Macbeth: Act 3 – Semi-Long Q&A (5 Marks Each)
Answer within 100-150 words incorporating the details mentioned in (a) and (b).
Q 1. Explain why Macbeth feels threatened by Banquo even though Macbeth is now king.
(a) The witches prophesied that Banquo's descendants will be kings
(b) Macbeth fears that if this comes true, his murder of Duncan will have been for nothing
Macbeth's insecurity as king stems directly from the witches' prophecy about Banquo. Although Macbeth has successfully become king through Duncan's murder, he realizes this achievement is temporary if Banquo's descendants are destined to rule. The prophecy states that Banquo's line will sit on the throne of Scotland. This revelation troubles Macbeth deeply. He has committed regicide and numerous other murders to gain the crown. If Banquo's children will eventually inherit the throne anyway, then all of Macbeth's violent actions become meaningless. His reign would be merely a temporary interruption before Banquo's family returns to power. Macbeth's fear is not that Banquo will overthrow him directly. Rather, Macbeth fears the future when Banquo's descendants might claim their promised throne. This makes Banquo, though currently loyal and unsuspecting, an existential threat to Macbeth's legacy. Macbeth decides he must murder both Banquo and his son Fleance to prevent the prophecy from coming true. This act demonstrates how Macbeth has become enslaved to the witches' words, trying desperately to control a fate he cannot control.
Q 2. Analyze how Macbeth manipulates the murderers and what this reveals about his character.
(a) Macbeth lies to the murderers, claiming Banquo wronged them in the past
(b) He questions their manhood and makes them feel personally invested in the murder
Macbeth's manipulation of the murderers shows his growing skill at deceit and his ability to exploit others' weaknesses. He lies to them, claiming that Banquo has wronged them in the past and made them poor and miserable. This is untrue, but Macbeth uses this fabrication to create a sense of personal grievance. If the murderers believe Banquo is their enemy, they will act with more determination and passion. Macbeth then questions their manhood, asking if they are willing to take revenge on one who has insulted them. This appeal to pride and masculinity is manipulation through emotional pressure. By making the murderers feel as though accepting the murder would prove their courage, Macbeth pushes them toward agreement. The murderers initially hesitate, but eventually agree because Macbeth has successfully made them feel personally wronged and challenged their sense of honor. This manipulation demonstrates Macbeth's moral decline. He has become ruthless and calculating, willing to lie and manipulate others to achieve his ends. The noble general who fought bravely for Duncan has transformed into someone willing to use deceit and emotional pressure. Macbeth's character shows how power and guilt corrupt even those who begin with honor.
Q 3. Discuss the significance of Fleance's escape and how it fails Macbeth's plan.
(a) The murderers kill Banquo but Fleance manages to escape in the darkness
(b) This means Banquo's line can still produce kings, making Macbeth's plan to stop the prophecy fail
Q 4. Examine the banquet scene and why Banquo's ghost appears to Macbeth.
(a) During the coronation feast, Macbeth sees Banquo's ghost sitting at the table
(b) The ghost represents Macbeth's guilt and his psychological state, not a literal supernatural being
The banquet scene is one of the play's most famous moments, marked by Banquo's ghostly appearance. During the feast celebrating Macbeth's coronation, a bloody apparition of the dead Banquo appears sitting at the table. Only Macbeth can see the ghost. Macbeth shouts at it, saying "Never shake thy gory locks at me," and addresses it with terror and accusation. This ghost is not a real supernatural being that others cannot see. Rather, it is a manifestation of Macbeth's guilty conscience and paranoia. Because Macbeth murdered Banquo, his mind creates the image of Banquo's ghost. The ghost appears at the moment when Macbeth should be celebrating his new position as king. Instead, he is consumed by guilt and fear. The apparition shows that Macbeth cannot escape the consequences of his crime through murder. Even with Banquo dead and gone, Banquo haunts Macbeth's mind. The ghost appears twice during the banquet, and each time Macbeth becomes more agitated. His visible fear and his shouts at an empty chair reveal to the other nobles that something is profoundly wrong with their king. Lady Macbeth makes excuses for his behavior, claiming he suffers from an old illness, but the damage is done. The ghost scene demonstrates that murder creates psychological torment that murder cannot solve.
Q 5. Analyze how Lady Macbeth handles the banquet crisis and what this shows about her character.
(a) Lady Macbeth tries to calm Macbeth and make excuses to explain his strange behavior
(b) She shows quick thinking but also reveals that her control over events is slipping
Q 6. Discuss the significance of Hecate's appearance and her role in the witches' plan.
(a) Hecate, the goddess of witchcraft, scolds the witches for meddling without her
(b) She tells them to fill Macbeth with false security that will lead him to his confusion
Hecate's appearance in Act 3, Scene 5 introduces a more powerful supernatural force into the play. Hecate is the queen of witches and the goddess of witchcraft. She scolds the three witches for managing Macbeth's affairs without consulting her or involving her in their plans. This establishes a hierarchy among supernatural forces—the three witches are subordinate to Hecate's authority. Hecate tells them that Macbeth will visit them again the next day, as they already know he will. She then gives them instructions: they must summon elaborate visions and spirits whose messages will fill Macbeth with a false sense of security. These visions should make him believe he is safe and invulnerable, drawing him on to his own confusion and destruction. Hecate's plan is sinister because she wants to ensure Macbeth's downfall. By giving him false confidence through misleading visions, the witches will cause Macbeth to act in ways that destroy him. This supernatural manipulation adds another layer to the play's exploration of fate versus free will. Macbeth believes he is making his own choices, but supernatural forces are actively working to ensure his downfall. Hecate's introduction suggests that powerful dark forces beyond Macbeth's comprehension are at work in the universe.
Q 7. Explain the dramatic irony of Macbeth's situation after successfully murdering Duncan and becoming king.
(a) Macbeth has achieved his ambition and is now king of Scotland
(b) Yet he is more paranoid, fearful, and unhappy than when he was simply a thane
The situation after Macbeth becomes king is deeply ironic. He has achieved the very thing he murdered for—he is now king of Scotland with all the power and prestige that comes with the position. Yet his achievement brings him no happiness or security. Instead, Macbeth is more paranoid, anxious, and afraid than ever before. When he was Thane of Glamis, though he was ambitious, he could sleep peacefully and enjoy his status. Now that he is king, sleep eludes him. His mind is "full of scorpions." Every person seems a potential threat. Banquo, once his friend and fellow general, is now his victim and a source of constant worry. Duncan, once his king and superior, is dead by his hand. Yet rather than finding satisfaction in the murder or relief from the prophecy's pressure, Macbeth has created new problems. He now must worry that Banquo's descendants will take the throne. He must worry that the other thanes might discover his crime or turn against him. He must worry that Macduff might be plotting. The irony is that achieving kingship through ambition and murder has not brought Macbeth what he wanted. Instead of contentment, he has found torment. Success has not ended his suffering but has intensified it. Shakespeare shows that evil deeds do not achieve the happiness their perpetrators imagine.
Q 8. Analyze Macbeth's statement "Blood will have blood" and what it reveals about his understanding of consequences.
(a) Macbeth says this after seeing Banquo's ghost at the banquet
(b) He understands that violence creates a cycle of more violence that cannot be stopped