Act 3 Scene 3

Scene Summary

In the middle of the night, the three murderers lie in wait for Banquo. They question the third, asking him who sent him. After telling them it was Macbeth, they trust him and discuss the setting sun, meaning Banquo is nearby. As they wait, they hear Banquo call for a torch, and spot him riding with his son Fleance. They attack, killing Banquo, but extinguish the torch and allow Fleance to escape. Disappointed that they lost Fleance, the murderers decide to return to Macbeth to tell him what they achieved.

Scene Analysis

Though not a large scene, the death of Banquo is a highly important point in the play as it not only reveals much about what Macbeth’s character has become but has implications for the rest of the plot. Banquo, while not the most prominent character, was one who held great importance to the overall story, as aside from Macbeth, he was the only person to witness the witches and receive a prophecy himself.

Whether a victim of circumstance or not, Banquo’s role on a wider literary level was almost like a mirror to Macbeth. Not quite on the level of a foil like Macduff, Banquo was more of a reflection of Macbeth, taking the opposite approach to receiving a life-changing prophecy. Whereas Macbeth went down a path of greed, ambition, and eventually evil to manifest his destiny, Banquo showed no desire to claim the throne to ensure his heirs become kings; rather, he remained loyal to the crown, and even became suspicious of Macbeth’s rise to power after Duncan’s death.

Banquo is what Macbeth could have been without his fatal flaw of ambition and the presence of his scheming wife, and his death acts as a reminder of how far Macbeth has truly fallen. At least with the death of Duncan, Shakespeare had Macbeth do the deed himself, granting some twisted form of honour on his behalf considering the medieval Scottish context. Banquo, however, was killed by common murderers, underscoring to the audience how little honour Macbeth truly has left if he must resort to hiring killers rather than facing and killing Banquo and his son himself.

One important note for this scene is that Fleance escapes, and while this is not hugely important for the play, Fleance was supposedly the ancestor to King James I of England, Shakespeare’s royal patron at the time of Macbeth’s release. His survival not only keeps intact the idea that destiny cannot be changed, but was an important political decision for Shakespeare to keep favour with royalty.