Macbeth’s First Soliloquy Act 1, Scene 3
“This supernatural Soliciting cannot be ill … and nothing is But what is not.”
Answer the following questions.
1. What happened immediately before this soliloquy?
2. What happens immediately after this soliloquy?
3. What is Macbeth’s psychological state in this soliloquy?
4. Macbeth speaks of a “horrid image (that) doth unfix my hair/And make my seated heart knock at my ribs.” What is that image in his mind?
5. At this point, who does Macbeth doubt more: the witches or himself? Give your belief and two reasons for your belief.
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Macbeth’s Second Soliloquy Act 1, Scene 7
“If it were done when ’tis done, then ’twere well It were done quickly … which o’erleaps itself And falls on th’other.”
Answer the following questions.
1. What happened immediately before this soliloquy?
2. What happens immediately after this soliloquy?
3. What is Macbeth’s psychological state in this soliloquy?
4. What are Macbeth’s two greatest fears about killing Duncan?
5. Macbeth gives two reasons why he shouldn’t kill Duncan? What are they?
6. Macbeth says he has only one reason to kill Duncan? What is it?
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Macbeth’s Third Soliloquy Act 2, Scene 1
“Is this a dagger which I see before me … Words to the heat of deeds too cold breath gives.”
Answer the following questions.
1. What happened immediately before this soliloquy?
2. What happens immediately after this soliloquy?
3. What is Macbeth’s psychological state in this soliloquy?
4. Macbeth has now determined he will kill Duncan and is waiting for the signal from Lady Macbeth, the ringing of a bell. While he waits, he sees an imaginary dagger. What is Macbeth’s explanation for this vision?
5. In what way is the dagger a symbol of his decision?
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Macbeth’s Fourth Soliloquy Act 3, Scene 1
“To be thus is nothing, But to be safely thus … And champion me to the utterance!”
Answer the following questions.
1. What happened immediately before this soliloquy?
2. What happens immediately after this soliloquy?
3. What is Macbeth’s psychological state in this soliloquy?
4. What are Macbeth’s two fears about Banquo?
5. What line indicates Macbeth feels guilt about killing Duncan?
6. What does Macbeth mean when he says “under him, /My Genius is rebuked”?7. What does Macbeth mean when he says “Rather than so, come fate into the list, /And champion me to the utterance! “?
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Macbeth’s Fifth Soliloquy Act 4, Scene 1
“Time, thou anticipatest my dread exploits … This deed I’ll do before this purpose cool. But no more sights!”
Answer the following questions.
1. What happened immediately before this soliloquy?
2. What happens immediately after this soliloquy?
3. What is Macbeth’s psychological state in this soliloquy?
4. What does Macbeth mean when he says “from this moment/The very firstlings of my heart shall be/The firstlings of my hand”? Why does he vow this?
5. Does Macbeth have a reason for killing Macduff’s wife and children?
6. At the beginning of the play, Lady Macbeth said she feared her husband was “too full o’ the milk of human kindness” to kill Duncan. What has happened that has so changed him from that man to the man who orders the killing of a wife and children? List three things that you believe have changed Macbeth.
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Macbeth’s Sixth Soliloquy Act 5, Scene 3
“This push Will cheer me ever, or disseat me now … Which the poor heart would fain deny and dare not.”
Answer the following questions.
1. What happened immediately before this soliloquy?
2. What happens immediately after this soliloquy?
3. What is Macbeth’s psychological state in this soliloquy?
4. What four good things does Macbeth know he won’t have?
5. What three bad things does Macbeth have in his life, instead?
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Macbeth’s Seventh Soliloquy Act 5, Scene 5
“Tomorrow, and tomorrow, and tomorrow, Creeps in this petty pace from day to day … It is a tale Told by an idiot, full of sound and fury, Signifying nothing.”
Answer the following questions.
1. What happened immediately before this soliloquy?
2. What happens immediately after this soliloquy?
3. What is Macbeth’s psychological state in this soliloquy?
4. What two events have created Macbeth’s pessimism and despair?
5. There are four metaphors for life is this soliloquy. What are they?
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Lady Macbeth’s Soliloquy Act 1, Scene 5
“The raven himself is hoarse … Nor heaven peep through the blanket of the dark, To cry ‘Hold, hold!’ “
Answer the following questions.
1. What happened immediately before this soliloquy?
2. What happens immediately after this soliloquy?
3. What is Lady Macbeth’s psychological state in this soliloquy?
4. Find three lines in this passage that show Lady Macbeth believes her femininity will prevent her from achieving the goal of killing Duncan.
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Ask a Question/Find a Link: Go to the blog post titled Elizabethans Loved Circles or Macbeth, Act 1: Sc 1 – 3 and read the post. Then, in the Comment section, pose an intelligent question or provide a link on some element of the post. This is for marks!! Do not ask the same question others ask. Due Thursday March 14.
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MAJOR MACBETH ASSIGNMENT: Macbeth is a play rife with images. Your assignment will be to analyze four images from the play in detail. Due date : Friday April 26th
Instructions:
1. Choose four images from the list below. All of these images figure prominently in Macbeth.
a. blood
b. night and darkness
c. light and darkness
d. animals and birds
e. the unnatural
f. weather
g. clothing
h. disease and sickness
i. fear
2. Find four quotes from the play for each image.
3. For each quote, identify the speaker, the act, and the scene.
4. For each quote, identify the situation; that is, determine where the scene takes place, and what has just happened before and after the lines are spoken. In other words, what is the context of the lines?
5. Now explain the significance of the quote. Why is the quote important within the context of the play? What does the quote mean? Be specific and give details. Go to the internet or to the many, many, many sources available that discuss Macbeth.
6. Lastly, create a visual representation of some kind — ie. drawing, collage — for each image
TO RECAP THE ASSIGNMENT:
Image #1: 4 quotes explained plus one visual representation
Image #2: 4 quotes explained plus one visual representation
Image #3: 4 quotes explained plus one visual representation
Image #4: 4 quotes explained plus one visual representation
EXAMPLE OF HOW TO DO THE ASSIGNMENT:
Image: Night and Darkness
Quote:
Old Man: Three score and ten I can remember well:
Within the volume of which time I have seen
Hours dreadful and things strange; but this sore night
Hath trifled former knowing.
Ross: Ah, good father, Thou see’st, the heavens, as troubled with man’s act,
Threaten his bloody stage: by the clock, ‘tis day,
And yet dark night strangles the travelling lamp; Is’t night’s predominance, or the day’s shame,
That darkness does the face of earth entomb, When living light should kiss it?
Act 2, Scene 4, Lines 1 – 11
Speaker: Old Man and Ross.
Situation: Outside Macbeth’s castle. Duncan has been murdered. Ross and the Old Man are about to be told by Macduff that because the king’s sons have fled, they are the murder suspects.
Explanation: Elizabethans believed that when the natural order of the universe was violated, nature would reflect the disorder and be thrown into chaos. There might be a storm, for example. In this case, when there should naturally be sunshine in the daytime, there is darkness. Ross is saying that because a king has been murdered, the universe is in chaos and that is shown by the darkness in daytime. The heavens are withholding light because of the shock that the king has been murdered. The Old Man says that in his lifetime he has never seen such a dreadful, unnatural (going against God’s laws) thing as the murder of a king.
Visual Representation: Collage depicting night and darkness, showing some aspect of the quotes explained.
WatsonWork11 