WorksheetsMacbeth - Context and Act 1
Total questions: 42
Worksheet time: 26mins
What title was Macbeth given for his heroic deeds (actions) in battle?
King of England
Lord of Cumberland
Thane of Cawdor
Thane of Glamis
In Act 1 Scene 1, where do the three witches plan to meet Macbeth?
'On a mountain'
'Upon the heath'
'On the heath'
'Upon a hill'
Before becoming Thane of Cawdor Macbeth is Thane of Glamis, but what is a Thane?
A rank of English nobility
A rank of Scottish nobility
A rank of Irish nobility
All of the above
Fill in the missing word: 'Unseam'd from the ______ to the chaps'
Stomach
Belly
Gut
Nave
What do we learn from the quote, "Fair is foul, and foul is fair/Hover through the fog and filthy air". (1.1.12-13)
The witches are hovering through the air, which is magic.
That the Witches consider that all good can also be bad, and all bad can also be good.
The point of being fair when someone is acting unfair to you.
The Witches use alliteration to show their mistreatment.
What is the main action in Act 1 Scene 2?
King Duncan hears of Macbeth's bravery in battle and makes him Thane of Glamis.
King Duncan hears of Banquo's bravery in battle and makes him Thane of Cawdor.
King Duncan hears of Macbeth's bravery in battle and makes him Thane of Cawdor.
King Duncan hears of Macbeth's bravery in battle and makes him Thane of Fife.
'Hover through the fog and filthy air.'
Fog is a symbol of ...
Confusion
Anger
Power
In act 1, scene 3; we learn that the witches ...
Can control the weather and enjoy helping people.
Can't control the weather but enjoy causing harm.
Can control the weather and enjoy causing harm.
Can't control the weather but enjoy helping people
Duncan: There's no art to find the mind's construction in the face.
What does Duncan mean by this?
He can always spot an evil man.
People's characters aren't evident from their appearance.
You can judge a book by it's cover.
A person's face never lies.
Duncan announces that the next heir to the throne will be ...
Macbeth
Banquo
Malcolm
Donalbain
Duncan refers to Macbeth as 'a peerless kinsman.' What is this an example of?
Sarcasm
Foreshadowing
Dramatic irony
Pathetic fallacy
Due to his bravery on the battlefield, King Duncan gives the new title of ____________________ to Macbeth.
Thane of Scotland
Thane of Cawdor
Thane of Glamis
Thane of Inverness
What do the three witches predict for Macbeth and Banquo?
Macbeth will be Thane of Glamis and Banquo's descendants will be kings.
Macbeth will be Thane of Scotland and Banquo's descendants will be kings.
Macbeth will be king and Banquo's descendants will be kings.
Macbeth will be Thane of Cawdor and Banquo's descendants will be Thane of Glamis.
What is an "aside"?
A sarcastic remark made to the audience that seems sincere to the other characters in the scene.
A remark made to another character that is only heard by that one character.
A remark to the other characters in the scene.
A remark by a character that is intended to be heard by the audience only.
What character trait does the following quote reveal"
"The Prince of Cumberland: that is a step/ On which I must fall down, or else o'erleap,/ For in my way it lies" (1.4.48-50).
Macbeth's loyalty
Macbeth's love
Macbeth's ambition
Macbeth's guilt
Who said it?
"Look like the'innocent flower,/ But be the serpent under't" (1.6.63-64).
Macbeth
Lady Macbeth
Banquo
Malcolm
Towards the end of Act 1, Macbeth is set on killing the king, but Lady Macbeth has doubts.
True
False
Who said it?
"And oftentimes, to win us to our harm,/ The instruments of darkness tell us truths;/ Win us with honest trifles, to betray's/ In deepest consequence" (1.3.122-125).
King Duncan
Lady Macbeth
Banquo
Macbeth
Shakespeare wrote the play Macbeth during the reign of...?
Henry VIII
Queen Elizabeth
Edward II
James I
What methods does Shakespeare use to foreshadow and make us question Macbeth's trustworthy nature?
The Witches 'introduce' him to the audience
Macbeth flees from battle
Macbeth lies to Banquo
Macbeth is bloodythirsty and brutal in battle
The phrase "Fair is Foul, and Foul is Fair" is an example of what?
Metaphor
Irony
Paradox
Rhyme
Which of these is NOT a Jacobean belief about Witches?
Witches can see the future
Witches can see in the dark
Witches can control the weather
Witches are sent to earth by Satan (the Devil)
How would ordinary people feel about Witches in the 17th Century?
Not worried - they didn't believe in them.
They knew they only existed in books and stories
Worried as they were associated with the Devil
They were understood to be a normal part of society and accepted
What was the Great Chain of Being?
An idea that said that all humans are linked together and are responsible for each other
A Jacobean piece of jewelry hailed as giving the wearer ultimate power (Monarchs wore it)
A system that ranked people in society. Everybody had their place and couldn't change it
A system of punishment for people who misbehaved
What was the belief of the time if the natural order of the great chain of being was broken or disrupted?
The King would die
Things would go wrong
Unnatural events would occur
Witches would appear upon a heathland
What was the Divine Right of Kings?
The idea that Kings and Queens were alright right
The idea that Kings were better than Queens
The idea that Kings and Queens were better than God
The idea that Kings and Queens were chosen by God
Why was it particularly bad to go against a King or Queen?
Because you were not allowed
It was considered to be going against the will of God
It meant you went into a dungeon.
It made you ingenious
What happened to the people involved in the Gunpowder plot if they were caught?
They were hung publicly
They were tortured
They were asked to climb into a bonfire
They were hung, drawn and quartered.
What made a lot of people nervous about James I when he became king?
His beard was oddly shaped
He was from an untrustworthy family
He was Scottish.
He was a politician.
What was the name of the book that James I wrote about witchraft?
Witches and how to spot them
Demons
Demonology
Daemonologie
What is a patriarchal society?
a society where Men are considered superior to Gods
a society where women are inferior to men
a society where men are not important
a society where women are superior to me
Which of these statements is true of the patriarchal society in Shakespeare's time?
Women were considered to be untrustworthy
Women had a higher social status than men
Husbands expected wives to be obedient to men
Women were often in important roles in society
Who was the Monarch that James I succeeded to the throne?
Elizabeth II
James VI
Elizabeth I
James III
Which one the following is NOT a key theme in the play?
Power and Ambition
Magic and Evil
The Supernatural
Appearance vs Reality
Which genre does Macbeth belong to?
Comedy
History
Fantasy
Tragedy
