Question

excerpt 1: read the excerpt from act 1, scene 7 of the tragedy of macbeth. macbeth is speaking to himself and listing the reasons he should not kill duncan.
macbeth. he’s here in double trust:
first, as i am his kinsman and his subject,
strong both against the deed; then, as his host,
who should against his murderer shut the door,
not bear the knife myself. besides, this duncan
hath borne his faculties so meek, hath been
so clear in his great office, that his virtues
will plead like angels trumpet-tongu’d against
the deep damnation of his taking-off;
and pity, like a naked new-born babe,
striding the blast, or heaven’s cherubin, hors’d
upon the sightless couriers of the air
excerpt 2: read the excerpt from act 2, scene 3 of the tragedy of macbeth. macbeth, who has murdered why he has just killed the sleeping
how does shakespeare most develop the universal themes \the conflict between loyalty and betrayal\ and \the quest for power\ in these excerpts?
○ through macbeth’s descriptions of duncan
○ through macbeth’s references to duncan’s murder
○ through the external conflict between macbeth and duncan
○ through the external conflict between macbeth and the guards

Explanation:

To determine how Shakespeare develops the themes, analyze each option:

• Option 1: Macbeth describes Duncan as a meek, virtuous ruler ("hath borne his faculties so meek... his virtues will plead like angels"). This shows the conflict between loyalty (to Duncan as kinsman, subject, host) and betrayal (planning to kill him), and the quest for power (his internal struggle about the murder for power).
• Option 2: The excerpt focuses on Macbeth’s internal thoughts about killing Duncan, not references to the murder (he is debating it, not recalling it).
• Option 3: The conflict here is internal (Macbeth’s thoughts) not external between Macbeth and Duncan.
• Option 4: The excerpt has no mention of conflict with guards.

So the correct option is the first one.

Answer:

through Macbeth’s descriptions of Duncan