| who is fighting whom? list the characters on both sides of the conflict | Norway: Macdonalwald, fortune, Thane of Cawdor, King SwenoScotland: Duncan, Malcolm, Donalbain, Macbeth, Banquo, Ross, Lennox |
| what is the cause of the battle | … |
| how do the witches, even in scene 1, establish their supernatural powers | shapeshift into animals (established their powers this way) |
| explain the comparison the captain makes in lines 7-9 of scene 2 | comparison of 2 armies to 2 struggling swimmers |
| why does king duncan pronounce the death sentence on macdonwald | Macdonwald was killed by Macbeth |
| what “charm” are the witches casting at the beginning of the scene? why | making a storm on sea for woman who won’t share her chestnuts–> her husband is on the sea |
| what about the witches’ greeting startles macbeth | they know who he is and his prophecies |
| what, exactly, do they prophesy for macbeth and banquo | Macbeth: Thane of Glamis, Thane of Cawdor, KingBanquo: no so great but greater, no so happy but happier, sons will be kings but not him |
| how does their prophecy immediately begin to come true | Ross refers to Macbeth as Thane of Cawdor |
| an aside is a dramatic convention in which characters voice their thoughts, but other characters on stage cannot hear them. why does macbeth begin to talk about murder in his aside in lines 129-141? whose murder | realizes he either has to hop over people to become king, or take matters into his own hands by killing them |
| what does macbeth tell duncan (in scene 4, lines 22-27) about the duties of a king and his subjects | states his loyalty and that thanes must receive duties from the king and perform them to protect society |
| where are the king and his followers headed at the end of scene 4? why | to Macbeth’s–> party for declaring Malcolm as Duncan’s successor |
| what does macbeth’s letter reveal about the relationship between him and his wife | good relationship but she wants him to become powerful and the king |
| how does lady macbeth characterize macbeth while she is reading his letter? what does she reveal about herself in this scene | characterizes him as ambitious but not enough to act on it |
| during scene 5, who does lady macbeth assume will commit the murder | … |
| in scene 6, how does lady macbeth herself follow the advice she gave macbeth in scene 5 | … |
| lady macbeth prays to the spirits to “unsex” her, suggesting that murder is a thing for men, rather than women, to think about. do you agree | … |
| what is going on off-stage during this scene (7) | … |
| what, exactly, is the plan that macbeth and lady macbeth make | … |
| a soliloquy is a dramatic convention in which a character voices thoughts while alone on stage. what does macbeth’s first soliloquoy (lines 1-28) reveal about his state of mind | … |
| what reasons does macbeth voice for not murdering duncan | … |
| what reasons does lady macbeth give him for committing the murder | … |
| what has happened before the play begins | … |
| trace, in order in which they occur, the events that lead up to macbeth’s decision to murder duncan | … |
| shakespeare usually begins his characterizations with the first major speeches of his major characters. what have macbeth and lady macbeth revealed about themselves so far | … |
| who seems to be the stronger character so far- macbeth or lady macbeth? explain why you think so | … |
| metaphors both of mother-like nurturing and of being “unsexed” have been used by lady macbeth and by macbeth about her. find these and comment on their paradoxical nature | … |
macbeth act 1
August 25, 2019