Macbeth Discussion Questions

Henry Fuseli
 Macbeth, Banquo, and the Witches
on the Heath (1793-4) 

On issues of womanhood in regard to Lady Macbeth:

From Jessica

We have discussed lightness and darkness, what is fair and dark with regard to women. How does this apply to Lady Macbeth? Is Shakespeare trying to suggest that women are dark and corrupting of men? Without Lady Macbeth's goading, Macbeth might not have killed Duncan or Banquo.

From Kevin

 Act 2 seems to be filled with references to interior motives ( dagger in men's smiles and look like the flower but be the serpent underneath it). Why is it that the women are straightforwardly evil and the men are good on the outside and evil on the inside?

From Tyler

 "unsex me here" (1.5.48) - Why does Lady Macbeth ask to be more masculine to do deeds she already can? How does this affect gender roles?

"You should be women,/ And yet your beards forbid me to interpret/ That you are so" (1.3.47-49) - Similarly, how does this line affect gender perceptions? Is Banquo confused because the witches look female or because they look magical and supernatural? 

"I have given suck and know /How tender 'tis to love the babe that milks me/ I would, while it was smiling in my face, /Have plucked my nipple from his boneless gums /And dashed the brains out, had I so sworn as you /Have done to this. (1.7.62-67)- Why does Lady Macbeth take an act associated with motherhood and femininity and relate it to terrible acts of murder and violence? Does this help "unsex" her? 

 From Rashmi

 We briefly discussed the gendering of Lady MacBeth.  Compare this to the gendering of MacBeth.  (Act, Scene, Line?) How is it similar/different from the performance of gender in Othello?

From Nathaniel via Twitter

 What's gender significance of having Lady Macbeth be the conniving one?

On Nationhood and Class:

From Jessica

Why does Shakespeare choose Scotland for the setting of Macbeth? After our discussion on marginalizing Ireland and the uneasy history between Scotland and England, why is Shakespeare calling attention to Scotland? What is his purpose?

From Priscilla

 After Duncan is killed, Malcolm plans to flee from Scotland to England, and Donalbain to Ireland. Is this significant considering what we have learned in class about England as a nation?

From Rashmi

 Discuss the porter's speech.  Compare it to the dialogues and soliloquys of other major characters.  What does his speech indicate?

From Michael

How does the play as a whole regard to England's view of the other?  Brutish and overambitious? 

On gender, differences between men and women:

From Selina

 How does Shakespeare explore the values of masculinity through characters? How does he subvert the characters’ perception of power and gender roles? Explain the relationship between Lady Macbeth and Macbeth. Can we relate their relationship to the Dark Lady and the poet from the Sonnets? 

From Claire

 What is the relationship between Banquo and Macbeth?

From Michael

It is no doubt that Lady Macbeth is the catalyst of the murder of King Duncan.  However, she feels more guilt than Macbeth regarding the murder.  What does this show about England's view of women's decision making abilities?

From Neel
 Much of what goes wrong in the play, from the initial foretelling of the witches to Lady Macbeth's urging of Macbeth murder Duncan, can be linked to the very few women in the play.  With fears of the other in mind, what does Shakespeare associating the evil that is to unfold in the play with women suggest?

"What are these

So withered and so wild in their attire,

That look not like th' inhabitants o' th' Earth...Upon her skinny lips. You should be women, And yet your beards forbid me to interpret That you are so." (I.iii.40-50)

What does associating the female witches with sinister yet masculine features suggest about gender roles and stereotypes in the Early Modern Period? 

How would you compare and contrast the power dynamics in the relationships between Macbeth/Lady Macbeth and Othello/ Desdemona, with regard to the culpability of each in the outcomes of each tragedy?

On Imagination, Fantasy and Myth-making:

From Selina

 How are the witches characterized in Act 1? What is the thematic significance of having the fantastical witches in the play? How does their appearance affect Macbeth's visions and hallucinations? 

From Adna

 What do you guys think about the three witches, their similarities to the fates from Greek mythology, and the importance of the number 3? I don't think the fates are generally portrayed in a negative light, but they still have power over destiny and the future, like the witches seem to have. Also the number three is usually considered sacred or important in Christianity so what does that mean for the witches?

 Like the past few plays we've read, do you consider imagination and reality to be important themes in Macbeth? In Act 1 Scene 3 when the witches appear, Banquo calls them "fantastical," as if he can't believe his eyes and suspects that he is imagining them. Later when they disappear, Macbeth says that "what seemed corporal melted." Like we were discussing in class, the play's reality seems to be malleable.

From Michael 

The idea of prophecy is key in this play(involving the three witches) and is similar to some classic greek plays(ie. Oedipus rex).  Why is it employed?

On Language:

From Suzanne Rivera

Macbeth is referred to as the Scottish play and we know from Henry V that Shakespeare is capable of writing a Scottish accent. Why is it then that no one in the play features such an accent?

 The word blood appears about 18 times within the first two acts of Macbeth. How does this feature in terms of race, rather than simply as a life necessity. 

On Issues of Morality:

From Jack via Twitter

 Is Duncan an inept/bad king for being conned by Macbeth or does he represent moral stability? His death = tumult n the land

From Kevin

 Macbeth and Henry both seem very courageous and loyal. However, Macbeth easily succumbed to desire and greed whole Henry always seemed to shift the blame on his actions to other people. Could Shakespeare be hinting at the superficiality of men?

On Performance:

From Peter

How do we translate the war state into the 21st century, where "wartime" has become ambiguous? Is it satisfying to interpret the "moving forest" as soldiers in Vietnam-era camo (I've seen two current performances make this choice - 7 Stages, and Theater Emory)? Why or why not?