MACBETH Act 2& 3 Study Guide

Characterization 

Act 2 Vocabulary

1. Dagger (n.): A short, pointed weapon used for stabbing.

   • Context: Macbeth sees a vision of a dagger leading him to Duncan's chamber.

2. Knell (n.): A sound made by a bell, often rung to announce death or a funeral.

   • Context: Macbeth says the bell's sound signals Duncan’s death.

3. Stealthy (adj.): Done in a quiet, secretive way to avoid detection.

   • Context: Describes Macbeth's actions as he moves to kill Duncan.

4. Gild (v.): To coat with gold; metaphorically used to mean covering something in blood.

   • Context: Lady Macbeth says they’ve “gilded” the grooms’ faces with Duncan’s blood.

5. Multitudinous (adj.): Very numerous; vast in number.

   • Context: Macbeth refers to the ocean turning red with blood.

6. Equivocate (v.): To use ambiguous language to conceal the truth or mislead.

   • Context: The Porter humorously refers to equivocators in his speech.

7. Lamenting (v.): Expressing sorrow, grief, or mourning.

   • Context: Describes the kingdom’s reaction to Duncan’s death.

8. Breach (n.): A gap or break, often used metaphorically for an offense.

   • Context: Duncan’s murder is described as a breach in natural order.

Act 3 Vocabulary

1. Foully (adv.): In a wicked or dishonorable way.

   • Context: Banquo suspects Macbeth obtained the crown through foul means.

2. Fruitless (adj.): Unproductive; unable to bear fruit, often used metaphorically.

   • Context: Macbeth reflects on having no heirs.

3. Scepter (n.): A symbol of authority or sovereignty.

   • Context: Refers to Macbeth’s royal power.

4. Chide (v.): To scold or rebuke.

   • Context: Macbeth feels scorned by fate and Banquo’s prophecy.

5. Barren (adj.): Lacking fertility or productivity.

   • Context: Macbeth’s metaphorical reference to his inability to pass on the crown.

6. Malice (n.): The intention to cause harm or evil.

   • Context: Macbeth plots against Banquo with malice.

7. Rancor (n.): Deep-seated bitterness or resentment.

   • Context: Macbeth speaks of his bitterness toward Banquo’s descendants.

8. Scorched (v.): Wounded or damaged without being destroyed.

   • Context: Macbeth feels that his power is temporary and incomplete.

9. Vizard (n.): A mask or disguise.

   • Context: Refers to hiding one’s true intentions.

10. Seeling (v.): Obscuring vision; metaphorically used to suggest blinding.

    • Context: Macbeth wishes to blind the "sight" of pity and remorse.

Literary and Thematic Terms

• Ambiguity: Words or phrases with multiple meanings, reflecting the theme of equivocation (e.g., the witches’ prophecy).

• Imagery: Vivid descriptions (e.g., blood imagery in Act 2 and darkness imagery in Act 3).

• Foreshadowing: Hints at future events (e.g., Banquo’s prophecy of his descendants becoming kings).

• Irony: Often dramatic irony, where the audience knows more than the characters (e.g., Duncan trusting Macbeth).

• Motif: Recurring themes like blood, visions, and unnatural occurrences.

Who Said it

Act 2 Quotes

1. Macbeth:
   “Is this a dagger which I see before me,
   The handle toward my hand? Come, let me clutch thee.
   I have thee not, and yet I see thee still.”
   (Act 2, Scene 1)

   • Meaning: Macbeth hallucinates a dagger leading him to Duncan’s chamber, symbolizing his inner conflict and descent into madness.

   • Importance: Highlights the theme of ambition and the psychological torment Macbeth experiences as he contemplates murder.

2. Lady Macbeth:
   “That which hath made them drunk hath made me bold;
   What hath quenched them hath given me fire.”
   (Act 2, Scene 2)

   • Meaning: Lady Macbeth gains courage from the servants' drunkenness as she awaits Macbeth’s return.

   • Importance: Demonstrates her determination and moral corruption.

3. Macbeth:
   “Will all great Neptune’s ocean wash this blood
   Clean from my hand? No, this my hand will rather
   The multitudinous seas incarnadine,
   Making the green one red.”
   (Act 2, Scene 2)

   • Meaning: Macbeth feels his guilt is so immense that no amount of water could cleanse him; instead, his guilt would stain the ocean red.

   • Importance: Symbolizes the overwhelming guilt and the permanence of his crime.

4. Macduff:
   “O horror, horror, horror! Tongue nor heart
   Cannot conceive nor name thee!”
   (Act 2, Scene 3)

   • Meaning: Macduff reacts to discovering Duncan’s murder.

   • Importance: Shows the kingdom's shock at the unnatural act of regicide, further reinforcing the disruption of the natural order.

5. Donalbain:
   “There’s daggers in men’s smiles; the near in blood,
   The nearer bloody.”
   (Act 2, Scene 3)

   • Meaning: Donalbain, Duncan’s son, recognizes the danger lurking in those around them and decides to flee.

   • Importance: Foreshadows the treachery and violence that will follow as power struggles intensify.

Act 3 Quotes

1. Banquo:
   “Thou hast it now: king, Cawdor, Glamis, all,
   As the weird women promised; and I fear
   Thou play’dst most foully for ’t.”
   (Act 3, Scene 1)

   • Meaning: Banquo suspects Macbeth of foul play in achieving the throne.

   • Importance: Highlights Banquo’s growing mistrust and his role as a threat to Macbeth.

2. Macbeth:
   “To be thus is nothing,
   But to be safely thus.”
   (Act 3, Scene 1)

   • Meaning: Being king is meaningless to Macbeth unless his position is secure.

   • Importance: Demonstrates his paranoia and determination to eliminate threats, including Banquo.

3. Macbeth:
   “We have scorched the snake, not killed it.”
   (Act 3, Scene 2)

   • Meaning: Macbeth feels their troubles are not over; they’ve only begun by killing Duncan.

   • Importance: Reflects Macbeth’s unease and the ongoing consequences of their actions.

4. Macbeth:
   “O, full of scorpions is my mind, dear wife!”
   (Act 3, Scene 2)

   • Meaning: Macbeth is tormented by thoughts of Banquo and his descendants.

   • Importance: Highlights his inner turmoil and foreshadows his increasingly violent actions.

5. Lady Macbeth:
   “Things without all remedy
   Should be without regard: what’s done is done.”
   (Act 3, Scene 2)

   • Meaning: Lady Macbeth tries to reassure Macbeth, saying they cannot change the past.

   • Importance: Ironically, her own guilt later proves this philosophy false.

6. Macbeth:
   “It will have blood; they say, blood will have blood.”
   (Act 3, Scene 4)

   • Meaning: Macbeth reflects on the inevitability of retribution for his murders.

   • Importance: Reinforces the theme of justice and the cyclical nature of violence.

7. Hecate:
   “And you all know, security
   Is mortals’ chiefest enemy.”
   (Act 3, Scene 5)

   • Meaning: Hecate, the head witch, plans to make Macbeth overconfident, leading to his downfall.

   • Importance: Introduces the theme of overconfidence as a fatal flaw.

Short Answer Questions

Act 2:

1. What vision does Macbeth see before killing Duncan, and what does it symbolize?

2. Why does Lady Macbeth not kill Duncan herself?

3. How does Macbeth feel immediately after murdering Duncan, and what does this reveal about his character?

4. What role do the porter’s comments about the gates of hell play in the play’s tone and themes?

5. How do Duncan's sons, Malcolm and Donalbain, react to their father’s murder, and what decision do they make?

6. What is the significance of the unnatural events described in Act 2, Scene 4 (e.g., Duncan’s horses, the owl and falcon)?

7. How does Macbeth’s behavior at Duncan’s murder scene contrast with Lady Macbeth’s?

Act 3:

1. Why is Banquo suspicious of Macbeth at the beginning of Act 3?

2. What concerns Macbeth about Banquo, and how does he plan to deal with him?

3. How does Lady Macbeth feel about their situation now that Macbeth is king?

4. Why does Macbeth hide his plans to murder Banquo and Fleance from Lady Macbeth?

5. What happens during Banquo’s murder, and how does it affect Macbeth’s plans?

6. What is the significance of Banquo’s ghost at the banquet?

7. How do the lords and nobles react to Macbeth’s behavior at the banquet?

8. What does Macbeth decide to do after the banquet scene, and how does this reflect his growing paranoia?

Essay Questions

Act 2 Essay Questions

1. Macbeth’s Inner Conflict

   • How does Shakespeare depict Macbeth’s inner turmoil in Act 2? Discuss the role of the dagger soliloquy in revealing his state of mind and moral struggle.

2. The Role of Lady Macbeth

   • Analyze Lady Macbeth’s influence over Macbeth in Act 2. How does her role in Duncan’s murder demonstrate her ambition and manipulation?

3. The Theme of Guilt

   • Explore how guilt is portrayed in Act 2. How do Macbeth and Lady Macbeth react differently to the murder of Duncan?

4. Symbolism of Blood and Darkness

   • Discuss the use of imagery and symbolism, particularly blood and darkness, in Act 2. How do these symbols emphasize the themes of guilt and evil?

5. The Natural Order

   • How is the disruption of the natural order emphasized in Act 2? Analyze how the strange events following Duncan’s death reflect the chaos Macbeth’s actions have unleashed.

Act 3 Essay Questions

1. Macbeth’s Paranoia

   • How does Macbeth’s growing paranoia manifest in Act 3? What steps does he take to secure his position, and how do these actions mark his descent into tyranny?

2. The Banquet Scene

   • Analyze the dramatic significance of the banquet scene (Act 3, Scene 4). How does Banquo’s ghost symbolize Macbeth’s guilt and foreshadow his downfall?

3. The Relationship Between Macbeth and Lady Macbeth

   • Explore how the relationship between Macbeth and Lady Macbeth changes in Act 3. How do their interactions reflect a shift in their characters and their control over events?

4. Ambition and Power

   • In Act 3, how does Macbeth’s ambition transform him into a tyrant? Compare his initial motivations with his current actions.

5. Role of the Supernatural

   • Discuss the role of the witches and Hecate in Act 3. How do they manipulate Macbeth, and what does their involvement suggest about fate versus free will?

6. The Theme of Betrayal

   • How does Shakespeare explore the theme of betrayal in Act 3? Consider Macbeth’s betrayal of Banquo and the trust of his subjects.

Multiple Choice Questions

Act 2: Questions

1. What vision does Macbeth have before he murders King Duncan?
   a) A ghostly figure accusing him of murder
   b) A floating crown symbolizing his ambition
   c) A bloody dagger leading him to Duncan’s chamber
   d) A witch warning him of Banquo
   Answer: c) A bloody dagger leading him to Duncan’s chamber

2. What does Lady Macbeth do to frame Duncan's guards for his murder?
   a) Plants a bloody dagger on one of them
   b) Smears Duncan's blood on their faces and hands
   c) Writes a note accusing them
   d) Gets them drunk and leaves the door open
   Answer: b) Smears Duncan's blood on their faces and hands

3. Why do Duncan’s sons, Malcolm and Donalbain, flee after their father’s murder?
   a) They want to gather an army for revenge
   b) They fear they will be accused of the murder
   c) They want to mourn their father in private
   d) They are captured by Macbeth
   Answer: b) They fear they will be accused of the murder

4. What strange occurrences are reported after Duncan’s death?
   a) Horses eating each other
   b) An owl killing a falcon
   c) Darkness during daytime
   d) All of the above
   Answer: d) All of the above

5. Who discovers King Duncan’s body?
   a) Macbeth
   b) Macduff
   c) Banquo
   d) Lennox
   Answer: b) Macduff

Act 3: Questions

1. Why is Macbeth afraid of Banquo?
   a) Banquo suspects Macbeth of foul play
   b) Banquo’s descendants are prophesied to become kings
   c) Banquo is a skilled and honorable warrior
   d) All of the above
   Answer: d) All of the above

2. What does Macbeth tell the murderers to convince them to kill Banquo and Fleance?
   a) Banquo is plotting against them
   b) Banquo is responsible for their misfortunes
   c) Banquo will take their rightful inheritance
   d) Fleance will overthrow Macbeth
   Answer: b) Banquo is responsible for their misfortunes

3. What happens during the murder of Banquo?
   a) Both Banquo and Fleance are killed
   b) Banquo escapes, but Fleance is killed
   c) Fleance escapes, but Banquo is killed
   d) The murderers fail to kill either Banquo or Fleance
   Answer: c) Fleance escapes, but Banquo is killed

4. What appears to Macbeth at the banquet?
   a) Duncan’s ghost accusing him
   b) Banquo’s ghost sitting in his seat
   c) A dagger dripping with blood
   d) The witches chanting a prophecy
   Answer: b) Banquo’s ghost sitting in his seat

5. How does Lady Macbeth react to Macbeth’s behavior at the banquet?
   a) She accuses him of betraying her
   b) She faints to distract the guests
   c) She dismisses his actions as a momentary illness
   d) She urges him to confess his crimes
   Answer: c) She dismisses his actions as a momentary illness

6. What does Hecate plan to do to Macbeth?
   a) Help him defeat his enemies
   b) Fill him with overconfidence that will lead to his downfall
   c) Warn him to repent for his sins
   d) Assist him in maintaining the throne
   Answer: b) Fill him with overconfidence that will lead to his downfall