Macbeth

8 AQA Exam-style Questions

on Lady Macbeth
Scene Topic

Act 1, Scene 5 Character

Act 1, Scene 5 Character

Act 5, Scene 3 Character

Act 3, Scene 4 Relationship between Lady Macbeth and Macbeth

Act 2, Scene 3 Theme of guilt

Act 1, Scene 5 Theme of evil

Act 1, Scene 7 Theme of manhood

Act 1, Scene 5 Theme of deception

A1 English Resources
Macbeth
Read the following extract from Act 1 Scene 5 of Macbeth and then answer the question that
follows.
At this point in the play, Lady Macbeth has just read the letter from her husband telling her of
the witches’ prophecies.

LADY MACBETH
Glamis thou art, and Cawdor; and shalt be
What thou art promised: yet do I fear thy nature;
It is too full o' the milk of human kindness
To catch the nearest way: thou wouldst be great;
Art not without ambition, but without 5
The illness should attend it: what thou wouldst highly,
That wouldst thou holily; wouldst not play false,
And yet wouldst wrongly win: thou'ldst have, great Glamis,
That which cries 'Thus thou must do, if thou have it;
And that which rather thou dost fear to do 10
Than wishest should be undone.' Hie thee hither,
That I may pour my spirits in thine ear;
And chastise with the valour of my tongue
All that impedes thee from the golden round,
Which fate and metaphysical aid doth seem 15
To have thee crown'd withal.

Starting with this speech, explore how Shakespeare presents the character of Lady Macbeth in
Macbeth.

Write about:

 how Shakespeare presents the character of Lady Macbeth in this speech

 how Shakespeare presents the character of Lady Macbeth in the play as a whole

[30 marks]
AO4 [4 marks]

A1 English Resources
Macbeth
Read the following extract from Act 1 Scene 5 of Macbeth and then answer the question that
follows.
At this point in the play, Lady Macbeth is waiting for her husband to arrive with Duncan.

LADY MACBETH
The raven himself is hoarse
That croaks the fatal entrance of Duncan
Under my battlements. Come, you spirits
That tend on mortal thoughts, unsex me here,
And fill me from the crown to the toe top-full 5
Of direst cruelty! make thick my blood;
Stop up the access and passage to remorse,
That no compunctious visitings of nature
Shake my fell purpose, nor keep peace between
The effect and it! Come to my woman's breasts, 10
And take my milk for gall, you murdering ministers,
Wherever in your sightless substances
You wait on nature's mischief! Come, thick night,
And pall thee in the dunnest smoke of hell,
That my keen knife see not the wound it makes, 15
Nor heaven peep through the blanket of the dark,
To cry 'Hold, hold!' Enter MACBETH
Great Glamis! worthy Cawdor!
Greater than both, by the all-hail hereafter!
Thy letters have transported me beyond 20
This ignorant present, and I feel now
The future in the instant.

Starting with this speech, explore how Shakespeare presents the character of Lady Macbeth in
Macbeth.
Write about:

 how Shakespeare presents the character of Lady Macbeth in this speech

 how Shakespeare presents the character of Lady Macbeth in the play as a whole

[30 marks]
AO4 [4 marks]

A1 English Resources
Macbeth
Read the following extract from Act 5 Scene 3 of Macbeth and then answer the question that
follows.
At this point in the play, Lady Macbeth’s lady-in-waiting has asked the doctor to observe her
mistress’s strange behaviour.

LADY MACBETH
Out, damned spot! out, I say!--One: two: why,
then, 'tis time to do't.--Hell is murky!--Fie, my
lord, fie! a soldier, and afeard? What need we
fear who knows it, when none can call our power to
account?--Yet who would have thought the old man 5
to have had so much blood in him.
Doctor
Do you mark that?
LADY MACBETH
The thane of Fife had a wife: where is she now?--
What, will these hands ne'er be clean?--No more o'
that, my lord, no more o' that: you mar all with 10
this starting.
Doctor
Go to, go to; you have known what you should not.
Gentlewoman
She has spoke what she should not, I am sure of
that: heaven knows what she has known.
LADY MACBETH
Here's the smell of the blood still: all the 15
perfumes of Arabia will not sweeten this little
hand. Oh, oh, oh!

Starting with this extract, explore how Shakespeare presents Lady Macbeth in Macbeth.
Write about:

 how Shakespeare presents Lady Macbeth in this extract

 how Shakespeare presents Lady Macbeth in the play as a whole

[30 marks]
AO4 [4 marks]

A1 English Resources
Macbeth
Read the following extract from Act 3 Scene 4 of Macbeth and then answer the question that
follows.
At this point in the play, Macbeth has just seen Banquo’s ghost.

MACBETH
Thou canst not say I did it: never shake
Thy gory locks at me.
ROSS
Gentlemen, rise: his highness is not well.
LADY MACBETH
Sit, worthy friends: my lord is often thus,
And hath been from his youth: pray you, keep seat; 5
The fit is momentary; upon a thought
He will again be well: if much you note him,
You shall offend him and extend his passion:
Feed, and regard him not. Are you a man?
MACBETH
Ay, and a bold one, that dare look on that 10
Which might appal the devil.
LADY MACBETH
O proper stuff!
This is the very painting of your fear:
This is the air-drawn dagger which, you said,
Led you to Duncan. O, these flaws and starts, 15
Impostors to true fear, would well become
A woman's story at a winter's fire,
Authorized by her grandam. Shame itself!
Why do you make such faces? When all's done,
You look but on a stool. 20

Starting with this extract, explore how Shakespeare presents the relationship between Macbeth
and Lady Macbeth in Macbeth.
Write about:
 how Shakespeare presents the relationship between Macbeth and Lady Macbeth in this
extract
 how Shakespeare presents the relationship between Macbeth and Lady Macbeth in the
play as a whole
[30 marks]
AO4 [4 marks]

A1 English Resources
Macbeth
Read the following extract from Act 2 Scene 3 of Macbeth and then answer the question that
follows.
At this point in the play, Macbeth has just murdered Duncan.

MACBETH
But wherefore could not I pronounce 'Amen'?
I had most need of blessing, and 'Amen'
Stuck in my throat.
LADY MACBETH
These deeds must not be thought
After these ways; so, it will make us mad. 5
MACBETH
Methought I heard a voice cry 'Sleep no more!
Macbeth does murder sleep', the innocent sleep,
Sleep that knits up the ravell'd sleeve of care,
The death of each day's life, sore labour's bath,
Balm of hurt minds, great nature's second course, 10
Chief nourisher in life's feast,--
LADY MACBETH
What do you mean?
MACBETH
Still it cried 'Sleep no more!' to all the house:
'Glamis hath murder'd sleep, and therefore Cawdor
Shall sleep no more; Macbeth shall sleep no more.' 15
LADY MACBETH
Who was it that thus cried? Why, worthy thane,
You do unbend your noble strength, to think
So brainsickly of things. Go get some water,
And wash this filthy witness from your hand.
Why did you bring these daggers from the place? 20
They must lie there: go carry them; and smear
The sleepy grooms with blood.

Starting with this extract, explore how Shakespeare presents guilt in Macbeth.
Write about:

 how Shakespeare presents guilt in this extract

 how Shakespeare presents guilt in the play as a whole

[30 marks]
AO4 [4 marks]

A1 English Resources
Macbeth
Read the following extract from Act 1 Scene 5 of Macbeth and then answer the question that
follows.
At this point in the play, Lady Macbeth is waiting for the arrivals of Macbeth and then Duncan.

LADY MACBETH
The raven himself is hoarse
That croaks the fatal entrance of Duncan
Under my battlements. Come, you spirits
That tend on mortal thoughts, unsex me here,
And fill me from the crown to the toe top-full 5
Of direst cruelty! make thick my blood;
Stop up the access and passage to remorse,
That no compunctious visitings of nature
Shake my fell purpose, nor keep peace between
The effect and it! Come to my woman's breasts, 10
And take my milk for gall, you murdering ministers,
Wherever in your sightless substances
You wait on nature's mischief! Come, thick night,
And pall thee in the dunnest smoke of hell,
That my keen knife see not the wound it makes, 15
Nor heaven peep through the blanket of the dark,
To cry 'Hold, hold!'

Starting with this speech, explore how Shakespeare presents evil in Macbeth.

Write about:

 how Shakespeare presents evil in this speech

 how Shakespeare presents evil in the play as a whole

[30 marks]
AO4 [4 marks]

A1 English Resources
Macbeth
Read the following extract from Act 1 Scene 7 of Macbeth and then answer the question that
follows.
At this point in the play, Lady Macbeth is trying to persuade Macbeth to kill Duncan.

LADY MACBETH
Was the hope drunk
Wherein you dress'd yourself? hath it slept since?
And wakes it now, to look so green and pale
At what it did so freely? From this time
Such I account thy love. Art thou afeard 5
To be the same in thine own act and valour
As thou art in desire? Wouldst thou have that
Which thou esteem'st the ornament of life,
And live a coward in thine own esteem,
Letting 'I dare not' wait upon 'I would,' 10
Like the poor cat i' the adage?
MACBETH
Prithee, peace:
I dare do all that may become a man;
Who dares do more is none.
LADY MACBETH
What beast was't, then, 15
That made you break this enterprise to me?
When you durst do it, then you were a man;
And, to be more than what you were, you would
Be so much more the man. Nor time nor place
Did then adhere, and yet you would make both:
They have made themselves, and that their fitness now 20
Does unmake you. I have given suck, and know
How tender 'tis to love the babe that milks me:
I would, while it was smiling in my face,
Have pluck'd my nipple from his boneless gums,
And dash'd the brains out, had I so sworn as you 25
Have done to this.

Starting with this extract, explore how Shakespeare presents manhood in Macbeth.
Write about:

 how Shakespeare presents manhood in this extract

 how Shakespeare presents manhood in the play as a whole

[30 marks]
AO4 [4 marks]

A1 English Resources
Macbeth
Read the following extract from Act 1 Scene 5 of Macbeth and then answer the question that
follows.
At this point in the play, Macbeth and Lady Macbeth are discussing their plans for Duncan.

MACBETH
My dearest love,
Duncan comes here to-night.
LADY MACBETH
And when goes hence?
MACBETH
To-morrow, as he purposes.
LADY MACBETH
O, never 5
Shall sun that morrow see!
Your face, my thane, is as a book where men
May read strange matters. To beguile the time,
Look like the time; bear welcome in your eye,
Your hand, your tongue: look like the innocent flower, 10
But be the serpent under't. He that's coming
Must be provided for: and you shall put
This night's great business into my dispatch;
Which shall to all our nights and days to come
Give solely sovereign sway and masterdom. 15
MACBETH
We will speak further.
LADY MACBETH
Only look up clear;
To alter favour ever is to fear:
Leave all the rest to me.

Starting with this extract, explore how Shakespeare presents deception in Macbeth.
Write about:

 how Shakespeare presents deception in this extract

 how Shakespeare presents deception in the play as a whole

[30 marks]
AO4 [4 marks]

A1 English Resources
A1 English Resources
A1 English Resources