Essay questions for Macbeth
Here are some past essay questions for Macbeth that we recommend to practice
2014
To what extent is Shakespeare’s play Macbeth an exploration of betrayal?
2013
“Macbeth is not driven by ruthless ambition but by fear.” To what extent is this statement central to the concerns of Macbeth?
2012
How does Shakespeare’s play, Macbeth explore the conflict between good and evil?
2011
“Macbeth, the story of a man who is lured into evil and suffers the consequences, illustrates many timeless themes.” Write an essay in which you discuss the extent to which this is true of Shakespeare’s play, Macbeth.
2010
“Macbeth begins the play as a hero, but ends as a villain.” Discuss what forces bring about Macbeth’s downfall.
1) Discuss the various roles of the witches in ‘Macbeth’ with special emphasis on Coleridge’s remark that “the witches have the power of tempting those that have been tempters themselves.”
2) What is, at the end of the play, your attitude to Macbeth? Admiration, sympathy, disgust, or any other attitude? Justify your view by referring to scenes or extracts.
3) Analyse the nature of kingship in ‘Macbeth’ by drawing your information from Shakespeare’s presentation of King Duncan, of Malcolm and –by contrast – of Macbeth.
4) Macbeth is neither a loathsome nor a heroic character, but a mixture of both. Discuss.
5) ‘Infirm of purpose’: in how far is this impression you receive of Macbeth justified?
6) ‘This even-handed justice / Commends th’ingredients of our poisoned chalice / To our lips.’ Put these lines in their proper context. Explain them and show how they come true for Macbeth.
11) ‘Life …. is a tale /Told by an idiot, full of sound and fury, / Signifying nothing.’ Does Macbeth’s nihilistic conclusion (Act V, Scene V) mean that Shakespeare’s ‘Macbeth’ offers a view of a meaningless world, full of horrors and suffering, without any positive moral values?
20) ‘Unnatural deeds/ Do breed unnatural troubles.’ (Act V, Scene I) Show how the destruction of the natural order becomes one of the main themes of the play.
30) ‘Macbeth is a play about crime and punishment’. Comment upon this statement.