Macbeth Study Guide
Act 1
1. Where do the witches plan to meet and why?
2. What news of Macbeth does the blood stained Captain bring to the king in Scene 2?
3. What news of the Thane of Cawdor does Ross bring?
4. What does the king decide to do for Macbeth?
5. What do the witches tell Macbeth and Banquo in Scene3?
6. In Scene 5 what is Lady Macbeth’s response to her husband’s letter with the news about his title and the witches’ prophecy?
7. What speech tells you what Lady Macbeth plans to do to Duncan when he visits the castle?
8. What are Macbeth’s misgivings in Scene 7?
9. What is his wife’s response?
10. What does the brief opening scene of Macbeth reveal about the play that will follow?
11. How does the weather reflect the human passions revealed in the rest of the act?
12. Explain the seeming contradiction in the witches’ greeting to Banquo in Scene 3; “Lesser than Macbeth, and greater.” How is this true?
13. How do Banquo’s reactions to the witches differ from Macbeth’s? What does Macbeth’s reaction suggest at once about his character?
14. The most interesting part of any serious play is what goes on in the character’s minds. What conflict rages in Macbeth after he hears the witches’ prophecy?
15. What impressions do you have of Lady Macbeth’s character by the end of Scene 6?
16. Describe the temperamental differences between Macbeth and his wife. Who is more single-minded and logical? Who is more imaginative and sensitive? Which one wins the argument?
17. What irony would the audience feel as they watch Duncan enter the castle and hear him praise its peacefulness?
Act 2
18. In Scene 1, Macbeth asks Banquo to meet him for “some words.” What incentive does he offer Banquo? How does Banquo reply?
19. Describe the vision that Macbeth has at the end of Scene 1. What details foreshadow the action to come?
20. In Scene 2, as Macbeth kills Duncan, what does Lady Macbeth hear? What does Macbeth hear?
21. Why, according to Lady Macbeth, was she unable to kill Duncan herself? Which tasks related to the murder does she perform?
22. In Scene 2, Lady Macbeth sensibly suggests that Macbeth go wash the “filthy witness” from his hands after the murder. How does Macbeth respond?
23. In Scene 3, what is the porter pretending as he goes to open the gate?
24. Why has Macduff come?
25. What reason does Macbeth give for killing Duncan’s two guards?
26. Where do Duncan’s sons decide to go?
27. In Scene 4, whom does Macduff suspect of Duncan’s murder?
Act 3
28. In Scene 1, write the line that shows that Banquo is suspicious that Macbeth has killed Duncan.
29. What event does Macbeth invite Banquo to attend that evening?
30. What is it that bothers Macbeth most about having killed Duncan?
31. How does Macbeth convince the murderers to kill Banquo?
32. Who, other than Banquo does Macbeth convince the murderers to kill?
33. In Scene 2, write the lines that show that Lady Macbeth is not happy now that she is queen.
34. Why is Macbeth still jealous of Duncan?
35. How much of the plot to kill Banquo does Macbeth share with Lady Macbeth?
36. In Scene 3, who joins the two murderers?
37. What happens to Banquo?
38. What becomes of Fleance?
39. In Scene 4, how does Macbeth react to the news about Fleance?
40. According to the murderer, how many times was Banquo stabbed?
41. What does Macbeth see when he starts to sit down at the banquet table?
42. How does Lady Macbeth attempt to explain her husband’s strange actions to the guests?
43. Who does Macbeth plan to meet the following day and for what purpose?
44. In Scene 5, what do most literary critics think about the origin of this scene with Hecate?
45. Where has Macduff gone? What is he doing there?
Act 4
46. What are the witches doing when Macbeth finds them on the heath?
47. What is the first apparition and its message?
48. What is the second apparition and its message?
49. What is the third apparition and its message?
50. The witches show Macbeth a long line of kings. What does this line represent?
51. In Scene 2, what happens to Lady Macduff and her children?
52. In Scene 3, what major characters join forces against Macbeth?
53. What does Macduff learn that makes him despise Macbeth even more?
Act 5
54. Describe the state in which we find Lady Macbeth in Act 5, Scene 1.
55. What is Lady Macbeth’s concern about her hands?
56. In Scene 3, why does Macbeth fell confident of victory at the beginning of this scene?
57. In Scene 4, what does the prophecy of the third apparition become true?
58. In Scene 5, what has happened to Lady Macbeth? In line 25, what does the “brief candle” represent to Macbeth?
Vocabulary:
59. Carouse
60. Incarnadine
61. Minion
62. Scruple
63. Palpable
64. Jocund
65. Liege
66. Abhor
67. Gentry
68. Pernicious
69. Beguile
70. Laudable
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