Macbeth Test
100 points
Multiple Choice: 2 points each
Short Answer: 5 points each
Extended Response: 10 points each
Multiple Choice 2 points each / 40 points total
1. Who is the author of Macbeth?
A. Christopher Marlowe
B. John Milton
C. William Shakespeare
D. Geoffrey Chaucer
2. In which country does the play primarily take place?
A. England
B. Scotland
C. Ireland
D. Greenland
3. At the beginning of the play, who is the King of Scotland?
A. Duncan
B. Donalbain
C. Macbeth
D. Malcolm
4. Who is Macbeth's friend at the beginning of the play?
A. Banquo
B. Macduff
C. Malcolm
D. Fleance
5. When Lady Macbeth first reads of the prophecy--
A. She is afraid that Macbeth will murder the king
B. She thinks that Macbeth is going mad
C. She worries that Macbeth may be too kind to do what is necessary
D. She immediately warns the king about it
6. The dinner in Act III is disrupted when Macbeth sees--
A. Three apparitions
B. King Duncan's ghost
C. A vision of a bloody dagger
D. Banquo's ghost
7. Lady Macbeth is unable to kill the king because--
A. She decides that it is wrong to murder him
B. He reminds her of her father
C. She believes that Macbeth must do it himself
D. He begins to sleepwalk
8. Macbeth has Banquo murdered because Banquo--
A. Has committed atrocities against Scotland
B. Poses a threat to Macbeth's rule as King of Scotland
C. Played a role in the death of the former king
D. Hired men to kill Macduff's family
9. Who are the King's sons?
A. Malcolm and Dunsinane
B. Macduff and Ross
C. Fleance and Donalbain
D. Donalbain and Malcolm
10. The witches give a prophecy that Macbeth will be Thane of--
A. Glamis
B. Cawdor
C. Fife
D. Scotland
11. One of the apparitions tells Macbeth to beware of--
A. Macduff
B. Banquo
C. Malcolm
D. Fleance
12. Which of the following describes one of the three apparitions from Act IV?
A. A child with a sword
B. A head with a knife through it
C. A crowned child holding a tree
D. A head on fire
13. The porter act Macbeth's castle is depicted as--
A. An upright gentleman
B. A scheming murderer
C. A drunken joker
D. A cowardly traitor
14. At the end of the play, who is to be crowned King of Scotland?
A. Malcolm
B. Macduff
C. Fleance
D. Donalbain
15. Why is the doctor summoned for Lady Macbeth?
A. She is crying uncontrollably
B. Her hands are stained with blood
C. She is having fits of sleepwalking
D. She has been poisoned
16. Before Macbeth murders the King, he sees a vision of--
A. Banquo's ghost
B. A bloody dagger
C. Blood stained hands
D. Three apparitions
17. An extended speech in which a character speaks to him or herself on stage to reveal private thoughts is called--
A. Metaphor
B. Soliloquy
C. Eulogy
D. Epilogue
18. What kind of play is Macbeth?
A. Comedy
B. Dualistic
C. Existential
D. Tragedy
19. What is the probable cause of Lady Macbeth's suicide?
A. She feels guilty for her role in Duncan's murder
B. She cannot stand to be with Macbeth anymore
C. She feels profound despair for the state of Scotland
D. She does not want to be taken alive by those who oppose Macbeth
20. What reason does Malcolm give that he is not fit to be king?
A. He is not actually Duncan's son
B. He is lustful, greedy and inclined to create chaos
C. He has secretly conspired with Macbeth Duncan's murder
D. He has long practiced the art of witchcraft
Short Answer 5 points each / 20 points total
21. What three things do the apparitions in Act IV tell Macbeth?
22. What prophecy do the witches give Banquo?
23. Paraphrase the following remarks of Macbeth:
"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 and idiot, full of sound and fury,
Signifying nothing."
24. Explain the significance of the following comment made by Macbeth?
"Will all great Neptune's ocean wash this blood
Clean from my hand? No; this my hand will rather
The multitudinous seas incarnadine,
Making the green one red."
multitudinous: a great number
incarnadine: to make red
Extended Response 10 points each / 40 points total
25. How do you believe women are portrayed in Macbeth? Provide examples to justify your claims.
26. How does Macbeth's character change throughout the course of the play from beginning to end? Provide examples to justify your answer.
27. Choose a scene from Macbeth that you believe to be especially important or powerful. If you were a director, how would you have that scene performed? Describe the visuals, the kind of emotion characters should put into their lines and what they would be doing while delivering them.
28. Write a description of the events that you believe might occur after the end of the play. What is the fate of Scotland? What happens to characters like Donalbain, Malcolm, Macduff, Fleance and the witches? Explain why your description makes sense given what we know about these characters.
Extra Credit 3 points each / 6 points total
What is the head witch's name?
What are the names of the two familiars (animals that serve the witches)?
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