William Shakespeare’s Macbeth Comprehension Questions Created by Heather Shaw Name __________________ Date __________________ Macbeth Act I Questions Directions: On a separate sheet of paper answer the following 3 short answer questions in complete sentences. Be sure to answer all parts of the question! 1. Would you want to know your future if you could? Why or why not? Are there some things you would want to know and others you would not want to know? Explain? 2. When does the reader first find out that Macbeth will be Thane of Cawdor? Who first tells Macbeth that he will be Thane of Cawdor? Who is the second person to tell him? Why is this order significant? 3. Who is Macbeth plotting to kill in Act I? Why is he plotting to kill them? Who put the idea in his head? Who is helping him plot the murder? Name ________________ Dates______________ Macbeth Act II Questions Directions: Please answer the following questions based on Act II of Macbeth in the space provide. 1. In Act II Scene I, what lie does Macbeth tell Banquo about the witches' prediction? 2. What is the signal that Lady Macbeth is to give Macbeth to let him know that she has taken care of the guards? 3. What excuse does Lady Macbeth give for not killing Duncan herself? 4. Why is Macbeth unable to say "Amen" at the end of a prayer he hears? 5. Why will Macbeth not take the daggers back to the scene of the crime? 6. What does Lady Macbeth tell Macbeth to do when she returns to the hallway? 7. Who comes knocking on the palace door? 8. What does Macduff discover when he goes in to wake the King? 9. Who faints after learning of the King’s murder? 10. Macduff says to Lady Macbeth, "O gentle lady, 'Tis not for you to hear what I can speak. The repetition, in a woman's ear, Would murder as it fell." What is ironic about this? 11. What excuse does Macbeth give for killing the guards? 12. What is the real reason Macbeth killed the guards? 13. Why do Malcolm and Donalbain flee? 14. Why does Ross not believe that Malcolm and Donalbain are responsible for Duncan's murder? 15. Who becomes King after Duncan is murdered? Name ________________ Date______________ Macbeth Act III Questions Directions: Please answer the following questions based on Act II of Macbeth in the space provide. Act III Scene I 1. At the beginning of the scene what is Banquo considering? 2. What are Banquo’s plans for the afternoon? 3. Who are Macbeth’s visitors at the end of the scene? 4. Who do Macbeth’s visitors promise to kill for him? 5. Why does Macbeth want this person dead? 6. Who is the second person that Macbeth also wants them to kill? Act III Scene II 7. What does Macbeth ask Lady Macbeth to do during the feast? 8. What is the purpose of this request? Act III Scene III 9. Who is attacked in this scene? 10. Who is killed by the murderers? 11. Who escapes? Act III Scene IV 12. What news makes Macbeth angry at the beginning of the scene? 13. Who is sitting in Macbeth’s chair? 14. How does he react to this “unexpected guest”? 15. Why does Lady Macbeth send the guests from the room? 16. Macbeth accuses someone of treason because they are staying away from court, who is it? 17. Who does Macbeth say that he is going to visit the next day and ask for advice? Act III Scene V 18. Who do the witches meet “upon the stormy heath”? 19. Who is Hecate the goddess of? 20. What does Hecate scold the witches for? 21. What does Hecate tell the witches to do when Macbeth comes to visit them the next day? Act III Scene VI 22. Who is blamed for Banquo’s murder? 23. Who do Lennox and the Lord suspect for Banquo’s murder? 24. Where has Macduff gone? 25. Who is Macduff meeting there? Name ________________ Date_____________ Macbeth Act IV Questions Directions: Please answer the following questions based on Act II of Macbeth in the space provide. Act IV Scene I 1. What does Macbeth ask the Witches to do in Act IV scene I? 2. What is the first apparition and what does it tell Macbeth? 3. What is the second apparition and what does it tell Macbeth? 4. What is the third apparition and what does it tell Macbeth? 5. What is the last vision that the witches show Macbeth? 6. What does Lennox tell Macbeth at the end of Act IV scene I? 7. What is Macbeth’s response to Lennox’s news? Act IV scene II 8. What is Lady Macduff demanding to be told at the beginning of scene II? 9. What does Lady Macduff tell her son? 10. What does the messenger tell Lady Macduff? 11. What does Macduff’s son call the murderer? 12. How does the murderer respond to this name calling? Act IV scene III 13. Why is Malcolm suspicious of Macduff? 14. What is the test that Malcolm puts Macduff through? 15. What “miraculous power” does King Edward have? 16. What news does Ross FIRST bring to Macduff about his family? 17. What news does Ross reluctantly admit to later about Macduff’s family? 18. What does Macduff swear to do as a result of this news? 19. What does Ross want Malcolm to do? 20. What is Malcolm’s response to Ross’ request? Name ________________ Date____________ Macbeth Act V Questions Directions: Please answer the following questions based on Act II of Macbeth in the space provide. Act V Scene I 1. What habit of Lady Macbeth’s are the doctor and the gentlewoman discussing at the beginning of Act V Scene I? 2. Whose deaths is Lady Macbeth talking about when she enters the scene? 3. What does Lady Macbeth see on her hands? Act V Scene II 4. Who is leading the English army that approaches? 5. What army is suppose to meet them? 6. Who is the “tyrant” and where is he making his military preparations? Act V Scene III 7. Why is Macbeth so confident that he will defeat the English army? 8. How big is the English army that approaches? 9. What is Lady Macbeth suffering from according to the doctor? 10. What does Macbeth order him to do? Act V Scene IV 11. What plan do Malcolm and Lord Siward devise regarding the soldier's approach to the fortified castle? Act V Scene V 12. What does Macbeth order hung on the castle at the beginning of the scene? 13. We hear a woman’s cry at and the Seyton appears to tell us ________ is dead. 14. What astonishing news does the messenger give Macbeth? 15. Why is Macbeth so terrified by this news? Act V Scene VI 16. What does Malcolm order the men to do? Act V Scene VII 17. Who does Macbeth kill in Scene VII? Act V Scene VIII 18. Who kills Macbeth? 19. Who does Macduff proclaim the new King of Scotland? 20. What declaration does Malcolm makes about his thanes?
