Saturday, April 18, 2015

Act 3 Reading Notes

Act 3 Notes
Scene 1 
The scene starts off with Banquo questioning how all this is coming down and how if the first thing came true the second one must also come true. 
Macbeth enters, as the king, and invites Banquo to their dinner of the night. 
Something suspicious because lady Macbeth is involved. Banquo agrees but will go for a horse ride in the afternoon with his son fleance.
Macbeth is in the room alone with the servant and talks about how the only man he fears is Banquo because Macbeth has no sons so when Macbeth dies the throne will go to Banquo, who is the father of a line of kings. And Banquos family will defeat macbeths family. Macbeth asks the servant to bring in the two men from outside and when the men come out we find out that these are the two men that Macbeth has hired to murder Banquo and his son. These men have a bad history with Banquo and see him as an enemy, Macbeth uses his to ignite their hate and encourage them to kill Banquo and his son. Macbeth wants them dead so that they cannot try and take over the thrown.
Scene 2 
Lady Macbeth feels discontented and tells the servant to fetch Macbeth. Macbeth enters and says he is discontented too but the deed has not been finished. He explains that there are other threats to the throne, so he must kill others as well. He tells lady Macbeth to be extra nice and kind to Banquo and fleance. This is another use of lady Macbeth to lure the people in a false manner, just in time to kill them. Macbeth says he feels his mind is full of scorpions which I believe is a metaphor to the evil thoughts and deeds inside his head.
Scene 3 
The murderers are in the park talking about what they must do when they hear Banquo himself. They tell each other quickly they must kill him now. They kill Banquo but Banquo tells his son to flee before they can get to him. Fleance escapes but Banquo is dead. The murderers go to tell the king. 
Scene 4 
Macbeth and lady Macbeth are starting their dinner when the first murderer comes to the door. Macbeth talks to him shortly and finds out that Banquo is dead but fleance has escaped. He is angry that fleance escaped but happy that Banquo is dead. 
As Macbeth goes to sit down he sees Banquos ghost in his seat. He tries talking to him but no one else can see him and Macbeth has gone crazy. Lady Macbeth makes up an excuse that Macbeth has an illness where he sees visions and then the ghost disappears and Macbeth is fine again, but then the ghost reappears and he goes nuts again. Lady Macbeth again makes up an excuse and has everyone leave. 
Macbeth believes that Macduff is out for treason and will come against him. Macbeth says he will go to the witches the next day and ask what will happen next. But he believes that he needs to do whatever he has to to remain king as he is already too deep in blood to stop now. Lady Macbeth tells him he needs sleep and they go to sleep.
Scene 5 
Hectate the goddess of all witches comes and tells the queens that they should have consulted her first before meddling with Macbeth and tells the witches that when he comes the next day to ask his fate they must summon visions and messages that will fill him with a false sense of security and draw him to confusion. The witches go and prepare for what they will tell him. 
Scene 6 
In Scotland, Lennox and a lord are talking. The death of king Duncan has been blamed on his sons and the death of Banquo has been blamed on fleance, but Lennox and the lord don't forget about Macbeth and call him a tyrant. The lord tells Lennox that Macduff has gone to England with Malcolm to ask for aid from the England's king Edward.
Macbeth hears of this and prepares for war. 
Lennox and the lord hope that Macduff and Malcolm are successful and saving Scotland from Macbeth.

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