Study Questions
1. What does the Doctor say to Macbeth about Lady Macbeth’s condition? What is Macbeth’s reaction?

2. What is the Doctor referring to when he says, “Therein the patient Must minister to himself?”

3. What does the Messenger tell Macbeth he sees coming toward Dunsinane? How does Macbeth respond?

4. What does Macduff vow to do to Macbeth and why? Cite an example from Act V.

5. What difference can you cite between Macbeth’s army and Malcolm’s army?

6. Whom does Macbeth kill in Act V? Do you feel that is important? State your reasons.

7. What does Macbeth say to Macduff about his mortality? What is Macduff’s response? How does Macbeth react?

8. What does Ross tell Siward about Siward’s son?

9. What does Malcolm say about Macbeth and Lady Macbeth?

10. What title has never been used before in Scotland that Malcolm plans to use on his Thanes and kinsman?

Answers
1. The Doctor says Lady Macbeth is very ill and he cannot cure her himself. Macbeth is angry and does not want to be bothered with this information.

2. The Doctor is saying that Macbeth is trying to tell the doctor how to cure his patient, Lady Macbeth. When in fact Macbeth is the patient himself.

3. The Messenger tells Macbeth that trees are moving toward the castle. Macbeth does not believe him at first; then, sounds the alarm for battle.

4. Macduff vows to have revenge on Macbeth because of the death of his family.

5. Malcolm’s army if committed to the cause of saving Scotland. Macbeth’s army is fighting for him out of fear they will be killed themselves.

6. Macbeth kills Young Siward. Answers may vary on the response to the second part of the question. The importance of the murder is seen in Macbeth’s response after the murder. He states he cannot be killed by a man born of woman. He feels he cannot be harmed.

7. Macbeth tells Macduff that he cannot be harmed by man born of woman. Macduff tells Macbeth that he was ripped from his mother’s womb. Macbeth realizes that the Witches have tricked him.

8. Ross tells Siward that his son was killed in battle.

9. Malcolm says that Macbeth is a “butcher” and Lady Macbeth was a “fiend-like queen”. He also says that Lady Macbeth took her own life.

10. Malcolm plans to make the Thanes and kinsman Earls.