Macbeth Act I and II Study Guide
1. How is the witches’ first chant is a paradox; what do they say? Everything bad becomes good and everything good becomes bad “Fair is foul, foul is fair”
2. What tone do the witches establish in the opening scene of the play? How so? An ominous (dark and scary) mood because of the storm and how the speak
3. In scene 2 what do we learn about the following:
a. With whom is Scotland at war? Norway
b. What is Macbeth’s title? Thane of Glamis
c. How has Macbeth become a hero? He won several battles, defeated Macdonwald, also conquered the armies of the King of Norway and the Scottish traitor, the Thane of Cawdor.
d. What has happened involving the thane of Cawdor? He is a traitor to the King so Duncan has him executed and says to give the title of King of Cawdor to Macbeth
4. What new title does Macbeth receive? Thane of Cawdor
5. In scene 3 why is the first witch angry? What does she want to do for revenge? Why is this important to the play? A fat, ugly woman would not give her chestnuts and told her it was because she was a witch. The woman husband is a sailor so she says she will torture him by controlling the winds and making it to where he does not sleep or get to land for weeks. You can see how easily the witches get mad and what power they have to control things.
6. What are the witches’ prophesies for Macbeth? He will become Thane of Cawdor and King
7. What are the witches’ prophesies for Banquo? He will be the father of a King
8. How does each man react to this? They don’t know wether to believe it or not at first but then Macbeth is given the title Thane of Cawdor and they begin to believe it and they are in shock and think they may be imaging it.
9. What is the reference to borrowed robes? Explain the metaphor.
He doesn’t know that the King has given him the title of the Thane of Cawdor yet so he believes that it belongs to someone else thus the “borrowed robes”. 10. Whom does Duncan
2. What tone do the witches establish in the opening scene of the play? How so? An ominous (dark and scary) mood because of the storm and how the speak
3. In scene 2 what do we learn about the following:
a. With whom is Scotland at war? Norway
b. What is Macbeth’s title? Thane of Glamis
c. How has Macbeth become a hero? He won several battles, defeated Macdonwald, also conquered the armies of the King of Norway and the Scottish traitor, the Thane of Cawdor.
d. What has happened involving the thane of Cawdor? He is a traitor to the King so Duncan has him executed and says to give the title of King of Cawdor to Macbeth
4. What new title does Macbeth receive? Thane of Cawdor
5. In scene 3 why is the first witch angry? What does she want to do for revenge? Why is this important to the play? A fat, ugly woman would not give her chestnuts and told her it was because she was a witch. The woman husband is a sailor so she says she will torture him by controlling the winds and making it to where he does not sleep or get to land for weeks. You can see how easily the witches get mad and what power they have to control things.
6. What are the witches’ prophesies for Macbeth? He will become Thane of Cawdor and King
7. What are the witches’ prophesies for Banquo? He will be the father of a King
8. How does each man react to this? They don’t know wether to believe it or not at first but then Macbeth is given the title Thane of Cawdor and they begin to believe it and they are in shock and think they may be imaging it.
9. What is the reference to borrowed robes? Explain the metaphor.
He doesn’t know that the King has given him the title of the Thane of Cawdor yet so he believes that it belongs to someone else thus the “borrowed robes”. 10. Whom does Duncan