| How does the play start? | the battle between Norway and Scotland (caused by the traitor – macdonwald) |
| Alternate name for Macbeth | The Scottish Play |
| Who wrote Macbeth? | William Shakespeare |
| King Duncan | King of Scotland; Father of Malcolm and Donalbain; murdered by Macbeth |
| Macbeth | protagonist; originally thane of Glamis; warrior of King Duncan; becomes thane of Cawdor then King of Scotland |
| Banquo | Macbeth’s best friend; another warrior of King Duncan; father of Fleance; murdered by Macbeth |
| Macduff | thane of Fife; Macbeth’s foil; one of the leaders of the rebellion against Macbeth; suspects Macbeth from the beginning; kills Macbeth |
| Lady Macbeth | Macbeth’s wife; starts off ambitious and more manly than Macbeth; convinces him to kill Duncan because she wants to be queen; ends up being so guilty she kills herself |
| Malcolm | King Duncan’s son; first suspect of King Duncan’s death; flees to England out of fear after Duncan’s death; joins with English forces to create an army to overthrow Macbeth |
| Weird Sisters | three witches who give Macbeth and Banquo their prophecies; they enjoy wreaking havoc; never actually forces anyone to do anything, they just lure people into their own traps |
| Fleance | Banquo’s son; Macbeth sees him as a threat because of the prophecy that Banquo’s sons will be king |
| Lady Macduff | Macduff’s wife; Lady Macbeth’s foil; innocent/does no wrong; Macbeth orders for her and her children to be killed |
| Rosse | Scottish messenger |
| Donalbain | Duncan’s younger son; flees to Ireland after Duncan’s death |
| Macdonwald | original Thane of Cawdor; traitor |
| Weird sisters’ prophecy for Macbeth: | thane of Glamis, thane of Cawdor, King of Scotland |
| Weird sisters’ prophecy for Banquo: | not as great but greater than Macbeth; not as happy but happier than Macbeth; he will “have” kings but he won’t be one |
| What battle has just been won by Scotland and who is considered the primary hero of the battle? What reward does this ‘hero’ receive from the King Duncan (King of Scotland)? | The battle between the Norwegians (who invaded) and the Scottish; Macbeth is the hero of the battle; King Duncan names Macbeth as the new Thane of Cawdor |
| Lady Macbeth has great ambition. What does she propose Macbeth do after she receives his letter about his ‘reward’? What does Lady Macbeth fear in her husband’s personality that may prevent him from achieving this ‘great ambition’? | Lady Macbeth tells Macbeth he should kill Duncan to speed up the prophecy’s fulfillment; Lady Macbeth fears that he is too kind and honorable to do anything about becoming king himself |
| What will Lady Macbeth do to help Macbeth carry out their ambitious plans? | First she convinces him to kill Duncan – tells him he’s not manly enough; Then she tells him to leave the planning to her and that she will take care of their plan |
| This Act is the last time the audience hears of Macbeth’s qualms about the proposed action his wife is convincing him to take. Name some of these qualms | Macbeth doesn’t think his ambition justifies the killing of Duncan |
| What finally convinces Macbeth that he needs to do what his wife had first suggested? | She questions his manhood and tells him he’s weak and she would kill their child if she had known; She also had an elaborate plan as to how they could carry it out and not get caught which made the plan more enticing to him |
| How would you describe the relationship between Macbeth and his wife? | Very strange – Lady Macbeth is in charge of the marriage; very driven by hunger for power; She loves him but loves his status as well |
| Describe Macbeth and Lady Macbeth’s plan to kill King Duncan | Lady Macbeth and Macbeth are going to get the King drunk so he falls heavily asleep. Lady Macbeth is to get his servants drunk as well so they black out. Then, Macbeth is to stab the King while he sleeps and they would frame the servants for the crime |
| Briefly describe the events leading up to the discovery of King Duncan’s murder. Many people are under suspicion for the crime, at various times, during this Act. Explain | A lot of people got drunk the previous night; The two sons of Duncan fled the scene; The servants are covered in blood |
| How do Macbeth and Lady Macbeth react differently to Duncan’s murder? | Macbeth fakes depression and even kills the servants who he framed claiming to be so angry at them; Lady Macbeth acts shocked and then faints to take attention away from Macbeth |
| Where are Macbeth, Malcolm, and Donalbain at the close of this Act? | Macbeth is at scone getting crowned as king; Malcolm has fled to England in fear that he will be killed next; Donalbain has fled to Ireland, also in fear that he will be killed |
| What prevents Macbeth from enjoying his kingship? | he is jealous that Banquo’s son Fleance is supposed to be king; he also begins to feel guilty about the murders he has committed and cannot sleep |
| How is the appearance of Banquo’s ghost an indication of a guilty conscience? | it shows that Macbeth is carrying Banquo’s murder with him; he can’t let it go because he’s so guilty |
| Macbeth tells his wife that “we are yet young in deed.” Explain. Predict the possible deeds Macbeth might do to protect his kingship | the quote means that they’ve only just begun to do these bad deeds – the murder they’ve committed is nothing compared to what will come; he will probably kill anyone else who gets in his way |
| Summarize the growing feelings of opposition to Macbeth’s kingship | Banquo’s disappearance is too coincidental with Duncan’s. Macduff believes that Macbeth is responsible for Duncan’s death. Many people now think of him as a tyrant rather than loving king |
| Three prophecies Macbeth sees and their meanings | the armed head – beware Macduffthe bloody head – don’t fear anyone woman bornthe crowned head – don’t fear until the Dunsinane woods move towards his castle |
| The “mirror” apparition | Macbeth sees a line of kings and the ghost of Banquo showing the line of kings to be his descendants; he is shocked and afraid after seeing this because he was unsuccessful in killing Fleance |
| How does Malcolm test the trustworthiness of Macduff? What does this “game” reveal about Malcolm’s character and his readiness to take over the leadership of Scotland as their rightful king? | He tells macduff he himself has more vices than Macbeth does and that he would be a worse king. He claims to be lustful, avaricious, and to love chaos. He sees Macduff’s reaction of hopelessness and realizes that Macduff really is loyal to Scotland and Macbeth. It reveals that Malcolm is smarter than his father and can handle the crown |
| Macduff’s reaction to learning of his family’s death | Rosse lies to him three times before saying that his family has died; He is very upset but Malcolm tells him to deal with it like a man and put his sadness/anger into revenge; he says he must first “feel it like a man” |
| What does Lady Macbeth refer to while sleepwalking? | the murders and feeling guilty about the murders |
| What is the fate of Lady Macbeth? | her death/suicide – doctor says only God can fix her illnesses |
| How have Macbeth and Lady Macbeth reversed roles by the end of the play? | at the beginning, Lady Macbeth was the heartless one who was only concerned for her status and Macbeth was kind and honorable; by the end, Lady Macbeth was so guilt-ridden that she couldn’t even live with herself and Macbeth only cared for his status as king |
| How does Macbeth react to Lady Macbeth’s death? | he says that it came at a bad time |
| What is Macbeth’s fate? | his death by Macduff |
| Traits of a good king | just, temperamental, stable, devoted, and courageous |
Macbeth
September 10, 2019