Macbeth Discussion Questions PDF

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Shirley Liang Ms. Crawford ENG3Ub 23 September 2019

Macbeth Discussion Questions 1. A tragic hero should provoke our sympathy. Do you sympathize with Macbeth? Why or why not? Does his downfall evoke pity and terror? Does he fit Aristotle’s definition of a tragic hero? When Shakespeare wrote this play, the main thing he tried to do is to make the reader sympathize with the main character, as every author tries to do. In this Shakespearean story, I do sympathize with Macbeth. I sympathize with him because although he always wanted more throughout the story, such as more power, he already had everything. His downfall definitely evokes pity and terror because he is awfully greedy and always wanted more, which led it to be his fault, and then leading the reader to pity him. Although Macbeth had these thoughts in his own mind, it was also Lady Macbeth that put those thoughts into his head. I would say that Lady Macbeth tried to brainwash Macbeth by calling him a coward. “What beast was’t, then./That made you break the enterprise to me?/When you durst do it. Then you were a man;/And to be more than what you were, you would/Be so much more the man” (1.7 48-51). After Macbeth finally gives in and kills King Duncan, he feels extreme guilt, and therefore makes the reader feel bad for him. Macbeth does fit Aristotle’s definition of a tragic hero because he had one mistake that led to his ultimate downfall, which was his ambition. He always wanted to achieve more, but he

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was already a man of high standing. This flaw led to Macbeth eventually dying because he realizes the mistakes that he has made.

2. What are the forces that determine Macbeth’s destiny? To what degree are the witches responsible for Macbeth’s downfall? What roles do fate and free will play in Macbeth’s destruction? The forces that determined Macbeth’s destiny were the witches, Macbeth’s greed and Lady Macbeth. The witches were completely responsible for Macbeth’s downfall because they were the ones that told him that he can have more and ultimately become king, which led to Macbeth believing that there was no stopping himself. “All hail, Macbeth! Hail to thee, thane of Glamis!/All hail, Macbeth! Hail to thee, thane of Cawdor!/All hail, Macbeth, that shalt be king hereafter” (1.3.4-7)! After Macbeth heard the witches yell this, he was convinced that he would become king. Macbeth’s greed also led to his downfall because he wanted more than he already had, which was to become King. On top of this, Lady Macbeth successfully brainwashed Macbeth into killing King Duncan. The roles that fate and free will play in Macbeth’s destruction are that Macbeth was brought down by his own greed and ambition, therefore being free will because he chose to do all these things. I do not think that fate had anything to do with the downfall of Macbeth because, as I stated before, everything that led to Macbeth eventually dying is because of his own actions. He was never forced into making those decisions, except by Lady Macbeth.

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3. Blood is mentioned over 100 times in Macbeth. What are the most significant references to blood in the play? As a psychological symbol, what does blood represent for Macbeth and Lady Macbeth? In my opinion, the most significant references to blood in the play are when Macbeth sees blood all over his hands and when he sees himself holding the dagger after killing King Duncan. Another significant reference to blood is when Lady Macbeth has blood all over her hands and she is desperately rubbing her hands to try to get the blood off. “Out, damned spot! Out, I say!/One, two. Why, then, ‘tis time to do’t. Hell is murky!/Fie, my lord, fie! A soldier, and afeard? What need we fear who knows it, when none can call our power to account?/Yet who would have thought the old man to have had so much blood in him” (5.1.25-29). I believe that blood represents the guilt that Macbeth and Lady Macbeth felt after killing King Duncan. I also think that Lady Macbeth also feels the guilt from all the deaths that had happened in the play, such as Macduff’s children and wife. “The thane of Fife had a wife. Where is she now?/What, will these hands ne’er be clean?/No more o’that, my lord, no more o’that. You mar all with this starting” (5.1.30-33). This quote represents the guilt that Lady Macbeth feels towards Macduff’s family, before ultimately taking her own life....