Download Name: Sophomore Honors Macbeth Scavenger Hunt 1. In what and

Name: ___________________________
Sophomore Honors
Macbeth Scavenger Hunt
1. In what and when was Macbeth believed to have been written?
2. After the death of Queen Elizabeth, who became Shakespeare’s new patron?
3. Macbeth is a tragedy. What are the other three types of Shakespeare’s plays? What
else did Shakespeare write?
4. Locate Macbeth e-text and do a CTRL-F for the following words to discover the
amount of times each of the following words is used:
a. blood: ___________ times
b. hand: ___________ times
c. night: ___________ times
d. eye: ____________ times
e. sleep: ___________ times
Keep in mind that repeated words, as well as symbols, often represent MOTIFS in a
text.
5. Who was the real Macbeth? King Duncan? During which century did they live? Was
the real Macbeth anything like the fictional Macbeth?
6. Name three of the five sources Shakespeare used to write Macbeth.
7. What was the Gunpowder Plot?
8. Some people that this play is cursed. Look up a list of strange and tragic events that
occurred during or just before performances of Macbeth. List three here that you feel
are exceptionally shocking.
9. How does one avoid or undo the “Macbeth curse?”
10. What famous actors have played Macbeth in film and on the stage over the years?
(Include latest version that’s currently being produced.)
11. Look up the characteristics of a tragic hero. You will be asked to deduce whether or
not you believe Macbeth fits the definition as we read the play.
12. Define hamartia. From what you know about the play so far, what do you anticipate
to be Macbeth’s hamartia?
13. Read this article from Psychological Science today. What mental illness do some
psychologists believe Lady Macbeth may have suffered from? Why?
14. Copy and paste a picture of Macbeth, Lady Macbeth, Inverness, and the Witches
below. There will be many different versions of each, so choose your favorite.
15. According to TheatreHistory.com, who is the most guilty participator in Duncan’s
murder?
16. According to the same site, how is Macbeth “the reverse of Hamlet?” (You will be
reading Hamlet next year, BTW.)
17. Did people in Shakespeare’s day believe in witches?
18. Google and look up the meaning of “fair is foul, and foul is fair.” Which act and
scene of the play is this famous line from?
19. Find a map of Scotland that includes Inverness and other Macbeth sites.
20. In medieval Scotland, a household visited by the king had three responsibilities.
What were they?
BONUS: Which Coldplay song has many thematic similarities to Macbeth?