In the play Macbeth during act 3 there’s a scene in which an unknown third murderer appears. This is confusing to the audience and therefore has been a long subject of debate due to the fact that in the previous scene, Macbeth seemingly only hires two murderers. There are multiple explanations for this but the most reasonable is the third murderer being an unknown servant. An unknown servant would have the motivation and information needed, along with the ability to be there and make it back to the party at a reasonable time without being noticed as missing. The unknown servant had the motivation due to the fact that they would want to stay loyal to Macbeth and serve him to their best ability. Prior to Macbeth's soliloquy, the servant informs him that the 2 murderers he hired are there to speak to him. The servant exits and Macbeth tells the audience that he hates Banquo because his sons are prophesied to be the successors to his throne and in general he sees Banquo as a threat. This is the reason Macbeth hires murderers to kill Banquo in the first place. The unknown servant could have easily stayed within listening range prior to “exiting”, heard about where Banquo would be, what time, and what exactly the murderers needed to do. The servant could then use this as a way to climb to the top of Macbeth's list, …show more content…
Thus telling us that he knows the normal routine of the castle goers, including Banquo. This just gives us more evidence that the unknown servant is the third murderer. If he’s serving Macbeth he would obviously know his routine, another part of his job is to meet the people who need to speak to Macbeth at the gate and bring them up to meet Macbeth. If said servant is so devoted to Macbeth to meet up with the other murderers to supervise, we can’t put it past them to also be so inclined to be observant of not only Macbeth but the other people who frequent the
Because of this he also killed the servants. When told of Banquo's death he is seemingly delighted but upon return he sees Banquo's ghost. Macbeth’s repressed guilt shows up as a ghost that steals his seat from him. He tells him to leave and cease bothering him, representing how he doesn't want to feel guilty but the ghost doesn't leave until Lady Macbeth takes him out of the room. Macbeth’s guilt pressures him to face consequences and shows his lack of
As he ponders on the fortunes of the Weird Sisters and their accuracy, he wonders if Macbeth compromised them: “Thou hast it now, King, Cawdor, Glamis, all,/As the weird women promised, and I fear/ Thou play’dst most foully for’t” (3.1.1-3). However, as he starts to gather his thoughts, Macbeth, Lady Macbeth, as well as others enter, interrupting him. Even though he suspects foul play in this situation and has numerous opportunities to speak up, he decides not to tell anyone, making him in some sense responsible for the tragedies of Macbeth’s reign of terror. Banquo later pays for his mistake with his life, when Macbeth kills
Macbeth and Lady Macbeth are the least likely suspects, despite possessing the means to kill Duncan, they both do not have a definitive motive. There is Banquo, who had the means to be the murder and a possible, yet extreme, motive. But the most likely suspects are the two chamberlains and Duncan’s two sons, Donalbain and Malcolm. The chamberlains were found with blood all over them and had
Whose absence is no less material to me / Than is his father’s, must embrace the fate of that dark hour” (3.2.153-156). Macbeth tells the murderers that he can’t afford to have any suspicions that it is him. Immediately, the murderers agree and killed Banquo, but Fleance escaped. When the murderers had came back with this news while Macbeth was at a ceremony, Macbeth was in doubt but was also reassured that Banquo was killed. When the murderers left, Macbeth sees a ghost that no one else sees.
A psychopath provides an interesting take on morality, they understand ethics and have morals however, they choose society 's distinction between what is right and wrong at the time of their choosing and gravitate to their notion of principals. For the most part, the world is unlike these individuals, however it is fair to say that similar to psychopaths, individuals who stray from ethics even for morally good reasons, are considered to have distorted morals. In Shakespeare's iconic Macbeth and Shirley Jackson's lesser known "The Possibility of Evil", the protagonists' Macbeth and Miss. Strangeworth have good intentions when making decisions that involve others. However, both characters have skewed morals, which they allow to influence the
He is deceptive towards the murderers in order to facilitate the murder by telling them about the political and civil unrest that will occur if Banquo or Fleance is allowed the throne. After ordering the murderers to go through with the act, he tells Lady Macbeth that “Tis better thee without he within/ Is he dispatch’d” (Shakespeare 3.2.17-18). Macbeth feels a sense of relief after ordering the murder of Banquo, which contrasts with his feelings toward the murder of Duncan. He tells Lady Macbeth that Banquo is
He is proclaimed king, but knows he is to be usurped by those of Banquo's lineage. Upon this ghastly realization, he decides to take matters into his own hands. Without consulting his wife, who previously had been the only one seriously considering such horrid treason, he hires assassins. Where Macbeth was friendly and kind before to Banquo, he know thinks of him as only an enemy. “Both of you know Banquo was your enemy...
Secondly, Macbeth sees Banquo as a threat stating, “But to be safely thus: our fears in Banquo” (Shakespeare 3.1.53). Macbeth suggesting Banquo as a threat foreshadows his plan to murder Banquo. Additionally, it proves his paranoia since he is willing to commit another murder to conceal his first. Since, Macbeth did not want anyone to discover his murder, he knows how murder is viewed proving his opposition to
With Macbeth being a general in the Scottish military, he had major influences on people and their daily lives. After the murder of King Duncan, Banquo’s suspicion of who committed the murders arose around a single suspect, Macbeth. Knowing that Banquo most likely knew the truth that Macbeth killed King Duncan, Macbeth went back to his evil ways with ease. Through his attendant, Macbeth summons three murderers. Shakespeare introduces the murders with stage direction “[Re-enter Attendant, with two Murderers]” (Shakespeare, 363), in which Macbeth he uses Banquo as bait in order to gain their graces and loyalty “That it was he in the times past which held you so under fortune, which you thought had been our innocent self: this I made good to you in our last conference, pass'd in probation with you, how you were borne in hand, how cross'd, the instruments, who wrought with them, and all things else that might, so half a soul and to a notion crazed, Say 'Thus did Banquo.'”
His capricious and malicious acts prove how naive and vile he is as a person. Macbeth even attempts to kill Banquo to prevent any trace of his nature from making him, a “fruitless crown.” Macbeth states, “Must lave or honors in the flattering streams, and make our face vizards to our heart, disguising who we are,”(3.2.45). With such desperation, Macbeth is willing to include other people in his premeditated murder. By having Lady Macbeth be part of his plot to kill Banquo, Macbeth reveals two things about himself: That he does not value those around him, even if they are his loved ones, and that he places his personal success over all aspects of his life.
Servant or Murderer In the play Macbeth during act 3 there is a puzzling scene where a mysterious third murderer appears when in the previous scene Macbeth only hired two murderers. There are multiple explanations for this but the most sensible is the unknown servant because they had the ability to be there along with the motivation. The motivation of the unknown servant could be if he or she did not commit the crime of killing Banquo and Fleance, Macbeth would make sure they were killed as punishment. Along with the motivation, the unknown servant could meet the other two murderers in the gardens outside the palace and then return to the party to do his duties because they are not of high importance.
In act four of Shakespeare's "Macbeth" Macbeth murders most of a noble man's family out of impulse and paranoia. He suspected said nobleman of plotting against him, and much like the murder of his friend Banquo, he killed him before he got the chance. But this murder is not like the ones before it, this one is much more sinister. The man Macbeth suspected, Maduff, was suspect because he refused to show up to any events that Macbeth attended, and when Macbeth went to ask the witches they warned him Macduff was to be cautioned. This time Macbeth decides right away that Macduff must go.
Macbeth’s wish to become the king encouraged him to achieve his goals by any means. His intention is
While all of these people were obvious serial killers with motives and psychologicalissues, the question still poses if the real Macbeth was a serial killer as Shakespear suggestshe was with his character in the play. The true MacBeth was born into a Scottish familyaround 1005 and died in 1057 due to being killed in battle, but not the same type of battle asShakespear’s Macbeth. Although the Shakespearean version of Macbeth’s character was amurderous serial killer, the true MacBeth was surprisingly not this way. At the young age of7, he was sent to a monastery to be educated by monks. There was not much else documentedabout his young life during this specific time, except for the death of his cousin,Gillecomgain, in 1032.
Villain, a character whose evil actions or motives are important to the plot. Just like the definition of villain states, they show traits just like macbeth. In Shakespeare 's “ The Tragedy of Macbeth”, the character Macbeth is displayed as the villain throughout the play. Macbeth shows the readers that his amiton gets in the way and makes him do things that are considered “evil” until the end of the play. Macbeth is thinking to himself that it is not fair that Duncan 's kids will become king so he kills Duncan and has his sons flee.