Welcome to our blog post ISC Macbeth Workbook Answers : Act 5, Scene 3 of William Shakespeare’s timeless masterpiece, “Macbeth.” As dedicated learners and educators, we recognize the importance of unraveling the nuances of Shakespearean literature, which is why we’ve curated this comprehensive guide specifically tailored to the ISC curriculum.
Within this blog, we’ll explore Act 5, Scene 3, utilizing the meticulously crafted workbook provided by Morning Star publishers. Our objective is to not only present multiple-choice questions (MCQs) and detailed answers but also to foster a deeper comprehension of the play’s themes, characters, and linguistic complexities.
While our responses are structured based on the workbook, we encourage students to use this resource as a springboard for their own exploration. Shakespeare’s works offer rich layers of interpretation, inviting individual analysis. Therefore, feel empowered to adapt and personalize our insights to suit your unique learning style and needs.
Whether you’re striving for academic excellence or simply eager to unravel the depths of “Macbeth,” join us on this enlightening journey through Act 5, Scene 3 . Let’s embark on an adventure where Shakespeare’s words transcend time, captivating minds across generation
Table of Contents
Workbook Summary :
Macbeth is in his castle of Dunsinane. He is getting reports about the thanes deserting him but he is not aflected as he has implicit faith in the prophecy of the witches who have given him a false sense of security. He has been assured by them that no one born of woman can harm him and he has no cause for fear till Birnam Wood does not come to Dunsinane. It is at this stage chat a servant informs him that an army of ten thousand troops have been mustered against him. Seeing the servant’s pale stricken face Macbeth dismisses him that the devil should damn him for having ‘goose like’ look on his face and calls him a ‘cream fac’d loon’. The servant Jeaves and Macbeth calls for Seyton his officer in waiting.
While he waits for Seyton, Macbeth begins to introspect his life and realizes that he has reached the autumn of his life devoid of peace. He pines for the loss of honour, love, obedience. He feels dejected that he is now friendless, unloved and cursed by all around him. In his dejection he calls for Seyton again, who comes and confirms the report of the servant. Macbeth’s dejection turns into fury and he declares that he is not in the least intimidated and will fight till the flesh from his bones is hacked. He asks for his armour, though the enemy is still at a distance. Seyton tell him that it is not needed yet. Macbeth then sends orders to send out more horses and to hang those who talk of fear.
At this stage a Doctor attending Lady Macbeth comes and on being asked about her condition informs Macbeth that her disease is not of the body but of the mind. It is a case in which the patient must minister herself. In bitter disdain Macbeth tells the Doctor to fling away his remedies, for they are worthless and he will have none of these. The despair which preys upon him, still more clearly shows itself when he, in the midst of this melancholic talk asks the Doctor if he can diagnose the disease of the land. He requests the Doctor to name the remedy which will restore it to its former wholesome condition. He also confides in the Doctor his dejection at the desertion of the Thanes and his fear of the English forces. He asks the Doctor to find him some draught or potion to clear them out of his country. He calls for his armour again and persists on wearing it again, and then he pulls it off again, and directs his attendants to bring it after him. He again recurs to his superstition as he finds it the only relief from his agony and concludes by declaring that he will not be afraid of death and bane, till Birnam Wood comes to Dunsinane.
Workbook MCQs :
1. Where is Macbeth in this scene?
a. In the battlefield
b. With the witches in the heath
c. In a room in the castle of Dunsinane
d. In his orchard
Answer :- c. In a room in the castle of Dunsinane
2. Macbeth: Bring me no more reports: let them fly all.
Who is the them’ Macbeth is referring to?
a. The witches
b. The thanes
c. His cavalry
d. His enemies
Answer :- b. The thanes
3. What information does Macbeth want to know about Malcolm?
a. Whether Malcolm has truly mustered an army against him?
b. Is he marching towards Dunsinane?
c. Was he not born of woman?
d. Who is assisting Malcolm against him?
Answer :- a. Whether Malcolm has truly mustered an army against him?
4. What have the supernatural spirits asked him not to fear?
a. Malcolm, the rightful heir to the throne
b. Macduff the Thane of Fife
c. Anyone as no one born of a woman will ever prevail against him
d. The heirs of Banquo
Answer :- c. Anyone as no one born of a woman will ever prevail against him
5. Why does Macbeth ask the Thanes to fly?
1. He considers them to faithless
2. They will be more comfortable joining the ranks of the pleasure eseeking English men.
3. The Thanes are more of a liability than an asset to him
4. The Thanes are a threat to him
a. 1 and 3
b. 1 and 2
C. 3 and 4
d. 1 and 4
Answer :- b. 1 and 2
6. What does Macbeth call the servant who enters the room?
a. Thou chocolate coloured lover
b. Thou cream – fac’d loon
c. Thou red fac’d baboon
d. Thou white fac’d ghost
Answer ………….
7. What are the number of soldiers marching towards the castle of Dunsinane?
a. Twenty thousand soldiers
b. Thousands of soldiers
c. Ten thousand soldiers
d. One thousand soldiers
Answer …………
8. What does ‘Lily -liver’d’ mean?
a. Effeminate
b. Cowardly
c. Young lad
d. Sweet looking
Answer :- b. Cowardly
9. Why does Macbeth feel sick at heart?
a. He is guilty of committing so many murders
b. His queen has deserted him
с. He feels that everyone is deserting him
d. He fears his death
Answer :- с. He feels that everyone is deserting him
10. “I have liv’d long enough; my way of life Is fallen into the sere, the yellow leaf”
What 8s the literary device used in the above lines?
a. Simile
b. Personification
c. Metaphor
d. Imagery
Answer :- c. Metaphor
11. What are the things that comfort men in their old age?
1. Honour and love
2. Good food
3. Good health
4. Obedience and company of good friends
a. 1 and 4
b. 2 and 3
c. 3 and 4
d. 1 and 2
Answer :- For Full Answers Get The Workbook Answers PDF – View
12. What kind of treatment is Macbeth facing in his old age?
1. Curses felt but not heard
2. Humiliation
3. Lip service
4. Apathy
a. 1 and 3
b. 2 and 3
C. 3 and 4
d. 2 and 4
Answer :- For Full Answers Get The Workbook Answers PDF – View
13. How does Macbeth show his determination and bravery in facing his enemies?
a. He will cut off their heads
b. He will fight till from his bones his flesh is hacked
c. He will fight all alone
d. He will challenge them to fight with him
Answer :- For Full Answers Get The Workbook Answers PDF – View
14. What does Macbeth ask Seyton to give him?
a. His daggers with which he killed King Duncan
b. His sword
c. His armour
d. The magic potion given to him by the witches
Answer :- For Full Answers Get The Workbook Answers PDF – View
15. What does Macbeth inquire from the Doctor?
a. About the condition of Lady Macbeth who is now his patient
b. About the reaction of the people after so many murders have been committed
c. About the chaos prevailing all around
d. About his own health
Answer :- For Full Answers Get The Workbook Answers PDF – View
16. What does Macbeth ask the Doctor to do?
a. Pluck from the memory a rooted sorrow
b. To bring about a change in his heart
c. To admitted some medicine to himself and Lady Macbeth
d. To soften the hearts of his countrymen
Answer :- For Full Answers Get The Workbook Answers PDF – View
17. Why does Macbeth angrily tell the Doctor to give his medicines to the dogs?
a. The Doctor confesses that he cannot cure Lady Macbeth of her mental illness.
b. The Doctor tells Macbeth that he has a fake degree in medicine
c. The Doctor refuses to cure Lady Macbeth of her metal agony
d. The Doctor tells Macbeth that his medicines are all spurious.
Answer :- For Full Answers Get The Workbook Answers PDF – View
18. How will the Doctor restore Scotland to her former glory?
a. By removing all the traitors
b. By letting out blood
c. By purging it of all evil
d. By examining the urine of the land and curing Scotland of all its diseases
Answer :- For Full Answers Get The Workbook Answers PDF – View
19. What purgative drugs does Macbeth recommend to drive away the English army and purge the country of undesirable elements?
a. Thyme and Aloe Vera
b. Rhubarb and cyme
c. Black pepper and husk
d. Plantago Ovata
Answer :- For Full Answers Get The Workbook Answers PDF – View
20. What does the doctor decide to do at the end of the scene?
a. To purge the country of all its evils
b. Cure Lady Macbeth of somnabulism
c. Escape from Dunsinane without his fees
d. Join the English army
Answer :- For Full Answers Get The Workbook Answers PDF – View
Contextual Questions :
(I) Macbeth is rest assured by the spirits that no one can harm him because he cannot be killed by a man born of woman.
(II) Macbeth shouts at the servant because his face has no colour, it is pale due to fear.
(III) Macbeth orders the servant to prick his face to make it red because he can’t bear to see pale faced, cowardly persons around him.
(IV) Macbeth is sad at reaching the yellow and dry autumn of his life because instead of honour and love he has received curses and just lip service.
(V) Macbeth asks Seyton to give him him his armour because he is ready to fight till his death.
(VI) Macbeth gets angry with the doctor and tells him to cast his medicines to the dogs because Answer :- For Full Answers Get The Workbook Answers PDF – View
(VII) Macbeth tells the Doctor that he will praise him greatly because Answer :- For Full Answers Get The Workbook Answers PDF – View
(VIII) Macbeth asks the Doctor if he knows of any purgative drugs like rhubarb, cyme beacuse Answer :- For Full Answers Get The Workbook Answers PDF – View
(IX) Macbeth is not afraid of death and bane because Answer :- For Full Answers Get The Workbook Answers PDF – View
(X) At the end of the scene we know that the Doctor is terrified because Answer :- For Full Answers Get The Workbook Answers PDF – View
Question Answers :
(I) How does Macbeth unnerve the Doctor with the different advices he gives to him? Write your answer in a short paragraph of 100-150 words.
Answer :- As soon as the Doctor comes Macbeth enquires from him the nature of the disease his wife is suffering from. The Doctor tells him that her disease is not related to her body. It is the disease of the mind. When Macbeth asks him the remedy for her disease the Doctor regrets that her disease is beyond medical practice. He adds that she alone can cure herself. Macbeth becomes furious and tells the doctor to throw away his medicine. In desperation, Macbeth asks the Doctor to examine the land and purge it from all its diseases and restore to its former glory. The Doctor has no positive solution to give to Macbeth. He looks stunned and unnerved. He decides to leave Dunsinane as soon as possible.
(II) Describe Macbeth’s chiding of the servant. Write your answer in a short paragraph of about 100- 150 words.
Answer :- For Full Answers Get The Workbook Answers PDF – View
(III) a. Describe how Macbeth vents his despair in a superb poetry:
“My way of life
Is fall’n into the sere, the yellow leaf”
Explain the reasons given by Macbeth for his desperation and frustration. Write your answer in about 200-250 words.
Answer :- In this poignant soliloquy, Macbeth compares his “way of life” to a withered, yellowed leaf in autumn—a metaphor for his desolate and hopeless existence. His despair stems from multiple realizations:
Abandonment and Isolation: Once feared as king, he now rules a hollow throne, deserted by allies and lords who offer only hollow “lip service” without loyalty. He laments that old age, which should bring “love, honor, and obedience”, has left him with “curses and whispers” instead.
Futility of Power: His victories and crimes have earned him no peace—only paranoia and emptiness. The crown, won through bloodshed, feels meaningless (“Life’s but a walking shadow… a tale told by an idiot”). The witches’ prophecies, which once fueled his ambition, now mock him with their twisted truths.
Existential Frustration: He longs for death but fears it lacks dignity, as he has “lived long enough” to see his legacy rot. The “sere, yellow leaf” symbolizes his joyless survival—a life prolonged without purpose, stripped of friendship or love. Macbeth’s poetry here transcends mere self-pity; it captures the universal tragedy of wasted potential. His desperation reflects the hollowness of evil’s rewards—a throne gained through blood can only ever be a prison.
b. Write a note on Macbeth’s conversations with the Doctor. What effect does it have on the Doctor? Write your answer in about 200-250 words.
Answer :- For Full Answers Get The Workbook Answers PDF – View
Essay Question :
Q. Give the substance of the conversation between Macbeth and the Doctor. What light does it throw on the speakers?
Answer :- The conversation between Macbeth and the Doctor takes place in a very subtle manner. The Doctor and Macbeth appear to be wary of each other and do not want to confide openly with each other. They speak in a guarded manner expecting the other to comprehend what he says. Macbeth enquires from the Doctor the nature of the disease his wife is suffering from. The Doctor tell him that her disease is not related to her body. but it is a disease of the mind. Macbeth asks the Doctor the remedy for her disease but the Doctor regrets that her disease is beyond medical practice and she alone can cure herself. For Full Answers Get The Workbook Answers PDF – View
