Transcript Macbeth

Macbeth
Act Three
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Plot summary exercise – Act Three
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Focus on Act Three, Scene One
Banquo:
Thou hast it now: King, Cawdor, Glamis, all
As the weird women promised; and I fear
Thou playedst most foully for’t. Yet it was said
It should not stand in thy posterity
But that myself should be the root and father
Of many kings. If there come truth from them,
As upon thee, Macbeth, their speeches shine,
Why by the verities on thee made good
May they not be my oracles as well
And set me up in hope? But hush! No more.
Banquo
suspects
Macbeth of
killing Duncan.
Banquo
wants his
own part of
the prophecy
to come true.
Do Macbeth’s actions bother Banquo?
Do you think Banquo is fearful for his own life?
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Focus on Act Three, Scene One
Macbeth and his court arrive, and Macbeth invites Banquo
to the feast he is holding.
Do you think Macbeth has already decided to kill Banquo?
Macbeth asks Banquo several questions about his
afternoon plans, wanting to know how far he is riding and
whether his son goes with him. This is important, as he
plans to kill Fleance, too, to prevent the witches’ prediction
coming true.
Macbeth is
Upon my head they placed a fruitless crown
greedy for more
And put a barren sceptre in my grip,
– he wants his
Thence to be wrenched with an unlineal hand,
own children to
No son of mine succeeding. If it be so,
succeed him.
For Banquo’s issue have I filed my mind…
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Questions – Act Three, Scene One
Answer the following questions in as much detail as
you can, using PEE when appropriate.
1. Why does Macbeth plot to kill Banquo? Can you think
of more than one reason?
2. How does Macbeth convince the murderers to kill
Banquo?
3. Why do you think Macbeth does not kill Banquo and
Fleance himself?
4. How has Macbeth changed since Act One?
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Act Three, Scene Two
Lady Macbeth:
Naught’s had, all’s spent,
Where our desire is got without content.
‘Tis safer to be that which we destroy
Than by destruction dwell in doubtful joy.
Lady Macbeth is concerned that becoming king has not
made Macbeth content.
Why do you think Macbeth doesn’t share his plans
with his wife?
What images recur in this scene?
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Act Three, Scene Two
Read Macbeth’s final speech in Act Three, Scene Two.
Good things of day begin to droop and drowse,
Whiles night’s black agents to their preys do rouse.
Thou marvell’st at my words; but hold thee still.
Things bad begun make strong themselves by ill.
What do these lines reveal about how Macbeth’s mind is
working?
Do you think Macbeth can now be described as evil?
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Themes
Evil is one of the main themes of Macbeth.
Can you think of any others?
Did you think of these?
ambition
chaos and disorder
light and dark
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Themes wordsearch
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Ambition
Both Macbeth and his wife are deeply ambitious and
hungry for power.
Lady Macbeth’s ambition is for her husband,
but bear in mind that at this time this would
have been her only way of gaining power and
fulfilling her own ambitions.
By Act Three Macbeth’s ambition has
overtaken his wife’s. His greed takes over
him. While he is tormented by thoughts of
his crimes, he continues to do whatever it
takes to achieve his ambitions.
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Chaos and disorder
The evil crime committed by Macbeth and his wife
creates disorder in the natural world. The belief was that
the death of a king, appointed by God, would cause
chaos in nature.
The country is thrown into chaos
with the death of its king. This
disorder is apparent at
Macbeth’s banquet, when he
sees Banquo’s ghost.
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Light and dark
Even before Macbeth returns, Lady Macbeth is calling up
the night to hide the crime that they will commit: “Come,
thick night, / And pall thee in the dunnest smoke of hell.
At the end of Act Three, Scene Two
Macbeth calls on the night. In its
darkness Banquo’s murder can take
place.
When Lady Macbeth turns mad, she
keeps a candle with her constantly, to
keep the darkness at bay. It is as
though, with the darkness of night, evil
lurks all around.
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Evil
The crime that Macbeth commits is the ultimate evil: killing a
king. It is left to the reader / audience to decide whether the
evil is precipitated by the prophecies of the witches, or if
these simply wake the evil that was already inside the
couple.
Once evil takes hold, there is no turning back for Macbeth
and Lady Macbeth. They commit further murders, including
the slaughter of Macbeth’s best friend, Banquo, and Lady
Macduff and her children.
Eventually, the evil that they have done returns to haunt
them, both literally in the form of Banquo’s ghost, and
metaphorically, in the blood that stains Lady Macbeth’s
hands.
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Act Three, Scene Four
Macbeth is distressed by the news that Fleance escaped,
believing ‘The worm that’s fled / Hath nature that in time
will venom breed.’
At the banquet Macbeth initially makes a show of pointing
out Banquo’s absence, but as he previously imagined a
dagger he now believes he sees Banquo’s ghost.
This is the very painting of your fear.
This is the air-drawn dagger which you said
Led you to Duncan.
What do you think causes Macbeth’s visions?
Think about how would you stage this scene in the
theatre – would you choose to show Banquo’s ghost?
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Act Three, Scene Six
Macbeth’s guests think him mad and Lady Macbeth
is left to make excuses for him.
Act Three, Scene Six shows Lennox and another
Lord discussing the situation. They now believe
Macbeth is responsible for the deaths of Duncan and
Banquo.
Shakespeare ends both Act Two and Act Three with
minor characters discussing events. Why do you think
he does this?
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Act Three – Who said what?
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