ISC Class 11 English Drama Macbeth Act 2 Scene 3 Important Question Answers
Macbeth Act 2 Scene 3 Question Answer: Looking for ISC Class 11 English Drama Macbeth Act 2 Scene 3 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 3 now. The questions listed below are based on the latest ISC exam pattern.
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ISC Class 11 English Drama Macbeth Act 2 Scene 3 Textbook Questions
ASSIGNMENT
Question 1
Choose the correct options for the following questions:
1. In this scene, what does the porter suppose himself to be?
(a) Porter of Heaven-gate
(b) Porter of Hell-gate
(c) Porter of Duncan’s palace
(d) None of the above.
Ans. (b) Porter of Hell-gate
2. Who are the numerous visitors who are condemned to suffer in Hell?
(a) The souls of sinners
(b) The souls of murderers
(c) The souls of disloyal warriors
(d) None of the above.
Ans. (b) The souls of murderers
3. Who among the following is NOT one of the visitors who come to the Hell-gate?
(a) A farmer
(b) An equivocator
(c) A tailor
(d) A traitor
Ans. (d) A traitor
4. Who, among the visitors to the gate of hell, hanged himself?
(a) The equivocator
(b) The tailor
(c) The farmer
(d) None of the above
Ans. (c) The farmer
5. Why did the Porter ask the farmer to bring plenty of handkerchiefs with him?
(a) In hell people sweat a lot
(b) There are burning fires in hell
(c) In hell temperatures are too high
(d) In hell people have to cross river of fire
Ans. (a) In hell people sweat a lot
6. Who among the following visitors to the hell could not get admission to heaven?
(a) The farmer
(b) The equivocator
(c) The tailor
(d) The traitor
Ans. (b) The equivocator
7. Which of the following literary devices have been used in the Porter’s scene?
(a) Soliloquy
(b) Antithesis
(c) Dramatic Irony
(d) Foreshadowing
Ans. (c) Dramatic Irony
8. What does the porter mean when he tells the tailor that he would be able to roast his goose in the hell?
(a) Heat his iron
(b) Cook the goose
(c) Warm his food
(d) None of the above.
Ans. (a) Heat his iron
9. The tumult in Nature reflected through various prodigies and portents correspond to which of the following convulsions in human affairs?
(a) The conquest by enemy
(c) The spread of a fatal disease
(b) The defeat of the King in a battle
(d) The murder of a King.
Ans. (d) The murder of a King.
10. How has Macbeth been compared to the farmer and the tailor in this scene?
(a) Like the two, he betrayed the trust of his master
(b) Like the two, he lost by being overambitious
(c) Like the two, he was too passive
(d) None of the above.
Ans. (a) Like the two, he betrayed the trust of his master
11. What has been described in this scene as ‘most sacrilegious’?
(a) The destructive events in nature
(b) The role of Lady Macbeth
(c) The murder of King Duncan
(d) None of the above.
Ans. (c) The murder of King Duncan
12. What is referred to by Macduff as ‘The life o’ the building’?
(a) Divine origin of the king
(b) The soul that exists in human body
(c) The iron used in constructing a building
(d) None of the above.
Ans. (b) The soul that exists in human body
13. What does Macbeth say that he regrets doing?
(a) The fit of anger that made him kill the guards
(b) Inviting King Duncan to his castle
(c) Leaving the King alone in his chamber
(d) None of the above.
Ans. (a) The fit of anger that made him kill the guards
14. According to Macbeth, what spurred him to seek revenge on the murderers of the King?
(a) His reaction on seeing the gory sight
(b) His inability to prevent them from doing that act.
(c) His love for Duncan
(d) His hatred for the murderers
Ans. (c) His love for Duncan
15. What do Malcolm and Donalbain decide to do?
(a) To pretend sorrow in front of hypocrites
(b) To show false praise on them
(c) To punish them for their treacherous act
(d) To flee Scotland.
Ans. (d) To flee Scotland.
Question 2
Complete the following sentences by providing a reason for each:
1. The porter says that he could no longer be the porter of hell because___________.
Ans. The porter says that he could no longer be the porter of hell because the place is too cold for hell, suggesting he’s tired of the joke and needs to get back to his own life.
2. Macbeth has been compared to the farmer, the equivocator and the tailor because___________.
Ans. Macbeth has been compared to the farmer, the equivocator, and the tailor because like the others, he is a sinner as he killed King Duncan and a deceiver as an equivocator who has lost his soul through greed and treachery.
3. Macbeth quickly killed the two guards outside King Duncan’s room because___________.
Ans. Macbeth quickly killed the two guards outside King Duncan’s room because he needed to silence the only potential witnesses and prevent them from being questioned, thereby securing his fabricated narrative that they were the murderers.
4. The scene draws an ironic parallel between actual hell and the castle of Macbeth because___________.
Ans. The scene draws an ironic parallel between actual hell and the castle of Macbeth because the castle is meant to be a place of honor and rest, and has just become the site of a treacherous and damnable act, transforming it into a place of moral evil.
5. The Porter’s scene in Act II of the play is___________.
Ans. The Porter’s scene in Act II of the play is important because it provides necessary comic relief right after the intense murder scene, and it uses dark humor and dramatic irony to comment on the crime that has just taken place within the castle.
6. Malcolm and Donalbain decided to flee from Scotland because___________.
Ans. Malcolm and Donalbain decided to flee from Scotland because they realized that since they were next in line for the throne, the person who killed their father was likely plotting to kill them next, making their separation the only safe course of action.
ISC Class 11 English Drama Macbeth Act 2 Scene 3 Extra Question and Answers
Multiple Choice Questions (MCQs)
Q1. The Porter, pretending to be the gatekeeper of hell, says that drinking especially provokes three things. What are they?
A. Fury, ambition, and sleep.
B. Nose-painting, sleep, and urine.
C. Laughter, treason, and lechery.
D. Cowardice, drunkenness, and murder.
Ans. B. Nose-painting, sleep, and urine.
Q2. Who first discovers King Duncan’s body?
A. Lennox
B. Banquo
C. Macduff
D. Macbeth
Ans. C. Macduff
Q3. What does Macduff call the sight of the murdered King?
A. A strange eclipse
B. The great doom’s image
C. A breach in nature
D. The new Gorgon
Ans. D. The new Gorgon
Q4. What is Macbeth’s official reason for killing Duncan’s guards?
A. He wanted to ensure their immediate punishment for treason.
B. He was afraid they would escape and reveal the truth.
C. His violent love for Duncan made him lose control in a fit of passionate fury.
D. The witches had commanded him to kill all witnesses.
Ans. C. His violent love for Duncan made him lose control in a fit of passionate fury.
Q5. What event occurs immediately after Macduff questions Macbeth’s decision to kill the guards?
A. Banquo draws his sword in defense.
B. Lady Macbeth faints.
C. Malcolm and Donalbain confess their suspicions.
D. Ross and Angus arrive at the castle.
Ans. B. Lady Macbeth faints.
Q6. Why do Malcolm and Donalbain decide to flee?
A. They are afraid of Macbeth’s rage after he killed the guards.
B. They suspect that the person who murdered their father is still in the house and they are next.
C. They want to raise an army in England and Ireland.
D. They were secretly planning to flee before the murder.
Ans. B. They suspect that the person who murdered their father is still in the house and they are next.
Q7. Where does Malcolm decide to go?
A. Scotland
B. Ireland
C. England
D. Norway
Ans. C. England
Q8. What unnatural event does Lennox describe as happening during the night?
A. The sun failed to rise.
B. Chimneys were blown down and the Earth shook.
C. A giant tidal wave hit the castle.
D. All the animals in the forest went silent.
Ans. B. Chimneys were blown down and the Earth shook.
Q9. In his grief-stricken speech, Macbeth claims that from this instant, what is dead?
A. Sleep and rest.
B. Renown and grace.
C. Courage and loyalty.
D. Wealth and power.
Ans. B. Renown and grace.
Q10. Banquo ends the scene by saying he will fight ‘Against the undivulged pretense I fight / Of treasonous malice’. What does this line imply?
A. He believes the guards are innocent and wants to find the true traitor.
B. He is suspicious of Macbeth and pledges to uncover the plot.
C. He is preparing to lead an army to war.
D. He wants to take the throne for himself.
Ans. B. He is suspicious of Macbeth and pledges to uncover the plot.
Fill Up Sentences
Complete the following sentences by providing a reason for each:
1. The comic relief provided by Porter is crucial to the play’s structure because____________________.
Ans. The comic relief provided by Porter is crucial to the play’s structure because it serves as a necessary psychological release for the audience following the extreme tension and horror of King Duncan’s murder.
2. Macduff, upon discovering the body, tells the other nobles to ring the alarm bell because____________________.
Ans. Macduff, upon discovering the body, tells the other nobles to ring the alarm bell because he wants to wake everyone in the castle to witness the ultimate sight of treachery and death, calling it ‘The great doom’s image’.
3. The tailor mentioned by the Porter is condemned to hell because____________________.
Ans. The tailor mentioned by the Porter is condemned to hell because he was accused of stealing material from his customers, reflecting a theme of dishonesty and betrayal.
4. Lady Macbeth asks ‘What, in our house?’ with feigned shock because____________________.
Ans. Lady Macbeth asks ‘What, in our house?’ with feigned shock because she is attempting to reinforce the facade of innocence, implying that the discovery of murder inside their own home is doubly shocking and unbelievable to her.
5. Banquo proposes that all the nobles should ‘put on manly readiness’ before meeting because____________________.
Ans. Banquo proposes that all the nobles should ‘put on manly readiness’ before meeting because they are currently in their nightclothes and need to be properly attired and armed to discuss the deadly treason that has occurred.
6. The phrase ‘The wine of life is drawn’ is used by Macbeth because____________________.
Ans. The phrase ‘The wine of life is drawn’ is used by Macbeth because he is dramatically lamenting the death of Duncan, comparing the King’s life, which has been poured out, to the absence of all joy and value in the world.
7. Donalbain suggests that they should not consort with the other nobles because____________________.
Ans. Donalbain suggests that they should not consort with the other nobles because he realizes that expressing false sorrow is something that ‘the false man does easy’,making it impossible to trust anyone around them.
8. Macduff hesitates to tell Lady Macbeth about the murder because____________________.
Ans. Macduff hesitates to tell Lady Macbeth about the murder because he believes the gruesome details are too horrifying for a woman’s ears.
9. Malcolm and Donalbain believe their flight from Scotland is warranted because____________________.
Ans. Malcolm and Donalbain believe their flight from Scotland is warranted because they interpret their immediate escape as a necessity to save their lives.
10. Porter compares alcohol’s effect on desire to an equivocator because____________________.
Ans. Porter compares alcohol’s effect on desire to an equivocator because it encourages a man’s sexual desire but simultaneously hinders his ability to perform, thus being deceptive and untrustworthy.
Extra Questions
SHORT QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS
Q1. How does Porter’s scene, despite its comic nature, contribute to the play’s dark atmosphere and themes of sin and damnation?
Ans. Porter’s scene functions as a moment of dark comic relief that simultaneously intensifies the play’s themes of sin and hellish consequences. By pretending to be the gatekeeper of hell, the Porter ironically reflects the moral status of Macbeth’s castle, which has just become the site of a damnable crime of the King’s murder. The Porter names three visitors, a farmer, an equivocator, and a tailor, all condemned for earthly greed, deceit, and theft. The ‘equivocator’, in particular, mirrors Macbeth himself, who is now deceitfully swearing loyalty while guilty of treason. The scene suggests that the line between Macbeth’s castle and actual hell is nonexistent. The knocking that the Porter answers signifies not just Macduff and Lennox, but the inevitable external reckoning for Macbeth’s internal, satanic ambition, ensuring the audience is reminded that the crime is a transgression against both God and humanity.
Q2. Analyze Macbeth’s behavior in this scene, focusing on his speech after the murder is discovered and his decision to kill the guards. What do these actions reveal about his state of mind?
Ans. Macbeth’s actions in this scene demonstrate a shift from paralyzed terror to calculated, though desperate, performance. His speech, ‘Had I but died an hour before this chance, / I had lived a blessèd time’, is theatrical hypocrisy, designed to divert suspicion by showing overwhelming, philosophical grief. His decision to kill the two chamberlains is a highly revealing strategic mistake, driven by panic rather than control. He silences the only potential witnesses, eliminating the chance that the innocent men might reveal details or contradict his narrative. When questioned by Macduff, his excuse that his violent love for Duncan outran reason is a quick, emotional fabrication. This impulsive act reveals that while he can execute the core murder, he cannot calmly manage the consequences and resorts to further violence, laying the groundwork for his tyrannical future.
Q3. Explain the significance of the flight of Malcolm and Donalbain. Why do they leave, and what immediate political consequence does their action have?
Ans. Malcolm and Donalbain’s decision to flee is motivated by astute self-preservation. They correctly deduce that since the closest relatives are next in line for the throne, they are also next in line for murder. Donalbain articulates their fear, ‘There’s daggers in men’s smiles. The near in blood, / The nearer bloody’. Their separation, Malcolm to England and Donalbain to Ireland, is a tactic to survive. Ironically, while the action saves their lives, it has an immediate and catastrophic political consequence for them. By abandoning Scotland, they immediately become the primary suspects for the regicide in the eyes of the other nobles, who assume their hasty flight confirms their guilt. This suspicion allows Macbeth to ascend the throne, consolidating the tragic consequences of the scene.
Q4. Discuss the role of Lady Macbeth in Act 2, Scene 3. How does she use her gender to manipulate the situation and protect her husband?
Ans. Lady Macbeth plays the consummate role of the naive, fragile gentlewoman in this scene. Her initial line, feigning shock over the loud alarm, is a calculated attempt to appear surprised and innocent. Her most critical intervention occurs when Macduff questions Macbeth’s rash killing of the guards. Seeing her husband fumbling for a rational explanation, she executes a powerful distraction: she pretends to faint, ‘Help me hence, ho!’. This maneuver instantly draws all attention away from Macbeth and the fatal flaw in his story, shifting the focus to her supposed physical vulnerability. By weaponizing her perceived feminine weakness, she successfully interrupts the interrogation and prevents the immediate unraveling of their plot, demonstrating her quick-thinking and decisive control under pressure.
Q5. How does Lennox’s description of the ‘unruly’ night reflect the theme of the disruption of the natural order? Give specific examples from his speech.
Ans. Lennox’s detailed description of the ‘unruly’ night functions as a literary device to externalize the horrific moral crime committed inside the castle. The Elizabethans believed that regicide was the ultimate sin, creating a rupture in the natural world i.e. the Great Chain of Being. Lennox’s account confirms this cosmic disruption, ‘Our chimneys were blown down’, signifying physical chaos, and ‘Lamentings heard i’ th’ air, strange screams of death’, indicating a supernatural terror. He speaks of the ‘obscure bird’ i.e. the owl, often a symbol of death clamoring, and concludes that ‘Some say the Earth / Was feverous and did shake’. These portents demonstrate that the heavens and the physical world are actively protesting the unnatural murder of God’s representative, solidifying the idea that Macbeth’s crime has poisoned the entire kingdom.
LONG QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS
Q1. Analyze the strong, often religious and mythological, language Macduff uses to describe the murder. What do his references to ‘sacrilegious murder’, ‘The Lord’s anointed temple’, and the ‘new Gorgon’ reveal about his moral framework?
Ans. Macduff’s language upon discovering Duncan’s body is loaded with religious and mythological weight, immediately establishing his character as one of genuine moral uprightness, contrasting sharply with the hypocrisy of the Macbeths. By proclaiming ‘Most sacrilegious murder hath broke open / The Lord’s anointed temple’, Macduff is invoking the doctrine of the Divine Right of Kings, wherein the monarch is considered God’s representative on Earth. To kill the king is not just treason, but sacrilege, an attack on the divine order itself. This defines Macduff as a man whose loyalty is rooted not just in personal fealty, but in deep spiritual and political conviction. The reference to the ‘new Gorgon’ is a powerful mythological metaphor; in Greek myth, anyone who looked at the Gorgon Medusa would turn to stone. Macduff implies that the sight of Duncan’s corpse is so horrific and shocking that it could mentally destroy the beholder, underscoring the unnatural terror of the act. Unlike Macbeth, whose speech is calculated performance, Macduff’s rhetoric flows from a genuine, horrified soul, instantly positioning him as the moral antithesis and future avenger of the tyrannical couple.
Q2. Discuss the social and political satire embedded in Porter’s jokes about the three sinners who arrive at the ‘hell-gate’. How do the figures the farmer, the equivocator, and the tailor connect to the themes of treachery in the main plot?
Ans. The Porter’s list of three sinners i.e. the farmer, the equivocator, and the English tailor serves as brilliant social and political satire, grounding the lofty tragedy in contemporary Jacobean concerns while thematically linking to Macbeth’s crime. The farmer who hanged himself upon expectation of plenty is condemned for greed, reflecting Macbeth’s overreaching ambition for the crown. The equivocator who ‘could swear in both the scales’ is a direct reference to the Jesuit-led Gunpowder Plot of 1605, where priests were accused of using ambiguous oaths to justify treason, mirroring Macbeth’s double-speak and betrayal of his royal oath. The tailor who stole fabric, ‘stealing out of a French hose’ is a figure of petty theft and betrayal of trust, further universalizing the theme of dishonesty. Crucially, all three figures represent a failure of faith or loyalty for personal gain, providing a distorted, common-man reflection of Macbeth’s monumental betrayal of Duncan. The comedy is dark, suggesting that the ultimate crime of regicide is merely a grander version of the moral failings that damn ordinary men.
Q3. Detail Banquo’s definitive moral stance at the end of the scene. What is the significance of his pledge to fight the ‘undivulged pretense of treasonous malice’, and how does this set up the central conflict of the next Act?
Ans. Banquo emerges from the chaos of the murder discovery as the most composed and morally centered character. While Macbeth gives a calculated performance of grief and the sons flee in fear, Banquo immediately calls for collective action and solemn commitment. His pivotal pledge is, ‘In the great hand of God I stand, and thence / Against the undivulged pretense I fight / Of treasonous malice’. This statement reveals several things: his piety ‘in the great hand of God’, his suspicion that he does not believe the simple story of the guards, sensing an ‘undivulged pretense’, and his determination to find the truth ‘I fight’. This declaration is highly significant because it immediately positions him as the most dangerous and principled obstacle to Macbeth’s claim to the throne. Knowing the witches’ prophecy that Banquo’s sons will be kings, Macbeth understands that Banquo is the only person who possesses both the moral integrity and the prophetic knowledge to expose him. This sets the stage directly for Act 3, making Banquo the inevitable first victim in Macbeth’s new cycle of murders aimed at securing his crown.
Q4. The theme of ‘equivocation’, the use of ambiguous language to conceal the truth is central to this scene. Explain how this manifests in the dialogue of Macbeth, Lady Macbeth, and the Porter.
Ans. Equivocation, the deliberate use of language with double meaning to deceive, is the operational theme of Act 2, Scene 3, extending far beyond Porter’s mention of the Equivocator sinner. Porter provides the literal theme, discussing how the word alcohol equates with lechery i.e. promising desire but denying performance and introducing the equivocator who is damned for false swearing. Macbeth is the dramatic embodiment of equivocation: he professes overwhelming love and sorrow for Duncan, yet every word is a calculated lie meant to conceal the murder he just committed. For example, he claims his love for Duncan forced him to kill the guards, using noble emotion to hide cold calculation. Lady Macbeth is equally deceptive, using silence and physical performance the feigned faint to equivocate on the truth. Her collapse is a dramatic statement meaning ‘I am an innocent, shocked woman’, which simultaneously means that she was deliberately distracting them from her husband’s suspicious words. Thus, all three characters manipulate the gap between appearance and reality, using wordplay, performance, and silence to mask a damnable truth.
Q5. Beyond the flight of the sons, analyze the immediate collective response of the assembled nobles Macduff, Lennox, Banquo. What is their immediate, unified plan, and what does the chaotic nature of their gathering reveal about the political void left by Duncan’s death?
Ans. After the initial shock and Lady Macbeth’s fainting spell, the assembled nobles attempt to impose order on the chaos, agreeing on a swift, unified plan of action. Banquo takes the lead, insisting that they must first get properly dressed and then meet to ‘question this most bloody piece of work / To know it further’. This collective decision to ‘meet i’ th’ hall together’ is a vital attempt to establish a provisional, unified leadership and decide upon an official response, as the central authority, King Duncan is gone. However, the chaotic nature of the gathering, the frantic ringing of the bell, the scattered reactions, the flight of the princes, and the immediate suspicion cast upon the sons, underscores the profound political void and the immediate leadership vacuum. There is no clear, decisive successor, and distrust is sown instantly. The nobles are physically present but politically paralyzed, allowing the most opportunistic and prepared conspirator Macbeth to step into the vacuum and seize the crown in the following scene.