Macbeth Study Guide
Online Resources
"The Scottish Play" on The Simpsons
Wikipedia information on the historical Macbeth
Discussion Questions
- This is the first tragedy we have read. What is a tragedy? What is tragic about Macbeth (okay, stupid question, but think about it)? Does this play correspond to Aristotle's definition of tragic drama?
- Why does the play begin with the weird sisters? How does this set the tone for the play? Read the opening few lines very carefully. What are they talking about?
- How are Macbeth's deeds on the battlefield described? Is there any suggestion here of the events that will follow in the play?
- This play is filled with equivocal language--especially constructions that tie contradictory ideas or modifiers together, such as: "So foul and fair a day I have not seen" (1.3.37) and "Lesser than Macbeth, and greater" (1.3.65). How many of these constructions can you identify? Why are there so many of them? Are they in any way related to the play's thematic concerns?
- Read carefully the speeches by Lady Macbeth that include the phrases "we fail" (1.7.60) and "oh, oh, oh" (5.1.52). How many different ways of acting these lines can you think of?
- How do you explain the humor of the Porter scene (2.3)? Look at the Porter's language carefully--is it relevant to other themes in the play?
- In 3.4, Banquo's ghost appears (or appears to appear). Does Banquo's ghost actually appear on stage, or is it simply a figment of Macbeth's imagination?
- Read carefully the speech in 5.5 that begins: "Tomorrow, and tomorrow, and tomorrow." What is Macbeth saying here?
Bibliography