Macbeth Comprehension Questions - ACT
ONE
Scene One
1. What mood/atmosphere is established at the beginning of the play? How?
2. What does “Fair is foul, foul is fair” mean? From your reading of the first scene and this line in
particular where do you predict the play is going?
2. What is the dramatic purpose of this scene? Explain.
Scene Two
1. What qualities of (a) Duncan’s character, and (b) Malcolm’s character are brought out in their first
appearance in the play? Provide textual support for your answer.
2. What news is brought to King Duncan by the captain and Ross? What is his reaction to the news about
the Thane of Cawdor?
3. The Thane of Cawdor is a minor character. Why do you think Shakespeare chose to include him in the
play and particularly introduce him in this scene? How does his character help to reveal more about
Macbeth and influence the audience’s opinion of Macbeth?
Scene Three
1. What prophecies are given by the witches to Macbeth and Banquo?
2. How could Banquo be “lesser than Macbeth and much greater” and “not so happy, yet much happier”?
Explain. What term could be used to describe these phrases?
3. Explain how each of the characters in this scene are culpable.
4. What qualities of Macbeth’s character are brought out in his first soliloquy?
Scene Four
1. How does the Thane of Cawdor die? How had King Duncan always felt about Cawdor? What does
this say about Duncan’s character?
2. The conversation between Duncan and Macbeth is filled with ironies. Make a list of these ironies.
What does this conversation reveal about both Duncan’s and Macbeth’s character? How does it influence
the audience’s opinion of these characters?
3. There is a important metaphor introduced by Duncan in his words “I have begun to plant thee, and will
labour/To make thee full of growing” (1.4.32-33). What does this mean? What type of imagery is being
used? Why are these words significant in terms of what has just happened in the play?
Scene Five
1. What purpose is served by Lady Macbeth’s invocation of the powers of evil and darkness?
2. How is Lady Macbeth characterized in this scene? Explain providing examples.
3. What thoughts on gender does Shakespeare share in this scene? Provide specific details
Scene Six
1. How is a peaceful atmosphere created at the beginning of this scene? How does this add pathos?
2. What is ironic about the conversation between Lady Macbeth and Duncan?
3. What qualities does Lady Macbeth exhibit in this scene? Provide examples.
Scene Seven
1. What taunts are used by Lady Macbeth to spur Macbeth on to commit the crime? What thoughts on
gender do they reveal?
2. What plan has Lady Macbeth formulated for Duncan’s demise?
3. What is Lady Macbeth’s function in this scene? Explain.
4. How is Lady Macbeth both admirable and despicable in this scene?
Act One Response
Choose one topic to respond to. Pay close attention to grammar, punctuation and spelling, but you may
use first person to share your opinions about the topic of your choice. Responses may be handwritten and
are due at the end of the Act. You are limited to one page.
1. What advice would you offer Macbeth? Explain with specific reference to the play.
2. Lady Macbeth states of her husband that “thy nature, it is too full o’ the milk of human kindness”
(1.5.15-16). What are your thoughts of Lady Macbeth’s attack on Macbeth’s vulnerability? Explain with
specific reference to the play.
Macbeth Comprehension Questions - ACT
TWO
Scene One
1. What evidence is there in the text that;
(a) Banquo has been tempted by the prophecy made to him?
(b) Banquo is trying to resist this temptation?
2. How does the dagger soliloquy create atmosphere, advance the plot, and reveal character?
Scene Two
1. Show that Macbeth’s imagination and conscience are both active in this scene.
2. Provide examples of a pun, metaphor, and onomatopoeia. Explain how Shakespeare uses each of
these to create atmosphere.
3. Macbeth and Lady Macbeth behave quite differently after the murder and in response to the knocking
at their door. Explain.
Scene Three
1. What purposes are served by the episode involving the porter?
2. Why did Macbeth murder the grooms? In what ways was this wise? In what ways was it foolish?
3. What roles do Banquo and Macduff play in this scene? Explain providing examples.
4. In 1.3 Macbeth talks about “horrible imaginings”. Make a list of all that have come true and
their cumulative effect on the play thus far (plot, character, theme and/or conflict development).
What might they bode for the future?
Scene Four
1. How successful has Macbeth been in the achievement of his ambition? Support your response with
examples.
2. What information is provided about the following characters?
(a) Macduff
(b) Duncan
(c) Malcolm
(d) Donalbain
(e) Ross
3. The scene ends with the old man’s comment to Ross, “God benison go with you, and with those/That
would make good of bad and friend of foes!” The statement is enigmatic. What do you think it means
and might implications do you think it might have for what might follow in the play? What is its
dramatic purpose?
Act 2 Response
1. At the end of his soliloquy just before the bell rings, Macbeth prompts himself onto action. Why is his
procrastination so important both to the plot and his character? Explain with specific reference to the
play.
2. How are the unnatural events on the night of Duncan’s death symbolic in the play? Explain with
specific reference to the play.
Macbeth Comprehension Questions -
ACT THREE
Scene One
1. How does Macbeth react to success? Explain, citing specific examples from the play.
2. In his soliloquy, what suspicion and hope does Banquo reveal? Be specific.
3. Macbeth’s soliloquy (approx. 3.1.48-72) is a masterpiece of self-deception. On what premise is it
based? If you were to rebut Macebth’s “logic”, what would you say to him? Consider in your response
why Macbeth seems obsessed with the notion that he is holding “a barren scepter” and why he is so
paranoid about Banquo.
4. How are Macbeth’s plans for the second murder different from those made for the first one?
What does this indicate about Macbeth’s character? Explain.
Scene Two
1. Does Lady Macbeth appear to be enjoying her new position? Explain.
2. Illustrate how the relationship between Macbeth and his wife has altered by referring to specific
examples from the text. How does this further develop a theme in the play?
3. What evidence is there of Macbeth’s growing ruthlessness and his tormented conscience?
4. Macbeth seems obsessed with his impending “deed” and invokes horrific images in his speeches. If
you were to create collage that would illustrate Macbeth’s state of mind what illustrations and images
would you include? Why?
Scene Three
1. Explain how the murder of Banquo could be considered the crisis of the play.
2. In this scene there are three murderers. Who do you think the third murderer is? Why? Does the fact
that there are three murderers allude to any other aspect of the play? Explain.
3. What is the significance of Fleance’s escape? Consider the effects on plot and characters.
4. Outline the similarities and differences between the murder of Banquo and King Duncan.
Which do you regard as the greater crime of Macbeth? Why?
Scene Four
1. What is the significance of Banquo’s ghost? What arguments can be used to support the idea that
Banquo’s ghost is the crisis / turning point in the play?
2. What arguments and methods are used by Lady Macbeth to try to restore Macbeth to normality?
3. Explain the significance of the following:
(a) Macbeth’s thoughts turn at this time to Macduff.
(b) He is determined to seek out the weird sisters.
4. What is the mood in this scene? What images are used to help create it? Refer to specific examples.
Scene Five
1. What details in this scene link it with what has happened before in the play and what may happen later
in the play?
2. What is revealed about the conditions of Scotland?
3. Some critics argue that this scene was not written by Shakespeare but rather added to the play at a later
date. What evidence is there that this may be true? Why do you think scene might have been added?
Scene Six
1. What information is the audience given about the following characters:
(a) Malcolm? (b) Macduff?
(c) Edward the Confessor?
(d) Siward?
2. Explain how this scene provides an effective conclusion to Act 3. What is its dramatic purpose?
Act 3 Response
Write a sonnet which summarizes the events of the play thus far (Acts 1-3). You may choose to complete this
sonnet by focusing on a certain character or the events of the play as a whole.
Macbeth Comprehension Questions - ACT
FOUR
Scene One
1. Compare the witches’ speech pattern with Macbeth’s. What effect is Shakespeare creating by altering
the speech patterns like this?
2. What do each of the Apparitions represent? State the prediction given by each. Explain the paradox of
the Apparitions.
3. Sometimes people choose to see and hear only what they wish to. The visions shown to Macbeth by
the witches are to him favourable prophecies. How can these apparitions be interpreted as both
favourable news of events to come and cautionary warnings? Which do you believe they are? Why?
4. Macbeth’s utterance “Let this pernicious hour/Stand aye accursed in the calendar” (4.1.144-145) is
probably more prophetic than anything the witches have said. Explain the deep irony in this
exclamation and what it suggests about his state of mind at this point in the play. Has he been thinking
this all along or is this a sudden decision made as a result of his consultation with the witches?
5. What evidence is there of the degeneration of Macbeth’s character in this scene?
Scene Two
1. What dramatic purpose is served by Ross and the nameless messenger?
2. Why may the third great crime be considered the worst? What does it prove about Macbeth?
3. Illustrate the following devices that are exemplified in this scene. Explain how each leads to plot,
character, theme or conflict development.
(a) suspense (b) dramatic irony (c) pathos (d) humour (e) antithesis
Scene Three
1. What dramatic elements emerge at the beginning of this scene?
2. From this scene, provide evidence of Malcolm’s high moral standard.
3. What information does Ross have for Macduff? Of what dramatic importance is the testing of
Macduff?
4. What contrasts are implied between Macbeth and Edward the Confessor? What is the purpose of this
contrast?
5. Why does Shakespeare choose to make Macduff rather than Malcolm the agent of nemesis? Explain.
Macbeth Comprehension Questions - ACT
FIVE
Scene One
1. Lady Macbeth seems to have instigated the actions that her husband eventually took. Why is she now
so disturbed by the results of what she has done? Think back and determine her motives for Duncan’s
murder. Did she misjudge her husband? Herself? The consequences? Based on Lady Macbeth at the
beginning of the play and what she has become now, what kind of woman do you think she really is?
2. Of what importance are the Doctor and the Gentlewoman? Explain.
3. Describe the rituals of Lady Macbeth’s disorder.
4. What does the Doctor’s “Foul whisperings are abroad” speech echo?
5. Analyze the meaning of Lady Macbeth’s action of washing her hands. What does it symbolize?
How is it ironic?
Scene Two
1. Why is it significant that Macbeth is now referred to as a tyrant?
2. How does this scene suggest the growing isolation of Macbeth and the solidarity of the forces that
oppose him? Support your answer.
3. Lennox ends this scene with three remarkably poetic lines (35-37). What do you think is suggested in
this metaphor? What do you make of the reference to the “flower” and the “weeds”? Do you think this
metaphor best conveys the thoughts Lennox is trying to share? Why or why not?
Scene Three
1. Macbeth receives news in this scene. What is the effect of each of the items of news he receives?
2. Lines 46-52 contain an extended metaphor that capsulizes Macbeth’s feelings that everything “weighs
upon the heart.” Explain the metaphor and what it reveals about Macbeth’s current state of mind.
3. Prove that Macbeth is placing his trust in the second and third prophecies of the Apparitions.
4. Do you see anything at all heroic (assuming heroic to mean “noble and admirable”) about Macbeth in
this scene?
5. Compare Lady Macbeth’s state of mind in this scene with that in 5.1.
Scenes Four and Five
1. Show that Malcolm is the unconscious agent of destiny. How does Malcolm’s command create
dramatic irony?
2. What effect is achieved by alternating Scenes 4 and 5 between the two armies? (Pay attention
to the mood that is created in each scene)
3. a) Lines 19-30 in Scene 5 have become famous because they are frequently quoted by
writers. How do you interpret the ambiguity in the line “She should have died hereafter”?
b) The rest of the speech focuses on time. What does Macbeth say about it, and what
happened to get him to such an awareness?
c) How would you explain Macbeth’s state of mind at this time: is he frightened, exhausted,
resigned, depressed or a combination of these? Support your response with proof from the
text.
Scenes Six, Seven, Eight and Nine
1. How is the three witches’ final apparition fulfilled?
2. Macbeth has three final choices: surrender, commit suicide, or fight to the death. Why does he reject
the first two? Do you think no matter what he does he is doomed, or do you think he consciously decided
to die as heroically as he could?
3. Complete the Tragic Hero handout.
4. Complete the Structure in a Shakespearean Play handout.