Questions About Macbeth?
Macbeth is a play that remains relevant and interesting over 400 years after it was written, as is the case with many of Shakespeare’s works. Why is Shakespeare still worth reading?
Is Duncan a fool for going to Macbeth’s castle and not suspecting the danger posed to him there by Macbeth and Lady Macbeth? Why or why not?
Describe Macbeth’s behavior in the aftermath of Duncan’s murder. Does Macbeth’s behavior leave any room for readers and audience members to feel sympathy for him? Why or why not?
Think about Macbeth’s position at the conclusion of Act III. In what ways has his ambition, which allowed him to obtain the Scottish throne in the first place, begun to be detrimental to him? Cite specific examples from the play in your response.
Do you think the ways in which the predictions of the witches come true in the play’s final act are satisfying and appropriate? Or do you find the fact that the predictions are based on doublespeak and misinterpreted meanings to be disappointing?
Also for the last question: Why or why not?
Tagged with: Doublespeak • Final Act • Lady Macbeth
Filed under: Scotland
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Q1. Duncan has no idea and if a poor king and inalert man – he has already shown his weak leadership by not commanding his army and fails to see a plot emerging.
Q2. He’s a mess, a broken man. We don’t see the murder and straight away he shows complete regret – Also, Lady Macbeth talked him into it.
Q3. People are suspicious of him, e.g. lords talk in whispers. Macduff flees to England.
Q4. The witches have little bearing on actual events but plant ideas in Macbeth who carries them out. When reading the play they seem superflous, but in live action they knit the story together and help the story progress.