ISC Class 11 English Drama Macbeth Act 2 Scene 4 Important Question Answers
Macbeth Act 2 Scene 4 Question Answer: Looking for ISC Class 11 English Drama Macbeth Act 2 Scene 4 question answers? Look no further! Our comprehensive compilation of important questions will help you brush up on your subject knowledge. Practising ISC Class 11 English question answers can significantly improve your performance in the exam. Our solutions provide a clear idea of how to write the answers effectively. Improve your chances of scoring high marks by exploring Macbeth Act 2 Scene 4 now. The questions listed below are based on the latest ISC exam pattern.
Related:
ISC Class 11 English Drama Macbeth Act 2 Scene 2 Textbook Questions
ASSIGNMENT
Question 1
Choose the correct options for the following questions:
1. The Old Man who speaks in the first extract of this scene represents who among the following?
(a) The king
(b) The thanes
(c) The common man
(d) The aristocracy
Ans. (c) The common man
2. The Old Man draws a parallel between the confusion in the natural world and
(a) the unnatural human acts of the night.
(b) the world of animals.
(c) the disturbance of natural harmony.
(d) the universe.
Ans. (a) the unnatural human acts of the night.
3. Why did Ross feel that heavens are angry with men?
(a) For their attempt to conquer
(b) For throwing stones at heaven
(c) For committing so many cruel deeds
(d) None of the above.
Ans. (c) For committing so many cruel deeds
4. Macduff suspects who among the following to have instigated the murder of the king?
(a) Banquo
(b) Macbeth
(c) Lady Macbeth
(d) Malcolm and Donalbain
Ans. (d) Malcolm and Donalbain
5. Who are said to be ‘contending ‘gainst obedience’ in this scene?
(a) Macbeth and Lady Macbeth
(b) Macbeth and Banquo
(c) Malcolm and Donalbain
(d) King Duncan’s horses.
Ans. (d) King Duncan’s horses.
6. Whose ‘War with mankind’ has been referred to by Ross?
(a) Duncan’s horses
(b) An Eagle
(c) An Owl
(d) None of the above.
Ans. (a) Duncan’s horses
7. Who is referred to as Thine own life’s means?
(a) Malcolm and Donalbain’s father
(b) Macbeth’s provider of everything
(c) Lady Macbeth’s husband
(d) None of the above.
Ans. (a) Malcolm and Donalbain’s father
8. What is meant by ‘The sacred storehouse’ in this scene?
(a) The treasury of King Duncan
(b) The treasure chest of Macbeth
(c) The human body
(d) The holy graveyard.
Ans. (d) The holy graveyard.
Question 2
Complete the following sentences by providing a reason for each:
1. The old man says that the happenings of the night has made his past experience insignificant because
Ans. The old man says that the happenings of the night has made his past experience insignificant because the events were so dreadful and unnatural that they surpassed anything he had witnessed in his seventy years of life.
2. Ross was tremendously amazed to see Duncan’s horses because
Ans. Ross was tremendously amazed to see Duncan’s horses because they turned wild, broke out of their stalls, fought against their nature, and even ate each other, an occurrence deemed ‘most strange and certain’.
3. Macduff suspects Malcolm and Donalbain of murdering their father because
Ans. Macduff suspects Malcolm and Donalbain of murdering their father because they fled the scene secretly, which ‘puts upon them / Suspicion of the deed’, making them appear guilty.
4. Ross says that one more unnatural thing has happened because
Ans. Ross says that one more unnatural thing has happened because Malcolm and Donalbain, driven by ambition, have supposedly destroyed their own life’s means i.e. their father, the King, which is an act against nature.
5. Macduff decides not to attend Macbeth’s coronation because
Ans. Macduff decides not to attend Macbeth’s coronation because he clearly distrusts Macbeth and the official story, indicating he foresees trouble that the new reign will be worse than the old one.
6. Macduff uses the imagery of clothing because
Ans. Macduff uses the imagery of clothing because it represents the public roles and power of the King, suggesting that the ‘new robes’ i.e. Macbeth’s reign will be ill-fitting and less comfortable than the ‘old robes’ i.e. Duncan’s reign, implying a worse state of affairs under the new rule.
ISC Class 11 English Drama Macbeth Act 2 Scene 4 Extra Question and Answers
Multiple Choice Questions (MCQs)
Q1. How long has the Old Man lived, according to his own words?
A. Fifty years
B. Three score and ten
C. Eighty years
D. A hundred years
Ans. B. Three score and ten
Q2. What strange thing does Ross observe about the sky during the day?
A. The sun is shining too brightly.
B. A rainbow appeared in the morning.
C. It is dark, as if night is strangling the traveling lamp i.e. the sun
D. There was an unusual meteor shower.
Ans. C. It is dark, as if night is strangling the traveling lamp i.e. the sun
Q3. Which animal is unnaturally killed by a mousing owl in this scene?
A. A raven
B. A snake
C. A sparrow
D. A falcon
Ans. D. A falcon
Q4. What unnatural behavior do Duncan’s horses exhibit?
A. They refuse to eat grass.
B. They try to escape the kingdom.
C. They break their stalls and eat each other.
D. They began to speak in human tongues.
Ans. C. They break their stalls and eat each other
Q5. According to Macduff, who is officially suspected of bribing the grooms to kill Duncan?
A. Banquo and Fleance
B. Ross and Macduff
C. Malcolm and Donalbain
D. The witches
Ans. C. Malcolm and Donalbain
Q6. What does Ross call the ambition of the supposed murderers that makes them destroy their own father?
A. Glorious ambition
B. Thriftless ambition
C. Noble ambition
D. Boundless ambition
Ans. B. Thriftless ambition
Q7. Where has Macbeth gone to be crowned King?
A. Forres
B. Inverness
C. Colme-kill
D. Scone
Ans. D. Scone
Q8. Where is Duncan’s body carried for burial?
A. Colme-kill
B. Fife
C. Dunsinane
D. Glamis
Ans. A. Colme-kill
Q9. Where does Macduff decide to go instead of attending the coronation?
A. To England
B. To his home in Fife
C. To Ireland
D. To Ross’s home
Ans. B. To his home in Fife
Q10. What does Macduff mean by saying, ‘Lest our old robes sit easier than our new’?
A. He fears the old king will be forgotten.
B. He hopes the new king is fashionable.
C. He fears Macbeth’s rule i.e. new robes will be worse than Duncan’s i.e. old robes.
D. He plans to buy better clothes for the coronation.
Ans. C. He fears Macbeth’s rule i.e. new robes will be worse than Duncan’s i.e. old robes.
Fill Up Sentences
Complete the following sentences by providing a reason for each:
1. The darkness covering the earth in the middle of the day suggests that_______________.
Ans. The darkness covering the earth in the middle of the day suggests that the heavens are troubled with man’s act, because they are threatening his bloody stage.
2. The Old Man can remember well the happenings of threescore and ten years, because___________________.
Ans. The Old Man can remember well the happenings of threescore and ten years, because he is using this long span of experience to emphasize the dreadful nature of the night.
3. The Old Man describes the events as unnatural, because_______________.
Ans. The Old Man describes the events as unnatural, because they are inconsistent with the established harmony of the world, like the murder itself.
4. A mousing owl killed a soaring falcon, because____________________.
Ans. A mousing owl killed a soaring falcon, because this event symbolizes the weaker and baser Macbeth overthrowing the noble Duncan.
5. Duncan’s swift and beautiful horses broke their stalls and flung out, because____________________.
Ans. Duncan’s swift and beautiful horses broke their stalls and flung out, because they were fighting against their own docile nature and each other mirrored the chaos unleashed by Macbeth’s ambition, where the natural chain of command had been broken, leading to a breakdown of all order.
6. The two men widely suspected of the murder were Malcolm and Donalbain, because____________________.
Ans. The two men widely suspected of the murder were Malcolm and Donalbain, because they fled the country immediately after their father’s death.
7. Ross refers to their motive as thriftless ambition, because____________________.
Ans. Ross refers to their motive as thriftless ambition, because by killing their father, the princes would have destroyed their own source of life and legitimacy.
8. Macbeth went to Scone, because____________________.
Ans. Macbeth went to Scone, because that was the traditional site where Scottish kings were crowned and officially invested.
9. Duncan’s body was carried to Colme-kill, because____________________.
Ans. Duncan’s body was carried to Colme-kill, because it was the sacred place where the remains of the former Scottish kings were kept.
10. Macduff decides he will not go to Scone but rather to Fife, because____________________.
Ans. Macduff decides he will not go to Scone but rather to Fife, because he suspects Macbeth’s claim and fears the consequences of the new reign.
Extra Questions
SHORT QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS
Q1. Explain how the events described by the Old Man and Ross in this scene establish the theme of the disruption of the natural order.
Ans. This scene powerfully uses pathetic fallacy to show that the moral crime of killing the king has thrown the natural world into chaos. The Old Man, citing seventy years of experience, stresses that the night of the murder was ‘unnatural’, surpassing all previous dreadful sights. Ross notes that the heavens are troubled, evidenced by the darkness strangling the daylight. The specific omens illustrate this disruption: a noble falcon was killed by a base owl, symbolizing the rightful King Duncan being overthrown by the lesser Macbeth. Furthermore, Duncan’s highly trained horses broke loose and began to eat each other. These events signify the collapse of established hierarchy and order, suggesting that humanity’s sin has corrupted the cosmos, leading to monstrous and self-destructive behavior in nature.
Q2. What is the significance of Macduff’s decision not to attend Macbeth’s coronation at Scone?
Ans. Macduff’s decision is highly significant because it establishes him as the first Scottish noble to openly though silently reject Macbeth’s legitimacy as king. While Ross follows the political trend and decides to go to Scone, Macduff chooses to return to his home in Fife. This action signals his profound skepticism regarding the official explanation that Malcolm and Donalbain were responsible for their father’s death. Macduff’s famous closing couplet, ‘Lest our old robes sit easier than our new’ uses clothing imagery to express his deep foreboding. He fears that Macbeth’s reign ‘new robes’ will be oppressive, uncomfortable, and less honorable than Duncan’s rule ‘old robes’, setting him on the path to becoming Macbeth’s primary antagonist.
Q3. Discuss the symbolic meaning of the conversation taking place outside Macbeth’s castle near the center of the recent violence and its shift to the state of the kingdom.
Ans. The shift in setting from the violent interior of the castle where the murder occurred to the outside signifies the spread of evil and disorder into the larger world. The conversation starts in hushed tones, but the revelations quickly move from the localized crime to the state of the entire realm. The murder of the king was not just a private act of malice; it was a cosmic disturbance, as shown by the unnatural phenomena witnessed by the Old Man and Ross. By having Macduff deliver the political news of Macbeth’s crowning, the scene confirms that the usurpation is complete. The stage is set for the tragic consequences of Macbeth’s ambition to affect not just him, but the entire nation of Scotland.
Q4. Explain Ross’s lines regarding Malcolm and Donalbain: ‘Thriftless ambition, that wilt ravin up / Thine own life’s means!’
Ans. Ross speaks these lines while under the assumption that Duncan’s sons, Malcolm and Donalbain, orchestrated their father’s murder. The phrase ‘Thriftless ambition’ means reckless or unprofitable ambition; their greed for the crown was so great that it led them to an act that ultimately yielded no profit, only suspicion and exile. ‘Ravin up’ means to greedily devour or consume. The ‘life’s means’ refers to their father, King Duncan, who was the source of their inheritance, status, and claim to the throne. Ross means that their ambition was foolish because in seeking to gain the throne by killing Duncan, they destroyed the very foundation of their power and legitimacy, bringing a curse upon themselves instead of kingship.
Q5. How does this scene function as a turning point in the play’s action?
Ans. Act II, Scene 4 functions as the play’s climax’s aftermath and a crucial turning point, moving the action from the murder of Duncan to the consequences of that crime on the state. It closes the initial arc of usurpation by confirming that Macbeth has successfully seized the throne and is proceeding to Scone for his coronation. Simultaneously, it introduces the elements of future conflict: the widespread natural and moral disorder, the immediate suspicion cast upon Malcolm and Donalbain, which ironically benefits Macbeth, and, most importantly, the clear distrust sown by Macduff. Macduff’s withdrawal sets the stage for the political and military opposition that will eventually challenge Macbeth’s tyrannical reign.
LONG QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS
Q1. Analyze the significance of the specific natural portents described by the Old Man and Ross, focusing on how they reflect the political and moral upheaval caused by Duncan’s murder.
Ans. The bizarre natural events described in this scene of the owl killing the falcon, the continued darkness in the daytime, and Duncan’s horses devouring each other are vital to establishing the play’s theme that unnatural acts by humans destabilize the cosmos. The murder of a king, being the ultimate violation of the Great Chain of Being i.e. the established divine and natural order, causes nature to react violently. The most symbolic event is the mousing owl killing the towering falcon. The falcon represents the noble, rightful King Duncan, while the owl, a nocturnal predator, represents the dark, ambitious, and illegitimate Macbeth. The natural hierarchy is literally inverted, foreshadowing the corrupted political hierarchy where Macbeth wrongfully sits on the throne. Ross’s observation that darkness ‘strangles the travelling lamp’, where the lamp is the sun, emphasizes the cosmic grief and the eclipse of moral light following the wicked deed. Furthermore, the fact that Duncan’s magnificent horses turn wild, ‘contending ‘gainst obedience’ and consuming each other, suggests a complete breakdown of loyalty and natural relationship, mirroring the treachery that took place within the human realm. This consistent use of strange phenomena underscores the severity of Macbeth’s crime, framing it not just as a personal tragedy, but as a crisis affecting all of creation. These portents function as divine judgment on the chaos Macbeth has introduced to Scotland.
Q2. Explain how Macduff’s actions and final lines in this scene establish him as a morally upright character and foreshadow the future political conflict with Macbeth.
Ans. Macduff’s entrance immediately signals his role as a voice of moral integrity and suspicion. Unlike Ross, who decides to follow the new political tide to Scone, Macduff announces his intention to return to his home in Fife. This deliberate non-attendance at Macbeth’s coronation is a subtle yet powerful act of dissent, showing that he refuses to give legitimacy to a rule he believes is founded on treachery, thus establishing his righteousness. Macduff’s skepticism is further revealed in his questioning of the official story that Malcolm and Donalbain were the murderers. The climax of his contribution comes with his concluding couple, ‘Lest our old robes sit easier than our new’. This use of the clothing metaphor powerfully forebodes the tyranny to come. The ‘old robes’ i.e. Duncan’s reign were comfortable and fitting, while the ‘new robes’ i.e. Macbeth’s rule will be ill-fitting and oppressive. Macduff anticipates that the new King will rule with difficulty and violence. His cautious withdrawal from court and his immediate mistrust position him as the first major Scottish lord to challenge Macbeth’s authority, directly setting the stage for the military and moral conflict that will define the latter half of the play.
Q3. Analyze the theme of ‘thriftless ambition’ as discussed by Ross and Macduff, and discuss how it relates to the successful usurpation of the throne by Macbeth.
Ans. The theme of ambition and its destructive consequences is central to this scene, though it is initially discussed in relation to Duncan’s sons, Malcolm and Donalbain. When Macduff relays the rumor that the princes fled, Ross condemns it as ‘Thriftless ambition, that wilt ravin up / Thine own life’s means!’. ‘Thriftless’ means profitless or wasteful, suggesting that for the sons to kill their father, who is the source of their status and succession, would be a foolish act that destroys the very thing they sought to gain. This dialogue highlights the moral and logical bankruptcy of excessive ambition. Ironically, Ross and Macduff are misapplying this judgment, as the true perpetrator of thriftless ambition is Macbeth himself. Macbeth’s desire for the crown led him to destroy his king and friend, Duncan, which truly ‘ravin up’ his own peace, honor, and soul. His ambition has successfully led to the usurpation of the crown, as he is now named king and is heading to Scone. The scene contrasts the perceived, illogical ambition of the princes with the actual, successful, yet deeply destructive ambition of Macbeth, showing that unchecked desire always leads to moral and physical disorder.
Q4. Describe the political outcome of Duncan’s murder as revealed in this scene, and discuss the dramatic irony in who is blamed for the crime.
Ans. The political outcome of Duncan’s murder is swiftly confirmed as the triumph of usurpation. Because Duncan’s two sons, Malcolm and Donalbain fled Scotland, Malcolm to England and Donalbain to Ireland, they became the immediate suspects, thus forfeiting their claim to the throne. This created a power vacuum, which was quickly filled. As Macduff announces, Macbeth has been named the new King of Scotland and is heading to Scone to be crowned and invested. This confirms the success of Macbeth and Lady Macbeth’s murderous plot. The central dramatic irony lies in the fact that the two innocent individuals, Duncan’s sons, are universally blamed for the crime. Macduff reports that the story is that the grooms, having been bribed, committed the act. Macbeth benefited perfectly from his calculated crime: he murdered Duncan, eliminated the witnesses i.e. the servants, and saw the legitimate heirs flee, thereby clearing the path for him to seize the throne. The audience knows the truth, making the lords’ acceptance of the princes’ guilt a chilling display of how quickly political lies can take root in the wake of chaos and fear.
Q5. Examine the structure of the dialogue between Ross, the Old Man, and Macduff, and explain how the changing tone contributes to the scene’s overall emotional impact.
Ans. The scene’s dialogue is structured in two distinct phases, allowing the tone to shift from confusion to stark political reality. The opening exchange between the Old Man and Ross focuses on natural horror and confusion. Their language is elevated and metaphorical, discussing the sun, darkness, and strange animal behavior. The tone is one of shared awe and dread, emphasizing the cosmic scale of the crime, ‘Thou seest, the heavens, as troubled with man’s act, / Threatens his bloody stage’. This establishes the emotional and moral weight of the preceding night. The second phase begins with Macduff’s entrance, bringing the conversation firmly back to political consequences. The language becomes more factual and direct ‘Is’t known who did this more than bloody deed?’. The tone shifts to one of suspicion and cautious anxiety, especially as Macduff relays the unbelievable story of the princes’ guilt and the news of Macbeth’s coronation. Macduff’s final, guarded farewell to Ross ‘Adieu! / Lest our old robes sit easier than our new’ provides a concluding moment of foreboding political commentary, leaving the audience with a sense of unease regarding Scotland’s immediate future under its new, unrightful king.