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English Literature: Macbeth
Question
Who wrote Macbeth and when was it written?
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Answer
William Shakespeare, written around 1606, during the reign of King James I of England (James VI of Scotland).
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Question
What is the main plot of Macbeth?
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Answer
A Scottish general, Macbeth, murders King Duncan after prophecies from three witches suggest he will become king — leading to his tyrannical rule and eventual downfall.
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Question
What do the witches prophesy in Act 1?
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Answer
That Macbeth will become Thane of Cawdor and then King of Scotland, and that Banquo's descendants will be kings (though Banquo himself will not).
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Question
What is the significance of the "fair is foul, and foul is fair" motif?
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Answer
It introduces the theme of deception and moral ambiguity — things that appear good are really bad, and vice versa. It pervades the whole play.
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Question
What is Lady Macbeth's role in Duncan's murder?
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Answer
She is the driving force — she challenges Macbeth's manhood, plans the murder, drugs the guards, and stages the scene. She is arguably more ruthless than Macbeth initially.
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Question
What does the dagger soliloquy reveal about Macbeth?
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Answer
In Act 2, Macbeth hallucinates a dagger pointing toward Duncan's room — showing his guilt, ambition, and psychological deterioration before the murder.
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Question
What is the significance of Banquo's ghost?
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Answer
Macbeth sees Banquo's ghost at the banquet (Act 3), symbolising his guilt and descent into paranoia. Only Macbeth can see it, suggesting it is a hallucination.
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Question
What are the three apparitions the witches show Macbeth in Act 4?
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Answer
An armed head (beware Macduff), a bloody child (no man born of woman can harm Macbeth), and a crowned child with a tree (safe until Birnam Wood moves to Dunsinane).
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Question
How do the witches' prophecies come true literally but mislead Macbeth?
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Answer
Macduff was born by caesarean (not "naturally"); Malcolm's soldiers carry branches from Birnam Wood as camouflage — both technically fulfil the prophecies but not as Macbeth imagined.
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Question
What is the theme of ambition in Macbeth?
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Answer
Unchecked ambition ("vaulting ambition") is shown to be destructive — it drives Macbeth and Lady Macbeth to commit murder and ultimately destroys them both.
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