Things Are Getting Wyrd Quiz | Literature

Quiz Answer Key and Fun Facts

1. In 'Macbeth', the three witches met at 'a desert place'. In 'Wyrd Sisters', the three witches met on a storm-lashed hill. However, both sets spoke the same opening words - what were they?

Answer: When shall we three meet again

In 'Macbeth', the question "When shall we three meet again In thunder, lightning, or in rain?" was answered with the couplets "When the hurlyburly's done, When the battle's lost and won" and "That will be ere the set of sun". However, in 'Wyrd Sisters' the 'eldritch shriek' of "When shall we three meet again?" was answered in a more normal voice by "Well, I can do next Tuesday."

2. The 'Wyrd Sisters' are Granny Weatherwax (the most-highly regarded of the leaders that the witches don't have), Nanny Ogg and Magrat Garlick. Do the witches in 'Macbeth' have names?

Answer: No

The three witches in Macbeth are only known as first, second and third witches. Still, given that Magrat should have been Margaret (her mother wasn't very good at spelling...) perhaps names are not too important. Magrat thought so, though, hence her daughter being named 'Esmerelda Margaret Note Spelling of Lancre'.

3. Now for witchs' familiars. In 'Macbeth', the first witch had Graymalkin, a cat, the second had Paddock, a toad and the third had Harpier, a Harpie. In 'Wyrd Sisters', Nanny Ogg had Greebo, an evil one-eared tomcat. Magrat, however, had owned fifteen familiars in a year (not counting the horse), but they all seemed to have 'some terrible flaw, such as a tendency to bite, get trodden on, or, in extreme cases, metamorphose'. Her familiar in 'Wyrd Sisters' was unlikely to wander off. Nanny thought it was a rock, and Magrat was planning to call it by the highly unsuitable name of Lightfoot. What was it likely to be?

Answer: A tortoyse

According to Magrat it was 'incredibly old and knew many secrets', but Granny claimed the the goldfishes of the man who sold it tarnished after a day or two. The ambiguous puzuma is actually the fastest creature on Discworld so, like for a hare or rabbyt (spelling to match tortoyse), Lightfoot would have been a suitable name.

4. In 'Macbeth' the three witches added tongue of dog to their spell. With what Granny Weatherwax noted as 'a lttle humour', what ingredient did the three witches add to their spell?

Answer: Tongue of boot

From 'Macbeth': "Eye of newt and toe of frog, Wool of bat and tongue of dog". From 'Wyrd Sisters': "Baboon hair and mandrake root, Carrot juice and tongue of boot". The spell is being mixed at Magrat's house, so it's under her rules, and she is against unnecessary cruelty. Presumably the baboon didn't mind a hair cut...

5. In 'Wyrd Sisters', they conjured up a demon. In 'Macbeth', according to the stage directions, what did the witches conjure up?

Answer: Three apparitions, followed by eight kings and the ghost of Banquo

The demon conjured up by the wyrd sisters, using, among other things, 'the sharp and terrible copper stick', rejoiced in the name of WxrtHltl-jwlppklz; Nanny Ogg wanted to know if he'd been behind the door when vowels were being handed out. The three apparitions in 'Macbeth' were, in order, an armed head that told Macbeth to beware Macduff, a bloody child that told Macbeth that no man born of woman could kill him and a crowned child that told Macbeth he would not be beaten until Great Birnam wood came to Dunsinane Hill. Macbeth was very pleased.

6. "Is this a dagger I see before me?" This line was spoken by both Macbeth and Lord Felmet. However, they were looking at something different - what were both men looking at?

Answer: Macbeth - a vision of a dagger. Felmet - a handkerchief

In 'Wyrd Sisters', the Fool has just lent Felmet his handkerchief (a rather soiled red and yellow one, embroidered with bells). When Felmet asks "Is this a dagger I see before me?" the Fool helpfully points out that it is, in fact, his handkerchief - "You can sort of tell the difference if you look closely. It doesn't have so many sharp edges."

Macbeth; "Is this a dagger which I see before me,
The handle toward my hand? Come, let me clutch thee.
I have thee not, and yet I see thee still.
Art thou not, fatal vision, sensible
To feeling as to sight? or art thou but
A dagger of the mind, a false creation,
Proceeding from the heat-oppressed brain?"

7. In 'Wyrd Sisters', Lord Felmet was so upset about killing the King that he made strenuous efforts to get rid of the blood. With the famous words, "Out, damned spot!", who felt that way in 'Macbeth'?

Answer: Lady Macbeth

Lady Macbeth, having screwed her husband's courage to the point where he committed the murders, found herself breaking down and sleepwalking, trying to get the blood off her hands. Macbeth also asked "Will all great Neptune's ocean wash this blood clean from my hand?" Lord Felmet washed, scrubbed until he screamed, borrowed the torturer's wire brushes (which made it worse!), got the armourer to send up a file, and eventually found that not even sandpaper worked.

8. What are both Felmet (about Verence) and Lady Macbeth (about Duncan) surprised that their victims have so much of?

Answer: Blood

Felmet, having gone completely mad, gave a rambling speech from the stage, including "...I could not wash off the blood, but these are not proper subjects for the enquiry. I cannot allow the discussion of national security...What a noise he made in falling! Enough to wake the dead...who would have thought he had so much blood in him?" Hmm, the first part of that sounds strangely familiar. Lady Macbeth (also going mad); "Yet who would have thought the old man to have had so much blood in him."

9. Macbeth's witches knew Macbeth was about to join them and the second witch, in Act IV, said "By the pricking of my thumbs, Something wicked this way comes." In 'Wyrd Sisters' Magrat (who had learned a lot about witchcraft from books) asked Granny Weatherwax, who had just said "Something comes", whether she could tell "by the pricking of her thumbs". Granny replied no, by the pricking of her what?

Answer: Ears

Granny and Nanny both thought Goodie Whemper, who had taught Magrat, had been far too fanciful. 'By the Pricking of my Thumbs' is a Tommy and Tuppence book by Agatha Christie. 'By the Pricking of my Ears' hasn't made it on to the best seller lists yet, but 'Prick Up Your Ears' was a play and film about the playwright Joe Orton.

10. 'Macbeth' is one of Shakespeare's greatest tragedies. 'Wyrd Sisters' is a comedy. Out of the four bad characters in the two books, who is alive at the end?

Answer: None

Lady Macbeth died after going mad, leading Macbeth to utter the immortal line "She should have died hereafter". Following Macduff's soldiers' use of Birnam wood foliage as camouflage ("Great Birnam wood to high Dunsinane hill Shall come against him"), Macduff, not born of woman ("Macduff was from his mother's womb Untimely ripp'd") slew Macbeth in battle and the Kingdom was saved. Felmet, having being stabbed by a fake dagger, was convinced he was dead, and was after falling off the battlements of his castle. Lady Felmet escaped from the castle but met all the creatures of the unhappy land in a clearing in the woods.

She charged at them with her knife - 'The front ranks of the creatures opened to let her pass, and then closed in again. Even the rabbits.' And the kingdom was saved. I hope that you enjoyed the quiz.

Source: Author Quiz_Beagle

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Things Are Getting Wyrd Trivia Quiz

Shakespeare had three weird sisters in the play we won't name - Terry Pratchett had the Wyrd Sisters. This quiz can be played if you're familiar (or a familiar!) with either. Enjoy the quiz!

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