Macbeth Act 3

Question 1

‘The sisters…Upon my head plac’d a fruitless crown/ And put a barren sceptre in my gripe’
(3,1)

Answer 1

King Macbeth also remembers the witches’ prophecy about Banquo’s sons becoming kings. The king compares that prophecy to his own situation.

King Macbeth realizes that the witches did not foresee an heir for him.

In this metaphor, Macbeth notes that the witches handed him a scepter by prophesying that he would become king. But the scepter is barren, or infertile, because they also predicted that he will not have male heirs, and thus the scepter and the kingship will pass to an unrelated person.

Question 2

‘Full of scorpions is my mind’
(3,2)

Answer 2

By saying his mind is full of scorpions, Macbeth means that he cannot rest easy while they are alive. His restlessness comes from the witches’ prophecy that Banquo will have kings in his family line, which is a threat to Macbeth’s throne.

Just as scorpions bring death, so does the tormented Macbeth.

Question 3

‘Thou canst not say I did it: never shake/ thy gory locks at me’
(3,4)

Answer 3

Here, Macbeth addresses the ghost of Banquo, who is sitting in his chair. Perhaps Macbeth is attempting to deny his guilt, or perhaps he is being more literal: being dead, Banquo cannot tell anyone what Macbeth did

Shakespeare emphasises Macbeth’s ongoing corruption in trying to preserve his kingship.