MURRAY OSBORNE: MACBETH MONOLOGUE (After Act 3, Scene 3)
[Banquo lies against a tree, blood leaking from his chest, trembling.]
BANQUO: [Tentatively] Why, upon what jury this murder just? Not long ago you and I were allies Macbeth, fighting in a war for our country against the corrupt Norwegian’s. Now, I lie here, surrounded by mere nature, betrayed. What justification could Macbeth find in order to seal the fate of my beloved family? You are no longer the man I once knew. Lately I have come to know a new man, one motivated by power, one motivated by supremacy. It’s almost as if my dear friend Macbeth is now foreign to me. It’s almost as if he also ran off to England like poor Macduff did not long ago. O, betrayal! Here I see the face of a
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O, dear friend, what have you done? Why have you poisoned my life with this blade? What could drive you to the death if a friend which, another day, would send you trembling? Now I see that my mind did not trick me, for the prophecies did in fact forever change you. I knew this would spur you to fulfil your ambitions, largely amplified by Lady Macbeth’s desire for you to hold the throne. Why did I not do something about it, for now I see this was coming all along? Why Macbeth? Why oh why? As soon as King Duncan died I told myself that you had done it-only for my misgiving to change due to my longing to believe the best of you. After all, you were my dearest friend who served for Scotland, why would you want to betray the country you fought for? Who else in the castle would benefit from Duncan’s death so much that they would be prepared to forever have blood on their hands, prepared to risk their own throat from being slit, prepared to betray me. It was then I realised who else but Macbeth. His endless curiosity in the three witch’s prophecies had me worried. It seemed as if he was so deeply invested in his ambition to attain power that he in fact lost his grasp on his own sanity. And damn his lady, for she questioned his manhood and only spurred him on more to claim the throne. How dare she manipulate his lack of emotional stability for her
Banquo's declaration of allegiance also allows for proof towards his unchanging ideals, whereas immorality and blind ambition poison Macbeth?s thoughts. Macbeth describes his fear of Banquo shrewdly in that they ?stick deep, and his royalty of nature reigns that which would be feared. ?Tis much he dares he hath a wisdom that doth guide his valor to act in safety? (III.i). Macbeth concludes his friend has remained his pure self and therefore is his moral antithesis. Banquo continues to hold a much clearer grip on life and real quality as a man in comparison to Macbeth, hence, Macbeth is forced to kill him if he is to follow through with his plan and go down a dark road.
First came the pride, an overwhelming sense of achievement, an accomplishment due to great ambition, but slowly and enduringly surged a world of guilt and confusion, the conscience which I once thought diminished, began to grow, soon defeating the title and its rewards. Slowly the unforgotten memories from that merciless night overcame me and I succumbed to the incessant and horrific images, the bloody dagger, a lifeless corpse. I wash, I scrub, I tear at the flesh on my hands, trying desperately to cleanse myself of the blood. But the filthy witness remains, stained, never to be removed.
In this soliloquy, we learn how Banquo's ambition begins to collide with what's wrong and right. After Duncan's mysterious death, Banquo is considering the possibilities of Macbeth's actions and expresses his emotions aloud to him. Banquo is the only character that is completely aware of the witches prophecies and Macbeth's involvement with them. In this excerpt he decides not to share his suspicions, revealing his loyalty for Macbeth. His words give more insight on how much faith he is beginning to have in the sisters after a state of doubt.
This speech is one that is one of the most revealing in Macbeth - it illustrates Lady Macbeth’s values throughout the beginning of the play. Her anger when Macbeth tells her he does not want to continue with the plan to murder Duncan demonstrates the importance that she places on loyalty and keeping of word. “I would…dash’d the brains out, had I so sworn.” - Lady Macbeth. Lady Macbeth’s willingness to sacrifice her own child should she have promised to do so is a demonstration of valuing loyalty - not only to people, but to her own word. This anger is also displayed through her telling Macbeth that his decision makes him less than a man, evidence of her belief that men were supposed to be ruthless and cunning. This belief was founded earlier in the play, where Lady Macbeth calls on the spirits to ‘unsex her’. Furthermore, Lady Macbeth criticises Macbeth for attempting to back out of the plan just when the time was right to commit the murder, which she planned herself. This
Audience becomes aware of Macbeth’s corruption when he plans to kill his ‘friend’, Banquo. He describes him as “dispatched” (3.4.15), and later as “safe” (3.4.25). This positions the audience to feel as though Macbeth is somewhat desperate to convince himself that he has acted appropriately despite using corrupt power. Using this stylistic device of language further demonstrates that Macbeth has now been corrupted to the extent that he longer feels compassion for his former companions. This ultimately establishes the representation that Macbeth’s illegitimate power has directly resulted in his destructive nature.
First came the pride, an overwhelming sense of achievement, an accomplishment due to great ambition, but slowly and enduringly surged a world of guilt and confusion, the conscience which I once thought diminished, began to grow, soon defeating the title and its rewards. Slowly the unforgotten memories from that merciless night overcame me and I succumbed to the incessant and horrific images, the bloody dagger, a lifeless corpse. I wash, I scrub, I tear at the flesh on my hands, trying desperately to cleanse myself of the blood. But the filthy witness remains, stained, never to be removed.
Macbeth is realizing the power that Banquo has and what his future truly is, “Our fears in Banquo stick deep, And in his royalty of nature reigns that Which would be feared. ’Tis much he dares; And to that dauntless temper of his mind He hath a wisdom that doth guide his valor” (III.i. 49-53) Macbeth’s ambition is getting to him. At first he thought getting rid of Duncan would be enough but now he seeing more murder is in place. He reveals that he fears Banquo and his prophecy.
This speech portrays Banquo’s new found reluctance towards the witch’s forecast of the future. He now sees what Macbeth is blind too, the possibility of knowledge becoming more harmful to the men rather than helpful in Macbeth’s want for more, particularly pertaining to him becoming King. As Macbeth begins to weigh the prophecy against logic and the now present, he accepts the fact that if “two truths are told, as happy prologues to the swelling act of the imperial theme.” Macbeth is now beginning to assume that if portions of the prophecy are being fulfilled as the witch’s had said, it is only a matter of time before he shall become king. As Macbeth continues to be engulfed by what will be his future downfall, he assumes that all of his new found
As the thought of Banquo’s descendants taking power arose as a real possibility, Macbeth knows the only action he can take is to kill him before they can. Macbeth attempts to distance himself from his friend by making false truths about Banquo to himself. “[speaking to the murders] Both of you know Banquo was your enemy./So he is mine, and in such bloody distance/that every minute of his being thrusts/against my near’st of life” (3.1.213-214). Earlier in the play, Macbeth and Banquo were described as good friends, but now Macbeth says Banquo is his enemy. Macbeth knows Banquo is not his enemy, however, he wants to make himself feel better about arranging the murder of his friend.
In William Shakespeareś play, Macbeth, a medieval king must decide on whether or not to commit a villainy act in order to obtain a considerable amount of power of being the King of Cawdor. However, Macbeth is not the only individual who has a say in this endeavor. His wife, Lady Macbeth, also has a strong influence and persuasive ability that allows her to manipulate Macbethś brain. Lady Macbethś dominating and self-serving personality enabled her to strive for her goal for unspeakable power. The words in which Lady Macbeth uses for her argument demonstrates her character of a conniving, power hungry individual who will do whatever it takes to achieve her goal.
Lady Macbeth’s gentlewoman has just seen her wandering the castle at night for the first time prior to Act 5, Scene one. She does not know what to do – she is hesitant to tell the doctor because she is uncertain about what will happen to her career. She knows that the Macbeths killed Banquo partly because of his suspicion regarding King Duncan’s murder, so now she is uncertain about what they would do to her if she said anything. She is concerned about the natural order of the world, and what has happened due to the divine right of kings. The gentlewoman is holding a candle, sitting down on a chair in the centre of the stage. There are Rosary Beads on the table next to her.
This shows up that indeed Macbeth is really focused on why Banquo is questioning his judgments. “That every minute of his being thrust against my near’st of life”(ACT 3 S2). This evidence shows that from even being friends and soldiers to Macbeth for is own pleasure of his ego kills Banquo because he's scared Banquo could plan to kill Macbeth to steal the throne or sell him
Macbeth speaks to Banquo's
After killing King Duncan , Macbeth is starting to realize what it is that he has done, and becomes suspicious and paranoid of everyone around him by puting spy's in every castle and killing those who are any treat to him what so ever. Banquo is the only other person who knows of the meeting with the witches and he would assume that it was Macbeth who killed the King. The witches also said that Banquo would beget kings but he himself would never be king after Macbeth, and so Macbeth decides that Banquo is a threat to him. To get rid of the treat with banquo he decides to kill him and his son Fleance.
The main interest of the character of Banquo arises from the changes that take place in him, and from the influence of the witches upon him. And it is curious that Shakespeare's intention here is so frequently missed. Banquo being at first strongly contrasted with Macbeth, as an innocent man with a