Question

Which phrase best describes the impression we get of Macduff’s son before he is murdered? EXPLAIN YOUR CHOICE, citing details from The Tragedy of Macbeth, Act IV, to support your answer.
a. charming, naive, and affectionate
b. cold, calculating, and ambitious
c. nasty, foolish, and ignorant
d. sniveling and whining

Answer 1

The phrase that best describes the impression we get of Macduff's son before he is murdered is A. charming, naive, and affectionate.
He isn't shown a lot, he has only a few lines before he is murdered by Macbeth's men, but we can see that the child is quite smart according to his banter with his mother, and that he loves his family dearly. Given that this is a young child, B cannot be the correct answer because children aren't calculating. C is also incorrect because the child is smart, not ignorant. D is also not true given that the child is brave and shows no fear.