ENG2D – MACBETH UNIT

Act III (3)

Act III, Scenes I – III (1 – 3)

Act 3, Scene 1

Setting: Royal Palace at Forres

Who:- Banquo- Macbeth- Lady Macbeth- Lennox- Ross- Lords- Ladies- Servant- 1st Murderer- 2nd Murderer

What happens in this scene? - Banquo is walking around the royal palace at Forres thinking about the

coronation of Macbeth and the prophecies from the witcheso Remember: the witches told Macbeth that he would become king,

and told Banquo his children would be kingo Banquo is thinking, since the first prophecy came true, it is possible

that the second could as wello He fears that Macbeth has committed great evil to achieve his reign

- Macbeth enters dressed as king. He is following by Lady Macbeth, now his queen, and the court. They ask Banquo to attend the feast they plan to host that night

- Banquo accepts their invitation and says he is going to go for a ride on his horse for the afternoon

- Macbeth mentions that they should discuss the problem of Malcolm and Donalbain

o Remember: the brothers fled from Scotland to Ireland and England, and may be plotting against the crown

o Says that they have not confessed to killing their father- Banquo leaves and Macbeth dismisses the court- Macbeth is alone in the hall with a servant. He speaks about some men

who have come to see him. Macbeth asks if the men are still waiting and orders for them to be fetched.

- Once the servant is gone, Macbeth begins a soliloquy. He ponders about Banquo – he reflects that his old friend is the only man in Scotland whom he fears

- Macbeth notes that if the witches prophecy is true, his will be a “fruitless crown” meaning that he won’t have an heir (Line 62)

- The murder of Duncan which weighs so heavily on his conscience, may have simply cleared the way for Banquo’s sons (the prophecy) to overthrow Macbeth’s crown

- The servant reenters with Macbeth’s two visitors- Macbeth reminds the two men (murderers that he has hired) of the

conversation they had the day before, in which he chronicled the wrongs Banquo had done them in the past

- He asks the two men if they are angry and manly enough to take revenge on Banquo

- They reply that they are and Macbeth accepts their promise that they will murder Banquo

- Macbeth reminds the murderers that Fleance must be killed too- He tells them to wait within the castle for his command- Macbeth says “He chid the sisters / When first they put the name of king

upon me, / And bade them speak to him…” Macbeth did not dwell on Banquo’s role with the witches earlier; now he is characterizing Banquo as jealous and greedy in order to justify killing his former friend

- Macbeth feels he has sacrificed everything, including his own soul, to research the throne. Consequently, for Banquo’s heir to become kings seems grossly unfair to him; he cannot bear the thought. Therefore, killing Banquo and Fleance is an act of necessity to prevent it from happening. Macbeth shows no conflicting feelings about the murders of Banquo and Fleance, as he did about Duncan’s. Macbeth has become completely ruthless; acts which previously he would have abhorred no longer disturb his conscience.

- Macbeth convinces the murderers that Banquo is responsible for their difficult life circumstance. He tells the murderers he himself would love to kill Banquo, but he cannot because Macbeth and Banquo have mutual friends whose loyalty Macbeth needs to retain. Therefore, Macbeth’s role in Banquo’s and Fleance’s murders must remain secret.

Writing Prompt(6) False Friends

- 3.1.1-41; 2.1.24-35- Discuss the relationship between Macbeth and Banquo. Is it based on

genuine respect and friendship at the beginning of the play? How is it affected by the prophecies of the witches? Does Banquo ever doubt Macbeth’s loyaty to his country, king, and fellow soldiers? What other factors contribute to their increasing distrust of one another? Find evidence in the text to support your answers.

Act 3, Scene 2

Setting: Royal Castle at Forres

Who:- Lady Macbeth- Servant

- Macbeth

What happens in this scene? - Lady Macbeth expresses despair and sends a servant to get her husband- Lady Macbeth worries for her husband’s mental well-being and wishes she

had been a victim rather than a perpetrator. Although she and Macbeth have seized power, having power has not made them content. She and Macbeth “dwell in doubtful joy”; they cannot escape what they have done, and their actions may be discovered at any time

- Macbeth enters and tells his wife that he is struggling too, saying that his mind is “full of scorpions” (Line 37)

- Macbeth feels that the business they began by killing Duncan is not yet complete because there are still threats to the throne that must be eliminated

- He explains that he has been having nightmares and that they would be better off to be with the dead – the dead who they killed to achieve peace, but in turn sent to their peace – whereas they now live with tortured minds

- Duncan is in his grave and does not have troubles to worry about and can have peaceful sleeps – nothing can touch him now

- Macbeth tells his wife that he has planned “a deed of dreadful note” for Banquo and Fleance and urges her to be cheerful and kind to Banquo during the evening’s feast, in order to lure their next victim into a false sense of security (Line 45)

Act 3, Scene 3

Setting: Royal Castle at Forres

Who:- Three Murderers - Banquo- Fleance

What happens in this scene? - It is night time and the two murderers, now joined by a third, are lingering

in the wooded park outside of the palace- Banquo and Fleanse approach on their horses and dismount. They light a

torch and the murderers come towards them- The murderers kill Banquo, who dies urging his son to run and avenge his

death- One of the murderers extinguishes the torch, and in the darkness Fleance

escapes- The murderers leave with Banquo’s body to find Macbeth and tell him what

happened

Act III, Scenes IV – VI (4 – 6)Act 3, Scene 4

Setting: Royal palace

Who:- Macbeth- Lady Macbeth- Ross- Lennox- Murderers- Lords- Ghost

What happens in this scene? - Dinner feast- Macbeth and Lady Macbeth enter as king and queen, followed by their

court- As Macbeth walks among his guests, the first murderer appears in the

doorway- He informs Macbeth about Banquo and Fleance- The news of Fleance’s escape angers Macbeth – he thinks if only he had

died, then his throne would be secure. Instead, “the worm that’s fled / Hath nature that in time will venom breed” (Lines 28 – 29)

- Macbeth returns to his guests and sits at the head of the royal table where he finds Banquo’s ghost sitting in his chair

- Horror-struck, Macbeth speaks to the ghost, which is invisible to the rest of the company

- Lady Macbeth makes excuses for her husband, saying that he occasionally has “visions” and that the guests should simply ignore his behavior

- The ghost disappears and Macbeth recovers, telling his company “I have a strange infirmity to which is nothing / To those that know me” (Lines 85 – 86)

- He offers a toast to his guest and Banquo’s ghost reappears and shocks Macbeth into more reckless outbursts

- Lady Macbeth continues to make excuses for her husband and sends her alarmed guests out of the room just as the ghost vanishes again

- Macbeth mutters that “blood will have blood” and tells Lady Macbeth that he has heard from a servant-spy that Macduff intends to keep away from the court – behavior that verges on treason (Line 121)

- Macbeth is going to visit the witches again tomorrow to hopefully learn more information about his future and who is plotting against him

- Macbeth is going to do whatever is necessary to keep his throne as he declares, “I am in blood / Stepped in so far that, should I wade no more, / Returning were so tedious as go o’er” (Lines 135-137)

- Lady Macbeth says that he needs sleep, and they go to their bedroom

Act 3, Scene 5

Setting: Stormy field

Who:- Witches- Hecate

What happens in this scene? - The witches meet with Hecate, the goddess of witchcraft- Hecate scolds them for meddling in the business of Macbeth without

consulting her but declares that she will take over as supervisor of the mischief

- She says that when Macbeth comes the next day, as they know he will, they must summon visions and spirits whose messages will fill him with a false sense of security and “draw him on to his confusion” (Line 29)

- Hecate vanishes and the witches go to prepare their charms

Act 3, Scene 6

Setting: Somewhere in Scotland

Who:- Lennox- Lord

What happens in this scene? - Lennox is walking with another lord, discussing what has happened to the

kingdom- Banquo’s murder has been blamed on Fleance who has fled Scotland- Nevertheless, both men suspect that Macbeth, whom they refer to as a

“tyrant,” in the murders of Duncan and Banquo- The lord tells Lennox that Macduff has gone to England where he will join

Malcolm in pleading with England’s King Edward for help- News of these plots has prompted Macbeth to prepare for war- Lennox and the lord express their hope that Malcolm and Macduff will be

successful and that their actions can save Scotland from Macbeth

Review of Act 3Macbeth plans to overturn the witches' prophecy that Banquo's sons will become kings by sending two murders to kill both Banquo and his son, Fleance. (i.) Macbeth no longer needs Lady Macbeth's involvement and bids her be "innocent of the knowledge" of his decisions. (ii.) A third murderer, obviously not known by the other two, joins them, and although Banquo is slain, Fleance escapes. (iii.)

At the banquet, the bloody ghost of Banquo terrifies Macbeth. Since no one else sees the apparition, Lady Macbeth attempts to excuse his behavior and eventually has to end the banquet. Macbeth determines to visit the witches again. (iv.)

Suspicion of Macbeth is mounting, and Macduff joins Malcolm in England. (vi.)

Writing Prompt:Dear Diary

- Write 3 diary entries for at least 2 – 3 characters. Try to incorporate at least one important line from the play. Describe how you illustrated what

kind of character they are (i.e. reaction to self, to others, by how they speak).