Macbeth
Act Two - Questions
Act Two Scene One
1. What is the name of Banquo’s son?
2. Banquo says that he suffers from “cursed thoughts” (10) when he sleeps. What might
these thoughts be about?
3. What gift has Duncan given to Banquo to give to Lady Macbeth?
4. When Macbeth tells Banquo that he does not think of the Weird Sisters, is he telling
the truth?
5. Banquo agrees to listen to Macbeth so long as he does not “lose” honour seeking to
“augment” or increase his honour. What does this tell Macbeth if he hopes to
use Banquo as an ally in an assassination attempt or even as a supporter of
Macbeth’s claim to the throne?
6. What hallucination does Macbeth have as he proceeds to Duncan’s bedrooms to kill
him?
7. Who is “pale Hecate?”
Act Two Scene Two
1. What reason does Lady Macbeth offer for not killing Duncan herself?
5. What task does Macbeth refuse to do, thereby forcing Lady Macbeth to do it?
6. Does Macbeth think he can wash the blood from his hands? Explain. What figure of
speech is he using?
7. According to Lady Macbeth, what will clear or cleanse them of their bloody deeds?
Act Two Scene Three
1. The Porter Scene is an example of ______________ relief, a common Shakespearean
device following a tense or suspenseful scene.
2. According to Porter, what three things does drink (alcohol) provoke?
3. According to Lennox, what has been odd about the night before?
4. What does Macduff discover?
5. Who, at first, is suspected of murdering Duncan and why?
6. Apparently overcome by the thought of Duncan’s murder, what does Lady Macbeth
do?
7. What do Duncan’s two sons, Malcolm and Donalbain, decide to do? Why?
Act Two Scene Four
1. The Old Man and Ross speak of two unnatural events in the animal/bird kingdom
which have occurred recently. What are they?
2. Who is now suspected of conspiring to kill Duncan?
3. Who chooses not to go to see Macbeth be made king? What does this imply?
Macbeth
Act Three
Questions
Act Three Scene One
1. What does Banquo suspect about Macbeth?
2. What is Banquo do during the afternoon before Macbeth’s feast?
3. Whom does Macbeth fear? Why?
4. Why is Macbeth not content with being king?
5. When Macbeth talks to the two murderers (assassins), whom does he blame for their
misfortunes?
6. What exactly does Macbeth want the murderers to do?
7. Why is Macbeth reluctant to get rid of Banquo himself?
Act Three Scene Two
1. At the start of this scene, how happy is Lady Macbeth now that she is queen?
2. What shakes Macbeth every night?
3. Who sleeps well, according to Macbeth?
4. In line 41 (approximately), Macbeth uses an image to describe the state of his mind.
Write it down. Why is this metaphor appropriate for Macbeth?
Act Three Scene Three
1. How many murderers are there, waiting for Banquo?
2. Does Macbeth tell Lady Macbeth exactly what his plans are for the murder of Banquo?
What does this reveal about their relationship or about Macbeth?
Act Three Scene Four
1. Macbeth says:
There the grown serpent lies. The worm that’s fled
Hath nature that in time will venom breed,
No teeth for th’ present.
Who is the “serpent” and who is the “worm?”
2. After the murderer tells Macbeth how Banquo has been killed but not Fleance, whose
ghost appears at Macbeth’s feast and sits down?
3. How does Lady Macbeth explain to the other lords at the feast Macbeth’s strange
behaviour?
4. After all his guests have left, much confused by Macbeth’s bizarre actions, Macbeth
says the following: (fill in the blanks)
“It will have _____________, they say: ____________ will have ___________.”
5. What does Macbeth mean by the above words?
6. Recovering quite quickly from his anxiety about Banquo’s ghost, whom does Macbeth
now suspect of disloyalty?
7. Whom does Macbeth intend to visit the next day?
8. What does Macbeth mean when he says: “We are but young in deed”?
Act Three Scene Five
Note: Hecate, one of the Titans of Greek mythology, is the goddess who ruled magic and
the dark doings of the night. She taught sorcery and witchcraft. Most scholars do not
believe this scene was written by Shakespeare.
Act Three Scene Six
1. Lennox’s opening speech in this scene is full of sarcasm and verbal irony. What does
Lennox really think of Macbeth and the various murders?
2. Where has Macduff gone?
3. After explaining where Macduff has gone, the lord goes on to describe life in Scotland.
Summarize what he has to say.
Act Four Scene One
1. Write down the first speech that all the witches say together.
2. Finish the following line by the Second Witch:
“By the pricking of my thumbs, / ____________________________________.”
3. Who arrives after the preceding speech by the witches?
4. What does the first apparition that the Witches conjure up look like?
5. What warning does this apparition give Macbeth?
6. What does the second apparition look like?
7. What prediction or reassurance does this apparition give Macbeth?
8. What does the third apparition look like?
9. What prediction does this apparition make?
10. What last question does Macbeth want the witches to answer?
11. What final apparition appears in answer to Macbeth’s question?
12. After emerging from his conversation with the witches, what does Macbeth decide
to do after Lennox has told him that Macduff has fled to England?
Act Four Scene Two
1. Who tells Lady Macduff of the flight of her husband to England?
2. How does Lady Macduff feel about her husband’s flight?
3. What does she mean when she says Macduff “wants the natural touch”?
4. How does Lady Macduff’s son know that his father is not dead?
Act Four Scene Three
1. In Macduff’s first speech, what does he say happens each morning? What is the
dramatic irony of his speech?
2. After Malcolm gets Macduff to state firmly that he (Macduff) is not treacherous to
Malcolm, Malcolm compares himself to Macbeth. Does Malcolm think he will
make a better or worse king than Macbeth?
3. What vices does Malcolm accuse himself of?
4. After listing all of his vices and seeing the sorrow and despair in Macduff’s face, how
does Malcolm reassure Macduff?
5. The King of England has two special abilities. What are they?
6. Who suddenly arrives to speak to Malcolm and Macduff?
7. What message or request does Ross give to Malcolm?
8. What good news does Malcolm offer to Ross?
9. What message does Ross give to Macduff?
Act Five Scene One
1. What strange behaviour of Lady Macbeth is observed by the doctor and
Gentlewoman?
2. When Lady Macbeth says, “Out, damned spot! out, I say!”, to what is she referring?
3. In this scene, to what three crimes does Lady Macbeth directly or indirectly refer?
Act Five Scene Two
1. By what three men is the English army led?
2. Who is the “dwarfish thief” that Angus refers to and what has this thief stolen?
3. Fill in the blanks.
Those he _____________ move only in ______________,
Nothing in ____________. Now does he feel his ______________
Hang _____________ about him, like a __________ ____________
Upon a ______________ ____________________.
4. What does Angus mean by the previous speech?
Act Five Scene Three
1. Fill in the blanks.
My ____________ of ______________
Is fall’n into the ___________, the _____________ ____________,
And that which should accompany _________ age,
As ____________, ____________, ___________, troops of __________,
I must not look to have, but in their stead
______________, not loud but deep, ______________, breath
Which the poor heart would fain deny and dare not - 2. To what kind of leaf does Macbeth compare his life?
3. What does Macbeth mean by “mouth-honor”?
Act Five Scene Four
1. What significant command does Malcolm make to his troops? How does this
command relate to one of the prophecies made by the apparitions of the witches?
Act Five Scene Five
1. When Macbeth hears the sudden cry of women, what does he notice about himself?
2. Why have the women cried out?
3. Fill in the blanks.
… Out, out, ___________ ____________!
Life’s but a ____________ ___________, a poor ______________.
That struts and frets his hour upon the stage
And then is heard no more. It is a tale
__________________________________________________,
Signifying ___________________.
4. What news, terrifying and disheartening to Macbeth, is given by the messenger?
5. What does Macbeth mean when he says: “Blow wind, come wrack, / At least we’ll
die with harness on our back”?
Act Five Scene Six
1. Who will lead the first charge of the English forces?
Act Five Scene Seven
1. When Macbeth says that they “have tied me to a stake,” what does he mean?
2. Whom does Macbeth kill in this scene?
Act Five Scene Eight
1. When Macbeth refuses to play “the Roman fool,” what does he mean?
2. Why does Macbeth, at first, not want to fight Macduff?
3. What announcement does Macduff make that unnerves Macbeth?
4. What proves to Siward, the English general, that his son, young Siward, has died
a fair death?
5. What is Macduff carrying when he re-enters the scene?
6. Who is the new king of Scotland, now that Macbeth is dead?