MACBETH ALL ACTS COMPREHENSIVE
EXAM STUDY GUIDE WITH COMPLETE
SOLUTIONS
●● In order to be successful, Lady Macbeth
____________________________ in her first soliloquy in Act I.
Answer: invokes evil spirits to give her a spiritual sex change, rendering
her violent
●● In Act I, __________________________ is a traitor to Scotland in
the Civil War and __________________________ is a traitor to
Scotland in Norway's Siege
Answer: MacDonwald/ Thane of Cawdor
●● In Act I, scene i, the witches state, "Fair is foul and foul is fair/
Hover through the fog and fifthly air." What literary device appears here
(twice) in bold? What is its significance?
Answer: paradox; it signifies one of the play's thematic elements (that
appearances are deceptive)
●● At the very beginning of the play, what is Macbeth's title?
Answer: Thane of Glamis
,●● While Lady Macbeth makes invocations that are more clearly "the
dark arts," in a realistic historical context, it would be extremely unlikely
for her to become accused of witchcraft given her social station & her
family wealth. What sort of irony is this?
Answer: situational irony
●● In Act I, scene i, three witches gather in a wood (forest) to discuss
making their schemes against Scotland and Macbeth. The decide the
location: a heath. What is the heath's significance?
Answer: It's associated with untamed land, & therefore evil.
●● Place the following prophecies made toward Macbeth in Act I in
order, where the first is the first witch's prophecy, the 2nd is the 2nd
witch's prophecy, and the 3rd is the 3rd witch's prophecy.
Answer: "Hail, Thane of Glamis!"
"Hail, Thane of Cawdor!"
"Hail, King of Scotland (soon to be)!"
●● What is a Thane?
Answer: A Thane is a Scottish lord whose status is acquired through his
skill as a general & soldier in the king's armies.
●● Extra Credit: What is the same of the famous Scottish weapon often
seen within battle details and historical records?
, Answer: claymore
●● What is the most cunning element of the witches' prophecies for both
Banquo & Macbeth (specifically, the 3rd prophecy for each)?
Answer: The prophecies pit their fates & interests against each other, as
they would conflict.
●● The first descriptors of the main character (i.e., Macbeth) are
"brave", "noble," and "valiant." He also doesn't appear on-stage until
scene iii of Act I. How does this choice relate to the Shakespearean
Tragic Hero structure?
Answer: A Shakespearean Tragic Hero must begin the narrative in an
elevated social status or position.
●● Often in Act I (& throughout the play), there's a pattern in which
those who are the most skilled or most genuine have the least amount of
lines/words (probably because they are secure, not insecure). What sort
of irony is this?
Answer: situational
●● Multiple Choice: In Act I, scene vii, Lady Macbeth convinces
Macbeth to go through with the murder of Duncan. In order to convince
him, she does all of the following except....
Answer: tells him she'll do it all, including the actual murder itself.
EXAM STUDY GUIDE WITH COMPLETE
SOLUTIONS
●● In order to be successful, Lady Macbeth
____________________________ in her first soliloquy in Act I.
Answer: invokes evil spirits to give her a spiritual sex change, rendering
her violent
●● In Act I, __________________________ is a traitor to Scotland in
the Civil War and __________________________ is a traitor to
Scotland in Norway's Siege
Answer: MacDonwald/ Thane of Cawdor
●● In Act I, scene i, the witches state, "Fair is foul and foul is fair/
Hover through the fog and fifthly air." What literary device appears here
(twice) in bold? What is its significance?
Answer: paradox; it signifies one of the play's thematic elements (that
appearances are deceptive)
●● At the very beginning of the play, what is Macbeth's title?
Answer: Thane of Glamis
,●● While Lady Macbeth makes invocations that are more clearly "the
dark arts," in a realistic historical context, it would be extremely unlikely
for her to become accused of witchcraft given her social station & her
family wealth. What sort of irony is this?
Answer: situational irony
●● In Act I, scene i, three witches gather in a wood (forest) to discuss
making their schemes against Scotland and Macbeth. The decide the
location: a heath. What is the heath's significance?
Answer: It's associated with untamed land, & therefore evil.
●● Place the following prophecies made toward Macbeth in Act I in
order, where the first is the first witch's prophecy, the 2nd is the 2nd
witch's prophecy, and the 3rd is the 3rd witch's prophecy.
Answer: "Hail, Thane of Glamis!"
"Hail, Thane of Cawdor!"
"Hail, King of Scotland (soon to be)!"
●● What is a Thane?
Answer: A Thane is a Scottish lord whose status is acquired through his
skill as a general & soldier in the king's armies.
●● Extra Credit: What is the same of the famous Scottish weapon often
seen within battle details and historical records?
, Answer: claymore
●● What is the most cunning element of the witches' prophecies for both
Banquo & Macbeth (specifically, the 3rd prophecy for each)?
Answer: The prophecies pit their fates & interests against each other, as
they would conflict.
●● The first descriptors of the main character (i.e., Macbeth) are
"brave", "noble," and "valiant." He also doesn't appear on-stage until
scene iii of Act I. How does this choice relate to the Shakespearean
Tragic Hero structure?
Answer: A Shakespearean Tragic Hero must begin the narrative in an
elevated social status or position.
●● Often in Act I (& throughout the play), there's a pattern in which
those who are the most skilled or most genuine have the least amount of
lines/words (probably because they are secure, not insecure). What sort
of irony is this?
Answer: situational
●● Multiple Choice: In Act I, scene vii, Lady Macbeth convinces
Macbeth to go through with the murder of Duncan. In order to convince
him, she does all of the following except....
Answer: tells him she'll do it all, including the actual murder itself.
