macbeth

Question 1

Character description
Macbeth

Answer 1

Protagonist
.individual ambition
.he’s easily influenced
.starts in a position of glory and success but falls from grace leading to his death

Question 2

Character description
Lady Macbeth

Answer 2

Macbeths wife
.encourages Macbeth to kill Duncan
.Looks like an innocent flower but is the serpent underneath it
.clever and quick witted
.Shakespeare uses her to explore gender and power
.Women kind and weak but she is dominant and in control
.by the end she is driven crazy and commits suicide

Question 3

Character description
Duncan

Answer 3

A good King
he is loved and kind and these qualities lead him to trust Macbeth
which then leads him to get killed

Question 4

Character description
Donalbain

Answer 4

.Duncan’s son
.flees to Ireland

Question 5

Character description
Malcom

Answer 5

.Duncan’s son
.at the start frightened for his life and flees to England.
.Macduff proves loyalty to him and they help save Scotland
.By the end he becomes King - good leader

Question 6

Character description
Banquo

Answer 6

.Macbeth noble best friend
.he is also there for witches prophecies
.he suspects Macbeth killed Duncan
.Macbeth kills him and is haunted by Banquo’s ghost at a dinner party
.which shows Macbeth feels guilty for killing an honourable friend

Question 7

Character description
Witches

Answer 7

.supernatural powers
.there predictions/ prophecies come true
.speak in short rhymes
.accompanied by bad weather

Question 7

Character description
Lady Macduff

Answer 7

.Macduff wife
.when Macduff leaves them unprotected Macbeth has them killed

Question 8

Character description
Macduff

Answer 8

.Thane of Fife noble soldier
.antagonist
.puts country before his family
.when Macduff leaves to find Malcom - Macbeth has Macduff’s wife and child murdered
.Macduff is the one who finally kills Macbeth

Question 8

Character description
Hecate

Answer 8

.Leader of the witches
.she gets enraged that they interfered without her consent

Question 9

What is the play; Macbeth actually about?

Answer 9

-The corrupting power of ambition
an ambitious nobleman who kills Scottish King.
Macbeth becomes a cruel king committing crimes before he is eventually killed

Question 10

Who is William Shakespeare?

Answer 10

born in 1564 Stratford-upon-Avon
wrote at least 37 plays
Macbeth is one of his best known tragedies
written in 1600s

Question 11

Where is Macbeth set?

Answer 11

Scotland
Dunsinane castle
Birnam wood
Fife
Inverness

Question 12

What was Theatre like in 1600s?

Answer 12

important part of entertainment
everyone could afford
poorer people stood at front if it rained they would get wet
illegal for women to act

Question 13

Act 1 summary?

Answer 13

witch make prophecies
-Macbeth will become Thane of Cawdor then King
-Banquo’s descendants will be king
.thane of Cawdor is killed so Macbeth is awarded with the position
.Macbeth tells LM about prophecy she plans to persuade him to kill Duncan
.and blame on servants

Question 14

act 2 summary?

Answer 14

Duncan stays at Macbeths castle
Macbeth murders him
guards are blamed
Macbeth kills guards to show ‘rage’
no one is convinced so LM faints
after Duncan is killed Macbeth regrets it and LM has to finish job by placing dagger
.Malcom and Donalbain flee M to E and D to I

Question 15

act 3 summary?

Answer 15

.Macbeth becomes King
.Banquo is murdered but Fleance escapes
.Banquo haunts Macbeth at a dinner party, LM makes up an excuse so everyone leaves
.Lennox suspects Macbeth

Question 16

act 4 summary?

Answer 16

.Macbeth visits witches who summon 3 apparitions
-beware, beware Macduff
-no-one born from a woman can harm him
-cant be beaten until Birnam Wood moves to Dunsinane Hill
.Macduff fled to England leaving his family unprotected
.Macbeth has his wife and child killed
.Macduff proves his loyalty to Malcom - 10,000 soldiers to fight Macbeth

Question 17

act 5 summary?

Answer 17

.LM has gone mad, sleep walks washes her hands of invisible blood
.Lords plan to meet soldiers at Birnam Wood to begin attack
.Macbeth isn’t worried because of the apparitions
.Malcom tells soldiers to cut down wood branches and hide behind a they march to castle
.LM kills herself
.Macbeth and Macduff fight, Macduff born by caesarean - so he was not of woman born
.Macbeth is killed
.Malcom becomes king of Scotland

Question 18

‘Fair is foul and foul is fair’

Answer 18

Witches introduce idea that nothing is as it seems
deceptive - what seems good may be harmful
opposites
paradox
ACT1 SCENE 1 WITCHES

Question 19

‘stars hide your fires, let not light see my dark and deep desires’

Answer 19

.keeps his desires hidden from everyone even himself
.star - light, religious symbolism aware of significance of committing regicide
light - visibility
hide - imperative, command natural world, disrupt Gods natural order
ACT 1 SCENE 4 MACBETH

Question 20

‘too full o’th’milk of human kindness’

Answer 20

she has no doubts about killing Macbeth and can see she’ll have to force Macbeth to because he’s isn’t capable of something like that - he’s to childish and needs nurturing.
Metaphor
ACT 1 SCENE 5 LM

Question 20

‘Come, you spirits… unsex me here’

Answer 20

.doesn’t want the fact she is female (sweet/kind/weak) to stop her ability to murder Duncan
. she doesn’t want to act or think like a stereotypical female - they’re weak and incapable
.come you spirits - imperative, sounds like a spell, evil and unnatural spirits
ACT 1 SCENE 5 LM

Question 21

‘untimely ripped from my mothers womb’

Answer 21

Macbeth learns Macduff was not of women born - C-section

Question 21

'All my pretty ones? Did you say all?'

Answer 21

Macduff finds out his family was murdered short rhetorical questions, repetition of ALL shows that he can't believe what he's just been told motivates Macduff to want revenge ACT 4 SCENE 3 MACDUFF

Question 22

'out, damned spot!'

Answer 22

LM washing imaginary blood off her hands symbolises her guilt and contrast with previous attitude ('a little water clear us of this deed') ACT 5 SCENE 1 LM

Question 23

Main Theme in Macbeth?

Answer 23

Ambition dangerous - spiral out of control can help motivate others its Macbeths 'fatal flaw' make people ruthless motivate Macbeth to do bad things .start killing, have to keep going to make sure your position as King is secure - make you ruthless and selfish

Question 24

Loyalty examples...

Answer 24

Macbeth says he's loyal Macduff is loyal to Scotland Banquo loyal to himself wont let ambition affect him loyalty rewarded - Macbeth gets Cawdor, Malcom becomes King Betrayal punished - Cawdor at start killed, Macbeth killed

Question 25

Why does the play have a circular structure?

Answer 25

.ends with Macbeth being killed for betraying Scotland and Malcom rewarding Thane's loyalty .Starts with Cawdor executed for being a 'disloyal traitor' and rewards Macbeth's loyalty by giving him the Cawdor title

Question 26

Kingship

Answer 26

Good King justice, verity, temperance, stableness, perseverance, mercy, patience, devotion, courage...… Bad King avaricious, false, deceitful, malicious, sudden...…