Macbeth LRJ #3

Liz Roepke
Peifer 4
English 10 IB
4 March 2009

Macbeth LRJ #3

In the Third Act of Shakespeare's Macbeth, the title character is becoming more aggressive and manipulative. He begins to kill people just to clear his path. Macbeth believes that Banquo is a threat, so he lies to convince desperate men to do his dirty work: "Are you so gospell'd/ To pray for this good man and for his issue,/ Whose heavy hand hath bow’d you to the grave/ And beggar'd yours for ever?" (3.1.94-97). As Macbeth is becoming more dedicated to the murders, Lady Macbeth feels increasing remorse, though she does not show it to anyone else. She sees that it would be better to be dead than keep killing people: "'Tis safer to be that which we destroy/ Than by destruction dwell in doubtful joy" (3.2.8-9).

A theme of Act Three is playing a part. By this point in the story, both Macbeth and his wife must work hard to keep up their pretense of innocence. Macbeth fails horribly at this when he sees Banquo's ghost and cannot stop himself saying suspicious words about death and killing. "Thou canst not say I did it: never shake/ Thy gory locks at me." (3.4.60-61). Macbeth is speaking to a ghost that no one else can see, and he is defending himself from murder, both of which are quite unsettling coming from a king. Lady Macbeth also plays a part, pretending that her husband acts like this frequently. "Worthy friends: my lord is often thus,/ And hath been from his youth" (3.4.63-64). She does not know why he is acting like this, but tries to convince the Lords at dinner that he is completely fine.

The underlying theme in Act Three is paranoia and fear. Macbeth is so fearful for someone to take away his power that he would kill his own friend if he felt threatened. Macbeth has Banquo murdered because Fleance was prophesied to be king, which was worrisome for Macbeth. Macbeth tells the murderers that Banquo was "in such bloody distance,/ That every minute of his being thrusts/ Against my near'st of life" (3.1.132-134). He meant that every minute Banquo lived, Macbeth came closer and closer to death because of Banquo's existence. This shows us that Macbeth was very paranoid about Banquo exposing him for the criminal he was.