Macbeth Act 3
Banquo prepares to go out riding and thinks out loud about the fulfillment of the prophecy made for Macbeth. He is suspicious that Macbeth may have been involved in bringing it to fruition, but he feels satisfied since the same witches had claimed that Banquo would father a line of kings. King Macbeth enters with his queen and attendants, he bids Banquo returns from his ride early so that he may be a part of the feast. He intends to discuss matters of state, as he has learned that the sons of late King Duncan hide in England and Ireland, where they spread lies about the occurrences in Scotland. Banquo leaves to go horse riding with his son Fleance, and Macbeth dismisses his court to reconvene at the time of the feast. Macbeth thinks aloud about the problem of Banquo’s prophecy since he fears that he has taken the throne only to pass it on to Banquo’s sons. He feels that he cannot rest until Banquo and his son Fleance have been removed as threats to his power. He summons two murderers whom he had asked to wait outside the palace. He reminds them of their conversation from the previous day wherein he had convinced them that they had been wronged by Banquo. He now challenges them to take the reigns of their life in hand, and kill Banquo. He explains that he would not rest until Banquo was killed, but that no suspicion should fall on Macbeth himself.
The murderers give their assent to be the instruments for Banquo’s murder, and Macbeth promises that he would later inform them of where they could find both Banquo and his son so that they could attack them all at once.
Lady Macbeth worries about her husband’s mental condition since he seems to dwell severely on their crimes. Macbeth meets his wife and tells her of the disquiet he feels when he thinks about the murders that he has had to commit to reaching his throne, and yet the ones he needs to commit in the future. He believes that their position isn’t secure until Banquo had been killed. The Queen tells him to focus on being a good host for his guests, and that Banquo cannot live forever, but he doesn’t tell her of his arrangements to have Banquo and Fleance murdered.
Macbeth sends an additional murderer in addition to the first two, and they all lie in wait for the arrival of their victims. They hear Banquo call for light and charge at him. They manage to kill Banquo but are unable to slay Fleance who manages to escape. One of the murderers rushes to inform Macbeth of Banquo's death and Fleance's escape. King Macbeth welcomes his noblemen and notices the arrived murderer. He is glad to hear of Banquo’s death but alarmed at learning about Fleance’s escape. He returns to the feast convinced that the present threat to his power has been subdued. The noblemen remark upon the absence of Banquo as well as Macduff and invite Macbeth to dine with them. They offer him an empty seat but Macbeth is horrified to find Banquo's ghost seated in the space. Macbeth is extremely alarmed and he yells out. The noblemen begin to stir but the Queen rushes in and tells them to sit down. She claims that the King has had this affliction since childhood, and has a whispered conversation with him. Macbeth tries to show her Banquo’s ghost, but she tells him that it is an illusion of his mind much like the dagger he had seen on the night of Duncan’s murder. The ghost departs and Macbeth regains his composure but upon the ghost’s return he cannot help but yell out what he sees. The Queen dismisses the noblemen and attempts to have Macbeth calm down. He relaxes and talks about the problem of Macduff, who failed to come to the feast. Macbeth decides to visit the witches the following day to better understand his prophecy. Lady Macbeth remarks that he is seeing those illusions due to his lack of sleep since he hasn't been able to sleep well since the time of Duncan's murder.
Hecate admonishes the witches for giving Macbeth the prophecy without her leave. She tells them to prepare themselves for a meeting with Macbeth the following day, while she works up magic to have him see illusions. The witches depart as Hecate goes to her duties. Lennox discusses the sad state of the kingdom under the rule of the tyrant, Macbeth, who has risen to power due to the murders of King Duncan and Banquo. They discuss the amnesty that Malcolm has found in the court of King Edward of England, where Macduff has joined him, and together pleaded the King’s aid in restoring the Scottish Kingdom to its rightful rulers. Macduff has refused the summons of King Macbeth, and so should be wary of returning to the kingdom too soon.
Analysis
The third act begins with Banquo's soliloquy as he realizes that the prophecies made by the witches have come true, and so he reasons that his prophecy will also come true. Banquo suspects that Macbeth has dabbled with some dark deeds to bring this fate to fruition, but he decides that he will take no action to ensure the completion of his prophecy. In this act, the differences between Macbeth and Banquo become more pronounced since both Banquo and Macbeth are ambitious individuals that adopt different attitudes about their prophecy. Macbeth's thoughts immediately turn towards dark deeds upon hearing the prophecy, while Banquo refuses to do so even as he watches Macbeth attain kingship through immoral means. The play highlights the corrupting capacity of ambition through the increasing mental and moral degradation of Macbeth. The protagonist continues to go down the path of violence despite having achieved his ultimate dream since his deeds don't allow any peace of mind. He is racked with paranoia, and cannot bring himself to enjoy his power but rather works on new designs to have his friend and his son murdered due to their perceived threat to his future. Lady Macbeth's remark about Macbeth's sleep indicates that he is tortured by the heinous acts he has committed and is unable to enjoy the position he has won through betrayal.
It is also interesting to note the development of Lady Macbeth and the relationship she shares with her husband in the third act. The relationship between the Macbeths is interesting because it upends the gender stereotypes that would have been associated with feminity and masculinity during Shakespeare's time. It is evident from their interactions that Lady Macbeth controls he husband to a great extent and her concern for his mental well-being indicates the gentle feelings she has for him. It is also important to note that Lady Macbeth encourages her husband to be relaxed in his position and does not push him to pursue further violence against Banquo or his son. Macbeth purposefully chooses not to divulge the details of his plot to kill Banquo to his wife.
