For the students of Class xi

Questions and Answers from "Macbeth" by William Shakespeare

Q) Describe the first meeting of Macbeth with the witches?

Answer) The witches met Macbeth for the first time in the blasted heath when Macbeth and Banquo
were coming back after crushing a rebellion led by the Thane of Cawdor and assisted by the King of
Norway. The first witch hailed Macbeth as the Thane of Glamis. The second witch called him the Thane
of Cawdor and the third witch hailed him as the future King. Then turning to Banquo, the witches said
that Banquo would be lesser than Macbeth yet greater, not so happy yet much happier, and he would
be the father of future kings. Macbeth was amazed and puzzled at the prophecies and wondered how
he could be the king when Duncan was living and having two sons to succeed him to the throne.

Q) "Macbeth is more guided by his wife and less by his ambition"--Do you support this statement? Give
reasons.

Answer) Though this is the general perception that Macbeth is more guided by his wife and less by his
ambition, we think this statement is far away from the truth. If Macbeth did not have strong ambition
within, his wife could not have instigated him to commit the murder of Duncan. In fact, Macbeth was
planning so from the moment he was hailed by the witches as the King of Scotland. Later in the play
Macbeth kills Banquo, Macduff's family and other people without any instigation from Lady Macbeth.
He is remorseless and remains self assured of his indestructibility. Therefore, though Lady Macbeth was
responsible, it was Macbeth's ambition which guided him throughout.

Q) What role does the witches play in "Macbeth"?

Answer) The witches play a very important role in "Macbeth". Had they not been there, perhaps,
Macbeth's ambition of becoming the king would have remained suppressed in his heart. The witches act
as a catalyst and increase Macbeth's desire. It is because of the witches that Macbeth decides so early to
plunge into criminality and realize his ambitions. The witches first make Macbeth hope, then give him
the confidence only to lead him slowly and steadily towards his tragedy. But the witches cannot be held
absolutely responsible for Macbeth's fall. Unlike Banquo, Macbeth could not show the strength of
character and falls prey to the dark desires of his mind.

Q) Describe in detail Macbeth's experience when he goes to kill Duncan?

Answer) When Macbeth goes to kill Duncan he experiences some of the most miserable moments of his
life. He hallucinates and sees an air drawn dagger which is bloody. When he tries to get hold of the
dagger, it vanishes into the air. Then as he murders Duncan, one of the grooms cry out "murder" and
both the grooms wake up. They pray together and say "amen". Macbeth also tries to say "amen", but
words would not come out from him. Then Macbeth hears( because of his heat oppressed brain)
someone saying that Macbeth has murdered sleep and as a result Macbeth shall sleep no more. Facing
all this nightmares, Macbeth returns to his wife.

Q) Why did Macbeth murder Banquo? How was Banquo murdered?

Answer) Macbeth murdered Banquo because Macbeth knew that only Banquo was witness to what the
witches said and had strong reasons to suspect and investigate Macbeth's hand in the murder of
Duncan. Moreover, Macbeth was also jealous of Banquo as the witches had foretold that many of
Banquo's successors would be kings. So to eliminate that chance, Macbeth wanted to kill Banquo and his
son Fleance.

Macbeth invited Banquo to a banquet and hired three murderers to kill Banquo and Fleance on their
way to the Banquet. The murderers attacked them but could manage to kill only Banquo while Fleance
escaped.

Q) What role did Lady Macbeth play in the murder of Duncan?

Answer) Lady Macbeth played a very important role in the murder of Duncan. Macbeth had his
ambitions but was not bold enough to achieve it by murdering Duncan. Lady Macbeth instigated him
and successfully put pressure on him to kill the king. She did it by just using the valour off her tongue.
Though she herself failed to stab Duncan as the sleeping old king resembled her dead father, she
convinced Macbeth that he should go and do the job instead. They could then easily fix the blame on
the grooms. So the planning of the murder and the way it was to be executed had come out from the
mind of Lady Macbeth though Macbeth himself remains responsible for his crime.

Q) Narrate the fight between Macbeth and Macduff.

Answer) Macbeth and Macduff fights each other towards the end of the play when the army of
Malcolm, of which Macduff is a part, invades Scotland to dethrone and punish Macbeth. In the
battlefield, Macbeth tries to avoid Macduff because of the Apparition's warning where he was told to be
"beware of Macduff". But Macduff had many scores to settle with him and attacked him. Replying to
Macbeth's assertion, Macduff informs him that he was not of woman born and was from his mother's
womb untimely ripped off. Macbeth then realizes that his end was near but he carries on his fight with
Macduff and gets killed in the battlefield in Macduff's hands.

Q) Describe the Banquet Scene in the play "Macbeth"

Answer) The Banquet Scene is an important part of the play "Macbeth". The banquet is hosted by
Macbeth to celebrate his accession to the throne. People attending the banquet was supposed to have
allegiance for Macbeth. In the meantime Macbeth gets Banquo killed by hired murderers. In the
banquet Macbeth complains about the absence of Banquo and questions his friendship. Suddenly
Macbeth sees the blood smeared ghost of Banquo starts talking to him. He even challenges the ghost to
fight with him. Nobody else sees the ghost, though. Fearing that Macbeth would reveal his crime in front
of others, Lady Macbeth immediately orders dispersal of the crowd citing Macbeth's illness.

Q) How did the witches deceive Macbeth through the apparitions they conjured in their second meeting
with him?

Answer) The witches deceived Macbeth in their second meeting through the apparitions. The second
apparition told him that he would not be killed until the Birnam Woods come walking to Dunsinane and
Macbeth was not to be killed by any man who was "woman born". This was deception as the soldiers in
Malcolm's army cut down branches from the Birnam Wood and, holding them up, marched to
Dunsinane to hide their actual numbers. It was also revealed that Macduff was not normally born. He
was from his mother's womb "untimely ripped". Thus, the witches, through their equivocation, deceived
Macbeth with statements that had double meaning.