“Macbeth” Unit
Honors English II
Mrs. Katie Anderson
Born April 23, 1564
Started out performing
with “The Lord
Chamberlain’s Men”
Gave him a chance to
write a play
Henry IV, Pt. 1- It stunk
but they gave him
another shot
 Many playwrights with
nowhere to “play”
 Barn turned into theatre
(Yeah!)
 Puritans burn it down (Evil
theatre! Boo!)
 Globe built! (Yeah!)
 Globe burns (sniff, darn
cannon!)
 Globe rebuilt! (Yeah!)
 Globe burns (Dang that
Fire of London!)
Reconstructed in the 1990’s
When in a play...
Only men were permitted
to perform
Boys or effeminate men
were used to play the
women
Costumes were often the
company’s most valuable
asset
Costumes were made by
the company, bought in
London, or donated by
courtiers
King Duncan of
Scotland
Murdered by cousin
Macbeth
Honest and good
Malcolm & Donalbain
Sons of the King
Macbeth
“Something wicked this way comes.”
Setting of the Play
Macbeth is set in 11th-century Scotland.
About Macbeth
Act II, Scene I Journal
1. What influences Macbeth’s behavior the most?
Religion? Ethics? Self-interest? Emotional drive?
2. Would Macbeth have decided to kill the King
without the Witches’ prophecy? How does his
encounter with the Witches’ affect his decision?
 Create a picture of Lady Macbeth. Is she young or middle
aged? Is she fair or dark? Is she seductive or stern? Does she
wear jewelry? How does she wear her hair?
 You may illustrate this through drawing or essay writing.
Act II, Scene II
1. Why couldn’t Lady Macbeth kill
King Duncan?
2. How does Macbeth feel at the
end of the scene about his own
actions? What does he wish would
happen?
Act II, Scenes I and II
1. How does the narration help us as readers and
as an audience?
2. Why is Macbeth having a difficult time
sleeping?
3. What does Banquo think the problem with
sleepless Macbeth is?
4. Macbeth and Banquo finally talk about the
Witches. What does Macbeth ask Banquo? How
does Banquo respond?
Act II,
Scenes III and IV
Who “discovers” King Duncan’s
murder?
Who is blamed? Why? How does
this happen?
What are Macbeth’s and Lady
Macbeth’s reactions to the King’s
murder?
What happens to the King’s
guards? Why?
Act II,
Scenes III and IV
What do all of the King’s men talk
about? Why must they part?
What do Donalbain and Malcolm
discuss? Why?
What do Duncan’s men believe
about Malcolm and Donalbain?
Why?
What do we know about Macbeth
at the end of these scenes?
If you have completed
Act II Readings:
Was Lady Macbeth as guilty of the King’s murder as
Macbeth?
Write a Journal Entry as one of the following roles:
Lady Macbeth
Prosecutor
Defense Lawyer
Witnesses- Physical and Character
Banquo
Macbeth
State your case and prepare for a debate.
Act II- Literary Aspects
Identify themes within the play to this
point.
How does the setting enhance the
mood of the play?
Mini Lesson:
What is allusion? How is it used in
literature?
Examples of Allusion
She was no Scrooge. Each year
she donates hundreds of dollars to
charity.
“I can’t believe you chose her over
me! You are such a Judas!”
The teacher liked to call the boys
in first period the Three Stooges.
Act III, Scene I
How do we know that Banquo
is suspicious of Macbeth?
What does Macbeth tell the
murderers? How does this
affect their decision?
What does Macbeth say about
how the murders will affect
him?
Act III, Scene II
What advice does Lady
Macbeth give her husband?
Why?
Why is Macbeth still worried?
Act III, Scene III
Where does the third
murderer come from?
What are the results of the
mission?
Act III, Scene IV
What do Macbeth and his wife
discussion prior to eating?
How and why does Macbeth’s
mood change in this scene?
What happens to Macbeth? How
does Lady Macbeth respond?
How is Banquo viewed in this
scene? Why?
What does Macbeth think he
should do? What does his wife
think he should do?
Act III, Scene V
Who is Hecate?
What does she discuss with
the wicked sisters in this
scene?
What does Hecate predict will
come of Macbeth’s ambition?
Act III, Scene VI
What do Lennox and the
Scottish lord discuss in this
scene?
What does Lennox say about
Malcolm and Macduff?
Act IV, Scene I
What were the apparitions?
What message did they give
Macbeth?
What is the answer to Macbeth’s
question: “shall Banquo’s issue
ever / Reign in this kingdom?”
Act IV, Scene II
How does Lady Macduff react to
the news that her husband has
gone to England?
What is the mood/tone of the
conversation between Lady
Macduff and her son?
What does this scene tell us about
traitors during the rule of a tyrant?
Act IV, Scene III
How does Malcolm test Macduff?
What special powers of the King of
England do the doctor and Malcolm
describe? Explain the symbolism
here.
How do Ross, Macduff, and
Malcolm react to the murder of
Macduff’s family? Why?
Act V, Scene I
What is Lady Macbeth’s state of
mind? What punishment does she
suffer as a result of her crime?
Which crime apparently troubles
her the most? Which of her words
are received by the nurse and
recalled by the continuing of her
washing her hands?
What is the attitude of the
physician?
Act V, Scene II
Briefly explain the
conversation of these Scottish
noblemen, Menteith,
Caithness, Angus and Lennox.
What important developments
are announced in this scene?
Act V, Scene III
What does Macbeth’s opening
speech reveal to us? What does
Macbeth’s speech to Seyton reveal
to us?
What does Macbeth resolve to do?
Why?
In what spirit does Macbeth seem
to approach the battle? Does he
lack physical or moral courage?
Support your answer.
Act V, Scene IV
LUCKY YOU! NO Questions
here! :)
Act V, Scene V
The final soliloquy of Macbeth is one of the most
famous passages of this tragic drama.
Tomorrow, and tomorrow, and tomorrow
Creeps in this petty pace from day to day
To the last syllable of recorded time;
And all our yesterdays have lighted fools
\The way to dusty death. Out, out, brief candle.
Life’s but a walking shadow, a poor player,
That struts and frets his hour upon the stage
And then is heard no more. It is a tale
Told by an idiot, full of sound and fury,
Signifying nothing.
Explain the four metaphors in Macbeth’s
soliloquy.
Act V, Scene V
In what three ways does Macbeth
express the span of life?
How does he express the futility of
life?
What prophecy of the witches is
fulfilled in this scene? How? What
is the significance of the form of
this apparition from Act IV?
Act V, Scene V
Why is Macbeth not troubled by
the cry of women? In what frame
of mind does he accept Lady
Macbeth’s death?
What news does the messenger
bring? How does Macbeth now
regard the witches? The
prophecies? What is the
significance of the form of this
apparition from Act IV?
The Last Oak in Birnam
Wood (2005)
Act V, Scene VI
Explain the action in this
scene. What is the spirit of the
forces opposing Macbeth?
Act V, Scene VII
Explain the action in this scene and
Malcolm’s speech at the end.
Why does Macbeth not wish to
encounter Macduff? What is the
significance of the form of this
apparition from Act IV?
What opinion does Malcolm set
forth concerning Lady Macbeth’s
death?
The Plot
Plot – the arrangement of incidents
or events in a story; “what
happens” in the story.
Plot Diagram – a way of visually
demonstrating a story’s structure
by plotting incidents along a line;
plot lines can vary for different
forms of fiction
A Note on the Plot
Structure of Macbeth
Macbeth does not strictly follow the plot structure of Greek
tragedy, or of most of Shakespeare’s other plays. The climax
occurs very early in the play; everything that follows is the result
of that moment.
One theory for this involves James I. The play was partly
written for His Majesty’s pleasure, and many points in the story
clearly aim to praise him and his family life.
James I was descended from the historical (“real-life”)
Banquo. Since the play was written for the King, his engagement
with the parts of the plot that deal with his family would be most
significant to him.
In Act III, sc. iii – the traditional point of climax – Banquo
meets his fate. It could be argued that this is actually the point of
highest tension in the story for its intended audience.
Plot Structure of
Macbeth
Act II, ii
Climax
Acts I-II
Rising Action
Act I
Exposition
Acts III-IV
Falling Action
Act V
Catastrophe
The exposition establishes the
mood of the play. The setting is
identified, as are the main
characters and their relationships
to one another.
In Macbeth, the exposition is from
I,i to I, v.
The Exposition
I, i – The witches on the heath.
I, ii – King Duncan and the state of Scotland introduced.
I, iii – Inciting Force/Complication: Macbeth introduced,
witches make prediction.
I, iv – Duncan and Macbeth’s relationship explored.
I, v – Lady Macbeth introduced.
I, vi – Duncan visits the Macbeths.
I, vii – Macbeth and Lady Macbeth decide to do something
about Duncan.
The rising action delivers a build-up of
tension as the plot and sub-plots begin
to develop, and the conflicts grow.
The climax is the point of highest tension
in the story. At that point, the tragic
hero does something that leads him/her
to the final outcome.
In Macbeth, the rising action begins in
Act I and continues through II, i.
The climax is in II, ii, when Macbeth
commits the murder.
Rising Action and
Climax Act II
II, i – The Macbeths welcome Duncan into
their castle in Inverness, with a plan to
murder him.
II, ii – Climax –
The Macbeths carry out the murder.
II, iii – King found murdered. Malcolm
and Donalbain flee.
II, iv – Macduff, Ross, and Old Man discuss
events.
The falling action of a story
encompasses the events that
follow as a direct consequence of
the choices made in the climax.
The falling action leads to the
catastrophe at the end of the play.
The Falling Action
Act III
III, i – Banquo leaves Forres. Macbeth hires the
murderers.
III, ii – The Macbeths worry. Macbeth leaves Lady M.
out of his plans.
III, iii – The murderers assault Banquo and Fleance
on the road.
III, iv – The banquet scene.
III, v – The spurious scene with Hecate and the
witches.
III, vi – The lords discuss events.
The Falling Action
Act IV
IV, i – Macbeth meets the witches,
and they show him the apparitions.
IV, ii – Macduff’s castle scene.
IV, iii – Macduff meets Malcolm in
England.
The catastrophe is the final result of the
action of a tragedy Note that it is the
culmination of the events that followed
as a direct consequence of the choices
made in the climax.
The catastrophe will end in death,
usually of the tragic hero/protagonist,
and possibly others as well.