Macbeth

Question 1

Context: The witches set the tone for the play, introducing the theme of moral ambiguity and the inversion of values.

Answer 1

“Fair is foul, and foul is fair.” (Act I, Scene I)

Question 2

Context: Macbeth hallucinates a dagger as he contemplates murdering King Duncan, symbolizing his inner turmoil and the pull of ambition.

Answer 2

“Is this a dagger which I see before me,
The handle toward my hand?” (Act II, Scene I)

Question 3

Context: Macbeth reflects on the futility and brevity of life after hearing of Lady Macbeth’s death.

Answer 3

“Out, out, brief candle!
Life’s but a walking shadow, a poor player
That struts and frets his hour upon the stage
And then is heard no more.” (Act V, Scene V)

Question 4

Context: Lady Macbeth advises Macbeth to appear harmless while hiding his deadly intentions.

Answer 4

“Look like the innocent flower,
But be the serpent under’t.” (Act I, Scene V)

Question 5

Context: Lady Macbeth tries to comfort Macbeth and downplay their guilt after Duncan’s murder.

Answer 5

“What’s done is done.” (Act III, Scene II)

Question 6

Context: The witches chant this famous line as they prepare their potion, foreshadowing the chaos they will unleash.

Answer 6

“Double, double, toil and trouble;
Fire burn, and cauldron bubble.” (Act IV, Scene I)

Question 7

Context: Macbeth acknowledges that he is so deep into his violent deeds that there’s no turning back.

Answer 7

“I am in blood
Stepp’d in so far that, should I wade no more,
Returning were as tedious as go o’er.” (Act III, Scene IV)

Question 8

Context: Lady Macbeth calls on supernatural forces to strip away her femininity and fill her with ruthless ambition.

Answer 8

“Come, you spirits
That tend on mortal thoughts, unsex me here,
And fill me from the crown to the toe top-full
Of direst cruelty!” (Act I, Scene V)

Question 9

Context: Macbeth reflects on the monotony and despair of existence, reinforcing his nihilistic view of life.

Answer 9

“Tomorrow, and tomorrow, and tomorrow
Creeps in this petty pace from day to day,
To the last syllable of recorded time.” (Act V, Scene V)

Question 10

Context: Lady Macbeth, wracked with guilt, tries to scrub away imaginary bloodstains in her sleep, symbolizing her overwhelming remorse.

Answer 10

“Out, damned spot! Out, I say!” (Act V, Scene I)