ACT III - Scene IV Practice Quiz — Macbeth
by William Shakespeare — tap or click to flip
Practice Quiz: ACT III - Scene IV
Where does Act 3, Scene 4 take place?
A hall in Macbeth's palace, where a royal banquet has been prepared for the Scottish lords.
Who appears at the banquet door at the start of the scene?
One of Banquo's murderers, who reports to Macbeth that Banquo has been killed but Fleance has escaped.
How was Banquo killed according to the murderer's report?
His throat was cut, and he received twenty deep gashes on his head, "the least a death to nature."
Why is Macbeth distressed that Fleance escaped?
Because the witches prophesied that Banquo's descendants would be kings; Fleance's survival keeps that prophecy alive.
What metaphor does Macbeth use for Banquo and Fleance after hearing of the murder?
He calls Banquo "the grown serpent" who now lies dead and Fleance "the worm that's fled" who will breed venom in time.
What does Banquo's ghost do when it first appears?
It silently enters and sits in Macbeth's own chair at the banquet table.
Can anyone besides Macbeth see Banquo's ghost?
No. Only Macbeth sees the ghost; all the other lords see nothing but an empty stool.
What is Macbeth's first reaction upon seeing the ghost?
"Thou canst not say I did it; never shake / Thy gory locks at me" — he denies responsibility while recoiling in horror.
How does Lady Macbeth explain Macbeth's behavior to the guests?
She tells them he has suffered from such fits since youth and that paying attention will only make it worse.
What does Lady Macbeth say to Macbeth privately during the ghost's first appearance?
She questions his manhood ("Are you a man?") and compares his vision to "the air-drawn dagger" he saw before Duncan's murder.
What does Lady Macbeth call Macbeth's visions?
"The very painting of your fear" and "flaws and starts, / Impostors to true fear" that would suit "a woman's story at a winter's fire."
What ironic toast does Macbeth raise after the ghost's first disappearance?
He toasts to the health of all present "and to our dear friend Banquo, whom we miss. Would he were here!"
What happens when the ghost appears a second time?
Macbeth's reaction is even more extreme; he shouts "Avaunt, and quit my sight!" and challenges the ghost to take any form but Banquo's.
What animals does Macbeth say he would rather face than the ghost?
A rugged Russian bear, an armed rhinoceros, or a Hyrcan (Hyrcanian) tiger.
How does Lady Macbeth end the banquet?
She dismisses the guests abruptly: "Stand not upon the order of your going, / But go at once," abandoning all protocol.
What famous line does Macbeth speak about the consequences of murder?
"It will have blood; they say blood will have blood" — violence inevitably leads to retribution.
What does Macbeth reveal about his surveillance of the thanes?
He tells Lady Macbeth that he keeps a paid servant (spy) in every lord's household.
Why is Macduff's absence significant?
His refusal to attend the king's banquet is an act of political defiance, signaling his opposition to Macbeth's rule.
What does Macbeth resolve to do at the end of the scene?
He resolves to visit the Weird Sisters again, declaring "I am bent to know, / By the worst means, the worst."
What does the "stepped in blood" metaphor mean?
Macbeth compares himself to someone wading through a river of blood so deep that turning back would be as difficult as continuing — he has passed the point of no return.
How does the banquet scene change the Macbeths' relationship?
Lady Macbeth loses her ability to control and direct Macbeth; he begins making plans independently (visiting the witches, spying on thanes) without consulting her.
What is the symbolic significance of the ghost taking Macbeth's seat?
It represents a reversal of usurpation — just as Macbeth stole Duncan's throne, Banquo's ghost displaces Macbeth from his own seat of power.
What does Lady Macbeth's final line in the scene suggest?
"You lack the season of all natures, sleep" — she recognizes Macbeth is deteriorating and needs rest, foreshadowing her own sleepwalking scene.
What does Macbeth mean by "We are yet but young in deed"?
He means they are still beginners in the work of evil — there is more bloodshed to come, signaling his full commitment to tyranny.
How does this scene function as a turning point in the play?
It transforms Macbeth's private guilt into public spectacle, spreads suspicion among the lords, and marks Macbeth's irreversible commitment to violence and tyranny.