Macbeth

The witch’s tale of the sailor indicates that the weird sisters are malicious
King Duncan decides to make Macbeth Thane of Cawdor because Macbeth fought heroically for him
When Macbeth receives his new title, Banquo reacts with concern
After reading the letter from her husband, Lady Macbeth calls upon the spirits to “Make thick my blood, / Stop up th’ access and passage to remorse.” She is asking to be made insensitive to the cruelty she is planning
Best example of paradox in Act I? “Lesser than Macbeth, and greater.”
Near the end of Act I, Macbeth expresses doubt about murdering the king because Macbeth is the king’s subject and host
The play’s first act does not include a coldblooded murder
The majority of Macbeth is written in blank verse, which is unrhymed iambic pentameter
Why is blank verse particularly effective for drama? It closely approximates the natural rhythms of English speech.
What is Macbeth’s tragic flaw? his lust for power
Not an element of tragedy frequent messages from the gods
praises Macbeth and expresses a desire to visit Inverness the King
worries about the consequences of his actions Macbeth
doubts Macbeth’s determination to kill the King Lady Macbeth
accompanies Macbeth in his encounter with the Witches Banquo
tell the King about Macbeth’s and Banquo’s bravery in battle the Captain
The dagger that Macbeth sees in his Scene 1 soliloquy is part of a hallucination
When Macbeth talks agitatedly about the numbers, Lady Macbeth urges him to try not to dwell on it
The porter’s cursing is ironic because he invokes the devil without knowing about the crime
When Lennox and Macduff arrive at Macbeth’s castle in the morning, Macduff wonders if the porter has stayed up late and slept in
As soon as the murder becomes known, Malcolm and Donalbain flee Scotland because they fear for their lives
Banquo wants to meet with the other nobles in order to discover the purpose of the murder
The natural disturbances that continue all night-including the screaming and murderous owls, chimneys being blown down, and Duncan’s horses turning wild-symbolize the evil of Macbeth’s deeds
is fearful of divine punishment because he cannot say “amen” Macbeth
is frightened that the bloody daggers will reveal who killed the King Lady Macbeth
is afraid of “daggers in men’s smiles” and of being killed Donalbain
is alarmed about the dreams he might have if he sleeps Banquo
is terrified by “strange screams of death” and other disturbances heard in the night Lennox
As he considers Macbeth’s kingship, Banquo feels glimmers of hope for his sons
The “barren scepter” Macbeth refers to is a symbol implying that he will have no heirs to the throne
Macbeth explains to the hired murderers that they must keep his plan a secret because he and Banquo have friends in common eho would be upset
When Macbeth hears that Fleance has escaped the murderers, he reacts with anxiety
When Macbeth begins talking to Banquo’s ghost, Lady Macbeth reacts by telling the others Macbeth has an illness
Most vivid example of figurative language in Act III “O, full of scorpions is my mind, dear wife!”
Hecate intends to ensure Macbeth’s downfall by making him overconfident
At the beginning of Scene 6, Lennox speaks of Macbeth’s sorrow and nobility in a tone that is sarcastic
suspects that Macbeth killed Duncan Banquo
suspects that Banquo knows Macbeth’s crimes Macbeth
is suspicious because the Witches have not provided information Hecate
are suspicious because of Macbeth’s behavior at the banquet the nobles
are suspicious about all events and hope for aid from England against Macbeth Lennox and another lord
In response to Macbeth’s questions, the Witches call upon the apparitions, who answer most of his questions but warn him not to probe too deeply
When Macbeth hears that no one born of a woman will harm him, he decides to kill Macduff anyway
Lady Macbeth misses her last chance for escape, which comes when an anonymous messenger warns her to flee
Malcolm pretends that he is too evil to become king in order to ascertain Macduff’s loyalty
When Ross joins Malcolm and Macduff in Scene 3, he says to Macduff, “Let not your ears despise my tongue forever, / Which shall possess them with the heaviest sound / That ever yet they heard.” He means please do not hate me because I bring bad news
When Macduff receives the news of his family, Malcolm urges him to rouse his anger
(who said) Macbeth will not be vanquished until Birnam Wood marches to Dunsinane the crowned child
(who said) Macbeth has killed Macduff’s family Ross
(who said) no man born of a woman will harm Macbeth the bloody child
(who said) beware of Macduff the armed head
(who said) the eight ghostly kings are Banquo’s offspring Banquo’s ghost
The gentlewoman in Scene 1 refuses to repeat Lady Macbeth’s sleep-talk to the doctor because there is no witness to confirm the truth of the gentlewoman’s words
The “damned spot” to which Lady Macbeth refers is Duncan’s bloodstain
Macbeth tries to reassure himself that Malcolm and Macduff are not a threat to him because they are both “of woman born”
As Macbeth’s anxiety grows, he commands the doctor to cure Lady Macbeth
Macbeth’s reaction to his wife’s death shows that he thinks life is a meaningless path to death
Macduff declares that he must kill Macbeth because he must avenge his family members’ murders
Macbeth finally realizes that the witches and apparitions deceived him with ambiguous messages
The play ends with the thanes acknowledging who as Scotland’s new and lawful king? Malcolm
Images that repeatedly occur in the play daggers, woods, children
reveals murders of Lady Macduff and the King Lady Macbeth
reveals that Lady Macbeth has hallucinations the Doctor
reveals that Lady Macbeth is dead Seyton
reveals that Birnam Wood is approaching the castle the Messenger
reveals that his supporters will be made Earls Malcolm
August 19, 2019