List the two ironic or paradoxical phrases in this scene.
a.
b.
What does Anon mean?
Scene 2
Summarize lines 68-78.
Scene 3
What is Banquo saying in lines 40-49?
List the three ironic statements made to Banquo by the
Witches.
a.
b.
c.
What is Banquo questioning in lines 86-88?
What is Angus telling Macbeth and Banquo in lines
105-108?
What is Banquo thinking in line113?
What is Macbeth really hoping and thinking in his aside to
Banquo in lines128-131?
What caution, (warning), does Banquo give to Macbeth in lines
132-139?
What is going through Macbeth's mind in lines 140-155? How is
he feeling about these thoughts?
What does Macbeth say in his aside to Banquo in
lines170-174?
Scene 4
Rewrite lines 3-12 word for word, as closely as you can, in
modern English.
What is going to be ironic in Duncan's comments about the old
Thane of Cawdor in terms of the new Thane of Cawdor in lines
13-16?
What complication is entered into the plot in lines39-49?
Compare and contrast Macbeth's statements made, (directly to),
Duncan in lines 50-54 with his aside, (away from Duncan), in lines
55-60.
What does Duncan express about Macbeth to Banquo in lines
61-65?
Scene 5
In lines 44-61 what is Lady Macbeth requesting. To whom is she
requesting this, and why? Make sure to answer all parts of the
question
In lines 71-82 what is Lady Macbeth predicting and what does
she recommend to her husband?
Scene 6
What is a hautboy?
In lines 25-31 what is Duncan asking Lady Macbeth and what
does he explain to her?
How does Scene 6 end, and what is Duncan's attitude or mood
during this time?
Scene 7
A Soliloquy is a speech that a character gives to the audience
that lets them know what is going on in the character's mind.
Macbeth gives a soliloquy in lines 1-28. What is going on in
Macbeth's mind. What is he thinking about? What is bothering him?
What decision is he trying to make?
In lines 34-38 what is Macbeth trying to tell his wife?
What is Lady Macbeth asking her husband in lines 39-49? What
is she trying to accomplish?
What do we learn about Lady Macbeth's personality, (the kind
of person she is), in lines 53-67?
What are the details of the plan the Macbeth's lay out in
lines 69-96? Be precise and give as many of the details and phases
of the plan as you can.
Act ll
Scene 1
What has King Duncan given to Macbeth's wife?
What does Banquo tell Macbeth in lines 24-26?
What lie does Macbeth tell Banquo and what suggestion does he
make to him in lines 27-32?
Read the Soliloquy by Macbeth in lines 44-74. What is
happening to Macbeth? What is on Macbeth's mind. What is he
thinking? What do you think he is trying to accomplish? Make sure
you answer all parts of the question.
What happens at the end of Scene 1?
Scene 2
What is Lady Macbeth experiencing at the beginning of Scene
2?
What does Macbeth report to his wife in line 19?
What is happening to Macbeth in lines 42-44 and what advice
does Lady Macbeth give him in lines 45-46?
How do lines 47-57 relate to the witches opening episode in
Act I, Scene 3, Lines 1-30?
What complication does Lady Macbeth discover in lines 58-67,
and what does she do about it?
What does Lady Macbeth think about her husband and what is her
mood in lines 82-88?
What is Macbeth's attitude and wish at the end of Scene
2?
Scene 3
A drunken porter, unhappy with his life in the castle,
fantasizes he is the gatekeeper to the gates of Hell while
answering the knock at the castle gate which turns out to be
Macduff. They have a brief discussion of the habit of drinking
alcohol in lines 25-44. What do they have to say about it (what is
Shakespeare's commentary about drinking)?
How does Lennox describe their journey in lines 61-69 and how
does this fit with the happenings at the castle?
In lines 73-92 what has Macduff discovered? How does he react
and what is he feeling?
In line 88 how does Shakespeare describe sleep?
How sincere are Lady Macbeth and Macbeth in lines
102-112?
What does Lennox believe has happened and what does Macbeth
admit in lines 119-125?
What are the reasons Macbeth gives for his actions as stated
in lines 127-137?
What does Malcolm mean in lines 160-163?
What do the brothers, Malcolm and Donalbain, decide to do at
the end of Scene 3 and why do they decide to do it?
Scene 4
What do the old man and Ross feel is the cause for the strange
happenings as of late? Give an example of one of the strange
happenings they report. Be exact and complete.
In lines 35-38 what reason does Macduff speculate drove the
two "guilty" guards to have killed Duncan and how does Ross
react?
What has happened to Macbeth and where is he?
Where is Ross going to go? Where is Macduff going to go, and
why do you think he is going there instead of with Ross?
How does the old man's blessing at the end of the scene apply
to what has happened so far in the play?
Go back and review Acts I and II. Scan for a favorite line,
expression, set of lines or speech. Write down the Act, Scene, and
line or lines in which your selection appears, and tell me why you
enjoy that selection or why you think it is special. Don't be
afraid to write at least a paragraph discussing your choice.
Act lll
Scene 1
Compare and contrast lines 1-10 to lines 51-77. What is Banquo
talking about as compared to what Macbeth is talking about?
What is happening in lines 78-162? Be precise and give
examples.
Scene 2
What is the emotional condition of the Macbeths in lines
15-29?
In lines 33-39 what does Macbeth propose as the way to think
about and treat Banquo?
In line 50 what does Lady Macbeth ask her husband, and then
what does he recommend to her and what is he planning?
Scene 3
Using lines 6-10, what time of day is it?
Who is killed and who survives?
What do the murderers decide to do in line 33?
Scene 4
What is happening at the beginning of scene 4?
What was Banquo's mortal wound?
How do lines 31-35 relate to the Witches' prophesy?
What does Macbeth notice in line 59?
How does Macbeth react to what he sees throughout the rest of
the scene?
How does Lady Macbeth handle the situation and what does she
tell the guests?
In lines 159-164 who is Macbeth thinking about, what is he
doing in reference to that person, and what is he probably
planning? Make sure you answer all parts of the question.
What else is Macbeth planning to do in lines 164-172?
In lines 173-176, upon what does Lady Macbeth blame her
husband's strange behavior. What does Macbeth think about this
possible cause?
Scene 5
In lines 16-33 what is Hecate planning and hoping for
Macbeth?
Scene 6
In lines 1-27 what "coincidences" does Lennox sarcastically
cite as being suspiciously connected to Macbeth? Give examples.
What is Lennox beginning to suspect? Make sure you answer all
parts of the question.
What does the unnamed lord tell Lennox about Malcolm and
Macduff in lines 28-43? Be precise and give examples.
Act lV
Scene 1
Somewhere between lines 1 and 47 is a line that was used by
the author Ray Bradbury for the title of one of his novels which
was later made into a movie. What is that line?
Why has Macbeth come to see the witches this time?
How serious is Macbeth about what he is asking in lines 51-64?
How do you know? Give specific examples.
What is the first apparition Macbeth sees and what does it
tell him?
What form does the second apparition take? Why is this an
apporpriate symbol? To what things in the story could it be
connected?
What does the second apparition tell Macbeth?
In lines 93-97 how does Macbeth respond to this information;
what does he decide to do; and why does he decide to do it? Make
sure you answer all parts.
After having read the short story, how is the form of the
third apparition symbolically appropriate?
What does the third apparition tell Macbeth?
Why do the witches show Macbeth the vision he sees in lines
127-140?
What is Macbeth's plan in lines 171-177? Give examples. How
determined is he, and how do you know? Answer all parts.
Scene 2
What is Lady Macduff's concern, and how does she express it in
lines 8-16?
What does the messenger tell Lady Macduff in lines 71-79?
In lines 81-87 what comment about life in this world does Lady
Macduff make? What is Shakespeare's little lesson here?
Scene 3
Make sure you read the scene summary on page 138. In lines
67-69 Macduff is trying to convince Malcolm that he is against
Macbeth and for Malcolm. What does he say to Malcom? Translate
into your own words.
Ready for some fun? Translate word for word, (as closely as
possible), line by line, lines 133-156. :)
In lines 270-275 what has Macduff decided to do and why?
Act V
Scene 1
In lines 37-42 what event is Lady Macbeth recalling?
What is the "damned spot" Lady Macbeth wishes out? What does
it represent? Why is she "washing" her hands? Make sure you answer
all parts. Hint: see lines 53-55.
In lines 44-47 what event is Lady Macbeth recalling?
In lines 65-67 what event is Lady Macbeth recalling?
What is Lady Macbeth's conclusion in lines 69-72?
Cite, that is quote, the sentence in lines 75-83 of the
doctor's dialogue, that best describes what is wrong with Lady
Macbeth.
Scene 2
Who are the three people leading the English army against
Macbeth at the beginning of the scene?
Using lines 9-12, how old are many of the soldiers?
What is Angus' feeling about the morale and loyalty of
Macbeth's men and his ability lead and inspire them in lines
19-25?
Scene 3
What is the servant telling Macbeth at the beginning of the
scene?
How does Macbeth treat the servant? Give specific
examples.
In lines 22-34 Macbeth is reflecting on his life. What is he
saying? What is he concluding?
What request is Macbeth making in lines 49-55, and how does
the doctor respond to that request?
What second request does Macbeth make of the doctor in lines
60-69?
What attitude does the doctor express in his aside in lines
75-76? Why is he expressing it?
Pick a couplet from this scene and copy it.
Scene 4
What is Malcolm saying in lines 6-9?
Scene 5
Macbeth delivers one of Shakespeare's most famous soliloquys
in lines 20-31 when he is told of Lady Macbeth's death. Copy this
soliloquy word for word and underneath it comment on the attitude
Macbeth has taken, and how Shakespeare describes a certain frame
of mind about life and death.
What prophesy of the witches comes true in Scene 5? What is
really happening? What is the irony, then, in the prophesy? Make
sure your answer is complete.
Scene 6
Copy any couplet in this scene.
Scene 7
As the battle has begun at Dunsinane Castle what happens to
Young Siward?
What is Macduff's emotional state in lines 18-28? How do you
know? Give examples.
What situation does Siward describe in lines 29-36?
Scene 8
What does Macbeth try to tell Macduff in lines 15-16?
How does Macduff respond to Macbeth in lines 17-20? What is he
saying? What does this mean?
What is the irony in the witches' prophesy played-out here in
lines 11-20?
What does Macbeth have to say about the witches in lines
23-24?
What are Macbeth's last words? Copy them (all).
How does Siward react to the news of the death of his
son?
How and with what does Maacduff greet Malcolm in lines
65-70?
What changes and new concepts does Malcolm declare in his
closing dialogue?
Pick one famous couple from anytime in history including the
present, and one couple from your own experience, who are like
Lord and Lady Macbeth. In two separate paragraphs describe each
couple and tell why they are like the Macbeths. Give as many
examples as you can. You don't have to give the real names of
people you know.
