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MacbethPlease see the bottom of the page for full explanatory notes and helpful resources.
Next: Macbeth, Act 3, Scene 4 ______ Explanatory Notes for Act 3, Scene 3 From Macbeth. Ed. Thomas Marc Parrott. New York: American Book Co. (Line numbers have been altered.) ______ This scene, short as it is, contains the climax of the drama. So far everything has been in Macbeth's favour, and, outwardly at least, his career has been one unbroken series of successes. The escape of Fleance is his first piece of bad luck. From this time on, however, everything goes wrong with Macbeth. The various incidents that contribute to his downfall will be pointed out as they occur in the course of the action. It is enough, here, to call the attention of the student to the fact that this scene is the turning-point of the drama. It has been rather foolishly asserted that the Third Murderer who appears in this scene is Macbeth himself. Had Shakespeare meant this, we may be sure that he would have given the audience a hint to that effect. The speeches of Macbeth to the First Murderer in the next scene show conclusively, I think, that he was ignorant of the details of the assault on Banquo, which would not have been the case had he himself been one of the murderers. We may perhaps take the Third Murderer to be the "perfect spy" of iii. I. 130 whom Macbeth sends at the last moment as a re-enforcement to the ambush. 2. needs not our mistrust, we need not distrust him. The Second Murderer says these words to the First, who is evidently suspicious of the newcomer. He goes on to say that the third man has repeated Macbeth's instructions as to the time and place of the deed exactly as they were given in the first place, "to the direction just," which shows that he comes straight from the king. 3. offices, business. 7. timely, appropriate to the time, welcome. 8. The subject of our watch, the man we are waiting for. 9. Give us a light, Banquo says these words to one of his servants. He sends them on the winding road with the horses while he and Fleance take the straight path through the woods to the palace. Fleance carries the torch to light them on their way. 10. the note of expectation, the list of the expected guests. 11. about, the long way around. 15. stand to't, get ready. 16. It will be rain to-night. This remark of Banquo's shows how utterly unprepared he is for the treacherous assault. 17, 18. It is characteristic of the brave and self-possessed Banquo, that even at this terrible moment he thinks of his son, and contrives to get him away in the hope that he may revenge his father's death. 19. Was't not the way? Was not that the right thing to do? 20, 21. lost Best half of our affair, left the best part of our work undone. ________ How to cite the explanatory notes:________ More Resources  The Chronology of Shakespeare's Plays
Establishing the Order of the Plays How Many Plays Did Shakespeare Write? Shakespeare Timeline Shakespeare's Reputation in Elizabethan England Words Shakespeare Invented Quotations About William Shakespeare Portraits of Shakespeare Shakespeare's Boss: The Master of Revels Top 10 Shakespeare Plays Shakespeare's Metaphors and Similes Shakespeare's Blank Verse Shakespeare Timeline Edward Alleyn (Actor) What is Tragic Irony? Characteristics of Elizabethan Tragedy
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More to Explore Macbeth: The Complete Play with Commentary The Metre of Macbeth: Blank Verse and Rhymed Lines Macbeth Character Introduction Metaphors in Macbeth (Biblical) Figures of Speech in Macbeth A Comparison of Macbeth and Hamlet The Theme of Macbeth The Curse of Macbeth Explanatory Notes for Lady Macbeth's Soliloquy (1.5) The Psychoanalysis of Lady Macbeth (Sleepwalking Scene) The Effect of Lady Macbeth's Death on Macbeth Is Lady Macbeth's Swoon Real? Elizabethan Use of Mummified Flesh Three Apparitions in Macbeth Supernatural Soliciting in Shakespeare Knocking at the Gate in Macbeth Macbeth, Duncan and Shakespeare's Changes King James I and Shakespeare's Sources for Macbeth Contemporary References to King James I in Macbeth The Royal Patent that Changed Shakespeare's Life Soliloquy Analysis: If it were done when 'tis done (1.7.1-29) Soliloquy Analysis: Is this a dagger (2.1.33-61) Soliloquy Analysis: To be thus is nothing (3.1.47-71) Soliloquy Analysis: She should have died hereafter (5.5.17-28)
Explanatory Notes for the Witches' Chants (4.1) Macbeth Plot Summary (Acts 1 and 2) Macbeth Plot Summary (Acts 3, 4 and 5) How to Stage a Production of Macbeth (Scene Suggestions) Shakespeare's Sources for Macbeth Macbeth Q & A Essay Topics on Macbeth Aesthetic Examination Questions on Macbeth What is Tragic Irony? Stages of Plot Development in Macbeth Time Analysis of the Action in Macbeth Macbeth Study Quiz (with detailed answers) Quotations from Macbeth (Full) Top 10 Quotations from Macbeth Crafting a Sympathetic Macbeth The Moral Character of Macbeth Origin of the Weird Sisters Temptation, Sin, Retribution: Lecture Notes on Macbeth Untie the winds: Exploring the Witches' Control Over Nature Shakespeare on Omens Characteristics of Elizabethan Tragedy
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"Absent and alone four or five hours, how had Macbeth been employed? With such a dreadful matter at issue, he could not have been resting or engaged in any other business. He must have been taken up with the intended murder some way or other; and, for ourselves, we cannot conceive of his going to the banquet with the barest chance of his plot miscarrying, and of Banquo's arriving in the midst of the gaiety, with the narrative of the inexplicable and alarming attempt. But if he waited away till his mind would be relieved by a knowledge of the assassination, this could not have been, unless he was personally engaged in it, because it was after he went that he was told." Allan Park Paton. ©1999-2021 Shakespeare Online. All Rights Reserved.