Question

read the excerpt from act 3, scene 4 of the tragedy of macbeth. macbeth has just learned that fleance escaped the murderers macbeth sent.
macbeth. then comes my fit again: i had else been perfect;
whole as the marble, founded as the rock
what does macbeth mean when he says, \i had else been perfect; / whole as the marble\?
macbeth is now cold and solid because he has plotted against his king and country.
macbeth feels like a well - rounded king until he hears the murderer speak.
macbeth reacts to the murderers bad news by freezing up like a statue.
macbeth is calm and confident until he learns that the attack on fleance failed.

Explanation:

Macbeth was feeling secure and in - control (like something "whole as the marble") until the news of Fleance's escape. The phrase "had else been perfect" implies that without this setback (Fleance's escape), he would have felt complete in his plans. The other options either misinterpret the metaphor (e.g., "cold and solid" in the first option is a wrong take on the "marble" metaphor which is more about being whole and stable rather than cold) or misread the context (the second option about being a "well - rounded king" is not supported as the focus is on his plans regarding Fleance; the third option about "freezing up like a statue" is a misinterpretation of the "marble" metaphor which is about stability, not physical freezing).

Answer:

Macbeth is calm and confident until he learns that the attack on Fleance failed.