WorksheetsThe Tragedy of Macbeth Act 1
Total questions: 20
Worksheet time: 10mins
In Act I of The Tragedy of Macbeth, how does Macbeth become the Thane of Cawdor?
He receives the title from the king after defeating the previous Thane of Cawdor in battle.
He inherits the title from his father, who served King Duncan.
The witches use a spell to make him the Thane of Cawdor.
Lady Macbeth has him assassinate the previous Thane of Cawdor and seize the title.
What do the three witches predict in Act I of The Tragedy of Macbeth? Choose two options.
Lady Macbeth will kill Banquo.
Macbeth will become king.
Banquo's children will be kings.
Lady Macbeth will bear only male children.
Macbeth will win an important military battle.
Choose the statement that best describes King Duncan in Act I of The Tragedy of Macbeth.
He is conflicted about giving his power to Malcolm.
He places a high value on bravery and loyalty.
He is reluctant to join his troops in battle.
He is a well-meaning but weak leader.
Which of the following phrases best describes Macbeth's feelings about possibly assassinating King Duncan, as revealed in Act I of The Tragedy of Macbeth?
relentless guilt
growing confidence
determined ambition
tortured ambivalence
At the end of Act I of The Tragedy of Macbeth, what is Lady Macbeth's plan?
She wants Macbeth to challenge King Duncan's right to the throne.
She will put poison in the wine she serves King Duncan.
She and Macbeth will kill King Duncan and his men as they sleep.
She will flatter King Duncan and convince him to name Macbeth his successor.
What is the definition of assault as it is used in this sentence? "When a newspaper published an assault on her record, Mayor Davis was quick to defend her actions."
interference
approval
analysis
attack
Which of the following situations best illustrates the meaning of flout?
Nervous about his exam results, Liam counted the moments until the results would be posted.
Excited to have the chance to pinch-hit in the big game, Diego got to the ballpark early.
In defiance of the lights-out rule, Min turned on her flashlight to read in bed.
Alyssa showed off her favorite jacket, which she had designed herself.
If a tiger is living in captivity, which of the following must be true? Base your answer on the meaning of captivity.
The tiger is roaming at large in the wild.
The tiger is about to have a litter of cubs.
The tiger is confined within a certain area.
The tiger is under the care of a veterinarian.
In the opening moments of The Tragedy of Macbeth, Act I, the witches chant, "Fair is foul, and foul is fair." Macbeth's own first dialogue in the play is "So foul and fair a day I have not seen." Which statement best explains the effect of Macbeth's unconscious echo of the witches' chant?
It proves that Macbeth has overheard the witches’ conversation.
It suggests that Macbeth’s fate is tied to the witches’ predictions.
It indicates that the witches have been hired to follow Macbeth’s orders.
It reveals that the witches are accomplices in the plot to murder Duncan.
Part A: In Scene ii of The Tragedy of Macbeth, Act I, several characters discuss Macbeth’s role in the battle. According to their view, which of the following best describes Macbeth?
He is cowardly and treacherous.
He is cautious and prudent.
He is decisive and forceful.
He is logical and practical.
Part B: Which quotation from Act I best supports the answer to Part A?
Captain. Doubtful it stood. / As two spent swimmers, that do cling together / And choke their art.
Captain. For brave Macbeth—well he deserves that name— / Disdaining fortune, with his brandished steel, ... / Like valor’s minion carved out his passage / Till he faced the slave....
Ross. That now / Sweno, the Norways’ king, craves composition; / Nor would we deign him burial of his men / Till he disbursed ... / Ten thousand dollars to our general use.
King. No more that Thane of Cawdor shall deceive / Our bosom interest: go pronounce his present death, / And with his former title greet Macbeth.
In The Tragedy of Macbeth, Act I, after the Thane of Cawdor is executed for treason, Duncan makes this comment: There's no art To find the mind's construction in the face: He was a gentleman on whom I built An absolute trust. Which of the following best describes the effect of this speech?
It increases sympathy for Macbeth by showing that Duncan is not a wise or capable monarch.
It increases tension by indicating that Duncan is unlikely to discover the plot against him.
It decreases sympathy for Duncan by showing that he is not very intelligent.
It decreases tension by giving away the likely outcome of the tragedy.
Part A: As revealed in Act I of The Tragedy of Macbeth, in which way is Lady Macbeth most clearly stronger than Macbeth?
She understands the hidden meaning of the witches’ predictions.
She is more easily underestimated as a possible enemy or traitor.
She is better able to articulate reasons why murder is wrong.
She has no doubts or misgivings about committing murder.
Part B: Which of the following quotations by Lady Macbeth in Act I best supports the answer to Part A?
Thy letters have transported me beyond / This ignorant present….
Your face, my Thane, is as a book where men / May read strange matters….
Was the hope drunk / Wherein you dressed yourself? Hath it slept since?
But screw your courage to the sticking-place / And we’ll not fail….
Identify the choice that best answers the question. The main character in a tragedy generally has a fatal flaw in his or her personality. Which of the following is most likely to be Macbeth's flaw, as evidenced in The Tragedy of Macbeth, Act I?
an obsessive need to be loved
a craving for power
cowardice
jealousy
On her first appearance in The Tragedy of Macbeth, Act I, Lady Macbeth speaks a soliloquy that begins with these lines: "The raven himself is hoarse That croaks the fatal entrance of Duncan Under my battlements. Come, you spirits That tend on mortal thoughts, unsex me here, And fill me, from the crown to the toe, top-full Of direst cruelty! ..." Which of the following statements best explain the dramatic purpose of Lady Macbeth’s soliloquy? Choose three options.
It reviews the important points in the plot thus far.
It illustrates a key contrast between Lady Macbeth and her husband.
It explains why Duncan is coming to Macbeth's castle.
It provides the audience with a vivid picture of Lady Macbeth’s personality.
It gives the audience insight into Lady Macbeth’s thoughts and feelings.
Part A: Which of the following best describes the internal conflict that Macbeth faces in Act I of The Tragedy of Macbeth?
He is tempted by ambition, but he is afraid of how wrongdoing will affect his conscience.
He is deeply superstitious, but his rational mind urges him to ignore the witches.
He knows that he lacks physical courage, but he longs to succeed as a military leader.
He is grateful for promotion, but he is afraid that he cannot handle the additional responsibilities.
Part B: Which of the following quotations by Macbeth in Act I best supports the answer to Part A?
If chance will have me King, why, / Chance may crown me, / Without my stir.
Come what come may, / Time and the hour runs through the roughest day.
The service and the loyalty I owe, / In doing it, pays itself....
The eye wink at the hand; yet let that be / Which the eye fears, when it is done, to see.
What is the meaning of the Latin root -bell-?
revenge
power
mercy
war
The prefix ante- means "before." Given this information and your knowledge of the Latin root -bell-, choose the most likely definition of the word antebellum.
before the fall
before the war
before the end
before the day
