Macbeth Questions

Macbeth Questions

Act. I

1. The line “Fair is foul, and foul is fair” adds to the play’s sense of moral confusion by implying that nothing is quite what it seems. Macbeth’s first line in the play is “So foul and fair a day I have not seen”. This line echoes what the witches’ said and it helps connect them with Macbeth. These lines also foreshadow that good and bad things are going to happen later on in the play.

2. Macbeth is shocked and intrigued by what the witches say to him. Banquo is skeptical and doesn’t trust the witched. He shows his disbelief when he says to Macbeth that devils often tell half-truths in order to win us to our harm. Macbeth is even more intrigued when he finds out he has now been named thane of Cawdor. He starts future tripping when he wonders if he really will be king or not.

3. Macbeth is afraid that his actions will come back to haunt him. His actions eventually do come back to haunt him so his feelings were correct. Lady Macbeth convinces Macbeth to kill him by calling him weak for hesitating and taunting him basically. I think Lady Macbeth is a skank and Macbeth should never have listened to her or married her for that matter.

Act. II

1. Macbeth refers to the dagger as a fatal vision because he knows that his predictions about his actions coming back to haunt him are coming true. He also says it because he knows he’s going crazy from his unease. This is why he refers to the dagger as a dagger of the mind. The dagger was manifested by his actions coming back to haunt him.

2. Macbeth says that the word Amen stuck in his throat. It symbolizes that Macbeth is unable to speak any holy words after the dirty deed he has done. When the voice asks Macbeth if murder sleeps it symbolizes that Macbeth will not be able to sleep sound with the guilt of his dastardly deed burning is his skull. Sleep is reserved for the good of heart.

3. The symbol of blood shows that Macbeth physically has blood on his hands but there is a deeper stain of blood that cannot be washed clean with just water. Lady Macbeth remains the voice of reason, as she tells him that the blood can be washed away with a little water. Lady Macbeth eventually realizes the guilt that the blood symbolizes needs more than water to wash it away. Later in the play where she washes her hands constantly, creates irony because she tells Macbeth that a little water will clear us of this deed.

4. They give many examples throughout act two of the effect of naughty deeds on nature of humans and nature itself. They show this by the way Macbeth acts afterwards he is fearful, paranoid, and having hallucinations. Later to come he shows that he has no problem killing people anymore. Three examples of the effect on nature itself are that it was daytime, but dark outside, an owl killed a falcon, and Duncan’s horses behaved wildly and ate one another.

Act. III

1. The first of the witches’ prophecies came true. The first prophecy was that Macbeth will become thane of Cawdor and eventually king. The second prophecy gives Banquo Hope for the future. The second prophecy was that Banquoes’ children will sit upon the throne someday.

2. One example of dramatic irony from scene one is when Macbeth says that his old friend is the only man in Scotland that he fears because they used to be like brothers. It’s also ironic that he pressures the murderers into killing Banquo the same way that Lady Macbeth pressured him to kill Duncan. Another example would be when he tells Banquo that they should talk about how Malcolm and Donalbain might be conspiring against his crown. This is ironic because Macbeth is going to have Banquo killed because he thinks he might conspire against him.

3. When Macbeth speaks about Banquo he sees his ghost and it causes him to make random outburst somewhat incriminating him. Lady Macbeth tells everyone that he has visions occasionally and he’s had the problem since he was a child.

Act. IV

1. In scene one the