Macbeth

Act 1

1-What warning did Banquo offer Macbeth?

In Act I, Banquo and Macbeth were just riding in from the battle field, leading their troops
behind them. They dismounted and were walking alone to see King Duncan after winning a
successful battle against the traitorous Thane of Cawdor. On the way, Banquo and Macbeth
came upon the three witches who had been preparing and waiting for Macbeth.
The witches, once they were bidden by Macbeth to break their silence and speak, gave
prophecies to Banquo and Macbeth. Banquo would be the father of kings and Macbeth would
be Thane of Cawdor, who was at the moment held as a prisoner, and would be King. Macbeth
was startled at the news.
Then riders from the King approached and told Macbeth that the title of Thane of Cawdor
had been bestowed on him because the traitor would be executed. He then asked Banquo if he
believed the witches now because of the deliverance of their Cawdor prophecy. This was
where Banquo administered his warning, saying that sometimes evil works by trickery. He
meant that evil may tell truths in order to lure the innocent into great consequences of wrong
and evil acts in order to have the greater promise that they now lust for. Banquo spoke a true
warning to Macbeth as events later reveal.

2- “What’s fair is foul and what’s foul is fair.” Discuss

This phrase was chanted by the three witches at the beginning of the play. It acts as a summary
of what is to come in the tale. Shakespeare used this phrase to show that what was considered
good was in fact bad, and what was considered bad was actually good. The first characters to
showcase this theme were the three witches. Ever since their existence, witches had been
known to cause havoc. When Banquo and Macbeth met them on their way, their destinies
changed. Wielding their power of deception, they told Macbeth that one day he would be king.
It's not clear how he would ascend to the throne considering that he had no royal blood and that
he had very weak chances of getting the kingship. Furthermore, the king had two sons, who
would inherit the throne if he were to die. Since the witches refused to reveal to Macbeth how
he was going to be king, he realized that murdering king Duncan and his two sons was the only
way. The message of the witches was fair to Macbeth but foul to Banquo. Although he was told
that his sons would be kings, Banquo was able to see through the witches' enticing lies and
warned Macbeth to be careful with the words he had just heard. But Banquo's warning didn’t
do much to dissuade Macbeth from pursuing such a dangerous path.
3- What mood was established at the beginning of the play? How did Shakespeare
develop this?
At the beginning of the play, a gloomy and mysterious mood was established. This was initially
presented by thunder and lightning that started in scene i. Such weather symbolizes unnatural
elements at play. Indeed, this materializes in the form of the witches, as they symbolize evil.
Furthermore, the contradictory words spoken by the witches expressed disorder and chaos.
"Fair is foul and foul is fair" emphasized this to a large extent.

4-. The importance of Macbeth’s aside should not be overlooked. What does it show us
about the nature of Macbeth’s ambition?
This soliloquy shows us ambition has a strong influence on Macbeth. In fact, it seemed he was
taken over by it–the need to murder the king to satisfy the third prophecy revealed to him by
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the witches. Therefore, his ambition could be perceived as a flaw as it is putting Macbeth in an
uncontrolled and unnatural state of mind.
5-“The Lord of Cawdor will never again deceive me. Go proclaim that he will
be executed, and tell Macbeth that he’ll receive Cawdor’s title.” Comment
These words were said by King Duncan to Ross after Ross had told the king about Cawdor’s
treason. These words recall the witches’ “when the battle is lost and won” , the battle which had
seemed so uncertain ,had finally been won by Macbeth. With it he had won a new title, but it
was a title of a traitor, and he himself will shortly be false to the king.

6-What title was given to Macbeth for his bravery in the battle?
In act one, scene two, the Captain elaborated on Macbeth's bravery during battle and described
to King Duncan how he defeated Macdonwald and the Norwegian king's forces.
When Ross entered the scene, he told King Duncan that the Thane of Cawdor was a disloyal
traitor, who assisted the Norwegian king in battle against Macbeth and Banquo. After learning
this information, King Duncan announced that Macbeth would be given the new title, Thane of
Cawdor, and the former Thane of Cawdor would be immediately executed. In the next scene,
Macbeth and Banquo met the Three Witches on the heath following the battle and listened to
their presumably favorable prophecies. The Three Witches addressed Macbeth as the Thane of
Cawdor and future king. Shortly after the witches disappeared, Ross and Angus arrived on the
scene to inform Macbeth that King Duncan had given him the new title, Thane of Cawdor,
which trilled Macbeth and incited his ambition to become the king of Scotland.

7-“I’ve never seen a day that was so good-because of our great victory- and yet with such
bad weather.” comment
These words were said by Macbeth to Banquo after their victory in the battle. The sentence is
purposefully ambiguous. Macbeth may simply be commenting on the changeableness of the
weather which suddenly became foggy in the presence of the three witches, or he may be
saying that he had never seen a battle whose outcome was so uncertain.

8-What is a soliloquy? What purpose do soliloquies serve in Shakespearean drama?

A soliloquy is a speech which a character makes to himself when he is alone. In speaking to
oneself a man expresses his deepest and most secret thoughts. Therefore, when a character
speaks to himself, with nobody to listen to him, he can speak freely and without reserve. When
a dramatist wanted a character to reveal his private thoughts to the audience without any of the
other characters in the play coming to know those thoughts, the dramatist employs the device of
soliloquy.

9-How did King Duncan react to the news of Cawdor's death?

After the Thane of Cawdor's treason had been found out, he was sentenced to death. King
Duncan's son, Malcolm, reported to his father that just before he was executed, Cawdor
confessed, repented, apologized, and asked for forgiveness.
King Duncan reacted sadly, and talked about how Cawdor had been a trustworthy friend. He
then told Malcolm that one can never tell what is in someone's heart by looking at their face.
“This foreshadows, or signals, what is to going to happen between King Duncan and Macbeth,
who Duncan knew as a fiercely loyal soldier and subject.

10-“Stars hide your brightness so that my evil desires are hidden from the
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light.”comment
Macbeth said these words in his aside after he had met King Duncan and knew that Malcolm
would be the crown prince.Macbeth was known to be brave and worthy,but the witches’
prophecy had awakened a secret longing for power. These lines spoken by Macbeth as an aside
revealed the “black desires” he was struggling to hide.

11-What did Lady Macbeth say after reading Macbeth's letter?

Macbeth, still away from his castle, wrote Lady Macbeth and told her all about the witches'
prophecies and his ambitions to be king.
But she had her doubts about him. Lady Macbeth didn’t believe that her husband was ruthless
enough to do what it takes to become king. She decided that she had to take matters into her
own hands, and convinced Macbeth to do what he must to rise to the throne

12-Comment on the relation between Macbeth and Lady Macbeth.

Lady Macbeth was manipulative and overpowering in their relationship. She was more violent
and ambitious than her husband, Macbeth. On the other hand, Macbeth would be considered
daring and brave yet self-doubt. Lady Macbeth read a letter from her husband, “This have I
thought good to deliver thee, my dearest partner of greatness that thou mightst not lose the dues
of rejoicing, by being ignorant of what greatness is promised thee. Lay it to thy heart and
farewell” (I.5.10-13). Lady Macbeth is the one that is mainly controlling her husband. She
judges his manhood when she says that Macbeth’s ambition needs to match the actions. They
would seem like a normal couple but actually they were both greedy. Macbeth was a respected
general in the kingdom and their position must be important if the king was to eat dinner at
their home. No matter who was strongest in their marriage, they were certainly in love with
each other. However, it was Lady Macbeth who showed strength of mind and fearfulness
having to be close to putting her husband in a route of crime.
.
13-Describe the dramatic irony in King Duncan's visit to Macbeth's castle.
Dramatic irony is when the audience knows more about the situation and circumstances than
the leading characters in the play. Shakespeare employed dramatic irony in Act One, Scene 6,
when King Duncan visited Inverness, Macbeth's castle. When King Duncan arrived at
Inverness, he immediately expressed his positive perception of Macbeth's castle. He
commented that Inverness was an inviting, pleasant place that appealed to his "gentle senses."
King Duncan also expressed his appreciation to Lady Macbeth for her hospitality having no
idea about the dark fate that awaited him.

14-What did Macbeth's soliloquy in act 1 scene 7 reveal about his character?
The scene opened with the solitary Macbeth wrestling with his thoughts of murdering the king,
and he seems to be losing to his conscience. We knew this because first he was ok with the idea
of murdering Duncan but then he said to his wife: "We will proceed no further in this business.
He was also saying that if everything could be over with as soon as Duncan was killed then he
would commit the murder and we knew this because he said “If it were done when 'tis done,
then 'twere well / It were done quickly." This shows us that there was a side of Macbeth that
didn’t want to commit murder, but there was also a side that did, and the side that did want to
commit the murder was created by Lady Macbeth. He was bothered that Duncan was his
kinsman and that the execution would take place at Inverness when he should be serving
as the king's kind host. He also reckoned with Duncan's virtues: his kindness and his success in
his position. He knew that the people supported Duncan and would weep his loss and this
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meant that he might be changing his mind.

15-In Macbeth, how did Lady Macbeth plan to kill King Duncan?
In Macbeth, from the moment that Lady Macbeth received Macbeth's letter telling her of the
witches' prophecies, Lady Macbeth began scheming to make Macbeth king. She didn’t think
that Macbeth would be able to fulfill the prophecies without her help because she says he is
"too full of the milk of human kindness" .She intended, therefore, to "pour my spirits in thine
ear" and do all that she can to remove any obstacles that have the potential to stop what "fate”
has deemed should happen. Lady Macbeth also told Macbeth not to worry as she would make
all the necessary arrangements.
In convincing Macbeth that they would not fail in their quest to make him king, Lady Macbeth
explained to Macbeth that, when Duncan was asleep, she would offer wine (which she will
drug) to his "two chamberlains", his guards, and the men would get drunk; where-after, they
would sleep deeply "as in a death", which meant that she and Macbeth would be able to do
anything they wanted to the "unguarded Duncan". She pointed out that they would place the
blame completely on the guards and would themselves, show deep sorrow upon hearing
Duncan's murder that no one would suspect them. This was sufficient to persuade Macbeth to
go ahead with the plan.

16-“Look like the innocent flower, but be the snake that hides beneath it.”
comment
Lady Macbeth said these words to her husband as she was telling him to have the appearance of
the innocent flower while his true nature should be of a serpent. He should have the temptation
to do evil within him and not have any remorse when going through what is believed to be the
necessary actions. Lady Macbeth’s intention was to make their house appear welcoming, warm
and inviting but she intended to kill the king.
17-If this will really all be over once it’s done, then it would be best to get it over with
quickly.’ comment
Macbeth said these words in his soliloquy. He wanted the gains of killing Duncan, such as
becoming king, but wasn’t keen to do the dirty work that came first. If it must be done,
Macbeth wanted to do it 'quickly', in order to complete the task sooner and get the murdering
over and done with, and receive the rewards. The word 'if' suggested that Macbeth was not
keen about the idea of murdering Duncan at all.

18-“But for such crimes there are still consequences in this world.' comment
Macbeth said these words in his soliloquy. He was worried about the consequences of the
crime. Justice would prevail and, being equal to everyone, would force Macbeth to drink from
the poisoned cup that he served to King Duncan. Macbeth began to demonstrate fear of
punishment and the consequences of his action. This shows Macbeth felt guilty about
contemplating the deed because he felt that if he did kill Duncan he deserved to be 'poisoned' in
return.

19-"I dare to do only what’s appropriate for a man to do. Anyone who dares to do more
is not a real man at all " comment
These words were said by Macbeth to his wife when she was convincing her husband to kill the
king. However, he wasn’t ready and tried to explain that he was happy with the honour he had
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already received. He was already a man and didn’t need to prove otherwise or commit an evil
act.

Act 2
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1-What is the significance of Macbeth’s soliloquy at the end of act 2 scene 1?
This was Macbeth’s third soliloquy and it was the first sign of Macbeth’s mental deterioration.
Macbeth was in a difficult situation at this time as he was deciding whether or not to murder
Duncan. In the second line “come let me clutch thee” Shakespeare expressed Macbeth’s desire
to give in to temptation by using this command. He was attempting to convince himself that
he truly wanted to take over Duncan’s power and his throne. Macbeth felt torn between
guilt and temptation. The bloody dagger foreshadows the death of Duncan and the beginning
of Macbeth’s moral demise.

2-“Is this a dagger which I see in front of me, with its handle aimed toward my
hand?”comment
These words were said by Macbeth in his soliloquy as he was meditating on the murder of
Duncan. Macbeth felt deep guilt about the murder that he began to see illusions in front of
him. This was Macbeth’s third soliloquy and it was the first sign of Macbeth’s mental
deterioration. Macbeth was in a difficult situation at this time as he was deciding whether or
not to murder Duncan. In the second line “come let me clutch thee” Shakespeare expressed
Macbeth’s desire to give in to temptation by using this command. He was attempting to
convince himself that he truly wanted to take over Duncan’s power and his throne.
Macbeth felt torn between guilt and temptation. The bloody dagger foreshadows the death
of Duncan and the beginning of Macbeth’s moral demise.

Scene 2

1-“That was the cry of an owl- an omen of death. ‘comment

These words were said by Lady Macbeth to her husband after Macbeth had murdered the
king. Macbeth became paranoid. Macbeth's sanity descended into insanity quickly after
killing the king. He was worried that people knew he killed the king and obsessed over the
sound of servants laughing. Shakespeare may have chosen to describe the sounds in this way
to symbolize the immediate effect that the death of the king had on nature. Even the owls and
the crickets knew about the murder, and screamed and cried in horror.

2-“I needed God’s blessings most profoundly, but the word “Amen” got stuck in my
throat.” comment
Macbeth said these words to his wife after he had murdered the king. Macbeth was unable to
say 'Amen' and questioned why. Maybe he felt that he could no longer pray to God after
killing the King.

3-'My hands are red like yours, but I’d be ashamed if my heart were as bloodless and
cowardly as yours.” comment
Lady Macbeth said these words to Macbeth after the murder of the king. Lady Macbeth was
crueller and more merciless than her husband. She took the dagger back, to put the blame on
the guards after trying to rationalize Macbeth's fears. She had blood on her hands but would
be ashamed to have a heart as weak and pale as Macbeth's. This statement would shock the
audience, to see a woman with so little compassion and fear and embarrassment to have it.

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Scene 3
1-Comment on the supernatural happenings that took place after Duncan’s
murder and what is its significance .
Lennox, a Scottish nobleman told Macbeth that the night had been chaotic. The wind blew
down through the chimneys where the people were sleeping. Some people said that they
heard cries of grief in the air, strange screams of death and terrible voices predicting
catastrophes that announced a sad new age. Even the owl made noise all night and some
people said that the earth shook as if it had a fever. That meant that the death of Duncan was
a real disaster that all the elements of nature seemed to be mourning him.

2-What was Macbeth's reaction to Duncan's murder? How did Macbeth feel
after Duncan's death?
Macbeth's strongest reaction to Duncan's murder did not come over him
until Macduff discovered the King's dead body and raised a general alarm. Macbeth didn't
want to be present when this happened, but the knocking at the gate forced him to stop
playing possum and come down to see why nobody was opening the gate.
He wishes he were dead. He was overcome with guilt and remorse. He realized that he had
made a terrible mistake and that he was going to have to live with his guilt and shame for the
rest of his life. The metaphor about the wine of life suggested that all the wine had been
drained from the barrel and only the bitter residue was left at the bottom. He couldn't see how
anything he could do for the rest of his life can bring him any pleasure or satisfaction.

3-“An offensive murder has broken the holy temple and stolen the life from it.”
Comment
These words were said by Macduff to both Macbeth and Lennox after he had discovered the
murder of Macbeth. Macduff was a nobleman and the lord of Fife. He went early in the
morning to the castle of Macbeth upon the king’s orders. Macduff here was contrasted to
Macbeth, as he was loyal and straightforward character unlike Macbeth who was easily
tempted by his wife’s wickedness and couldn’t resist his desire to seize the throne regardless
the way.

Scene 4

1-"What a wasteful ambition that would cause sons to kill the very thing that gave
them life.” comment
Ross said these words to Macduff as they were talking about the murder of the king. Ross
was right about one thing: ambition was to blame for Duncan's murder. He was wrong about
the most important part, though. Here, he accused Duncan's sons of going "'against nature"
and killing their own father—but Macbeth was the one to watch out for.

2-How did Shakespeare, in Macbeth, explore appearances vs reality using Macbeth,

Lady Macbeth, and the witches?
The witches appeared so strange to Macbeth and Banquo that they couldn’t tell what they
were or even whether they were alive or not. Even after speaking to them, Banquo doubted
their existence. Until they saw the witches, the two generals were apparently of one heart and
mind, but the meeting on the heath sent them down separate paths, Banquo remaining loyal
and honest and Macbeth adopting a policy of deception and concealment in which appearance
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and reality necessarily diverge. Upon Malcolm's being created Prince of Cumberland,
Macbeth warned himself to hide his true nature and Lady Macbeth gave him the same
warning: "look like the innocent flower/But be the serpent under't."
After the murder of Duncan, the Macbeths had to pile deception on deception and murder on
murder to cling on to power.

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Act III Scene 1
1-“I’m deeply afraid of Banquo.He has a natural nobility that makes him a threat to me.”
comment
-These words were said by Macbeth in his soliloquy after he had been crowned king. Macbeth
expressed his fear that he wouldn’t be able to retain his throne as long as Banquo and his son were
alive. Macbeth had no living children to inherit his throne, upon his head the witches placed a
“fruitless crown” as Banquo’s children would become “a line of kings”. Macbeth realized that he
murdered the good Duncan for the throne and Banquo’s sons would inherit this throne. Macbeth
also said that Banquo was daring, royal in nature, and wise, therefore Banquo was a real threat to
Macbeth’s throne. In order to secure the throne for himself, he decided to have Banquo and his son
killed.

2-How does Macbeth feel in his soliloquy about Banquo?

Macbeth expressed his fear that he wouldn’t be able to retain his throne as long as Banquo and his
son were alive. Macbeth had no living children to inherit his throne, upon his head the witches
placed a “fruitless crown” as Banquo’s children would become “a line of kings”. Macbeth realized
that he murdered the good Duncan for the throne and Banquo’s sons would inherit this throne.
Macbeth also said that Banquo was daring, royal in nature, and wise, therefore Banquo was a real
threat to Macbeth’s throne. In order to secure the throne for himself,
he decided to have Banquo and his son killed.

3-What is the irony in Macbeth’s soliloquy about Banquo?

-The irony is that he had achieved his goal of becoming king, and now that he had the crown , he
received no pleasure from it. Rather than appreciate the crown, he was going to worry about the
events that might be able to deprive him of it.
Instead of focusing on running the kingdom and gaining the loyalty of the thanes, he became
paranoid that he would lose everything he just gained. It’s ironic that his life ambition , once
achieved , gave him no pleasure.

3-Why did Banquo begin to hate Macbeth?

Banquo began to be deeply unsettled after hearing the witches words and he had to treat Macbeth
with all due caution. The prophecy which foresaw Macbeth as the next king, and Banquo as a
father of a line of kings would appear to set the two generals at odds with each other. Once
Duncan was murdered, without knowing for certain the identity of the murderer, Banquo
suspected Macbeth.

4-Why did Macbeth tell the murderers to kill Banquo and why didn’t he kill him
himself? Macbeth had become king and could hire others to do the deed. It would be
harder for him to murder Banquo than it was to murder Duncan. Macbeth was afraid
of Banquo and both of them had common friends whom Macbeth needed their support
so it mustn't be known that Macbeth killed his dear friend. Macbeth also realized that
Banquo had a strong motivation to assassinate him in order to make it possible for
Banquo's own descendants to become kings of Scotland.

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5-How did Macbeth change in character from the beginning of the play till the
moment he killed the king?
At the beginning of the play Macbeth still retains what could be described as a just and honourable
character. He was a loyal and a faithful servant of the king. Macbeth had been showered with
honours for his military services. But this good picture started to change once he heard the
witches' prophecy, which planted the devil seed of treachery in his mind. Macbeth knew that even
thinking about the idea of killing Duncan was wrong, yet he followed his ambition supported by
his scheming wife. After killing the king , the situation changed completely. Macbeth was the
undisputed king of Scotland, a brutal tyrant who was more than willing to destroy anyone he
perceived as a threat in order to maintain his throne.

Scene 2
1-"You shouldn’t think about things you can’t change. What’s done is done."
comment
Lady Macbeth said these words to Macbeth at the beginning of Act 3 Scene 2 when they were
talking about the continual plague of thought and fear that killing King Duncan had brought to
them. Lady Macbeth suggested that the actions of the past couldn’t be changed, so they should
move on from them. And although Macbeth continued to think about King Duncan's death, he did
resolve himself to move on from the past as the play continued.

2-Who was to blame for the killing of King Duncan? Was it the witches, Lady Macbeth, or
Macbeth himself?
Macbeth was ultimately responsible for killing Duncan, but Lady Macbeth and the Weird Sisters
bear some moral responsibility for encouraging and assisting him in the commission of his
crime. Lady Macbeth said that she herself would've carried out this wicked act herself if Duncan
hadn't resembled her own father as he slept. Though she may have actively planned the whole
thing, it was always understood that it was Macbeth who'd have to wield the knife. Nevertheless,
Lady Macbeth was fully complicit in this horrible act of villainy, and she had to share some of the
blame for what had happened. As indeed must the Weird Sisters. It was they who planted the
demon seed of ambition in Macbeth's mind. They were the ones who encouraged Macbeth to
take the fateful step of making himself king of Scotland, irrespective of the methods used to
achieve this.

3-"You know that Banquo and his son Fleance are still alive.” comment
Macbeth said these words to his wife as he was expressing his fear from Banquo.The scorpions
represented both Macbeth's uneasiness and his dark desire to murder Fleance and Banquo. The
knowledge that Fleance and Banquo were still alive filled Macbeth with anxiety and dread. By
saying his mind is full of scorpions, Macbeth meant that he could not rest easy while they were
alive. His restlessness came from the witches' prophecy that Banquo would have kings in his
family line, which was a threat to Macbeth's throne.

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