Notes of Macbeth by William Shakespeare

Multiple Choice Questions (MCQs)

Act 1

1. What is the setting of the opening scene of Macbeth?

a) A battlefield b) A heath c) Macbeth’s castle d) Duncan’s court
Ans: b) A heath
2. Who is sentenced to death by King Duncan in Act 1?
a) Macbeth b) Banquo c) The Thane of Cawdor d) Macduff
Ans: c) The Thane of Cawdor
3. What title is given to Macbeth after the execution of the Thane of Cawdor?
a) Duke of Scotland b) Thane of Glamis
c) Thane of Fife d) Thane of Cawdor
Ans: d) Thane of Cawdor
4. Who says, "Fair is foul, and foul is fair"?
a) Macbeth b) Lady Macbeth c) The witches d) Banquo
Ans: c) The witches
5. How does Banquo describe the witches upon first meeting them?
a) As beautiful and angelic b) As withered and wild
c) As deceitful and cunning d) As wise and prophetic
Ans: b) As withered and wild
6. What is Lady Macbeth’s reaction to Macbeth’s letter about the witches’ prophecies?
a) She dismisses it as nonsense b) She decides to murder Duncan herself
c) She wants to help Macbeth become king d) She warns Macbeth against believing them
Ans: c) She wants to help Macbeth become king
7. What advice does Lady Macbeth give Macbeth regarding his behavior?
a) To act boldly and fearlessly b) To appear innocent while hiding his true intentions
 c) To seek advice from the witches d) To confess his ambitions to Duncan
Ans: b) To appear innocent while hiding his true intentions
8. Who does Duncan name as his successor?
a) Macbeth b) Malcolm c) Banquo d) Macduff
Ans: b) Malcolm

Act 2

9. What is the significance of the bell Lady Macbeth rings?

a) It signals Macbeth to kill Duncan b) It announces Duncan’s arrival
c) It warns the guards of intruders d) It signals Banquo’s death
Ans: a) It signals Macbeth to kill Duncan
[Link] does Macbeth hear after killing Duncan?
a) "Sleep no more! Macbeth does murder sleep." b) "Beware Macduff!"
c) "Fair is foul, and foul is fair." d) "All hail, Macbeth!"
Ans: a) "Sleep no more! Macbeth does murder sleep."
[Link] does Lady Macbeth say she could not kill Duncan herself?
a) She was afraid of being caught
b) Duncan resembled her father as he slept
c) She wanted Macbeth to prove his bravery
d) She thought the witches’ prophecy would fulfill itself
Ans: b) Duncan resembled her father as he slept
[Link] does Macbeth forget to do after murdering Duncan?
a) Lock the doors b) Wash the blood off his hands
c) Plant the daggers with the guards d) Inform Lady Macbeth
Ans: c) Plant the daggers with the guards
 [Link] discovers Duncan’s body?
a) Macbeth b) Lady Macbeth c) Macduff d) Banquo
Ans: c) Macduff

Act 3

[Link] does Macbeth fear Banquo?

a) Banquo is plotting against him
b) Banquo’s descendants were prophesied to inherit the throne
c) Banquo knows about Duncan’s murder
d) Banquo is more popular among the nobles
Ans: b) Banquo’s descendants were prophesied to inherit the throne
[Link] escapes the murderers hired by Macbeth?
a) Banquo b) Fleance c) Macduff d) Malcolm
Ans: b) Fleance
[Link] vision does Macbeth see at the banquet?
a) Duncan’s ghost b) The witches c) Banquo’s ghost d) Lady Macbeth’s death
Ans: c) Banquo’s ghost
[Link] does Lady Macbeth do to cover for Macbeth’s strange behavior at the banquet?
a) Claims he is ill b) Blames the guards
c) Dismisses the guests d) Tells everyone he is mourning Duncan’s death
Ans: a) Claims he is ill

Act 4

[Link] is the first apparition the witches show Macbeth?

a) A bloody child b) An armed head
 c) A crowned child holding a tree d) A line of kings
Ans: b) An armed head
[Link] prophecy does the second apparition make?
a) "Beware Macduff."
b) "No man born of a woman shall harm Macbeth."
c) "Macbeth will be defeated when Birnam Wood moves to Dunsinane Hill."
d) "Banquo’s descendants will rule Scotland."
Ans: b) "No man born of a woman shall harm Macbeth."
[Link] does Malcolm test Macduff’s loyalty?
a) He fears Macduff is a spy for Macbeth
b) He wants to determine Macduff’s strength
c) He doubts Macduff’s ability to lead an army
d) He believes Macduff supports Banquo’s descendants
Ans: a) He fears Macduff is a spy for Macbeth

Act 5

[Link] is Lady Macbeth’s mental state in Act 5?

a) She is confident and determined b) She is consumed by guilt and madness
c) She is plotting Macbeth’s downfall d) She is indifferent to the events around her
Ans: b) She is consumed by guilt and madness
[Link] does Macbeth realize about life in his "Tomorrow, and tomorrow, and
tomorrow" soliloquy?
a) Life is full of hope and potential b) Life is brief and meaningless
c) Life is controlled by fate d) Life is a battle between good and evil
Ans: b) Life is brief and meaningless
 [Link] ultimately kills Macbeth?
a) Malcolm b) Macduff c) Banquo d) Fleance
Ans: b) Macduff
[Link] does Macduff defeat Macbeth despite the prophecy?
a) He is aided by the witches b) He was born by a cesarean section
c) He uses a special weapon d) He catches Macbeth off guard
Ans: b) He was born by a cesarean section
[Link] is Malcolm’s final act in the play?
a) Declaring himself king b) Rewarding Macduff
c) Punishing the witches d) Banishing Fleance
Ans: a) Declaring himself king

Reasoning Based Questions (RBQs) from Macbeth by William Shakespeare

Act I:

1. Why do the witches plan to meet Macbeth?

Ans: To influence his ambition and foreshadow his future as king.
2. What does the phrase “Fair is foul, and foul is fair” suggest about the play’s themes?
Ans: It indicates the theme of appearances versus reality and moral ambiguity.
3. Why does Duncan praise Macbeth and Banquo in Act I, Scene 2?
Ans: For their bravery and loyalty in defeating the rebels.
4. How does Macbeth react to the witches' prophecy of becoming king?
Ans: He is intrigued but conflicted, as the idea of murder tempts him.
5. What prophecy do the witches give Banquo?
Ans: That he will not be king but will father a line of kings.
6. Why does Lady Macbeth call on spirits to "unsex" her?
Ans: She wants to shed her feminine qualities to commit ruthless acts.
7. What advice does Lady Macbeth give Macbeth regarding Duncan’s murder?
Ans: To appear innocent while secretly harboring murderous intentions.
8. Why does Duncan visit Macbeth’s castle?
Ans: To honor Macbeth’s loyalty and celebrate his victory.
9. How does Macbeth’s soliloquy in Act I, Scene 7 reveal his internal conflict?
Ans: He debates the morality of killing Duncan versus his ambition.
[Link] does Macbeth ultimately decide to proceed with the murder?
Ans: Lady Macbeth manipulates him, questioning his courage and ambition.

[Link] does Duncan reward Macbeth with the title of Thane of Cawdor?
Ans: Macbeth’s bravery and loyalty in defeating the traitor earn him the king’s favor.
[Link] does Banquo warn Macbeth about the witches’ prophecies?
Ans: He suspects the witches may deceive them to lead to harm.
[Link] does Macbeth hesitate to believe the prophecy that he will be king?
Ans: The idea of such a rise in power seems impossible without treachery.
[Link] does Lady Macbeth urge Macbeth to murder Duncan?
Ans: She believes it is the quickest way to fulfill the prophecy and achieve power.
[Link] does Lady Macbeth question Macbeth’s manhood in Act I, Scene 7?
Ans: To manipulate him into committing the murder by challenging his resolve.
[Link] does Macbeth refer to Duncan as a “double trust”?
Ans: Duncan trusts him as a subject and a host, making betrayal even more sinful.
[Link] does Duncan’s decision to name Malcolm his heir upset Macbeth?
Ans: It creates another obstacle between Macbeth and the throne.
[Link] does Macbeth decide to continue with the murder by the end of Act I?
Ans: Lady Macbeth’s manipulation and his own ambition overcome his doubts.
[Link] is the witches’ chant, “Fair is foul, and foul is fair,” significant?
Ans: It establishes the theme of appearances versus reality and moral confusion.
Act II

[Link] does Macbeth see a dagger before Duncan’s murder?

Ans: It symbolizes his guilt and hesitation, reflecting his inner turmoil.
[Link] does Lady Macbeth take charge after the murder?
Ans: Macbeth is too shaken by guilt to return the daggers to the scene.
[Link] does Macbeth claim he will “sleep no more”?
Ans: He feels his crime has destroyed his peace and ability to rest.
[Link] does Lady Macbeth dismiss Macbeth’s guilt over the murder?
Ans: She believes focusing on remorse will weaken their resolve.
[Link] does Macbeth kill Duncan’s guards?
Ans: To frame them for the murder and prevent their defense.
[Link] do Malcolm and Donalbain flee after Duncan’s death?
Ans: They fear for their lives, suspecting they may be the next targets.
[Link] does Banquo remain suspicious of Macbeth?
Ans: He recalls the witches’ prophecy and suspects foul play.
[Link] is the porter scene included after Duncan’s murder?
Ans: It provides comic relief and symbolises the gates of hell.
[Link] does Macduff refuse to attend Macbeth’s coronation?
Ans: He doubts Macbeth’s innocence and begins to suspect him.
[Link] do unnatural events occur after Duncan’s murder?
Ans: They symbolize the disruption of the natural order caused by regicide.

[Link] vision does Macbeth have before murdering Duncan?

Ans: A floating dagger leading him to Duncan’s chamber.
[Link] does Lady Macbeth assist in Duncan’s murder?
Ans: She drugs the guards and lays the daggers ready for Macbeth.
[Link] is Macbeth unable to say “Amen” after the murder?
Ans: His guilt creates a spiritual disconnect and unease.
 [Link] does Macbeth mean by “Sleep no more! Macbeth does murder sleep”?
Ans: He believes his guilt will rob him of peace and rest.
[Link] does Lady Macbeth react when Macbeth refuses to return the daggers?
Ans: She takes charge and returns them herself, smearing the guards with blood.
[Link] does the porter scene follow Duncan’s murder?
Ans: To provide comic relief and symbolise the gates of hell.
[Link] does Macbeth justify killing Duncan’s guards?
Ans: He claims it was out of rage for their alleged betrayal.
[Link] do Malcolm and Donalbain flee after Duncan’s murder?
Ans: They fear for their own lives as the next potential targets.
[Link] unnatural events occur after Duncan’s murder?
Ans: Darkness during the day, an owl killing a falcon, and Duncan’s horses eating each
other.
[Link] does Macduff refuse to attend Macbeth’s coronation?
Ans: He suspects Macbeth’s involvement in Duncan’s murder.

Act III:

[Link] does Banquo grow suspicious of Macbeth in Act III, Scene 1?

Ans: He remembers the witches’ prophecy and suspects Macbeth of foul play.
[Link] motivates Macbeth to plot Banquo’s murder?
Ans: Fear of Banquo’s descendants taking the throne, as predicted by the witches.
[Link] does Macbeth not tell Lady Macbeth about his plans for Banquo?
Ans: He begins to act independently, showing his descent into tyranny.
[Link] are the murderers Macbeth hires, and why does he recruit them?
Ans: Common men who resent Banquo and can be manipulated into killing him.
[Link] does Lady Macbeth feel about her new role as queen?
Ans: She feels unsatisfied and anxious, reflecting on the consequences of their actions.
[Link] is Fleance’s escape significant?
Ans: It leaves open the possibility of Banquo’s descendants becoming kings.
[Link] does Banquo’s ghost affect Macbeth during the banquet?
Ans: It reveals Macbeth’s guilt and paranoia (terror), causing a public outburst.
[Link] advice does Lady Macbeth give to calm Macbeth during the banquet?
Ans: She urges him to stop focusing on what cannot be changed.
[Link] does Macbeth visit the witches again after the banquet?
Ans: To seek reassurance and control over his future.
[Link] does Hecate plan to do to Macbeth?
Ans: To deceive him with visions that will increase his overconfidence.

[Link] does Macbeth fear Banquo?

Ans: Banquo’s noble character and the prophecy about his descendants threaten Macbeth’s
rule.
[Link] does Macbeth decide to kill Banquo and Fleance?
Ans: To eliminate the threat to his throne and prevent the prophecy from coming true.
[Link] does Macbeth hide his plan to kill Banquo from Lady Macbeth?
Ans: He begins to act independently, showing his growing ruthlessness.
[Link] does Fleance’s escape worry Macbeth?
Ans: It leaves open the possibility of Banquo’s lineage continuing.
[Link] does Banquo’s ghost appear during the banquet?
Ans: It symbolizes Macbeth’s guilt and fear of being exposed.
[Link] does Lady Macbeth downplay Macbeth’s outburst at the banquet?
Ans: To protect their image and prevent suspicion among the guests.
[Link] does Macbeth decide to visit the witches again?
Ans: He seeks further guidance to secure his power.
 [Link] does Hecate plan to mislead Macbeth with false security?
Ans: To punish him for acting without consulting her and to ensure his downfall.
[Link] does Macbeth’s paranoia intensify after Banquo’s murder?
Ans: Fleance’s escape and Banquo’s ghost deepen his insecurity.
[Link] does Lennox begin to question Macbeth’s actions?
Ans: The series of suspicious deaths makes Macbeth’s guilt evident to others.

Act IV

[Link] does Macbeth trust the witches’ apparitions?

Ans: Their cryptic messages make him overconfident and blind to their true meaning.
[Link] does the first apparition (armed head) warn Macbeth about Macduff?
Ans: To manipulate Macbeth into focusing on Macduff as a threat.
[Link] does Macbeth dismiss the threat of Macduff after the second apparition?
Ans: The prophecy that no one born of a woman can harm him gives him false security.
[Link] does Macbeth order the murder of Macduff’s family?
Ans: To punish Macduff for fleeing to England and to intimidate others.
[Link] does Lady Macduff accuse Macduff of betrayal?
Ans: She believes he abandoned his family by fleeing without explanation.
[Link] does Malcolm test Macduff’s loyalty in England?
Ans: To ensure Macduff is not a spy sent by Macbeth.
[Link] does Malcolm pretend to have vices during his test of Macduff?
Ans: To gauge Macduff’s integrity and commitment to Scotland.
[Link] does Macduff vow revenge against Macbeth?
Ans: The murder of his family fuels his personal desire for justice.
[Link] does Malcolm rally an army against Macbeth?
Ans: To reclaim the throne and restore Scotland’s rightful order.
 [Link] is the imagery of blood significant in this act?
Ans: It symbolizes guilt, vengeance, and the increasing violence of Macbeth’s reign.

[Link] do the witches show Macbeth during his second visit?

Ans: Apparitions that warn him about Macduff, promise his invincibility, and foretell
Banquo’s heirs.
[Link] is the significance of the second apparition (a bloody child)?
Ans: It tells Macbeth no one born of a woman will harm him, giving him false confidence.
[Link] does the third apparition (a child with a crown and tree) symbolize?
Ans: Malcolm and the eventual fall of Macbeth through Birnham Wood.
[Link] does Macbeth order the murder of Macduff’s family?
Ans: Out of anger and to punish Macduff for fleeing to England.
[Link] does Lady Macduff react to Macduff’s departure?
Ans: She feels betrayed and abandoned, unable to understand his decision.
[Link] happens to Lady Macduff and her children?
Ans: They are brutally murdered by Macbeth’s hired killers.
[Link] does Malcolm test Macduff’s loyalty?
Ans: To ensure Macduff is not a spy for Macbeth.
[Link] virtues does Malcolm claim to lack during the test?
Ans: Honesty, loyalty, and morality, which he later admits are false claims.
[Link] does Macduff react to the news of his family’s murder?
Ans: He is devastated but converts his grief into a resolve to put an end to Macbeth.
[Link] is the purpose of Macduff’s declaration, “Front to front bring thou this fiend of
Scotland and myself”?
Ans: It signifies his personal vow to confront and kill Macbeth.

Act V
[Link] is Lady Macbeth’s mental state in Act V?
Ans: She is consumed by guilt, leading to sleepwalking and obsessive hand washing.
[Link] does Lady Macbeth’s hand washing symbolise?
Ans: Her attempt to cleanse herself of the guilt for Duncan’s murder.
[Link] does Macbeth remain confident despite the advancing army?
Ans: He believes the witches’ prophecy makes him invincible.
[Link] is significant about Birnham Wood moving toward Dunsinane?
Ans: It fulfills the witches’ prophecy, signaling Macbeth’s downfall.
[Link] does Macbeth refuse to surrender?
Ans: His pride and belief in his invincibility prevent him from accepting defeat.
[Link] does Macbeth realise when he confronts Macduff?
Ans: That Macduff was born unnaturally (by a caesarean section), fulfilling the prophecy.
[Link] does Lady Macbeth die?
Ans: She dies offstage, presumably by suicide, due to her overwhelming guilt.
[Link] does Malcolm describe Macbeth and Lady Macbeth as “dead butcher and his
fiend-like queen”?
Ans: To criticise their cruelty and ambition that led to so much death.
[Link] does Malcolm restore order after Macbeth’s death?
Ans: He invites everyone to his coronation and pledges to heal Scotland.
[Link] is the moral lesson of Macbeth?
Ans: Ambition unchecked by moral constraints leads to ruin and destruction.

[Link] does Lady Macbeth begin to sleepwalk?

Ans: Her suppressed guilt manifests in her subconscious, revealing her mental breakdown.
[Link] does Lady Macbeth obsessively wash her hands?
Ans: She tries to cleanse herself of the metaphorical blood and guilt from the murders.
[Link] does Macbeth remain confident despite the advancing army?
Ans: He believes the witches’ prophecy makes him invincible.
[Link] does Birnham Wood moving toward Dunsinane alarm Macbeth?
Ans: It fulfills the witches’ prophecy, signaling his impending defeat.
[Link] does Macbeth refuse to surrender?
Ans: His pride and belief in fate prevent him from conceding.
[Link] does Macduff reveal he was “from his mother’s womb untimely ripped”?
Ans: To expose Macbeth’s false sense of security and fulfill the prophecy.
[Link] does Lady Macbeth die offstage?
Ans: Shakespeare emphasizes her mental deterioration over her physical death.
[Link] does Malcolm describe Macbeth as a “dead butcher”?
Ans: To condemn Macbeth’s tyrannical and bloody reign.
[Link] does Malcolm offer hope at the end of the play?
Ans: To signal the restoration of order and the healing of Scotland.
[Link] is the downfall of Macbeth inevitable?
Ans: His unchecked ambition, reliance on the witches, and moral corruption lead to his
destruction.