At the heart of the first scene in Act III is a soliloquy spoken by Macbeth (lines 49-73). In it Macbeth discusses his own safety and his fear of Banquo. More specifically, Macbeth fears the witches’ predictions regarding the children of Banquo.
The first scene begins with a soliloquy spoken by Banquo (1-10). Banquo thinks of the predictions made by the witches. Since the predictions came true for Macbeth, he now believes that the prediction regarding his children and grandchildren will also come true. Banquo now believes that his descendants will become kings.
Following the soliloquy, Banquo and
Macbeth hold a brief conversation. Banquo informs Macbeth that he has business that will keep him away for the day. But Banquo promises Macbeth that he and his son Fleance will return at night in time for a feast being held at the palace.
Macbeth begins his soliloquy by stating, “To be thus is nothing but to be safely thus” (49-50). Macbeth means that to be a king is meaningless unless he can keep himself safe from traitors and enemies. And Macbeth believes that Banquo is his enemy. Macbeth believes this because of circumstantial (not direct) evidence. Macbeth is letting his fears carry him away. But Macbeth reasons that Banquo does have a royal nature (line 51: suggesting a natural ability in leadership) and that he is also brave and wise (54). More importantly, Macbeth thinks of the witches’ predictions regarding the children of Banquo (61). Thus, Macbeth believes that Banquo is a traitor. But actually Macbeth is mistaken. Banquo has no intentions of being a traitor. The opening soliloquy by Banquo reveals his thoughts, and there is nothing in those thoughts to suggest that he would betray Macbeth.
In a splendid double-metaphor, Macbeth compares his and Banquo’s relationship to Mark Antony and Octavius Caesar’s relationship (58).
Macbeth = Mark Antony
Banquo = Octavius Caesar
The reader should note that Shakespeare wrote both Macbeth and Antony and Cleopatra in the same year, 1606. Thus, the connections between the characters would be uppermost in Shakespeare’s mind. In Antony and Cleopatra the character of Antony is clearly superior to Octavius Caesar. Antony is older, wiser, more experienced, and stronger. Antony is also a far superior soldier and general. Yet, whenever Antony is in any sort of conflict with Octavius, Antony is the loser. Fate, or some other supernatural force, prevents Antony from being able to win against Octavius. And so, at the end of that play, Antony meets his final defeat at the hands of Octavius Caesar. Macbeth’s comment is both ironic and a case of foreshadowing. By comparing himself to Mark Antony, Macbeth is, in a sense, predicting his own defeat.
Macbeth is also realizing that what he has given up in order to become king is too much. Macbeth is regretting his actions. Becoming king was not worth what he sacrificed. Macbeth explains it this way: “For Banquo’s issue have I filed my mind” (66). Here the word issue refers to children, and the word filed actually means defiled (dishonored and corrupted). Macbeth has become dishonorable and corrupt, and the children of Banquo will receive the rewards or benefits from Macbeth’s actions. Here, through Macbeth’s speech, Shakespeare is indicating the dishonorable reputation that the real historical Macbeth receives in the chronicles. If Macbeth’s own descendants had become kings, Macbeth’s reputation would have been much different. His children and grandchildren would have seen to it that the historians or chroniclers would have written only positive statements about Macbeth.
Macbeth not only defiled or corrupted his mind by thinking evil thoughts (and then acting upon them), he also corrupted his soul. This is referred to as “mine eternal jewel” in the soliloquy (69). Thus, the Christian implications of his evil action also now return to his thoughts. Macbeth realizes that his soul will be damned to hell for all eternity. Macbeth somehow thinks the loss of his soul will be worthwhile if he could establish his name and reputation in Scotland in an honorable way. Thus, he wants his own children to become kings. Yet, Macbeth remembers the witches’ prediction regarding Banquo’s descendants. And the only way he can stop that prediction from becoming true is by making sure that Banquo does not have any descendants. And to do that, Macbeth must kill both Banquo and his son Fleance.
The remainder of the first scene is a dialogue between Macbeth and two murderers that he hires. Macbeth knows that Banquo and Fleance will be returning that evening for the feast, and he orders the murderers to hide in a quiet place along the roadside so that they can ambush (trap and attack) Banquo and Fleance and murder them.
The dialogic relationship between Macbeth and his wife is again made in the second scene. Lady Macbeth has an extremely short soliloquy (6-9: only four lines long) that indicates that she is thinking about safety in exactly the same manner that Macbeth had done in the earlier scene. The soliloquy does not need to be longer. Shakespeare has already developed the idea fully in the first scene of Act III. But the idea regarding safety moves in a new direction in Lady Macbeth’s soliloquy. She comments that she and her husband would be better off dead than to be unsafe rulers: “’Tis safer to be that which we destroy” (8). And in the dialogue with her husband that follows, Macbeth utters a similar line: “Better be with the dead” (21). Thus, once again, Shakespeare draws an extremely close connection between these two characters and reveals that their thoughts are almost identical. The dead are at rest. But both Macbeth and Lady Macbeth are full of anxiety and discomfort.
Macbeth employs a snake metaphor to express their present situation: “We have scorched the snake, not killed it” (15). The snake symbolizes danger. The killing of King Duncan is equated to wounding or hurting the snake. But the snake is still alive and can still harm Macbeth. In other words, Macbeth is still in danger. Macbeth believes that by killing Banquo he will then be destroying the snake.
He believes he will then be out of danger.
The second scene ends with Macbeth hinting to his wife that something will be done about Banquo and Fleance: “a deed of dreadful note” (45). But Macbeth does not wish to disclose the details about the ambush until after the deed is finished. Perhaps Macbeth still fears the outcome even though he tells his wife that things will get better (line 56: “things … make strong themselves”). Macbeth’s hope is not yet a reality.