Macbeth Act Three – “We have scorched the snake, not killed it.”

Macbeth Act Three – “We have scorched the snake, not killed it.”

Macbeth is now king at the palace at Forres. Enter Banquo, who thinks about the prophesies of the witches and how they have brought the kingship to Macbeth, but he fears that Macbeth has “play'dst most foully for't”. Banquo contemplates that if prophesies have come true for Macbeth, “Why, by the verities on thee made good,

May they not be my oracles as well,

And set me up in hope?”

Then Macbeth enters with Lady Macbeth as Queen, and he invites Banquo to attend a feast that very night. Banquo says that he is riding in the afternoon with his son Fleance but he agrees to come to the feast that night – a promise he will honour in spirit. Macbeth says that Malcolm and Donalbain have fled and are “filling their hearers with strange invention”.

Then Banquo exits and Macbeth dismisses everyone else and gets a servant to bring some visitors he has arranged to meet. Alone, Macbeth contemplates his situation and how to retain the crown:

“To be thus is nothing;

But to be safely thus.--Our fears in Banquo

Stick deep; and in his royalty of nature

Reigns that which would be fear'd: 'tis much he dares;

And, to that dauntless temper of his mind,

He hath a wisdom that doth guide his valour

To act in safety. There is none but he

Whose being I do fear: and, under him,

My Genius is rebuked… He chid the sisters

When first they put the name of king upon me,

And bade them speak to him: then prophet-like

They hail'd him father to a line of kings:

Upon my head they placed a fruitless crown,

And put a barren sceptre in my gripe,

Thence to be wrench'd with an unlineal hand,

No son of mine succeeding. If 't be so,

For Banquo's issue have I filed my mind;

For them the gracious Duncan have I murder'd;

Put rancours in the vessel of my peace

Only for them; and mine eternal jewel

Given to the common enemy of man,

To make them kings, the seed of Banquo kings!

Rather than so, come fate into the list.

And champion me to the utterance!”

Then Macbeth’s servant enters with two murderers whom he has hired and convinced to kill Banquo. Macbeth reiterates to the murderers that he wants Fleance, Banquo’s son, to be killed along with his father. The murderers exit.

Later, Lady Macbeth shows caution with their position and then Macbeth enters and tells his wife that they have much more work to do:

“We have scorched the snake, not kill'd it:

She'll close and be herself, whilst our poor malice

Remains in danger of her former tooth.

But let the frame of things disjoint, both the

worlds suffer,

Ere we will eat our meal in fear and sleep

In the affliction of these terrible dreams

That shake us nightly: better be with the dead,

Whom we, to gain our peace, have sent to peace,

Than on the torture of the mind to lie

In restless ecstasy. Duncan is in his grave;

After life's fitful fever he sleeps well;

Treason has done his worst: nor steel, nor poison,

Malice domestic, foreign levy, nothing,

Can touch him further.”

Macbeth then announces to Lady Macbeth that he is planning “a deed of dreadful note”. When she asks him what he is planning he tells her to be “innocent of the knowledge… till thou applaud the deed.”

We cross to the two murderers in a wood or park near the palace where they wait for Banquo and Fleance to approach. They are joined by a third murderer who says that Macbeth asked him to join them. Banquo and Fleance enter and they attack and kill Banquo who urges Fleance to flee which he does successfully.

It is now nighttime and we are at Macbeth’s feast which Macbeth and lasy Macbeth preside over. Macbeth quickly goes to see the murderer who appears with blood on his face and tells Macbeth that Banquo is dead but that Fleance escaped. Macbeth is upset that Fleance has escaped. Then Macbeth dismisses the murderer and goes back to the feast but when he goes to sit at the head of the table he sees the ghost of Banquo there even though no-one else does. Macbeth is shocked and demands that the ghost does not “shake thy gory locks”. Lady Macbeth saves the situation and gets everyone to sit again and explains that Macbeth has had visions since he was young. Macbeth talks to Lady Macbeth and realizes even she does not see the vision. Macbeth concentrates once more concentrates on his guests and confirms to them that this “strange infirmity” is nothing to those that know him. Macbeth then proposes a he offers a toast to all those assembled and to Banquo who is absent. The Banquo’s ghost appears again and Macbeth tries to make the ghost leave:

“Avaunt! and quit my sight! let the earth hide thee!

Thy bones are marrowless, thy blood is cold;

Thou hast no speculation in those eyes

Which thou dost glare with!”

Lady Macbeth dismisses all the guests as the ghost vanishes.

With the guests departed, Macbeth is distraught:

“It will have blood; they say, blood will have blood…”

He also is upset that Macduff did not come to his feast. And reveals that he keeps spies in everyone’s house. Macbeth decides that he will go to visit the witches again:

“… I will to-morrow,

And betimes I will, to the weird sisters:

More shall they speak; for now I am bent to know,

By the worst means, the worst. For mine own good,

All causes shall give way: I am in blood

Stepp'd in so far that, should I wade no more,

Returning were as tedious as go o'er:

Strange things I have in head, that will to hand;

Which must be acted ere they may be scann'd.”

Thunder and lightning on a heath reveal the witches and Hecate, their mistress. Hecate is angry that the witches have traded and trafficked with Macbeth without her say so. Hecate eventually agrees to them  continuing their plans and she vanishes, while the witches prepare for the arrival of Macbeth.

In a scene which often cut out in performance we encounter Lennox and another lord, discussing what has happened to the kingdom. Fleance is blamed for his father’s death but Lennox and his companion believe Macbeth had a part in the death of both Banquo and King Duncan. Lennox reveals that Macduff has escaped to England and is joining Malcolm who is trying to get King Edward of England to help him reclaim the throne. They hope and pray that Malcolm succeeds and that:

“Some holy angel

Fly to the court of England and unfold

His message ere he come, that a swift blessing

May soon return to this our suffering country

Under a hand accursed!”