Study Questions for Macbeth

• This is the first tragedy we have read.  What is a tragedy?  What is tragic about Macbeth (okay, stupid question, but think about it)?
• 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?
• Read carefully the speeches by Lady Macbeth that include the phrases "we fail" (1.7.60) and "oh, oh, oh" (5.1.52).  How do you imagine these lines to be delivered on the stage?
• 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