Get here the summary and extras of the chapter/act Macbeth. However, the given notes/solutions should only be used for references and should be modified/changed according to needs.
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Summary
Macbeth was a play written by William Shakespeare and this chapter which is a part of the class 10 English syllabus under Nagaland Board of School Education retells the play.
At the beginning of the chapter King Duncan’s generals, Macbeth and Banquo find three witches while they are returning from a battle that they have won. The witches make some predictions about Macbeth and Banquo. They say that Macbeth will become the Thane of Cawdor and the king of Scotland and Banquo’s children will become the rulers of Scotland. Soon after that Macbeth is made the Thane of Cawdor by King Duncan and the king decides to pay a visit to Macbeth. Lady Macbeth, on learning the prophecies, encourages her husband to kill King Duncan. Eventually, Macbeth kills King Duncan and also kills Banquo and becomes the king of Scotland. King Duncan’s children Malcolm and Donalbain run away fearing their lives.
King Macbeth then orders to kill Lord Macduff, the Thane of Fife, along with his wife and children. Macduff, however, is not there when the king’s men come to kill him. Macduff joins Malcolm at the court of the English King Edward and they plan to attack Scotland.
Meanwhile, King Macbeth visits the witches again and learns that he cannot be killed until Birnam Wood comes to his castle and he cannot be killed by anyone who was born of a woman. Macbeth thinks that forests cannot walk and every man is born of a woman and so he cannot be killed. But soon he is informed that Malcolm’s army is approaching the castle carrying shields made of Birnam Wood. He understands that the forest is coming to the castle.
On the battlefield Macduff challenges Macbeth and it is learnt that Macduff was cesarean born and so he was not technically born of a woman. In the end, Macduff kills Macbeth and Malcolm becomes the king of Scotland.
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Extra questions and answers
1. Who was Macbeth? Why was he respected?
Answer: He was a valiant Lord in the kingdom of Scotland. He was a courageous person and a close relative of King Duncan.
Was greatly respected for his heroism especially because he had lately defeated a Rebel Army assisted by the troops of Norway.
2. What was the first prophecy to come true? What impact did it have on Macbeth?
Answer: The first prophecy to come true was that the king conferred upon Macbeth the honour of being the Thane of Cawdor.
It had a deep impact on him as this corresponded with the predictions of the witches and his will to become the ruler of Scotland was strengthened as that too was one of the prophecies. This led him to eventually murder King Duncan.
5. How did Lady Macbeth spur her husband to the path of evil? What does it reflect about her?
Answer: Lady Macbeth spurred her husband to the path of evil by encouraging him to kill King Duncan to fulfil the prophecy of him becoming the king of Scotland. She was an ambitious woman and wanted to be the queen of Scotland. She poisoned her husband’s ears with the plot of killing the king even when he was hesitant about it.
It reflects Lady Macbeth’s ambition, impatience and evil nature.
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