MACBETH

ACT 5 SCENE 8
NOTES by ARINDAM SARKAR (7980188585)
Multiple Choice Questions
1. Macbeth does not want to play the
a. Roman fool
b. role of an actor on the stage
c. role of a deceitful man
d. role of a tragic hero
Answer: a. Roman fool
2. Macbeth warns Macduff that he is losing
a. his head
b. his labour
c. his mental peace
d. his property
Answer: b. his labour
3. Macduff reveals to Macbeth that he was
a. born of a woman
b. born of a witch
c. born prematurely
d. untimely ripped from his mother’s womb
Answer: d. untimely ripped from his mother’s womb
4. Macduff tells Macbeth that he will hang
a. Macbeth on a pole for display
b. Macbeth to death
c. all the traitors who served Macbeth
d. himself if he fails to kill Macbeth
Answer: a. Macbeth on a pole for display
5. Macbeth curses the witches to be
a. juggling fiends
b. wicked creatures
c. poisonous bubbles of the air
d. hell hound
Answer: a. juggling fiends
Context questions
1. Macbeth: Why should I play the ….. fool, and die
On mine own …..? whiles
I see lives, the …..
Do better upon them.
a. Fill in the missing words in the blanks of the extract
Answer: Roman, sword, gashes
b. Who enters the scene after the extract?
Answer: Macduff
c. How does the person address Macbeth? What does he ask Macbeth to do?
Answer: Macduff addresses Macbeth by calling him a ‘hell hound’ and asks him to turn and face him.
d. What does Macbeth surprisingly tell the person? What does this show about Macbeth
Answer: Macbeth surprisingly tells Macduff that he has shed too much of his blood already, indicating Macbeth’s
remorse and the burden of guilt for his previous actions.
e. How does the person want to express his fury?
Answer: Macduff wants to express his fury through his sword, indicating that he prefers actions over words.
2. Macbeth: Thou losest labour.
As easy may’st thou the intrenchant air
With thy keen sword impress, as to make me bleed,
Let fall thy blade on vulnerable crests;
I bear a charmed life, which must not yield
To one of woman born.
a. Under what false impression is Macbeth living a secure life?
Answer: Macbeth is living under the false impression that he cannot be harmed by any man born of a woman, due to
the witches’ prophecy.
b. What bitter truth does Macduff reveal to Macbeth about himself?
Answer: Macduff reveals the bitter truth that he was not born of a woman but was untimely ripped from his mother’s
womb.
c. What does Macbeth realize about the ‘juggling fiends’?
Answer: Macbeth realizes that the witches, or ‘juggling fiends’, have misled him with ambiguous prophecies that
spoke in double meanings.
d. What does Macbeth decide to do to safeguard himself? Why does he change his decision?
Answer: Initially, Macbeth decides not to fight Macduff to safeguard himself, but he changes his decision when
Macduff calls him a coward and challenges him further, provoking his pride.
e. How does Macbeth meet his end?
Answer: Macbeth meets his end by fighting Macduff and being killed in the ensuing battle, fulfilling the witches’
prophecy in an unexpected way.
Essay question
Question: How does Macbeth’s reign come to an end, and what ultimately leads to his death?
Answer: Macbeth, once a respected nobleman, becomes a shell of his former self, consumed by paranoia and despair
as his tyranny crumbles around him. Abandoned by his allies and haunted by guilt, he clings to a false sense of
security fueled by the witches’ misleading prophecies. He believes himself invincible, convinced that no man of
woman born can harm him.
Macbeth’s dwindling forces face the rebel army led by Malcolm and Macduff. Despite the gnawing guilt of
massacring Macduff’s family, Macbeth’s fighting spirit remains. He even boasts after slaying young Siward, feeling
emboldened by the witches’ pronouncements.
However, his confidence shatters when confronted by Macduff, who reveals a crucial detail: he was not naturally born
but “untimely ripped” from his mother’s womb, circumventing the prophecy’s limitations. This revelation, coupled
with the weight of his atrocities, momentarily paralyzes Macbeth, leaving him hesitant to fight.
Macduff, fueled by vengeance and a desire for justice, taunts Macbeth, branding him a coward and threatening to
make him a public spectacle, a “rare monster” displayed for all to see. This ignites a final spark of defiance in
Macbeth, leading to a desperate duel. Ultimately, he falls to Macduff’s blade, ending his reign of terror and fulfilling
the witches’ twisted prophecy.
Extra/additional MCQs
1. What does Macbeth refuse to do like the Roman heroes?
A. Commit suicide
B. Flee the battle
C. Beg for mercy
D. Declare victory
Answer: A. Commit suicide
2. Who does Macbeth encounter who challenges him to a fight?
A. Banquo
B. Malcolm
C. Macduff
D. Duncan
Answer: C. Macduff
3. What term does Macduff use to refer to Macbeth during their encounter?
A. Brave king
B. Noble lord
C. Hell-hound
D. Wise ruler
Answer: C. Hell-hound
4. Why does Macbeth initially refuse to fight Macduff?
A. He feels guilty for shedding too much of Macduff’s family’s blood
B. He fears Macduff’s military skills
C. He believes Macduff is a weak opponent
D. He is awaiting reinforcements
Answer: A. He feels guilty for shedding too much of Macduff’s family’s blood
5. What does Macbeth claim protects him from being killed?
A. His royal armor
B. The loyalty of his soldiers
C. A charm against men born of women
D. The prophecy of victory
Answer: C. A charm against men born of women
6. How was Macduff born, making him able to challenge Macbeth’s charm?
A. By normal birth
B. By divine intervention
C. Prematurely by Caesarian section
D. He was magically created
Answer: C. Prematurely by Caesarian section
7. What does Macduff threaten to do with Macbeth if he surrenders?
A. Crown him king again
B. Imprison him for life
C. Display him like a monster
D. Banish him from the kingdom
Answer: C. Display him like a monster
8. How does Macbeth respond to Macduff’s threat of public humiliation?
A. He surrenders
B. He escapes
C. He continues to fight
D. He pleads for mercy
Answer: C. He continues to fight
9. What does Macbeth throw before him as he faces Macduff?
A. His crown
B. His sword
C. His shield
D. His cape
Answer: C. His shield
10. What prophecy had given Macbeth false confidence in his safety?
A. He would reign forever
B. He would be killed by a woman
C. No man born of a woman could kill him
D. He would be defeated but not killed
Answer: C. No man born of a woman could kill him
11. What does Macbeth call the prophecies that misled him?
A. Juggling fiends
B. Noble truths
C. Holy scriptures
D. Warrior’s guide
Answer: A. Juggling fiends
12. What realization does Macbeth come to regarding the witches’ prophecies?
A. They were completely true
B. They were ambiguous and misleading
C. They were meant to honor him
D. They were irrelevant to his fate
Answer: B. They were ambiguous and misleading
13. What is Macbeth’s final act in the battle against Macduff?
A. He flees the field
B. He surrenders
C. He fights to the death
D. He seeks a truce
Answer: C. He fights to the death
14. What ultimately happens to Macbeth at the hands of Macduff?
A. He is captured
B. He is killed
C. He is forgiven
D. He escapes
Answer: B. He is killed
15. How is Macbeth displayed after his death according to Macduff’s plan?
A. As a hero of the land
B. As a tyrant on a pole
C. As a martyr
D. As a peaceful ruler
Answer: B. As a tyrant on a pole
Extra/additional questions and answers
1. Why does Macbeth refuse to commit suicide like the Roman heroes?
Answer: Macbeth refuses to commit suicide like the Roman heroes (Cato and Brutus) because he believes that as long
as he sees men living, it is better to inflict wounds on them rather than kill himself.
2. How does Macduff address Macbeth when he enters the scene?
Answer: Macduff addresses Macbeth as a “hell-hound” and tells him to “Turn, hell-hound, turn!”
3. What does Macbeth say about the blood he has already shed from Macduff’s family?
Answer: Macbeth says that his soul is “too much charged with blood of thine already” and that he has shed too much
of Macduff’s blood, showing his remorse.
4. What does Macduff say he will use to express his fury against Macbeth?
Answer: Macduff says that his “voice is in my sword” and that he will speak through his sword rather than waste
words to express his fury.
5. What does Macbeth claim about the protection of his life?
Answer: Macbeth claims that he bears a “charmed life” which must not yield to one “of woman born.”
6. What shocking truth does Macduff reveal to Macbeth about his own birth?
Answer: Macduff reveals to Macbeth that he was “from his mother’s womb untimely ripped,” meaning he was not
born naturally but delivered by a Caesarean section.
7. How does Macbeth react when Macduff calls him a “coward”?
Answer: Macbeth’s pride is offended when Macduff calls him a “coward,” and he decides to fight Macduff despite
knowing that defeat and death are inevitable.
8. How does Macbeth meet his end?
Answer: Macbeth is killed and beheaded by Macduff, thus fulfilling the prophecy that he can only be killed by a man
“not of woman born.”
9. How does Macbeth’s encounter with Macduff reveal two sides of his character?
Answer: The encounter between Macbeth and Macduff reveals two sides of Macbeth’s character. One side shows his
remorse for the blood he has shed, particularly the killings of Macduff’s family, which haunt his conscience. The other
side shows his determined and ruthless nature, as he refuses to surrender and challenges Macduff to a fight, only to be
killed in the end.
10. What is the significance of Macduff revealing to Macbeth that he was “untimely ripped” from his mother’s
womb?
Answer: Macduff’s revelation that he was not “of woman born” but was “untimely ripped” from his mother’s womb
is a significant moment in the play. It shatters Macbeth’s false sense of security, as he had believed that he could not
be killed by any man born of a woman. This shocking truth leads Macbeth to realize the deception of the witches’
prophecies and the futility of his efforts to escape his fate.
11. How does Macbeth’s final decision to fight Macduff despite knowing his inevitable defeat reflect his
character?
Answer: Macbeth’s final decision to fight Macduff, even after being warned about the prophecy that he could only be
killed by a man “not of woman born,” reflects his determined and defiant character. Despite facing certain defeat and
death, Macbeth refuses to surrender or play the “Roman fool” and take his own life. His pride and refusal to back
down from the fight showcase his heroic spirit, even in the face of overwhelming odds.