Scene Summary
The scene opens with a banquet set for the various thanes, with Macbeth and Lady Macbeth presiding. Macbeth greets his guests and welcomes them to the feast before one of the murderers approaches him. The murderer tells Macbeth that the blood he is covered in is from slitting Banquo’s throat. Pleased, Macbeth praises him before asking if Fleance has been killed alongside his father. When he tells him that Fleance escaped, Macbeth admits he is afraid once more as his perfect plan has been ruined, and enquires if Banquo is truly dead. The murderer assures him that Banquo is “safe in a ditch... with twenty trenched gashes in his head.” Though still unsettled by Fleance’s escape, Macbeth calms himself stating at this point Fleance is no threat. Dismissing the murderer, Lady Macbeth approaches and asks Macbeth to stop being anti-social so that his thanes do not become alienated from him. While Macbeth is distracted giving a toast to the thanes, the ghost of Banquo enters and sits in Macbeth’s seat in the hall. When announcing he hoped Banquo was late out of rudeness, the thanes invite him to sit amongst them, gesturing to what they see as an empty seat. Macbeth, however, sees the bloodied ghost of Banquo.
He shouts and demands who planned for Banquo’s ghost to appear, and the thanes are confused as to what is happening, as Macbeth yells “thou canst not say I did it... never shake thy gory locks at me!” Ross calls for the thanes to rise, stating the king is not well, but Lady Macbeth runs to stop them claiming Macbeth is suffering from a minor condition he has had since childhood, promising them that it is only a temporary fit. Turning to her husband, she furiously asks if he is a man, to which he responds he is if he can stare at such a horrific sight. She admonishes him, saying it is the same imaginary visions as the phantom dagger that lead him to Duncan, telling him it doesn’t even seem like real fear but more like a woman telling a scary story around a fire. She shames him saying he is making such horrific faces at an empty stool. Macbeth begs her to look at the stool and questions the ghost’s purpose if it cannot speak or act. It vanishes, and Lady Macbeth questions what has caused such a reaction, disbelieving him when he tells her it was Banquo. He ominously states much that blood has been spilt in the past, but when the ancient dead were killed, they stayed dead but “now they rise again... and push us from our stools.”
She reminds him that he has ignored his thanes and Macbeth apologises for his behaviour stating it was due to a strange condition. Macbeth toasts Banquo, and the ghost appears again, making Macbeth shout at the ghost to go away or appear as some fearsome beast instead of a murdered Banquo.
The ghost disappears once again, the thanes ask what Macbeth has seen, but before he can answer, Lady Macbeth states he is unwell and asking questions will lead to further trouble. She apologises and dismisses the banquet quickly, before turning to her husband. He tells her that “blood will have blood” and states he will send spies to find Macduff, before revealing he is to visit the witches the next day. She asks if he has slept, and he finally agrees to return to bed.
Scene Analysis
Macbeth’s encounter with Banquo’s ghost is a crucial turning point in the play, both thematically and plot-wise. There is so much symbolism, thematic meaning, and foreshadowing within this single encounter that this entire scene analysis will be dedicated to unravelling it all! First and foremost is the question of whether the ghost is even real, or a figment of Macbeth’s guiltridden and paranoid mind.
Throughout the play, Shakespeare has deliberately utilised supernatural elements and indicated that magic is a true force within the text’s world, though much of what relates to Macbeth is left vague. Macbeth is given a prophecy but it could be argued that due to the ambiguous wording and nature of it, Macbeth’s fate might have followed the same trajectory without the magical prophecy, as Macbeth was made Thane of Cawdor before his encounter with the witches. Using this logic, the ghost of Banquo, much like the dagger that lead Macbeth to Duncan, appears to be a simple figment of Macbeth’s broken mind, with even Lady Macbeth pointing out as such when she remarks “this is the very painting of your fear... the air drawn dagger,” though ironically Lady Macbeth will soon experience her own guilt-ridden hallucinations. Contextual evidence also supports this, as Scotland during the 11th century was a very superstitious place, with undead spirits being perceived as works of evil and omens of darkness. Macbeth would have great knowledge of such superstition, and displays it when he ominously warns “blood will have blood” in relation to the vengeance undead spirits were believed to have possessed against those who wronged them in life. It must also be stated that Macbeth’s lack of sleep is another powerful indicator of the ghost not being real, as sleep deprivation is known to cause visual hallucinations. Yet it must be stated that this perception of events is from a modern and scientific perspective, a perspective that Shakespeare’s highly superstitious 17th century audience lacked, so on an explicit level, we can argue the reality of Banquo’s ghost either way.
Guilt is the most obvious of theme in this scene. Though it has come up over and over again when analysing Macbeth’s various visions and monologues, this time is different. For one, Macbeth’s reaction is not one of thoughtfulness or even the softer, subtler fear shown in the aftermath of Duncan’s death, but an example of pure terror. Shakespeare has written Macbeth in this scene as if he is going mad, ranting and raving at what seems to be nothing to those around him. This shift is likely due to Macbeth being granted a physical reminder of his wrongdoing and the consequences of his search for power. The fact that Shakespeare wrote the ghost to simply sit and stare at Macbeth also adds great weight and unease. It is a clever literary trick to intensify its dark meaning. Leaving the message unspoken allows for his audience to interpret the true nature of Macbeth’s guilt and what it means for his character going forward. The theme of guilt is further supported by the motif of blood again, as much like Macbeth wondering if he can wash the blood of Duncan off his hands, here Macbeth is confronted with two figures covered in Banquo’s blood: the murderer and the ghost. It is important to note that every scene blood has appeared in so far has delved into the consequences of Macbeth’s actions and what it means for his future, and as in this scene, though it is eventually resolved, the unnerving display and nature of his words sow suspicion amongst his subjects – suspicion that eventually leads to their rebellion.
Briefly, it should be noted that in Shakespeare’s tragic act formula, this scene serves as the first climax of the play. The first climax, almost always in the middle of Act 3, is an event that shapes the future of the play to come and is usually the peak and release of the tension built up until that point. In the case of Macbeth, the first climax comes at a point at which all the spiritual, political, and emotional tension built up by Macbeth’s actions have finally come to a head, with Macbeth finally confronted by the consequences of his actions. It is a powerful moment and one that influences the protagonists of the play to begin their plan that will eventually lead to their fall. For Macbeth, the plan includes his second visit to the witches and sudden knowledge of Macduff’s flight, both leading to one his most horrific actions of the play: murdering Macduff’s family
