MACBETH: ACT 3

Motifs

Blood “Macbeth. There’s blood upon thy face.

Murderer. ‘Tis Banquo’s then.”

Blood has been shed again and Banquo has been killed, a

Weather: “Banquo. It will be rain tonight”

Explanation; Macbeth’s murder spree is always accompanied by bad weather conditions, these are some of Banquo’s last few words before getting murdered.

Visions: “Thou canst not say I did it. Never shake Thy gory locks at me.”

“Avaunt! and quit my sight! Let the earth hide thee! Thy bones are marrowless, thy blood is cold; Thou hast no speculation in those eyes Which thou dost glare with.”

Macbeth’s guilty conscience is plaguing him with a vision of Banquo, who he just assassinated

Sleep: “You lack the season of all natures, sleep.”

Explain: Lady Macbeth is trying to convince Macbeth to forget and let go of the deaths that are on his conscience out of his mind. This demonstrates how Macbeth has to try and force himself to sleep since it doesn't come to him naturally, like the seasons because he`s suffering.

Prophecy: “As the weird women promised, and I fear thou play’dst most foully for ‘t.”

Explanation: Banquo makes a reference to the prophecies made by the witches.

Dead children: “Yet he’s good that did the like for Fleance; If thou didst it, thou art the nonpareil”

Macbeth asking the murderer who had killed Fleance, before he learned Fleance escaped

Light and Darkness: “Come, seeling night, scarf up the tender eye of pitiful day”

Ex: Macbeth represents innocence vs evil

Themes

Ambition: “Our fears in Banquo stick deep, And his royalty of nature”

Ex: Macbeth determines to kill Banquo in order to prevent his sons from succeeding to Scotland’s throne. He eliminates those who are in his way so that he can become king.

Violence: “Macbeth. We have scorched the snake not killed it”

Explanation: To keep power created by violence, more violence is needed.

Appearance vs reality: “Banquo. Thou has it now: King, Cawdor,Glamis, all, As the weird women promised, and I fear Thou play’dst most foully for ‘t”

Explanation: Banquo thinks that Macbeth might be a killer, but when he is with him he treats him kindly.

Gender Roles : “Are you a man”...“O, these flaws and starts, Impostors to true fear, would well become A woman’s story at a winter’s fire, Authorized by her grandam. Shame itself! Why do you make such faces? When all’s done, You look but on a stool”

The gender roles have swapped once again and Lady Macbeth is accusing Macbeth of being weak, and a lesser man and instead he should be tough and not fear this but only real fears.

Fate and free will: “Rather than so, come, fate, into the list, and champion me to th’ utterance!”

Explanation: Macbeth defies fate and wants to stop Banquo’s children from taking his throne.