English 12A: Unit 2

English 12A: Unit 2

The Tragedy of Macbeth, Act I, by William Shakespeare

(pp. 321-340)

Name______Date______

Vocabulary Builder

Word List (p. 321)

imperial sovereign surmise treasons valor

A. DIRECTIONS: Fill in each blank with the word from the Word List that best completes thesentence.

1. Macbeth’s______in battle was unsurpassed.

2. “Acts of betrayal against the king are______!” cried the general.

3. Macbeth’s plans were faulty because they were based on a______.

4. King Duncan is the______ruler of Scotland.

5. Macbeth’s______virtues have impressed the king.

Critical Reading Questions

The Tragedy of Macbeth, Act I, by William Shakespeare (pp. 320-339)

ACT ONE - SCENE 1:

1. Write two or three lines explaining the action in this scene.

ACT ONE - SCENE 2:

1. The sergeant describes a battle in the war between

______AND ______.

2. Who were the heroes in that battle?

______AND ______.

3. The Thane of Cawdor was a Traitor. King Duncan sentenced him to death and gave his title to ______.

4. What do we learn about Macbeth's character in this scene?

ACT ONE SCENE 3:

1. What do the witches predict for Macbeth?

2. What do they predict for Banquo?

3. Explain the dramatic irony in the witches' first prediction.

4. When the prediction comes true immediately, what does Macbeth think about the other predictions?

5. What does Macbeth plan to do about the possibility of becoming king?

ACT ONE - SCENE 4:

King Duncan greets Macbeth and Banquo returning form battle. Duncan is in such good spirits he decides to name his successor.

1. To whom does king Duncan give the title Prince of Cumberland?

2. What does Macbeth think about this?

ACT ONE - SCENE 5:

1.Lady Macbeth reads a letter. Who sent it to her?

2. Lady Macbeth says of Macbeth: "Yet do I fear thy nature. It is too full O'the milk of human kindness to catch the nearest way." What does she mean by this?

3. What message does the servant give to Lady Macbeth?

4. Explain Lady Macbeth's soliloquy (lines 38-54)

5. Macbeth arrives. What do he and Lady Macbeth discuss?

6. What advice does Lady Macbeth give her husband?

ACT ONE - SCENE 6:

King Duncan arrives at Macbeth's palace along with Banquo, Lennox, Macduff, Ross, Angus, his sons and attendants.

1. Explain the dramatic irony in this scene.

ACT ONE - SCENE 7:

In this soliloquy Macbeth is thinking over the plot to kill King Duncan. He is having second thoughts.

1. List four reasons Macbeth finds to talk himself out of committing the murder. (Lines 1-27)

2. How does Lady Macbeth convince him to go through with the murder?

The Tragedy of Macbeth, Act I, by William Shakespeare

Literary Analysis: Elizabethan Drama

In the years before Elizabeth I came to power in England, troupes of actors traveled theEnglish countryside performing religious plays. They performed wherever they could: in thecourtyards of inns, in town squares, and in open areas on the outskirts of villages. Many of theplays they presented were based on biblical stories.

During the Elizabethan period, the style of English drama changed radically. Permanenttheaters were built, giving actors not only an artistic home, but also the luxury of perfectingcertain aspects of presentation. Plays began to veer away from religious themes. Instead,audiences found themselves watching plays about familiar problems and events. Playwrightsused poetic language and rich imagery to tell a wide variety ofstories—from dramas about tragicfigures to comedies about hapless lovers. This kind of theater, with its nonreligiousentertainment value, became very popular. Audiences loved watching plays about characterswith motivations and feelings they could understand.

DIRECTIONS: Answer the following questions about Act I of The Tragedy of Macbeth.

1. What might the three witches represent to an audience used to watching plays with religiousthemes?

______

2. In what ways might the content of the following speech be said to echo the religioussentimentsof Shakespeare’s audience?

. . . But I have spoke

With one that saw him die, who did report

That very frankly he confessed his treasons,

Implored your Highness’ pardon and set forth

A deep repentance . . .

______

3. In the following speech, what is Lady Macbeth saying about her husband’s character? Howmight such sentiments about Macbeth win an audience’s sympathy?

Glamis thou art, and Cawdor, and shalt be

What thou art promised. Yet do I fear thy nature;

It is too full o’ the milk of human kindness

To catch the nearest way. Thou wouldst be great,

Art not without ambition, but without

The illness should attend it. . . .

______

Literary Analysis: Soliloquy

The term soliloquy comes from the Latin solus, which means “alone.” When a characterdelivers a soliloquy, he or she is usually alone on stage. A soliloquy is a long speech made by acharacter in a play. In a soliloquy, a character mulls over thoughts and feelings, expressingthem aloud to the audience. In essence, a soliloquy amounts to a character thinking aloud.Characters can reveal their true thoughts, feelings, fears, and motivations to the audiencewithout other characters gaining this information. Soliloquies provide important information tothe audience.

DIRECTIONS: Reread Lady Macbeth’s soliloquy at the beginning of Act I, scene v. Answer thefollowing questions about the soliloquy.

1. What does Lady Macbeth share in the first part of her soliloquy? What purpose does thisserve?

______

2. What do readers learn about Lady Macbeth’s opinion of her husband from the second partof her soliloquy?

______

3. What is Lady Macbeth’s fear? What is her plan?

______

4. Based on the thoughts, feelings, fears, and motivations she shares, how would you assessLady Macbeth’s character?

______

Grade 12, Unit 2