Act I

1.) What are the witches planning at the beginning of the act? 

2.) What does the Captain report about the battle to Duncan? 

3.) What title is given to Macbeth for bravery in the battle? 

4.) What happened to the original Thane of Cawdor and why did he lose his title? 

5.) How do the witches greet Macbeth after the battle?

6.) 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'? 

7.) What news is brought by Ross and Angus? 

8.) What happens that causes Macbeth to recalculate his ease of becoming king? 

9.) What is the significance of Lady Macbeth's "unsex me" scene?

10.) What has Lady Macbeth schemed to do to the King? 

11.) Why does the King come to Macbeth's castle? 

12.) How sure is Lady Macbeth that this plot will succeed? 

13.) What is the point of the first scene in reference to the whole play?

14.) What does Duncan call Macbeth when he hears that Macbeth has defeated
Macdonwald?

15.) Who is sentenced to death?

16.) What do the witches predict in Act 1, Scene 3 for Macbeth? For Banquo?

17.) What news does Ross bring Macbeth?

18.) What does Banquo say about the "instrument of darkness"?

19.) Macbeth says "Stars hide your fires/ Let light see my black desires" what desires is
he talking about?

20.) After Lady Macbeth reads his letter, what does she say about her husband and
how does she plan to "help" him?

21.) What is Lady Macbeth's prayer to the spirits after she learns Duncan is coming?

21.) What advice does Lady Macbeth give Macbeth when he arrives home?

22.) What are Macbeth's reasons for why he should not kill Duncan?

23.) What arguments does Lady Macbeth use to convince Macbeth to commit the
murder?

24.) What is Lady Macbeth's plan?

Act II
1.) What does Macbeth ask of Banquo at the beginning of Act 2?

2.) What is Macbeth doing in his soliloquy? 

3.) How guilty does Macbeth feel after committing the murder? 

4.) What does Macbeth wish the knocking could do? 

5.) What is the first reaction to the King's death and who's is it?

6.) What does Macbeth do to the supposed murderers and why? 

7.) What symbolism does Lady Macbeth's fainting have and how is it ironic? 

8.) Why do Malcolm and Donalbain decide to flee? 

9.) 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? 

10.) What is Macbeth's lie to Banquo about the witches' prediction?

11.) What is the signal Lady Macbeth is to give Macbeth to let him know that she has
taken care of the guards?

12.) What excuse does Lady Macbeth give for not killing Duncan herself?

13.) Why is Macbeth unable to say "Amen" at the end of a prayer he hears?

14.) Why won't Macbeth take the daggers back to the scene of the crime?
15.) Who was knocking on the palace door?

16.) How does Lennox describe the night?

17.) What is Macbeth's response to Lennox's description of the night?

18.) What does Macduff discover?

19.) Macduff says to Lady Macbeth, "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." What is ironic about
this?

20.) What excuse does Macbeth give for killing the guards?

21.) What is the real reason Macbeth killed the guards?

22.) Why do Malcolm and Donalbain flee?

23.) Why does Ross not believe that Malcolm and Donalbain are responsible for
Duncan's murder?
Act III
1.) Why does Macbeth have Banquo killed? 

2.) Why does Macbeth hire murderers to kill Banquo? 

3.) How does Macbeth feel with his new found power? 

4.) What happens when the murderers try to kill Banquo and his son? 

5.) What does the ghost of Banquo do to Macbeth's paranoia? 

6.) How does Lady Macbeth make her husband feel better after seeing the ghost? 

7.) Why does Macbeth want Banquo and Fleance dead?

8.) What is Macbeth's plan for killing Banquo and Fleance?

9.) Does Macbeth's plan for killing Banquo and Fleance work? Explain.

10.) Macbeth says "The worm that's fled/ Hath nature that in time will venom breed, /
No teeth for the present." What does he mean?

11.) Who or What does Macbeth see at the banquet table?

12.) How does Lady Macbeth cover for Macbeth at the banquet?

13.) Who else is missing from the banquet, besides Banquo?

14.) Macbeth says, " I am in blood/ Stepped in so far that should I wade no more, /
Returning were as tedious as go o'er." What does he mean?
15.) What does Hecate want the witches to do?

16.) What does Lennox think about Macbeth?

17.) What does Lennox think about Fleance?

18.) What does Lennox think about Duncan's sons?

Act IV
1.) What are the witches doing at the beginning of this act? 

2.) What three things does Macbeth learn from the witches and apparitions and how does
he react to them? 

3.) How does Macbeth react to Macduff's departure? 

4.) How does Macduff react to the news that his family has been slaughtered? 

5.) What action is taken by Macduff and Malcolm? 

6.) What are the witches doing at the beginning of Act IV?

7.) What are some things that the witches put in the cauldron?

8.) What phase do the witches repeat?

9.) What is the purpose of the cauldron?

10.) What is Hecate's response to the potion?

11.) How do they finish off the potions?

12.) How do they know Macbeth is coming?

13.) How does Macbeth address the witches?

14.) What is the Macbeth's purpose for seeing the witches?

15.) What do the witches do to answer Macbeth's questions?

16.) What are the three apparitions?

17.) What does the first apparition say?

18.) What does the second apparition say?

19.) What does the third apparition say?

20.) What does Macbeth get from the first apparition?

21.) What does Macbeth was to kill Macduff anyway?

22.) How Macbeth overall feel about the apparitions?

23.) What is the final question that Macbeth asks?

24.) How does the witches respond to Macbeth's question about Banquo?

25.) What does Macbeth after the witches refuse to tell him about Banquo?

26.) What happens after the witches refuse to tell Macbeth about Banquo?

27.) What do the eight kings in Scene I symbolize?

28.) What do the mirror the eight kings hold in Scene I symbolize?

29.) What news does Lennox deliver in Scene I?

30.) What does Macbeth say is hurting his plans?

31.) What does Macbeth plan to do from now on at the end of Scene I?

32.) What does Macbeth plan to do to execute his heart to hand mentality?

33.) Where does Scene II take place?

34.) Who comforts Lady Macduff in Scene II?

35.) Why is Lady Macduff worried in Scene II?

36.) Why is Lady Macduff mad at Macduff?

37.) What is the language of contradictory?

38.) Definitions of manliness.

39.) What does Lady Macduff question in Scene II?

40.) Provide bird imagery.

41.) What does Ross say MacDuff is doing?

42.) Why does Lady Macduff tell her son that his dad is dead?

43.) What does the son say he will do if his dad is dead?

44.) Why does Lady Macduff say Macduff is a traitor?

45.) Who comes to warn about the murderer in Scene II?

46.) What happens at the end of Scene II?

47.) How does Macbeth's previous murders compare to his murders now?

48.) Where does Scene III take place?

49.) What is Malcolm's state at the start of Scene II?

50.) Examples of architectural banishment.

51.) What does Macduff want to in response to their homeland?

52.) What does Malcolm worry about in Scene III?

53.) How does Malcolm describe himself in Scene III?

54.) What does Malcolm worry about with Macduff fighting?

55.) Explain nature imagery.

56.) What three things does Malcolm say he is?

57.) Why does Macduff say there is no hope for Scotland in Scene III?

58.) What proved Macduff's integrity?

59.) What does Malcolm think of Macduff after his outburst?

60.) How is Malcolm speak language of contradictory?

61.) Why is Macduff confused in Scene III?

62.) What does King Edward have the power to do?

63.) Why are many people waiting for King Edward in Scene III?

64.) How does Ross describe the conditions in Scotland?

65.) What does Macduff ask Ross in Scene III?

66.) How does Ross respond to Macduff when he asks about his family?

67.) What rumors does Ross has heard?

68.) Who is being sent to fight?

69.) How does Macduff respond after hearing about his family?

70.) How does Malcolm's responds different from Macduff's about his family?

71.) What does Ross want Macduff to do?

72.) How does Malcolm view a man?

73.) What is the final decision at end of Scene III?

Act V
1.) What significance does the doctor have? 

2.) Why won't the doctor or the gentlewoman tell anyone what they have seen or heard? 

3.) What is Macbeth's current psychological condition? 

4.) How is the prophesy of Birnam Wood moving to Dusinane Hill fulfilled? 

5.) Why doesn't Macbeth put his armor on when he goes out to do battle? 

6.) What is said that frightens Macbeth before he is killed by Macduff? 

7.) Who decides who becomes king and who does he choose? 

8.) What do the doctor and the gentlewoman see Lady Macbeth doing? What do they
decide to do? What is Lady Macbeth's mental state in Scene 1?

9.) What are conditions in Scotland?

10.) What is Macbeth's mood in Scene 3?

11.) What trick does Malcolm use to hide the number of men in his army? What is the
importance of the camouflage in Scene 4?

12.) What does Malcolm explain about the state of Macbeth's armies?

13.) What is Macbeth's reaction to Lady Macbeth's death?

14.) What is the importance of Malcolm's speech in Scene 6?

15.) What is Macbeth's reaction to the news that Birnam Wood is moving?

16.) Who first fights Macbeth? What happens?

17.) What is Young Siward's reaction to the name Macbeth? Why is it important that
Young Siward die with wounds to the front chest?

18.) What excuse does Macbeth give Macduff for not wanting to fight him?

19.) How does Macduff reveal Macbeth's doom?

20.) How does Macbeth die?

21.) Who will be the new king of Scotland? What is the significance of Malcolm's
ascension?
Macbeth the Play
1.) What is the setting?

2.) What is the genre?

3.) What is the organization?

4.) What is the conflict?

5.) Who are the dynamic characters?

6.) Who are the static characters?

7.) What are the Thanes?

8.) What do the witches do?

9.) What do the witches prophecies seem like? What do the witches prophecies actually
do?

10.) What is the Theme?

And/Or
Question 1: How do you reconcile Macbeth's prompt murder of the grooms with his
horror at the mere thought of killing Duncan, and his refusal to carry the bloody daggers
back to the chamber?

Answer: 

Question 2: Is Lady Macbeth's swoon, on hearing of the murder of the grooms, real or
feigned - and the grounds of your opinion? 

Answer: 

Question 3: Describe the character of Macbeth in brief. 

Answer: 

Question 4: What do you understand the "Weird Sisters" in Macbeth to be? 

Answer: 

Question 5: Why are the Three Witches referred to as the Weird Sisters?

Answer:

Question 6: Who is Hecate in Macbeth?

Answer:

Question 7: Which three apparitions do the Witches show Macbeth?

Answer:

Question 8: Why is Macbeth unlucky?

Answer:

Question 9: Describe the relationship between Macbeth and the Witches?

Answer:

Question 10: How did Shakespeare link symbolism and mysticism in Macbeth?

Answer:
Question 11: How do you explain the difference in Lady Macbeth's manner towards
Macbeth after the Banquo ghost scene (III.iv), as compared with her bearing after the
murder of Duncan (II.ii)? 

Answer: 

Question 12: Do you regard Lady Macbeth as a suicide? And what do you consider the
causes of her death? 

Answer: 

Question 13: What effect does Lady Macbeth's death have upon Macbeth, and upon our
feelings toward him? 

Answer: 

Question 14: How do Macbeth and Lady Macbeth act differently after Duncan's murder?

Answer:

Question 15: Why study an evil or failing character?

Answer:

Question 16: Over what period of time does Macbeth take place?

Answer: