Macbeth Study Questions

 Macbeth Study Questions
ACT I

Scene 1:

1) The play opens with thunder and lightning as the three witches enter.  What does this tell us about the mood of the play?  What do the witches symbolize beyond just superstition?  Do you really believe that they are witches?





2) What doe the witches mean when they say, “Fair is foul, and foul is fair”?  What does this tell you about what is likely to go on during the play?





3) How can a battle be “Lost and won”?  What foreshadow might this set-up?  What is the real battle in this play?





4) Graymalkin and Paddock are familiars (a cat and a toad).  What does this suggest about the action of the play?  What might they symbolize?



Scene ii

1) What does the bloody man report?




2) Why is Macdonwald a worthy rebel?





3) What similes or metaphors does the captain (the bloody man) use to describe Macbeth and Banquo?  What is significant about these descriptions?







4)  “Except they meant to bathe in reeking wounds, or memorize another Golgotha.”  What is the allusion?  What is significant about the statement?   What does it suggest?  Please keep in mind the religious/superstitious images/symbols already presented.







5) Who was Scotland fighting?


Scene iii

1) Why do the witches talk in poetry?



2) What do the witches predict for Macbeth?  What is the dramatic irony involved?





3) What do they witches predict for Banquo?  What irony is involved in this promise?





4) What is your first impression of Macbeth in scenes ii-iii?  What is your first impression of Banquo?



5) How do Macbeth and Banquo differ in their reactions to the witches predictions?  What does this tell us about their characters?





6) What message does Ross bring?



7) “But ‘tis strange!  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.”  Who speaks the above quote?  What is the significance or meaning of the quote?





Scene iv

1) What is Malcolm’s description of Cawdor’s execution?



2) What is the King’s response to this description?



3) Who does the King name as his successor?  How does Macbeth react to this information?




4)  “Stars hide your fires!  Let not light see my black and deep desires.  The eye wink at the hand; yet let that be, which the eye fears, when it is done, to see.”  Who speaks this quote and what is the significance of it?

ACT 1 

1. What is the point of the first scene (literally) and in reference to the whole play? 

  

  

2. What does Duncan call Macbeth when he hears Macbeth has defeated Macdonwald? 

  

  

3. Who is sentenced to death? 

  

  

4. What do the witches predict in Act I, Scene 3 for Macbeth?  For Banquo? 

Macbeth 

  

Banquo 

  

5. Who news does Ross bring Macbeth? 

  

6. Banquo, like Macbeth, is surprised that the witches have predicted Macbeth’s new title.  He is, however, leery.  What does he say about the motives of the “instruments of darkness” ? 

  

7. Malcolm describes Cawdor’s last moments before execution.  What is Duncan ’s reply? 

  

8. Macbeth says, “Stars, hide your fires.  Let not light see my black and deep desires.”  What are Macbeth’s desires? 

  

  

9. After Lady Macbeth reads the letter, what does she tell us is her opinion of Macbeth, and how does she plan to help him? 

  

  

10. What is Lady Macbeth’s “prayer” to the spirits after she learns Duncan is missing? 

  

11. What advice does Lady Macbeth give Macbeth when he arrives home? 

  

12. What are Macbeth’s arguments to himself against killing Duncan ? 

  

13. What arguments does Lady Macbeth use to convince Macbeth to commit the murder? 

  

14. What is Lady Macbeth’s plan? 

Things to Know

Study Guide for FINAL
STUDY GUIDE:

1) Be able to outline the Plot
2) Know the importance of the following people:
Bernard Marx
John
Linda
Lenina
D.H.C. (Tomakin)
Mustapha Mond
Helmholtz Watson
Henry Foster
Fanny Crowne
Pope’

3) Discuss BRAVE NEW WORLD as a 3-part structure


4) Give examples of the following themes:
The Meaning of Freedom
Individual vs. Society
The Meaning of Power

5) Discuss five ways people are controlled in this society

6) Discuss the title and how its meaning changes throughout the course of the novel

7) Does this novel contain any elements of hope? Why or why not?

8) Why is Shakespeare used so often?

9) For a world that lacks history and literature there are many, many allusions to both (perhaps Huxley means something by this): list at least three literary and three historical and discuss their meanings.

10) Who is FORD? Why is he an important Symbol of this society?

11) Discuss the why everyone is similar.

12) List two symbols other than FORD.

13) List three ironies.

14) Discuss death in this novel and the deaths of the following:

John
Linda
The average person in this society.

15) Discuss the “Bokanovsky Process”.

16) Is Mustapha Mond really powerful or is he controlled by society as much as anyone else?

Creative Connection to NOVEL

Choose one of the three options below:

1) Take a minor character and write a 1-2 page monologue / journal entry about what they think of the situation / action / motivations in the book so far.  This could be from Pope's, Franny's, Benito's, Helmholtz's or anyone elses point of view.

2) Make a newspaper story about one of the major events of the novel. How would a journalist take on the events in the story.  Think about a newspaper report of John's freakout and the riot in chapter 15.  Remember that newspaper's are suppose to just report the facts.  

3) Draw a picture of an important scene, or a picture of an image that represents a greater idea in the book. Be sure to include a short-written component explaining why you chose to create your visual representation.

This is worth 25 points.

Also new vocabulary words:

1) Palliate
2) Confiscate
3) Inundate
4) Deprecate
5) Exonerate
6) Capitulate
7) Svelte
8) Diurnal
9) Canopy
10) Patrimony

Brave New World chapter 14

1) "Started by the expression of distress on his pale face she suddenly broke off. 'Why, whatever is the matter.'  She asked.  She was not accustomed to this kind of thing in visitors.  (Not that there were many visitors anyhow: or reasons why there should be visitors.)  'You're not feeling ill, are you?'

Discuss the significance of the quote as well as the irony.

2)  "Whet seemed an interminable stream of identical eight-year-old male twins was pouring into the room.  Twin after twin, twin after twin, they came -- a nightmare.  Their faces, their repeated face -- for there was only one between the lot of them -- puggishly stared, all nostrils and pale goggling eyes."

Discuss the significance of the quote as well as the irony.

3) What is the class at the center for dying to learn?  How do you react to them making fun/jokes about the dying mother?  Discuss John's reactions?  The reactions of the head nurse to John?

4) "Obstinately the beautiful memories refused to rise; there was only a hateful ressurrection of jealousies and uglinesses and miseries."

Discuss the significance of this quote.

5) What are Linda's last words?  How does this reflect her life or life in this society?

6) Linda, before she dies, is on soma holiday with Pope.  What can be inferred in this idea?

7) When Linda dies how does the nurse condition/reward the children?

8) John pushes down a child at the end of this chapter.  Is this a foreshadow for anything?   Is it symbolic?  What might it suggest?