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MacbethPlease see the bottom of the page for full explanatory notes and helpful resources.
Next: Macbeth, Act 3, Scene 2 _______ Explanatory Notes for Act 3, Scene 1 From Macbeth. Ed. Thomas Marc Parrott. New York: American Book Co. (Line numbers have been altered.) ______ This act is devoted to the second great crime of Macbeth's career, the murder of Banquo. The first scene shows us Banquo's suspicions of Macbeth, and Macbeth's fears of Banquo. As a result of the witches' prediction the two old friends are wholly estranged, although outwardly they preserve the forms of a gracious king and a loyal subject. Macbeth's dialogue with the murderers at the close of the scene informs us of the fate that is hanging over Banquo's head. The scene is laid at the palace some time after the coronation of Macbeth. 1-10. This speech shows Banquo in a wholly different mood from that in which we last saw him. Then he declared that he placed his trust in God and stood opposed to all the designs of treason. Now, although he strongly suspects Macbeth of the treacherous murder of Duncan, he makes no threat of vengeance, but rather broods over the prophecy of the witches that his descendants shall reign, and hopes that this prophecy too may be made good. In other words, he is paltering with evil; he is not yet ready to take any step to hasten the fulfilment of the prediction, but he is content to serve the murderer and usurper in the hope that some profit may come out of it to him and his house. Perhaps if Banquo had lived he would have headed a revolt against Macbeth. This monologue of his at least explains and in part justifies Macbeth's fears. 1. it, the crown. 4. stand in thy posterity, abide in thy line. 7. shine, are brilliantly fulfilled. 8. by the verities on thee made good, in accordance with the true prophecies fulfilled in thy case. * Sennet, a blast upon the trumpet indicating the approach of the king. 14. all-thing, altogether. 15. solemn, formal. 18. to the which, to your commands. The antecedent of "which" is understood from the verb "command." 21. Ride you ... afternoon. Under the pretense of a friendly interest, Macbeth is informing himself of Banquo's plans, so that he may know when and where to set the ambush. 24. grave and prosperous, weighty and followed by success. 33. bestowed, settled. 36. strange invention, fantastic stories. Macbeth perhaps alludes to the reports circulated by the princes that it was he who murdered Duncan. 37. therewithal, in addition thereto. 37. cause, subject-matter. 39. Goes Fleance with you? Macbeth asks this question to see whether he can cut off father and son at one blow. 40. our time does call upon's, our engagement demands us. 42. commend, commit. 44. seven at night, the hour for the formal supper. 45. welcome, either an adjective or a noun. If the first, "sweeter" must be taken as an adverb; if the second, "society" is the indirect object of "make." The first seems somewhat the simpler reading. 46. while, till. 46. God be with you! Macbeth dismisses his court so as to have an opportunity to speak to the men whom he wishes to murder Banquo. This line is not an Alexandrine; the phrase "God be with you," equivalent to our "good-bye," is pronounced "God b' wi' you," so that we have merely the feminine ending. 47. sirrah, fellow. 51. To be thus ... safely thus, to be king is nothing unless I am secure in that position. This soliloquy of Macbeth's deserves the most careful study. It gives us a fine characterization of Banquo, and shows what cause Macbeth had to fear him. It shows how far from content Macbeth is with the crown that he had won by murder, and it reveals the distinct deterioration of Macbeth's character. Over his first crime he hesitated and faltered; possibly he would never have committed it except for the influence of his wife. But no pity nor remembrance of their old friendship holds him back from plotting the treacherous murder of Banquo. It is no sooner thought than done. 53. royalty of nature, kingly nature. 54. would be fear'd, naturally inspires fear. 55. to, in addition to. 59. rebuked, checked, restrained. 59. Genius, the demon, or presiding spirit, of a man. Shakespeare got this story about Mark Antony and Augustus Caesar from Plutarch's Lives, which he had read a few years before when preparing to write his play, Julius Caesar. In Antony and Cleopatra, written shortly after Macbeth, he makes an augur say to the hero: Therefore, O Antony, stay not by his side:66. with, by. 66. an unlineal hand, a hand belonging to some other family than Macbeth's. 67. No son. It seems plain that Shakespeare regarded Macbeth as childless; but not too old to be without the hope of having a son to succeed him. 68. filed, defiled. 70. Put rancour ... peace. Put poisonous drugs into the cup from which I drank peace, i.e, his conscience. 74. fate, death. 75. champion me to the utterance, take my part in a mortal duel. Macbeth calls upon fate, or death, to enter the lists as his champion against Banquo. * Two murderers. From what Macbeth says to them, it is plain that these men are not common murderers whom he could hire to kill any one he pleased. On the contrary, they seem to have been soldiers with some claims to promotion which were set aside in a way that had deeply offended them. They had thought that Macbeth had been responsible for this; but at his first meeting with them, he had succeeded in diverting their suspicions from himself to Banquo, and he now proceeds to urge them to revenge themselves. 81. he, Banquo. 83. made good, showed clearly. 84. probation, proving. 84. pass'd in probation, which was spent with you in proving; "pass'd" is a participle agreeing with "conference." 85. cross'd, thwarted. 85. borne in hand, deluded with false hopes. 88. notion, mind. 94. gospell'd, full of the spirit of the gospel. 98. We are men. The murderer's answer is spoken in a grim tone, implying that they are still men enough to be eager to revenge an injury.... 101. shoughs, shock dogs. 101. water-rugs, poodles. 101. demi-wolves, crosses between a dog and a wolf. 101. clept, called. 102. the valued file, a file, or catalogue, showing the value of the different objects contained in it. 104. housekeeper, watch-dog. 107. particular addition, special distinction, 107, 108. bill That writes them all alike, a list or catalogue which puts them all down as "dogs" without specifying their qualities. It is interesting to note in this connection that Shakespeare was so fond of dogs, horses, and falcons, that he never misses an opportunity to expand on these topics. 109. in the file, in the list of values referred to in line 95. 110. To scan this line "worst" must be pronounced as a dissyllable. 111. put ... your bosoms, entrust a charge to you. 112. Whose execution, the performance of which. 114. wear our health, possess our health. "Health," of course, refers to Macbeth's mental, not his physical well-being. 114. This line is an Alexandrine. The necessary emphasis on "I" forbids any such contraction as occurs in line 98. 121. tugg'd with, hauled about by. 127. distance, enmity. 129. my nearest of life, my most vital parts. 130. barefaced, open. 131. bid my will avouch it, bid my royal will warrant it; i.e. give no other reason for the execution of Banquo than my royal pleasure. 132. For, on account of. 133. Whose loves ... drop, and it is impossible for me to drop their friendship. 133. but wail his fall, but I must lament the fall of him. 134. Who, whom, as often in Shakespeare. 143. the perfect spy. There has been much discussion over this phrase. Some commentators take "spy" in the sense of "knowledge obtained by spying"; but there is no authority for this. It seems better to take "spy" as equivalent to "scout" and paraphrase the line: "I will acquaint you with the time by means of the best of my scouts." 145. something from, some distance away from. 146. require a clearness, must be kept clear, must not be involved. 147. rubs, rough places. 151. Resolve yourselves apart, make up your minds in my absence. 153. An Alexandrine. ________ How to cite the explanatory notes:________ More Resources  The Chronology of Shakespeare's Plays
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"On first thought, it strikes one as somewhat anomalous that the finest and deepest moral effects produced through the study of poetry should come through the study of evil and failing characters. But, anomalous or not, a moment's reflection convinces one that it is so. Not the perfect characters but the imperfect and evil characters make the deepest appeal; make, indeed, any kind of effective appeal to our imagination and to our moral sense. Macbeth and Lady Macbeth, Brutus and Julius Caesar, Hamlet and Ophelia, Othello and lago, Satan in Paradise Lost, Lancelot and Guinevere, the Duke in My Last Duchess, Andrea del Sarto and Lucrezia: all are evil or failing characters, failing rather than inherently evil, no doubt, if we see deep enough, but all alike lacking in precisely those moral qualities which a study of their characters consistently inspires. Why is this?" Arthur Fairchild. ©1999-2021 Shakespeare Online. All Rights Reserved.