Question

in this excerpt from act 3, scene 4, macbeth is speaking to lady macbeth. he is defending his strange behavior at the formal dinner party. by \such things,\ macbeth is referring to the appearance of banquos ghost.
macbeth. can such things be
and overcome us like a summers cloud,
without our special wonder?

• the tragedy of macbeth,

william shakespeare
what does macbeth mean by the simile \overcome us like a summers cloud\?
astonish us
anger us
depress us
fatigue us

Explanation:

A simile compares two things using "like" or "as". A summer's cloud is unexpected and causes surprise. Macbeth is questioning if such strange events (Banquo's ghost) can affect them (overcome them) in a way that causes astonishment (like a sudden summer cloud would). The other options (anger, depress, fatigue) don't fit the imagery of a summer - cloud which is more about sudden, unexpected presence causing wonder/surprise.

Answer:

astonish us