Transcript Shakespeare - Westminster Academy

Shakespeare
 1. William Shakespeare was born in
April 23, 1564. He was the third of
seven children of John Shakespeare
and Mary Arden Shakespeare. John’s
parents were tenants on land owned by
Mary’s parents, so they grew up next to
each other. They were married in 1556.
 2. John Shakespeare was a glove maker in
Stratford-On-Avon, a typical market town in
England. Most of the inhabitants,
numbering some 2,000 at that time, were
engaged in agriculture, or small scale
industry.
 3. Since Mary’s parents were property
owners, and John was a successful
businessman, their children received formal
education until the age of sixteen. Their
son, William, was enrolled in the local
grammar school where he studied Latin,
rhetoric, Greek and Roman mythology,
history, and the Bible.


4. In 1565, John Shakespeare became Alderman
of Stratford, and by 1571, he held the coveted
office of Bailiff (sort of like a local justice of the
peace). One of John’s many duties was to
preview touring theater companies that wished to
perform in Stratford before granting them a license
to appear.
5. By the time William was sixteen, he had grown
into a handsome fellow, and met Anne Hathaway.
They were married by special consideration from
the Bishop of Worchester, on November 28, 1582.
Shortly thereafter, their first child, Susana, was
born. Two years later the couple had twins named
Hamnet and Judeth.


6. William, who had always harbored a desire to
be a poet and a writer, heard of the outbreak of
new theatres in London. He packed his things,
and left his family in Stratford to try his luck in the
new theatres of London.
7. He worked first as a “horseman” (sort of a valet
/ parking attendant for horses) at one of the local
theatres, and then finally as an apprentice for one
of the local acting companies called “The Queen’s
Men.” It was so named because the company
enjoyed the support and patronage of the Queen
herself. William appeared on stage, as did all
apprentices, in small roles, working his way up to
playing the female parts.
 8. Between 1587 and 1592, “The Queen’s
Men” gave fourteen performances for the
Queen’s Court. As part of the company,
Shakespeare received quite an education in
manners and diplomacy, all very necessary
ingredients for a successful career as an
artist in those days.
 9. Shakespeare began writing during this
period, and by 1592 he had written the three
parts of Henry VI and was gaining popularity
as a dramatist.


10. In 1592, London was besieged by a great
plague. Much like tuberculosis or our modern day
AIDS, the plague wiped out a huge number of
people and lasted until 1594. During this period,
the theaters were closed, and Shakespeare
returned to Stratford to be with his family. While in
Stratford , he wrote many of his comedies,
including The Comedy of Errors, The Taming of
the Shrew, and Two Gentlemen of Verona.
11. It was during this time that Shakespeare first
began to write sonnets and long poems, which
resulted in the patronage of many nobility, the
most famous of which was Henry Writhesley, the
Earl of Southhampton.

12.
When the theatres re-opened in 1594,
Shakespeare once again left for London. By then,
all of the companies had disbanded, with the
exception of “The Chamberlain’s Men” and “The
Admiral’s Men.” Shakespeare joined “The
Chamberlain’s Men” and his theatrical career
blossomed.

13. In 1596, the Shakespeare family was granted a
“coat-of-arms” raising its status in the community;
Shakespeare was now a “gentleman.” Later that
same year, tragedy struck William’s life with the
death of his son, Hamnet. It is thought that the
death of his son inspired the writing of his tragic
masterpiece Hamlet, and it is in the wake of his
grief that Winter’s Tale was penned.

14. During the course of the next twelve years,
Shakespeare wrote another dozen plays.

15. His father died in 1601, followed by his mother
in 1608, and Shakespeare retired to Stratford in
1610. There he wrote his final play The Tempest,
and died on April 23, 1616.

16.
Shakespeare is credited with having
written thirty-seven plays during his lifetime.
MACBETH NOTES
 Type of Work:
 Drama
 Author:
 William Shakespeare
(1564 – 1616)
 Type of Plot:
 Romantic Tragedy
 Time of Plot:
 Eleventh Century
 Locale:
 Scotland
 First Presented:
 1606
Introduction
 This shortest of Shakespeare’s four major
tragedies was written to be performed for King
James I and was designed to appeal the king’s
fascination with witchcraft and supernatural
phenomena. The play explores the nature of
ambition and the complexities of moral
responsibility through the story of a nobleman
driven to murder at the instigation of his powerhungry wife. Macbeth’s doom is fixed at the first
evil act, after which he descends deeper and
deeper into degradation in an attempt to conceal
his crime and protect his new position of power.
Characters
 Duncan: King of Scotland. Gentle and trusting, he
shows great kindness to Macbeth. His murder by
Macbeth is therefore almost incredibly fiendish.
 Malcolm – King Duncan’s eldest son. Far more
cautious and shrewd than his father, he leaves for
England to escape possible assassination. He is
reluctant to give his trust to Macduff but finally,
realizing his loyalty, accepts his aid in taking back the
throne of Scotland.
 Donalbain: King Duncan’s younger son. After
consulting with Malcolm, he agrees to take a separate
path going to Ireland so that the potential heirs to the
throne would not be accessible to a common
assassination.
Characters
 Macbeth: He is thane of Glamis, later thane of
Cawdor and the King of Scotland. A brave and
successful military leader, potentially a good and great
man, he wins general admiration as well as particular
gratitude of King Duncan, whose kinsman (familial
relation) he is. Meeting the three weird sisters, he
succumbs to their tempting prophecies; but he also
needs the urging of his wife to become a traitor,
murderer, and a usurper. He is gifted, or cursed, with
a powerful imagination and with fiery, poetic language.
Gaining power, he grows more ruthless, until finally he
loses all vestiges of humanity. He dies desperately,
cheated by the ambiguous prophecies, in full
realization of the worthlessness of the fruits of his
ambition.
Characters
 Lady Macbeth: The strong-willed, persuasive
and charming wife of Macbeth. Ambitious for
her husband’s glory, she finds herself unable to
kill King Duncan in his sleep, because he looks
like her father. As Macbeth becomes more
inhuman, she becomes more remorseful and
breaks under the strain of her guilt. In her
sleepwalking, she relives the events of the night
of the king’s murder and tries to wash her
hands clean of imaginary bloodstains.
Characters
 Banquo: He is Macbeth’s fellow commander. A
man of noble character, seemingly unmoved by the
prophecy of the three weird sisters that he will be
the father of kings, he is not completely innocent;
he does not disclose his suspicions of Macbeth,
and he accepts a place in Macbeth’s court. After
being murdered by Macbeth’s assassins,
Banquo’s ghost appears at a ceremonial banquet.
His blood-spattered ghost, visible only to Macbeth,
unnerves the king completely. In the final vision
shown Mackbeth by the three weird sisters,
Banquo and his line of king appears.
Characters
 The Three Weird Sisters (a.k.a. Three Witches):
They are sinister hags who seem more like tellers of
Fates than conventional witches. To Macbeth they
make prophetic statements which are true, yet
deceptive. Their prophecy of his becoming the thane
of Cawdor is immediately fulfilled, tempting him to take
direct action to carry out the second prophecy, that he
shall be king. They lull him into a false sense of
security by telling him that he has nothing to fear until
Birnan wood comes to Dunsinane, and that he cannot
be killed by any man of a woman born.
Noblemen of Scotland
 Macduff: He is the thane of Fife. He and Lennox
arrive at Macbeth’s castle just after the murder of King
Duncan, and Macduff discovers the body. A brave but
prudent man, he flees Scotland and offers help to
Malcolm. Underestimating the villainy of Macbeth’s
character, he is shocked at hearing of the vicious
murder of his wife and children. He becomes a steelhearted avenger. At the end, he deprives Macbeth of
his last symbol of security.
Noblemen of Scotland
 Lennox: Macduff’s companion
 Menteith, Angus and Caithness: Noblemen who
join Malcolm against Macbeth
 Fleance: Son of Banquo. He escapes the murderers
who killed his father and lives to haunt Macbeth with
the three witches prophecy that kings will spring from
Banquo’s line.
 Siward – Earl of Northumberland, the general of the
English forces supporting Malcolm. He is a noble
father who accepts the death of his son stoically.
Noblemen of Scotland
 Young Siward – The general’s son who dies in handto-hand combat with Macbeth
 A Scottish Doctor- Called in to minister to Lady
Macbeth, he is witness to her sleepwalking in which
she relives the night of the murder.
 Captain: A wounded survivor of the battle at the
beginning of the play. He reports to King Duncan t he
heroism of Macbeth and Banquo.
Noblemen of Scotland
 A Porter: The comical drunkard. Roused by the
knocking at the castle door, he pretends to the
gatekeeper of hell and imagines various candidates
clamoring for admission. The audience, knowing of
Duncan’s murder, can realize how ironically near the
truth is the idea of the castle as hell.
 Hectate: the goddess of witchcraft. It is generally
accepted among Shakespearean scholars that
Hectate is an addition to the play by another author,
perhaps Thomas Middleton, author of “The Witch.”
Act I
 Literary Terms:
 a. Foreshadowing – a hint given to the reader of
what is to come
 Example: “Fair is foul and foul is fair…” (Act I, Scene
I)
 b. Soliloquy – a dramatic convention that allows a
character alone on stage to speak his or her thoughts
aloud. Important tool to developing characters and
plot.
 Example: Lady Macbeth’s introductory speech (Act I,
Scene V)
Act 1 - scene 1
 1. What are the characters introduced in Scene
I?
 The 3 witches
 2. How would you interpret the line “Fair is
foul, and foul is fair”?
 (Foreshadowing) It indicates that all is not as it
should be; things are in a confused state; It
foreshadows events to come and sets the tone
of the play
Act 1 - scene 1
 3. What specific plan is mentioned?
 The 3 witches plan to meet Macbeth upon the
heath after the battle
Act 1 - scene 2
 4. What two men are leading troops into battle against
Duncan?
 Madonwald, King of Norway, and the thane of
Cawdor
 5. Who defeated and killed Macdonwald?
 Macbeth
Act 1 - scene 2
 6. What is the Thane of Cawdor’s punishment
for his traitorous activities?
 He is to be killed
 7. Who will receive his title?
 Macbeth
Act 1 - scene 3
 8. What revenge does the witch plan for the
sailor whose wife wouldn’t share her chestnuts?
 The witch plans to steal his sleep and to beset
his voyage with bad weather
 9. What do lines 24 – 25 indicate about the
witches’ power?
 Their power is limited. They can influence
events but they cannot completely control them
Act 1 - scene 3
 10. What predictions do the witches make for
Macbeth?
 That he will be the thane of Cawdor and
eventually king
 11. Why does Macbeth react the way he does
to the witches’ predictions?
 He is startled because the witches have voiced
his secret ambition to be king.
Act 1 - scene 3
 12.. What prediction do the witches make for
Banquo?
 Though he will not be king, he will beget kings
 13. In lines 132 – 141, what is the “horrid
image” of which Macbeth speaks?
 The temptation to murder the king and thus
gain the crown
Act 1 - scene 4
 14. What further reward does Macbeth hope to
receive from Duncan?
 He hopes to be named Duncan’s successor
 15. In lines 35 – 39, who is named to succeed
Duncan to the throne?
 Malcolm, his son
Act 1 - scene 4
 16. In lines 48 – 53, how does Macbeth react
to the announcement?
 Macbeth is shocked, but covers it. He still does
not abandon his plan to be king.
 17. Where is Duncan to spend the night?
 Macbeth’s castle
Act 1 - scene 5
 18.
What does the nature of the letter
reveal about Macbeth’s relationship with his
wife?
 The letter reveals that they are both ambitious,
she even more than he.
 19.In lines 13 – 22, how does Lady Macbeth
characterize her husband?
 She describes him as ambitious, but without the
determination and unscrupulousness to support
it.
Act 1 - scene 5
 20. In lines 36 – 40, why does Lady Macbeth
call upon the spirits to “unsex” her?
 She wants to rid herself of womanly emotions
so as to be able to commit the murder of
Duncan
 21.In lines 59 – 63, what warning does she
give Macbeth?
 She warns him to be careful of his expressions;
to look innocent and welcoming to hide his real
feelings.
Act 1 - scene 6
 22. What action takes place in Scene 6?
 Duncan, with his sons and attendants, arrives
at Macbeth’s castle
 23.How does Lady Macbeth greet Duncan?
 Graciously, thanking him for the honors he has
heaped on their house; however, there seems
to be a double meaning to what she says
Act 1 - scene 7
 24.
In his soliloquy in lines 1 – 28, what
reasons does Macbeth give for not wanting to
kill Duncan?
 He fears the consequences; Duncan is his
kinsman, he is Duncan’s host, and should
protect him. In addition, Duncan has been a
mild and virtuous king.
 25. What reason against the murder does he
give Lady Macbeth?
 He tells her that he is unwilling to risk tainting
his newly won honors
Act 1 - scene 7
 26. In lines 36 – 39, what does Lady Macbeth
imply about Macbeth’s love for her?
 She implies that if he can change his mind so
easily without reason, so maybe his love for her
also is changeable
 27. What finally causes Macbeth to commit the
murder?
 He becomes convinced that he can cast blame
on Duncan’s men
Act 1 - scene 7
 28. What seems to be Macbeth’s weakest
character trait?
 His weakest trait is moral ambivalence. It
prevents him from being a man of action and
allows his wife to manipulate him.
Act 1 - scene 7
 29. An aside is a speech spoken by a
character apart from other characters. (It
produces a type of dramatic irony). It cannot be
heard by the other characters on the stage.
What do such speeches reveal?
 They reveal the character’s inner thoughts to
the audience, but not to the other characters.
Act II - scene 1
 Literary Terms:
 Comic Relief – an amusing episode in a
serious or tragic work, especially a drama,
that is introduced by the writer to relieve
the tension of the audience.

Example: The drunken porter at the
gate (Act II, Scene III)
Act II - scene 1
 1.What “cursed thoughts” does Banquo
have?
 Banquo is haunted with thoughts about the
three witches’ predictions, and he harbors
suspicions of Macbeth
 2. What lie does Macbeth tell Banquo?
 He says he does not think of the witches
Act II - scene 1
 3. What is the meaning of Banquo’s answer to
Macbeth in lines 26 – 28?
 Banquo repeats that he is loyal to Duncan
 4. What causes Macbeth to see a dagger?
 His guilt and turmoil over the planned murder
causes him to see the vision
Act II - scene 1
 5. At the end of Scene 1, a bell rings. What do
you think is the significance of this?
 The bell is a signal from Lady Macbeth that the
time is right for the murder to be committed.
Act II - scene 2
 6. What omen of death does Lady Macbeth hear?
 The screech of an owl
 7. Why does Lady Macbeth say she didn’t
commit the murder herself?
 Because the sleeping Duncan looked like her
father
Act II - scene 2
 8. What words about himself does Macbeth
believe he hears? (lines 35 – 36 and 42-43)
 That Macbeth will sleep no more, that he has
“murdered sleep’
 9. How did Macbeth mismanage the murder?
 He brought the daggers away with him
Act II - scene 2
 10. Both Macbeth and his lady comment upon
the effectiveness of water in cleansing away
their involvement in the deed. How do they
differ?
 Macbeth says all the water in the ocean will
redden from his hands rather than wash away
the blood; Lady Macbeth says, ,”A little water
clears us from the deed.”
Act II - scene 3
 11. Why has Macduff come to Macbeth’s
castle?
 He comes at the king’s command
 12. What unusual things happened to Macduff
and Lennox during the night?
 It was a windy night. “Strange screams of
death” were in the air. The owl, the omen of
death, screeched all night.
Act II - scene 3
 13. Who discovers the murder?
 Macduff
 14. Why does Macbeth kill the king’s men?
 So they could not protest or prove their
innocence
Act II - scene 3
 15.
faint?
Why might Lady Macbeth pretend to
 To distract attention from Macbeth
 16.In lines 128 – 139, what actions do Malcolm
and Donalbain take?
 They flee to separate countries to protect
themselves
Act II - scene 4
 17.
In lines 5 – 20, Ross and the Old Man
discuss the strange events occurring. How are
these strange events similar?
 All are unnatural acts and show the disorder in
nature (darkness during the day)
 18. How does popular opinion account for the
murder?
 It is believed that Malcolm and Donalbain hired
the king’s men to do it
Act II - scene 4
 19.
Who has been named king?
 Macbeth
 20.Why does Macduff not plan to attend
Macbeth’s coronation?
 He is suspicious of Macbeth’s rapid succession
to the throne
Act II - scene 4
 21.
Name three characters who have
shown they are suspicious of Macbeth’s rapid
ascent to the throne?
 Banquo, Macduff, Ross, and possibly Malcolm
and Donalbain
Act III - scene 1

Literary Terms:
 Plot – In the simplest sense, a series of
happenings in a literary work; but it is often
used to refer to the story’s action as it is
organized around a conflict and builds
through complication to a climax, followed
by a denouement (dey-noo-mahn)(i.e.
resolution)
Act III - scene 1
 1.Conflict – struggle between opposing forces
(Example: Macbeth and Duncan; more likely
the struggle between Macbeth’s two natures –
his ambivalence between ambition and his
desire to act correctly).
 2. Climax – point in the story when the play’s
action changes course and begins to resolve
itself (Example: Act III, where Macbeth’s evil
nature wins out because he now sees murder
as a cure-all or solution to all his problems, and
everyone is starting to suspect Macbeth is the
murderer).
Act III - scene 1
 3.Denouement – French for resolution; point
in the story where the conflict is finally decided
one way or another, and all questions are
usually answered. (Example: Act V where the
witches’ prophecies are fulfilled, yet not as
Macbeth had anticipated).
Act III - scene 1

Phil. 2:3 Do nothing out of selfish
ambition or vain conceit, but in
humility consider others better
than yourselves.
Act III - scene 1
 1.What suspicions does Banquo voice? What
does he say that lets us know what he
suspects?
 He is suspicious of Macbeth as Duncan’s
murderer
 2. Who besides Banquo knows of the witches’
prophecies?
 Only Macbeth and Lady Macbeth
Act III - scene 1
 3.Why does Macbeth question Banquo about
his plans?
 Macbeth is plotting Banquo’s murder and needs
to know where Banquo will be / Lines 2- 3 “I
fear / Thou play’dst most foully for it.”
 4. In lines 49 – 72, what suspicions does
Macbeth harbor?
 Macbeth fears that Banquo may plot his
(Macbeth’s) death; his ambition is such that he
believes others to be ambitious for themselves
Act III - scene 1
 5.What does Macbeth tell the murderers about
Banquo?
 That Banquo has wronged them and that he is
their enemy as well as Macbeth’s enemy
 6. According to Macbeth, why does he himself
not kill Banquo? (lines 116-126)
 Because mutual friends would denounce him
Act III - scene 1
 7. Who else are the murderers supposed to kill?
 Fleance, Banquo’s son
Act III - scene 2
 8.What is the meaning of Lady Macbeth’s
saying, “Naught’s had, all’s spent, / Where our
desire is got without content”?
 She and Macbeth are not any happier now that
they have gotten their wish to become king and
queen
 9. In lines 13 – 22, from what affliction does
Macbeth suffer?
 Terrible dreams
Act III - scene 2
 10.
In line 35, Lady Macbeth says, “You
must leave this.” What does she mean?
 She is telling Macbeth that he must stop
brooding over Duncan’s murder
 11.Is Lady Macbeth aware that Macbeth has
planned the death of Banquo and Fleance?
 No.
Act III - scene 2
 12.
How is the planning of Banquo’s
murder different from that of Duncan’s?
 Macbeth has taken a firm lead in planning
Banquo’s death whereas Lady Macbeth had to
urge him to kill / murder Duncan.
Act III - scene 3
 13. Who is murdered in this scene?
 Banquo
 14.Who escapes?
 Fleance
Act III - scene 3
 15.
What is Banquo’s dying request to
Fleance?
 To avenge his death
Act III - scene 4
 16.
What activity opens the scene?
 The banquet at Macbeth’s castle
 17.Who joins the assembled group, sitting in
Macbeth’s place?
 Banquo’s ghost
Act III - scene 4
 18. How does Lady Macbeth explain
Macbeth’s reaction?
 She tells the group that he has been prone to
such fits since he was a child
 19.What is Lady Macbeth’s reaction to
Macbeth’s claim of seeing Banquo’s ghost?
 She disregards it, saying, “When all’s done /
you look but on a stool.”
Act III - scene 4
 20.
To what other event in the play is this
ghostly appearance similar?
 To the appearance of the dagger earlier in the
play
 21. Why does Lady Macbeth ask everyone to
leave?
 Because Macbeth is speaking aloud to the
ghost within the hearing of those present
Act III - scene 4
 22.
Who refused the banquet invitation?
 Macduff
 23.What is Macbeth’s plan for the next day?
 To send for Macduff and to go to see the
witches
Act III - scene 4
 24.
To what does Macbeth attribute his
condition? (lines 142 – 143)
 He attributes it to the fact that he is new to
murder
Act III - scene 5
 25.
What does Hecate plan to do?
 To further plot Macbeth’s downfall
Act III - scene 6
 26.
What is implied in Lennox’s speech at
the opening of the scene?
 He is suspicious of the circumstances of the
murders and suspects Macbeth
 27.Where has Macduff gone?
 To join Malcolm in England
Act III - scene 6
 28.
What does he hope to do?
 He hopes to raise forces against Macbeth
 29.What purpose does this scene serve?
 It summarizes events that have taken place
Act III - scene 6
 30.
Macbeth thinks that his agitation and
sleeplessness will lessen in time. Do you
believe this will happen?
 It is doubtful, that this will be the case, since he
plots even more murders
Act IV - scene 1
 1. What does each of the three apparitions say to
Macbeth?
 1st – says Macbeth should beware of Macduff
 2nd – says that “none of woman born shall
harm Macbeth”
 3rd – says Macbeth will not be conquered until
Birnam wood moves to Dunsinane
Act IV - scene 1
 2.Why do the witches show Macbeth the eight
kings?
 Because all the kings are descended from
Banquo
 3. What does Macbeth order to be done when
he hears that Macduff has fled to England?
 He orders the death of Macduff’s wife and
children
Act IV - scene 1
 4. How would you describe Macbeth now, as
compared to his earlier ambivalence?
 He is no longer ambivalent; he is “bloody, bold
and resolute.”
Act IV - scene 2

5. What has Ross just told Lady Macduff?
 That Macduff has fled to England
 6. How does Lady Macduff react to this news?
 She says his flight to England is madness, not
wisdom, since it left his wife and children
behind
Act IV - scene 2
 7.In line 61, a messenger enters. What does
the messenger tell Lady Macduff to do?
 He tells her to escape with her kids
 8. Who is killed in the scene?
 Macduff’s son is killed, one can assume that
Macduff’s wife and the rest of his children are
also slain
Act IV - scene 2
 9. Why are the murders even more terrible than
those previously committed?
 These murders are more terrible because
Macduff’s wife and kids are no threat to
Macbeth. It is a senseless crime.
Act IV - scene 3 & 4

10.
Why is Macduff’s speech in lines 4 – 6
ironic?
 Because Macduff is talking about widows and
orphans, and he doesn’t know that his family
has been killed
 11. Why doesn’t Malcolm trust Macduff?
 He thinks it’s possible that Macduff is still loyal
to Macbeth. He says, “He hath not touched
you yet.”
Act IV - scene 3 & 4

12.
In lines 25 – 28, what does Malcolm
ask Macduff?
 He asks why Macduff left his family without
even telling them good bye or where he was
going
 13.What forces has Malcolm promised?
 He has been promised “goodly thousands” by
the King of England
Act IV - scene 3 & 4

14.
Summarize Malcolm’s confession to
Macduff in lines 57 - 100.
 He tells Macduff that he is lustful and greedy
and that he has no kingly virtues

(Reverse Psychology)
 15.Why does Malcolm say these things to
Macduff?
 To test Macduff’s loyalty to Malcolm, and to
Scotland
Act IV - scene 3 & 4

16.
In lines 114 – 137, what does Malcolm
tell Macduff?
 That he is not as he described himself to be in
the previous speeches
 17.In lines 164 – 173, what news about the
condition of Scotland does Ross bring?
 He says that all in Scotland is “Violent
Scotland” and death
Act IV - scene 3 & 4

18.
What personal information does Ross
bring to Macduff?
 He bears the news that Macduff’s wife and kids
have been slaughtered
 19.In lines 228 – 229, what does Malcolm tell
Macduff to do?
 He urges Macduff to change grief to anger, the
better to get revenge
Act IV - scene 3 & 4

20.
Is the dialogue between Lady Macduff
and her son in Scene 2 essential to the plot?
What purpose does it serve?
 Perhaps it is not essential, but it makes the
murders a more hideous crime by showing
Macduff’s familiy to be a happy, loving family.
Act V - scene 1

1. What does her sleepwalking reveal about Lady
Macbeth’s conscience?
 Lady Macbeth is overcome with guilt
 2. How is her hand-washing symbolic?
 In repeatedly washing away imaginary blood,
she is trying to wash away guilt
Act V - scene 2

3. Where are the noblemen to meet Malcolm?
 Near Birnam wood
 4. What is reported about Macbeth?
 It is reported that events are out of Macbeth’s
control, and that some say he is mad (crazy)
Act V - scene 3

5. Why does Macbeth claim to feel no fear?
 Because of the witches’ prophecies. He thinks
he is safe because every man is born of a
woman
 6. In lines 19 – 29, how does Macbeth indicate
what he really feels?
 Sick at heart
Act V - scene 4

7. Where does this scene take place?
 In the country near Birnam wood
 8. What are Malcolm’s instructions to his
soldiers? Why does he have them do this?
 For each to chop off a tree branch and carry it
in front of him. This will prevent the enemy
from knowing how large a force Malcolm has.
Act V - scene 4

9. According to Malcolm in lines 10 – 14, what
is the quality of Macbeth’s troops?
 Both the nobles and the common people are in
revolt; his troops do not serve him
from loyalty but from fear
Act V - scene 5

10.
What news does Seyton give Macbeth?
 That the queen is dead
 11.What do lines 24 – 28 mean?
 Macbeth says life is brief and meaningless
Act V - scene 5

12.
Of what does the messenger inform
Macbeth?
 He tells of a moving wood approaching
Dunsinane from the direction of Birnam
Act V - scene 6

13.
What is accomplished in this scene?
 Malcolm, Siward, and Macduff divide the troups
and make plans for the battle
Act V - scene 7

14.
How does Macbeth feel in lines 1 – 4?
 He feels trapped and cornered
 15.Who is slain by Macbeth?
 Young Siward
Act V - scene 7

16.
What has happened to some of
Macbeth’s men?
 They have joined Malcolm’s forces
Act V - scene 8

17.
What does Macduff tell Macbeth about
his birth?
 He was torn from his mother’s womb and
therefore is not technically considered “of
woman born”
 18.Who kills Macbeth?
 Macduff
Act V - scene 9

19.
Who will be King of Scotland?
 Malcolm
 20.What was the character flaw that resulted in
Macbeth’s downfall?
 Ambition (moral ambivalence / arrogance)
Act V - scene 9

21.
As Macbeth becomes increasingly obsessed
with protecting his position, he also becomes more
and more isolated and alienated. How is that
demonstrated in his relationship with his wife?
 By Act 4, Lady Macbeth is no longer involved
with Macbeth’s affairs. In act 5, her death gets
little comment from him. He seems
unconcerned.