ISC Class 11 English Drama Macbeth Act 1 Scene 2 Important Question Answers
Macbeth Act 1 Scene 2 Question Answer: Looking for ISC Class 11 English Drama Macbeth Act 1 Scene 2 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 1 Scene 2 now. The questions listed below are based on the latest ICSE exam pattern.
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ISC Class 11 English Drama Macbeth Act 1 Scene 2 Textbook Questions
ASSIGNMENT
Question 1
Choose the correct options for the following questions:
1. Who is referred to as the ‘bloody man’ in the first line of the scene?
(a) Macbeth
(b) Duncan
(c) The Sergeant
(d) Malcolm.
Ans. (c) The Sergeant
2. What is referred to as the ‘newest state’ in this scene of the play?
(a) The new country conquered by Duncan
(b) The new state established by Malcolm
(c) The news of the latest position of the rebellion
(d) None of the above.
Ans. (c) The news of the latest position of the rebellion
3. King Duncan’s army was fighting against whom?
(a) Malcolm
(b) Macdonwald
(c) Banquo
(d) None of the above.
Ans. (b) Macdonwald
4. Whose execution did the King announce in this scene?
(a) Thane of Cawdor
(b) Macdonwald
(c) King of Norway
(d) All of the above.
Ans. (a) Thane of Cawdor
5. Which of following epithets is NOT used for Macbeth in this scene?
(a) Valour’s minion
(b) Worthy Gentleman
(c) Bellona’s bridegroom
(d) Noble Scot
Ans. (d) Noble Scot
6. Whose armies are referred to by the Sergeant as ‘two spent swimmers?
(a) Duncan and Banquo’s
(b) Macbeth and Macdonwald’s
(c) Duncan and Malcolm’s
(d) Banquo and King of Norway’s
Ans. (b) Macbeth and Macdonwald’s
7. Who has been described in this scene as Like Valour’s minion’?
(a) Banquo
(b) Duncan
(c) Malcolm
(d) Macbeth
Ans. (d) Macbeth
8. Which of the following best describes the meaning of Valour’s minion’?
(a) The one who is devoid of braver
(b) The one who has neither bravery nor brain
(c) The favourite of bravery
(d) None of the above.
Ans. (c) The favourite of bravery
9. Who is referred to as ‘Worthy to be a rebel’?
(a) Banquo
(b) Macdonwald
(c) Macbeth
(d) None of the above.
Ans. (b) Macdonwald
10. In this scene whose ‘gashes’ cried for help?
(a) Sergeant
(b) Macbeth
(c) Banquo
(d) Macdonald
Ans. (a) Sergeant
11. Which figure of speech is used in the following line?
As two spent swimmers that do cling together
(a) Personification
(b) Metaphor
(c) Simile
(d) None of the above
Ans. (c) Simile
12. Who is referred to by Duncan as -‘O valiant cousin’?
(a) Macbeth
(b) Banquo
(c) Malcolm
(d) None of the above
Ans. (a) Macbeth
13. It is said in this scene that Macbeth attacked his enemies with such ferocity and bloodshed that the battlefield looked like the infamous battlefield of___________.
(a) Golgotha
(b) Culloden
(c) Dunbar
(d) Glencoe
Ans. (a) Golgotha
14. In this scene, Macbeth is referred to as whose ‘bridegroom’?
(a) Athena’s
(b) Hecate’s
(c) Bellona’s
(d) None of the above
Ans. (c) Bellona’s
15. Which literary device is used in the last line of this scene? ‘What he hath lost noble Macbeth hath won.
(a) Dramatic Irony
(b) Personification
(c) Metaphor
(d) Lennox
Ans. (a) Dramatic Irony
16. King Duncan bestowed the title of Thane of Cawdor on whom among the following?
(a) Banquo
(b) Macbeth
(c) Malcolm
(d) Lennox
Ans. (b) Macbeth
17. Which figure of speech is used in the sentence given below?
And Fortune, on his damned quarrel smiling, show’d like a rebel’s whore.
(a) Metaphor
(b) Irony
(c) Personification
(d) All of the above
Ans. (d) All of the above
18. Which characteristic trait of Duncan’s personality is revealed in this scene?
(a) Meek and Mild
(b) Generous with his kinsmen
(c) Poor judge of character
(d) All of the above
Ans. (d) All of the above
Question 2
Complete the following sentences by providing a reason for each:
1. King Duncan sentenced the Thane of Cawdor to death because_________________.
Ans. King Duncan sentenced the Thane of Cawdor to death because the Thane of Cawdor proved to be a ‘most disloyal traitor’ who assisted the invading Norwegian King, Sweno, in his assault against Scotland.
2. The Sergeant described that the outcome of the battle as ‘doubtful it stood because________________________.
Ans. The Sergeant described that the outcome of the battle as ‘doubtful it stood’ because the forces of King Duncan and the rebel Macdonald were initially in a deadlock, fighting with equal exhaustion and ferocity, likened to ‘two spent swimmers that do cling together / And choke their art’.
3. There is a reference to Golgotha because____________________.
Ans. There is a reference to Golgotha because the Sergeant was describing the extreme bloodshed and slaughter on the battlefield; he suggests Macbeth and Banquo fought with such terrifying violence that they might have intended to ‘memorize another Golgotha’, referencing the site of Christ’s crucifixion, known for suffering and death.
4. Duncan says “What he hath lost, noble Macbeth hath won” because_________________.
Ans. Duncan says “What he hath lost, noble Macbeth hath won” because he decided to strip the title of the traitorous Thane of Cawdor and bestow it upon Macbeth as a reward for his unparalleled bravery and loyalty in securing victory for Scotland.
5. The title of the Thane of Cawdor is a title of a traitor because______________________.
Ans. The title of the Thane of Cawdor is a title of a traitor because the current holder of the title had engaged in treason by joining forces with the Norwegian invaders against King Duncan, leading to his execution and the forfeiture of his noble rank.
ISC Class 11 English Drama Macbeth Act 1 Scene 2 Extra Question and Answers
Multiple Choice Questions (MCQs)
Q1. What is the initial setting of the scene?
A. A battlefield in Fife
B. A military camp near Forres
C. King Duncan’s royal castle
D. The witches’ cavern
Ans. B. A military camp near Forres
Q2. Which person, initially introduced as a loyal subject, is exposed as a ‘most disloyal traitor’ in this scene?
A. Banquo
B. Macdonwald
C. The Thane of Cawdor
D. The King of Norway
Ans. C. The Thane of Cawdor
Q3. Who is the first person to describe Macbeth’s extraordinary bravery in detail?
A. King Duncan
B. Malcolm
C. Ross
D. The bleeding Sergeant
Ans. D. The bleeding Sergeant
Q4. How does the Sergeant describe the initial deadlock of the battle by comparing the two armies to?
A. Cannons overcharged with double cracks
B. Eagles versus sparrows
C. Two spent swimmers that cling together
D. Bellona’s bridegroom and her foe
Ans. C. Two spent swimmers that cling together
Q5. What gruesome detail is given about Macbeth’s killing of the rebel Macdonwald?
A. He captured him and put him in chains
B. He unseamed him from the nave to the chaps
C. He drove him from the field of battle
D. He allowed him to beg for mercy
Ans. B. He unseamed him from the nave to the chaps
Q6. Who is referred to by Ross as ‘Bellona’s bridegroom’?
A. King Duncan
B. Banquo
C. The Thane of Cawdor
D. Macbeth
Ans. D. Macbeth
Q7. According to Ross, what price did the King of Norway have to pay for the burial of his men?
A. A lifetime truce
B. Ten thousand dollars
C. Control over Saint Colme’s Inch
D. The surrender of his crown
Ans. B. Ten thousand dollars
Q8. What new threat arose immediately after the Scots defeated Macdonwald’s rebellion?
A. Macbeth turned against Banquo
B. Lady Macbeth arrived to spur Macbeth on
C. The Norwegian Lord launched a fresh assault
D. The witches appeared to curse the victory
Ans. C. The Norwegian Lord launched a fresh assault
Q9. King Duncan’s reaction to the Sergeant’s wounds is: ‘So well thy words become thee as thy wounds. They smack of honour both’. What does this line reveal Duncan’s value of?
A. Eloquence over injury
B. The necessity of war
C. Honour and valorous sacrifice
D. Loyalty to the King’s own sons
Ans. C. Honour and valorous sacrifice
Q10. The scene ends with King Duncan proclaiming: ‘What he hath lost, noble Macbeth hath won’. To what is Duncan referring?
A. Macbeth won the war against Norway
B. Macbeth winning the King’s gratitude
C. Macbeth winning the title of Thane of Cawdor
D. Macbeth wins control over the battlefield
Ans. C. Macbeth winning the title of Thane of Cawdor
Fill Up Sentences
Complete the following sentences by providing a reason for each:
1. Macbeth was described as fighting like ‘Valor’s minion’ because___________________.
Ans. Macbeth was described as fighting like ‘Valor’s minion’ because he disdained Fortune and fought with ferocious, bloody execution against the rebel forces.
2. The Sergeant’s body was crying out for help because___________________
Ans. The Sergeant’s body was crying out for help because he was severely wounded, faint, and had sustained numerous gashes while fighting bravely in the King’s defense.
3. The battle initially ‘doubtful it stood’ because___________________.
Ans. The battle initially ‘doubtful it stood’ because the armies were equally exhausted and locked in a stalemate, clinging together like spent swimmers.
4. The former Thane of Cawdor was deemed a ‘most disloyal traitor’ because___________________.
Ans. The former Thane of Cawdor was deemed a ‘most disloyal traitor’ because he assisted the Norwegian lord, Sweno, and his terrible numbers in an assault against Scotland.
5. The Sergeant compared Macbeth and Banquo to ‘cannons overcharged with double cracks’ because__________.
Ans. The Sergeant compared Macbeth and Banquo to ‘cannons overcharged with double cracks’ because they redoubled their strokes upon the foe with immense and overwhelming force.
6. King Duncan immediately ordered the Thane of Cawdor’s execution because___________________.
Ans. King Duncan immediately ordered the Thane of Cawdor’s execution because he had betrayed the King’s ‘bosom interest’ by aiding the foreign invaders.
7. Ross refers to Macbeth as ‘Bellona’s bridegroom’ because___________________
Ans. Ross refers to Macbeth as ‘Bellona’s bridegroom’ because he fought with such superhuman, godlike prowess and military skill that he was likened to the consort of the Goddess of War.
8. The battlefield was compared to ‘another Golgotha’ because___________________
Ans. The battlefield was compared to ‘another Golgotha’ because the captains fought with such unprecedented ferocity and bloodshed that the area was piled high with the dead and wounded.
9. The King of Norway was denied the burial of his men because___________________.
Ans. The King of Norway was denied the burial of his men because he had to first agree to pay a ransom of ten thousand dollars to the Scottish forces as part of the composition (treaty).
10. King Duncan bestowed the Thane of Cawdor’s title on Macbeth because___________________.
Ans. King Duncan bestowed the Thane of Cawdor’s title on Macbeth because he wanted to reward Macbeth’s unparalleled loyalty and valor with the highest available honour, which had just been forfeited by a traitor.
Extra Questions
SHORT QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS
Answer the questions briefly in about 100-150 words.
Q1. What is the significance of the Sergeant’s description of Macbeth’s encounter with the rebel Macdonwald?
Ans. The Sergeant’s account is the audience’s first introduction to Macbeth’s character, establishing him immediately as a figure of unmatched, terrifying valour. The description of his fight, reached its climax in the act of ripping him apart from the nave to the chaps and mounting his head, is significant because it highlights Macbeth’s savage commitment and brutality in the service of King Duncan. This extreme violence is lauded as heroism, earning him the title ‘Valor’s minion’. The description is vital as it sets a high, violent standard for Macbeth’s reputation that will later contrast sharply with his inner turmoil and fearful reluctance to commit treason. It shows that, in the context of war, extreme aggression is not only accepted but highly rewarded by the state.
Q2. How does King Duncan demonstrate his fairness and authority in this scene?
Ans. King Duncan demonstrates his authority by presiding over the reception of military reports and swiftly dispensing both justice and reward. Upon hearing of the treacherous behaviour of the Thane of Cawdor from Ross, Duncan immediately and decisively pronounces his ‘present death’, asserting his absolute judicial power over the state’s enemies. Conversely, he shows his fairness and generosity by recognizing the valour of the Sergeant, ordering surgeons for him and immediately bestowing the Thane of Cawdor’s forfeited title upon Macbeth for his peerless service. Duncan’s pronouncement, ‘What he hath lost, noble Macbeth hath won’, confirms his role as the ultimate arbiter of honour, ensuring that loyalty is recognized and treason is punished without delay.
Q3. Explain the dramatic importance of the news regarding the Thane of Cawdor’s betrayal in this scene.
Ans. The news of the Thane of Cawdor’s betrayal is dramatically important as it introduces the crucial theme of appearance versus reality and sets the stage for Macbeth’s future. Cawdor was seemingly a loyal nobleman, yet he proved to be a ‘disloyal traitor’, shattering Duncan’s trust ‘bosom interest’. This revelation forces Duncan to recognize that a noble title can mask a treacherous heart. Crucially, Duncan’s subsequent decision to immediately transfer this ‘title of a traitor’ to Macbeth creates powerful dramatic irony. The audience knows from the witches’ prophecy in the first scene that Macbeth is about to receive this title, unaware that it carries the shadow of treason, foreshadowing his own inevitable betrayal of Duncan later in the play.
Q4. What is the purpose of the Sergeant’s use of metaphors and similes when describing the battle?
Ans. The Sergeant’s rich use of literary devices serves to elevate the scene from a simple military report to a powerful dramatic account. He first uses the simile of ‘two spent swimmers’ to illustrate the initial equal and exhausting deadlock of the battle, making the abstract conflict immediately understandable. He later uses hyperbolic metaphor to describe Macbeth and Banquo as ‘cannons overcharged with double cracks’, conveying their almost superhuman, unrelenting ferocity. These powerful figures of speech are necessary because they make Macbeth’s distant actions vivid and impressive to the King, justifying the extreme reward he is about to receive. They also lend a mythic quality to the heroes’ actions, fitting the epic scale of tragedy.
Q5. How does Ross’s description of Macbeth differ from the Sergeant’s?
Ans. The Sergeant focuses on Macbeth’s individual, physical brutality, the carving out of his path and the unseaming of Macdonwald, to prove his courage and deadly effectiveness. Ross, however, arrives later with the news of the final, decisive victory over the Norwegians and the traitor Cawdor. Ross elevates Macbeth’s status from a mere warrior to a figure of epic renown, calling him ‘Bellona’s bridegroom’, the husband of the Roman goddess of war. This description emphasizes Macbeth’s strategic and heroic dominance on a national scale, confirming his status as the saviour of Scotland. While the Sergeant stresses the gore, Ross stresses the glory, together building a complete picture of Macbeth as a formidable military legend.
LONG QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS
Answer the questions briefly in about 200-250 words.
Q1. Discuss the main themes of war and honour as they are presented in Act 1, Scene 2.
Ans. Act 1, Scene 2 is fundamentally an exploration of war and honour in 11th-century Scotland. The play presents war as a brutal, chaotic necessity for survival, illustrated by the presence of the ‘bloody man’, the Sergeant and his visceral language describing the ‘reeking wounds’. However, the scene also shows that war is the only true pathway to honour and social advancement. The core of the theme lies in the heroic actions of Macbeth and Banquo. Macbeth’s savage slaughter of Macdonwald, which includes an almost ritualistic, gruesome beheading, is not condemned as barbaric but is instead lauded as the highest form of valour. He is the ‘worthy gentleman’ whose ‘his brandish’d/ steel, Which smoked with bloody execution’. Honour, in this context, is directly proportional to the amount of blood spilled for the King. King Duncan acts as the ultimate authority in this system, rewarding this martial honour by transferring the Thane of Cawdor’s title lost through the dishonour of treason to Macbeth. Thus, the scene establishes a transactional relationship: extreme violence in war equals supreme honour in peace. This system of values is crucial because it establishes Macbeth as a man whose greatest strength is his lethal ability, which will ironically become the fatal flaw he uses to violate the very honour system that created him.
Q2. How does the language of the Sergeant and Ross contribute to the overall mood and characterization of Macbeth?
Ans. The language used by the Sergeant and Ross is deliberately hyperbolic and elevated to create an immediate mood of epic grandeur and terrifying violence, crucial for establishing the protagonist’s legend. The Sergeant’s speech is laden with visceral, gory detail ‘unseamed him from the nave to the chaps’ and powerful similes ‘two spent swimmers’ and metaphors ‘cannons overcharged’. This language does two things: it makes the distant conflict real, and it portrays Macbeth not just as a man, but as a force of nature, ‘Valor’s minion’. Ross’s language takes this a step further, using classical allusion by naming Macbeth ‘Bellona’s bridegroom’ i.e. the husband of the goddess of war. This mythological comparison removes Macbeth from the realm of mere mortality, cementing his status as a national saviour and a figure of legend. This highly stylized, flattering, and violent language ensures that the audience’s first impression of Macbeth is one of unquestioned, almost supernatural bravery and lethal effectiveness. The language elevates his fame so high that his eventual moral fall will have maximum dramatic impact, proving that the man celebrated as a god of war is still capable of being led astray by human ambition.
Q3. Analyze King Duncan’s competence as a ruler based on his actions and judgments in this scene.
Ans. In Act 1, Scene 2, King Duncan is presented as a ruler who is benevolent, gracious, and generous, but perhaps overly trusting and detached from the immediate brutality of his kingdom’s survival. His strengths are his decisiveness and his commitment to justice. He correctly recognizes and rewards true loyalty, immediately ordering surgeons for the wounded Sergeant and bestowing the highest honour, the Thane of Cawdor title on Macbeth, demonstrating sound judgment in military affairs. His pronouncement of the traitor’s execution is swift and absolute, confirming his supreme authority. However, his major weakness is his poor judgment of character, a flaw that will prove fatal. The revelation of the Thane of Cawdor’s deep-seated treachery ‘most disloyal traitor’ suggests Duncan placed his ‘bosom interest’ i.e. deepest trust in the wrong man. While he acts immediately to correct this error, the fact that he was so thoroughly deceived suggests a naivete or an inability to perceive evil beneath a noble exterior. This scene establishes Duncan as a good and just king who maintains order through generosity, but whose excessive trust and lack of suspicion make him uniquely vulnerable to the kind of calculated deception that Macbeth is soon to perpetrate.
Q4. Explain how the theme of betrayal is introduced and resolved, yet simultaneously foreshadowed, in Act 1, Scene 2.
Ans. The theme of betrayal is introduced explicitly and dramatically with the arrival of Ross, who identifies the Thane of Cawdor as a ‘most disloyal traitor’ who aided the Norwegian invasion. This act of treason is immediately resolved by King Duncan’s swift and decisive judgment, ‘Go pronounce his present death’. The resolution is then cemented by the transfer of Cawdor’s forfeited title to the loyal hero, Macbeth, signifying the restoration of honour and order. However, this resolution ironically acts as powerful foreshadowing. The audience has just heard the witches prophesy that Macbeth will become the Thane of Cawdor in the first scene. The fact that the title is now established as belonging to a traitor casts an immediate shadow over Macbeth’s future. The entire dramatic movement, from trust to betrayal, and then the re-bestowal of the traitor’s title, suggests a cyclical pattern. The scene effectively asks, if a great nobleman like the former Thane of Cawdor could betray the King, could the new holder of the title i.e. Macbeth would do the same. This foreshadowing is the central dramatic irony of the scene, hinting that the honour Macbeth has just won will quickly lead him down the path of the very treason he helped to defeat.
Q5. What literary device is most prominent in the Sergeant’s speech, and how does it serve to characterize Macbeth?
Ans. The most prominent literary device in the Sergeant’s speech is simile and metaphor, used to create a characterization of Macbeth that is both heroic and savage. The Sergeant doesn’t simply report facts; he translates action into vivid imagery. He uses the simile of ‘two spent swimmers’ to describe the initial struggle, demonstrating the sheer effort required. More significantly, he uses a series of violent similes and metaphors to elevate Macbeth’s status. Macbeth is described as fighting ‘Like Valor’s minion’, making him the favourite and embodiment of courage itself. Later, he describes the two captains as being ‘As cannons overcharged with double cracks’, a powerful military metaphor that suggests a superhuman, unstoppable force of destruction. This powerful, hyperbolic language is essential to the characterization because it mythologizes Macbeth. His deeds are so extreme when he ‘unseamed him from the nave to the chaps’ that they can only be expressed through over-the-top imagery. The language thus establishes Macbeth not as an ordinary soldier, but as a figure whose lethal potential is his defining characteristic. This makes him worthy of the highest honour, but also signals to the audience that the intense, violent energy that saved the country could easily be turned against it.