Literature Test: Macbeth

English 303, Mrs. Savitt

Matching: In the appropriate spaces of your answer sheet, write the letter corresponding
to the name that matches each quote below. (1pt each)
A. Macbeth B. Lady Macbeth C. the Witches D. Banquo
E. Macduff

1. “Come you spirits/ That tend on mortal thoughts,/ Unsex me here.”

2. “The Thane of Cawdor lives. Why do you dress me in borrowed robes?”
3. “Fair is foul, and foul is fair…”
4. “He has no children. All my pretty ones? Did you say all?…What, all my pretty
chickens…”
5. “Double, double, toil and trouble;/ Fire burn and cauldron bubble.”
6. “Tomorrow and tomorrow and tomorrow…”
7. “Out damned spot! Out, I say!”
8. “But screw your courage to the sticking place,/ And we’ll not fail.”
9. (I) “was from my mother’s womb untimely ripped”
10. “And oftentimes to win us to our harm,/ The instruments of darkness tell us truths…”

Multiple Choice: In the appropriate spaces of your answer sheet, place the letter that
corresponds to the BEST answer to each of the following questions or statements. (3pts
each)
1. In Act I, scene iii, what comment does Banquo make to Macbeth regarding the
witches prophecies?
A. The forces of evil can use truth to lure people to destruction
B. The prophecies should be welcomed and fully believed
C. The prophecies are nonsense and Macbeth should not be misled
D. He does not understand the meaning of the prophecies

2. What does Macbeth admit is the prophecies’ initial effect on him?

A. He dismisses the idea of becoming king.
B. He vows not to kill Duncan
C. He is amazed that the can imagine killing Duncan.
D. He believes that the witches and their prophecies were imaginary.

3. According to Lady Macbeth in scene v, what does Macbeth lack that may prevent
him from becoming king?
A. ambition B. kindness C. intelligence D. wickedness

4. Which statement best reflects Duncan’s meaning when he says, “There’s no art/ To
find the mind’s construction in the face”?
A. a person’s thoughts are reflected by one’s face
B. all people shield their true feelings from others
C. Duncan has learned to trust no one
D. appearances do not always reflect reality
5. Before Macbeth goes to kill Duncan, he sees before him a
A. witch B. crown C. ghost D. dagger

6. What reason does Lady Macbeth give at the beginning of Act II for not having killed
Duncan herself?
A. the guards were not yet asleep B. she lacked the courage
C. the sleeping king resembled her father D. killing is a man’s job

7. Regarding his bloody hands, Macbeth fears that

A. someone may see them and discover his crime
B. he will stain his own clothing and thus give himself away
C. he will never be able to wash away the stain
D. he will need to go to the ocean to clean them

8. By the end of Act II, scene ii, how does Macbeth feel about his crime? (“Wake
Duncan with thy knocking! I would thou couldst!”)
A. he wishes it could be undone
B. he is glad that his actions will make him king
C. he feels he is strong enough to live with his guilt
E. he blames Lady Macbeth for having coerced him into killing Duncan

9. We learn from Macbeth’s soliloquy in Act III, scene I (“To be thus is nothing, but to
be safely thus—Our fears in Banquo stick deep…) that Macbeth: (NOTE: “thus”=king)
A. fears Banquo B. has arranged for Banquo’s assassination
C. is reluctant to kill such a loyal subject D. is not jealous of Banquo

10. What symbolic effect does Shakespeare achieve by having Banquo’s ghost sit in
Macbeth’s chair at the feast?
A. the act symbolizes the fulfillment of the witches’ prophecy regarding Banquo
B. the act symbolizes the witches’ control over Banquo’s destiny
C. the act symbolizes Macbeth’s weakness and lack of resolve
D. the act symbolizes the Elizabethans’ belief in spirits

11. When Macbeth sees the ghost, Lady Macbeth questions Macbeth’s manhood in order
to:
A. re-establish her dominance over him B. bring him to his senses
C. shame him into admitting Banquo’s murder D. humiliate him before his guests

12. In Act III, sc. V, Hecate, the queen of witches, attributes Macbeth’s upcoming
downfall to:
A. magic B. confusion C. fear D. overconfidence

13. The murder of Macduff’s family differs from Macbeth’s other murders in that it is
A. justifiable B. pointlessly ruthless C. self-defensive D. recommended
14. When Malcolm first greets Macduff in England, he
A. immediately welcomes Macduff as an ally
B. is not yet certain of Macduff’s support
C. is convinced that Macduff plans to betray him to Macbeth
D. tells Macduff his family has been murdered

15. Malcolm tests Macduff’s loyalty by saying that he

A. does not need Macduff’s support
B. believes that Macduff has helped Macbeth kill Duncan
C. does not desire to be king
D. has more vices and faults than even Macbeth

16. Which of the following is NOT an image shown to Macbeth by the witches?
A. a crowned head B. a bloody child C. a walking tree D. a line of kings

17. Which of the following was NOT a prophecy told to Macbeth by the witches?
A. “Beware Macduff”
B. “Macbeth shall never vanquished be until great Birnam Wood to high Dunsinane
comes”
C. “Thou art too full o’ the milk of human kindness”
D. “No man of woman born shall harm Macbeth”

18. The imaginary stain on Lady Macbeth’s hand when she is sleep walking represents
A. her guilt B. her death C. her fear of damnation D. her disheveled state

19. When Macbeth says, “Out brief candle…” in Act V after he learns of Lady Macbeth’s
death, he is comparing the candle to
A. Lady Macbeth B. his grief C. life D. a play

20. In the same speech mentioned in #19, Macbeth reveals his belief that all life is
A. dramatic B. tragic C. mysterious D. meaningless

21. How is Macduff able to kill Macbeth if “no man of woman born shall harm
Macbeth”?
A. he is not really a man B. he is really a spirit
C. he was born by C-section D. he never had a mother

22. According to the textual evidence, Lady Macbeth died

A. a natural death B. by her own hand
C. at the hands of a murderer D. of a nervous system disorder

23. In addition to ambition, what else contributes to Macbeth’s downfall?

A. brave and righteous anger B. blind trust in the witches’ prophecies
C. willingness to fight against all odds D. a desire to be secure on the throne
24. Who is Duncan’s second son and to where does he disappear?
A. Siward, England B. Donalbain, Ireland
C. Myles, Wales D. Duncan, Jr., America

25. Which monarch was Shakespeare trying to please by having the witches prophesy a
long line of kings from Banquo’s seed?
A. Queen Elizabeth B. James I C. Charles I D. James II

Essay: Please choose 1 of the following and write your answer in the appropriate space
of your answer key, indicating the number of the essay you chose. (15 points)

1. The theme of good vs. evil runs through the entire play of Macbeth. Give some
examples that illustrate the forces of good and the powers of evil IN CONFLICT.
Explain your examples.
2. At times in the play, Shakespeare portrays Macbeth in a sympathetic light. Give at
least two examples from the play that show this side of Macbeth’s character. (If you
don’t agree with this statement, don’t write on the essay!)
3. Macbeth is a tragic hero. First, explain what that means in terms of a tragic hero’s
typical characteristics. Then, explain how Macbeth experiences hamartia, a situation
in which he has to make a choice but fate will not let him make a successful or good
decision.
4. In your opinion, was it Macbeth’s fault that he ended up killing Duncan? In this
essay, you must either explain why Macbeth was entirely responsible for his decision
to kill Duncan or explain what extenuating circumstances existed that either partially
or fully absolved Macbeth of his guilt for killing Duncan. In choosing either position,
you must address the opposing opinion and counter (rebut) it.
 Name:_______________________

Answer Sheet

Matching: Multiple Choice:

1. _____ 1. _____ 11. _____ 21. _____

2. _____ 2. _____ 12. _____ 22. _____

3. _____ 3. _____ 13. _____ 23. _____

4. _____ 4. _____ 14. _____ 24. _____

5. _____ 5. _____ 15. _____ 25. _____

6. _____ 6. _____ 16. _____ 26. _____

7. _____ 7. _____ 17. _____ 27. _____

8. _____ 8. _____ 18. _____ 28. _____

9. _____ 9. _____ 19. _____ 29. _____

10. _____ 10. _____ 20. _____ 30. _____

Essay: #_____

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