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Macbeth Comprehension Questions
Act 1
Act I, Scene i
1. What characteristics of the supernatural are commonly associated with witches?
Which of these characteristics are evident in this Scene?
2. What are some of the methods that Shakespeare uses to spark the audience’s
interest?
3. Describe the atmosphere in this scene. How does it foreshadow that the play
might be a tragedy?
4. What is significant about the witches’ final two lines?
5. Witches-symbols of evil- are seeking Macbeth. What might this imply about
Macbeth’s character, even though we have not yet been introduced to him?
Act I, Scene ii
1. What battle has just been fought, and who has emerged victorious?
2. What tributes are paid to Macbeth by a) the soldier, b) Duncan, and c) Ross?
3. A) What traits does Duncan exhibit that show him to be a good king? B) What
traits suggest that he may be a weak king?
4. Duncan decrees that Macbeth is to receive the title of the Thane of Cawdor.
a. Why is Macbeth being given this title?
b. What is foreshadowed by this action?
5. Explain the meaning of Duncan’s remark “What he hath lost noble Macbeth
hath won.” Is there anything ironic about this statement? Explain.
Act I, Scene iii
1. a) How does Macbeth’s first line establish a foreboding atmosphere?
b) What does this line mean at the literal level?
c) What does it suggest at a deeper level?
2. What is Banquo’s reaction to the witches? What seems unreal about them?
3. Name the four prophesies. Indicate the prophecies that are fulfilled.
4. Explain the irony of the witches’ prophecies for Banquo in the light of the
prophecy that Macbeth “shalt be king hereafter.”
5. Compare and contrast Macbeth’s and Banquo’s reactions to the prophecies.
What do these contrasts reveal about their character, values, and ambitions?
6. Explain the following line: “This supernatural soliciting/Cannot be ill; cannot be
good;” (lines ______). In what ways does Macbeth see the prophecies as having
both “fair” and “foul” potential?
Act I, Scene iv
1. Discuss how the mood of Scene 4 contrasts to the moods in Scenes 1 to 3.
2. What is ironic about Duncan’s assessment of Cawdor and Macbeth?
3. Examine Macbeth’s words when he first arrives in the court. What do his remarks
reveal about a) his nature as a soldier and b) his potential as a king?
4. Explain Macbeth’s aside. Examine his reaction to the naming of a successor to
the throne and his considerations for future actions.
Act I, Scene v
1. Lady Macbeth analyses Macbeth’s character after reading his letter. What
positive and negative qualities does she attribute to him?
2. According to Lady Macbeth’s prayer to the evil spirits, what character traits must
she possess if she is to be an instrumental ally in gaining Macbeth the crown?
What do these traits imply about the deed she is contemplating and its
immediate and future success? Has she considered the negative consequences
her actions may bring? Why or why not?
3. Explain what is foreshadowed by “He that’s coming/Must be provided for; and
you shall put/This night’s great business into my dispatch;” (line _______).
4. a) How does Macbeth indicate his unwillingness to be a part of Lady Macbeth’s
conspiracy?
b) Suggest reasons for his hesitancy?
c) What is Lady Macbeth’s response?
Act I, Scene vi
1. Describe Duncan’s and Banquo’s reaction to the castle. What do their reactions
reveal about them?
2. Find evidence that Duncan trusts Macbeth.
3. What traits does Lady Macbeth exhibit that prove she has mastered hiding
behind a mask?
4. How does this scene demonstrate the “fair is foul and foul is fair” theme?
5. Suggest reasons why Shakespeare included this rather pleasant scene by
explaining how the scene a) advances the action of the play; b) foreshadows
future events; and c) develops the characters.
Act I, Scene vii
1. What pictures surface in Macbeth’s imagination that cause him to hesitate at
are about murdering the king? Which image do you think has the strongest
effect on his attitude?
2. a) Explain Macbeth’s contemplation of Duncan and his duties as king.
b) Explain the meaning of “He’s here in double trust.”
c) What are the five insights that sway him towards sparing the king’s life?
3. Macbeth’s soliloquy reveals that he still possesses several redeemable qualities.
What are they? What traits does he reveal by the end of the scene?
4. a) How important is the influence of Lady Macbeth on Macbeth’s final decision?
b) In what ways is Lady Macbeth a skillful manipulator of Macbeth’s
weaknesses?
c) In what ways has their relationship changed since Scene 5?
5. In Scene 5, Lady Macbeth called upon the evil spirits to fill her “from crown to the
toe top-full of direst cruelty.” In what ways does her behaviour in Scene 7 exhibit
the beginnings of “direst cruelty”?
6. What traits does Macbeth exhibit that Macbeth praises and admires? What does
this reveal about each character?
7. Explain the irony of the last two lines in the scene.