1. What does Banquo reveal to us in his opening speech? Why does Macbeth want Banquo and Fleance dead?
2. What do you think Macbeth means when he says, “Things bad begun make strong themselves by ill.”?
3. What went wrong with Macbeth’s plot to have Banquo and Fleance murdered? How does this relate to the witches’ prophecy?
4. Macbeth says, “The worm that’s fled hath nature that in time will venom breed, no teeth for th’ present.” What does this mean?
5. Who (what) did Macbeth see at the banquet table? How does Lady Macbeth cover for Macbeth at the banquet? What excuses does she give for Macbeth’s wild talk?
6. Macbeth says, “I am in blood stepped in so far that should I wade no more, returning were as tedious as go o’er.” What does he mean?
7. What does Hectate want the witches to do?
8. How does this scene reveal Macduff as the possible nemesis of Macbeth?
9. What does Lennox think about Macbeth, Fleance, and Duncan’s sons?