Macbeth Study Guide (Act III)

1. About how much time has passed between the end of the previous Act and the
beginning of this one? (1.x)

2. What question is Banquo asking himself in the Act’s opening lines? (1.1-10)

3. Where has Macbeth invited Banquo, and why is he so eager that Banquo accept the
invitation? (1.x)

4. Who is Fleance? (1.x)

5. Macbeth says, “Our fears in Banquo/Stick deep.” Why does he feel this way? (1.47-
72)

6. What does Macbeth ask the murderers to do? (1.128-139)

7. What tactic does he use to try to convince them to do it? (1.91-108)

8. How has Macbeth’s nature changed since the beginning of the play? Do you think he
has changed, or was he always really this way?

9. Macbeth says, “We have scorched the snake, not killed it.” What earlier words of
Lady Macbeth’s does this recall, and why is this ironic? (2.15)

10. Macbeth says, “Better be with the dead,/Whom we, to gain our peace, have sent to
peace,/Than on the torture of the mind to lie/In restless ecstasy.” What is the
significance of this statement? (2. 21-24)

11. What is notable about the way that Macbeth and Lady Macbeth speak to each other
in this scene, compared with earlier scenes? (2.x)

12. Macbeth decides not to share his plan with Lady Macbeth. What reason does he give
for this decision? Is his reason sincere, in your opinion? (2.x)

13. Who is murdered? Who survives? (3.x)

14. The first murderer says, “Let it come down.” What is “it,” and why is this significant?
(3.17)

15. What news does the murderer bring to Macbeth? How does he receive this news?
(4.x)

16. What vision appears to Macbeth? (4.x)

17. What does this vision symbolize? (4.x)

18. What vision appears to us in the audience? Explain why. (4.x)

19. How does Lady Macbeth attempt to explain away her husband’s odd behavior?
(4.53-58)

20.Does Lady Macbeth understand what her husband is seeing? Why? (4.x)

21. Macbeth says, “It will have blood, they say. Blood will have blood.” What is the
significance of this statement? (4.122)

22. Why is Hecate upset with the witches? (5.x)

23. What, in your opinion, is the dramatic purpose of this scene? (5.x)

24. What does Lennox think of Macbeth? (6.x)

25. Where has Macduff gone? Why? (6.24-39)