Monday, February 4, 2008

Questioning Macbeth


1. Please post at least three strong discussion questions that address characters, symbols, motifs, and/or themes from Act 1. Read others' posts before posting your own to avoid repetition.

2. Select ONE question posted by somebody else to respond to on the blog.

Enjoy, go deep, and remember to type in Microsoft Word first.

24 comments:

KaylaL said...

1. Why do you think Shakespeare keeps saying something about "When the battle's lost and won"(Act 1, Scene 1) and "What he hath lost, noble Macbeth hath won"(Act 1, Scene 2)?

2. What does Shakespeare want us to think about Macbeth?

3. Is Macbeth too trusting in the witches?

Keiko A said...

1. Why do you think that the witches speak in rhyme?

2. Why do you think that Macbeth jumped to the conclusion that he had to kill the king when all the other titles came to him without him having to do anything?

3. Do you think that Lady Macbeth wants Macbeth to get the crown more than Macbeth himself?

I think that Macbeth is too trusting of the witches because if they are wrong about him becoming the king then he will be trying to kill the king for no good reason.

chadf said...

1. Do you think the witches forced the Thane of Cawdor to commit treason? Why or why not?

2. Is there any significance to all of the paradox’s that Shakespeare uses?

3. Why does Banquo not trust the witches after Macbeth became the Thane of Cawdor.

I think that Macbeth though that he would have to kill the king because he wanted to become so badly. This shows that he is too trusting in what the witches told him that he is willing to do what ever it takes for him to become the king of kings.

jenniferb said...

1. Why is Macbeth trusting of the witches but Banquo is not?

2. Why does Shakespeare have the three witches enter into Macbeth's life and tell him about his future?

3. What will Macbeth do now that he is the Thane of Cawdor?

I think Banquo doesn’t trust the witches because he thinks there is a trick to Macbeth becoming the Thane of Cawdor. Banquo does not want to be too trusting of the witches in case they turn out to be using Macbeth for his crown.

Maria A. said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
Maria A. said...

1.) Why do you think the three witches always rhyme?...Do you think it is that there is always a spell behind it all or that is just the way they understand each other in witch language?

2.)Why has Macbeth all of the sudden pop up later in the story and become evil like the witches?... What kind of connection do you think the three witches and Macbeth have?

3.) How come in pretty much every story, there are always 3 bad witches?... Like in the Disney movie Hocus Pocus and now Macbeth?

Responding to Keiko's second question, I think that Shakespeare wants the readers to guess a little more about who Macbeth really is before it gives it away. Killing the king is a hint that he wants to be king and rule with the three witches, in my opinion.

Bandido said...

Instead of just taking the easy route and supplying tres questions, I thought I’d double that because I am a nerd,

1. If you were to turn Macbeth into a musical, who would you cast as each of the characters?

2. If Shakespeare were to write a modern day version of Mabeth, what would be Macbeth’s name besides Macbeth?

3. Train A leaves the station going north at 7:06 PM going 18.6282 miles per second, how much longer before they reach the underworld? (answer at bottom of comment)

4. What was that one movie with that one guy who starred in that thing with that chick from that TV show which was on after that other show with the guy with the beard who made that really bad record with that other star of that movie where they do that thing after the party and that’s when all that stuff happens to that twenty year old actress who was playing a little girl who was in that one thing I saw sometime last year?

5. The witches are most likely super important, why is that?

6. Macbeth says something about trust and bravery, but what does it say about sharing?

To answer the whole deal about three witches in everything, three is the smallest number of people you can have so that there is an outsider. So there’s always gonna be that witch who’s not like all the other witches and gets looked down upon for that, maybe not in Macbeth but something else that I don’t want to look up the name of. Also don’t forget the Eastwick witches.

The answer to question 3 was: ____________. It was a trick question, you need to go south in order to go down under to the underworld.

Tabitha M said...

The witches have told Macbeth his future, however should he act opon what they have told him or should he wait for time to unfold his future?

While Shakespear wrote this play, do you believe a controversy in his time was supposed to be represented by it?

Do you think that when Banquo says he doesn't trust the witches, that Macbeth believes Banquo is trying to trick him out of what he thinks is rightfully his?

Answer- The witches speak in rhyme to respresent the basic nature of being a witch. In every movie and every play, their spells are rhyming to give it a magical touch. In a sense that they are speaking more then words and putting literature into what they say.

kaseyb said...

1. What do you think the purpose of Banquo is as the role of Macbeths best friend?

2. Will Macbeth really murder the king just to be king himself?

3. What does Shakespeare want us to think about King Duncan?

Response: I think that Macbeth is very much to trusting of the witches. He just met these ladies, and he is so wrapped up in his future and what the witches predict, that he is willing to do whatever it takes to get there. This could lead to trouble for him later.

KaylaL said...

Response to Kasey's 2nd question...

I think Macbeth might kill the king to become king himself. It depends on how power hungry he really is. We know Macbeth likes to have power but we don't know what measures he will take to get the power. So I think that it all depends on how power hungry he really is.

hilary l said...

1. Do you think the witches are planning to earn Macbeth's trust and then rip his heart apart by going behind his back and lying to him?

2. Do you think Macbeth has any suspicion about the witches because he is being handed the position of being the Thane so easily?...And why do you think he would want to kill the king if he so easily got the position of being thane?

3. Why do you think the witches always talk in a rhythm, is it to somehow hypnotize the people listening to them?



Answer to kaylal's question #2

I think that Macbeth is way too trusting in the witches because the witches are evil. The story is about Macbeth’s tragedy which means the witches have something to do with this tragedy. In the beginning of one of the movies of the play the witches were burying a human hand which only means that they are evil and definitely up to something. This hand that the witches bury is probably foreshadowing some tragic event. They seem like tricksters and they are going to earn Macbeth's trust by offering him a great opportunity and then they are going to lie to him and have him put in big trouble.

JordanR said...

1. In each chapter there is either a theme of bravery, or trust. How do you think these themes would fit into the end of the play?

2. After gaining Macbeth's trust do you think the witches will use it against him?

3. Is Shakespeare trying to show us that Macbeth good or bad?


I think the witches speak in rhyme because Shakespeare is trying to make them more magical or fantasy-like; since normally the spells witches set on people rhyme so maybe he's trying to make them seem more creepy.

BrookeG said...

1. What is the connection between Macbeth and the witches?
2. What will Macbeth do? Will he make the prediction come true or will he just let it happen?
3. So far, we have not really gotten to know King Duncan. Will he become a more in depth character as time goes on?

I think that Macbeth trusts the witches because their first prediction came true, and he is hoping they are right about the second one.

Whitney C said...

I think that the witches are important because they obviously have some sort of role. I believe that they are going to be the cause of something disastrous, something that has to do with Macbeth. Maybe they will tell Macbeth what to do and he will become some sort of evil being with the witches.

1. What do you think is the importance of what the witches say in the opening scene?

2. Why do you think Banquo thinks differently of the witches than Macbeth does?

3. What exactly causes Macbeth to fast forward and plan what he should do with the king? Why do you think that?

TraciAnn said...

this is chelsea chapman...

1.Why do you think that the play opens up with three witches doing a ritual?

2. What do you think the things the witches put in the sand represent?

3. Will the paradox's like, "when the battle's lost and won", be a forshadow?

I think that the witches speak in a ryhme just because thats what their spells do is rhyme so i just think that they are use to the rhymes. I think it also might just be a way to intimidate people so they seem powerful!

Travisg said...

What do you think that point of shakespear always saying things that contridict about? Why did we skip scene 1.2? what importance do the witches play in the book so far? Chadf asked Why does Banquo not trust the witches after Macbeth became the Thane of Cawdor.
I think that he chose's not to trust them becasue he is bumed that he is not going to get anything but his kids are going to be kings and so he is trying not to think about that cause he is excluded from the good thing's that happen to all the people around them

rachelf said...

1. Why is it that Macbeth jumped to the conclusion of killing the king instead of the king making a mistake and being taken off the crown? What does this tell us about Macbeth himself?

2. When Banquo says he doesn’t trust the witches, do you think he is really just jealous and angry that he won’t become a king?

3. How do you think things would be different if the witches hadn’t talked to Macbeth? Would he still have been named Thane of Cawdor? Why is it that the witches wanted to talk to Macbeth and not someone else?

Answer to Kayla’s 3rd question:

Yes I do think Macbeth is too trusting in the witches because I think the witches have the potential to be very dangerous. Also Macbeth doesn’t know enough about the witches to trust them, they could be very good liars who love to play tricks on people. Just by telling Macbeth a prediction of his future he might kill the king and alter his life forever possibly for the worst, which could be exactly what the witches wanted.

jake a. said...

1 what are the witches roles and what do they have to do with the play?(act 1 scene1)


2 how do you think the wtches prophicies will turn out? (act 1 scene 1)

3 do you believe macbeth is too trusting of the witches or is he more the less too questioning of them? (act 1 scene 3)

Allison M. said...

1. Is it important than Banquo questions whether or not the witches are trustworthy? Why or why not?

2. Will Macbeth later find out that there is a reason behind why Banquo is so skeptical of them?

3. Do you think the witches are plotting something against Macbeth by putting these fantasies in his head? If so, why do you think they are doing this?


I'm responding to Whitney's second question:

I think that Banquo thinks of the witches as untrustworthy, because he is not blinded by fantasy and fortune. Macbeth sees that his future could come true, and he believes what the witches say because deep down he desires to be everything they tell him he will become. He is greedy and full of desire, which causes him to trust them and go with whatever they trow at him.

Shelby M. said...

1. Why do you think Shakespeare uses so many paradoxs in this play?
2. Why do you suppose the witches are helping out Macbeth to become king?
3. Why do you suppose the witches talk the way that they do. In other words, what do you think that it sybolizes?

I dont think that Macbeth is too trusting of the withches. I think he just doesnt care because he looks at it as a free ride to become king, so why would he question it.

Jenna F said...

1> Do you believe that Banquo's skepticism of the witches prophecy or Macbeth's pure trust in the witches is the right decision?
2> If Banquo's and Macbeth's positions were reversed, would the story be as interesting as it is famed to be?
3> Is killing that king the only way Macbeth can be king?

In Response to Kasey's first question: I believe that Banquo's role as Macbeth's best friend is to balance out Macbeth's lust for power with that of a pure soul. Banquo fits this role fairly well and I believe that without the balance of good and evil the plot would not be as good.

TraciAnn said...

1. What is the point of the witches in this play?
2. Do you think that Macbeth will kill the king? Why?
3. What is Shakespeare trying to tell the readers about the 3 witches?

Jennifer's first question: I think that Macbeth is trusting the witches because so far everything that they have told him had come true. Banquo on the other hand has not gotten anything from the witches and he sees right through them. He sees the evil inside of them.

Erin said...

1. What do all of the paradox's have to do with the rest of the play?

2. How do you think the witches know what Macbeth's future?

3. How does bravery and honesty fit into the play? How will Macbeth show these qualities later on?

My best friend's question number 3....

I do think that Macbeth is way too trusting of the witches because he is just believing everything they say, and they will probably end up screwing him over in the end because he trusts them with everything.

allie f. said...

1. Will Macbeth really kill the king in order to be king himself?


2. Is it possible that the witches are lying to Macbeth about the prophecy?


3. Why does Banquo not believe the witches?



Respond to kayla's 3rd question.
Yes i do think that Macbeth is too trusting because they can be very dangerous and be lying to him about being king, even though their first prophecy was right. There is still a chance that this is a trick.