Macbeth (Act III, Scene IV)

The scene begins with Macbeth and Lady Macbeth welcoming their guests into their castle for a banquet. Macbeth encounters the first murderer whom he hired, who informs Macbeth that he has killed Banquo, but his son Fleance has escaped. Angered and worried, Macbeth realizes that Fleance’s presence threatens his status as king. As the murderer exits, Macbeth returns to the feast to see Banquo’s ghost sitting in his chair, which only he can see. Macbeth speaks to the apparition, disturbing his quests. Lady Macbeth apologizes for her husband’s actions, with the excuse that Macbeth has suffered from this condition since childhood. She then chides him for lacking manhood, and the ghost disappears, only to return again. The apparition disturbs Macbeth further, forcing his wife to cancel the banquet.

Macbeth is worried that omens such as the ghost of Banquo will reveal him to be a murderer, and tells his wife that he has placed a spy in Macduff’s castle, learning that he refuses to appear in Macbeth’s court. Wishing to gain more information concerning his future, Macbeth decides to speak with the three witches the following day. The scene ends with Macbeth and his wife going to bed.

Images

Imagery ExplanationAnimal Imagery: (III. Iv. 100-104)Approach thou like the rugged Russian bear,The arm’d rhinoceros, or th’Hycran tiger,Take any shape but that, and my firm nervesShall never tremble.

In lines 100 to 104, Macbeth expresses his fear towards the ghost of Banquo, using comparisons along with animal diction. Macbeth challenges the apparition to appear in the form of a bear, rhinoceros, or tiger, or any form other than Banquo’s ghost, stating that “[his] firm nerves shall never tremble” (III. iv.104). The comparison of fierce animals to Banquo’s ghost underlines the guilt Macbeth feels about carrying out the murder of his friend.

Animal Imagery: (III.iv.124-126)Augures, and understood relations, haveBy maggot-pies, and choughs, and rooks brought forth.

In these lines, Macbeth is worrying about the secret that he murdered Duncan getting out. He refers to birds that have omens related to the spreading of secrets. Birds are always chirping and know everything, sooner or later people will discuss about who is the killer; thus they will find out the secret that Macbeth was the killer.

Blood Imagery: (III.iv.74-75)Blood hath been shed now ere now, i’th’olden time,Ere humane statue purg’d the gentle weal;”

These lines show the usage of blood imagery. This blood imagery is used to show the recurring instances of murder throughout history and how Macbeth has followed this trend.

Animal Imagery: (III.iv.29-32)There the grown serpent lies; the worm that’s fledHath nature that in time will venom breed,No teeth for th’present. Get thee gone ; tomorrowWe’ll hear ourselves again.

In these lines, Macbeth compares Banquo and Fleance to snakes. He compares Banquo to a mature snake that has been killed, and therefore is no longer a threat. However, since Fleance escaped, Macbeth compares him with a young snake that has yet to develop fangs, but will become dangerous when he is older. This animal imagery runs

throughout the play, and shows Macbeth’s fears.

Significant Lines

Lines Translation /Explanation Then comes my fit again: I had else been perfect;Whole as the marble, founded as the rock,As broad and general as the casing air:But now I am cabin’d. cribb’d, bound inTo saucy doubts and fears. But Banquo’s safe?(III.iv.21-25)

Now I’m scared again. Otherwise I would have been perfect, as solid as a piece of marble, as firm as a rock, as free as the air itself. But now I’m all tangled up with doubts and fears. But Banquo’s been taken care of?

In lines 21 to 25 in scene 4 of act 3, Macbeth expresses his worry due to that Fleance escaped the murderers. He says that if Fleance had been killed too, he would have felt “Whole as the marble, founded as the rock” (III.iv.22). However, since Fleance has escaped, he feels that he is bound to guilt and fear once again.

Blood hath been shed ere now, i’th’olden time,Ere humane statue purg’d the gentle weal;Ay, and since too, murders have been perform’dToo terrible for the ear. The time has beenThat when brains were out, the man would die,And there an end. But now they rise againWith twenty mortal murders on their crownsAnd push us from our stools. This is more strangeThan such a murder is.(III.iv.75-84)

In ancient times, before there were laws to make the land safe and peaceful, a lot of blood was spilled. Yes, and since then murders have been committed that are too awful to talk about. It used to be that when you knocked a man’s brains out he would just die and that would be it. But now they rise from the dead with twenty fatal head wounds and push us off our stools. This haunting business is even stranger than murder.

These lines spoken by Macbeth show the change of the natural order. He begins with talking about how people would normally die and their soul would rest in peace. He then shows the change when he describes Banquo who came back from the dead, with twenty gashes on his head, to haunt Macbeth.

It will have blood they say: blood will have blood.Stones have been known to move and trees to speak.Augures, and understood relations, haveBy maggot-pies, and choughs, and rooks brought forthThe secret’st man of blood. What is the night?(III.iv.122-126

Where there is trouble: trouble brings more trouble.People make assumptions to everything.Talking birds and known relationship have been known to reveal the most hidden secrets by the means of talking.

Macbeth is scared that his troubles will continuously add. Till people start putting evidences together to make the conclusion that Macbeth was the real murderer.

Tristan Labas, George Li, Daniel Gavras, David Han