Starter quiz
- In Act 1 of 'Macbeth', what do the witches tell Banquo?
- That he will be king.
- That his children will be kings. ✓
- That Macbeth will murder him.
- That Duncan is not the rightful king.
-
- Jacobeans believed that a monarch was selected and appointed by God. Then, to challenge the monarch was to challenge which things?
- the natural order ✓
- regicide
- the hierarchy ✓
- God ✓
-
- Which of the following would define a woman as a threat to the natural order in Jacobean England?
- If they were disobedient. ✓
- If they had children.
- If they sought equality with men. ✓
- If they were married.
-
- A ______ is a system or ranking whereby things are ordered, with some being above and some below.
- 'hierarchy' ✓
- In 'Macbeth', which action shows Macbeth no longer trusts Banquo?
- Macbeth tells Lady Macbeth to arrange Banquo's murder.
- Macbeth asks the witches to kill him.
- Macbeth banishes him and his family from Scotland.
- Macbeth never speaks to him again after the witches' prophecies.
- Macbeth has Banquo killed. ✓
-
- After hearing the prophecies in Act 1 of 'Macbeth', what is Macbeth's first action?
- He kills King Duncan.
- He tries to find the witches again.
- He kills Banquo.
- He sends a letter to his wife telling her the news. ✓
- He banishes the thought of being king from his mind.
-
Exit quiz
- Which of the following was a common expectation of married Jacobean women?
- That they should work and earn money in order to keep a good household.
- That they should have children and nourish them physically and spiritually. ✓
- That they should conform to their own rules.
- That they should conform to the rules of the Jacobean hierarchy. ✓
- That they should be chaste and obedient. ✓
-
- Academic Suzanne Hull compiled a book in 1983, the title of which summarises the advice that Jacobean women were given about conduct and expectations. It is called 'Chaste, Silent and ______'.
- 'Obedient' ✓
- Which word best describes Lady Macbeth's ambition to be queen in Act 1 of 'Macbeth'?
- chaste
- plotting
- unwavering ✓
- deception
- ambitious
-
- What are the most specific explanations of this quotation, said by Lady Macbeth in Act 1, Scene 5 of 'Macbeth': 'Glamis thou art, and Cawdor; and shalt be. What thou art promised:'
- The noun 'promised' shows Lady Macbeth's desire to completely trust the witches.
- The words show that Lady Macbeth is very ambitious.
- The words 'thou' are repeated showing her focus on Macbeth.
- The verb 'shalt be' shows Lady Macbeth's certainty in the future. ✓
- The verb 'promised' shows Lady Macbeth's desire to completely trust the witches. ✓
-
- In Act 1, Scene 5 of 'Macbeth', Lady Macbeth encourages Macbeth to 'look like the innocent flower, but be the ______ under't'.
- 'serpent' ✓
- How does Act 1, Scene 5 of 'Macbeth' end?
- Macbeth advises his wife to 'leave' all the plotting to him.
- Lady Macbeth advises her husband to 'leave' the plotting to her. ✓
- Macbeth is determined to kill King Duncan.
- The Macbeths plan how to kill King Duncan together.
-
Worksheet
Loading worksheet ...
Presentation
Loading presentation ...
Video
Lesson Details
Key learning points
- Lady Macbeth's behaviour subverts expectations of Jacobean women
- Lady Macbeth summons demonic spirits to 'unsex her’ and allow her to become powerful
- Lady Macbeth doubts Macbeth's abilities
- Lady Macbeth is willing to go to extremes for what she wants
- Lady Macbeth wants Macbeth to be deceptive in his quest to become King
Common misconception
Lady Macbeth's 'unsex me' here means she wants to be a man.
Whilst she might want some masculine qualities, there are more implications to this. She could be calling for supernatural qualities too.
Keywords
Ambitious - If you are ambitious, you are determined to succeed in an area of aspect of your life.
Deception - Deception is the means by which you lead someone to believe something that is not true.
Chaste - To be chaste can mean not having any sexual desire or intentions.
Unwavering - If you are unwavering, you don't stop until you complete something. You are determined.
Plotting - Plotting is when, in secret, you plan to do something bad.
+