| What visions plague Lady Macbeth? | She’s sleepwalkingSees Duncan’s blood on her hands and tries to wash it off for 15+ minutes |
| How does Lady Macbeth’s condition differ from Macbeth’s at this time? | She is struggling with the weight of the murders on her chestMacbeth couldn’t care less about who he has to kill anymore |
| Conversation with Menteith, Caithness, Angus, and Lennox | Malcolm is with the English armyMacbeth is fortifying DunsinaneMacbeth’s men keep desertingThe soldiers fighting for Macbeth only fight because they have orders, not out of loveAll four are marching to England to join MalcolmWill give as much blood as is necessary to get rid of Macbeth and make Malcolm king |
| What does Macbeth’s opening speech reveal to us? Which prophecy does he forget? | Macbeth doesn’t care if all his troops desert because he has utmost confidence that he can’t be killed of defeatedHe forgets the one telling him to fear Macduff |
| After King Duncan’s murder, Lady Macbeth chided her husband for wearing “a heart so white.” What similar imagery does Macbeth now use to rebuke his servant? | He calls him a “creamfaced loon” |
| How do Macbeth’s insulting remarks reveal his character? | He cares about appearances, not moralsHe is kinda childish |
| What does Macbeth’s speech to Seyton reveal to us? | He knows his character is awful and that no one likes himHe knows he can never wish to have love, honor, obedience, or loyal friendsHis heart wants to end his life, but he can’t bring himself to do it |
| How do the dashes in Macbeth’s speech (lines 40-56) show Macbeth’s state of mind? | He is scatterbrainedTotally off his rocker at this point |
| What “disease” is Macbeth referring to? Why is this ironic? | Everyone is fleeing ScotlandIronic because Macbeth brought the disease to Scotland himself |
| What does Macbeth resolve to do? Why? | He won’t fear death until Birnam Woods rises and comes to DunsinaneHe still believes in the witches |
| How does prophecy #3 come true? | Malcolm’s soldiers break of branches of trees in Birnam Woods to use in battle at Dunsinane |
| What news does Seyton bring to Macbeth? | Lady Macbeth is dead |
| In Macbeth’s final soliloquy, what does he compare to life? | A brief candle blowing outAn illusionA story, told by an idiot, that is full of action but devoid of meaningAn actor who performs once, then is never heard from again |
| In Macbeth’s final soliloquy, how does he express the span of life? | A brief candleAn illusionActor performs for AN HOUR (short time), then fades into obscurity |
| How does Macbeth express the futility of life? | Full of action, but devoid of meaningThe days creep along slowly until the end of time |
| What does Macbeth mean by “She should have died hereafter”? | Lady Macbeth would have died soon anyway |
| What admirable quality does Macbeth display? | He finally becomes clear-headed and aware that the witches screwed himNoble courage > at least I’ll go out fighting |
| What happens in the brief scene six? | The battle is about to beginSiward is leading the charge”Let’s die or win” |
| Why does Macbeth still believe that no man born of woman can harm him, especially after the other prophecies came true? | He still trusts the evil, he has no reason to believe it to be a lie compared to previous experiences |
| How do Macduff’s motivations to fight compare to Macbeth’s? | Macduff’s are unselfish, while Macduff’s are simply for personal gainMacduff > avenge his family and defend their honorMacbeth > stay king |
| What causes Macbeth to say “My soul is too much charged with blood of thine already”? | He doesn’t want to fight Macduff because he already caused him so much harm by spilling his family’s blood |
| How does Shakespeare remind the reader of Macbeth’s potential for greatness? | He goes out fighting, even when it’s pointlessHe could have gone down fighting for a noble cause instead of a selfish one |
| Explain how the last prophecies come true. | Macduff was torn from his mother’s womb before being born naturally > not born of a womanThe soldiers brought branches from Birnam Hill to Dunsinane > Birnam Woods rose to Dunsinane Hill |
| Who becomes king of Scotland? Where is he crowned? | MalcolmScone |
| What does Macduff do to show his victory over Macbeth? | Cuts off his head and shows it off |
| What do we learn of Lady Macbeth’s death? | she killed herself |
| Dunsinane | hill upon which Macbeth fights his final battle |
| fiend | evil spirit or demon |
| tyrant | traitor |
| harbinger | person that announces or signals the approach of another |
| ague | MalariaAn illness that includes shivering |
| Birnam Woods | forest that came to Macbeth |
| bane | cause of distress of annoyance |
| scour | clean by rubbing hard |
| “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 pow’r to accompt? Yet who would have thought the old man to have had so much blood in him?” | Lady Macbeth to herself while sleepwalkingI command you to come out damned spot! You’re a soldier, yet you’re afraid? How can you be afraid if no one can prove you did it? Who would have thought the old man would have so much blood in him? |
| “Four whisp’rings are abroad. Unnatural deeds do breed unnatural troubles. Infected minds to their deaf pillows will discharge their secrets. More needs she the divine than the physician.” | Doctor to the gentlewomanEvil rumors are spreading. Unnatural acts will bring supernatural consequences (btw sleepwalking was considered “supernatural” activity in this time). Guilty people often confess their secrets to their pillows in their sleep. Lady Macbeth needs a priest more than a doctor. |
| “…This push will cheer me ever, or disseat me now.” | Macbeth to himselfThis final battle will either keep me king forever, or lose me my throne. |
| “Canst thou not minister to a mind diseased, pluck from the memory a rooted sorrow, raze out the written troubles of the brain, and with some sweet oblivious antidote cleanse the stuffed bosom of that perilous stuff which weighs upon the heart?” | Macbeth to the doctorCan’t you treat a sick mind? Take away her memories of sorrow? Use a drug to erase her bad thoughts and ease her heart? |
| “Let every soldier hew him down a bough and bear’t before him. Thereby shall we shadow the numbers of our host, and make discovery err in report of us.” | Malcolm to the soldiersTell each soldier to break of a branch and hold it in front of him. It will conceal our numbers, so Macbeth’s spies will bring back inaccurate information. |
| “Tomorrow, and tomorrow, and tomorrowCreeps in this petty pace from day to day,To the last syllable of recorded time;And all our yesterdays have lighted foolsThe way to dusty death. Out, out, brief candle!Life’s but a walking shadow, a poor playerThat struts and frets his hour upon the stageAnd then is heard no more. It is a taleTold by an idiot, full of sound and fury,Signifying nothing.” | Macbeth to himselfTomorrow, and tomorrow, and tomorrow. The days creep slowly along until the end of time. And every day that’s already happened has taken fools that much closer to their deaths. Out, out, brief candle. Life is nothing more than an illusion. It’s like a poor actor who struts and worries for his hour on stage and then is never heard from again. Life is a story told by an idiot, full of noise and emotional disturbance but devoid of meaning. |
| “Despair thy charm, and let the angel whom thou still hast served tell thee, Macduff was from his mother’s womb ultimately ripped.” | Macduff to MacbethYou can forget about your charm. The evil spirit you serve can tell you I was not born. They cut me out of my mother’s womb before she could bear me naturally. |
| “Hail, king! For so thou art: behold, where stands th’ usurper’s cursed head…” | Macduff to MalcolmHail king, for that’s what you are now! Look, I have Macbeth’s cursed head. |
| “Hail, King of Scotland” | Everyone to MalcolmHail, King of Scotland |
| How did Lady Macbeth change throughout the play? | She goes from seemingly remorseless to riddled with guilt until she kills hersef |
| How did Lady Macbeth die? | suicide |
| Which three major lords fought Macbeth? | Malcolm, Siward, and Macduff??? |
| What does Macbeth do when the English army approaches? | Prepares for battle by hanging banners |
| Who won between Macbeth and young Siward? Why is this significant? | MacbethBacks up the prophecy saying no man born of a woman can harm him |
| How does Macbeth die? | killed by Macduff |
| How is Macbeth’s death shown in the play? | it isn’t shown |
| What was Lady Macbeth doing at the beginning of Act V that shows her state of mind? | sleepwalking |
Macbeth Act V
July 30, 2019