Macbeth

1. At the beginning of the play, who is the King of Scotland?

1. Macbeth
2. Malcolm
3. Duncan
4. Banquo

2. Macbeth and Banquo meet three strange figures on a-

1. battlefield
2. lonely heath
3. dark forest
4. bridge

3. The witches first hailed Macbeth as-

1. Thane of Cawdor
2. Thane of Glamis
3. King of Scotland
4. Thane of Fife

4. What was the second prophecy for Macbeth?

1. He would be Thane of Fife
2. He would be Thane of Cawdor
3. He would have a long life
4. His sons would be kings

5. The prophecy for Banquo was that-

1. he would be king
2. he would be greater than Macbeth
3. he would be killed by Macbeth
4. his children would be kings

6. Who persuaded Macbeth to murder King Duncan?

1. The witches
2. Banquo
3. Lady Macbeth
4. His own ambition alone

7. What vision does Macbeth see just before he murders Duncan?

1. The three witches
2. Banquo’s ghost
3. A bloody dagger
4. The ghost of his father

8. Who were blamed for Duncan’s murder initially?

1. Macbeth and Lady Macbeth
2. Duncan’s sons, Malcolm and Donalbain
3. The drunken chamberlains (guards)
4. Banquo

9. Why did Malcolm and Donalbain flee Scotland?

1. They were accused of murder
2. They were banished by Macbeth
3. They feared for their own lives
4. They went to raise an army

10. Who did Macbeth hire murderers to kill?

1. Malcolm
2. Macduff
3. Banquo and his son Fleance
4. The witches

11. At the banquet, Macbeth sees the ghost of-

1. Duncan
2. Banquo
3. His father
4. The old Thane of Cawdor

12. Who was the first apparition that the witches showed Macbeth?

1. A bloody child
2. An armed head
3. A crowned child with a tree in his hand
4. A procession of eight kings

13. The second apparition, a bloody child, told Macbeth that-

1. he should fear Macduff
2. no man born of woman could harm him
3. he would be safe until Birnam Wood moved
4. Banquo’s sons would be kings

14. The third apparition, a crowned child holding a tree, said Macbeth would be safe until-

1. the sun turned black
2. the rivers ran dry
3. Birnam Wood came to Dunsinane Hill
4. a ghost killed him

15. Out of anger and cruelty, Macbeth ordered the murder of-

1. Malcolm
2. Fleance
3. Lady Macduff and her children
4. All the Thanes

16. Lady Macbeth’s guilt manifests itself in her habit of-

1. crying all day
2. refusing to eat
3. sleepwalking and washing her hands
4. praying constantly

17. “All the perfumes of Arabia will not sweeten this little hand.” Who said this?

1. Macbeth
2. Lady Macbeth
3. A witch
4. A doctor

18. How did Birnam Wood “come” to Dunsinane?

1. The witches used magic
2. There was an earthquake
3. Malcolm’s soldiers used branches as camouflage
4. It was a hallucination

19. Who was “from his mother’s womb untimely ripp’d”?

1. Macbeth
2. Malcolm
3. Macduff
4. Banquo

20. Who finally killed Macbeth?

1. Malcolm
2. Banquo’s ghost
3. Macduff
4. He killed himself

21. The play is set primarily in which country?

1. England
2. Ireland
3. Norway
4. Scotland

22. The Thane of Cawdor was executed for being a-

1. murderer
2. thief
3. traitor
4. coward

23. What does Lady Macbeth fear about her husband?

1. His ambition
2. His cowardice
3. His nature is “too full o’ the milk of human kindness”
4. His love for Banquo

24. Who escaped when Banquo was murdered?

1. Malcolm
2. Donalbain
3. Fleance
4. Macduff

25. What is the main theme of the play?

1. The corrupting power of unchecked ambition
2. The conflict between good and evil
3. The difference between appearance and reality
4. All of the above

26. Who becomes the King of Scotland at the end of the play?

1. Fleance
2. Macduff
3. Donalbain
4. Malcolm

27. Lady Macbeth asks the spirits to “unsex” her, meaning she wants to-

1. become a man
2. be stripped of her feminine weakness and compassion
3. become a witch
4. die

28. The ‘armed head’ apparition warned Macbeth to beware of-

1. Banquo
2. Malcolm
3. the Thane of Fife
4. the witches

29. How does Lady Macbeth die?

1. She is killed by Macduff
2. She dies of a strange illness
3. She kills herself
4. Macbeth kills her in a rage

30. The porter at Macbeth’s castle pretends to be the gatekeeper of-

1. heaven
2. a church
3. hell
4. a prison

31. The witches are also referred to as the-

1. Three Fates
2. Weird Sisters
3. Evil Spirits
4. Daughters of Night

32. Macbeth’s tragic flaw is his-

1. cowardice
2. honesty
3. ambition
4. jealousy

33. Who was Duncan’s other son besides Malcolm?

1. Fleance
2. Donalbain
3. Siward
4. Lennox

34. What title does Duncan give his son Malcolm?

1. Thane of Cawdor
2. Prince of Cumberland
3. Lord of the Isles
4. Duke of York

35. “Fair is foul, and foul is fair” – this line is spoken by-

1. Macbeth
2. Lady Macbeth
3. The witches
4. Duncan

36. The play ‘Macbeth’ was written by-

1. Christopher Marlowe
2. Ben Jonson
3. William Shakespeare
4. John Milton

37. Macbeth’s castle is located at-

1. Fife
2. Cawdor
3. Dunsinane
4. Inverness

38. How does Macbeth feel after killing Duncan?

1. Relieved and happy
2. Proud of his courage
3. Full of guilt and horror
4. Indifferent

39. The last apparition shown to Macbeth by the witches is-

1. a bloody child
2. an armed head
3. a crowned child
4. a line of eight kings, with Banquo’s ghost at the end

40. Macbeth’s reaction to his wife’s death shows his-

1. deep sorrow
2. anger
3. sense of life’s meaninglessness
4. relief

41. Who first discovers Duncan’s body?

1. Macbeth
2. Lennox
3. Macduff
4. Lady Macbeth

42. “What’s done is done” – this is said by-

1. Macbeth to the murderers
2. Lady Macbeth to Macbeth
3. Macduff to Malcolm
4. The witches to Macbeth

43. Macbeth is considered a-

1. Comedy
2. Tragedy
3. History play
4. Romance

44. The “milk of human kindness” is a phrase used by Lady Macbeth to describe-

1. her own nature
2. Duncan’s nature
3. Macbeth’s nature
4. Banquo’s nature

45. Macbeth’s reign as king is characterized by-

1. peace and prosperity
2. justice and fairness
3. tyranny and bloodshed
4. wisdom and generosity

46. Who brings the news of his family’s murder to Macduff?

1. Malcolm
2. Lennox
3. Ross
4. A messenger

47. In the end, Macbeth fights with-

1. desperation and courage
2. fear and cowardice
3. hope for victory
4. a desire to surrender

48. The story shows that evil deeds lead to-

1. power and happiness
2. guilt, paranoia, and self-destruction
3. wealth and respect
4. forgiveness

49. Why was Macbeth confident that Macduff could not kill him?

1. Because he was a better fighter
2. Because the witches said no man born of woman could harm him
3. Because he had more soldiers
4. Because Macduff was a coward

50. What does Macduff bring to Malcolm at the end?

1. Macbeth’s crown
2. Macbeth’s sword
3. Macbeth’s head
4. A peace treaty

1. Macbeth was a brave general. He was Duncan’s kinsman. (Join into a complex sentence)

1. Macbeth was a brave general and Duncan’s kinsman.
2. Macbeth, who was Duncan’s kinsman, was a brave general.
3. Being Duncan’s kinsman, Macbeth was a brave general.
4. Macbeth was brave and he was Duncan’s kinsman.

2. Macbeth saw the witches. They looked like men. (Join using a relative clause)

1. Macbeth saw the witches who looked like men.
2. Macbeth saw the witches and they looked like men.
3. The witches seen by Macbeth looked like men.
4. The witches looked like men when Macbeth saw them.

3. Lady Macbeth read the letter. She decided to kill the king. (Join into a complex sentence)

1. Reading the letter, Lady Macbeth decided to kill the king. (Simple)
2. Lady Macbeth read the letter and decided to kill the king. (Compound)
3. After Lady Macbeth read the letter, she decided to kill the king.
4. The letter made Lady Macbeth decide to kill the king.

4. Macbeth had a fatal flaw. It was his ambition. (Join with a noun clause in apposition)

1. Macbeth’s fatal flaw was his ambition. (Simple)
2. Macbeth had a fatal flaw, which was his ambition.
3. Macbeth’s fatal flaw, that he was ambitious, led to his doom.
4. Macbeth had a fatal flaw, that is, his ambition.

5. The soldiers carried branches. This made the wood seem to move. (Join into a complex sentence)

1. The soldiers carried branches, which made the wood seem to move.
2. The soldiers carried branches and made the wood seem to move.
3. The soldiers made the wood move by carrying branches.
4. When the soldiers carried branches, the wood seemed to move.

6. The witches gave Macbeth three prophecies. (Change the voice)

1. Macbeth was given three prophecies by the witches.
2. Three prophecies were given to Macbeth by the witches.
3. Both a and b are correct.
4. Three prophecies had been given to Macbeth.

7. Lady Macbeth persuaded her husband. (Change the voice)

1. Her husband is persuaded by Lady Macbeth.
2. Her husband was being persuaded by Lady Macbeth.
3. Her husband was persuaded by Lady Macbeth.
4. Her husband has been persuaded by Lady Macbeth.

8. Macduff killed Macbeth. (Change the voice)

1. Macbeth is killed by Macduff.
2. Macbeth was killed by Macduff.
3. Macbeth had been killed by Macduff.
4. Macbeth was being killed by Macduff.

9. Let no man fear him. (Change the voice)

1. Let him not be feared by any man.
2. He should not be feared by any man.
3. He is not to be feared by any man.
4. He may not be feared by any man.

10. The doctor could not cure her. (Change the voice)

1. She could not be cured by the doctor.
2. She cannot be cured by the doctor.
3. She was not cured by the doctor.
4. Curing her was not possible for the doctor.

11. Macbeth was the Thane ___ Glamis.

1. at
2. in
3. of
4. for

12. Lady Macbeth was “too full ___ the milk of human kindness”.

1. with
2. in
3. by
4. of

13. Malcolm fled ___ England.

1. in
2. to
3. at
4. from

14. The witches warned Macbeth to beware ___ Macduff.

1. from
2. of
3. about
4. with

15. Macbeth was killed ___ Macduff ___ a sword.

1. from, with
2. by, by
3. by, with
4. with, by

16. Macbeth was the bravest general in Scotland. (Change to Positive Degree)

1. Macbeth was braver than any other general in Scotland.
2. Macbeth was a very brave general in Scotland.
3. No other general in Scotland was as brave as Macbeth.
4. Very few generals in Scotland were as brave as Macbeth.

17. Lady Macbeth was more ambitious than her husband. (Change to Positive Degree)

1. Her husband was not so ambitious as Lady Macbeth.
2. Lady Macbeth was the most ambitious.
3. Her husband was less ambitious.
4. Lady Macbeth was very ambitious.

18. Banquo was not so happy as Macbeth, yet much happier. (Change to Comparative Degree for the first part)

1. Macbeth was happier than Banquo.
2. Banquo was the happiest.
3. Macbeth was happier than anyone else.
4. Banquo was very happy.

19. Duncan was one of the kindest kings. (Change to Positive Degree)

1. No other king was as kind as Duncan.
2. Duncan was kinder than most other kings.
3. Very few kings were as kind as Duncan.
4. Duncan was a very kind king.

20. This is the worst crime. (Change to Comparative Degree)

1. This crime is bad.
2. This crime is worse than any other crime.
3. No other crime is as bad as this.
4. This is a very bad crime.

21. Macbeth’s ambition was his fatal flaw. (Use the adjective form of ‘ambition’)

1. Macbeth was an ambitious man, which was his fatal flaw.
2. Macbeth’s ambitious nature was his fatal flaw.
3. Macbeth ambitiously flawed himself.
4. Both a and b are correct.

22. The witches gave a prophecy. (Use the verb form of ‘prophecy’)

1. The witches were prophetic.
2. The witches prophesied.
3. The witches made a prophetic statement.
4. The witches’ words were a prophecy.

23. Macbeth ruled with cruelty. (Use the adjective form of ‘cruelty’)

1. Macbeth was a cruel ruler.
2. Macbeth’s rule was cruel.
3. Macbeth ruled in a cruel manner.
4. All of the above.

24. Lady Macbeth sleepwalked due to guilt. (Use the adjective form of ‘guilt’)

1. Lady Macbeth, who was guilty, sleepwalked.
2. The guilty Lady Macbeth sleepwalked.
3. Lady Macbeth felt guilty and sleepwalked.
4. Both a and b are correct.

25. He was a brave general. (Use the noun form of ‘brave’)

1. He was a general of great bravery.
2. He bravely fought as a general.
3. He was a general who had bravery.
4. Both a and c are correct.

26. (Complex) He saw a dagger. It was bloody.

1. He saw a dagger which was bloody.
2. He saw a bloody dagger. (Simple)
3. The dagger he saw was bloody.
4. Both a and c are correct.

27. (Voice) Let them hail him as king.

1. Let him be hailed as king by them.
2. He should be hailed as king.
3. They must hail him as king.
4. He is to be hailed as king.

28. (Preposition) The crown was taken ___ him.

1. by
2. of
3. from
4. with

29. (Degree) No other man was as ambitious as Macbeth. (Change to Superlative)

1. Macbeth was the most ambitious man.
2. Macbeth was more ambitious than any other man.
3. Macbeth was a very ambitious man.
4. Macbeth was one of the most ambitious men.

30. (Parts of Speech) He fought courageously. (Use the noun form of ‘courageously’)

1. He fought with courage.
2. His fight had courage.
3. He was courageous in his fight.
4. Courage was in his fight.

31. (Complex) The king trusted him. Macbeth killed the king.

1. Although the king trusted him, Macbeth killed him.
2. The king trusted him, but Macbeth killed him. (Compound)
3. In spite of the king’s trust, Macbeth killed him. (Simple)
4. Macbeth killed the king who trusted him.

32. (Voice) One should not trust the witches.

1. The witches are not to be trusted.
2. The witches should not be trusted.
3. Trusting the witches is not advisable.
4. Let the witches not be trusted.

33. (Preposition) He was afraid ___ Banquo’s ghost.

1. of
2. from
3. at
4. with

34. (Degree) His castle was the safest place. (Change to Positive)

1. No other place was as safe as his castle.
2. His castle was safer than any other place.
3. His castle was a very safe place.
4. Very few places were as safe as his castle.

35. (Parts of Speech) His action was heroic. (Use the adverb form of ‘heroic’)

1. He acted with heroism.
2. He acted heroically.
3. His action had heroism.
4. He was a hero in his action.

36. (Complex) Macduff killed him. He was not born of woman.

1. Macduff, who was not born of woman, killed him.
2. Macduff killed him because he was not born of woman.
3. Macduff killed him and he was not born of woman.
4. Both a and b are correct.

37. (Voice) Did Macbeth see a dagger?

1. Had a dagger been seen by Macbeth?
2. Was a dagger being seen by Macbeth?
3. Was a dagger seen by Macbeth?
4. Is a dagger seen by Macbeth?

38. (Preposition) He was invested ___ the robes of a king.

1. in
2. with
3. by
4. on

39. (Degree) It was a more terrible night than any other. (Change to Superlative)

1. It was the most terrible night.
2. No other night was as terrible as it.
3. It was a very terrible night.
4. It was one of the most terrible nights.

40. (Parts of Speech) He gave a long speech. (Use the verb form of ‘speech’)

1. He spoke at length.
2. He delivered a long speech.
3. He was speaking for a long time.
4. This is difficult to change directly.