Act 5, Scene 6?
(a) Siward.
(b) Macduff.
(c) Angus.
(d) Malcolm.
166. Why is Macbeth afraid when the army reaches the castle when he has been
so confident until then?
(a) The witches warnings are coming true.
(b) He didn't realize how large the army was.
(c) He cannot find his good armor.
(d) He feels helpless without his wife.
24
167. Where did the army get the boughs they are holding?
(a) From the forests near their homes.
(b) From trees at the castle.
(c) From Birnam wood.
(d) At Dunsinane.
168. What were the boughs held by the army used for?
(a) Protection..
(b) Weapons.
(c) Camouflage.
(d) Shade.
169. Where is the army at Dunsinane from?
(a) Wales.
(b) England.
(c) Scotland.
(d) Ireland.
170. What does Macbeth decide he must do when he sees the army at his castle
in Act 5, Scene 7?
(a) Flee.
(b) Make a stand.
(c) Make a truce.
(d) Surrender.
171. Who is the first person killed by Macbeth in the battle at his castle?
(a) Angus.
(b) Malcolm.
(c) Lennox.
(d) Young Siward.
172. How does Macbeth feel about his first killing in the battle in Act 5, Scene 7?
(a) Confident.
(b) Overwhelmed.
(c) Repentant.
(d) Furious.
173. Who wants to take revenge personally on Macbeth during the battle at the
castle?
(a) Donalbain.
(b) General Siward.
(c) Macduff.
(d) Malcolm.
25
174. Why is Macbeth not afraid of the man sworn to take revenge on him?
(a) He had a dream in which he defeated this man.
(b) He knows he is stronger than the man.
(c) He is full of confidence.
(d) The prophecy from the witches gives him courage.
175. What does Macbeth say he will not do when he sees two angry and armed
men approach him in the castle in Act 5, Scene 8?
(a) Retreat.
(b) Fall on his sword.
(c) Succumb to fear.
(d) Lose the battle.
176. How was Macduff born?
(a) Extracted from his mother's dead corpse.
(b) Stillborn, and then revived.
(c) Born prematurely.
(d) Ripped from his mother's womb.
177. Why is Macduff's birth so important to the plot?
(a) Macbeth can not be killed by a man born naturally of a woman.
(b) Macduff is related to Macbeth.
(c) His unique birth gave him strength.
(d) Macbeth and Macduff were born the same way.
178. What does Macduff call Macbeth as they fight?
(a) A tyrant.
(b) A child.
(c) A pussycat.
(d) A fool.
179. What brings Siward comfort when he hears of his son's death?
(a) Macbeth was defeated.
(b) He died nobly.
(c) He honored his father.
(d) He died quickly and painlessly.
180. Who is crowned king at the end of the play?
(a) Siward.
(b) Malcolm.
(c) Macduff.
(d) Donalbain.

Short Answer Questions Key

1. Who are the first characters to appear in this play?
Three Witches.
2. What is the weather like at the beginning of the play?
Lightning and thunder.
3. What do the witches vow to do at the beginning of the play?
Meet again.
4. When do the witches want to meet?
After a mighty battle.
5. Where does the sun seem to set at the beginning of the play?
The heath.
6. Where is this play set?
Scotland.
7. Who do the witches plan to meet after parting in Act 1, Scene 1?
Macbeth.
54
8. What do the witches sense in the air in Act 1, Scene 1?
Something murky.
9. What are the witches anticipating at the beginning of the play?
Something to happen on a larger scale.
10. What do the witches say are their greatest pleasure in life?
Deceiving.
11. How many witches are there?
Three.
12. What kind of land is featured in Act 1, Scene 1?
Desert.
13. Who of the following is NOT found in Act 1, Scene 2?
Macbeth.
14. Where does Duncan decide to camp at the beginning of the play?
Forres.
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15. Who does Duncan meet as he sets up camp at the beginning of the play?
A wounded soldier.
16. What title does Duncan hold?
King.
17. What did Macbeth do to Macdonwald?
Ripped him in half with his sword.
18. Who is the main enemy of Scotland at the time of this play?
Norway.
19. In Act 1, Scene 2, why does the sergeant not finish telling Duncan of the
battle?
He faints from loss of blood.
20. Who is assisting the main enemy of Scotland at the time of this play?
The Thane of Cawdor.
21. Who is sent for to help the wounded sergeant in Act 1, Scene 2?
A surgeon.
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22. Who owns the victory of the battle between Scotland and its main enemy?
Duncan.
23. What must the loser of the battle between Scotland and it's enemy do in order
to bury their dead men?
Pay a tribute.
24. Who is the hero of the battle between Scotland and its main enemy?
Macbeth.
25. Where do the witches go after Scotland's battle is over?
A heath.
26. Who offends the first witch in Act 1, Scene 3?
A sailor's wife.
27. How is the first witch offended in Act 1, Scene 3?
The sailor's wife will not share chestnuts with her.
28. What does the first witch do to get her revenge on the person who offended
her in Act 1, Scene 3?
Curses the sailor with lack of sleep and fatigue.
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162. How does Lady Macbeth die?
Suicide.
163. What does the army at Dunsinane do when they reach the castle?
Rest.
164. What does Malcolm tell the army to do when they reach the castle at
Dunsinane?
Put down their branches.
165. Who will lead the first assault on the castle in Act 5, Scene 6?
Siward.
166. Why is Macbeth afraid when the army reaches the castle when he has been
so confident until then?
The witches warnings are coming true.
167. Where did the army get the boughs they are holding?
From Birnam wood.
168. What were the boughs held by the army used for?
Camouflage.
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169. Where is the army at Dunsinane from?
England.
170. What does Macbeth decide he must do when he sees the army at his castle
in Act 5, Scene 7?
Make a stand.
171. Who is the first person killed by Macbeth in the battle at his castle?
Young Siward.
172. How does Macbeth feel about his first killing in the battle in Act 5, Scene 7?
Confident.
173. Who wants to take revenge personally on Macbeth during the battle at the
castle?
Macduff.
174. Why is Macbeth not afraid of the man sworn to take revenge on him?
The prophecy from the witches gives him courage.
175. What does Macbeth say he will not do when he sees two angry and armed
men approach him in the castle in Act 5, Scene 8?
Fall on his sword.
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176. How was Macduff born?
Ripped from his mother's womb.
177. Why is Macduff's birth so important to the plot?
Macbeth can not be killed by a man born naturally of a woman.
178. What does Macduff call Macbeth as they fight?
A tyrant.
179. What brings Siward comfort when he hears of his son's death?
He died nobly.
180. Who is crowned king at the end of the play?
Malcolm.

Macbeth Act II Quiz

 1. What "sign" convinces Macbeth that he must go through with killing the king?

o A. One of the witches appears in his bedroom.

o B. He has a nightmare about the murder.
o C. He sees a floating dagger pointing towards Duncan's bedroom.
o D. The ghost of his father visits him.
 2. Why didn't Lady Macbeth just kill the king herself?

o A. He looked too much like her father.

o B. She wanted her husband to have all the satisfaction.
o C. It would have contradicted her morals.
o D. She didn't have the bodily strength.
 3. What does Macbeth accidentally take with him after murdering the king?

o A. The murder weapons

o B. The king's crown
o C. A book
o D. The king's bloody pillow
 4. Complete Macbeth's quotation: "I thought I heard a voice crying, 'Macbeth has murdered ____!'"

o A. Truth
o B. Duncan
o C. Honor
o D. Sleep
 5. Name the speaker: "My hands are the same color as yours -- but I'd be ashamed to have a heart
as white as yours!"
 o A. The old man
o B. Lady Macbeth
o C. Banquo
o D. Macbeth
 6. Who else does Macbeth kill that same night?

o A. Fleance
o B. The king's watchmen
o C. Ross
o D. Lennox
 7. Which of the following did NOT happen on the night Duncan was killed?

o A. Earthquakes shook the land.

o B. A servant woman killed herself.
o C. Violent storms broke out.
o D. Horses ate each other.
 8. Name the speaker: "If I had died an hour before this happened, I'd have lived a blessed life span.
From now on, there's nothing left worth living for. Everything is a sham. Honor and dignity are dead."

o A. Lady Macbeth
o B. Macduff
o C. Macbeth
o D. The porter
 9. Who vows to find the murderer and punish him/her?

o A. Macbeth
o B. Banquo
o C. Lady Macbeth
o D. Angus
 10. Which characters run away shortly after Duncan's death?

o A. Banquo and Fleance

o B. Macbeth and Lady Macbeth
o C. Malcolm and Donalbain
o D. Macduff and his family
 11. There are many examples of fish imagery in the play.

o A. True
o B. False
 12. The purpose of the scene with the porter is to relieve tension after a suspenseful and violent
scene.

o A. True
o B. False
 13. A(n) ______ is a speech given by an actor alone on the stage to express the private inner
thoughts of that character.

o A. Paradox
o B. Soliloquy
o C. Aside
 o D. Allusion
 14. "Regicide" is the murder of a ______.

o A. Thane
o B. Brother
o C. Friend
o D. King
1. Banquo indicates in scene 1 that his greatest priority is
a. his own advancement. b. his allegiance to Duncan. c. his allegiance to Macbeth. d. seeing the witches' prophecies
fulfilled. ____
2. As Lady Macbeth awaits Macbeth at the beginning of scene 2, she is feeling a. confident. c. convinced of failure. b.
morally uncertain. d. jumpy and superstitious. ____
3. The voice that calls out "Sleep no more! Macbeth does murder sleep" is saying that a. someone has witnessed
Duncan's murder. b. Duncan will never awaken from his "sleep." c. Macbeth murdered Duncan while Duncan was
asleep. d. Macbeth will never again rest with a clear conscience. ____
4. What does Macbeth suggest was the reason he could not join in the prayer of Malcolm and Donalbain that he
overheard? a. He has lost his faith. b. He feared being heard. c. He was overcome with guilt and horror. d. He was in
a hurry to flee the scene of the crime. ____
5. Macbeth refuses to return to leave the daggers with the servants because he a. is too exhausted and drained to
move. b. is afraid someone will see or hear him. c. cannot bear to look again at what he has done. d. cannot bear the
idea of committing another sinful act. ____
6. The drunken porter scene serves all of the following functions EXCEPT to a. provide comic relief. b. introduce new
information about Duncan's murder. c. bring Macduff and Lennox into the action of the play. d. make the murder
seem even more awful by the contrast in mood. ____
7. Macbeth murders the king's servants so that they cannot a. try to get away. c. claim they were framed. b.
investigate the crime. d. protect Malcolm and Donalbain. ____
8. Malcolm and Donalbain flee from Inverness (Macbeth's castle) because they a. fear for their safety. b. fear being
accused of murder. c. do not want to be tempted to take revenge. d. want to raise support to avenge their father's
death. ____
9. In scene 1, Macbeth is clearly lying to Banquo when he says that he a. wants Banquo's support. c. never thinks
about the witches. b. dreams about the witches. d. was unprepared to entertain Duncan. ____
10. In his scene 1 soliloquy, Macbeth addresses his thoughts to all of the following EXCEPT a. God. c. the earth. b.
Duncan. d. the dagger. ____
11. Which statement best characterizes the reactions of Macbeth and Lady Macbeth right after Duncan's murder? a.
Both are too horrified to behave practically. b. Both are primarily concerned with practical matters. c. He is too
horrified to act; she is concerned with practical matters. d. She is too horrified to act; he is concerned with practical
matters. ____
12. When Malcolm and Donalbain disappear from Inverness, people assume that they a. have been murdered. c.
believe themselves in danger. b. are spreading the news. d. were involved in Duncan's death.

1. ANS: B 2. ANS: D 3. ANS: D 4. ANS: C 5. ANS: C 6. ANS: B 7. ANS: C 8. ANS: A 9. ANS: C 10. ANS: A 11. ANS: C
12. ANS: D0