Analysis Of Act 3 Scene 1 Of Macbeth

Macbeth practice essay:

The following analyse deals with an extract, Act 3, scene 1, from Shakespeare's play, Macbeth. Prior to this extract Macbeth, our main character, has recently murdered the king, Duncan, and has ascended to the throne himself. This extract deals with interactions of Macbeth with others and himself just before he sends an assassin to kill Banquo, a 'friend' of Macbeth's who Macbeth thinks may suspect him. In this extract we see Macbeth grappling with his own conscience as well as his anger and paranoia over the witches' prophecy that it will be Banquo's sons, not Macbeth's, that will take over the throne. This extract also deals with a lot of irony and foreshadowing especially revolving around a feast that Macbeth throws

In this section Macbeth implores the attendants to “let every man be master of his time”, directly this is simply an instruction for the lords to do whatever they like until the feast, but subconsciously Macbeth is also thinking about the limited time Banquo has left to what he wants – already we can see the guilt Macbeth has over what he is about to do. Macbeth further urges his guests to keep to themselves “to make society the sweeter welcome” perhaps because he hopes this time to themselves will allow his guests to take the news of Banquo's murder easier, but mostly Macbeth wants to ensure he is not interrupted, the decision to murder Banquo is eating him and he does not want to have to deal with other people while he carries out his plan of assassination. Finally, Macbeth wishes that “God be with [his guests]” which is ironic because Macbeth's intentions for the same time period are far from

Macbeth ponders Banquo's “royalty of nature” and “dauntless temper”, showing that even while he is plotting his 'friend's' murder Macbeth can still recognise the positive attributes Banquo has, especially in comparison to Macbeth's own “[rancorous]” “vessel of...peace”. Macbeth angrily deals with the witches' prophecy, after all why, after Macbeth gave his “eternal jewel” to the “common enemy of man” by murdering the “gracious Duncan”, should Banquo, after he “chid the sisters” have the privilege of being a “father to a line of kings”? Macbeth also deals with his divided-self in this soliloquy – he acknowledges that Banquo is a better man than him, knows that his “genius is rebuked”, knows that he has poisoned his own mind and sold himself to “the common enemy of the man” and yet his own paranoia ensures that he cannot help but vindictively try to murder Banquo and his line so that all his 'hard work' does not result in a “fruitless crown”. This section deals very heavily with the weight of Macbeth's decisions as well as his