Page 112 - DENG403_BRITISH_DRAMA

British Drama

Notes Self Assessment

Multiple Choice Questions:
1. The first witch hails Macbeth as
(a) Thane of Glamis
(b) Thane of Cawdor
(c) the king of Scotland
(d) the king of Ireland.
2. What does the three witches inform Banquo?
(a) That he will be the Thane of Cawdor
(b) That he will father a line of kings
(c) That he will be the Thane of Glamis
(d) That he will be the king of Scotland.
3. What for the Macbeth remains uneasy despite his success as the king of Scotland?
(a) For the ghost of Banquo
(b) For the killing of Banquo and his son Fleance
(c) About the prophecy about Banquo
(d) For the manly behaviour of Lady Macbeth.
Fill in the blanks:
4. The first scene changes when Macbeth and Banquo enter, discussing the weather
and their ..........
5. The witches inform ......... that he will father a line of kings.
6. On the night of the king’s visit, Macbeth ......... before entering Duncan’s quarters,
believing he sees a bloody dagger.
7. Seeing the murder of King Duncan, in a feigned fit of anger, Macbeth murders the
......... before they can protest their innocence.

State whether the following statements are true or false:
8. Macbeth, the Thane of Glamis, and Banquo both defeated the allied forces of Norway
and Ireland.
9. Lady Macbeth frames Duncan’s sleeping servants for the murder by placing bloody
daggers on them.
10. Macbeth, disturbed for the prophesy of Banquo’s kingship, visits the Three Witches
twice.

8.2 Themes in Macbeth

8.2.1 Prophecy

The plot of Macbeth is set in motion ostensibly by the prophecy of the three witches. The prophecy
fans the flames of ambition within Macbeth and Lady Macbeth, serving as the primary impetus for
the couple to plot the death of Duncan—and subsequently Banquo. But one also wonders: Would
Macbeth have committed such heinous crimes if not for the prophecy? What if he had ignored the
witches’ statements? Such speculation, however interesting, ultimately appears futile, since the
prophecy itself is self-fulfilling. The witches know Macbeth’s tragic flaw: given the irresistible

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