Macbeth:
Act One questions for study.
Scene 1:
1. What characters are introduced in scene 1?
2. How would you interpret the line: "Fair is foul, and foul is fair"?
3. What specific plan is mentioned?
Scene 2:
4. What three men are leading troops into battle against Duncan?
5. Who defeated and killed Macdonwald? Describe this traitor's death.
6. What is to be the Thane of Cawdor's punishment for his traitorous activities?
7. To whom does King Duncan give Cawdor's title?
Scene 3:
8. What revenge does the witch plan for the sailor whose wife wouldn't give her any chestnuts?
9. What do the lines 25-26 indicate about the witches' power?
10. What three predictions do the witches make for Macbeth?
11. Why does Macbeth react the way he does to the witches' predictions?
12. What three predictions do the witches make for Banquo?
Scene 4:
13. In lines 140-151, what is the "horrid image" of which Macbeth speaks?
14. What further reward does Macbeth say he hopes to receive from Duncan?
15. In lines 41-45, who is named to succeed Duncan to the throne? What specific title is he given?
16. In lines 55-60, how does Macbeth react to this announcement?
17. Where is Duncan to spend the night?
Scene 5:
18. What does the nature of the letter reveal about Macbeth's relationship with his wife?
19. In lines 15-24, how does Lady Macbeth characterize her husband?
20. In lines 43-50, why does Lady Macbeth call upon the evil spirits to "unsex" her?
21. In lines 69-73, what warning does she give Macbeth?
Scene 6:
22. What action takes place in scene 6?
23. What is the nature of Lady Macbeth's greeting to Duncan?
Scene 7:
24. In his soliloquy in lines 1-28, name at least 5 of the reasons he gives for not wanting to kill Duncan. What sole reason does he give for wanting to murder the king?
25. What reason against the murder does he give Lady Macbeth?
26 In lines 38-42, what does Lady Macbeth imply about Macbeth's love for her?
27. What statement of Lady Macbeth's causes Macbeth to decide to commit the murder?