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WorksheetsMacbeth Act II
Total questions: 60
Worksheet time: 32mins
In Macbeth's soliloquy in Act II, what does he see floating in the air?
a crown
a ghost
a book
a dagger
What does Lady Macbeth do to manipulate Macbeth into killing Duncan?
She threatens to leave him if he doesn't do it.
She promises him power and wealth if he does it.
She convinces him that it is his destiny to become king.
She questions his masculinity and uses emotional manipulation.
What is Macbeth's main ambition in the play?
To become the richest man in Scotland.
To marry Lady Macbeth.
To become king of Scotland
To become a famous warrior.
What does Macbeth hear after murdering Duncan?
Macbeth hears the sound of thunder.
Macbeth hears the sound of footsteps.
Macbeth hears the sound of laughter.
Macbeth hears a voice saying 'Macbeth does murder sleep'.
What does Lady Macbeth do with the daggers after Duncan's murder?
She hides them in her bedroom.
She throws them into the river.
She takes them back to the scene of the crime and frames the guards.
She buries them in the garden.
What does Macbeth say is the reason he cannot say 'Amen' after Duncan's murder?
Macbeth is afraid of being caught
Macbeth believes he is unworthy of forgiveness
Macbeth is too shocked to speak
Macbeth feels guilty and remorseful for his actions.
Which of the following BEST describes how Lady Macbeth convinces Macbeth to kill King Duncan?
First she questions his masculinity and love for her, then she asserts her loyalty to him.
First she tells him the depth of her love for him, then breaks down and begs him to do it.
First she threatens to leave him, then she builds up his confidence.
First she beguiles him into thinking she will do it, then she reveals that he must do it.
Who does Banquo have the most allegiance (loyalty) to?
Macbeth
God
The King
His Family
Which two characters flee the country in fear for their lives?
Macbeth & Lady Macbeth
Malcolm & Donalbain
Banquo & Fleance
Ross & the Old Man
What relation is Fleance to Banquo?
father
son
nephew
servant
What does Macbeth accidentally take with him after murdering the king?
the murder weapons
the king's crown
a book
the king's bloody pillow
Duncan's body is discovered by:
Macduff
Macbeth's servant
Lennox
Malcolm
People BELIEVE Duncan's sons flee because...
the sons are in mourning
the sons fear they are the next to be murdered
the sons hired the guards to kill their father
the sons want to investigate who had their father killed
Which of the following does Lennox say were bad omens
"The obscure bird clamored all the livelong night"
"Our chimneys were blown down"
"Some say the earth was feverous and did shake"
All of the above
Why is it ironic when Macduff calls Lady Macbeth "Gentle lady" upon finding King Duncan's body?
She's just planned a murder and is not gentle.
She's not of the gentry class.
She's mean.
None of the above
How does Lady Macbeth act when she is told the king is dead?
Angry
Depressed
Shocked
Happy
What is the real reason Macbeth kills the guards?
He's overcome with love for the king and anger.
Lady Macbeth told him to.
He thinks it will minimize the chances of getting caught.
None of the above
Why does Lady Macbeth faint?
She hears the gory details of the murders.
Macbeth has gone rogue killing people.
Her corset is too tight.
She realizes that they have made a terrible mistake in killing the king.
What does the dagger scene reveal about Macbeth's state of mind?
Macbeth has drunk too much wine at dinner and is hallucinating
Macbeth has a mental illness that causes him to kill the king
Macbeth has been drugged by Lady Macbeth
Macbeth is uncomfortable and troubled about the prospect of killing Duncan
Which best describes the mood of the dagger hallucination scene?
celebratory and excited
Curious and light-hearted
calm and serene
dark and horrific
After the murder of King Duncan, What effect do the short, quick statements in the conversation between Macbeth and his wife have on the play?
Makes the mood seem calm and serene
Makes the characters seem nervous and jittery
Makes the characters seem fun-loving
Makes the language longer and more difficult to read
How is Macbeth feeling when he couldn't say "Amen?"
Angry that Lady Macbeth didn't help him
Curious to why he'd forgotten to say a prayer
Worried and anxious about his sin
How does Macbeth react to the blood on his hands after killing the king?
He is worried that he will feel this guilt forever
He tells Lady Macbeth not to get too bloody as she cleans the daggers
He fears that someone will find him before he has the chance to wash it off
He has barely noticed the blood and thinks little of it
How does Lady Macbeth react to the blood on her husband's hands after killing the king?
She feels guilty for her part in the crime and regrets plotting the murder
She tells her husband to get washed and stop being cowardly
She explains that he's hallucinating again--there is no blood!
She is suddenly scared when she sees blood on her own hands
What does this quote mean?
"Sleep no more, Macbeth does murder sleep!"
Someone witnessed the murder
Duncan will never wake up
Macbeth murdered Duncan while he was asleep
Macbeth will never again rest with a clear conscience
The Porter scene serves all the following purposes EXCEPT:
provide comic relief
introduce new information about Duncan's murder
bring Macduff and Lennox into the action of the play
Make the murder seem even worse in contrast
How does Shakespeare create a sense of urgency and intensity during the murder scene in Act II Scene II?
The sound of knocking
The guards wake up and call for help
Lady Macbeth and Macbeth are running around
Lady Macbeth says she can't kill the king herself because he looks like her father. What does this reveal about her character
She respects Macbeth
She may lack the confidence she conveys to Macbeth
She is ruthless
She believes in the prophesies made by the witches
In Act 2, Scene 4, Macduff subtly emphasizes his opposition to Macbeth by
Preparing to flee Scotland
Publicly swearing allegiance to Malcolm
Attempting to rally the thanes against Macbeth
Refusing to go see Macbeth crowned
The witches do not appear during the entirety of Act II. Which of the following would be the MOST reasonable conclusion to draw from this fact?
The witches may have tempted Macbeth, but the decision to kill Duncan is ultimately his own.
The witches have already forgotten about Macbeth.
The witches were busy talking with Banquo.
The witches can control Macbeth and his wife from a distance through witchcraft.
As Lady Macbeth awaits Macbeth at the beginning of scene 2, she is feeling:
confident
morally uncertain
convinced of failure
jumpy and superstitious
Macbeth gets the Thane of Cawdor’s title because (Select all that apply.):
The Thane of Cawdor betrayed the king.
Macbeth fought bravely for the king.
Banquo suggested to the King that Macbeth deserved the title
The King named him Prince of Cumberland.
When Banquo confesses he has been thinking/dreaming about the witches, Macbeth:
a. Admits he too has thought of their predictions and hopes to discuss his thoughts with Banquo at a later date.
b. Threatens Banquo and tells him if he discusses the witches again harm will come to him.
c. Tells Banquo untruthfully that he has not thought about the witches at all.
d. Pretends like he doesn’t know what Banquo is talking about because the witches put a spell on him that made him forget the predictions.
Banquo’s line ““To win us to our harm, / The instruments of darkness tell us truths, / Win us with honest trifles, to betray ‘s / In deepest consequence” in Act I Scene III could best be rephrased as:
a. The witches are absolutely lying to us, and we should notify the king of their mischief immediately.
b. These witches may be telling us the truth now, but I think they may deceive us in an evil way at an important time later on.
c. I think the witches will help us win battles in the future so we should hold them in deepest consequence.
d. The witches are evil, but I think we should trust them for now.
Based on evidence from the opening scene and the scene about the chestnuts and the sailor’s wife in Act I scene III, the reader can conclude:
a. The witches ultimately want to help those who are kind to them.
b. The witches have evil tendencies and will likely harm Macbeth in some way.
c. The witches have a strong connection to Lady Macbeth; Lady Macbeth is likely a witch.
d. The witches will not play a very important role in this play because they will lose interest in Macbeth.
How does the King die?
a. Killed by his servants in his sleep
b. killed by Macbeth in his sleep
c. Poisoned by Lady Macbeth
d. killed by Banquo
Which is the most important event not shown onstage?
Banquo's misgivings about Macbeth.
Lady Macbeth ringing the bell.
The death of Duncan.
The servants being smeared with blood.
(Select all that apply.)
In Macbeth, Act 2, Scene 2, Lady Macbeth says, "Th' attempt and not the deed Confounds us," meaning that the mere attempt to commit the murder, the willingness to do evil, is what torments them and brings about their psychological ruin, rather than the success of the act itself.
The use of the word CONFOUNDS indicates Lady Macbeth's...
Understanding of guilt.
determination to help her husband achieve her goal.
uncertainty about whether she wants her husband to succeed.
Failed ambition (Macbeth's failure to frame the guards).
Growing mental distress.
"Give me the daggers. The sleeping and the dead/ Are but as pictures. ’Tis the eye of childhood/ That fears a painted devil."
According to Lady Macbeth, the "painted devil" mentioned is to be feared no more than...
"the sleeping dead."
"they eye of the childhood."
the daggers that "gild the faces of the grooms."
the need to "gild the faces of the grooms."
How does Lady Macbeth's view of water in paragraph 57 differ from Macbeth's view of it in paragraph 60?
She believes it will cleanse his hands, and he is afraid of the amount of water that will be needed to do so.
She views it as the practical way to remove traces of blood, but he knows that no amount of water will remove their guilt.
After Macbeth murders Duncan, he says, “Methought I heard a voice cry ‘Sleep no more! Macbeth does murder sleep.’”
What does this line most likely reveal about Macbeth’s state of mind?
A. He feels a sense of triumph and relief.
B. He is immediately tormented by guilt and fear.
C. He plans to frame Banquo for the murder.
D. He is eager to commit more crimes to secure his crown.
Why does Lady Macbeth take the daggers back to Duncan’s chamber herself?
A. She wants to ensure the guards are blamed for the murder.
B. She wants to relive the thrill of the murder.
C. She believes Macbeth has already been discovered.
D. She regrets urging Macbeth to kill Duncan.
(Select all that apply)
Which of the following actions contribute to the theme of guilt and conscience in Act II?
☐ Macbeth’s inability to say “Amen” after the murder
☐ Lady Macbeth fainting after Duncan’s death is discovered
☐ Macbeth seeing imaginary blood on his hands
☐ Macduff’s decision to flee to England
☐ The Porter’s description of “hell-gate”
In Act II, Scene 3, the Porter scene provides comic relief. What is the main purpose of this scene?
A. To lighten the tension after Duncan’s murder
B. To reveal Lady Macbeth’s guilt through irony
C. To introduce the theme of fate vs. free will
D. To show Macduff’s loyalty to Duncan
(Select all that apply)
Which characters show suspicion or unease about recent events from nature in Act II?
☐ Banquo
☐ Lennox
☐ Donalbain
☐ Lady Macbeth
☐ Macbeth
When Lady Macbeth says, “A little water clears us of this deed,” what is the best interpretation of her statement?
A. She believes washing away blood will erase their guilt.
B. She recognizes that nothing can cleanse them of guilt.
C. She mocks Macbeth’s fear and doubts his courage.
D. She is making a literal comment about their need to clean up.
Which of the following best explains the dramatic irony in Act II, Scene 3, when Macduff discovers Duncan’s body?
A. The audience already knows Macbeth has killed Duncan.
B. Macduff suspects Lady Macbeth immediately.
C. The Porter compares Macbeth’s castle to hell.
D. Duncan had just rewarded Macbeth for his loyalty.
(Select all that apply)
Which lines from Act II foreshadow future conflict?
☐ “There’s daggers in men’s smiles.”
☐ “The night has been unruly.”
☐ “A little water clears us of this deed.”
☐ “Will all great Neptune’s ocean wash this blood clean from my hand?”
☐ “Wake Duncan with thy knocking: I would thou couldst.”
At the end of Act II, what change has occurred in Macbeth’s character?
A. He becomes more ambitious but less afraid.
B. He is calm and rational about his new power.
C. He is consumed by guilt and paranoia.
D. He decides to confess his crime.
What reason does Macbeth give for killing the guards after Duncan's murder?
He claims he was overcome with rage and loyalty to the king.
He says Lady Macbeth told him to do it.
He believed they were plotting against him.
He wanted to prevent them from escaping.
How does Lady Macbeth react when Macbeth expresses his guilt after the murder?
She comforts him and tells him to forget about it.
She mocks his fear and tells him to be more resolute.
She confesses her own guilt.
She suggests they flee Scotland immediately.
What is the significance of the knocking at the gate after Duncan's murder?
It marks the transition from chaos to order.
It represents Macbeth's growing paranoia.
It signals the arrival of Macduff and Lennox.
All of the above.
What is the main reason Macbeth hesitates before killing King Duncan?
He wants to wait for Lady Macbeth's signal
He is loyal to the king and knows it is wrong
He is unsure if the witches' prophecies are true
He is afraid of being caught
Who is framed for King Duncan's murder?
Lady Macbeth
Duncan's guards
Macduff and Lennox
Banquo and Fleance
Banquo indicates in scene i that his greatest priority is:
his own advancement.
his allegiance to Duncan.
His allegiance to Macbeth.
Seeing the witches prophesies fulfilled.
(Select all that apply:)
As Lady Macbeth awaits Macbeth at the beginning of scene ii, she is feeling:
confident
morally uncertain
convinced of failure
jumpy and superstitious
The coice that calls out "Sleep no more! Macbeth does murer sleep" is saying that
someone has witnessed Duncan's murder.
Duncan will never awaken from his sleep.
Macbeth murdered Duncan while he was asleep.
Macbeth will never again rest with a clear conscience.
Macbeth refuses to return to leave the daggers with the servants because he:
is too exhausted and drained to move.
is afraid he will get caught.
cannot bear to look again at what he has done.
cannot bear the idea of committing another sinful act.
