Literature | High school » Macbeth Discussion Question Possibilities

Macbeth Discussion Question Possibilities: ACT 1: Macbeth Act 1 Scene1 and Scene 2 1. The witches chant, “Fair is foul and foul is fair” Explain what this means What do you think is the implication of these lines and that they are spoken over and over? 2. What images and information are we given about Macbeth? What techniques are used by those who speak about Macbeth? How are the descriptions related to being a man? 3. Why do we hear about Macbeth from others before we meet him? What is the effect? 4. How does the image we are given of Macbeth live up to the concept of what is masculine? Macbeth Act 1 Scene3 and Scene 4 5. How are the witches presented in the play- give examples of what we know about them based on Scene 3. How does their appearance match their characterization? 6. How do the remarks about the witches relate to gender? Macbeth Act 1 Scene 5 and Scene 6 7. What does Lady Macbeth acknowledge about gender stereotypes-both for her and for Macbeth? 8. How does she

both reject the stereotypes and use them to her advantage? 9. Does Shakespeare paint Lady Macbeth as a sympathetic character? What could this tell us about his view of women like Lady Macbeth? 10. Could Lady Macbeth just be performing her duty as a wife- perhaps she knows this is what Macbeth really wants and so she must do all she can to help him achieve that goal? Find evidence of this. Macbeth Act 1 Scene 7 11. Is it possible that Lady Macbeth is trying to break out of being a “symbol of weakness, dependence and emotions run amok”? 12. What kinds of persuasive techniques does Lady Macbeth use? Why do they work? 13. Lady Macbeth takes a very maternal image- that of a nursing mother- and perverts it Why does she use that image in particular and what is the link to her gender? 14. What does Macbeth mean when he states, “Bring forth men-children only,/ For thy undaunted mettle should compose/ Nothing but males” (1.771-74)? What are expectations of mothers and what happens when

women don’t meet those expectations? ACT 2: Macbeth Act 2 Scene 1, Scene 2, and Scene 3 1. In Act 2 scene 1, at Macbeth’s castle he meets Banquo and his son What does Banquo say about sleep in the opening? 2. How do we know that Banquo is nervous in the opening? Think about his action and how it might relate to what he reveals about his dreams. 3. How might Banquo’s dreams relate to how he feels consciously? 4. Why does Macbeth see the dagger? Think about the relation of this vision to sleep and dreams? 5. Macbeth speaks of his fears now that he has “done the deed” What are some of his fears and what techniques does he use to communicate them? 6. Lady Macbeth claims that “a little water clears us of this deed” Do you think that she and her husband will be able to wash away all of their guilt and regret or will that guilt manifest itself in nightmares? 7. The porter pretends to be answering the gates of hell What kinds of people does he imagine he is letting in? How do

these people relate to the larger action of the play? 8. Examine what the porter says about alcohol This is very funny, but how is it purposeful in its relation to the larger action of the play. 9. What do you think the purpose of the porter scene is in Macbeth? Think about juxtaposition 10. Examine the reaction of each of the following characters to the murder of King Duncan in Act 23 How is their reaction indicative of their characterization? 11. Why do you think that Macbeth decides to go and commit murder? Choose one of the reasons below and defend it with evidence from the text and your ideas. • He really is an evil man. • He is so mixed up he cannot sort out the difference between right and wrong. • He is under the power of the witches and his wife Macbeth Act 2 Scene 4 12. In scene four of act two, various unnatural or strange events are discussed What strange aspects of nature have occurred? 13. How might these strange happenings relate to the characters or actions in

the play- think of them as symbols and try to explain the symbolism. ACT 3: Macbeth Act 3 Scene 1 1. Examine what Macbeth says about Banquo in his soliloquy What emotions does he feel? Give evidence of these. 2. How does Macbeth convince himself of the need to hate and kill Banquo? 3. What methods of persuasion does Macbeth use with the murderers? Macbeth Act 3 Scene 2-3 4. Lady Macbeth once again demonstrates in this scene that the murder of Duncan bothers her more than she lets on to her husband. How would you describe the type of lie she constructs? 5. Give an example with evidence for how she feels about the murder of Duncan Is she paying the price within the prison of her own mind? 6. How does she instruct/persuade him in regards to how he should think and act? Is she being hypocritical? Is she lying? 7. From what is Macbeth suffering? Give a quote that proves this? How does this fit with what he had said after the murder of Duncan? 8. What modes of persuasion does

Macbeth use with the murderers and how are these similar to the ones Lady Macbeth used on Macbeth earlier in the play? 9. Apply the following statements made by Cole to Macbeth in these scenes: a. “As a general principle, people grossly exaggerate the risk of any danger perceived to be beyond their control, while shrugging off the risks they think they can manage” (156) b. “People will risk a lot to prevent a loss, in other words, but risk very little for possible gain” (157). c. “ego also plays a role in the way we assess risk” (159) d. “We also believe it won’t happen to us if it hasn’t happened yet” (160) Macbeth Act 3 Scene 4 10. Dr Hans Holzer believes, “In cases of unnatural or violent deaths, the etheric body (aura soul) may fail to make a transition to ‘the other side’because it is unaware of its own death or has unfinished business.” Apply this concept to this scene and Banquo 11. Is Macbeth’s sighting of Banquo’s ghost the product of his

imagination or is it real and how would each scenario alter the effect of having Macbeth see the ghost? Macbeth Act 3 Scene 6 11. What is the status of Scotland and what in the text gives you that understanding? ACT 4: Macbeth Act 4 Scene 1 1. Macbeth returns to the witches to ask about his future They comply with his wishes and present a series of apparitions. Think about what the apparition looks like, what Macbeth says in reaction to it Analyze what his interpretation is and look for the hidden meaning behind the language that he may fail to see Macbeth Act 4 Scene 2 and 3 2. Examine the conversation between Ross and Lady Macduff. • What language does she use to describe her husband’s absence and what does that language communicate about her tone? • What language and phrases does Ross use to communicate his understanding of Macduff and the situation in Scotland? What does it tell you about his view of Macduff’s absence? 3. Now examine the conversation between Lady

Macduff and her son • What kind of language characterizes the conversation between them? • Examine the language used and then decide what it communicates about Lady Macduff’s view of her husband and the relationship between Lady Macduff and her son? 4. Finally, look at what Lady Macduff says in response to the messenger- what does she mean and how does what she says here and throughout the conversation with her son juxtapose with the murder to make to even more gruesome and evil? Macbeth Act 4 Scene 4 5. Where is Malcolm and why does Macduff seek him out? 6. What phrases and words does Macduff use to describe the conditions of Scotland? 7. What language does Malcolm use to describe Macbeth? 8. Why does Malcolm initially believe Macduff has come to England? a. Why specifically is he suspicious of Macduff? b. What is Macduff’s explanation? c. How does this conversation feel knowing, as the audience does, that Macduff’s entire family has been killed? What is the purpose of

positioning the last scene before this conversation? 9. After Malcolm says, “Be not offended” he goes on to describe what the country would be like under his own rule through line 99. List the examples that he gives to Macduff: 10. Examine Macduff’s reaction of “O Scotland, Scotland!” to “O, my breast,/Thy hope ends here!” Why is this reaction enough to convince Malcolm that Macduff is honest in his intentions? 11. What does the exchange with the doctor reveal about the King with whom Malcolm is staying and why is this placed in the play at all? 12. Why does Malcolm test Macduff in this way? What does this foreshadow about Malcolm as King that will be different from how his father ruled? 13. Why doesn’t Ross just say what he knows about Lady Macduff and the childrena How does he first say it without saying it? b. What does he say about the words that he is about to speak- what does he mean? 14. What does Macduff’s reaction, “He has no children” (33216) mean

(there could be several interpretations)? 15. There is a discussion of being a “man” What is said? ACT 5: Macbeth Act 5 Scene 1 1. How does Lady Macbeth’s language compare to things she said earlier in the play Find examples of things that she says that are similar to what she said earlier in the play. Identify the quotation from this scene and then find the corresponding quotation from earlier in the play. Make sure that you include Act.sceneline# Finally, note any changes to the language and explain what it communicates to the reader about her state of mind, her characterization, etc. 2. Did you expect this to happen to Lady Macbeth? Why or why not? Macbeth Act 5 Scene 2, 3, 4 3. Look closely at lines 19-20: “Those he commands move only in command, Nothing in love” • What do these lines mean? • Why does Angus seem to think that this will help them and hurt Macbeth? 4. What is the purpose of placing this scene here? How does it contrast with how Macbeth used to be

discussed by fellow soldiers? 5. How does Macbeth’s spoken word characterize his attitude- does it shift or stay the same and what does that indicate as well? 6. What does he say about how life should have been? Why does he bring this up? Macbeth Act 5 Scene 5 Look first at the following lines’ “I have supped full with horrors, Direness, Familiar to my slaughterous thoughts. Cannot one start me.” 7. These lines state Macbeth’s view of his past What are three key words that express his attitude toward his pas? How has his experience affected him? 8. Now read the famous soliloquy “Tomorrow, and tomorrow, and tomorrow” Lines 19-28 This expresses his view of his later life. What images does he use, what do they mean and what do they convey about his mindset? 9. Discuss Macbeth’s reaction to the news about Birnam Wood marching on Dunsinane How do his words help you characterize his mindset at the end of this scene? 10. Do you think that Macbeth deeply feels the death of

his wife? Explain why or why not, using examples from the text to support your opinion. Macbeth Act 5 Scene 6, 7, 8 11. In the midst of the battle against the tyrant, Macbeth kills Young Siward After Macbeth himself has been murdered, there is a conversation about the death in 5.8 lines 38-54 a. What views of the soldier’s death are stated and by whom? b. How do the views in Macbeth echo or differ from the views of a soldier’s death today? c. How do these views relate to what it means to be a man? 12. Examine Malcolm’s speech at the end a. What factual things does the audience learn in the speech? b. What kind of distinct language does he use or mention that indicate new beginnings for himself and Scotland?