1. William Shakespeare’s Macbeth or The Scottish Play

2. Macbeth Themes of discussion for the play: 1. Ambition 2.Free Will vs. the Role of Fate How much free will does MB have? 3.Corruption of Power 4.Relationship between Masculinity and Cruelty

3. Macbeth 1.1, 1.2, 1.3 Scene 1: – What are the witches discussing? – Literary function of the witches? How is mood established? – Explain: “Fair is foul, and foul is fair.” **Look for the echo of this later in the play** Scene 2: – First impression of MB (how is he characterized?) – Thane of Cawdor? What happens to his title? Scene 3: – Explain the extent of the witches power? Is it absolute? – MB mirrors the witches comment—find it. Significance? – Describe the witches physical appearance. Purpose? – List the 3 prophecies for B and MB. **REMEMBER THESE** – How does Ross’ news affect MB and the prophecies? – Explain B’s warning to MB. – MB’s secret thoughts about Duncan?

4. Macbeth 1.4, 1.5 Scene 4: – Title given to Malcolm? – MB’s reaction to the news of Malcolm. Complicate what must MB do now. Scene 5: – What do we learn about LMB’s character from her opening lines? (characterization again ) How does she feel about her husband? What is her plan? “unsex me here…” ? How does this contribute to LMB’s character? – Conversation with MB?

5. Macbeth 1.6, 1.7 Scene 6: – Irony of D’s and B’s comments regarding MB’s castle. Scene 7: – MB’s “if it were done…”soliloquy Thoughts about the murder? What is his conflict? “he is here in double trust…” ? – How does LMB convince MB to kill D? How does she treat MB? Her analogy of the baby? Shakespeare ends Act I with Macbeth and Lady Macbeth plotting the murder of Duncan. What is the dramatic effect of concluding the act by letting us see the murder plot as it crystallizes?

6. Macbeth 2.1 Scene 1: – B and F description of the night (mood established)? – B and MB conversation—witches’ prophecy??? – Does MB claim to think about it? Why? – “Dagger” soliloquy What is suggested by Macbeth experiencing a hallucination at this moment, just before murder? Why is he seeing this vision? Explain the vision (gross  ). Significance of the ringing bell?

7. Macbeth 2.2 Scene 2: – LMB’s opening thoughts. Why is she worried? – MB’s mental state during the murder? How is Macbeth tortured after the murder of Duncan? – Voices? Who do they belong to? (wording look familiar?) – What role does LMB play in the murder? Key point! – Compare LMB’s and MB’s reactions to the finished murder? Lines 70-75 and Lines 76-79

8. Macbeth 2.3 Scene 3: – Purpose of the porter and MD (irony)? – Lennox’ description of the night. Compare to 2.4. – Who discovers the body of D? Irony of MD’s lines to LMB (74-77). – Explain MB’s feelings about the murder in lines 85- 87. – MB’s justification for killing the guards. – “Put on manly readiness…” what does MB mean? – D and M’s plan now that the king (their father) is dead? How does it make them look?

9. Macbeth 2.4 Scene 4: – Describe what the night of D’s murder was like (nature’s response). – MD  blame of D’s murder falls on whom? Why? – What becomes of MB? – MD’s reaction to the crowning of MB?

10. Macbeth 3.1 Scene 1: – Why is B silent when he feels MB has “play’d most foully”? – What is in store for B this evening? How is this similar to the D night? – MB’s “To be thus is nothing…” soliloquy Who does MB fear? Why? Is his fear misplaced? “fruitless crown…barren scepter” ? MB’s attitude? **Murderers: who are they? How many? Why would they want to kill B? How does MB convince them to kill B (note similarities to earlier in the play)? – Difference in MB from acts I and II to now?

11. Macbeth 3.2, 3.3 Scene 2: – Why can’t MB sleep? Scorpions in his mind…ewww  – MB’s mental state before B is killed? – Does LMB know of MB’s plan? Consider the importance of her knowledge. – If she does know, why is she silent? Scene 3: – One of the great puzzles of the play is the appearance of the third murderer. Some critics feel it is a messenger from MB; some feel it is MB himself; some feel it is a person who, either from friendship to B’s cause or at the witches’ instigation joins the murderers to assure F’s escape; could it even be LMB? Select one of these theories and defend it.

12. Macbeth 3.4 Scene 4: Banquo’s Banquet This is the Climax of the play. Explain and support why. – MB’s reaction to the appearance of the 1 st murderer. – Could MB have been the 3 rd murderer? – MB’s second hallucination? Who is sitting in MB’s chair? How does MB respond? – LMB’s role in his defense? – How does this scene make the new king look in front of the entire court? – Two Plans: Who does not attend the banquet? How is this handled? Where is MB going now and why?

13. Macbeth 3.5, 3.6 Scene 5: – Why is Hecate so angry at the witches? – What is her plan for MB? Scene 6: – B’s death is blamed on whom? Does this make sense? – Explain the state of Scotland? – MB=_____________ – Where is Macduff and why is he there?

14. Macbeth 4.1 Scene 1: – Irony of “something wicked this way comes” Connect to “fair is foul and foul is fair” – Why is MB there to see the witches? – Describe the 3 apparitions What does each look like? What does each one say to MB? How does he react to each? – MB demands a 4 th vision What does he see and how does he react? – How have all of B’s prophecies come true? – What is MB’s fatal flaw? – MB’s plan for MD?

15. Macbeth 4.2, 4.3 Scene 2: – How does LMD feel about her husband’s leaving? – Why does she tell her son MD is dead? – What happens to MD’s family and castle? What does this say about MB? Does LMB have anything to do with this? Would she approve? Scene 3: – Why does Ross lie about MD’s family – How does Malcolm react to MD’s news? – What does MD promise to do?

16. Macbeth 5.1 Scene 1: sleep walking scene – In the famous sleep walking scene, Lady Macbeth relives events that have taken place earlier in the play. – In her ravings she skips from one event to another but she always returns to the same one. Which event seems to trouble her the most and why? Why is she obsessed with the idea of washing her hands? Think back to 2.2.

17. Macbeth 5.2, 5.3 Scene 2: The invasion begins – Caithness reveals MB’s reaction to the invasion. Describe it. – What do we learn about MB’s “secrets”? – Where are they going (remember the 3 visions)? Scene 3: – Examine MB’s “I have lived long enough…” soliloquy. How far has MB fallen? How much has he lost? State of mind before his battle? – MB’s reaction to his sick wife?

18. Macbeth 5.4, 5.5 Scene 4: Preparation for war – Explain how the soldiers prepare. – Consider the 3 rd vision—how has MB been fooled? Scene 5: – How would you describe the mood of MB’s “Tomorrow, and tomorrow, and tomorrow” soliloquy? (lines 19-23). What can we gather about his thoughts on life? Death? How does this soliloquy help to characterize MB? – MB’s response to… Fear? LMB Birnam Woods

19. Macbeth 5.6, 5.7, 5.8 Scene 6: no questions Scene 7: – Macbeth is a brave soldier almost to the end. At what point does his courage fail him? – MB’s contemplation of suicide…why? – MD is the fulfillment of the 2 nd vision. Explain. Whose head was in the 1 st vision? – Macbeth is sometimes cited as an example of “the villain as a hero.” Agree or disagree with that statement. Explain your answer. Scene 8: – MD is triumphant (connect the image back to 1.2). – MB and LMB are referred to as, “this dead butcher and his fiend-like queen.” Agree or disagree with this depiction of their characters. – Macbeth is another example of the tragic hero. He fulfills all of the qualifications defined by Aristotle. What is Macbeth’s tragic flaw and how does it destroy him? Does his wife share this flaw?