WHO WANTS TO BE A SHAKESPEAREAN MILLIONAIRE?
Macbeth Edition
QUESTION #1
What country takes advantage of the
fact that there’s a civil war going on in
Scotland at the beginning of the play?
Norway
QUESTION #2
What is the title which Duncan bestows
on Malcolm in Act I,iv?
The Prince of Cumberland
QUESTION #3
What is the tragic term which means
“fatal flaw” in Greek?
Hamartia
QUESTION #4
Who does Macbeth “unseam from the
nave to the chops?”
Macdonald
QUESTION #5
Where are kings of Scotland
crowned?
Scone
QUESTION #6
Specifically, what does Lady Macbeth
ask evil spirits to do for her?
“unsex me” (take away her feminine
characteristics)
QUESTION #7
What title did Macbeth inherit from his
father, Sinel?
Thane of Glamis
QUESTION #8
What are two characteristics that
Malcolm says he has which disqualify
him as a king of Scotland?
Lust, Avarice (greed)
QUESTION #9
What job does the character Seyton
have in Macbeth’s court?
Armour bearer
QUESTION #10
What title does Macduff hold?
The thane of Fife
QUESTION #11
A certain type of foolish birds makes its
(procreant cradle) nest in castles. Who is
this bird symbolic of ?
Duncan
Bonus Question: What is this bird called?
The martlet
QUESTION #12
Which thanes fulfill the witches’ first
prophecy?
Lennox and Ross
QUESTION #13
What natural law states that God has a
plan for every creature and a specific
role they’re supposed to fulfill?
The Great Chain of Being
QUESTION #14
After their father’s murder, where do
Malcolm and Donaldbain go,
respectively?
Malcolm England
Donaldbain Ireland
QUESTION #15
Provide three pieces of evidence that
demonstrate that Macbeth has become
insane.
Sees visions (dagger), hears voices
(Macbeth will sleep no more), becomes
paranoid (hires an extra murderer)
QUESTION #16
What Greek term refers to the turning
point in a tragedy?
Perepeteia
Bonus: What is the perepeteia in the
play?
The murder of Duncan
QUESTION #17
How does Lady Macbeth convince
Macbeth to kill Duncan? (one of two
ways)
Insults his manhood
Convinces him that it will be easy
QUESTION #18
What does Macbeth compare the
potential murderers’ manhood to in
order to shame them into killing
Banquo?
Dogs
QUESTION #19
In tragedy, the catharsis is the point where
things are set right and the audience is
cleansed of their feelings of pity and fear.
What are two points of catharsis at the end of
the play?
Malcolm (the rightful heir) becomes king,
Macbeth is punished for his crimes, the exiled
friends can return (Donaldbain, Fleance) and
the thanes become earls
QUESTION #20
What form does the apparition take
that tells Macbeth to “beware
Macduff ?”
An armed (armoured) head
QUESTION 21
What is Macbeth’s hamartia?
His vaulting ambition
QUESTION #22
Define anagnorisis.
When the hero discovers the nature of
things fully (i.e. he goes from a state of
ignorance to knowledge)
QUESTION #23
Who is the Queen of the witches?
Hecate
QUESTION #24
What evidence is there that the murder of
Duncan was not the result of fate?
Macbeth said that, “if chance will have me
king, then chance may crown me without my
stir.” (i.e. If fate is real, then I won’t have to
do anything to make this happen.) He also
weighs the pros and cons of murdering
Duncan and makes a conscious choice for evil.
QUESTION #25
Provide three reasons which excuse or at
least explain Macbeth’s murder of Duncan.
Lady Macbeth influenced him, The
witches manipulated him, and Macbeth
was insane at the time of the murders.
QUESTION #26
What are three two qualities that Lady
Macbeth believes make a man a “real
man?”
Courage & Keeping your word
QUESTION #27
Using an example to contrast each character,
how does Macduff demonstrate that he is
courageous, but Macbeth is not?
He tells Macbeth to “turn, hell-hound, turn”
and won’t kill “wretched kerns who are hired
to bear their staves.” Macbeth can’t stand up
to his wife and kills defenceless old men,
women and children.
QUESTION #28
The fact that Lady Macbeth begins to
sleepwalk, Duncan’s horses eat each
other, and the stars don’t come out the
night of Duncan’s murder reflect which
theme?
Disorder
QUESTION #29
The fact that the witches’ prophecy that
Macbeth will be thane of Cawdor
comes true, Malcolm and Donaldbain
run away, and Malcolm says he’s not fit
to rule all demonstrate what theme?
Appearances vs. Reality
QUESTION #30
The expression, “out, out brief candle”
is a metaphor for what?
The shortness of life