Question

in act iii, what does macbeth mean when he says, \upon my head they placed a fruitless crown / and put a barren scepter in my gripe....\? he and lady macbeth want to have children. he worries he will be prosecuted for his crimes. he fears he will not produce an heir to the throne. he realizes he has little power over the people. question 12 in act iii, how does lady macbeth respond to her husbands behavior at the banquet? she marvels at the supernatural sign he claims to have seen. she tells him that it is duncan, not banquo whom he sees. she mocks him because he is being foolish. she begs him to leave until he can compose himself.

Explanation:

For the first question, in Macbeth, a "barren scepter" symbolizes no heir. Macbeth fears his line won't continue. For the second question, in Act III, Lady Macbeth tries to manage the situation by getting Macbeth to leave the banquet to compose himself.

Answer:

First question: He fears he will not produce an heir to the throne.
Second question: She begs him to leave until he can compose himself.