Author: Kahu Allan

The Three Witches go to meet Hecate, (the god of witchcraft, magic, the night, moon, ghosts and necromancy) who is responsible for the witches powers and essentially their boss. She is displeased for they did not come to her for advice before they told Macbeth his future. She then shares her plan to them, using spells she will create powerful illusions that will fool him into thinking he is greater than fate, death, wisdom, grace and fear. She dissipates, and the witches leave, knowing she will return.

“He shall spurn fate, scorn death, and bear his hopes ‘bove wisdom, grace and fear. and as you all know, security is mortals’ chiefest enemy.”

SCENE IV. The same. Hall in the palace.

A banquet prepared. Enter MACBETH, LADY MACBETH, ROSS, LENNOX, Lords, and Attendants

MACBETH

Hello, sit down!

Lords

Thank you, your majesty.

MACBETH

We will talk with everyone 

And be a good host.

Our hostess is still on her throne

BUt she will welcome us soon. 

LADY MACBETH

P

Tell them I say welcome. 

First Murderer appears at the door

MACBETH

And they respond to you with their hearts thanks.

I will sit in the middle of the table.

Enjoy yourself, let’s have a drink.

Approaching the door

There’s blood on your face.

First Murderer

It’s banquo’s blood. 

MACBETH

Is he gone? Is he dead? 

First Murderer

My king, I cut his throat.

MACBETH

YOu are the best at your job. Whoever did the same to Fleance must also be good. If you did it then you are the absolute best.

First Murderer

Fleance escaped!

MACBETH

I was once perfect and stable but now I am scared and full of doubts and fears. And Banquo’s safe. Because he’s dead. 

First Murderer

Banquo is dead. Safe in a ditch. I’m pretty sure he’s dead. 

MACBETH

Thanks for that: there Banquo lies. And Fleance has fled.

He will grow into a threat but not yet.

We’ll talk about this tomorrow. 

Exit Murderer

LADY MACBETH

My king, you are not entertaining the guests. The feast is ready. 

If you don’t make your guests feel good, they won’t want to be here.

You need to make everyone feel a little bit more welcome or this would just be boring. 

MACBETH

Thanks for reminding me!

I’ll go eat.

LENNOX

May you sit, your highness. 

The GHOST OF BANQUO enters, and sits in MACBETH’s place

MACBETH

So here we have all our noblemen

Except for Banquo who hopefully isn’t here because he’s rude

And not because something bad has happened to him

ROSS

He’s not here, that means he broke his promise. Just chill with us. 

MACBETH

There’s nowhere to sit. 

LENNOX

I’ve reserved a place for you, Sir. 

MACBETH

Where?

LENNOX

Here’s the seat. What’s wrong? 

MACBETH

Who did this?

Lords

What, my good lord?

MACBETH

You can’t say that I did it:don’t shake your head at me. 

ROSS

Everyone stand up, his highness is not well.

LADY MACBETH

Stay calm, this happens a lot.  

He’s been like this since he was a child

Please stay seated, do not go away.

He will  be well again soon.

If you pay attention to him, you’ll piss him off.

Just eat!  

Are you a man?

MACBETH

I am a brave man

Who dares look at something horrifying

LADY MACBETH

Oh good stuff!

This hallucinations aren’t even that scary,

Like the dagger you imagined before. 

Shame on you!

When it’s all done, you’ll just look at an empty stool. 

MACBETH

Look over there, can you not see it!

Why should I care?

if you can’t nod or speak.

If the dead are going to come back

Then there’s nothing to stop the bodies

Being eaten by birds. 

GHOST OF BANQUO vanishes

LADY MACBETH

How unmanly of you!

MACBETH

If I stand here, I’m sure I saw him

LADY MACBETH

That’s ridiculous

MACBETH

Before, we killed people with no consequence. 

There have been terrible murders before. 

It used to be that when a man died, he died, but now they come back.

This is more strange than just a murder.

LADY MACBETH

My king, your friends are not reliable.

MACBETH

I have forgotten.

Don’t be alarmed, my best friends!

It’s quite normal for those that know me. 

Come,let’s have some beers and get drunk!

And to our dear friend Banquo, whom we miss;

Would he were here! to all, and him, we thirst,

And all to all.

*Unfinished*

On his way back to the castle, Banquo and Fleance are jumped but three murders (hired by Macbeth). Banquo is the first death to actually happen on stage and Fleance escapes. The murders must tell Macbeth the job is only half done.

The west yet glimmers with some streaks of day. Now spurs the lated traveler apace to gain the timely inn, and near approaches the subject of our watch.

Lady Macbeth and Macbeth have another talk about what has happened. Macbeth is deeply scarred, he has nightmares, he worries about Banquo and doesn’t see his guests. All Lady Macbeth can do little to ease his mind.

Naught’s had, all’s spent, Where our desire is got without content. ‘Tis safer to be that which we destroy than by destruction dwell in doubtful joy.

Macbeth is king, Cawdor and Glamice and Banquo fears that he did not claim those titles fairly. He meets Macbeth and states he is going for a ride with Fleaunce and will be back in time for the kings banquet. Macbeth has a secret where he has no intention of them to come back and hires two murders to kill them both.

It is concluded. Banquo, thy soul’s flight, If it find heaven, must find it out tonight.

Ross and his father go for a morning walk and discuss the unrest in nature (pathetic fallacy, nature reflecting on the death of Duncan) , and how the kings horses (the finest steeds around) turned on each other in the night and ate one another. Macduff appears and explains that it appears that Duncans guards were paid off by Donalbain and Malcom to kill the king. It placed them under suspicion when they left. Macduff leaves for the funeral of Duncan. This leaves only one man to take the Throne, and he is on his way to his coronation in Scone.

“Threescore and ten I can remember well. Within the volume of which time I have seen hours dreadful and things strange, but this sore night hath trifled former knowings.”

A drunk porter opens the scene by pretending to be a demon guarding hell and letting in other souls until he lets in Lennox and Macduff. They have a talk about getting drunk, Macbeth arrives and leads them to the kings tent. Macduff walks in and Lennox explains how the natural world partially collapsed overnight. Winds blowing down chimneys, strange screams of death throughout the night, Owls constantly calling, the earth trembling like it has a fever and apocalyptic prophesies being created. Macduff bursts out and declares that the king is dead! The guards protecting him covered in blood with bloodied daggers are dispatched by Macbeth for what he claims as “rage”. Lady Macbeth faints and Banquo ushers everyone inside the castle to discuss the matter further. Malcom and Donalbain flee the country, Malcom to England and donalbain to Ireland for their own safety. This makes them seem suspicious and for the moment allowing Macbeth and Lady Macbeth to appear innocent.

“Here lay Duncan. His silver skin laced with golden blood. And his gashed stabs looked like a breach in nature.”

In Macbeths famous “Is this a dagger” soliloquy, Shakespeare uses many language features, one such being personification.
In the soliloquy, Macbeth is visited by a floating dagger. This is an inanimate object however he refers to is as ‘thee’ or in modern English terms, ‘you’. “Come, let me clutch thee.
I have thee not, and yet I see thee still. In referring to this dagger as in the same way you would a person, it gives the idea that this object has intention and character making it more than just a dagger and adding to the idea that Macbeth is being influenced heavily by external forces more so than internal.

Banquo and his son, Fleance go out for a late night stroll. Banquo first speculates at how the stars are hiding themselves tonight and that he has dreams and nightmares of the weird sisters and cant sleep. Then they come across Macbeth and a servant. Banquo asks about him and he says that he is fine and doesn’t think about the sisters at all (a blatant lie). They exchange somewhat pleasant words and then Banquo and his son finally goes to bed. Macbeth sends the servant away and then stars having hallucinations about a floating dagger that can be seen but not held or touched. He is unsure if it is his eyes that are not working or that his eyes are the only sense that is working. This dagger is leading him towards the kings chamber. A bell is rung by Lady Macbeth and this means that Duncan is unguarded.

“I go, and it is done. The bell invites me. Hear it not, Duncan, for it is a knell that summons thee to heaven or hell.”

Macbeth arrives on stage refection on his treasonous plans having second thoughts to everything. Even though now is the perfect time to kill the king and for fill his destiny he accepts that it is not a good thing to do. “First as his kinsman and his subject. Strong both against the deed; then as his host, Who should against his murderer shut the door.” He realities that as a close relation and nobleman that killing the king is virtually the opposite to what he is supposed to do as family and as a loyal subject. Also that as a host, the host must protect the guests and shield them from murderers not the other way round. He also fears the inevitable repercussions of his actions even if he goes uncaught. When Lady Macbeth then arrives he announces that the plan must not continue, Duncan has done nothing bad to him and has only ever honored him, especially now. Lady Macbeth is furious, he promised to do this for the both of them and she says she will have done anything if she promised it, even kill a child. She then essentially says that she is more of a man than him. She then goes on to explain her plan and that they cant fail. He agrees enthusiastically at this and finishes the first scene by saying; “Away, and mock the time with fairest show. False face must hide what the false heart doth know.”