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The lords of Scotland assemble for a feast at Macbeth's castle. During the celebration, Macbeth learns
that his plan to murder Banquo and Fleance has misfired. Fleance has escaped.
Macbeth, clearly shocked, is immediately confronted by the ghost of Banquo, returned from the dead to
haunt him.
BANQUO'S GHOST
Macbeth's mind is certainly troubled. First, the mysterious dagger. Now he sees the ghost of Banquo.
Perhaps it is natural to see ghosts. After all, Macbeth has given orders that Banquo and Fleance must
be killed. He had no real reason to do this.
But there, of course, lies the rub! What man would murder his own best friend?
Macbeth is busy entertaining his guests at a sumptuous feast when the news is brought to him.
He is horrified to find that Fleance -- his real threat -- has survived. Is it the shock of the botched
murder that shakes his mind?
On the other hand, it might be the sum of all that has happened thus far that is troubling him. After all,
even before Duncan's murder he was seeing visions of ghostly daggers.
Killing his king certainly distressed him deeply. Now he has murdered his own dear friend.
If you were a guest at this feast, what would you think?
And note that one very important guest is boycotting the feast: Macduff. What will Macbeth make of this?
If you were Macbeth, what would you do next?
Macbeth decides that he must pay one more visit to the three sisters so as to enquire more fully about
Macduff.
Have you looked at the questions
in the right column?
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TEST YOURSELF!
Read the left column and then answer
the following questions:
"Then comes my fit again: I had else been perfect,
Whole as the marble, founded as the rock,
As broad and general as the casing air:
But now I am cabin'd, cribb'd, confined, bound in
To saucy doubts and fears."
- Comment on Macbeth's reaction when he learns that Fleance has escaped. (6)
[Need help?]
The witches' prophecies had been advantageous for Macbeth but for one thing: that Banquo would
become the father of kings.
If that were to happen, it would mean that Macbeth's kingship would end with his own death.
Why was this important to Macbeth in those days before hereditary succession? Remember how nettled
Macbeth became when Duncan chose Malcolm as his successor?
Why therefore would Macbeth be thinking of doing precisely the same thing?
The only solution was to forestall the prophecies by killing Banquo and Fleance. With both gone, Macbeth
would no longer have to worry about the witches. And so he had arranged for the assassination of
Banquo -- and, with him, Fleance.
But the murderer brings him the news that Fleance has escaped. -- which means that the witches'
prophecy still remains intact.
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- Why does Macbeth see visions of the ghost of Banquo? (6)
[Need help?]
Think about Macbeth's troubled mind.
He was an honourable general, well respected. When Lady Macbeth persuaded him to murder Duncan,
he had many misgivings and his mind became deeply troubled afterwards.
We saw the first hint of this on the night of the murder, when Macbeth had visions of a dagger. Later even
sleep would desert him.
The murder of Banquo was another major crisis for him. After all, Banquo was not only a trusty general
but was also Macbeth's friend.
If Macbeth could have visions of bloody daggers on his way to murdering Duncan, what can we not expect
from his troubled mind after he has ordered the murder of his best friend?
Remember too that he had ordered the execution of Fleance -- but this was botched. This failure would
also have troubled him deeply.
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- If you were a guest at the banquet, what would you think of Macbeth's behaviour that
evening? (5)
[Need help?]
Macbeth's behaviour is sterling stuff for someone who is admired as a leader!
Rulers sometimes did have their flaws but they attempted to hide them. It is believed that Julius Caesar
suffered from epilepsy but only those very close to him would have known about it.
Such behaviour from Macbeth could do much to unravel the power of his kingdom.
On the other hand, the astute nobleman might also ask what it was that was causing such a crisis in his
soul. After all, Macbeth hints in his ravings about the murder of Duncan.
As soon as it is revealed that Banquo has also been murdered, would you not start putting two and two
together -- and ask questions?
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- Comment on Lady Macbeth's reaction to Macbeth's behaviour: To Macbeth himself; To the
guests? (6)
[Need help?]
Lady Macbeth reverts to her tried and tested practice:
- of calling Macbeth a coward ("Are you a man?");
- of humiliating him ("O proper stuff!");
- of accusing him of allowing his fears to dominate ("This is the very painting of your
fear");
- accusing him of hallucinating ("This is the air-drawn dagger");
- suggesting that he is acting like a woman ("O, these flaws and starts would well become a woman's
story at a winter's fire, authorised by her grandam").
She attempts to calm the guests, claiming that Macbeth often acted that way. Later she hurries them
away when Macbeth starts to say things that he should not be saying.
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"It will have blood; they say, blood will have blood:
Stones have been known to move and trees to speak;
Augurs and understood relations have
By magot-pies and choughs and rooks brought forth
The secret'st man of blood."
- What does Macbeth mean when he says, "It will have blood, they say; blood will have
blood"? (4)
[Need help?]
This is the old adage that what goes around, comes around.
Macbeth has murdered Duncan, and now he has murdered Banquo. It is logical therefore to presume that
he must either keep on murdering or someone will succeed in getting revenge by murdering him.
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"There's not a one of them but in his house
I keep a servant fee'd."
- What does Macbeth mean? What does this tell you of the character of his
kingship? (4)
[Need help?]
By this stage in his kingship, Macbeth clearly trusts nobody. He can have no concept of the extent of
opposition that is rising up against him.
His only means of survival, therefore, is to plant spies everywhere. Every household now has a spy whom
Macbeth pays ("fee'd") to provide him with vital information.
Bear in mind that it was the nature of nobility in those days to trust their servants.
Indeed, they often behaved as though their servants did not even exist as people. The nobility did
anything in front of these servants, and spoke about anything.
As a rule, such confidence was indeed safe because their servants were most loyal. But what if the king
himself was paying one of these servants to collect information?
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"I am in blood
Stepp'd in so far that, should I wade no more,
Returning were as tedious as go o'er."
- What does Macbeth mean by these words? (5)
[Need help?]
Macbeth has murdered both Duncan and Banquo. He has attempted to murder Fleance. He keeps spies
in every household.
Is it possible for him to stop? What would happen if he did -- if he tried to live as an honest king? Don't
you think that someone -- like Fleance or Malcolm or Macduff -- would seek to get revenge on him?
His only chance to keep alive therefore is to keep murdering his opposition. He is into murder so deeply,
he says, that it would be easier to keep on murdering than to attempt to stop doing so.
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Macbeth notices that Macduff has boycotted his feast.
- If you were Macbeth, what would you do next? Why? (5)
[Need help?]
Remember that this is not the first time that Macduff has boycotted a feast of Macbeth's.
He was not there when Macbeth entertained Duncan. He was also not at Macbeth's coronation. Clearly
then, there is major antipathy between the two of them.
Macduff is also a very powerful Thane -- possibly even more powerful than Macbeth himself. If he
should decide to seek revenge on Macbeth, the new king would be in deep trouble indeed.
Surely such behaviour would be dangerous if tolerated. But what to do? Murder him as well?
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