Melissa+McMillan's+Journal

The 3 witches say this line in unison at the end of the first scene and it pretty much means good is evil, evil is good, that everything is not as it appears and things are not what they are supposed to be. Macbeth has just returned from a battle he has won and he has not seen a day yet where bad luck has been upon them, where they have encountered evil, but the fact that the witches can see the future signifies that all was well until now and trouble is on the way. When Banquo first sees the witches he is so stunned by them because he isnt sure what they are. He says they look withered and wild and he wonders if they are aliens from another planet, yet here they are appearing before him as earthly beings. They have female traits yet the beards growing upon their chins has him confused about their sexual identity. Banquo is unsure about them and finds himself asking several rhetorical questions. When Banquo says this line he basically means that there there is evil out there that tells us only half of the truth in order to get us to commit an even bigger crime. Macbeth felt both thwarted and challenged when this happened because as the 3 witches had predicted that he would become the King of Scotland, and as 2 of the 3 prophecies had come true, Macbeth regarded the throne as his as his destiny and his right and his immediate reaction was to ask himself what his chances were at still securing the throne. This is what drove him to do what he ultimately did, along with other things. **6. Lady Macbeth describes her husband’s character: “Yet do I fear he is too full o’ the milk of human kindness…” What does she mean? (Scene 5) ** With this line, Lady Macbeth basically says that she fears that her husband is too kind and too much of a coward to be able to betray people to get to the poing of being the King of Scotland. Yes, this does suggest a difference between Macbeth and Lady Macbeth. This suggests that Macbeth has compassion and his consience does play a part in his actions, he thinks things through before he acts, where as Lady Macbeth acts out of impulse and greed. They are two different personalities and its easy to see they are both different. This portrays Lady Macbeth as a rather domineering character and she is determined and will go to lengths to complete a taks, she will see it right through to the end. She is extremely greedy and is basically using the prophecy of the 3 witches to her advantage and for her own personal gain, not because it would help her husband. The is selfish and narcissistic. Macbeth says "we will proceed no further in this business. He hath honored me of late, and I have bought golden opinions from all sorts of people, which would be worn now in their newest gloss, not cast aside so soon." or in other words "We can’t go on with this plan. The king has just honored me, and I have earned the good opinion of all sorts of people. I want to enjoy these honors while the feeling is fresh and not throw them away so soon". The line means ﻿"May you only give birth to male children, because your fearless spirit should create nothing that isn’t masculine". Lady Macbeth is quite obviously the one in charge in the relationship. She is dominant and abuses the prophecy for her own personal gain. In a way she is almost Macbeth's conscience. Macbeth follows his wife and does what she says.
 * __ Act One: Journal Response Questions: __**
 * 1. Who says, “Fair is Foul and Foul is Fair” and what does it mean? (Scene 1) **
 * 2. What is the significance of Macbeth’s line: “So foul and fair a day I have not seen? (Scene 3) **
 * 3. How does Banquo describe the witches? (Scene 3) **
 * 4. What does Banquo mean when he says, “The instruments of darkness tell us truths,win us with honest trifles, only to betray’s in deepest consequence”? (Scene 3) **
 * 5. What reaction does Macbeth have when King Duncan names his eldest son Malcolm as the Prince of Cumberland? (Scene 4) **
 * 7. Read carefully Lady Macbeth’s speech “Come your spirits…” Does it suggest a difference between Macbeth and his wife? (Scene 5) **
 * 8. Read carefully Lady Macbeth’s speech “I have given suck…” What does this say about Lady Macbeth’s character? (Scene 7) **
 * 9. What does Macbeth say which suggests he has second thought about murdering Duncan? (Scene 7) **
 * <span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%; margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt 36pt; text-indent: -18pt;"> 10. What does Macbeth mean when he says to Lady Macbeth: “Bring forth men-children only/For thy undaunted mettle should compose/Nothing but males.”? (Scene 7) **
 * <span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%; margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt 36pt; text-indent: -18pt;">11. Describe Macbeth and Lady Macbeth’s relationship after reading Act 1. **


 * <span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%; margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt 36pt; text-indent: -18pt;">Act 2 Questions. **

<span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%; margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt 36pt; text-indent: -18pt;">Banquo is put next to Macbeth to show the evil in Macbeth. <span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%; margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt 36pt; text-indent: -18pt;">**2. Compare Lady Macbeth's opening comments in this scene to Macbeth's soliloquy. What can you say about the difference between the two characters**? <span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%; margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt 36pt; text-indent: -18pt;">Lady Macbeth is portrayes as ambitious, heartless and she is very power hungry. <span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%; margin-bottom: 10pt; margin-left: 36pt; margin-right: 0cm; margin-top: 0cm; text-indent: -18pt;">It means that Macbeth is guilty and not being able to sleep is a sign of guilt. <span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%; margin-bottom: 10pt; margin-left: 36pt; margin-right: 0cm; margin-top: 0cm; text-indent: -18pt;">It is dramatic irony. It plays on the role of women who would never be suspected of murder because of the fact that she is a woman. <span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%; margin-bottom: 10pt; margin-left: 36pt; margin-right: 0cm; margin-top: 0cm; text-indent: -18pt;">The significance is as the King has died, the chain of being has been disturbed so strange and unnatural things have been occuring such as horses eating each other. Thus chaos and confusion reigns.
 * <span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%; margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt 36pt; text-indent: -18pt;">1. How does Shakespeare contrast the characters of Banquo to Macbeth in this scene? **
 * <span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%; margin-bottom: 10pt; margin-left: 36pt; margin-right: 0cm; margin-top: 0cm; text-indent: -18pt;">3. Sleep is a very important image in the play. What is the significance of Macbeth saying 'Methought I heard a voice cry, 'sleep no more: Macbeth does murder sleep?' **
 * <span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%; margin-bottom: 10pt; margin-left: 36pt; margin-right: 0cm; margin-top: 0cm; text-indent: -18pt;">4. Why is it ironic that Macduff should say to Lady Macbeth, “O gentle lady/ ‘Tis not for you to hear what I can speak’? **
 * <span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%; margin-bottom: 10pt; margin-left: 36pt; margin-right: 0cm; margin-top: 0cm; text-indent: -18pt;">5. What is significant about the description of Duncan’s horses eating each other? **


 * Act 3 Questions.**

<span style="color: black; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">1. **What does Banquo say at the beginning of this scene which suggests that he is suspicious of Macbeth? (Scene 1)** <span style="color: black; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">"and I fear, then played'st most foully for't"..... "may they not be my oracles as well". <span style="color: black; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">He feels anxious/ uncertain about the future - his plan is not completed, he has not sealed his fate as king, until Banquo and Pleance are dealt with. <span style="color: black; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">He means that they will complete their evil deads properly after he kills Banquo + Fleance their hold on the throne will strengthen. <span style="color: black; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">guilt, anxious - ghosts are a common motif in the play. <span style="color: black; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 16px;">Hecate is angry because the witches spoke to macbeth without involving her. <span style="color: black; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">"did he not straight, in pious case, the two delingqueents tear "..... "and wisely done"
 * <span style="color: black; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">2. What does Macbeth mean when he says, “We have scorched the snake, not killed it”? (Scene 2) **
 * <span style="color: black; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">3. What does Macbeth mean when he says, “Things bad begun, make strong themselves by ill.” (Scene 2). **
 * <span style="color: black; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">4. Why do you think Macbeth sees the ghost of Banquo? In terms of the theme of this play, why is this apparition important? (Scene 4) **
 * <span style="color: black; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">5. Why does Hecate look angry? (Scene 5) **
 * <span style="color: black; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">6. Read Lennox’s speech. Is he suspicious of Macbeth? (Scene 6) **

**__Act 5 Journal Questions__**
His titile or his rule of king is hanging lose upon him. Macbeth is a weed amongst their country. **3. What type of camouflage does Malcolm suggest they use in their attack on Dunsinane castle? How does this relate the prophecy of the apparition?** They cut down the trees to use as camouflage to attack the castle. It was prophesied. He is quite numb and has lost all hope and now believes that it was not time for her to die. He now feels that life is no longer worth living and knows that he is going to die soon. **5.Macbeth is confident in his battle with young Siward. Why does he think he shall not be killed?** Because the witches prophesied that no man born to woman can hurt him. **6. Malcolm calls Macbeth ‘this dead butcher’ and Lady Macbeth ‘his fiendlike Queen’. How does Malcolm say that Lady Macbeth died?** She committed suicide.
 * 1) === Read Lady Macbeth’s speech: ‘Out damn spot! Out I say!” What is Lady Macbeth talking about? How has her character changed from her last appearance in the play? ===
 * 2) === In scene 2 what are some of the images used to describe Macbeth? ===
 * 4**. **How does Macbeth react to this wife’s death?**