Macbeth Study Questions Act 1
Scene 1:
1. What mood does the weather create, and how does it reflect the
events to come?
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2. What is the meaning of the witches’ chant, “Fair is foul, and foul is
fair”?
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3. The Elizabethan audience actually believed in witches; a modern
audience does not. What difference could this make in the reactions
of the two groups to the prophecies of witches?
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Scene 2:
4. What news does the captain bring to King Duncan?
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5. What qualities of Macbeth are highlighted in the captain’s report?
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6. What reward does Duncan give Macbeth, and why?
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7. Why is Macbeth’s promotion to Thane of Cawdor significant?
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Scene 3:
8. Macbeth says “So foul and fair a day I have not seen” (p. 4). What
does this imply?
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9. What prophecy do the witches give to Banquo?
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10. What is the difference between Macbeth's and Banquo's
reactions to the witches?
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Scene 1:
1. What mood does the weather create, and how does it reflect the
events to come?
___________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________
2. What is the meaning of the witches’ chant, “Fair is foul, and foul is
fair”?
___________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________
3. The Elizabethan audience actually believed in witches; a modern
audience does not. What difference could this make in the reactions
of the two groups to the prophecies of witches?
___________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________
Scene 2:
4. What news does the captain bring to King Duncan?
___________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________
5. What qualities of Macbeth are highlighted in the captain’s report?
, ___________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________
6. What reward does Duncan give Macbeth, and why?
___________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________
7. Why is Macbeth’s promotion to Thane of Cawdor significant?
___________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________
Scene 3:
8. Macbeth says “So foul and fair a day I have not seen” (p. 4). What
does this imply?
___________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________
9. What prophecy do the witches give to Banquo?
___________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________
10. What is the difference between Macbeth's and Banquo's
reactions to the witches?
___________________________________________________________________________
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