ACT I - Scene III Practice Quiz — Macbeth
by William Shakespeare — tap or click to flip
Practice Quiz: ACT I - Scene III
Where does Act 1, Scene 3 of Macbeth take place?
On a desolate heath, amid thunder.
What were the witches doing before Macbeth arrived?
They were sharing stories of their mischief. The First Witch describes planning to torment a sailor whose wife refused to share chestnuts with her.
What is the First Witch's plan to punish the sailor?
She will sail to his ship in a sieve, drain him dry, deprive him of sleep, and toss his ship with tempests for eighty-one weeks ("nine times nine"), though she cannot sink it entirely.
What gruesome trophy does the First Witch show the others?
A pilot's thumb, taken from a man who was shipwrecked on his way home.
What charm do the witches perform before Macbeth arrives?
They join hands and circle three times each, totaling nine circuits, then declare "The charm's wound up."
What is the first thing Macbeth says when he enters the scene?
"So foul and fair a day I have not seen," echoing the witches' chant from Act 1, Scene 1.
How does Banquo describe the witches' appearance?
He says they are withered, wild in attire, do not look like inhabitants of the earth, have choppy (chapped) fingers, skinny lips, and beards—making him uncertain whether they are women.
What three titles do the witches give Macbeth?
Thane of Glamis (his current title), Thane of Cawdor, and King hereafter.
What three paradoxical prophecies do the witches give Banquo?
"Lesser than Macbeth, and greater." "Not so happy, yet much happier." "Thou shalt get kings, though thou be none."
Why does Banquo notice that Macbeth seems frightened by the prophecy?
He asks why Macbeth "start[s]" and seems to "fear things that do sound so fair," suggesting that the prophecy of kingship triggers a guilty or anxious reaction in Macbeth.
What does Banquo mean by "seeds of time"?
He is using a metaphor that compares the future to seeds—some will grow (come true) and some will not. He asks the witches which future events will come to pass.
How do the witches vanish from the scene?
They vanish into the air. Macbeth says they "melted as breath into the wind." Banquo compares them to bubbles of the earth.
What does Banquo suggest as an alternative explanation for the witches?
He asks if they have "eaten on the insane root that takes the reason prisoner," suggesting they may have been hallucinating.
Who arrives shortly after the witches vanish?
Ross and Angus, messengers from King Duncan.
What news does Ross bring to Macbeth?
King Duncan has named Macbeth the new Thane of Cawdor, as a reward for his valor in battle and because the previous Thane committed treason.
What is Banquo's reaction when Ross confirms Macbeth is Thane of Cawdor?
He exclaims "What, can the devil speak true?" expressing shock that the witches' prophecy has been confirmed.
What does Macbeth mean by "borrowed robes"?
When told he is Thane of Cawdor, he asks "Why do you dress me in borrowed robes?" meaning the title belongs to someone else. This introduces the play's recurring clothing imagery.
What is Banquo's warning about the "instruments of darkness"?
He warns that evil forces sometimes tell partial truths ("honest trifles") to win trust, only to betray people in matters of greatest importance ("deepest consequence").
What does Macbeth mean by "Two truths are told, as happy prologues to the swelling act of the imperial theme"?
He compares the two confirmed prophecies (Glamis and Cawdor) to prologues of a play, suggesting they are merely the opening acts before the main event—becoming king.
What is Macbeth's "horrible imagining" in his aside?
The thought of murdering King Duncan to seize the throne. He admits his "thought, whose murther yet is but fantastical" shakes his entire being.
What does Macbeth ultimately decide at the end of Scene 3?
He decides to leave the matter to chance: "If chance will have me King, why, chance may crown me, without my stir." He resolves to take no action for now.
What is the significance of the number nine in the witches' charm?
The witches circle three times each ("thrice to thine, thrice to mine, and thrice again"), totaling nine. Nine was considered a powerful number in witchcraft and folklore, being three (a sacred number) multiplied by itself.