Macbeth

ACT FIVE Scene 1 Why is the Gentlewoman reluctant to repeat what she has heard the sleep-walking Lady Macbeth say' i. The Gentlewoman is reluctant to repeat what she heard the sleep-walking Lady Macbeth say, because she fears the wrath of Macbeth. If he would find out that she knows about the murder of Duncan he would surely kill them very quickly. This demonstrates that Lady Macbeth is possessed and mistrustful of the secret. What is ironic about Lady Macbeth’s state of mind' What lines from previous scene prepare us for this change in Lady Macbeth' i. The Dramatic irony of lady Macbeth’s state is mind is that, her evil deeds strain her towards insanity, Her guilt and paranoia is overtaking her frail mind that she cannot get purged of here agony and guiltiness through sleep. The fact that earlier in the scene she tells Macbeth at the Banquet that “you lack the season of all natures, sleep,” indicating that sleep will tonic all of his snags. But sleep isn’t helping her much; it is just bringing her more strain, paranoia and plague. Also when Macbeth imagined after the killing of Duncan that he has murdered sleep and will never sleep again. Lady Macbeth’s inability to sleep is indicated by the voice of Macbeth. Imagine you are the doctor and have just finished examining Lady Macbeth. Write a medical report in which you a make a diagnosis and provide a rationale for the instructions you have given the Gentlewoman about Lady Macbeth’s care. i. I scrutinized Lady Macbeth and understood from her abnormal state. She is in unadorned misery due to psychological distress because of a precise deed that she must have dedicated in the past. As I am not a psychologist, but from my acquaintance she is sleep walking without discerning her movements which designates to me she is really irritated and mistrust by her state of mind. This tells me she has done a deed that possesses her and she cannot control it, it has over powered her. For this reason I advise that she be taken under severe care by the Gentlewoman, due to her state of mind that can lead her to do irrepressible actions. ACT FIVE Scene 2 What dramatic purposes are served by this scene' What information is revealed concerning the forces amassing against Macbeth' i. The dramatic purpose that is served through this scene is that the group of Scottish lords discuss the military situation and the impending battle. They reveal that Malcolm, his Uncle Siward and Macduff are leading British forces and are amassing near Birnam Wood to join the troops fighting against Macbeth. Macbeth has tried to fortify his castle against the impending attack. Many of his troops are afraid of him. They also think that Macbeth’s conscience would be bothering him due to his murderous behaviour. ACT FIVE Scene 3 How does Macbeth feel when he hears of the flight of the thanes' What emotions are expressed in his speech beginning line 22, “I am sick at heart…”' i. Macbeth hears that his thanes are abandoning him, that the English army is approaching, and that his wife is soul-sick, but he tries to convince himself that he has nothing to fear, and prepares to fight. As the scene opens, Macbeth is saying, "Bring me no more reports; let them fly all”. I understand why he doesn't like what he's been hearing. As king, Macbeth would have few soldiers of his own. To make up an army he would call upon his thanes to bring their soldiers to the support of Scotland, but none of his thanes are answering his call. They are either avoiding him or as I have seen from the previous scene joining the forces which are marching against him. Having acknowledged the possibility that he could lose, Macbeth tries to find a way to accept defeat. In a famous passage, Macbeth tells himself that his life is not worth living: I have lived long enough: my way of life Is fall'n into the sear, the yellow leaf; And that which should accompany old age, As honour, love, obedience, troops of friends, I must not look to have; but, in their stead, Curses, not loud but deep, mouth-honour, breath, Which the poor heart would fain deny, and dare not. (5.3.22-28) From this i can see that Macbeth knows that it's not just his throne that is at stake, but his life. He also knows that he is utterly alone; he rules only by fear, which means that all those he rules hate him. Macbeth changes his mind about putting on his armour. What does this reveal about his mental state' i. Macbeth's state of mind and heart can only be implied by what he says about the witches’ prophecy or to Seyton and the servant or to the Doctor who is there to attend to Lady Macbeth. The most common reading of Macbeth Act V Scene 3 is that Macbeth is brash in confidence in the belief that the witches have promised him invincibility. The witches Oracle stated that he had no need of fear until a man not born of woman challenged him and the Birnam forest moved to Dunsinnae. Therefore, it is as good as saying Macbeth need never have fear. So it interprets everything Macbeth says to his servant, to Seyton, to the Doctor and about the arrogant, confident commanding of a king. So by this I understood, Macbeth has no regrets except the one regret that his wife has broken and is mentally disturbed With what tone of voice do you think Macbeth would speak to the Doctor at the end of the scene' Why' Macbeth would speak to the doctor at the end of this scene with a tone of striking wrath and vehemence as well an irritated and anxious tenor, due to his madness of his wife’s sickness which the doctor could not cure, he tells the doctor to throw his medicine to the dogs. What also increases his irritation is the Inversion of his country and all the immoral news he is receiving; he is not happy with anything, there are too many qualms and anxieties congestion his brain. ACT FIVE Scene 4 Why is it appropriate that Malcolm give the order to cut down the trees for use as camouflage' It is appropriate that Malcolm give the order to the soldiers to cut down the saplings for use as camouflage to deceive Macbeth and to disguise their numbers and make Macbeth continue to be overconfident. It would also make Macbeths army increase their hope and be over confident that they would win. In fact Macbeth’s reliance on the Apparition’s forecast that he would not be defeated until Birnam Wood came to Dunsinane. Imagine you are a newspaper or television reporter. Write a short report summarizing the events in this scene. Television reporter i. As for Today’s latest news the calamity of Malcolm and the Scottish thanes along with Siward and his son approach Birnam wood with their large army. While Malcolm orders the men to each cut a bough from the forest trees and use it to disguise themselves so that Macbeth will not see them coming. The lords have learned from reports that Macbeth remains at Dunsinane and that his troops have decreased because many of the men have revolted. The only men left to fight for Macbeth are men who had no other choice. As for Malcolm and the lords they are optimistic that Macbeth will be defeated, but they want to hold off on boasts until the battle has been won for certainty. ACT FIVE Scene 5 Macbeth expresses confidence about surviving a siege. If you were his military advisor, what would you give him' i. If I was one of Macbeth's military advisor I would recommend him to go against his conceit and superiority and his predictions of his castle being strong enough on its own, without any combatants protecting its walls and entrances from startling attacks from the enemy. I would tell him to contemplate twice before doing an insensitive act, putting his kingship in menace and his castle. He is over estimating his powers and his forces but undervaluing the supremacy that his rivals possess, I would recommend him to yield and gait away. In Macbeth’s “Tomorrow, and tomorrow…” soliloquy, he uses a theatrical metaphor to express his disillusionment with life. Rewrite the speech using a different metaphor. For example, you could choose a sports or political or school metaphor. i. Tomorrow, and tomorrow, and tomorrow. The days haunt slowly until the time stops ticking. And every day that’s already happened has taken fools away. Life is nothing but a delusion with in a delusion. It is like a stressed athletic before the gun is shot, he is all vexed, everything around him is in sluggish motion, his heart is hammering three times the normal rapidity,.; He has no inkling what will happen to him in the race and does not take any poster of what happens around him from his edginess and paranoia until the race is terminated and has not seen any progress but qualms. What is Macbeth’s, mood at the end of the scene' By this point in the play, what different emotions could the audience be feeling for Macbeth' i. Macbeth's mood is becoming more cavernous and dim. He wishes that the world were completely undone and he is very clearly tired of life. He recognizes that he has committed frequent wrong deeds and sincerely hopes that all of his mighty suffering will come to an end. Macbeth is Ominous on life’s futility. His wife died who made him feel secluded and miserable, no one next to him to support him. It makes us feel remorseful for Macbeth. He went through privation and stress and at the end he is still suffering. There is no sign of cheerfulness. It just makes us think badly of Macbeth after all what he did. ACT FIVE Scene 6 If you were a director of a modem, high-tech version of the play, how would you emphasize Macduff’s eagerness to fight Macbeth' Be creative i. If I were the director of this scene I would emphasise Macduff's enthusiasm to destroy Macbeth by swelling and weighting the sound of horror and anger in the distance. And have Macduff’s fuming dense voice in the background mumbling to himself, how he is going to get rid of Macbeth and his army. I would have him cursing and blaspheming Macbeth. I would make Macduff’s face look angry and wrath from miles away; I would add flashbacks of Macduff's wife and children being slayed to increase Macduff’s anger and wrath. I would want him to feel that he has taken revenge. ACT FIVE Scene 7 What Dramatic purpose is served by having Macbeth fight and kill Young Siward' i. The scene serves several purposes. First, killing young Siward assures Macbeth that he is unbeatable; the fact that the young man was indeed "born of woman" and therefore he could not harm Macbeth. He wins this battle, because he is a skilled, proficient soldier while young Siward has hardly any experience. Regardless of his lack of skill, the young man does not back away from the fight; he fights bravely. In the final act of the play, which is a series of short scenes moving back and forth from outside the castle to the interior of the castle, this scene helps to move the plot forward even more quickly because Macbeth will fight with more conviction, believing that he cannot be defeated. His hopes are false; he is not immortal after all. ACT FIVE Scene 8 What do you think of Siward’s response upon hearing the news of his son’s death' Write a dialogue in which Siward tells his wife of their son’s fate. i. Oh Wife! I have overwhelming news for you on our great gallant lad. He was a child yesterday but a man and a soldier today he only lived long enough to become a man, he was a man by fighting like one. He’s God’s marten now! If I had as many cubs, I couldn’t hope that any of them would decease more honourably than he did. And that’s all there is to it dear, so that's all I can say. May he rest in peace. He was a brave warrior to dose Macbeth and die. What kingly qualities does Malcolm display in his last speech' i. Malcolm displays in his last speech Fairness, restraint, stableness, abundance, determination, compassion, humbleness, piety, patience and courage. He left out dullness, although from this speech and this scene in general he seems much attached to this quality.