Act 3 Scene 4 Flashcards
overview of act III scene iv
- macbeth and his wife welcome the guests to their state banquet
- the ghost of banquo appears but only macbeth can see it and his strange behaviour startles his wife and the guests
finish the quote: ‘play…
…the humble host’
why is macbeth in a good mood?
- he thinks that banquo and fleance are being dealt with
- he’s happy to ‘play the humble host’ - ‘play’ - suggests his hospitality is fake
what does one of the murderers tell macbeth?
- that he has killed banquo
- but fleance has escaped
finish the quote: ‘cabined…
…cribbed, confined’
‘cabined, cribbed, confined’
- alliterative
- emphasises how trapped he feels
- with fleance still alive, macbeth knows his future as king is uncertain
What is significant about Banquo’s ghost appearing at the banquet?
- Symbolizes Macbeth’s guilt and growing paranoia.
- Publicly exposes his instability, making his guests suspicious.
- Represents how Macbeth cannot escape his crimes.
- Appears after Macbeth receives the news about Banquo’s death and Fleance’s escape - it is a symptom of his guilt and anxiety
Shakespeare’s use of the ghost
- an important dramatic device
- only macbeth can see the ghost, so the audience is unsure whether it is real or a trick of macbeth’s guilty conscience
- ghost appears when macbeth says banquo’s name - guilt-inspired hallucination
- echoes the ghostly dagger that macbeth saw before duncan’s murder
- the ghost - sits on macbeth’s throne - visual and dramatic reminder to the audience of the witches’ prophecy that banquo’s descendants will be kings
Finish the quote: ‘Thou canst not say I did it; never…’
"’…shake thy gory locks at me!’”
‘Thou canst not say I did it; never shake thy gory locks at me!’
- Macbeth tries to deny responsibility for Banquo’s murder.
- Shows his guilt despite ordering the killing.
- The image of ‘gory locks’ emphasizes Banquo’s violent death.”
finish the quote: ‘my lord is often…
…thus and hath been from his youth’
‘my lord is often thus and hath been from his youth’
- LM humiliates macbeth in his first banquet dinner as king
Finish the quote: ‘Are you a man?’
‘“Ay, and a bold one, that dare look on that which might appall the devil’
‘Are you a man?’ ‘Ay, and a bold one, that dare look on that which might appall the devil.’
- Lady Macbeth questions Macbeth’s masculinity again.
- Macbeth responds by justifying his fear, showing his descent into madness.
- The contrast between courage and fear is central here.
Finish the quote: ‘This is the very painting of your fear…’
"’…this is the air-drawn dagger which you said led you to Duncan.’”
‘This is the very painting of your fear; this is the air-drawn dagger which you said led you to Duncan.’
- Lady Macbeth dismisses Banquo’s ghost as another hallucination.
- Cruel - refers to Duncan’s murder and reminds her crazed husband of the regicide he committed
- References the floating dagger from Act 2, Scene 1.
- Reinforces the theme of illusion vs. reality.
finish the quote: ‘authorised by..
…her grandam. Shame itself!’
‘authorised by her grandam. shame itself!’
- LM’s diatribe against macbeth
- says he is telling stories like the elderly grandma
Finish the quote: ‘It will have blood, they say…’
"’…blood will have blood.’”
‘It will have blood, they say; blood will have blood.’
- Macbeth fears that murder leads to more murder.
- Suggests that he knows retribution is inevitable.
- Highlights the theme of violence spiraling out of control.
- repetition of ‘blood’ - shows his fear - he is starting to see the inevitability of his downfall
Finish the quote: ‘I am in blood…’
"’…stepped in so far that should I wade no more
‘I am in blood stepped in so far that should I wade no more, returning were as tedious as go o’er.’
- Macbeth realizes he is too deep in murder to turn back.
- Compares his crimes to crossing a river—he must keep going.
- Shows his commitment to further violence.
- He is despairing here, he doesn’t want to keep killing, but he thinks that it is he only way to secure the throne
finish the quote: ‘he grows…
…worse and worse’
finish the quote: ‘we are yet…
…but young indeed’
‘we are yet but young indeed’
- this is only the beginning
- tragic - noble person falling from grace and making horrible choices due to his hamartia
How does Lady Macbeth react to Macbeth’s visions?
- She tries to control the situation by dismissing his fears.
- echoes Act I Scene vii - ‘Are you a man?’ - thinks his fear is not manly
- She tells the guests that Macbeth has had these episodes since childhood.
- Her authority over him is beginning to wane.
What is the significance of the banquet scene?
- Marks the beginning of Macbeth’s public downfall.
- Banquo’s ghost represents Macbeth’s inability to escape guilt.
- His paranoia grows, leading to more reckless decisions.
Why does Macbeth decide to visit the witches again?
- He wants more reassurance about his future.
- His paranoia drives him to seek more prophecies.
- Shows his increasing dependence on supernatural guidance.
How does this scene show the change in Macbeth’s character?
- He is no longer hesitant about murder—now fully embracing violence.
- No longer confides in Lady Macbeth, showing their weakening relationship.
- Becomes more reckless and paranoid.
point of peritpitea
- after this point, macbeth starts to feel alone - his downfall
