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Macbeth 2024 / 2025

General questions
1. What does the captain report about the battle to King Duncan?
He reports that Macbeth has fought bravely and has defeated the enemy and that
Macbeth had killed Macdonwald, the leader of the invasion .
He also defeated another invasion from the east headed by the king of Norway .
2. What does Duncan call Macbeth when he hears Macbeth has defeated Macdonwald?
He calls him "valiant Cousin ! Worthy gentleman !" This is ironic, being said to the man
who will be his murderer.
3. What news did Ross bring King Duncan?
Ross told king Duncan that the scottish thane of Cawdor had become a traitor, he and his
soldiers were helping the Norwegians. He also told him that Sweno, the king of Norway,
wants a treaty.
4. What title is given to Macbeth for bravery in the battle?
Thane of Cawdor.
5. What happened to the original Thane of Cawdor and why did he lose his title?
He was executed because he had betrayed his country.
6. How do the witches greet Macbeth after the battle?
They greet him as Thane of Glamis, Thane of Cawdor, and as future King.

7. What do the witches predict for Macbeth? For Banquo?

They predict Macbeth will be Thane of Cawdor and eventually the king. They predict that
Banquo will be "lesser than Macbeth, and greater, Not so happy, and yet happier" and
that his descendants will be kings although he will not be one.

8. What do the witches mean when they say, 'Lesser than Macbeth, and greater. Not so
happy, yet much happier. Thou shalt get kings, though thou be none'?
They mean that Banquo will be greater in death than Macbeth is in life. Although he
won’t be king, his sons will be kings.
9. What happens that causes Macbeth to recalculate his ease of becoming king?
What did king Duncan announce to his noblemen and kinsmen in Forres?
That Malcolm is going to become his successor and from now he will be called the Prince
of Cumberland. Macbeth thinks that King Duncan will announce him as his successor but
what happened makes Macbeth think that fulfilling the second prophecy requires murder.

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10.The witches say “ Foul is fair and fair is foul ”Which characters are“fair or foul”.
(A) Foul (bad) characters :
- The witches, because they are evil.
- Lady Macbeth, because she asked Macbeth to kill the king
- Macdonwald, because he betrayed his country.
(B) Fair characters :
- Banquo and Macbeth, because of their loyalty and bravery but later Macbeth because
foul because he killed the king.
- The Captin and Duncan are fair because the Captain fought bravely and the king
supports him because of his injury.

11. What did Macbeth tell his wife in his letter ?

He told her about his meeting with the three witches and about their prophecies that seem
to be true. He told her that their first prophecy is fulfilled ( becoming the new Thane of
Cawdor) moments after their disappearance and they told that he will be the king of
Scotland soon.

12. What does Lady Macbeth think is the great obstacle against fulfilling the witches'
prophecy?
Lady Macbeth is as ambitious as her husband. The idea of seizing the throne of Scotland
quickly possesses her mind too. She doesn’t think how illegal it is. She thinks that the only
obstacle is her husband's kind nature which might prevent him from killing king Duncan.

13. What is the significances of Lady Macbeth's "unsex me" scene?

She wishes she was a man so that she could have power instead of her husband. She
wanted the evil spirits to deprive her of women's kind nature and fill her with the cruelty
of men to fill her husband's determination and urge him to kill the king.
14. What is Lady Macbeth's "prayer" to the spirits after she learns Duncan is coming"?
She wants to be filled with cruelty, given a hard heart and the thick blood necessary to do
what has to be done in order to make Macbeth king.
15. Why is Macbeth hesitant about killing the king ? For some reasons :
1. He is the king's relative and subject and he is the king's host who should protect him
against any harm.
2. He can't find a strong motive to commit such a crime.
3. He is uncertain about the consequences of his limitless ambition.
4. Duncan is a popular king, and his death would bring sorrow and unrest upon Scotland.
16. What arguments does Lady Macbeth use to convince Macbeth to commit the murder?
She tells him not to be a coward, not to say later that he "could have been" when he could
"be" king. She tells him to be a man and go get what he wants. She says if she had made
the promise to do this, that she would have killed her own baby to carry forth with her
promise.

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17. What is Lady Macbeth's plan to kill King Duncan ?
She will get the king's two servants drunk so that Macbeth will kill the unguarded king
easily. They will use the guards' same daggers to commit their crime to make it appear it is
their crime.

18. Describe the scene of the ghostly dagger and mention what it indicates?
While Macbeth is waiting for his wife's signal that she has already made the guards
drunk, he imagines he sees a bloody dagger. The dagger's handle is towards him and its
point leads to the king's room. This indicates Macbeth's troubled mind about the sinful
crime he is about to commit.

19. What is the signal Lady Macbeth is to give Macbeth to let him know that she has
taken care of the guards (grooms)(chamberlains )?
She will ring a bell.

20. How guilty does Macbeth feel after committing the murder?
- After commiting the murder Macbeth imagines a voice saying " Sleep no more ! Macbeth
does murder sleep."
- He felt so guilty that he couldn’t say “Amen” to a prayer. He wished that he could
awake Duncan from death. He said that he had murdered sleep.
- He forgets to leave the bloody daggers beside the guards and he is unable to go back
again because he doesn’t want to see what he has done.
- He saw a dagger dripping blood moving before him in the air, its handle was towards
him.
21. What excuse does Lady Macbeth give for not killing Duncan herself?
He looked like her father sleeping there.

22. Why won't Macbeth take the daggers back to the scene of the crime?
He can't bear to look at King Duncan again.
23. On hearing the knock on the door, What did the porter think about ? Who did he
imagine knocking on the door?
On hearing the knock on the door, the porter thought about the porter who opens the
gate for people entering hell . As he was drunk, the porter imagined that the man who
was knocking on the door may be :
A farmer who hanged himself because there was so much food that people paid him
very little money for the food he grew.
" Have napkins enough about you , here you'll be sweat for it "
An equivocator " Yet couldn’t equivocate to heaven. "
A tailor " Here you may roast your goose. "
24. Who was knocking on the door? What three things does drinking provoke as the porter
said?
Macduff and Lennox . The porter said drinking provokes "nose-painting, sleep, and urine."

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25. How does Lennox describe the night, and what is Macbeth's response?
Lennox goes through a great description of the terrible night. Lenox told Macbeth that last
night had been unusual. Chimneys had blown down, sounds of sadness had been in the
air , the night owl cried out all night, some people said that the earth shook as if it were
sick with a fever. All these things tell that terrible times were coming. Macbeth brushes it
off by saying it was a "rough night."
26. What is the first reaction to the King's death and who does it?
The reaction from Macduff is great horror, almost incredible horror. Macduff is showing his
strong feelings. He says there will now be only confusion in Scotland because King Duncan
had been blessed by God to lead the people, so he had been like a holy church which has
been destroyed. Duncan's life has been taken and so has the good fortune of Scotland.
27. Whom did Lenox think they had killed the king ? why ?
Lenox thought that the guards may be responsible for killing King Duncan because :
1. They had bloods on their hands and faces.
2. Their daggers were also bloody.
3. They were confused and couldn’t speak with both Macbeth and Lenox.
28. What does Macbeth do to the supposed murderers and why?
He kills them in fury as he couldn’t control himself. He claims that in his great fury he
killed them without thinking. In fact, Macbeth was afraid that the guards might have
convinced Macduff and the others of their innocence. he wanted to get rid of any possible
witnesses to the crime.
29. What symbolism and irony does Lady Macbeth's fainting have and how is it ironic?
It gives the people the sense that she is completely shocked that the King has been
murdered. It is ironic because she planned the entire thing.
It’s a symbol for her cunning ‫ دهاء‬. She was smooth like a snake and sad while she herself
was the person who planned and urged Macbeth to kill the king.

30. Why and where do Malcolm and Donalbain decide to flee?

They suspect that whoever (Macbeth) murdered the King and fear that they may be the
next to be killed to keep each of them away from becoming the king . Malcolm will head
for England, Donalbain for Ireland.
( Malcolm and Donalbain knew that their father and Macbeth shared the same
grandfather so Macbeth may be the murderer of their father)

31. What strange things did the Old Man and Rosse talk about ?
The Old Man said that last Tuesday an ordinary mouse-hunting owl actually attacked and
killed a falcon. Ross said that king Duncan's beautiful and fast horses , "minions" (favourite
horses) turned wild and broke out of where they had been kept. Ross said instead of
being obedient, the horses acted as if they were at " war with mankind". Ross said he
saw the horses eat each other with his own eyes.

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32. Why did Macbeth become king after Duncan's murder instead of one of sons?
When Duncan was killed. His sons,Malcolm and Donalbain escaped, Malcolm fled to
England, Donalbain to Ireland. So people suspected them as they may have paid for the
grooms to kill their father. As a result Macbeth went to Scone to be crowned.

33. Why does Ross not believe Malcolm and Donalbain were responsible for Duncan's
murder?
He says it is against nature-both their personal natures and nature as the ruling force in the
universe.
34. What meaning does the line, 'God's benison go with you, and with those that would
make good of bad, and friends of foes!' have?
It is a warning to Ross that he should be very careful in dealing with Macbeth.
35. Why did Macbeth hire someone to kill Banquo?
He doesn’t want Banquo’s sons to end up with the throne as the prophecy said.

36. Why didn’t Macbeth kill Banquo by himself?

He doesn’t want to have more guilt by killing his friend Banquo as he is already guilty
enough from killing Duncan.
37. What reason does Macbeth give the murderers for not killing Banquo by himself?
Banquo had the same friends and Macbeth wouldn’t be able to remain friends with them
if he killed Banquo by himself.
38. What reason did Macbeth give the murders for wanting Banquo killed?
Macbeth fears for his own life and that while Banquo lives, Macbeth's health is sickly. He
said that Banquo's death will make his health perfect.

39. How does Macbeth convince the murders to kill Banquo?

He reminds them of a conversation he had with them the day before in which he showed
the wrongs that Banquo had done with them in the past. He asks if they’re angry and manly
enough to take revenge on Banquo. He gave them proof that Banquo was their enemy.

40. Did the killers succeed in killing Banquo and his son?
No, they could kill Banquo only and his son Fleance escaped.

41. What does Macbeth see at the banquet table ? How did this happen?
Macbeth saw Banquo's ghost sitting in his chair and giving him looks that he was a
murderer. This extraordinary appearance of the ghost is caused because of Macbeth's
troubled mind and guilty conscience.
42. What does the ghost of Banquo do to Macbeth’s paranoia?
It makes him completely mad. He knows that he can never be free of the guilt connected
with the murders [ killing ] of his friend.

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43.What did Macbeth say to Banquo’s ghost? What did this show about Macbeth's character?
He said to the ghost that he shouldn’t blame him for the murder “ thou canst not say I did
it : never shake thy gory locks at me”. This showed that Macbeth's conscience was much
troubling him. Macbeth suffered inner conflict between his ambition and his conscience.
44. Who didn’t attend the banquet ? Why did this worry Macbeth?
Macduff didn’t attend the banquet at Macbeth's castle. Macbeth wondered about Macduff's
attitude towards him. Macduff hadn't attended the coronation and he didn't come to the
banquet. Macbeth decided to go on his bloody deeds and kill Macduff if he was a threat to
his kingship.
45. What does Hecate want the witches to do?
She wants the witches to give Macbeth some visions which will give him false
impressions, false hopes for his personal safety and the safety of his rule, so he will
continue on his path of destruction because he is led by security ( overconfidence)
46. Where has Macduff gone? Why?
Macduff has gone to England to join Malcolm’s forces to overthrow Macbeth and regain
the kingdom from him.

Comments
1- “Lesser than Macbeth, and greater, not so happy, yet much happier, thou shalt
get kings, though thou be none!”
The witches said that to Banquo and Macbeth when they were returning from the battle.
They mean that Banquo will be greater in death than Macbeth is in life. He wouldn’t be
king but a father of kings.

2. " Or have we eaten on the insane root that takes the reason prisoner."
These words were said by Banquo to Macbeth after meeting the three witches. Banquo
doesn’t believe in their existence. He is wise enough to realize that the witches are evil
spirits. And since good never comes out from evil, he believes that they are deceiving
them with little truth to lead them to a greater evil.

3. " My thought , whose murder yet is fantastical , shakes so my single state of

man."
Macbeth said these words to himself aside when he knew that he is now the thane of
Cawdor , he started to think about the third prophecy ( to be the king of Scotland ) by
killing King Duncan but he thought that the idea of murder is just imaginary.

4. " First, as Iam his kinsman and his subject. "

Macbeth said these words to himself. At first, Macbeth didn’t accept the idea of killing King
Duncan to be the king of Scotland. He said to himself that he is one of the king's royal
men and it is wrong to kill him. However, Lady Macbeth and Macbeth's ambition will lead
him to commit the terrible crime.
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 5. "I fear thy nature. It's too full o'the milk of human kindness to catch the nearest
way. "
Lady Macbeth said these words to herself after receiving Macbeth's letter. She wanted him
to kill King Duncan to be the King of Scotland according to the witches' prophecies . She
was afraid of Macbeth's kindness that may prevent him from doing this evil deed.

6. " Come , you spirits that tend on mortal thoughts , unsex me here , and fill me from
the crown to the toe top-full of direst cruelty."
These words were said by Lady Macbeth as a prayer to the evil spirits. She wanted them
to deprive her of women's kind nature and fill her with the cruelty of men to fill her
husband's determination and urge him to kill the king.

7. " I dreamt last night of the three weired sisters. "

Banquo said these words to Macbeth in Macbeth's castle. Banquo told Macbeth that he
had dreamt of the three witches but Macbeth said that he doesn't even think about them.

8. " I think not of them. "

Macbeth said these words to Banquo in his castle. Banquo told Macbeth that he had
dreamt of the three witches but Macbeth said that he doesn't even think about them.
Macbeth has already started to put on his tongue and face the opposite of what is there
in his heart.

9. " Had he not resembled my father as he slept, I had done't."

Lady Macbeth said these words. She wanted to kill King Duncan herself but she couldn’t
as he looked like her father sleeping there.

10. " I couldn’t say, Amen…… "

Macbeth said these words to his wife, Lady Macbeth. Macbeth felt so guilty after killing
Duncan that he couldn’t say “Amen” to a prayer. He wished that he could awake Duncan
from death. He said that he had murdered sleep.
He saw a dagger dripping blood moving before him in the air, its handle was towards him.

11. “Sleep no more Macbeth! You murder sleep! Glamis killed sleep! “
Macbeth heard these words after killing the king. He was so frightened that his wife
blamed him. She asked him to get some water and wash that “filthy witness” from his
hands and forget all about all he had done or he’d go crazy.

12. " A little water clears us of this deed. "

Lady Macbeth said these words to Macbeth. She tried to calm him down after killing king
Duncan. She tells him to go get some water and wash "this filthy witness" from his hands.
In other words, get cleaned up and forget about it.

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 13. " Lamentings heard i'the air, strange screams of death."
" The obscure bird calmoured the livelong night. "
" some say the earth was feverous, and did shake ."
These words were said by Lenox to Macbeth. Lenox told Macbeth that last night had been
unusual. Chimneys had blown down, sounds of sadness had been in the air , the night
owl cried out all night, some people said that the earth shook as if it were sick with a
fever. All these things tell that terrible times were coming.

14. " O horror! horror ! horror "

" Tongue , nor heart , cannot conceive, nor name thee. "
" Confusion now has made his masterpiece."
" Ring the alarm bell – Murder and treason. "
These words were said by Macduff to Macbeth and Lenox after discovering Duncan's death.
Macduff is showing his strong feelings. He says there will now be only confusion in Scotland
because King Duncan had been blessed by God to lead the people, so he had been like a
holy church which has been destroyed. Duncan's life has been taken and so has the good
fortune of Scotland.

15. “o gentle lady, tis not for you to hear what I can speak. The repetition in a
woman’s ear, would murder as it fell.” comment
Macduff said that to lady Macbeth. He addressed her as a gentle lady but really it’s ironic as
lady Macbeth was a determining force in the death of Duncan. She is no “lady” because the
crime’s effect may kill any lady.

16. " Who can be wise, amazed , temperate , and furious…."

" No man, The expedition of my violent love outran the pauser reason. "
These words were said by Macbeth to Macduff when he asked him why he killed the guards
( grooms). Macbeth said that he was "furious" and couldn’t be "wise" at this moment. He
said that his violent love outran his reason.

17. " To show an unfelt sorrow is an office which the false man does easy. "
These words were said by Malcolm to his brother Donalbain. Malcolm thinks that they
shouldn’t stay at Macbeth's castle any more as it is clear that someone ( the murderer ) is
pretendind to be sad about their father's death. So Malcolm will head for England,
Donalbain for Ireland.

18. “God’s benison (blessings) go with you, and with those that would make good of
bad, and friends of foes.”
An old man said that to Ross outside Macbeth’s castle and after the murder of the king.
Macduff said he was going to Fife and not to Scone to attend Macbeth’s coronation but Ross
said he was going there when Ross said goodbye to the old man, the old man gave the
above answer. It was a warning to Ross to be careful in dealing with Macbeth.

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 19. " O! full of scorpions is my mind. "
These words were said by Macbeth to Lady Macbeth in the palace. Macbeth told her that he
has scorpions ( bad thoughts ) inside his mind as Banquo and his son, Fleance are still alive
because he was afraid of the witches' prophecies. Lady Macbeth tries to calm him down
saying that they will not live forever.

20. " Upon my head they placed a fruitless crown and put a barren sceptre in my gripe "
These words were said by Macbeth to himself in the palace. Macbeth was afraid when he
remembered the prophecies of the witches as his descendants won't be kings. He thought
that he couldn’t pass the title of the king to his children.

21. " Yet I must not , for certain friends , that are both his and mine. "
These words were said by Macbeth to the two murderers in the palace. Macbeth told them
that he couldn’t kill Banquo by himself as Banquo had the same friends and he wouldn’t be
able to remain friends with them if he killed Banquo by himself.

22. " What is done is done."

Lady Macbeth said these words to Macbeth. She tried to calm him down after killing king
Duncan. In fact, Macbeth wasn’t nervous by this reason but he was thinking of killing
Banquo and his son, Fleance because he was afraid of the witches' prophecies.

23. " We have scotched the snake , not killed it"

" Remains in danger of her former tooth."
These words were said by Macbeth to Lady Macbeth. Macbeth said that when they killed
king Duncan, they had been like someone who had tried to kill a snake but had only cut it.
He says he thinks the snake ( the line of men who might try to claim the throne – king
Duncan's sons , Banquo and his son ) may heal its wound and its fangs will attack them. He
can do anything to gain his peace.
24. " O , treachery ! Fly , good Fleance , fly , fly , fly…"
These words were said by Banquo to his son Fleance when they were attacked by the 3 hired
murderers. Banquo told his son that they have been betrayed and asked him to run away.
25. “ Thou canst not say I did it : never shake thy gory locks at me.”
Macbeth said these words to Banquo's ghost who appeared at the banquet table when
Macbeth attempted to sit on his chair. Macbeth said that Banquo couldn’t blame him for the
murder. This showed that Macbeth's conscience was much troubling him.
26. " I think you can behold such sights and keep the natural ruby of your cheeks
when mine is blanched with fear."
These words were said by Macbeth to his guests when he saw Banquo's ghost at the
banquet. No one except Macbeth could see the ghost which made Macbeth's face turn pale.

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 27. " I have a strange infirmity , which is nothing to those that know me. "
Macbeth said these words to the lords at his banquet. Macbeth wanted to give an excuse for
his strange behavior when he saw the ghost of Banquo saying that he had a strange illness.

28. " I will tomorrow to the Weird Sisters. More shall they speak , for now I am bent to
know"
These words were said by Macbeth to Lady Macbeth. He was uncertain of what he needed
to do to keep his kingship so he decided to visit the Weird Sisters to find out more about his
fate.

29. " May soon return to our suffering country under a hand cursed ."
Lennox said these words to the lord. He is speaking about Macduff whom he wishes to come
back to Scotland to rescue it as it is suffering under Macbeth's cursed (evil) hands.

Try to answer
30. " Stars , hide your fires, Let not light see my black and deep desires."
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31. " He was a gentleman on whom I built an absolute trust. "
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32. " Look like the innocent girl, but be the serpent under't.. "
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33. " I have no spur to prick the sides of my intent. "

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34. "But screw your courage to the sticking place. "
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35. " Go, bid thy mistress, when my drink is ready, she strikes upon the bell."
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 36. " Iam afraid to think what I have done…"
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37. " not confessing their cruel parricide "

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38. " present him eminence, both with eye and tongue ."
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39. " in the catalogue you go for men, As hounds , spaniels , curs are clept all by the
name of dogs. "
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40. " Their hands and faces were all badged with blood. "
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41. " There the grown serpent lies , the worm , that's fled . "

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42. " Iam in blood stepped in so far that , should I wade no more , Returning were as
tedious as go o'er . "
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