Macbeth Act Three Scenes 1-2

Why does Banquo have hope that his prophecy will come true?

• He believes Fleance would make the best king

• Macbeth and Lady Macbeth cannot have children

• He believes Macbeth will make Fleance his heir

• Everything else that the witches said has come true

Why does Macbeth most likely question Banquo about his journey in Scene 1?

• He wants to make sure Banquo will trust him.

• He hopes Lady Macbeth will support his plan.

• He needs the information to give to the murderers later.

• He has to plan the dinner for the evening at the castle.

Which good quality does Macbeth say in Scene 1 he most fears in Banquo?

• Wise courage

• Physical strength

• Loyalty to friends

• Honesty in leadership

Why do the two murderers agree to carry out Macbeth's plan in Scene 1?

• Difficult lives have made them violent men.

• They think they will kill Duncan's murderer.

• Macbeth has promised that they will rule.

• They want to impress Lady Macbeth.

Why does Macbeth decide to kill Banquo and Fleance?

• Banquo and Fleance were witness to Duncan’s murder on the night that Macbeth went to kill Duncan

• He’s afraid of Banquo, since the witches prophesied that Banquo’s sons and grandsons would be Kings

• He’s nervous since he overheard Banquo conspiring murder with Fleance

• Lady Macbeth convinced him to murder Banquo

How does Macbeth convince the murderers to kill Banquo?

• He blackmails them, using their families and murderous past as leverage

• He threatens to kill them and they’re scared into obeying since, after all, Macbeth is a legendary warrior

• He befriends them, offering them a place as his advisors if they succeed in killing Banquo and Fleance

• He manipulatively tells a story of betrayal making Banquo seem like an evil person and their enemy

True or False: Banquo voice his suspicions that Macbeth has killed Duncan in order to fulfill the witches' prophecy?

• True

• False

Alone (near the beginning of scene 2), Lady Macbeth confesses what?

• It’s better to be the murderer than to be murdered because of the pleasure

• It’s better to be murdered than to be the murderer because of the “doubtful joy”

• It’s better to be murdered than to be the murderer because of the “content”

• It’s better to be the murderer than to be murdered because that way, one is “safer”

In scene 2, Macbeth says his mind is full of…

• Doubts

• Anxiety

• Scorpions

• Snakes

In scene 2, Lady Macbeth basically asks Macbeth “What’s wrong?” - In response, Macbeth uses this phrase as a metaphor for “We’ve done part of the job, but we’re not finished yet”

• “We have scarred the snake, not killed it”

• “We have charred the snake, not burned it”

• “We have cut the snake, not beheaded it”

• “We have scorched the snake, not killed it.”