macbeth test qs & character & background

How did Shakespeare write 'The Tragedy of Macbeth'?

mostly in blank verse

What is the central idea of Macbeth Act 2?

a murderer must live with his conscience

Why does Lady Macbeth drug the servants/guards?

so they will sleep through King Duncan's murder

What symbols in Act 2 Scene 2 signals the murder has been accomplished?

the owl's scream and the crickets' cries

Macbeth declares he will "sleep no more" because he believes

his conscience will never let him rest

What does Macbeth really mean when he says the blood on his hands will redden all the seas?

it is a comment on his profound guilt

When Lady Macbeth says "My hands are of your color, but I shame / To wear a heart so white" she means that

her hands are red with King Duncan's blood, but unlike her husband, she is not afraid

What reason does Lady Macbeth give for not killing Duncan herself?

she says the king looked like her father as he slept

At the beginning of Act 4, the second witch calls out "something wicked this way comes," about Macbeth, what can be inferred from this comment?

even the witches think she is evil

What kind of person is MacDuff's son?

questioning and brave

What do the witches tell Macbeth to do?

to fear MacDuff

What is imagery?

language that evokes sensory experiences

What image is used repeatedly throughout the play?

blood

What plan do MacDuff and Malcolm settle on at the end of Act 4?

to invade Scotland

Why does Malcolm tell MacDuff that he(Malcolm) is not fit to rule Scotland?

he does not trust MacDuff at first and wants to see if he is an enemy of Macbeth

What happens to MacDuff's wife and child?

they are killed by Macbeth's men

Why does Macbeth want Banquo dead?

Banquo is suspicious of Duncan's death because of the prophecy

Why does Macbeth want Fleance dead?

Fleance is Banquos son, and the prophecy said that Banquo's descendants would be kings

An example of external conflict in Act 3

Macduff going to England to rally people to fight against Macbeth

An example of an internal conflict in Act 3

Macbeth's guilt of Banquo's death; seeing Banquo's ghost

Macbeth is worried about another character, who?

Macduff, because he didn't show up to the banquet

What does Macbeth tell the two murderers to convince them to kill Banquo?

Banquo is the source of their problems

Macbeth says to Lady Macbeth in Act 3 Scene 4

"I am in blood/Stepped in so far, that, should I wade no more,/Returning were as tedious as go o'er."

The "Tragedy of Macbeth" and other Elizabethan plays represented a radical shift in England drama because they were

not about religious themes

based on the information in Act 1, what appears to be Macbeth's character flaw

a desire for power

what important role do the witches play in Act 1

they foreshadow events

Based on the information in Act 1, what can you infer about King Duncan

he places a high value on bravery and loyalty

what best describes Macbeth's feelings about the possible assassination of King Duncan

tortured ambivalence

Why does Lady Macbeth think Macbeth has a poor chance of achieving power

he is not ruthless enough

In what way is Lady Macbeth stronger than her husband

she stands firm when Macbeth begins to waver in his deadly purpose

what would be true if you were watching a play at the Globe Theater back in Shakespeare's day

the illusions of time and space would come from the words of the play

Duncan

King of Scotland, murdered by Macbeth

Malcolm

Duncan's son, heir to throne, goes to England

Donalbain

Duncan's son, goes to Ireland

Macbeth

Thane of Glamis, Thane of Cawdor, King; fatal flaw is a need for power, murderer

Banquo

best friend of Macbeth whose sons will one day be kings; murdered by Macbeth; his ghost haunts Macbeth.

MacDuff

Thane of Fife; his family gets murdered by Macbeth; kills Macbeth

Lennox

young thane, sides with Macbeth until he realizes Macbeth is corrupt

Ross

related to MacDuff, tells MacDuff that his family was killed; played by Clayton

Fleance

son of Banquo

Siward

Earl of Northumberland, general of the English forces

Young Siward

Siward's son, died nobley against Macbeth

Seyton

an officer attending on Macbeth; played by James

Porter

got drunk and thinks he is the guard of the gates of hell; only funny scene in the play

Three Murderers

Hired by Macbeth to kill Banquo, Fleance, Lady Macduff, and Macduff's son.

Hecate

the goddess of witchcraft, who helps the three witches work their mischief on Macbeth

three witches/weird sisters

prophecy givers; "fair is foul, foul is fair"

apparations

armed head(MacDuff), bloody baby(MacDuff as a baby), crown child with a tree in his hand(Malcolm)

Lady Macbeth

Macbeth's wife, mastermind behind Duncan's murder, commits suicide from guilt

author

William Shakespeare

When did Shakespeare live?

1564-1616

When was Macbeth written?

1606-1607

setting

mainly 11th century Scotland

whats unique about Macbeth?

It is the only Shakespearean play set in Scotland

Why was Macbeth set in Scotland?

to pay homage to England's ruler, King James, who was also King James VI of Scotland

elizabethan drama

playwriting turned from religious subjects and began writing more sophisticated plays

Shakespearean tragedy

has a central character of high rank and personal quality, yet a tragic flaw or weakness

soliloquy

a long speech, usually made by a character who is alone and thus reveals private thoughts and feelings to the audience, but not to other characters

imagery

the language that writers use to recreate sensory experiences and stir emotions

examples of imagery in Macbeth

blood, ill-fitting clothes, babies and children

How do lower ranking characters speak in Shakespearean plays?

they speak in prose(to provide comedic relief)

what verse is Macbeth written in?

blank verse

blank verse

unrhymed iambic pentameter

recurring motif

blood