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Date ___________________
The Tragedy of Macbeth, Act III, by William Shakespeare
Build Vocabulary
Spelling Strategy Soluble and solvable are two words that mean the same thing: “Capable
of being solved.” However, soluble has the additional meaning of “capable of being dissolved
(in liquid).”
Using the Prefix malUnit 2: Celebrating Humanity
(1485–1625)
A. DIRECTIONS: The prefix mal- means “bad or badly,” or “poor or poorly.” Rewrite each sentence, replacing the underlined word or words with a word that contains the prefix mal-.
1. The airplane engine continued to function poorly during a routine inspection.
2. Sheri was poorly adjusted to her new school environment.
3. The doctor said my problem with digesting proteins came from improper absorption of
certain nutrients.
4. Every time Tomas comes for a visit, I remember that he is a person who is not content.
5. The company was cited for wrongdoing.
Using the Word Bank
indissoluble
infirmity
dauntless
malevolence
jocund
B. DIRECTIONS: For each item, choose the lettered word or phrase that is most nearly opposite in
meaning to the numbered word. Write the letter of your choice in the blank.
____
____
____
____
____
1. infirmity
a. bad mood
b. good cheer
c. sickness
d. good health
2. jocund
a. grumpy
b. sickly
c. elderly
d. sleepy
3. indissoluble
a. easily undone
b. not to go forward
c. often repeated
d. not to be heard
4. dauntless
a. agreeable
b. humorless
c. hapless
d. fearful
5. malevolence
a. happiness
b. ill feelings
c. good will
d. desire
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The Tragedy of Macbeth, Act III, by William Shakespeare
Grammar and Style: Subject-Verb Agreement
The subject and verb in a sentence must agree, or be the same in number. That means that
a singular subject takes a singular verb and a plural subject takes a plural verb.
Singular subject and singular verb:
Macbeth murders Duncan.
Plural subject and plural verb:
The witches predict that Macbeth will become king.
Determining whether to use a singular or plural verb can be difficult when there are other
words or phrases between the subject and its verb.
Example: Macbeth, despite his pangs of conscience, (does, do) kill King Duncan.
The subject of the sentence is Macbeth, not pangs, so the verb form is singular: does.
A. Practice: Underline the correct form of the verb in each sentence.
1. “. . . Command upon me, to the which my duties / (Is, Are) with a most indissoluble
tie / For ever knit.”
2. “Your spirits (shines, shine) through you.”
3. The three murderers (attempts, attempt) to do away with Banquo and Fleance.
4. Of the two, only Banquo (is, are) killed.
5. (Has, Have) Macbeth and his wife gotten away with murder?
B. Writing Application: Look at each of the following sentences and decide whether its subject
and verb agree. If the sentence is correct, write OK on the line. If the sentence is incorrect,
rewrite it, replacing each italicized word with one that agrees with its subject or verb.
1. The three murderers who were hired by Macbeth is upset when Fleance escape.
2. Macbeth is shocked that no one else see the ghost of Banquo.
3. The other dinner guests are appalled at Macbeth’s behavior.
4. Lady Macbeth become alarmed when she sees that Macbeth is out of control.
5. She tell the dinner guests that Macbeth is prone to this kind of fit.
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The Tragedy of Macbeth, Act III, by William Shakespeare
Reading Strategy: Reading Between the Lines
Often what a character in a play says is not as important as why he or she says it. For example, shortly after the beginning of Act III, Banquo speaks to Macbeth:
BANQUO.
If you were to take Banquo’s words at face value, you would think that he is a most loyal
subject to King Macbeth. However, in a speech just before Macbeth enters the scene, Banquo
voices not only his suspicions about what criminal acts Macbeth might have committed in order
to achieve the throne, but also his own hopes for the future regarding the throne. Therefore,
you must assume that Banquo has a very good reason for not confronting Macbeth. With this
thought in mind, you can begin to see how the character of Banquo, like that of Macbeth, serves
as more positive embodiment of the play’s themes of deception and the quest for power. Such
“reading between the lines” can help you understand more than simply what the words say.
DIRECTIONS: Use the following questions to help you analyze and read between the lines of Act III
of The Tragedy of Macbeth. As you continue through the play, remember to look for the intentions
behind each character’s words by asking yourself similar questions.
MACBETH. Both of you
Know Banquo was your enemy.
BOTH MURDERERS. True, my lord.
MACBETH. So is he mine, and in such bloody distance
That every minute of his being thrusts
Against my near’st of life. . . .
1. What is Macbeth telling the murderers about his relationship to Banquo?
2. Why does he tell them this?
MACBETH.
[to MURDERER] Thou art the best o’ th’ cutthroats.
Yet he’s good that did the like for Fleance;
If thou didst it, thou art the nonpareil.
3. What is Macbeth saying about the murderer’s deeds?
4. Why is he saying this?
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The Tragedy of Macbeth, Act III
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Unit 2: Celebrating Humanity
(1485–1625)
Let your Highness
Command upon me, to the which my duties
Are with a most indissoluble tie
For ever knit.
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The Tragedy of Macbeth, Act III, by William Shakespeare
Literary Analysis: Conflict
In literature, as in life, conflict is a struggle between two opposing forces. It is an essential
dramatic element; it builds tension and holds the reader’s interest. Without conflict there can
be no drama. There are many conflicts within Shakespeare’s The Tragedy of Macbeth. Some of
them are external conflicts that take place between characters with opposing goals. Others are
internal conflicts that take place within the consciousness of certain characters. Often conflict
begins in one scene and escalates throughout a number of scenes that follow. For example, the
fact that Banquo is with Macbeth when the witches make their prophesies in Act I leads to conflict between the two men in later scenes.
DIRECTIONS: Answer the following questions, and then find a quotation from Act III of The
Tragedy of Macbeth that supports your answer.
1. In Scene i, what is the conflict between the murderers and Banquo?
Quotation: _______________________________________________________________________________
2. Why is Banquo in conflict with Macbeth?
Quotation: _______________________________________________________________________________
3. Why does Macbeth experience an internal conflict at the state dinner?
Quotation: _______________________________________________________________________________
4. Why is Lady Macbeth in conflict with Macbeth during the state dinner?
Quotation: _______________________________________________________________________________
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