Download Act I, Scenes vi-vii Setting the Stage In Elizabethan times, many

Act I, Scenes vi-vii Setting the Stage
In Elizabethan times, many Christians believed that a monarch (king
or queen) represented God. A monarch ruled by “divine right,” which
meant that people thought the ruler was actually chosen by God. So
disobeying a king or queen would upset God’s plan for the order of the
universe. Murdering a monarch was to kill God’s representative.
But in 11th century Scotland, a ruler was not yet considered divine.
Instead, he was the most important human being in a kingdom. In
fact, sometimes the rule was not as powerful as some of his followers.
Therefore, to disobey or even kill a king was not unthinkable.
Macbeth, you recall, was written for King James I of England. King
James and most Elizabethan people strongly believe in divine right.
So Shakespeare made the slaying of a king a sinful and horrible
action. Notice how he creates this horror in Scenes vi and vii.
Hautboy-woodwind instrument similar to an oboe
1. Duncan and Banquo admire Macbeths’ castle. They mention that the air outside the
castle is sweet and that the birds make it their home. What is the subtext here?
Dramatic irony?
2. How is Lady Macbeth appearing like an innocent flower but is the serpent
underneath? Use examples.
3. To kill or not to kill, that is the question: in the beginning of scene 7 Macbeth has a
soliloquy. What is he saying here? What are the contradictions in his speech and what
conclusion does he come to?
Does this make him seem like a righteous person? Why?
4. Lady Macbeth is upset with her husband’s decision. How does she convince him to
go along with the plan? What tactics does she use? Use examples.
5. What is the final plan? How do they plan to get away with it?