The Play

A floating dagger pointing towards Duncan's chamber

Step 1: In Act II, Scene 1, Macbeth delivers his famous soliloquy, 'Is this a dagger which I see before me?' Step 2: He sees a vision of a bloody dagger floating in the air, its handle pointing toward him and its blade pointing toward Duncan's chamber. Step 3: This hallucination symbolises his inner moral conflict — part of him is drawn toward the murder while another part is horrified. It also reflects the supernatural forces influencing his mind. Step 4: Option A is wrong — Banquo's ghost appears later at the banquet in Act III. Option C is wrong — the witches appear separately in their own

Because the witches prophesied that Banquo's descendants, not Macbeth's, would inherit the throne

Step 1: Recall the witches' prophecy from Act I — they told Banquo that though he would not be king himself, his descendants would become kings. Step 2: This prophecy threatens Macbeth's legacy because it implies his own heirs will not rule Scotland. Step 3: Macbeth becomes paranoid that all he has done — killing Duncan and taking the throne — will ultimately benefit Banquo's family rather than his own. Step 4: Option A is wrong — Banquo does have suspicions but did not actually witness the murder. Option C is wrong — Banquo outwardly supports Macbeth. Option D is wrong — Lady Macbeth is not s

He is shown as a brave, loyal soldier who earns the king's admiration before his fall

Step 1: A tragic hero is a character who starts from a position of virtue and nobility before falling due to a fatal flaw. Step 2: In Act I, Macbeth is praised by a Sergeant as a heroic warrior — 'For brave Macbeth — well he deserves that name'. King Duncan rewards him with the title Thane of Cawdor for his loyalty and bravery. Step 3: This establishes him as a noble, respected figure before his ambition leads him to commit evil acts. Step 4: Option A is wrong — he has not yet done anything corrupt at the start. Option C is wrong — he is not naturally evil; he consciously chooses to commit evi

It tells Macbeth that no man born of a woman shall harm him, giving him false confidence

Step 1: In Act IV, Scene 1, Macbeth visits the witches and they conjure three apparitions to give him cryptic prophecies. Step 2: The second apparition — a bloody child — tells Macbeth: 'none of woman born shall harm Macbeth.' Step 3: Macbeth interprets this literally and believes he is invincible, which leads to dangerous overconfidence. Step 4: However, this prophecy is fulfilled in an unexpected way — Macduff reveals in Act V that he was 'from his mother's womb untimely ripped' (born by Caesarean section), meaning he was technically not 'born of a woman' in the natural sense. Step 5: Option