Tuesday, February 24, 2015
Study Questions—ACT 5
Scene 1
1) What do the nurse (gentlewoman) and the doctor see?
They see Lady Macbeth sleepwalking, talking about the choices her husband has made.
2) What does Lady Macbeth mean when she says, “Out, damned spot! Out, I say!...will these hands never be clean.”
She sees blood on her hands from killing Duncan and feels that her hands will never be clean from the sins she has committed.
3) What is wrong with Lady Macbeth at this point of the play?
Lady Macbeth has started to go crazy just like her husband because she feels so guilty about what they did.
Scene 2
1) What happens in this scene? What new characters are introduced? Why?
In this scene the soldiers are on their way to kill Macbeth and let Malcolm reign as king. Menteith, Caithness and Angus are soldiers introduced because they give us prospective of the soldiers.
2) What is the significance of the scene?
This scene tells what the soldiers are doing and who is leading them, as well as what everyone thinks of Macbeth.
3) What is meant when Caithness says, “Some say he’d mad; others that lesser hate him do call it valiant fury”? Some are saying Macbeth is crazy, but people who dont hate him as much call it brave anger.
Scene 3
1) How would you describe Macbeth’s attitude and mood in this scene?
He is trying to keep his cool, but calls for an army anyway and asks Seyton to get his armor because he is ready to fight.
2) Why isn’t Macbeth afraid? Do his soldier’s seem afraid? Why or why not?
Macbeth isn't afraid because the witches told him he could only be killed by someone not born from a mother or if they trees get up. So he's not worried because trees can't walk and everyone is born from a mother.
Scene 4
1) What does Malcolm order the soldiers to do?
He orders them to disguise themselves as trees, so that Macbeth thinks less men are coming.
Scene 5
1) What is meant when Macbeth says, “She should have died here-after”?
He is saying that she should have died after the battle was over so he would be able to mourn her.
2) What is the significant of the following quote, “Life’s but a walking shadow, a poor player, that struts and frets his hour upon the stage and then is told no more. It is a tale told by an idiot, full of sound and fury signifying nothing.”
It's saying that life is an illusion and we all just go by the days slowly until we die and it means nothing.
Scene 6
1) What is important about this scene?
Malcolm gives the order for the soldiers to start the fight.
Scene 7
1) Who does Macbeth kill in this scene? What is significant about this death?
Macbeth kills the Siward's son. He was born of a woman so Macbeth thinks that what the witches said was true and he is free from harm.
Scene 8
1) What happens in this scene?
Macduff comes into the castle and kills Macbeth.
2) Why does Macbeth lose heart in the fight against Macduff?
Macduff wasn't born of a woman, he was delivered by C-section, so he can harm Macbeth.
3) Who is named king at the end of the play?
Malcolm
Wednesday, February 18, 2015
ACT 4 Questions
4.1
1) What are the four visions that Macbeth sees?
Four visions Macbeth sees are of a floating head, a bloody child, a crowned child with a tree, and eight kings.
2) Which visions does he misread or misunderstand and why?
He misreads the vision from the 3rd apparition because he believes that his time as ruler will come to an end when the forest moves in battle. To him this is good because the trees cannot move, so he will probably be king for the rest of his life.
3) What news does Lennox bring Macbeth?
Lennox informs Macbeth that Macduff fled to England.
4) What does Macbeth decide from Lennox’s news?
Macbeth decides that he will kill Macduff's family and anyone in the castle.
5) How might this scene be a possible climax for the play?
This could be the climax because earlier in the play the witches predicted Macbeth's future and he has just become greedier and greedier and will do anything to obtain greater power than he already has.
4.2
1) Why does Shakespeare include a scene with Lady Macduff and her son?
The scene is there to show us what happens to the lady and her son, but it also gives a look into their lives and how they feel about Macduff now.
2) What is important about this scene?
In this scene Lady Macduff tells her son that his father is a traitor because he left them, but he actually did it out of loyalty to the country. And then the son is murdered in a bloodbath.
3) List one motif or symbol from this scene?
A symbol from this is Lady Macduff comparing them to a bird, saying that she is now defenseless since Macduff is gone and she has to defend the eggs (the son).
4.3
1) Why has Macduff come to England?
2) What is Malcolm’s fear in lines 10-19?
7) How has Malcolm changed since Act II?
8) What is the atmosphere of this scene? Why is this important?
At first it starts out hopeful because Macduff has a plan to stop Macbeth. The plan was to make Malcolm the king, but now since he said he doesn't want to be king because he fears being worse than the current one, they have no other plan.
9) What news does the doctor bring? How is this symbolic to the scene, especially to Malcolm?
11) What does Macduff mean when he says, “But I must also feel it as a man.”
1) What are the four visions that Macbeth sees?
Four visions Macbeth sees are of a floating head, a bloody child, a crowned child with a tree, and eight kings.
2) Which visions does he misread or misunderstand and why?
He misreads the vision from the 3rd apparition because he believes that his time as ruler will come to an end when the forest moves in battle. To him this is good because the trees cannot move, so he will probably be king for the rest of his life.
3) What news does Lennox bring Macbeth?
Lennox informs Macbeth that Macduff fled to England.
4) What does Macbeth decide from Lennox’s news?
Macbeth decides that he will kill Macduff's family and anyone in the castle.
5) How might this scene be a possible climax for the play?
This could be the climax because earlier in the play the witches predicted Macbeth's future and he has just become greedier and greedier and will do anything to obtain greater power than he already has.
4.2
1) Why does Shakespeare include a scene with Lady Macduff and her son?
The scene is there to show us what happens to the lady and her son, but it also gives a look into their lives and how they feel about Macduff now.
2) What is important about this scene?
In this scene Lady Macduff tells her son that his father is a traitor because he left them, but he actually did it out of loyalty to the country. And then the son is murdered in a bloodbath.
3) List one motif or symbol from this scene?
A symbol from this is Lady Macduff comparing them to a bird, saying that she is now defenseless since Macduff is gone and she has to defend the eggs (the son).
4.3
1) Why has Macduff come to England?
To try to bring Malcolm back to stop Macbeth
2) What is Malcolm’s fear in lines 10-19?
He's not sure he trusts Macduff, worried about a trap
and he says that who is the King after Macbeth will be even worse, he's going to have all the bad traits that wouldnt make a good king
3) Who does the lamb represent in these lines?
The Lamb is representing Macduff.
The Lamb is representing Macduff.
4) What is significant in the lines “Angles are bright still, though the brightest fell./Though all things foul would wear the brows of grace,/ yet grace must still look so.”
Macbeth is being compared to Satan.
5) What is significant in the line, “Bleed, bleed, pour country!”
It represents how people view Scotland under Macbeth's rule and they think that the country is suffering under his tyrannical rule.
It represents how people view Scotland under Macbeth's rule and they think that the country is suffering under his tyrannical rule.
6) What does Malcolm call Macbeth? What list of adjectives does he use?
Malcolm says that he is worse than satan and calls him luxurious, avaricious, false, deceitful,
7) How has Malcolm changed since Act II?
Malcolm says that he isn't worthy of being king, but he used to be a noble soldier who was fit to be king when his father died. Now he's just a scared little boy.
8) What is the atmosphere of this scene? Why is this important?
At first it starts out hopeful because Macduff has a plan to stop Macbeth. The plan was to make Malcolm the king, but now since he said he doesn't want to be king because he fears being worse than the current one, they have no other plan.
9) What news does the doctor bring? How is this symbolic to the scene, especially to Malcolm?
The doctor says that Macbeth is able to heal people because he is "god chosen" (idea of divine right) Symbolizes the right king needs to be in place, and Malcolm is worried about becoming king, and this guy is saying that Macbeth is doing alright.
10) How many men did England lend Macduff?
10,000 men
11) What does Macduff mean when he says, “But I must also feel it as a man.”
Macduff has to carry on and do what's right even though he feels bad about what happened to his family, he needs to be loyal to his country in this time of distress.
Monday, February 2, 2015
ACT I Scenes 5-7 and ACT II sentence headlines
5. Lady Macbeth learns of what the witches told her husband and thinks up a plan to kill Duncan and asks spirits to "unsex" her so she can do so.
6. The King and his sons arrive at the Macbeth's castle where they are met by the lovely hostess Lady Macbeth.
7. Macbeth is second guessing whether or not he can go through with the crime, but his wife sets him straight and tells him to be a man.
1. Banquo and his son Fleance are at Macbeth's, he and Macbeth discuss the three witches and he hallucinates seeing a bloody dagger.
2. Lady Macbeth has drugged the King's guards and Macbeth is very disturbed after killing the King which keeps him from focusing on framing the guards.
3. The King's body has been discovered, Macbeth says he killed the guards because he was so mad at what they did and Lady Macbeth pretends to faint at the news; the king's sons flee to avoid potential danger.
4. Macduff has suspicions over what occurred at the Macbeth's castle and will not go to his coronation.
6. The King and his sons arrive at the Macbeth's castle where they are met by the lovely hostess Lady Macbeth.
7. Macbeth is second guessing whether or not he can go through with the crime, but his wife sets him straight and tells him to be a man.
1. Banquo and his son Fleance are at Macbeth's, he and Macbeth discuss the three witches and he hallucinates seeing a bloody dagger.
2. Lady Macbeth has drugged the King's guards and Macbeth is very disturbed after killing the King which keeps him from focusing on framing the guards.
3. The King's body has been discovered, Macbeth says he killed the guards because he was so mad at what they did and Lady Macbeth pretends to faint at the news; the king's sons flee to avoid potential danger.
4. Macduff has suspicions over what occurred at the Macbeth's castle and will not go to his coronation.
Avarice and Avaunt
The kings undying avarice eventually lead to his death because he took more than he could payback.
"Please avaunt, your presence is tiring," the mother said to her rambunctious, teenage daughter.
"Please avaunt, your presence is tiring," the mother said to her rambunctious, teenage daughter.
Friday, January 30, 2015
Parricide and Verity Sentences
After the verity of the criminal's statements were proven false, he was sent to prison.
The King's son committed a parricide after his father threatened to make someone else heir to the throne.
The King's son committed a parricide after his father threatened to make someone else heir to the throne.
ACT II Questions
Scene i
1) Who says the following: “Their candles are all out. Take thee that too. A heavy summons lies like lead upon me, and yet I would not sleep. Merciful powers, restrain in me the cursed thoughts that nature gives away in repose.” What is significant about the quote? How has the atmosphere of the castle been changed?
Banquo says this and he is discussing the dream that he had about the witches it was a nightmare. The castle is now a very dark and gloomy place. It's not the welcoming place that housed the king.
2) Why does Banquo mention his dream of the Weird Sisters? Hint: Ironically this is his last dream.
Banquo mentions this dream because the three witches said that Macbeth would be King. Now the King is in his castle, providing the perfect chance for killing him.
3) What does Macbeth say he and Banquo will talk about later in private?
He says that later they will talk about the dream he had.
4) Reread lines 42-70. Briefly summarize what Macbeth is saying in this soliloquy.
Macbeth hallucinates seeing a dagger that is all bloodied and he realizes it's kinda showing the murder he is about to commit. He feels guilty but has to do it before he loses his courage.
5) How does the illusion of the dagger play into the mindset of either witchcraft or Macbeth losing it.
It shows that he is having these unreal thoughts, like the witches have planted this idea and it's all he can think about. could be a spell
Scene ii
1) What does Lady Macbeth mean when she says, “That which hath made them drunk hath made me bold”?
Lady Macbeth is also drunk from the same drink she gave guards and it is making her braver.
2) Symbolically what does the fatal bellman toll? More than one thing here. And who is the fatal bellmen—the one Lady Macbeth hears?
It's a bad omen, for ringing bells outside of prisoners' cells. The owl is what she hears, now that they are criminals. Macbeth is now the Owl.
3) How do you read the lines, “Had he not resembled my father as he slept, I had done ‘t.” What does this say about Lady Macbeth?
That perhaps she isn't that cold because she wouldn't be able to kill her own family or she's so cold that she would have someone else do it for her.
4) Sleep is an important symbol in this play. Please keep a list of all the times (with line numbers) that sleep is mentioned in Act II. Attach and turn this list in with these questions.
5) What is meant when Macbeth says, “Sleep no more! Macbeth does murder sleep”?
By killing Duncan at night, macbeth is killing his sleep. And soon macbeth won't be able to sleep because he will feel so guilty so he's murdering his own sleep.
6) Why is Lady Macbeth upset with Macbeth towards the end of scene ii?
Because Macbeth got all nervous and was going to wash the bloody dagger instead if leaving it with the guards like she had planned.
7) What is symbolic about the knocking that Macbeth and Lady Macbeth hear?
It's like God knocking on the door, like when someone dies they say God was knocking
8) What does Lady Macbeth say about washing of hands at the end of the scene? Do you believe her?
Lady Macbeth says that by washing the blood off her hands then she is cleansing herself of the sin she has committed. But this isn't right because not just water can make you pure after committing such a crime against another human being.
Scene iii
1) How is the Porter a humorous character? What does he say about drink? How does he metaphorical set the atmosphere of the scene?
4) How does Macbeth react to the news of the king’s murder? How does Lady Macbeth react?
Macbeth says that he is the one who killed the two guards because he was so mad at what happened.
Lady Macbeth pretends to faint because she just "can't believe it".
5) Where do Donalbain and Malcolm decide to go? Why?
Donalbain goes to Ireland and Malcolm goes to England because they are afraid that they will be killed next especially if they are found together.
Scene iv
1) What is meant by the old man when he says, “On Tuesday last, a falcon, tow’ring in her pride of place, was by a mousing owl hawked at and killed”? What is symbolically suggested here? Hint: Relate the birds to scene ii.
On the day that Duncan is killed he sees an owl kill a falcon. Symbolically saying that Macbeth is no longer a majestic eagle, he is an owl who killed the falcon.
2) What does Macduff say about Malcolm and Donalbain?
People say they ran away because they are "guilty"
3) What does Macduff say about Macbeth?
1) Who says the following: “Their candles are all out. Take thee that too. A heavy summons lies like lead upon me, and yet I would not sleep. Merciful powers, restrain in me the cursed thoughts that nature gives away in repose.” What is significant about the quote? How has the atmosphere of the castle been changed?
Banquo says this and he is discussing the dream that he had about the witches it was a nightmare. The castle is now a very dark and gloomy place. It's not the welcoming place that housed the king.
2) Why does Banquo mention his dream of the Weird Sisters? Hint: Ironically this is his last dream.
Banquo mentions this dream because the three witches said that Macbeth would be King. Now the King is in his castle, providing the perfect chance for killing him.
3) What does Macbeth say he and Banquo will talk about later in private?
He says that later they will talk about the dream he had.
4) Reread lines 42-70. Briefly summarize what Macbeth is saying in this soliloquy.
Macbeth hallucinates seeing a dagger that is all bloodied and he realizes it's kinda showing the murder he is about to commit. He feels guilty but has to do it before he loses his courage.
5) How does the illusion of the dagger play into the mindset of either witchcraft or Macbeth losing it.
It shows that he is having these unreal thoughts, like the witches have planted this idea and it's all he can think about. could be a spell
Scene ii
1) What does Lady Macbeth mean when she says, “That which hath made them drunk hath made me bold”?
Lady Macbeth is also drunk from the same drink she gave guards and it is making her braver.
2) Symbolically what does the fatal bellman toll? More than one thing here. And who is the fatal bellmen—the one Lady Macbeth hears?
It's a bad omen, for ringing bells outside of prisoners' cells. The owl is what she hears, now that they are criminals. Macbeth is now the Owl.
3) How do you read the lines, “Had he not resembled my father as he slept, I had done ‘t.” What does this say about Lady Macbeth?
That perhaps she isn't that cold because she wouldn't be able to kill her own family or she's so cold that she would have someone else do it for her.
4) Sleep is an important symbol in this play. Please keep a list of all the times (with line numbers) that sleep is mentioned in Act II. Attach and turn this list in with these questions.
5) What is meant when Macbeth says, “Sleep no more! Macbeth does murder sleep”?
By killing Duncan at night, macbeth is killing his sleep. And soon macbeth won't be able to sleep because he will feel so guilty so he's murdering his own sleep.
6) Why is Lady Macbeth upset with Macbeth towards the end of scene ii?
Because Macbeth got all nervous and was going to wash the bloody dagger instead if leaving it with the guards like she had planned.
7) What is symbolic about the knocking that Macbeth and Lady Macbeth hear?
It's like God knocking on the door, like when someone dies they say God was knocking
8) What does Lady Macbeth say about washing of hands at the end of the scene? Do you believe her?
Lady Macbeth says that by washing the blood off her hands then she is cleansing herself of the sin she has committed. But this isn't right because not just water can make you pure after committing such a crime against another human being.
Scene iii
1) How is the Porter a humorous character? What does he say about drink? How does he metaphorical set the atmosphere of the scene?
The porter is humorous because he is drunk. He makes a lot of sexual jokes...
2) Who is at the gates? (more than 1 person)
Macduff and Lennox
3) What does Macduff mean when he says, “Confusion now hath made his masterpiece!”?
He means that it't really bad that someone had broken into the castle and they're so confused as to why this happened.
2) Who is at the gates? (more than 1 person)
Macduff and Lennox
3) What does Macduff mean when he says, “Confusion now hath made his masterpiece!”?
He means that it't really bad that someone had broken into the castle and they're so confused as to why this happened.
4) How does Macbeth react to the news of the king’s murder? How does Lady Macbeth react?
Macbeth says that he is the one who killed the two guards because he was so mad at what happened.
Lady Macbeth pretends to faint because she just "can't believe it".
5) Where do Donalbain and Malcolm decide to go? Why?
Donalbain goes to Ireland and Malcolm goes to England because they are afraid that they will be killed next especially if they are found together.
Scene iv
1) What is meant by the old man when he says, “On Tuesday last, a falcon, tow’ring in her pride of place, was by a mousing owl hawked at and killed”? What is symbolically suggested here? Hint: Relate the birds to scene ii.
On the day that Duncan is killed he sees an owl kill a falcon. Symbolically saying that Macbeth is no longer a majestic eagle, he is an owl who killed the falcon.
2) What does Macduff say about Malcolm and Donalbain?
People say they ran away because they are "guilty"
3) What does Macduff say about Macbeth?
Macduff says that Macbeth is going to be crowned King, but he isn't going to go because he is suspicious of him.
4) What is meant by the line, “Lest our old robes sit easier than our new”?
That Macbeth might not be as good of a king as Duncan was
5) Why doesn’t Macduff go to the coronation?
Macduff is suspicious of Macbeth, might think something is up.
4) What is meant by the line, “Lest our old robes sit easier than our new”?
That Macbeth might not be as good of a king as Duncan was
5) Why doesn’t Macduff go to the coronation?
Macduff is suspicious of Macbeth, might think something is up.
Monday, January 26, 2015
Macbeth Scene 1 Summary
Macbeth starts out with three witches meeting in a field on a stormy night, they are saying spells and chants, speaking of Macbeth being Thane of Cawdor and eventually King. A bloody soldier tell the king of Banquo and Macbeth's bravery in battle. Banquo and Macbeth are headed back home when they are met by the witches who tell him his future, this consumes his thoughts. He writes his wife to tell her about the witches. Lady Macbeth comes up with a plan to kill the King and blame it on his watchmen in order to do this she calls on spirits to "unsex" so she can do the deed. King Duncan is at the Macbeth's castle, Macbeth has doubts about killing him because of the consequences it would have after. Lady Macbeth tells him to be a man and just do it.
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