ACT II - Scene III Quiz — Macbeth

by William Shakespeare

Comprehension Quiz: ACT II - Scene III

What role does the Porter imagine himself playing at the beginning of Act 2, Scene 3?

  • A watchman guarding the castle
  • The gatekeeper of Hell
  • A priest hearing confessions
  • A judge sentencing criminals

Which of the following is NOT one of the sinners the Porter imagines admitting to Hell?

  • A farmer who hanged himself
  • An equivocator who committed treason
  • A soldier who deserted his post
  • An English tailor who stole cloth

Who arrives at the castle gate and is admitted by the Porter?

  • Malcolm and Donalbain
  • Banquo and Fleance
  • Macduff and Lennox
  • Ross and Angus

What disturbing phenomena does Lennox describe from the previous night?

  • A solar eclipse and flooding rivers
  • Chimneys blown down, strange screams, and the earth shaking
  • A plague of locusts and a blood-red moon
  • Fires breaking out and animals fleeing the castle

Who discovers King Duncan’s body?

  • Macbeth
  • Lennox
  • Macduff
  • Banquo

How does Macduff describe the murder of Duncan?

  • As a political assassination
  • As a sacrilegious act that broke open "The Lord’s anointed temple"
  • As an act of war against Scotland
  • As the fulfillment of a witch’s prophecy

What does Macbeth confess to having done that was not part of his original plan?

  • Poisoning Duncan’s wine
  • Killing Duncan’s two chamber guards
  • Hiding the murder weapon in Banquo’s room
  • Sending a false message to Malcolm

What is the most likely reason Lady Macbeth faints during this scene?

  • She is genuinely overcome with grief at Duncan’s death
  • She is frightened by the sight of blood on Macbeth’s hands
  • She is diverting attention from Macbeth’s suspicious explanation
  • She is suffering from a medical condition

What does Donalbain mean when he says "there’s daggers in men’s smiles"?

  • The murderers used daggers hidden in their clothing
  • Friendly appearances at court conceal deadly intentions
  • The guards were smiling when they killed Duncan
  • Macbeth wears a dagger openly as a threat

Where do Malcolm and Donalbain each decide to flee?

  • Malcolm to France, Donalbain to Wales
  • Malcolm to Ireland, Donalbain to England
  • Malcolm to England, Donalbain to Ireland
  • Both flee to England together

What is the dramatic irony of the Porter’s Hell-gate monologue?

  • The Porter is actually a disguised nobleman
  • The castle truly has become a place of damnable evil, though the Porter doesn’t know it
  • The Porter previously worked as an actual gatekeeper
  • Hell is mentioned in a prophecy the audience has not yet heard

What metaphor does Macbeth use to describe the state of the world after Duncan’s death?

  • A ship lost at sea without a captain
  • Wine drawn from a cask, leaving only the dregs
  • A garden overrun with weeds
  • A book with its final pages torn out

Comprehension Quiz

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