Macbeth Reading Guide Name Lit Section

Time: 11th Century Places: Scotland and England

Character List

1.  Macbeth-Macbeth is a Scottish general and the Thane of Glamis who is led to wicked thoughts by the prophecies of the three witches, especially after their prophecy that he will be made Thane of Cawdor comes true. Macbeth is a brave soldier and a powerful man, but he is not a virtuous one.

2.  Lady Macbeth-Macbeth’s wife, a deeply ambitious woman who lusts for power and position.

3.  The Three Witches-Three “black and midnight hags” who plot mischief against Macbeth using charms, spells, and prophecies. The play leaves the witches’ true identity unclear—aside from the fact that they are servants of Hecate, we know little about their place in the cosmos.

4.  Banquo-The brave, noble general whose children, according to the witches’ prophecy, will inherit the Scottish throne.

5.  King Duncan-The good King of Scotland, who is the model of a virtuous, benevolent, and farsighted ruler.

6.  Macduff-A Scottish nobleman hostile to Macbeth’s kingship from the start. He eventually becomes a leader of the crusade to unseat Macbeth.

7.  Malcolm–King Duncan’s son

8.  Hecate-The goddess of witchcraft, who helps the three witches work their mischief on Macbeth.

9.  Fleance- Banquo’s son

10.  Lennox-A Scottish nobleman.

11.  Ross-A Scottish nobleman.

12.  The Murderers-A group of ruffians; hired killers.

13.  Porter-The drunken doorman of Macbeth’s castle.

14.  Lady Macduff-Macduff’s wife.

15.  Donalbain- Duncan’s son and Malcolm’s younger brother.

Literature Terms

1.  Alliteration: the repetition of consonant sounds at the beginning of words. Example: “The daredevil dove into the deep sea.”

2.  Allusion: a reference to a famous person, place, event, or literary work.

3.  Antagonist: character who blocks the protagonist from getting what he or she wants

4.  Aside: a character’s remark, either to the audience or to another character, that no one else on stage is supposed to hear

5.  Blank Verse: unrhymed lines of iambic pentameter.

6.  Conflict

a.  External: involves a character and another person or thing

b.  Internal: always takes place within a character’s mind, heart, or soul

7.  Couplet: a rhymed pair of back to back lines. Example: “Follow your heart’s desire/And good things may transpire.”

8.  Epiphany: a moment of sudden insight that a character experiences; think “A-ha” moment

9.  Euphemism: a less offensive word or phrase used to replace a more offensive word. Example: Instead of saying prison, I would use “correctional facility”.

10.  Figurative Language

a.  Metaphor: makes a comparison between 2 things that are basically unlike but have something in common. Do not contain the words “like” or “as”.

b.  Personification: human qualities are given to an object, animal, or idea.

c.  Simile: a comparison between 2 unlike things, using the words “like” or “as”.

11.  Foreshadow: A hint or clue about something that will happen later in a story

12.  Iambic pentameter: 5 unstressed and 5 stressed syllables; total of 10 syllables in a line.

13.  Imagery: language that appeals to our 5 senses (sight, smell, taste, touch, hearing)

14.  Irony: A contrast between what is expected with what actually happens

a.  Situational: situation turns out the opposite of what you expected

b.  Dramatic: when the readers or audience know something that the characters don’t

c.  Verbal: say one thing but mean the another

15.  Monologue: a long, uninterrupted speech by one character, to which other characters listen.

16.  Mood: atmosphere, affecting the way we feel as we read

17.  Motivations: needs or conflicts that drive a character

18.  Parallelism: the repetition of grammatical structures to express ideas that are related or of equal importance. Example: “When the hurly-burly’s done,/when the battle’s lost and won.”

19.  Protagonist: main character; one who drives the action

20.  Rhetorical Question: the use of questions that require no answer to make the speaker’s rightness seem self-evident. Example: “Do you not hope your children shall be kings/When those that gave the Thane of Cawdor to me/Promised no less to them”.

21.  Setting: the story’s time and place

22.  Soliloquy: a speech given by a character alone on stage, used to reveal his or her private thoughts and feelings. The speech may help the audience understand a character’s motivation. Think of the stem “sol” which means “alone”.

23.  Suspense: the feeling of uncertainty or anxiety about what is going to happen next

24.  Symbol: person, place, thing, or event that stands for both itself and for something beyond itself

25.  Theme – makes some revelation about the subject. Often reveals a truth about human behavior.

26.  Tone: writer’s attitude toward subject

27.  Tragic Flaw: an error in judgement or a character defect – that ultimately leads to his or her downfall.

28.  Tragic Hero: a character of high social rank – a king, a prince or a general. Has a tragic flaw. Suffers complete ruin or death. Faces his or her downfall with courage and dignity.

29.  Traits: special characteristics

30.  Tragedy: a drama in which a series of actions leads to the downfall of the main character, called the tragic hero. The plot builds to a catastrophe, or a disastrous final outcome, that usually involves the death of the hero and many others. To create suspense before this inevitable outcome and to help the audience understand the characters, Shakespeare used certain dramatic conventions, including dramatic irony, the soliloquy, and the aside.

Act 1, Scene 1

  1. Who is Graymalkin?
  2. Who is Paddock?
  3. Who are the witches going to meet?
  4. What do the witches mean by “Fair is foul, and foul is fair”?
  1. In reference to #4, which literary device is this quote?

Act 1, Scene 2 (Setting is at King Duncan’s camp near the battlefield.) p.5

1st Battle Recap

  1. Reported by the who fought to keep from being captured.
  2. Who is Macdonwald?
  3. Which army supports Macdonwald?
  4. How was Macdonwald killed, and who did it?

2nd Battle Recap

  1. The Norwegian and his troops attacked.
  2. How does the captain describe Macbeth and Banquo?
  1. When the Norwegian king asked for a treaty, what was he told by Ross?
  1. Why does King Duncan have the Thane of Cawdor executed?
  2. Whom does he plan to name as the new Thane of Cawdor?

Act 1, Scene 3 p.11

  1. What does the 2nd witch control?
  2. Explain what happens with the 1st witch and the sailor’s wife.
  1. Explain what Macbeth means, “I have never seen a day that was so good and bad at the same time.”
  1. Also, in reference to #8, how does the quote connect to Scene 1?
  1. What do the witches predict Macbeth will become?
  1. What do they say about Banquo?
  1. According to Banquo’s words, what is Macbeth’s reaction?
  2. How does Macbeth react when the witches’ first prediction comes true?
  3. On p.21, paraphrase Banquo’s explanation/warning about the “agents of evil”.
  1. Give an example of an “aside”.

Act 1, Scene 4 p.25

  1. How did Cawdor die?
  2. How does the King respond?
  3. Describe how the King greets Macbeth and Banquo.
  1. Who does King Duncan name as his heir to the kingdom?
  1. Where does the king plan to go for a visit?
  2. How does Macbeth react to the announcement of the king’s heir?

Act 1, Scene 5 p.31

  1. What does Lady Macbeth worry about in regards to her husband Macbeth?
  1. Paraphrase what Lady Macbeth requests in her “prayer”.
  1. What has Lady Macbeth decided that she and Macbeth must do tonight?
  1. Why must it be tonight?

Act 1, Scene 6 p.37

  1. Explain the irony of the first few lines depicting the imagery and setting.
  1. How does Lady Macbeth act when Duncan visits the Macbeths’ castle?

Act 1, Scene 7 p.41

  1. In Macbeth’s speech on p.41, paraphrase his thoughts about violence and its effects.
  1. Explain the 2 reasons why King Duncan trusts Macbeth.
  1. Summarize Macbeth’s assessment of how King Duncan is as king.
  1. What does Macbeth say is his only motivation to kill King Duncan?
  2. Lady Macbeth states that Macbeth will not be a if he will not go through with the murder plot.
  3. Lady Macbeth also proves to Macbeth how vicious and committed she is by relating her hardcore self with an analogy of nursing a baby. What did she say that she would do?
  1. Explain Lady Macbeth’s murder plot.

Act 2, Scene 1 p.49

  1. On p.49, how does Shakespeare establish an ominous mood?
  2. What lie does Macbeth tell to his friend Banquo?
  1. What does Banquo’s response to Macbeth’s request to “stick with (him), when the time comes, there will be something in it for you” reveal about Banquo’s character?
  2. What feelings does Macbeth reveal in his soliloquy when he sees the dagger?
  1. Give an example of an allusion from p.53.
  2. What summons Macbeth to perform his murderous deed?

Act 2, Scene 2 p.55

  1. What was Lady Macbeth’s role in the murder plot?
  2. Why would Lady Macbeth not kill King Duncan?
  1. Describe the strange occurrence that Macbeth witnessed with the servants.
  1. In regards to #9, what can Macbeth not do?
  2. What does Macbeth mean when he says he has murdered sleep?
  1. Why won’t Macbeth take the bloody daggers back to the murder scene?
  2. How is this issue resolved?

Act 2, Scene 3 p.63

Summary for p.63-66 – “A porter goes to the answer the door, joking to himself that he is the doorkeeper at the mouth of hell, and mocking whoever might be knocking to get into hell. At the door are Macduff and Lennox. Macduff good-naturedly asks what took so long. The porter blames drunkenness, and makes a series of jokes about alcohol and its effects on men.

  1. Whose job is it to wake the king?
  2. What imagery does Lennox provide?
  1. What does Macbeth do?
  2. Who scolds and questions him for committing this act?
  3. What can you infer motivates Macbeth to do this?
  1. Why do Malcolm and Donalbain leave?
  1. Where does Malcolm flee?
  2. Where does Donalbain flee?

Act 2, Scene 4 p.79

  1. Explain the ominous occurrences and imagery that the Old Man provides to enhance the mood.

  1. How does Malcolm and Donalbain’s departure aid Macbeth’s plan?
  2. Who makes a comment that Macbeth should not have killed the guards?
  3. Who is going to be king now?

Act 3, Scene 1 p.85

  1. In his aside, describe Banquo’s assessment of Macbeth and of what he suspects happened to Duncan.
  1. Where is Banquo going and with whom?
  1. Explain what Macbeth reveals about the princes.
  1. Infer why Banquo goes riding each day.
  1. Why does Macbeth fear Banquo?
  1. On p.89, you see how paranoia is overtaking Macbeth. What are some examples of his bizarre reasoning?
  1. How does Macbeth motivate the murderers to want to harm Banquo? Is it the truth or a lie?
  1. On p.91, where does Macbeth sound like his wife?
  1. “As long as Banquo lives, I am sick. I’ll be healthy when he is dead.” What literary device is this an example of? What does Macbeth mean?
  1. What plan does Macbeth propose?


Act 3, Scene 2 p.97

  1. “If you get what you want and you’re still not happy, you’ve spent everything and gained nothing.” Explain Lady Macbeth’s quote.
  1. Describe some of the effects that King Duncan’s murder is having upon Macbeth.
  1. What is ironic about Macbeth telling Lady Macbeth to give Banquo lots of attention at dinner? What kind of irony is this?
  1. Does Lady Macbeth know as much as we know at this point? Why or why not?
  1. “Bad deeds force you to commit more bad deeds.” What previous quote does Macbeth highlight?

Act 3, Scene 3 p.103

  1. How successful is the 3 murderers’ mission? Why?
  1. Describe Banquo’s reaction to being attacked.

Act 3, Scene 4 p.107

  1. Explain how Macbeth reacts to the murder’s news. Include the metaphor.
  1. Lady Macbeth scolds Macbeth at the dinner party on p.109. What is her complaint?
  1. Give an example of verbal irony. Explain why your quote is verbal irony.
  1. Lady Macbeth gives an excuse for why Macbeth is hallucinating. What is it?
  1. How does “sweet” Lady Macbeth treat her husband while he is hallucinating?
  1. “There’s an old saying: the dead will have their revenge.” What literary device is Shakespeare using? Why?
  1. Give an example of Macbeth’s growing paranoia.
  1. Do you agree with Macbeth when he says, “We are still just beginners when it comes to crime”? Why?

Act 3, Scene 5 p.123

  1. What are Hecate's complaints to the witches?
  1. What does she tell them to do?
  1. Through Hecate, Shakespeare reveals a human trait that he detests. What is it?

Act 3, Scene 6 p.127

  1. Lennox begins the scene speaking extremely sarcastically to a lord. What is Lennox insinuating?
  1. Shakespeare utilizes this scene to provide background information for us regarding Macduff. Summarize that information.

Act 4, Scene 1 p.131

  1. To highlight the witches’ malicious spells, Shakespeare is very specific about what is in their cauldron. The witches have: poisoned toad, swamp snake, newt’s eye, frog’s tongue, fur from a bat, dog’s tongue, forked tongue of an adder(poisonous snake), stinger from a worm, lizard’s leg, owl’s wing, scale of a dragon, wolf’s tooth, witch’s mummified flesh, gullet and stomach of a shark, root of hemlock, Jew’s liver, Tartar’s lip, finger of a baby strangled by a prostitute while giving birth, and tiger entrails.
  2. Now, you highlight which parts of the spell required human body parts. How many did you highlight?
  3. What are the famous 2 lines of the witches’ spell?
  1. On p.133, the 2nd witch lets her sisters know that Macbeth is coming when she says, “something this way comes”.
  1. The first apparition is a head with an helmet, who says, “Beware .”
  2. The second apparition is a bloody , who says nobody born of a will ever Macbeth.
  3. Macbeth’s immediate assumption is that he is , but that it would still be wise to kill .
  4. The third apparition is a with a on his head and a in his hand. This one predicts that Macbeth won’t be defeated until Woods marches to fight Macbeth at Dunsinane .
  5. What does Macbeth see with the ceremonial procession? What does it mean?
  6. What is Macbeth’s newest dreadful plan in response to Macduff fleeing to England?

Act 4, Scene 2 p.147