Practice 100+ Macbeth MCQs with answers covering plot, characters, themes, quotes, and literary devices from Shakespeare’s tragedy for exams and quizzes.
Multiple Choice Questions: Macbeth Act V
- Who are the two characters present at the beginning of Act V, Scene I?
A) Macbeth and Seyton
B) Malcolm and Macduff
C) A Doctor of Physic and a Waiting-Gentlewoman
D) Lady Macbeth and a Nurse Answer: C) A Doctor of Physic and a Waiting-Gentlewoman - What does the Gentlewoman report Lady Macbeth has been doing?
A) Praying continually
B) Walking in her sleep and performing actions like writing
C) Constantly talking about her past crimes
D) Singing lullabies to herself Answer: B) Walking in her sleep and performing actions like writing - What is the Doctor’s initial reaction to the Gentlewoman’s report about Lady Macbeth’s sleepwalking?
A) He dismisses it as imagination.
B) He finds it a “great perturbation in nature.”
C) He is uninterested.
D) He suggests she needs more sleep. Answer: B) He finds it a “great perturbation in nature.” - Why does the Gentlewoman refuse to report what Lady Macbeth has said during her sleepwalking?
A) She cannot remember it.
B) She has “no witness to confirm” her speech.
C) It is too terrible to repeat.
D) Lady Macbeth threatened her. Answer: B) She has “no witness to confirm” her speech. - What does Lady Macbeth carry with her as she enters, sleepwalking?
A) A dagger
B) A letter
C) A taper (candle)
D) A glass of water Answer: C) A taper (candle) - Why does Lady Macbeth keep a light by her continually?
A) She is afraid of the dark.
B) It is her command, as reported by the Gentlewoman.
C) She is trying to read.
D) It helps her sleep. Answer: B) It is her command, as reported by the Gentlewoman. - What physical action does Lady Macbeth repeatedly perform while sleepwalking?
A) Clenching her fists.
B) Rubbing her hands as if washing them.
C) Tearing at her clothes.
D) Pacing back and forth. Answer: B) Rubbing her hands as if washing them. - What is the first distinct phrase Lady Macbeth utters while sleepwalking?
A) “To bed, to bed!”
B) “Yet who would have thought the old man to have had so much blood in him.”
C) “Out, damned spot! out, I say!”
D) “Fie, my lord, fie! a soldier, and afeard?” Answer: C) “Out, damned spot! out, I say!” - Whose blood does Lady Macbeth seem to be trying to wash off her hands?
A) Duncan’s.
B) Banquo’s.
C) Macduff’s.
D) Young Siward’s. Answer: A) Duncan’s. - Lady Macbeth recalls the murder of Duncan, asking, “Yet who would have thought the old man / to have had so much blood in him.” This shows her:
A) Surprise at her husband’s strength.
B) Continued torment over the gruesomeness of the act.
C) Concern for the elderly.
D) Detachment from reality. Answer: B) Continued torment over the gruesomeness of the act. - Whose murder does Lady Macbeth reference with the line, “The thane of Fife had a wife: where is she now?”
A) Banquo’s wife.
B) Duncan’s wife.
C) Macduff’s wife.
D) Ross’s wife. Answer: C) Macduff’s wife. - What does Lady Macbeth say about the smell of blood?
A) “It smells like iron.”
B) “Here’s the smell of the blood still: all the perfumes of Arabia will not sweeten this little hand.”
C) “The smell is faint.”
D) “It reminds me of spices.” Answer: B) “Here’s the smell of the blood still: all the perfumes of Arabia will not sweeten this little hand.” - Whose burial does Lady Macbeth mention, trying to reassure herself, “Banquo’s buried; he cannot come out on’s grave.”
A) Duncan’s.
B) Fleance’s.
C) Banquo’s.
D) Macduff’s. Answer: C) Banquo’s. - What is Lady Macbeth’s final, desperate plea while sleepwalking?
A) “Give me your hand.”
B) “What’s done cannot be undone.”
C) “To bed, to bed, to bed!”
D) All of the above. Answer: D) All of the above. - What does the Doctor conclude about Lady Macbeth’s condition?
A) She needs more medicine.
B) “This disease is beyond my practise: yet I have known those which have walked in their sleep who have died holily in their beds.”
C) She will recover with rest.
D) She is faking it. Answer: B) “This disease is beyond my practise: yet I have known those which have walked in their sleep who have died holily in their beds.” - The Doctor states, “More needs she the divine than the physician.” This means:
A) She needs a better doctor.
B) Her illness is spiritual or moral, not physical.
C) She needs God’s help more than a doctor’s.
D) Both B and C. Answer: D) Both B and C. - What is the last instruction the Doctor gives regarding Lady Macbeth?
A) To let her sleep.
B) “Remove from her the means of all annoyance, / And still keep eyes upon her.”
C) To give her strong medication.
D) To tell Macbeth about her condition. Answer: B) “Remove from her the means of all annoyance, / And still keep eyes upon her.” - In Scene II, who leads the English forces nearing Dunsinane?
A) Donalbain, Fleance, and Ross.
B) Malcolm, Old Siward, and Macduff.
C) Lennox, Menteith, and Caithness.
D) Seyton and the Doctor. Answer: B) Malcolm, Old Siward, and Macduff. - The Scottish lords gather near what significant location, fulfilling a prophecy?
A) Dunsinane castle.
B) Birnam Wood.
C) Forres.
D) Scone. Answer: B) Birnam Wood. - Angus describes Macbeth’s reign, saying “His secret murders sticking on his hands” and his title hanging “loose about him, like a giant’s robe / Upon a dwarfish thief.” This imagery highlights Macbeth’s:
A) Weakness and unsuitability for kingship.
B) Great strength and power.
C) Wealth.
D) Popularity. Answer: A) Weakness and unsuitability for kingship. - The Scottish lords refer to Malcolm as “the medicine of the sickly weal.” This metaphor means:
A) Malcolm is a healer.
B) Malcolm is the cure for Scotland’s diseased state.
C) Malcolm is ill.
D) Malcolm is a doctor. Answer: B) Malcolm is the cure for Scotland’s diseased state. - In Scene III, what is Macbeth’s attitude towards the approaching English forces, based on the prophecies?
A) He is terrified.
B) He is overconfident and dismissive of fear.
C) He plans to surrender.
D) He is unsure. Answer: B) He is overconfident and dismissive of fear. - What insult does Macbeth hurl at the Servant who reports the arrival of “ten thousand soldiers”?
A) “Coward.”
B) “Geese, villain!” and “cream-faced loon.”
C) “Fool.”
D) “Traitor.” Answer: B) “Geese, villain!” and “cream-faced loon.” - Macbeth expresses a deep sense of disillusionment and regret about his life, stating, “I have lived long enough: my way of life / Is fall’n into the sear, the yellow leaf.” He laments the absence of:
A) Riches and power.
B) “honour, love, obedience, troops of friends.”
C) His wife.
D) Peace. Answer: B) “honour, love, obedience, troops of friends.” - When Macbeth asks the Doctor to “Cure her of that” (Lady Macbeth’s troubled mind), the Doctor replies:
A) “Therein the patient / Must minister to himself.”
B) “It is impossible.”
C) “I will try my best.”
D) “She needs more rest.” Answer: A) “Therein the patient / Must minister to himself.” - Macbeth’s frustration with the Doctor’s inability to cure Lady Macbeth leads him to exclaim:
A) “Throw physic to the dogs; I’ll none of it.”
B) “You are a useless doctor.”
C) “I need a new physician.”
D) “You are right.” Answer: A) “Throw physic to the dogs; I’ll none of it.” - What does Macbeth ask the Doctor if he can “cast / The water of my land, find her disease, / And purge it to a sound and pristine health”? This is a metaphor for:
A) Treating the land’s agriculture.
B) Curing Scotland of its political and social ills.
C) Finding water sources.
D) Diagnosing a physical illness in the land. Answer: B) Curing Scotland of its political and social ills. - What is the Doctor’s aside as he exits Scene III?
A) He wishes Macbeth good luck.
B) “Were I from Dunsinane away and clear, / Profit again should hardly draw me here.”
C) He promises to return.
D) He will bring more medicine. Answer: B) “Were I from Dunsinane away and clear, / Profit again should hardly draw me here.” - In Scene IV, what strategic order does Malcolm give his soldiers at Birnam Wood?
A) To set the wood on fire.
B) To “hew him down a bough / And bear’t before him.”
C) To hide within the trees.
D) To build fortifications. Answer: B) To “hew him down a bough / And bear’t before him.” - What is the purpose of Malcolm’s order regarding the boughs?
A) To provide camouflage for the soldiers.
B) To make their numbers appear larger and deceive the enemy’s reconnaissance.
C) To fulfill the prophecy of Birnam Wood moving.
D) Both B and C. Answer: D) Both B and C. - Siward observes that Macbeth “Keeps still in Dunsinane, and will endure / Our setting down before ‘t.” This indicates Macbeth’s:
A) Cowardice.
B) Confidence in his castle’s strength and the prophecies.
C) Strategy to draw them in.
D) Fear of open battle. Answer: B) Confidence in his castle’s strength and the prophecies. - Malcolm notes that “none serve with him [Macbeth] but constrained things / Whose hearts are absent too.” This suggests Macbeth’s army is fighting out of:
A) Loyalty.
B) Fear and compulsion.
C) Love for him.
D) Shared ambition. Answer: B) Fear and compulsion. - In Scene V, what does Macbeth command to be hung out on the “outward walls”?
A) White flags.
B) Their banners.
C) Warning signs.
D) Shields. Answer: B) Their banners. - What sound is heard offstage at the beginning of Scene V?
A) A bugle call.
B) The cry of women.
C) Cheers from the army.
D) Thunder. Answer: B) The cry of women. - Macbeth’s initial reaction to the cry of women indicates a change in his emotional state. He says, “I have almost forgot the taste of fears… Direness, familiar to my slaughterous thoughts / Cannot once start me.” This shows:
A) He has become fearless.
B) He has become desensitized to horror and suffering.
C) He is now a courageous soldier.
D) He is a stoic leader. Answer: B) He has become desensitized to horror and suffering. - What news does Seyton bring to Macbeth?
A) The English army is retreating.
B) “The queen, my lord, is dead.”
C) Macduff has been captured.
D) Food supplies are low. Answer: B) “The queen, my lord, is dead.” - Macbeth’s famous soliloquy begins with the line: “She should have died hereafter; / There would have been a time for such a word.” This implies:
A) He wishes she had died sooner.
B) He is too preoccupied with the battle to mourn her properly now.
C) He wishes she had lived longer.
D) He is angry she died. Answer: B) He is too preoccupied with the battle to mourn her properly now. - “To-morrow, and to-morrow, and to-morrow, / Creeps in this petty pace from day to day…” This reflects Macbeth’s feeling of:
A) Optimism.
B) The monotonous, meaningless, and futile nature of life.
C) Excitement for the future.
D) Hope for redemption. Answer: B) The monotonous, meaningless, and futile nature of life. - Macbeth famously describes life as “a walking shadow, a poor player / That struts and frets his hour upon the stage / And then is heard no more.” This suggests life is:
A) A grand performance.
B) Brief, illusory, and ultimately insignificant.
C) Filled with joy.
D) A complex game. Answer: B) Brief, illusory, and ultimately insignificant. - Macbeth concludes his soliloquy by stating life is “a tale / Told by an idiot, full of sound and fury, / Signifying nothing.” This expresses his belief in life’s:
A) Profound meaning.
B) Absurdity and utter lack of purpose.
C) Deep wisdom.
D) Poetic beauty. Answer: B) Absurdity and utter lack of purpose. - Who enters to report that “The wood began to move”?
A) A soldier.
B) A messenger.
C) Seyton.
D) The Doctor. Answer: B) A messenger. - Macbeth’s initial reaction to the moving wood report is:
A) Calm acceptance.
B) Fury and disbelief, calling the messenger a “Liar and slave!”
C) Confusion.
D) Immediate surrender. Answer: B) Fury and disbelief, calling the messenger a “Liar and slave!” - Upon realizing the prophecy of Birnam Wood is coming true, Macbeth states, “I pull in resolution, and begin / To doubt the equivocation of the fiend / That lies like truth.” This signifies his realization that:
A) The Witches were honest.
B) The Witches’ prophecies were deceitful and misleading.
C) He should have trusted them more.
D) He misunderstood the prophecy. Answer: B) The Witches’ prophecies were deceitful and misleading. - How does Macbeth resolve to face his fate after the Birnam Wood prophecy is realized?
A) He will try to flee.
B) He will fight to the very last, with his “harness on our back.”
C) He will negotiate terms.
D) He will surrender immediately. Answer: B) He will fight to the very last, with his “harness on our back.” - In Scene VI, what does Malcolm command his soldiers to do when they are “near enough” to Dunsinane?
A) Attack immediately.
B) “Your leafy screens throw down. / And show like those you are.”
C) Surround the castle.
D) Shout their battle cry. Answer: B) “Your leafy screens throw down. / And show like those you are.” - What is Macduff’s final command before the battle begins in Scene VI?
A) “Charge!”
B) “Make all our trumpets speak; give them all breath, / Those clamorous harbingers of blood and death.”
C) “Prepare for defense!”
D) “Retreat!” Answer: B) “Make all our trumpets speak; give them all breath, / Those clamorous harbingers of blood and death.” - In Scene VII, Macbeth compares himself to a bear in what kind of fighting scenario?
A) A wrestling match.
B) A bear-baiting, where he is tied to a stake and must fight.
C) A hunt.
D) A chase. Answer: B) A bear-baiting, where he is tied to a stake and must fight. - Who is the first person Macbeth fights and kills in Act V?
A) Macduff.
B) Old Siward.
C) Young Siward.
D) Malcolm. Answer: C) Young Siward. - After killing Young Siward, Macbeth confidently reiterates the prophecy that he can only be harmed by one “not born of woman.” This shows his continued reliance on:
A) His own strength.
B) The Witches’ equivocation.
C) Divine intervention.
D) His army. Answer: B) The Witches’ equivocation. - Why does Macduff desperately seek out Macbeth in battle?
A) He wants to arrest him.
B) He believes his family’s “ghosts will haunt me still” if he doesn’t kill Macbeth himself.
C) He wants to join Macbeth’s side.
D) He wants to challenge him to a duel. Answer: B) He believes his family’s “ghosts will haunt me still” if he doesn’t kill Macbeth himself. - Malcolm and Siward observe that “The tyrant’s people on both sides do fight.” This means:
A) Macbeth’s army is divided.
B) Some of Macbeth’s own soldiers are fighting against him.
C) They are fighting in two different locations.
D) They are fighting bravely. Answer: B) Some of Macbeth’s own soldiers are fighting against him. - At the beginning of Scene VIII, why does Macbeth initially hesitate to fight Macduff?
A) He is afraid.
B) His “soul is too much charged / With blood of thine already” (meaning Macduff’s family).
C) He is tired of fighting.
D) He wants to surrender. Answer: B) His “soul is too much charged / With blood of thine already” (meaning Macduff’s family). - When Macduff states, “I have no words: / My voice is in my sword,” he means:
A) He is speechless.
B) He will let his sword do the talking and fight without negotiation.
C) He is literally talking to his sword.
D) He has lost his voice. Answer: B) He will let his sword do the talking and fight without negotiation. - What does Macbeth confidently declare about his life when fighting Macduff, before the truth is revealed?
A) “I am invincible.”
B) “I bear a charmed life, which must not yield, / To one of woman born.”
C) “I am tired of living.”
D) “I will defeat you easily.” Answer: B) “I bear a charmed life, which must not yield, / To one of woman born.” - How does Macduff reveal the truth about his birth to Macbeth?
A) He explains he was adopted.
B) He states he “was from his mother’s womb / Untimely ripp’d” (Caesarean section).
C) He tells Macbeth he was born in a different country.
D) He says he has no mother. Answer: B) He states he “was from his mother’s womb / Untimely ripp’d” (Caesarean section). - Upon hearing Macduff’s revelation, Macbeth cries, “Accursed be that tongue that tells me so, / For it hath cow’d my better part of man!” This shows his:
A) Sudden fear and loss of confidence in the prophecies.
B) Anger at Macduff’s bravery.
C) Resignation.
D) Relief. Answer: A) Sudden fear and loss of confidence in the prophecies. - Macbeth denounces the “juggling fiends” who “palter with us in a double sense.” This means the Witches:
A) Were honest.
B) Deceived him with ambiguous prophecies that had double meanings.
C) Were playing a game.
D) Told him the truth directly. Answer: B) Deceived him with ambiguous prophecies that had double meanings. - Why does Macbeth initially refuse to fight Macduff after learning the truth?
A) He knows he will lose.
B) He wants to avoid further bloodshed.
C) He is overcome with despair and sees no point in fighting the inevitable.
D) He fears eternal damnation. Answer: C) He is overcome with despair and sees no point in fighting the inevitable. - What does Macduff threaten to do if Macbeth yields and refuses to fight?
A) Imprison him.
B) Make him a public spectacle, “Painted on a pole,” for all to mock.
C) Send him into exile.
D) Offer him mercy. Answer: B) Make him a public spectacle, “Painted on a pole,” for all to mock. - Despite knowing his fate, Macbeth decides to fight Macduff because he refuses to:
A) Kiss the ground before Malcolm’s feet.
B) Be “baited with the rabble’s curse.”
C) Yield like a coward.
D) All of the above. Answer: D) All of the above. - What is the final outcome of the fight between Macbeth and Macduff?
A) Macbeth wins.
B) Macduff is slain.
C) Macbeth is slain by Macduff.
D) They both survive. Answer: C) Macbeth is slain by Macduff. - After the battle, what is Siward’s reaction to the news of his son’s death?
A) He is heartbroken and cries.
B) He asks if his wounds were “on the front” (meaning he died bravely) and rejoices that he “paid a soldier’s debt.”
C) He is angry.
D) He faints. Answer: B) He asks if his wounds were “on the front” (meaning he died bravely) and rejoices that he “paid a soldier’s debt.” - What is brought onto the stage by Macduff at the end of the play?
A) Macbeth’s armor.
B) Macbeth’s crown.
C) Macbeth’s head.
D) Macbeth’s body. Answer: C) Macbeth’s head. - What does Macduff proclaim upon presenting Macbeth’s head?
A) “The tyrant is dead!”
B) “Hail, king! for so thou art: behold, where stands / The usurper’s cursed head: the time is free.”
C) “Justice is served.”
D) “Long live Malcolm!” Answer: B) “Hail, king! for so thou art: behold, where stands / The usurper’s cursed head: the time is free.” - What is Malcolm’s first act as the new King of Scotland?
A) To execute all of Macbeth’s followers.
B) To rename his thanes “earls,” the first in Scotland.
C) To rebuild the castle.
D) To forgive all who fought against him. Answer: B) To rename his thanes “earls,” the first in Scotland. - What does Malcolm state about Lady Macbeth’s death?
A) She was murdered by Macbeth.
B) She “by self and violent hands / Took off her life” (committed suicide).
C) She died of natural causes.
D) She escaped. Answer: B) She “by self and violent hands / Took off her life” (committed suicide). - Where will Malcolm be crowned King of Scotland?
A) Dunsinane.
B) Birnam Wood.
C) Scone.
D) Fife. Answer: C) Scone. - The phrase “The time is free” at the end of the play signifies:
A) Everyone is free to leave.
B) Scotland is liberated from tyranny and can now breathe freely.
C) There is no longer any time constraint.
D) Time has stopped. Answer: B) Scotland is liberated from tyranny and can now breathe freely. - The play ends with the restoration of what?
A) The Witches’ power.
B) The rightful order and legitimate rule in Scotland.
C) Macbeth’s family line.
D) Chaos and violence. Answer: B) The rightful order and legitimate rule in Scotland. - Lady Macbeth’s sleepwalking scene primarily serves to:
A) Show her continued strength.
B) Reveal her profound psychological torment and guilt.
C) Provide comic relief.
D) Introduce a new plot point. Answer: B) Reveal her profound psychological torment and guilt. - The “knocking at the gate” Lady Macbeth imagines while sleepwalking is a direct echo of:
A) The Porter scene after Duncan’s murder.
B) Banquo’s ghost.
C) The arrival of Malcolm’s army.
D) Her own conscience. Answer: A) The Porter scene after Duncan’s murder. - Macbeth’s “To-morrow, and to-morrow, and to-morrow” soliloquy is considered a nihilistic view of life because:
A) It expresses hope for the future.
B) It emphasizes life’s inherent meaninglessness and absurdity.
C) It celebrates human achievement.
D) It suggests life is a gift. Answer: B) It emphasizes life’s inherent meaninglessness and absurdity. - The dramatic irony of the moving Birnam Wood is that:
A) Macbeth knows the prophecy will come true.
B) The audience knows Malcolm’s plan, but Macbeth initially dismisses the messenger’s report.
C) The Witches deliberately misled Macbeth.
D) The trees are literally moving by magic. Answer: B) The audience knows Malcolm’s plan, but Macbeth initially dismisses the messenger’s report. - Macbeth’s final decision to fight Macduff, despite knowing the prophecy’s truth, indicates:
A) His absolute madness.
B) His residual bravery and a refusal to be publicly shamed.
C) His hope for a miracle.
D) His desire for death. Answer: B) His residual bravery and a refusal to be publicly shamed. - Siward’s calm reaction to his son’s death is characteristic of:
A) A lack of emotion.
B) Stoic military honor and a belief in a noble death.
C) Disinterest in his son.
D) Exhaustion from battle. Answer: B) Stoic military honor and a belief in a noble death. - The imagery of “unrough youths” in Scene II refers to:
A) Untrained soldiers.
B) Young men who haven’t yet grown beards, fighting their first battle.
C) Soldiers who are rough and aggressive.
D) Soldiers who are smooth-faced. Answer: B) Young men who haven’t yet grown beards, fighting their first battle. - The Doctor’s quiet statement, “My mind she has mated, and amazed my sight. / I think, but dare not speak,” implies:
A) He is confused by Lady Macbeth’s condition.
B) He has understood the terrible truth behind her words but cannot openly accuse the queen.
C) He is in awe of her.
D) He is afraid to tell Macbeth. Answer: B) He has understood the terrible truth behind her words but cannot openly accuse the queen. - What is Macbeth’s desperate plea to the Doctor in Scene III regarding Scotland?
A) To heal the soldiers.
B) To diagnose and cure the “disease” of his land, meaning the rebellion and discontent.
C) To bring Lady Macbeth back to health.
D) To remove the English forces. Answer: B) To diagnose and cure the “disease” of his land, meaning the rebellion and discontent. - The “linen cheeks” of the servant in Scene III indicate:
A) He is wearing a mask.
B) He is pale with fear.
C) He is very old.
D) He has a skin condition. Answer: B) He is pale with fear. - Macbeth’s declaration, “I’ll fight till from my bones my flesh be hack’d,” shows his:
A) Commitment to dying in battle rather than surrendering.
B) Wish to be dismembered.
C) Desire to escape.
D) Weakness. Answer: A) Commitment to dying in battle rather than surrendering. - The contrast between Macbeth’s initial confident reliance on the prophecies and his later despair highlights:
A) The Witches’ ultimate power.
B) The deceptive nature of evil and the tragic flaw of overconfidence.
C) His intelligence.
D) His good luck. Answer: B) The deceptive nature of evil and the tragic flaw of overconfidence. - The overall tone of Act V transitions from Lady Macbeth’s despair to Macbeth’s defiance and ultimately to:
A) Further tragedy.
B) The restoration of justice and order.
C) Complete chaos.
D) A new era of tyranny. Answer: B) The restoration of justice and order. - The line “What’s done cannot be undone” from Lady Macbeth in her sleepwalking scene is a chilling echo of her earlier words to Macbeth after Duncan’s murder, suggesting:
A) Her continued belief in control.
B) The irreversible nature of their crimes and her deep regret.
C) A new plan.
D) Her strength. Answer: B) The irreversible nature of their crimes and her deep regret. - The final scene of the play emphasizes a return to what concept of kingship?
A) Rule by force.
B) Rule based on divine right, virtue, and justice.
C) Rule by fear.
D) Rule by prophecy. Answer: B) Rule based on divine right, virtue, and justice. - Malcolm’s promise to “call home our exiled friends abroad” and punish “the cruel ministers” of Macbeth reinforces the theme of:
A) Continued violence.
B) Reconciliation and the re-establishment of moral order.
C) Vengeance.
D) Isolation. Answer: B) Reconciliation and the re-establishment of moral order. - The use of “Drum and colours” in the stage directions throughout Act V symbolizes:
A) Musical interludes.
B) The ongoing military conflict and the marching armies.
C) Festive celebrations.
D) A quiet atmosphere. Answer: B) The ongoing military conflict and the marching armies. - The phrase “God, God forgive us all!” uttered by the Doctor after observing Lady Macbeth, shows:
A) His disbelief in God.
B) His deep distress and recognition of the profound evil witnessed.
C) His fear of Macbeth.
D) His own guilt. Answer: B) His deep distress and recognition of the profound evil witnessed. - Macbeth’s realization about the “equivocation of the fiend” in Scene V marks his:
A) Continued trust in the Witches.
B) Turning point from false confidence to despair and recognition of their trickery.
C) Surrender.
D) Madness. Answer: B) Turning point from false confidence to despair and recognition of their trickery. - The news of Lady Macbeth’s death seems to affect Macbeth primarily by confirming his:
A) Love for her.
B) Sense of life’s ultimate meaninglessness and futility.
C) Deep grief.
D) Desire for revenge. Answer: B) Sense of life’s ultimate meaninglessness and futility. - Malcolm’s final speech, outlining his plans for Scotland, demonstrates his qualities as a:
A) Ruthless tyrant.
B) Prudent, just, and compassionate leader.
C) Hesitant and weak ruler.
D) Foolish and naive boy. Answer: B) Prudent, just, and compassionate leader. - The “good Macduff” is a characterfoil to Macbeth in Act V because:
A) He is also ambitious.
B) He fights for justice and personal revenge, contrasting with Macbeth’s selfish tyranny.
C) He is also a murderer.
D) He also trusts the Witches. Answer: B) He fights for justice and personal revenge, contrasting with Macbeth’s selfish tyranny. - The play concludes with an emphasis on the importance of:
A) Individual power.
B) Moral order and a stable, legitimate government.
C) Supernatural intervention.
D) Personal ambition. Answer: B) Moral order and a stable, legitimate government. - When Lady Macbeth says “Hell is murky!” she is expressing her torment over:
A) The dark castle.
B) Her perception of damnation and the infernal consequences of her deeds.
C) The weather.
D) Her eyesight. Answer: B) Her perception of damnation and the infernal consequences of her deeds. - The “alarum-bell” that Macbeth rings in Scene V is a symbol of:
A) A call to prayer.
B) A general alarm for battle.
C) A celebratory sound.
D) A warning of peace. Answer: B) A general alarm for battle. - Macbeth’s choice to “die with harness on our back” signifies his:
A) Desire for a quick death.
B) Determination to fight to the end in his armor.
C) Surrender.
D) Wish to retreat. Answer: B) Determination to fight to the end in his armor. - The final scene provides a sense of:
A) Unresolved conflict.
B) Closure and the restoration of a moral universe.
C) Lingering doubt.
D) Continued tragedy. Answer: B) Closure and the restoration of a moral universe. - The play demonstrates that while external forces (like prophecies) can influence events, ultimately, individuals are responsible for their:
A) Fate alone.
B) Choices and actions.
C) Luck.
D) Dreams. Answer: B) Choices and actions. - The character of the Doctor in Scene I serves to:
A) Provide medical advice to Macbeth.
B) Offer a professional, objective observation of Lady Macbeth’s deteriorating mental state.
C) Represent the limitations of science.
D) All of the above. Answer: B) Offer a professional, objective observation of Lady Macbeth’s deteriorating mental state. - What is the significance of the “time” being “free” at the end of the play?
A) It implies a lack of responsibility.
B) It signifies freedom from Macbeth’s oppressive tyranny.
C) It suggests unlimited time.
D) It means time can be stopped. Answer: B) It signifies freedom from Macbeth’s oppressive tyranny. - The concluding lines of the play (“So, thanks to all at once and to each one, / Whom we invite to see us crown’d at Scone.”) underscore:
A) The continuation of conflict.
B) The establishment of a new, legitimate reign and the promise of a peaceful future.
C) Malcolm’s weakness.
D) The end of all political activity. Answer: B) The establishment of a new, legitimate reign and the promise of a peaceful future.