English 11 June Exam Macbeth

use the flashcard setting for this, answers will vary

Is Macbeth a tragic hero or the true villain of the story?

Macbeth is a tragic hero because he starts as a brave and honorable man but is led to ruin by his ambition and choices. However, his ruthless actions also make him the story’s villain. So, he’s both, a flawed hero who becomes a villain.

Was Macbeth supernaturally fated to his foul acts or is this simply a story of ordinary human failing and fault?

Macbeth was not doomed by fate. The witches gave him a prophecy, but he chose to do evil. It’s a story about human mistakes and bad choices.

What are the central themes of the play?

Ambition, Guilt, Fate vs. Free Will, Appearance vs. Reality, Violence.

Macbeth’s desire for power leads to terrible mistakes, and guilt makes him and Lady Macbeth suffer.

The witches’ predictions make him act, but his choices are his own. Violence and lies cause chaos in the story.

What do the 3 witches represent?

Fate, evil, and temptation.

They predict Macbeth’s future and encourage his ambition, leading him to make bad choices.

They symbolize the dark forces that influence people to do wrong.

If you could sum up each act in a sentence what would you say?

Act 1: Macbeth meets the witches and starts to believe he will become king.
Act 2: Macbeth kills King Duncan and takes the throne.
Act 3: Macbeth feels threatened and plans to kill Banquo and his son.
Act 4: Macbeth learns more prophecies and prepares for battle.
Act 5: Macbeth’s enemies defeat him, and he dies; Malcolm becomes king.

What drives the plot of the story? Prophecy? or Macbeth’s ambition?

Macbeth’s ambition drives the plot.

The prophecy sparks the idea, but it’s his choices and desire for power that lead to murder, madness, and his downfall.

Without his ambition, the prophecy alone wouldn’t cause tragedy.

What features of tragic drama do we see in this play?

A tragic hero: Macbeth is noble but flawed by ambition.

A fatal flaw (hamartia): His ambition leads to his downfall.

A fall from greatness: He goes from hero to tyrant.

Supernatural elements: The witches and visions add mystery and fate

Inner conflict: Macbeth struggles with guilt and fear.

Catharsis: The audience feels pity and fear, then relief at the end

Shakespeare uses a lot of “dark” and “light” imagery in the play, where do we see this and why?

Dark Imagery: Macbeth is thinking of killing King Duncan.

He says, "Stars, hide your fires," because he doesn’t want the light to see his evil thoughts. Lady Macbeth also asks for darkness to hide their crimes.

Light Imagery: Used to show innocence and hope.

King Duncan is often connected with light, and when Malcolm returns to fight Macbeth, it feels like light is coming back to Scotland.

What are the central motivating factors for Macbeth, Lady Macbeth, and Banquo? How are they similar and different?

Macbeth is mainly motivated by ambition and the witches' prophecy. He wants power and is willing to kill to get it.

Lady Macbeth is driven by ambition too, but also by her desire to see her husband succeed. She pushes Macbeth to act when he hesitates.

Banquo is given a prophecy, but he stays honorable and cautious. He is motivated by loyalty and morals, not ambition.

All three hear the witches, Macbeth and Lady Macbeth choose evil, while Banquo chooses restraint. Their choices show how ambition affects people differently.

Explain the symbol of blood in the play.

Symbol of guilt and violence.

After killing Duncan, Macbeth feels that blood on his hands will never wash off. Lady Macbeth also imagines blood on her hands when she feels guilty. The more they kill, the more blood appears, showing they can’t escape their crimes. Blood reminds us of the cost of their actions.

In the play 1 theme comes up again & is present in these lines “we must have our honours in these flattering streams, and make our faces vizards to our hearts, disguising what they are.” How does Macbeth explore this theme in the play?

Appearance vs. reality

Macbeth and Lady Macbeth hide their true intentions behind kind faces. They pretend to be loyal while planning murder. The play shows how hiding the truth leads to guilt and destruction.

In what ways does Shakespeare explore and utilize an “iceberg” model of character?

Macbeth appears brave and noble at first, but underneath, he is full of ambition, doubt, and guilt.

Lady Macbeth seems strong and ruthless, but later her guilt overwhelms her, showing her hidden weakness.

Shakespeare uses soliloquies, like Macbeth’s “Is this a dagger” speech, to reveal the deeper layers of their minds.

In his dialogue with Gorgias, Plato is told that “might is right”. How does this play challenge this claim?

Macbeth challenges the idea that “might is right” by showing that using power through violence and force doesn’t lead to true justice or lasting success.

Macbeth gains power by killing, but his rule brings fear, chaos, and eventually his own downfall.

The play suggests that ruling by might alone causes suffering and isn’t truly “right.” True strength needs honor and justice, which Macbeth lacks.

Friedrich Nietzsche famously wrote that “when you gaze long into an abyss the abyss also gazes into you (Beyond good and evil).” How might this quote apply to this play?

When Macbeth looks into evil (the “abyss”) by planning and committing murder, the evil starts to change him too.

As he embraces darkness and violence, he loses his morality and becomes cruel and paranoid.

The more he fights darkness, the more it controls him, showing how evil can consume a person from within.

In what ways is this play didactic? What message does Shakespeare have for his audience? What does he want to tell us about human nature?

Teaches about the dangers of unchecked ambition and the consequences of evil actions.

Shakespeare warns that trying to gain power through violence leads to guilt, madness, and destruction.

He shows that human nature has a dark side: ambition, greed, and weakness but also that choices matter.

The play teaches us to be careful about what we desire and to take responsibility for our actions.

Compare and Contrast the tragic dramatic “protagonists” Macbeth and Willy Loman.

Similarities:
Both Macbeth and Willy want to be successful and important. They both have problems with how they see themselves and feel confused inside. They make bad choices that ruin their lives. Their stories show how trying too hard to reach big dreams can hurt people.

Differences:
Macbeth is a brave soldier who becomes violent to get power. Willy is a regular salesman who believes in dreams that aren’t true. Macbeth’s story is about murder and ends with a big fight. Willy’s story is about disappointment and ends quietly. They have different lives but both suffer because of their mistakes.