Which Biblical character can Lady Macbeth be compared to, and why?
Eve - Lady Macbeth tempts Macbeth, like Eve tempted Adam
In Holinshed's original telling of Macbeth, who plotted to **** King Duncan?
Banquo and Macbeth
What is the name of the castle in which the Macbeths live before Macbeth is crowned King?
Inverness
What is the play "Macbeth" otherwise known as?
The Scottish Play
True or False: It is widely considered that James I was a misogynist (strongly prejudice against women)
True - this is thought to have propelled his persecution 'witches' (women!)
In "The Great Chain of Being" what or who is the closest being to God on Earth?
The King
How many plays did Shakespeare write?
37
What is the name of the castle in which the Macbeths live once Macbeth is crowned King of Scotland?
Dunsinane
When is "Macbeth" set?
11th-century Scotland
What happened in November 1605?
"The Gunpowder Plot", where James I narrowly escaped being assassinated.
In Holinshed's account, how many years of 'good rule' did Macbeth have?
Ten years - Shakespeare chose to ignore this as well as embellish and alter many details for dramatic effect
What is "The Great Chain of Being"?
A hierarchical structure of all matter and life, thought in medieval Christianity to have been decreed by God.
Why is "Macbeth" the play considered to be cursed?
There have been a long-line of accidents associated with the play - including the death of the first actor to play Lady Macbeth during rehearsal
True or False: Jacobeans believed that women were the dominant ***
False: men were considered dominant; women were generally oppressed
Why might Shakespeare have chosen to change Holinshed's version, with Banquo not being part of Macbeth's evil plot?
Because Banquo was an ancestor of King James I (the Stuart line)
What is regicide?
The ******* of a monarch
What was the name of Holished's book that is said to have influenced "Macbeth"?
The Chronicles of England, Scotland and Ireland
What name was given to the era that James I reigned?
Jacobean
How is the witches' prophesy about Birnam Wood moving fulfilled?
Malcolm's army cuts the branches of its trees to use as camouflage
What was the main role of women in society during the Jacobean era?
To marry, produce offspring, and look after the family home.
"Macbeth" can be considered to be a morality play. What is its moral message?
Do not follow Macbeth's example and **** your king! It will lead to your downfall...
When was "Macbeth" written, and by whom?
England circa 1606, by William Shakespeare
What is "equivocation" and why is it relevant?
Equivocation is the deliberate use of misleading half-truths. A catholic priest, involved in the Gunpowder Plot claimed that he had a 'right to equivocate'
James I King of England and where else?
Scotland! He was James VI
Medieval kings wanted to believe that they were chosen by god; what is the term for this?
The Divine Right of Kings
What dynasty is James I part of?
The Stuart Dynasty
What denomination of Christianity was England during James i's reign?
Protestant (as opposed to Catholic)
What genre is "Macbeth" the play?
A Tragedy
To what does the Porter refer Macbeth's castle door?
****-gate
The Three Weird Sisters name that Macbeth will not be defeated until which wood comes to Dunsinane?
Birnam Wood
What was the name of the book that King James wrote about witchcraft?
Daemonologie
Why did James I believe that all witches were women?
Because he believed that men were too strong to be ensnared by the devil
In the Divine Right of Kings, what is the term given to the crime of disobeying a King - and therefore disobeying God?
Sacrilege
Who were "The King's Men"?
Shakespeare's Theatre Company (King James was their patron)
What name can be given to the Jacobean era meaning that it is a time controlled by men?
Patriarchy or Patriarchal
True of false: Jacobeans believed that men and women were equal in The Great Chain of Being?
False: Men were above women in the hierarchy of authority
Why is 'Golgotha' significant?
Golgotha was the place where it is told that Jesus was crucified; the Captain compares the battlefield with Golgotha in Act 1 Scene 2
Who was the King at the time that Macbeth was first performed?
James I
Why might Shakespeare have included witchcraft and the supernatural in Macbeth?
To appeal to or flatter King James I - Shakespeare's acting troupe's patron
Which historical writer did Shakespeare use to get his information about Macbeth (the real person)?
Holinshed
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