Read the excerpt from act 1, scene 7 of The Tragedy of Macbeth. Macbeth, who is alone in his castle, is contemplating whether to kill Duncan.Macbeth. If it were done when ’tis done, then ’twere wellIt were done quickly; if the assassinationCould trammel up the consequence, and catchWith his surcease success; that but this blowMight be the be-all and the end-all here,But here, upon this bank and shoal of time,We’d jump the life to come. But in these casesWe still have judgment here; that we but teachBloody instructions, which, being taught, returnTo plague the inventor; this even-handed justiceCommends the ingredients of our poison’d chaliceTo our own lips.
Answer
A
by suggesting that Macbeth hopes to kill Duncan without getting caught
B
by highlighting that Macbeth is worried that someone will try to poison him
C
by showing that Macbeth is hesitant to act because he fears the consequences
D
by implying that Macbeth intends to convince someone else to murder Duncan
Explanation
Macbeth wishes the murder could be completed quickly and end all consequences, but he recognizes that violent actions can bring punishment back on the person who commits them. The image of “bloody instructions” returning to “plague the inventor” shows his fear that his own actions will have consequences. This hesitation supports choice C: Macbeth is worried about what may follow if he kills Duncan.
AI-written and checked against the verified answer.