P3 - Banquet Scene

• The consequences of Macbeth’s hamartia start to fully show in Act 3, where ambition starts to fully take over his life and more murders are committed to maintain his position as King of Scotland. Act 3, Scene 4 acts as a turning point in the play as it displays Macbeth’s guilty conscience. The banquet scene is supposed to be the pinnacle of his reign, however the introduction of Banquo’s ghost disturbs this.
• Banquo’s Ghost is a reminder of his betrayal and the fact that he can never escape this guilty conscience. Ambition is the central theme of the play and paranoia is presented as the direct result of this; the psychological torment that the Macbeths experience act as a warning to the audience at the time.
• Macbeth possibly felt so threatened by Banquo, due to his ability to see the Witches for what they truly are - the “instruments of darkness”. This would have made Banquo a very likeable character amongst the audience at the time, and therefore they would have been devastated in witnessing his death.
• During the banquet scene, he says to the ghost “Never shake thy gory locks at me!”. The use of imperative language shows that Macbeth believes that by intimidation he can control the dead, as well as the living. This shows that his ambition has given him a false sense of security. The imagery created of Banquo’s hair being covered in blood is another indication of Macbeth’s violent actions. This scene creates dramatic tension given that Macbeth is the only person that can see the ghost, which leaves the other guests confused.