Macbeth Quiz

1.

Which plot element features the conflicts and challenges encountered by characters in a narrative? (5 points)

	Exposition
	Rising Action
	Climax
	Resolution

2.

Which act of Macbeth contains the climax? (5 points)

	Act 1
	Act 2
	Act 3
	Act 4
	Act 5

3.

Which of these lines provides important information for the exposition of the play? (10 points)

	O Banquo, Banquo!/Our royal master’s murder’d!
	And, for an earnest of a greater honor,/He bade me, from him, call thee Thane of Cawdor
	Thou know’st that Banquo, and his Fleance, lives.
	Hail, king, for so thou art: behold, where stands/The usurper’s cursed head:

4.

Why are these lines from Act III important in the plot of the play? (2 paragraphs) (25 points)

Macbeth to Lady Macbeth

the time has been,
That, when the brains were out, the man would die,
And there an end; but now they rise again,
With twenty mortal murders on their crowns,
And push us from our stools: this is more strange
Than such a murder is

5.

Using these lines from Act I and Act IV, explain how the Macbeth described in the beginning of the play is different from the Macbeth who is speaking these lines in ACT IV. (2 paragraphs) (25 points)

ACT I

Soldier

But all’s too weak;
For brave Macbeth,—well he deserves that name,—
Disdaining fortune, with his brandish’d steel,
Which smok’d with bloody execution,
Like valor’s minion,Carv’d out his passage
Till he fac’d the slave;
And ne’er shook hands, nor bade farewell to him,
Till he unseam’d him from the nave to the chaps,
And fix’d his head upon our battlements.

Duncan.

O valiant cousin! worthy gentleman!

ACT IV

Macbeth.

Time, thou anticipat’st my dread exploits:
The flighty purpose never is o’ertook
Unless the deed go with it: from this moment
The very firstlings of my heart shall be
The firstlings of my hand. And even now,
To crown my thoughts with acts, be it thought and done:
The castle of Macduff I will surprise;
Seize upon Fife; give to the edge o’ the sword
His wife, his babes, and all unfortunate souls
That trace him in his line. No boasting like a fool;
This deed I’ll do before this purpose cool:
But no more sights!—

6.

Choose an event from the play. Focus on the purpose it serves in the story. Consider how the story would change if that event was altered. Form your ideas into a paragraph of at least five sentences. Make sure to include supporting evidence from the play.

Some events to consider:

The weird sisters’ predictions for Macbeth and Banquo
Macbeth’s murder of Banquo
The appearance of Banquo’s ghost at Macbeth’s coronation dinner (30 points)