NEW
Font size
WorksheetsThe Supernatural in Macbeth
Total questions: 20
Worksheet time: 12mins
What does the term "supernatural" mean?
Anything which does not happen as you might expect.
Anything which is attributed to a force beyond scientific understanding or the laws of nature
Something which is more powerful than nature
Anything dark and mysterious
Why were the Jacobeans so frightened by supernatural things?
They did not have good scientific knowledge and so believed that evil was the cause
The King was fascinated by it
Jacobeans believed in the Natural Order and appreciated the role of witches within it
It made good theatre
Who was on the throne at the time that Shakespeare wrote "Macbeth"?
Elizabeth I
Charles I
James V
James 1
James wrote a book about the supernatural called
The true and historical lives of Scotland's witches
Daemons and Magick
Daemonologie
Sorcery's Secrets
The play begins with The witches because
It's a way to create the feeling of unease in the audience
James 1 demanded it
They are the main characters in the play
It's the easiest way to set up the stage
Just after Banquo's ghost appears Macbeth realises he is:
'in blood Stepp'd in so far that, should I wade no more, Returning were as tedious as go o'er'. This means
He has killed so many people that he might as well continue
He realises what he has done and is seeking forgiveness
He finds killing people really tedious when he used to enjoy it
Spilling blood is just part of what it means to be a ruler
How do the witches greet Macbeth at the start of the play?
All hail Macbeth, mighty warrior
All hail Macbeth, that shall be King hereafter
All hail Macbeth, your vaulting ambition will make you King
Hail Macbeth, Thane of Fife
What do the witches predict for Banquo
He will be killed by a King
He will father a line of Kings
He will not know what it means to be as happy as Macbeth
Fleance will be King
What supernatural events happen on the night of Duncan's murder
The Kings horses became savage
An owl attacked a hunting falcon
The earth shook
All of the above
When Macbeth sees the dagger, where is it pointing?
To his own heart
Towards Lady Macbeth
To the King's bedroom
To his own dagger on his belt
Critics have argued that the hallucinated dagger is...
a manifestation of his own deadly ambition
A sign that he is in two minds about killing the King
A symbol of his ruthlessness
a sign that the witches are encouraging him to kill the king
Lady Macbeth is also connected to the supernatural world. How?
She is able to create spells and charms to make her husband act the way she wants him to.
She looks like she could be a witch herself
She is evil and has killed her own baby
She talks to the dark spirits & asks them to help her
Why does Macbeth visit the witches a second time?
He wants to know why Banquo appeared at the feast
He is greedy for more power
He is paranoid about losing the crown and wants to seek reassurance
He is now in a binding contrat with the witches and has to meet with them
What is the first apparition the witches show Macbeth?
A child holding a branch
A baby covered in blood
A king holding a mirror
An armed head
What does the apparition of the bloody child warn Macbeth
None born of woman shall harm Macbeth
Beware Macduff
No one who has given birth can harm Macbeth
Be careful of Banquo's children
Which of the following is an ingredient of the witches' potion
Adder's venom
fillet of a fenny snake
a baby's umbilical cord
sailor's toe
What does the ghost of Banquo symbolise?
Macbeth's guilt at killing his friend
The blood of Duncan that Macbeth has spilt
That he will never be able to celebrate being King because he did not earn the title rightfully
Chaos and disorder created by Macbeth
