Thursday

Today we will review Act 5 and then you will have some time to finish the study questions or begin to review for the test. 

MACBETH: Study Questions—ACT 5

Scene 1

1) What do the nurse (gentlewoman) and the doctor see?
2) What does Lady Macbeth mean when she says, “Out, damned spot! Out, I say!...will these hands never be clean.”
3) What is wrong with Lady Macbeth at this point of the play?

Scene 2

1) What happens in this scene? What new characters are introduced? Why?
2) What is the significance of the scene?
3) What is meant when Caithness says, “Some say he’d mad; others that lesser hate him do call it valiant fury”?

Scene 3

1) How would you describe Macbeth’s attitude and mood in this scene?
2) Why isn’t Macbeth afraid? Do his soldier’s seem afraid? Why or why not?

Scene 4


1) What does Malcolm order the soldiers to do?

Scene 5

1) What is meant when Macbeth says, “She should have died here-after”?
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.”

Scene 6

1) What is important about this scene?

Scene 7

1) Who does Macbeth kill in this scene? What is significant about this death?

Scene 8

1) What happens in this scene?
2) Why does Macbeth lose heart in the fight against Macduff?
3) Who is named king at the end of the play?  

 

MACBETH REVIEW GUIDE

Things to know:

• List the five elements of tragedy
• List the five elements of a tragic hero
• Discuss Macbeth’s tragic flaw
• Discuss who wins in Macbeth and why?  Who is the hero?
• Define soliloquy and monologue and point to examples from Macbeth
• Outline the plot according to the six elements of plot: exposition, inciting event, rising action, climax, falling action, resolution (give at least three events for the rising and falling action)
• Identify the following characters and discuss they roles in the play (Who they are, What they do, Why the do what they do)

Macbeth                      Macduff                      The Porter

Lady Macbeth                        Lady Macduff             The Witches

Duncan                        Lennox                        The Doctor

Malcolm                      Ross                            The Bloody Captain

Donalbain                    Seyton                         Fleance

Banquo                        Menteith                     Siward

• Discuss and give examples of the following THEMES:

--Blind Ambition

--The Corruption of Power

--Appearance vs. Reality

--Superstition and how it affects human behavior

--Good vs. Evil

• Discuss the following symbols/motifs (what people and/or  ideas the represent and connect them to a theme)

--washing of hands                        --blood

--planting of seeds, things growing

--the atmosphere of Macbeth’s castle

--spells or chants and supernatural beings

--weather                                       --daggers

--spirits, scorpions, snakes and things in the mind

--birds and flying:

                  Eagles                                      Crows

                  Sparrows                                 Geese

                  Owl                                         Wren

                  Martlet

                  Falcon

• Identify the speaker and the significant of important and famous quotes from the following characters:

Witches, Apparitions, Banquo, Duncan, Macduff, Malcolm, Macbeth, Lady Macbeth, The Bloody Captain, Lady Macduff, Ross

• Know and review your study questions for each Act (you should have done these for homework).  Some of these questions will be on the test.

MACBETH Study Guide

 

1)             Outline the plot according to the six elements (make sure you list each) and please give three scenes for the rising action and falling action.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

2)             Define monologue and soliloquy and give an example of each from Macbeth.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

3)             What is Macbeth’s Tragic Flaw?

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

4)             Explain how the following themes work in Macbeth and give two examples of each:  “Blind Ambition” and “Superstition and how it affects a person’s behavior”.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

5)             Discuss the following motifs/symbols and what they represent: spells or chants and the planting of seeds.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

6)             What do the following represent:

Eagles

 

Sparrows

 

Owl

 

Martlet

 

Falcon

 

Crows

 

Geese

 

Wren

 

7)             Identify the following characters (who they are, what they do, why they do what they do):

 

Banquo:

 

Doctor:

 

Donalbain:

 

The Witches:

 

Ross:

 

The Bloody Captian:

 

Lennox:

 

Fleance:

 

8)             Who is knocking at the gates in Act II?  What does this foreshadow?

 

 

 

 

 

 

9)             List one irony from the play.

 

 

10)          How does Lady Macbeth lose power in this play?

 

 

11)          Who tells Macbeth that Lady Macbeth is dead?

 

 

12)          Why is Lady Macbeth upset with Macbeth after he kills Duncan?

 

 

13)          What three things does the Porter say about drink?

 

 

 

14)           Who invites evil spirits to the castle?   How and why?

 

 

 

15)          Set up with a thesis a short essay that explains who wins in Macbeth and why?  Make sure you use examples from the text to back up your ideas.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

For the following quotes identify the speaker:

 

 

16)          “Your castle is surprised; your wife and babies are savagely slaughtered.”

 

 

 

17)          “And oftentimes, to win us to our harm, the instruments of darkness tell us truths, win us with honest trifles, to betray us in deepest consequence”

 

 

 

18)          “As sparrows, eagles, or the hare the lion.  If I say sooth, I must report they were as cannons overcharged with double cracks, so they doubly redoubled strokes upon the foe.”

 

 

 

19)          “Look like the innocent flower but be the serpent under’t”

 

 

20)          “Out, out, brief candle!  Life’s but a walking shadow, a poor player, that struts and frets his hour upon the stage and then is heard no more.  It is a tale told by an idiot, full of sound and fury, signifying nothing.”