12 CP
Gavin
Macbeth Intro, project, and study guides
Important Characters (at the beginning):
Duncan
Macdonwald
Thane of Cawdor
Norway (this is an example of metonymy)
Macbeth
Banquo
Malcolm
Important Themes/Ideas/Motifs:
“Fair is foul, and foul is fair”
Equivocation
Blood
Chain of Being
Important Notation:
Example: I.ii.360-365
I:
ii.
360-365 (sometimes l. or ll.):
Important Terms (theatre and otherwise):
Soliloquy
Aside
Stage direction
Audience
Macbeth Project
Moral Barometer—Through the course of the play, Macbeth goes through a gradual slide
into corruption. Your morality barometer is going to track that fall. You may design your
graph/barometer anyway you like. I have given you one example below. The numbers on
the side represent how “good” Macbeth is. The positive numbers show “good Macbeth”
the negative numbers show “bad Macbeth.” The numbers on the bottom represent the
scenes in Act One. In addition to supplying a picture of Macbeth’s fall, you must also
give rationale for your graph. Below my graph I have included quotes from Macbeth
which support the rise and fall of the line (my quotes are, of course, made up).
5
4
3
2
1
0
-1
-2
-3
-4
-5
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
Scene One
In line 38 Duncan says, “Macbeth is a good and loyal noble.”
In line 42 Banquo says, “Macbeth would never think of harming one’s cat.”
In Line 134 Macbeth says, “To you most noble king to I pledge my allegiance.”
Scene Two
In line 42 Macbeth ask Banquo if “I were to rebel, would you follow me?”
In line 46 Macbeth kicks a cat and says “Out of my way most retched feline.”
(I skipped scenes three and four to show you a positive example)
Scene Five
In line 42 Macbeth says, “I must turn myself in to make amends.”
In line 132 Macbeth does not kill Frank because “too much blood has already been spilt.”
Questions for Act I
Scene One
1. How are the Witches lines different from everyone else? Why do you think
Shakespeare did this?
2. Line ten is a significant thematic line. That is, it introduces an important
theme. What do you think Shakespeare could be hinting at when the witches
say “Fair is foul, and foul is fair”?
3. Judging from the first scene, can the witches tell the future? What lines lead
you to this conclusion?
Scene Two
1. Blood is mentioned over 100 times in Macbeth. What images are associated
with blood? How could these associations factor into the play.
2. Where in scene two is the theme introduced in scene one line ten
demonstrated?
3. What is the first impression the audience gets of Macbeth from ll. 35-40?
4. What reward is Macbeth given for his faithfulness?
Scene Three
1. The witches mention sleeplessness in ll. 19-23. What emotions are associated
with sleeplessness? Which emotion do you think he will be feeling?
2. In ll. 19-26 the audience is given a feel for how powerful the witches are. Are
they unlimited in their power according to these lines? (look especially at ll.
24 +25)
3. The witches are referred to as weird. The word “weird” comes from an Old
English word meaning “fate” or “destiny.” How is this an appropriate name
for the witches?
4. Dramatic irony is when the audience knows something that a character on
stage does not know. How are ll. 48-50 an example of dramatic irony?
5. How are ll. 65-68 another example of the “fair is foul” theme?
6. How is Banquo’s response to the witches different from Macbeth’s (ll. 8386)?
7. Ll. 116-119 are an aside. What might Ross and Angus think if they could hear
what Banquo and Macbeth were saying?
8. According to ll. 139-142, what two ways could Macbeth become king?
Scene 4
1. How do ll. 11-14 reflect the witches’ statement found in I. i. 10?
2. Ll. 20 + 21 could be understood by Macbeth as a promise by Duncan to hand
the throne over to him. Late in the scene (ll. 35-39), however, he names his
son Malcolm as the successor. How then could ll. 20 + 21 have pushed
Macbeth closer to murder?
Scene 5
1. Lady Macbeth describes her husband as “too kind.” From what you’ve seen of
Macbeth so far, do you think this is true? Give specific examples.
2. Lady Macbeth asks to be “unsexed.” Why would she request that?
3. When Lady Macbeth finds out that the King is coming to their castle she asks
how long he is staying. Macbeth’s answer is found in l. 58. What could
Macbeth be implying?
4. How are ll. 59-64 a good example of the theme “fair is foul, and foul is fair”?
Scene 6
1. This scene is dripping with dramatic irony. Dramatic irony is when the
audience knows something that a character on stage does not know. What is
the dramatic irony in this scene? Some people have suggested that Duncan is
stupid or at least dimwitted in his trust. What do you think?
Scene 7
1. Scene 7 begins with a soliloquy in which Macbeth deals with the conflict he
feels about killing Duncan. What are the four main conflicts he mentions?
2. In ll. 12-28 Macbeth uses a metaphor to describe his ambition. To what does
he compare it?
3. Compare ll. 81 + 82 to Lady Macbeth’s words in I. v. ll. 61-64. What do you
think of the similarities?
Questions for Act II
Scene One
1. Banquo, in ll. 12 says that the king is “a-bed,” this mean “on the bed.” What
words do we still use where the prefix “a” means on?
2. Macbeth has a soliloquy beginning in l. 33. What is the main conflict which ll. 3341 deal with?
3. Is Macbeth asking Banquo to join him in murder in ll. 25 + 26 or is he merely
seeing if Banquo would support him if Duncan dies naturally? Why do you think
this?
4. On a separate piece of paper translate Macbeth’s soliloquy (ll. 33-64) into
“modern” English.
Scene Two
1. In scene two, Macbeth comes back from murdering Duncan. Why did
Shakespeare chose not to show the murder?
2. Killing Duncan seems to seriously affect Macbeth, yet killing Macdonwald (one
of the traitors from Act One) did not affect Macbeth. Why does Macbeth react
differently to these two events?
3. In ll. 26-32 Macbeth recounts how he was unable to answer “Amen” to someone
who had said “God bless us!” Why do you think the word “Stuck in [his] throat?”
4. Macbeth uses a metaphor in ll. 34-39. He compares sleep to five different things.
What are they?
5. In what way has Macbeth “murdered sleep?” (ll. 40-42)
6. How are Macbeth and Lady Macbeth’s reactions to the blood in ll. 57-67
different?
7. What might the water and the blood symbolize in this scene?
Scene Three
1. Unlike everyone else in the play, the porter speaks in unmetered prose. Why
would Shakespeare have done that?
2. Note that the porter is drunk. What would he be doing during this long speech
while the knocking persists?
3. Many people have questioned why this long speech by the porter is in the
play. Remember that the play was written to be performed live, and look at the
end of the last scene and what happens just after the speech. Why might have
Shakespeare put this speech in?
4. L. 47 which Macbeth speaks is separated by a colon. What does this indicate
about the first and second part of the line?
5. How are Macbeth and Macduff’s responses to Donalbain’s question different?
What does that suggest about each person?
6. Lady Macbeth faints on l. 112. Why might she have done that?
7. Judging by his answer in ll. 120-126, does Banquo satisfied with the grooms’
guilt?
Questions for Act III
Scene 1
1. According to ll. 1-3, what does Banquo think of Macbeth?
2. According to ll. 49-60, why does Macbeth fear Banquo?
3. What is Macbeth’s point in comparing dogs and men in ll. 93-101?
4. What do you think the murders mean in ll. 108-114? Do you have any sympathy
for the murders?
5. Summarize Macbeth’s final instructions to the murders in ll. 128-139.
Scene 2
1. What does Macbeth mean in ll. 14-22? How do theses lines relate to Lady
Macbeth’s speech in ll. 4-7.
2. In ll. 4-7 what change is beginning to take place?
3. Do you see Lady Macbeth as kind to her husband in this scene or hostile? Notice
especially l. 12.
4. How do ll. 27-34 relate to the theme of “fair is foul, and foul is fair?”
5. Judging by ll. 44+45, how have Lady Macbeth and Macbeth changed?
Scene 3
1. The identity of the third murderer is never divulged. Who would you name as a
possible suspect?
2. Banquo is the first person who is murdered on stage. Why do you think
Shakespeare did this?
3. Pretending you are a director of an acting troupe presenting Macbeth, how would
you get Banquo’s body off stage?
4. How is l. 17 (Banquo’s line) a turning point for Macbeth?
Scene 4
1. When do Macbeth’s subjects first begin to notice his irrational behavior?
2. Judging from context, what does the word “nonpareil” in l. 19 mean?
3. Do you agree with Macbeth’s statement in ll. 21-23 that he would have been
perfect if only Fleance had been killed? Why or why not?
4. Why is the question at the end of l. 25 ironic?
5. Who is the snake in ll. 29-31?
6. Who is Macbeth’s statement in ll. 50+51 both true and false?
7. According to ll. 61-64, what does Lady Macbeth think is making Macbeth cry
out?
8. How is the effect changed if the ghost enters after the first sentence in l. 91
instead of before l. 89?
9. Judging from ll. 128-132, what do you think Macbeth thinks of Macduff?
Scene 5
1. Many people believe this scene was added by someone other than Shakespeare
because the play was short and needed some “fleshing out.” After reading the
scene what do you think? Does it “sound” like the rest of the play? Does it seem
to serve a purpose?
2. According to ll. 10-13, why is Macbeth a “wayward son?”
Scene 6
1. What is Lennox tone in ll. 1-20? What does he think of Duncan’s murderers?
2. According to ll. 29-37 why did Macduff go to England? Why could this be a
problem (this is not stated in the lines, it’s an opinion question?)
3. This scene is basically an “informational scene,” can you summarize what it told
us?
Questions for Act IV
Scene One
1. At the beginning of the play, Macbeth’s desire is to save Scotland. Now,
according to ll. 69-74 what is Macbeth’s desire?
2. Even though Macbeth believes the prophesy proves that Macduff can’t hurt him,
Macbeth decides to kill him anyway. Why is this according to ll. 81-86?
3. In ll. 94-101 Macbeth begins to speak in rhymed couplets which has been
reserved in this play for the weird sisters alone. Why might Shakespeare have
done this?
4. Why in ll. 103-111 won’t the weird sisters tell Macbeth what he wants to know
right away?
5. Why are ll. 138+139 ironic?
Scene Two
1. Why might Macduff have fled without telling anyone? (l. 1)
2. What is the point of having the messenger arrive in l. 60 to warn of the danger?
3. How does this scene make an audience feel?
Scene Three
1. Why would Malcolm be wary of Macduff in ll. 12-18?
2. After the audience has just seen scene two, what is the irony in l. 14?
3. Why is Macduff going to leave Malcolm in ll. 34-37?
4. How does Macduff respond to Malcolm’s self-accusation of being a tyrant (ll. 6676)?
5. Why do you think Macduff responds as he does in ll. 84-90 to Malcolm’s
“confessions”?
6. What is the double meaning in l. 179 when Ross says that Macduff’s family was
“well at peace” when he left them? (i.e. What does Ross mean, what does Macduff
mean?)
7. What do you think of the way that Ross breaks the news to Macduff in ll. 204211?
8. What is the significance of Macduff’s response that Macbeth “has no children” in
l. 216?
Questions for Act V
Scene 1
1. We have seen sleeplessness as a motif throughout Macbeth. What could Lady
Macbeth’s sleeplessness represent?
2. What two people does Lady Macbeth refer to in ll. 36-39?
3. What does Lady Macbeth think is still on her hands?
4. Why does Lady Macbeth always have light with her? What does this suggest?
Scene 3
1. Which of the three prophecies does Macbeth neglect in ll. 1-10?
2. What does Macbeth’s response to his servant in ll. 11+12 reveal about his
character?
3. What metaphor does Macbeth use to explain what the problem with Scotland is in
ll. 46-56?
4. Is Macbeth courageous in ll. 59+60?
Scene 4
1. How are the soldiers going to camouflage themselves?
2. What will the army look like as the moved camouflaged according to ll. 4-7?
(question 1)
Scene 5
1. Does l. 17 mean that Lady Macbeth should have died later when Macbeth could
have cared for her or does it mean that she, like all humans, was going to die one
day anyway?
2. Translate ll. 19-28 on a separate piece of paper.
3. How are ll. 43-46 an example of a paradox (something which is both true and not
true) and how does this fit into the theme of “fair is foul, and foul is fair?”
Scene 7
1. What does the bear-baiting image that Macbeth uses in ll. 1+2 reveal about his
state of mind?
2. How does Macduff’s motivation in ll. 14-23 differ from Macbeth’s?
3. What does Macbeth mean when he says in ll. 3-6 that he is too much charged with
Macduff’s blood already?
4. What early event does the action after l. 53 reflect?
5. How do ll. 15+16 relate to the prophecy? How do they fit with the “fair is foul,
and fouls is fair” theme?